Studio Time

A few weeks ago I had a chat with myself about Time Management and I decided that I really need to take a different approach to managing myself. I have an awful lot of balls to juggle these days, and in order for me to continue to feel happy and upbeat it's essential that I keep on top of things. What this basically means is that I need to alter my natural free-floating tendencies and create a little more structure to my days. Yes, a little more organisation and structure would be very good for me, I decided. Just a little, nothing too harsh or stifling. This structure would allow me to carry on doing the things I love (and the things I am committed to) but in a less chaotic, flighty way.

My first priority was my studio. Last year I spent a lot of time wishing that I could be here more, yet even when Little B started nursery in September I somehow could not find a way to make it happen. Well not on a regular basis anyway. I realised that I needed to re-think the way I work my days, and make my studio time happen. Plan it. Organise it. Create time for it. So I decided Monday, Wednesday, Friday mornings, these would be my Studio mornings. It might not work out, but I am at least going to give it a go.

Yesterday was the first day of my new Structured Week. Day one. I dropped Little B at nursery, dashed back home to do a few quick jobs, then it was straight down to the studio (and it really is down, it's a steep hill and I ran) for two hours of happy time. Having a studio above a café is absolute heaven I have to say. It means I can kick start my morning with a really fantastic Grumpy Mule Latté, which gets things going rather nicely. So yesterday morning, emails flew out and I wrote notes (yes, I really did! This is the New Me!) and it was all very productive and fun.

After a while I tired of the wordy words and decided to make the most of a gorgeous sunshiney spell. I pulled my chair right into the patch of sunlight and settled down for some happy hooky work.

The joy that I feel when I work on my poncho is pretty immense. I get to play with colourful stripes (oh, those colours!), work with gorgeous yarn (mmmmmmmm, cashmerino!), and I get the most marvelous, precious thinking time too (ooooo, buzzy-buzz-buzz brain!). I think about all sorts while I'm methodically creating those long rows. I write mental blog posts, I think about recipes and make menu plans. I dream up holidays and outings, and all manner of creative projects. It all goes on you know, all those dreams, ideas, plans, thoughts, feelings, projects and activities, jumbling and tumbling over each other while I work my rows.

Every so often I have to force myself to stop. STOP!! Stop all that mental dreaming, planning, scheming and creating, give IT a REST! I nip downstairs and order up a second coffee, then settle back down and force myself to concentrate on the moment, the here and now. Coffee. Sunlight. Colour. Calm. That's better.

Back to my stripes. My hands are cold so my wrist warmers go on, and I spend the rest of my studio morning alternating between hooking and leaping up to take photographs of hooking. I ponder my poncho and wonder a) how big should a decent poncho be? and b) will I actually have enough yarn to make it much bigger? The rows are ginormous now, really long and yarn guzzling.

I put it on to try and get a feel for it, and think it does maybe need another few inches, then a wonderful border of some description. I really do want to get it finished asap as I am still bloomin' freezing in the evenings sat at my desk (ie right now) and I really, really, really want to get cracking with my Winter Wreath while it's still winter.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) is another Studio Morning, so I shall go full steam ahead with those rows.

xxxxxx

Edit to add :: Grumpy Mule is a fantastic coffee, for those of you that asked!

♥...more little snippets from the Attic...♥

The Studio Story

Wreath Making

Open Studio :: June 2013

Studio Furnishings

Our Working Studio

Comments

[Heather Leal]

Well done Lucy for making those plans, you deserve some quiet me time in your colourful space! I used to enjoy those precious few hours of Nursery time with no 3 so much! Now my no 3 is nearly 17, learning to drive and talking about University and I wonder where the time went!
Heather xxx

[Dorothy Griffiths]

Lucy I adore your poncho it is so cheerful and colours and looks so warm and toasty. A fabulous post as always, thanks for the post on the breadmaking, tried it and it was fab, so big thank you hug
Dorothy
:-)xxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Lyn Zalk]

Wondering if you might save yarn and still stay warm by adding a sort of cape sleeve and not continuing to work on the length?
Working on my own sort of tubular wrap for the same reasons.....
Early mornings here on my little Isle are freezing and the door needs opening and closing a few times to let my little dog out, and short walks down our driveway are but a moment in time but oh so cold and shivering when I do so, its just my arms and bak I need covered so after seeing your cozy next warmer I decided to use the same pattern and create a larger version to pop over whatever I'm wearing that will offer the snugly warm feeling a handmade bit of yarn can give!!!!
Whatever you decided to do on your poncho I Am so looking forward to your big TaDa moment. Stay warm Lucy xox and thanx for always sharing with us.
Oh yes also wondering - since I updated my new Macbook to the latest operating system I no longer have access to the RSS feed that used to bring me your daily posts... is there way to receive them directly via email?
Incase there is: I Am [email protected] Would be too sad to miss even one of your posts!

[Silly Little Sheep]

Good luck!! I probably know how you feel about your witer wreath, I am making a scarf that I KNOW will not be finished in time to be worn this winter :D

[Jo]

Great to see you in action. I am crocheting too at the moment an Elise shawl in the most wonderful yarn from Skye and a pretty hideous blanket. See my blog for details.

[Mary]

Your studio is beautiful! How wonderful to have such a space to work,play,and think. I do some of my best thinking while working on a stitchery project - it frees the mind. And really, the structure of setting up a plan is the basis for creative freedom - I think you'll find that it works well for you.
Best wishes with this -

[Alison]

I teach in a school in Meltham, where they make Grumpy Mule. Some days, if the wind is from the right direction, there is a strong smell of toast in the playground which is actually them roasting the beans for your coffee Lucy!!

[Claire]

Hello Lucy, love your work place and your poncho looks great!! I follow you since a long time!! How great to see you have our book, at the desk!! Hope you like it.... X Claire

[Lorna]

Wowee your studio is gorgeous. I too am in the same boat, lots of stuff to get done, lts of ideas running around in my head that I need to blog about, lots of new stuff to learn but still only 24hrs in the day! I haven't been crocheting long but I am totally hooked pick up a crochet project three hours can have gone by and tea is still not cooked!

[PinkCatJo]

I love your ideas for a Structured Week. I always set out to do this during the school holidays - aim to work the hours I would be teaching and then relax at all other times but it never goes to plan. I need to be more disciplined!

I do love the photos of your studio. It's such a colourful, welcoming place - I can understand why you ran to get there! x

[susan]

I am SO looking forward to your winter wreath! I love all of your wreaths and have so much fun watching you design and build them.

[Sandra]

Regarding the heart pattern (small version), it looks like you don't turn where it says to at the end of round 2. Hope that will help some people. It's not a nice colour but its a pretty heart so I wanted to get it right so I could do it properly in a nice yarn. I do wish magazines would double check what they put out. It wasted a lot of time. I don't expect patterns to be wrong, so usually think it is something I have done.

[Sarah west mids uk]

Dear Lucy beautiful pictures of your studio and the frost pictures in your previous post. Time management for me was excellent last week and then
everything went to pot on Friday. So having arrived at Wednesday I have had to boost myself up and think about what I did achieve and start again!
read your article in Simply crochet! So when are you going to do a crochet book?? xx

[JennyH.]

Oh what a happy, smiley blog filled with sunshine, yarn and the lovely Lucy. Couldn't help but smile at all the colour and warmth of your post, absolutely blooming gorgeous. Any chance you could tell me where your calendar was from?? Thanks for sharing, Jenny.

[Jenn M]

I feel the same way, and I do notice that when I can schedule things I make better use of my creative time. If I luck out and get some spare moments in my 'busy' time for creative pursuits, it's like I won the lottery:) Enjoy your Studio Time!

Jenn @ Jenn'sCraftyWorld

[alisonb2]

Oh what a brilliant plan! Yet more inspiration and loving the hooky!

[Sandra]

I would be pleased to know if anyone has managed to make the kit heart (the small one) from simply crochet? Round 3 makes no sense whatsoever, talking about going back and forth in rows when there is only the one of them and apart from turning at the end of round 2, seems also to be a round. Also mentions slip stitching in centre stitch - where is this stitch? It doesn't tell you at all. I won't be rebuying if this is the standard of pattern writing in the magazine. I'm really rather annoyed about it. Is it just me? I'm not too bad with patterns usually.

[Angela-Southern USA]

Just spotted this beauty, and thought you'd like it too.http://www.bettyandannie.blogspot.com/2014/01/meet-rose-crochet-tablecloth.html#comment-form
It really makes the wheels turn...thinking.lol

[Inge]

What a lovely Studio you have !
Your poncho is looking great!

[Ashlie]

Your studio is beautiful! I wish I had a little space like that to be creative :) I'm drooling over all that lovely yarn! xx

[Alison Barrow]

Hi Lucy I just wanted to say how much I enjoy reading your blog.I have a real drive to become more creative and I am currently trying to re teach myself how to crochet after many years,and after only having been a basic crocheter ? at that! Being left handed also adds to the mix.I can't tell you how many times I have unravelled literally and figuratively :) But I will keep on hooking and thankyou once again for your inspiration

[Catherine Fraher]

I've recently learned to crochet (2 pairs of mittens, some cardigan trim and half a granny square blanket since christmas ... So i'm pretty hooked on hooky) and love your blog. I hope your structure to the weeks works well for you. I work part time from home, have 2 kids, like making ... And have made the same resolution. I designate a day each week to meet up with as many friends as possible to socialise / go out and do something new because otherwise the week vanishes in the grind of school runs and work. Happy new year and thanks for the inspiration. Xxx C www.pinksister.co.uk

[Mitzi]

I love how you have all your wool on display and to hand. I could do with something like that in my den but not quite sure how I would fit it in. I already have so many projects buzzing around in my head. I do seem to be more organised with my projects when I'm in my den so may be three mornings in your studio would help, but don't become a slave to it or it will take all your enjoyment away.

[Anne]

I have that Twilleys Book of Crochet! How fun! It helped me when I was doing my first ever mindful crochet....crochet with intent...crochet following instructions.....and it worked!

Your studio space is fabulous...very inspiring. I think 3x a week is great.....and I look forward to more studio time posts.....no pressure :)

[janjan]

Your studio space is fab. I love it :)