It has been quiet on the blog here lately. Things have been pushing in, crowding out the crafting time. They’re important things, so I’ve let them push and have put off the crafts for a calmer time. After this past week, most of those important things have been done, and it’s time to start pushing back.

I believe that this is the key moment that defines whether we dream, or whether we create. Productivity is determined by the point at which you push back, the time when the creative urge becomes as important as (or more important than) the other things that cry out for attention.

I also believe that being willing to push back is essential to being productive in the non-creating times. I am willing to work hard and to forgo my crafting time without resentment because I know that I will return in due time. In fact, a break is sometimes the best way to recharge and refresh my drive to create. When I live without it, I realize what it means to have it there.

In that spirit of pushing back and reclaiming mental space, Branden and I have been hard at work preparing the physical places where we carry out our work. This has been ongoing for several weeks now, and has been mostly complete for the last two. Now, it is just a matter of finishing touches.

Today, we bought a carpet for my office.

We’ve also been working on turning the basement into a dye studio. When we first came to view this house, we were excited to find a sink in the basement that is suitable for dyeing.

We were a little less excited to find that that sink is surrounded by a very nicely finished basement with new white countertops and beautiful cabinets.  It’s much easier to ignore a few stains on an unfinished cement floor than it is on linoleum and new cabinetry. To avoid damaging the property, the first step of creating my new dye studio was to protect all the surfaces.

We bought a huge roll of sheet plastic, and I began cutting pieces to size.

We wrapped the countertop, the cabinet doors, covered the walls, and lined the cabinets with plastic. Every surface that belongs to the house is covered (or will be soon). Then we bought a roll of archival quality artists’ tape, and hung it all in place. We added in my dye tables, and a piece of utility carpeting to keep it from being slippery. So far, I think it’s cost about $30, and most of that was the tape. (It is worth every penny.)

We’re also planning to buy rubber standing mats, but haven’t ordered them yet. Soon.

All my empty jars are ready and awaiting dye.

And the other supplies are lined up and ready to go.

I placed an order for more fiber this Friday, and I’m hoping for a dye day in the next few weeks. Stay tuned for Polwarth, Shetland, and Finn. (As always, color suggestions and challenges are welcome…just leave a comment or follow the link in the sidebar.)

We’ve never lived in a space this big before. In fact, this is the first time that I’ve had a room all to myself since my sister was born (I was 2 1/2 when that happened). It’s a new thing, having all this space to spread out and work on crafts. We are very lucky, and plan to take full advantage of the area we have.

And lest you think I am getting all the room, you can see that Branden’s geek cave is also fully equipped with things to keep him busy and productively amused.

In fact he is – at this very moment – hard at play.

I think it is time for me to do the same. More soon!