I had recently spent a night at a friend’s place (who is an interior designer, so I shouldn’t feel badly) and coveted her beautiful apartment on the spot. Not the location, not the price, but just the way it felt. You walked in and instantly knew that this was a great apartment- the walnut floors, the dove grey walls, that just-so mash of furniture and textures that looks unstudied, but is actually the product of great style and years of practice. There were even peonies wilting perfectly in the summer heat on the dining room table. It was like walking into a magazine. And I was jealous.

Now, I’m the kind of person who refuses to feel jealous. I’m convinced that people are the architects of their own lives, and that if we want something to be different, then we damn well have to change it ourselves.

So, G and I walked around our cluttered, poorly organized apartment and talked. We talked about the design styles we both like, parts of the decor that were working, parts that weren’t. And what we were going to do about it. And how we were going to get started right away.

One of our biggest challenges is storage, and the fact that my yarn stash pretty much consumes it. I spent several hours hauling out my yarn stash and carefully cataloging it in a spreadsheet:
(oddly blurred screenshot. This is only a small portion of the spreadsheet!)

Which was really useful, because now I find myself hunting for specific projects that will deplete the stash. I’m not on a yarn diet, but I feel like I just need to be smarter with what I’ve got. So, the perfect storm of wanting to be more decisive about my decor, and needing to use up some stash, is how I ended up attempting a big puff:Pattern: Puff Daddy

Needles: 15mm

Yarn: 5 skeins of Lion Brand Homespun, held 5 together

Mods: none

Notes: Okay, this is a total and utter fail. My puff does not look anything like the pattern puff. Last night, while staring at this weird thing, I realized that it’s because the giant rectangle that you are supposed to knit (and then join and seam) wasn’t long enough, resulting in not enough expansion room to round out the puff to it’s preferred dimensions. I think it would have been more helpful if the pattern noted the dimensions of the rectangle.

G looked at it, and helpfully suggested that if we rearranged the stuffing it might improve. I tried to rearrange the stuffing, then he tried to rearrange the stuffing. It would round out one side, but then collapse and dent the other side because it was being pulled too tightly. Which means that I either have to a) frog and re-use the yarn for something else, or b) buy more of the same yarn. Which is frustrating- I was trying to destash it!!

Although, I will say that this yarn seems really well suited to the pattern, and the price is excellent. I know a lot of people turn their nose up at Walmart-stocked yarns, but for something that will take a beating on the floor of your place, you probably want something hard wearing and and won’t cause you to freak out if someone spills wine on it.

Now, to wipe away the image of failure from your eyeballs, please feast your eyes on these AMAZING knitted chairs at Melanie Porter.