Lace Triangle Shawl Completed!

The lace triangle shawl designed by Helen Bingham is complete and I think it looks beautiful, thanks so a friend who showed me how to complete the crochet bind-off, which was nice and simple to do.  There is an April KAL and it's so nice to take a peek and see the shawl in different yarns and hues.  Here are some pre-blocking photos:

This shawl is great.  It stays nice and put on the shoulders, even as I'm typing.  It's warm, too, and I'm sure I'll wear this frequently.  It looks better next to a tea cup than a sweatshirt!  Here are some closeups:

Lace Triangle Shawl

I saw the Lace Triangle Shawl by Helen Bingham in the Spring/Summer 2012 Vogue Knitting magazine.  The shawl is made from a worsted weight yarn, which makes for a faster knit.  The pattern's suggested yarn was the Martha Stewart Extra Soft Wool Blend, which debuted last year.  I was curious to try it, and picked up three skeins in Eucalyptus Green.

The yarn is soft and feels like bamboo yarn.  (The yarn is a wool-acrylic blend.)  Right now, the only colors available in the yarn are pastel.  I cast on and worked through the mesh pattern.

So far, a good beginning. 

Garage Reveal

This is what our garage looked like before:

And after:

1. What space did you decide to organize and why?

The garage, because it was the junk drawer of items from other rooms.  It was the go to place to dump everything before company came over because it was the room that no one lives in.  However, when we needed gardening supplies or tools, there was no clear walkway and it was a potential health and safety hazard.

2.  What steps did you take to ensure you completed the space within the 29 day timeline?

I started early and in small steps.  I focused on one section at a time and this made me think about whether the objects I stored in a certain area was practical and easy to get to for the task at hand.  I organized more frequently used items, like dog food, paper towels, and the vacuum right by the house door leading into the garage because I use those products more frequently.  Usually, clearing up one section motivated me to clear up another section. 

3.  What was the hardest part of the challenge for you and how did you overcome it?

Getting started.  I had purchased the two garden tool organizers over two years ago!  Sometimes when there is more than one person utilizing the space, it's about coming to agreement on how the space will be used.  I had to convince someone else that the organizers would work best on a particular wall.  I started by organizing gardening items in baskets and placing them on top of the shelf.  After that, everyone can visually see (and agree) that the garden tool organizer would go best underneath the shelf.

4. What did you do with the “stuff” you were able to purge out of your newly organized space?

I was able to donate most items.  We also opened up a cardbox box and found a forgotten shelf!  It was an organizing gift that was used in a different part of the garage.

5.  Tell me one of your proudest moments during this challenge?

Wheeling the bike out of the garage without having to wheel several items out of the way first!

6.  Explain any organizing “tools” you used to help you create additional space and to establish some limits and boundaries?

I used baskets to categorize products, two garage organizing tools to lift garage tools off the floor, and two garage shelves to take advantage of unused vertical space.  This helped to create zones within the garage: gardening, holiday items, sports equipment, tools, etc.  It's so nice to be able to find a parituclar item easily. 

7.  What is ONE piece of advice you’d give to someone else to encourage them on their organizational journey?

I love plastic containers and the labelmaker.  This gives you more flexibility in case you want to move items around as your space changes.  It's affordable, visible, and waterproof.