Today’s guest post comes to you from Salena Baca (founder) of Design Wars and owner of Baca Creations.
Design Wars is a crochet pattern challenge that I created in late 2012, and while the name suggests combat we are more of a sisterhood; we bond together to inspire, encourage, support and network to create a positive forum for our community to enjoy. So, while we are battling to create the best new design, we are doing so in a way that will successfully promote ourselves, our sponsors, and crochet in an effort to build a progressive name for Design Wars. Our collaborations are geared to showcase exceptional talent in the crochet arena, and we strive to maintain high standards in our character, quality of work, and ability to group together as a team.
Workspace is essential in crochet, and while the labor could be done nearly anywhere I feel that the design process deserves an area dedicated to comfort and inspiration so that one can think with certainly. Therefore, I asked each of our Design Wars 4 Challengers about their workspace: Why they work there, how it inspires them, and the best aspect of it. Here are our first five:
Carolina Guzman | One & Two Co.
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This rocking chair is the first thing my parents gave me for my new home. I’ve sat on it to read, to rest, to put my little daughter to sleep, and of course, to crochet. It’s a place that brings me fantastic memories, which make me feel good and quiet.
Through the window, enters the warm sun of my Spanish region, and the colors fill this little corner of my house. This is one of my main inspirations, light and color, and I try to reflect that in all my creations. Another one of my inspirations is my little girl. She is very creative and she is telling me tales and stories full of incredible characters, colors and magic. I try to work in my workspace whenever I can, at least once a day. But sometimes my family life makes it a little complicated.
Liz McQueen | Playin’ Hooky Designs
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I feel so lucky that I work from my house; where there’s no dress code, I can go barefoot, and am with my kids. As soon as we signed the mortgage three years ago, I immediately started planning a space dedicated to Playin’ Hooky. It’s a good thing I have an amazing husband who’s a carpenter by trade. He built me my very own cabinet (which I promptly filled to the brim with yarn) and a built in desk where I spend most of my time writing and editing patterns, working on my websites, answering messages, or just staring at all the pictures of my beautiful kids. I try to keep my space clean and organized, which isn’t always easy. My husband calls it OCD. But it helps to keep my mind calm so I can think and create.
When I’m not at my desk, I’m in the living room crocheting in my favorite chair. My 4 year old son took this picture of me working, and I think it says it all.
When my daughter was a baby, a typical evening involved her falling asleep while she was nursing, with me working around her. In fact, I’ve gotten pretty good at doing most things with her in my arms like typing one-handed, drawing sketches, and of course crocheting. Above all, my workspace is my home. It’s where I find my heart and passion.
Alessandra Hayden | Just Be Happy
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I don’t have a designed office, but I do have my favorite places to work. Most of the time I crochet in the living room, I have my favorite corner just by my laptop and very often I have one of my kids snuggling with me.
My second favorite place is the bench outside, I love sitting outside in the sun, watching my kids play and crocheting. My kids are my main inspiration, so it doesn’t matter where I crochet, as long as I can have their happy personalities bouncing around me.
Danyel Pink | CrazySocks Designs
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I call my work space “Mom’s Office”. This room would traditionally be a dining room, but it’s the only place my bookshelf would fit, so I set up my desk and all of my yarn bins in this room instead. The convenience of having all of my books, yarn, and supplies so close at hand helps my motivation and inspiration. I can crochet, knit, sew, write patterns, look up stitches, store yarn, photograph products, or work at my computer all from the comfort of my desk chair, right in the hub of our living area.
The best part about my office is that it is connected to the kitchen and living room, and faces the back yard, so I can watch our 3 kids play while I knit, crochet, blog, or edit patterns. My work space is also one of the first things you see when you walk in the front door, so I TRY to keep it organized, just in case someone knocks on the door. I’m very fortunate that we have a home with a space big enough to set up all of my “stuff”. I can play Mom and Designer every day without having to sneak off to a private room somewhere… although sometimes I’d like to…
Salena Baca | Baca Creations
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Because I often give crochet instruction in my home I need an inviting and welcoming space for it. So I feel quite fortunate to have an entire front room as an office; It’s bright, spacious, and filled with lots of things that instantly make me happy, and motivated: pictures from a trip to France, photos of my children and family, art projects from my children, hand made goods from friends, plants, baskets (yes, baskets make me very happy), and an enormous amount of yarn and fabric. I have an oversized chair that could possibly fit 3 adults, and I can comfortably settle in it, relax, and crochet; it’s my favorite piece in the room, and I likely spend about six hours a day in it.
I find my work space very satisfying, and because I’m at home it’s refreshing to stop at any time to take a break with my kids. That’s a good feeling.
*** Design Wars 4 will begin on 24 July with issue #6 of our Newsletter, but you can enjoy our Vendor Showcases until then with artists like Twinkie Chan, Repeat Crafter Me, and Mon Petit Violon.
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