The Closet.

A couple of sapient souls looked at the sale and drew some conclusions about the remaining stash which are as true as they are embarrassing.

Yes, I like yarn. I have...some. 

This is the yarn closet.   

 
Circs on the door to your left, boxes of buttons on the top shelf - between the printer paper and the interlocking floor tiles.  Running down the leftmost side of the shelves, from the top, is a box for dpns, a box for notions, yarn, two boxes of sock and lace yarn, some candle making stuff I've never used, and a fourth blue lidded bin.

Almost all the bags are devoted to a single project's worth of yarn, except for that middle ziplock on the left, which has a few small things - mostly orange, for some reason.  Technically, these belong in the blue bins, Small Quantity City.  The top shelf with the canvas bin?  Mostly coned yarn.  The canvas bin towards the bottom is mostly cotton.

Another angle for the right side of the closet.  Top bin is accumulated swatches.  The rest are mostly project amounts of things.

The left hand stack of bins just visible in the back are EMPTY, beautifully empty, miraculously empty, NEWLY empty, thanks to you all for helping me lighten my load.

Imagine: Room for my handspun to begin to have a place and also, ahem, room for the three or four batches of yarn I gathered up from the rest of the house while I was cleaning last night.  I need to inventory them before they go in.

Yes, there is an inventory. 

Shut up, it isn't a spreadsheet.  Yet.

No, this does not include the fiber.  Most of which is on the living room floor.  Think I'm joking?

Still working on a system for that.  Some of the proceeds from the yarn sale will be focussed in that direction.

The rest of my life is not as organized as the yarn closet (the living room is in a particular state right now and as soon as I finish typing this and fold some laundry it will be restored to a more civilized condition) - as I was just reminded by my neighbor who delicately inquired when I planned to do something with the front of my house.  He's expression implied that he found it a bit ghetto.
Which I must admit is true in all senses of the word. 
Though I already knew he felt this way because I heard him talking with what turns out to be his contractor about whatEver those people were thinking about THAT house outside my door a few days ago.  When I mentioned this to him he said, Today?  So they've obviously had this conversation more than once.

The inside of my house is rather nice, but the outside is ..sketchy.  It has never been a problem before because this neighborhood is also in some ways a bit sketchy. And its on the list.  There's a lot of things on the list.  Furnace. Repair ceiling where roof leak came in.  Upgrade bathroom.  And yes, paint the house.
I was just talking tonight about getting some prices to get it painted today in fact.  Now I want to leave it shabby-assed and patchy for another 3 years.

It makes me annoyed that he's so clearly worried about my house dragging down his.  It makes me angry that I explained myself to him rather than cheerfully agreeing that yes indeed I am a scandalous hillbilly.  And it depresses me unutterably that my lovely, quirky, friendly, half-restored Victorian 'hood is ....becoming tasteful.   Possibly even....upscale.  The sudden influx of new dogs in the park trailing unfamiliar young professionals and the new families I've seen are taking on an ominous cast.

I can't decide if I care about being the topic of disparaging conversation between people I barely know, I'm troubled that I might act, or modify my actions because of the disapproval of others.  I was planning on weeding my walk and planting some flowers in the planters next week.  Would it be small if I left it all scraggly and bare a little longer?   

Comments

[Pat]

Wow, I feel I've stumbled upon my long lost tribe!I thought I was alone in my world that includes pitching fat slugs into my neighbors yard. Ah! I hardly ever do all the dastardly things I think of, but I continue to amuse myself. Seriously. Gently but firmly face the schoolyard bully. When I did , she was shocked that I had taken such a dark meaning from her past actions. She clutched her pearl enrobed neck and quickly scurried away. She's been civil ever since. Plant herbs , fruits, veggies and flowers. Then sit in the garden with tea as the bees buzz over your head, and knit!(You. not the bees)

[Kmom]

A late comment on the house and neighbor issue: when my husband and I were first married long, long ago (back in the '60's) we lived as students in La Jolla. At the time, it was one of the poshest and most conservative towns in California. There was a small house, probably inhabited by a free-thinking professor, that had corn in the front yard. The entire area (fairly small, actually) that normally would have been lawn, was corn! What a to-do that garden caused! We loved it and chuckled every time we passed. Unfortunately we left before harvest time, but I hope they got to keep it long enough to enjoy a corn fest.

[Stephanie]

I am VERY jealous of both your yarn closet and your organizational skills. As for the neighbor situation, I'd say, clean up your yard and paint the house as you had planned. Then put up the tackiest Christmas lights you can find. Lots of them. They should blink. And a junker car in the front lawn. Amongst pink flamingos, garden gnomes, and legally obtained street signs (no reason to get the law involved). With a few gazing balls and pinwheels for effect. Maybe something animated. Tell him he was right--you're much happier now that you've fixed up the front. You'll be hanging out there in the yard every evening, now that the weather's nice. Drinking beer, having belching contests, and seeing who can toss the empty cans the farthest. While listening to music. Loud music. With lots of window-shaking bass. Maybe parties every weekend. Heck--why wait 'til the weekend? And you owe it all to him. Shoot, before he mentioned fixing the place up, all you were planning to do was paint the house and pull some weeds! ;-)

But that's just me...

[David]

That's . . . wow. Just, wow.

I don't feel like I've got a stash problem anymore. :-)

[Kim]

It was great to see you for a fleeting moment this weekend...I hope you had fun :-)

Can you come organize my yarn stash? That is one great looking closet!!!

Bummer about the neighbor's comments :(.

[Martha]

Ahhh, the allure of spite landscaping, I know it well. More than one friend has suggested to me I could fund my retirement by keeping farm animals. We just can't decide which farm animals the neighbors will pony up more money to drive me out for--goats or hogs? Hog pens are unsightly and some say smelly; but the image of a goat standing on top of the neighbor's Mercedes is pretty irresistable.

[elan]

It's sad when a neighbourhood changes, ours is a mix of victorians & post wwII houses. A few years ago it got named Canada's most livable neighbourhood & since then prices have skyrocketed, if we were buying now we couldn't afford to live here! We do a little on our place every year but can't keep up with the wealthier people moving in. I hate the snide comments I get from others that we must be wealthy to live here, the equity is in the house, I've been here 15 years & don't intend to move. Invite that neighbour to pay for the paint job or do it in your own good time.

[Gina]

Screw the weeds and your neighbor. You have a yarn inventory spreadsheet to create.

[Carolyn Bahm]

WOW - I'm dead envious of that yarn closet -- both the depth of the stash and the visibility/accessibility of it. High five! I use the same kind of hanging canvas needle organizers that you do for my straights, circulars, and DPNs; the needle organizers were among my Christmas present from my dear hubby a couple of years ago. He knows the way to a knitter's heart. ;o)

I also just wanted to let you know that I enjoy your blog even though I don't comment very often; I'm mostly a lurker. But I am subscribed via my account at Bloglines.com. I recently revived my own long-languishing knitblog, LoopyKnits.com, and I've added your link to my blogroll. Hope you don't mind!

Best - Carolyn Bahm
Collierville, TN

[Bookish Wendy]

I am in love with your yarn closet. For reals. I could marry it. Mostly I am wondering about the big ziplocs. Where can I get me some of those? Amazon?

[Jean S]

well, as you well know, the house painting thing is really about maintenance. (which never ends, with houses.) To me, the yard thing is about what you want to see when you come home at the end of the day ... or what you want to be doing on a weekend. That said, a flock of pink flamingos would be very very tempting.

[Alice in the Heartland]

Delete the neighbor and do what agrees with the weather outside and your feelings on the inside. Don't know the origin but "don't cut your nose off to spite your face".
Love the stash closet and my living room could give yours a run for the money. You have your priorities in order I'd say.

[Lindsey]

The closet is amazing. My yarn stash is comparatively small (incredibly so), but is completely disorganized. Hats off to the superb storage! Also, your neighbor might not appreciate you, but I do! I just got the yarn I bought from you about an hour ago, and promptly cast on for a new project. I can't believe it got here so quick!

[Phil Boncer]

Yarn: nice stash. My wife's friends are sometimes envious that she has a husband who doesn't complain about her stash. I figure I came to the relationship with 5 cats and 12 motorcycles, so I've got no room to gripe. ;)

House: you can tell him you're doing him the favor of saving him money on his property taxes. The value of the house doesn't much matter until he's trying to sell it. If he is trying to sell it, he can help you with the trouble and expense of tidying yours to raise the value of his, since it would be done for his benefit.

Plus, of course, you haven't decreased the value of his place at all, since your place already looked just how it looks when he bought his. It's like those obnoxious people who knowingly move into a house near a small airport or a shooting range, taking advantage of the lower property values due to noise, and then they start agitating to shut down the airport or range for their own benefit, thereby causing a great PITA for the people who use those facilities. To heck with them.

PhilB

[Jessica]

Wow! Your stash is very organized. I try, but don't always make it.

As for the neighbor... *sigh* Why can't people just keep their nose out of the business of others? Do what you want, when you want. After all, you *bought* the house, didn't you? Doesn't that give you the right to what you dang well please? I thought that was the whole joy of ownership?

[Allyson]

Regarding the neighbor's comments about the exterior of your house, I can be a wee bit of a PIA in this department. I would plant flowers. tend the walkway, mow the lawn, etc but leave the painting til later. Ya know just to irk him....

[Kellee]

oh, and come to think of it, i even have a beat up car you can park out front on blocks. you know the one.

hell....i'd PAY you to take that away from my driveway if i could. ;)

[Kellee]

I am of the VERY firm opinion that if it matters so much to him, he can either a) offer to take care of it FOR you (incl. shelling out the $'s), or b) shut the f*^k up.

dude. presumptuous much?

i am also of the firm opinion that you should now consider painting it bright lime green and installing a red light over your front door. also maybe a 'live' doll in the front guest window in something......lacy. a very small something.

.....and i have a pink flamingo somewhere in my basement that would look quite lovely perched in one of your planters against that nice, crisp new lime green. you just say the word and it's yours.

[Diane]

Nice looking stash you've got there. Is your house the kind of house that lends itself to a full Victorian painted-lady extravaganza? If so, that would really put him edge, wouldn't it?

[diane]

Something up on blocks or maybe a few old appliances should do it

[Sara]

Frankly, you've got your priorities where they should be - you put your resources where it feeds your heart and soul, not where it pleases the external rif raf.

come organize my yarn please!

[Ellen-Mary]

I'm looking into getting a plaque for my lawn that proudly proclaims I'm a member of the Dandelion Preservation Society.

I had neighbors like that when I lived in NYC. They minded everyone's business and everything was a reflection on them. I found that the best way to deal with them was to not really engage in any sort of conversation. They will take credit for anything you do if it's something they mentioned and that always ticked me off. People like that are unhappy in their own skin.

So when I cleaned up my small patch of lawn I planted tons of wildflowers and used mismatched brightly colored pots. I did what made me happy and that it ticked off the nosey neighbor was icing on the cake.

[Laurie]

I think it is time to start topping him and make HIS place look scraggly and bare so you can point and grimace.

[Gwen]

Hee Hee What fuel for fantasies! Nothing like dreaming up petty annoyances for annoying neighbors. Me being me, I wouldn't actually do any of them. I'd go for the gardening already planned. Maybe you can find some nice rapid growing flowers that will get all blowsy and seed the cracks in his walk. Or a quick trellis with something to screen the eyesore in your view (that would be the annoying neighbor). I'm dreaming of kudzu that takes direction... (probably not far enough south, probably illegal to plant the stuff on purpose anyway, and it doesn't take direction well anyway)

[lanea]

Oh, and I recommend that you make a wildflower field of your lawn, and plant Joe Pie Weed and things like that. Good for your yard, good for your eyes, good for the planet, and murder on neighbors like that.