My Creative Space

I am spending the day on the living room floor working on a couple of projects - my Chevron Blanket, pink socks and my cable knit scarf. I have been wondering about the possibility of working through a book of knitting stitches and making a bundle of cable knitting swatches, so that I can practise, and eventually stitch them all together into a blanket or something...Not that I need more large projects, the chevron is keeping me busy enough! I've been playing around with my yarn to work out which colours work together for the next couple of rows of my blanket - It's coming along quite well so far.

For more Creative Spaces have a look over here

Knit, Knit, Knit!

I had one of those days today where I just couldn't settle on anything - I did a bit on my socks, figured out a pattern for cable knit fingerless gloves which I started knitting but halfway through the first one decided that I didn't like the yarn, and finally settled on trying out a pattern for a cable knit scarf. (I'm sure I'm not alone in my antsy-pantsy days but even by my standards today was bad. I'm not sure what caused it either, just one of those days I'm sure.)

So I have finally tackled my cable knitting phobia - this was similar to my sock-knitting phobia, in that it was also caused by some mean-spirited knitters that I have encountered over the years who like to keep things secret, possibly so no-one realises that, as with all things, practise makes perfect! (I have to state categorically here that most knitters I have encountered have been delightful, but there's always a bad apple...) So, these grumpy knitters encouraged the idea that cable knitting was terribly tricksy, and far beyond my capabilities, but I decided today that I wouldn't be beaten! 

This is my effort so far...

The pattern is from a book called "I love Knitting; 25 loopy projects that will show you how to knit easily and quickly" which was kindly given to me a couple of weeks ago. It is a very straightforward book that would be perfect for beginners, and it has really simple explanations of things like cable knitting, with some really quite crazy patterns to try. So I'm working on the Girls Casual Scarf pattern, and hoping that I'm doing it right! Rather than the suggested yarn, I have used a double thickness of dk yarn and 8mm needles so it won't be too chunky, and I think it will need to be stripey at some point because it's only an odd ball of double knit - I'm not one to worry about putting in a bit of colour though! 

So in my antsy-pantsy state of mind, I have started a project before finishing another. Under normal circumstances I think that would count as a violation of my New Years Resolution, but to be honest I think today I will plead temporary insanity and let it go - I really just needed something to keep me occupied. Hopefully tomorrow will be a more straightforward and productive day...

Some Cheerful Links!

Just so it doesn't look like I've fallen into a mountain of books, never to return, here are some bits of loveliness that I have been admiring of late...

Patterns and Tutorials

• Attic24's Blooming Flower Cushion 
• Tea Rose Home's Sew Stylish Pin Cushion
• Heidi Bear's Happy Valentine Hearty Hexagon
• Craftaholics Anonymous (there are lots and lots of lovely tutorials over there!)

General Inspiration and Gorgeousness

• Design Seeds
• Bleubird Vintage 
• Make Something 365 and Get Unstuck

I hope these links are useful - I have found them all thoroughly enthralling!

Readings...

I've had a really fun day with my lovely husband - we've been on a charity shop mission, and this was the result...

More books. I know, I have a problem. But in my defence, I am really getting through my stash of books quite quickly, and I'm mostly pretty good about passing books on when I've finished them (Bookmooch, for example, is a good way to keep my hoarding ways under control...). I am reading two books at the moment - "Nights at the Circus" by Angela Carter, and "The Penelopiad" by Margaret Atwood (obviously I'm quite addicted to her at the moment since I bought two more of her books today!). I don't tend to like to read two books at once, but "Nights at the Circus" is a loaner, and since I tend to read and drink tea at the same time, as well as cart books around in my bag all over the place, it would be inevitable that something would happen to this book just because it isn't mine! 

I have a list of books and authors that I'm on the lookout for, for future reading and to make my charity shopping more structured...

• Scarlett Thomas - "PopCo" and "Our Tragic Universe"
• David Nicholls - "The Understudy"
• Ian McEwan - "The Daydreamer", "The Cement Garden", "First Love, Last Rites" and "In Between the Sheets"
• Anything by Angela Carter that isn't "Nights at the Circus" or "Wise Children" 
• Sara Gruen - "Ape House"
• Esther Freud - "Lucky Break"
• Andrew Kaufman - "The Tiny Wife"

Not a huge list really, manageable at least! 

Sunday Makings!

It's been the perfect Sunday - my lovely husband and I have been for a cup of tea in our favourite cafe, had Sunday lunch out, and we've had a chilled afternoon watching "Harry Potter" movies and I've been crocheting  snuggled up with the kitties on the sofa. 

Here's Brian trying out my chevron blanket. He seems to rather like it.

I'm quite enjoying trying out the colours from my new stash of yarn, they seem to be working well!

Shopping List Saturday!

My sock knitting obsession has become so all-consuming that it only seemed right that I share some of the lovely socks I've spotted on Etsy! They're beautiful!

Knee High Socks Turquoise Lace with Red Ties hand knitby pinkcandystudio

Hand knitted socks. Elven by BoBoKarin

Hand knit socks, Estonian patternby Kampsun

Hand knit socks: knee high with cable pattern by Woolmint

Famous!

Last Friday I had an interview with a reporter from a local newspaper, about how I came to be where I am now. I found it quite interesting to think how making peg-angels with doily wings might have started me on a path to making for a living. I've always liked making stuff - There was the under-the-sea scene with crepe paper jelly fish and a felt dolphin, and the zoo with trees made from kitchen-roll tubes, all housed in cardboard boxes that my dad used to bring home from work for me. I think one of my best childhood memories is of the day when I came home and my mum had bought me a huge pack of multi-coloured crepe-paper - I still remember being overwhelmed with the options for that lovely bright paper. 

I think that sometimes when there's pressure and deadlines and money that needs to be made, it's easy to forget the reasons for doing what I do (I don't want to sound like a spoilt brat, I know precisely how lucky I am, having been out in the world and having dreadful jobs) but this is a nice little reminder!