Clearing the decks

Well, here we are, and here is my very full room, and here...can't wait!...is a pile of very solid garbage bags!

I've been spending a lot of time in my room over the past couple of months, and while it is substantial enough to be my own little extension to the house, it's full.

I've decluttered.
I've chucked.
I've sorted, tidied, dusted, given away, donated, skimmed over the surface, resolved, relocated and generally lessened the load.
I've done 'one in, two out'.
I have empty bookshelves, less clothes and overflowing yarn tubs.
I'm historian, writer, crafter, family member, job seeker and much more....
I've been reading about minimalism, crafting, frugality, decluttering and much more...
And I'm all of those.
But - at this time:

I'm aiming to spend four days to cut through the surface, set the standard and clear the excess.  So - what's the platform?

- I know I have a huge-ish yarn stash.  I know I don't want to dispense with it, and I consider it to be a resource.  So, I'm giving it a good tidy up (like with like, project bags, donate anything totally out of the equation, create a realistic timetable), and then I have a year from my birthday - 7 April - to use as much as possible.  Then the rest - if it isn't allocated to a project - will be donated.

- I am aiming to cut my book collection by one third, my magazine stash by half, and the general stuff in my possession by around one third as well.

To explain, however - I don't mind having actual physical items.  I won't be scanning my photographs right now (I have many of the family photos).  They are fine.  I am fine with allocating space to those.  As for magazines, those I keep will be those that are enough for me.  I see them as a cheap alternative to books.  I like having them - but enough.

- I will also revisit my very small budget, and confirm that it is on track to get through to the end of June without any dramas.  I have always been an enthusiastic gift purchaser, and my present lean circumstances have been fantastic for the happy clash of materials and opportunity.  I have yarn!  Therefore, most of my gifts are indeed 'Mostly Crocheted'!

- I will also be revisiting my need to over plan!  This is why I've only gone for broad strokes above.  Anything more would lead to inertia, I fear, and retreating to the far corners, convinced that any failure to meet quantity/quality/timing deadlines was cause for despair.  I've tried '60 items in however many days', 'use all the morning to clean and then write 1000 words', 'get way more boxes for storage', and specificity is my enemy.  So it's a wider platform for both these four days and life in general, with a few accountability timelines, but nothing too drastic.

Will it work?  Who knows.  But it is worth a try.

Coming up roses

Today, I've been putting in job applications.  It's been all about selection criteria, updated CV, cover letters and uncertainty.  Such is the lot of the unemployed historian/crocheter/writer/teacher.

It seems a bit bleak at times, but there are always positives.  Foremost, of course, is my crochet and the lovely world around me.  These roses are long gone, but the colours reflect the way I'm looking at the world right now.  Hmm....I wonder how a blanket in that mix of shades would turn out?  As it is, I crochet from 5.30 to 7 in the morning, and then again each evening until nearly midnight.  I am a shocking mix of night owl/early riser!  And, if I'm not crocheting, I'm at the computer....I'd love to be able to combine the two.

The roses also point to my most recent projects.  If I wasn't testing my eyes enough with constant typing, I've now taken to making very fine thread flowers, which are then being stitched into necklaces for birthday presents.  The thing that strikes me when working on this is how hard it often is to translate what we see in our mind's eye to actuality.  I can definitely visualise a multi-layered froth of petals, but my favourite result so far has been a flat circle with shell edge, then detailed with a bead.  I'm still finalising the cord and fastening, but it's a pretty happy result so far.  Like me, the result is chugging through obstacles, and finally, ultimately, coming up roses!

Hitting the dust

While these are photos from last year, they certainly represent the world around me at present.  It’s all red, green and slightly dusty looking, with no hint of the frosty mornings and clear air still some weeks away.  So, at present we have gum blossom and kangaroo paw, both lovely natives in our rambling garden.

It’s been a quiet, albeit frenetic time on occasion, including an unexpected visit to Emergency at our local hospital – I provided the transport, and sat next to the patient with a magazine and some crochet.  It was a frightening episode, but fortunately the patient has recovered and there were a couple of very peaceful days to help with recuperation.

I have been working on an Alpine Frost (pattern on Ravelry) scarf, utilising some lovely pink-purple 4 ply alpaca brought back from Tasmania last year by my parents.  They have just revisited Tasmania – and now I have four more skeins to deploy into something (hopefully!) beautiful.  I am so delighted and thankful for such a thoughtful gift.  I have a couple of other projects in progress as well, as I like to vary the pressure on my wrists and fingers, but using these fibres is true luxury.

It has also been a time of ongoing clutter clearing here in my small corner of the world.  Using the wool is one helpful activity, and I am certainly doing this with much enjoyment and enthusiasm.  The lists and completed project ticks continue to flourish.  Otherwise, my extreme budget and increasing lack of tolerance where overcrowding is concerned has seen books, clothes and magazines heading to donation bins, where I hope someone else can gain interest from them.  I’m not at all up for selling items that aren’t actually vintage or antiques, and I’m finding that I’m not really inclined to collect any longer on the same basis. 

My motto has become ‘if in doubt – chuck it’, and I am very happy to consult with outside parties as to the best garbage bags and means of cleaning everything from timber to lampshade cobwebs!  However, I was probably not the person to talk to on a rather hot day recently, when the strenuous activity of clearing gunk from near inaccessible skirting boards saw me fall asleep on the floor, duster firmly clutched in my fist. 

That was a moment where the mantra of ‘too much’ certainly held true.  

While I’ve been at home studying, now writing and channelling my energies towards whatever occupation comes next, it’s sometimes been hard to get into a pattern of activity that works consistently.  However, I do know that the next couple of months are the ‘birthday months’ of my family’s year.  Seven of us have our birthdays between the start of March and the start of May, and I want to crochet something small for at least five of those (omitting myself, of course!) 

Once again, my budgeting partially dictates this.  But – you know what?  I’m actually enjoying being more considerate with what I spend.  Although it is undoubtedly a very lean time for me, I’ve always valued being able to save and plan – a bit like making lists in general.  I have a notebook with categories in which I record what I’ve spent, I have a budget with a buffer for Sundry expenses, and I feel much more at ease regarding life for the next six months.  

This means that I am also venturing much more into reading about and practicing frugality, along with decluttering and my own brand of ‘enough’ minimalism.  Where the blog world is concerned, they do all start to clash and blend after a while, but it is interesting and encouraging to cruise around and take note of different experiences around the world.  It is also funny to see that those who – for example - craft and display china in pretty shelves are sometimes patently unhappy with having ‘too much’, whereas those who have cut back seem to be much more content. Well, that is just my observation, and I admire both parties, really, while trying to hit the happy medium.

Now, while I know my little effort here has not made the bestseller list (ahem, maybe something to do with irregular posts), I would like to mention a few blogs that I genuinely enjoy and read on an ongoing basis in addition to those on my List.  This may encourage me to get around to adding them properly!

The Singing Gardener (both for his frugality tips and the way in which he has made a house into a lovely home for himself)

Coco Rose Textiles (gorgeous crochet and photography)

Foxs Lane (almost local to me, beautiful surroundings and photography)

Be More With Less (inspiring for the clothes decluttering and quotes to accompany)

Crochet Concupiscence (amazing crochet central site)

Cherry Heart (perfect crochet patterns)

Betsy Makes (once again – crochet, with a friendly writing voice)

The Simple Year (I’ll head back here once they get going again – on hiatus at present)

Slow Your Home (another Australian, who speaks sense and sets matters out logically)

According to Matt (craft, crochet, photography and genuinely entertaining)

These are all perfect reads at different times for different reasons - but right now, while it's hot, humid and dusty outside and I'm prone to falling asleep with a duster in my hand, they all have a special part to play.

Stay cool - or warm - all!

Too much?

I am certain that everyone working with yarn and hook/needle looks around them at some stage most days and goes.... 'too much?'

You know how it is.  You've got that present here, an idea there, a swatch over yonder, new yarn because the stash yarn didn't cut it, an odd pile of jute for rugged rustic stuff, some twine that doesn't count due to actually being 'groceries', and your dressing gown pocket, jeans pocket, bedside table and TV hangout all have a supply of hooks/needles, scissors, sewing needles (nothing more illuminating than sitting on a large yarn needle at 5.30 in the morning), hand lotion, notebooks and patterns.

Is it indeed 'too much'?  In my normal New Year enthusiasm, I didn't write down resolutions.  Those are for wannabes.  No - as I have already enthused - I wrote lists.  And specific patterns.  And appointed stash yarn for said projects.  And printed out patterns (not multiple times for multiple stations, but it was tempting).  Then I started crocheting.

The result - I have one blanket nearly finished, one just being started, one in its toddler stage, and another pleasingly coming along in leaps and bounds into teenager-hood.  Oh, the joy of a large square pattern that looks intricately detailed.  Other than that, I have only made one order to fit with my younger brother's welcome blanket request (funny moment - he says there is 'no rush' for it, and that his birthday will be fine. His birthday is right at the start of May.  He wants a 6 ft by 4 ft blanket, in a plain waffle stitch or similar.   Ha!)

Now to the pretty stuff - while my granny stripe blanket (I don't like it that much, but others do, so they can have it at Christmas) is too messy/heavy/awkward right now for nearly final photos, here are two of the WIPs. The first can be found here - http://lavenderwildrose.blogspot.com.au/2012/09/starburst-hexagon-pattern-tutorial.html

The second, growing rather quickly, can be found here - http://signedwithanowl.blogspot.com.au/2011/06/squaring-big-circle-tutorial.html

Both, of course, can be seen on Ravelry, along with some stunning examples to inspire.  There is really one one round in this one that requires attention, and I've tweaked a couple of the round starts to my liking.  Otherwise, both are huge fun, and I've got into the habit of making a hexagon as soon as I get up every morning (and after I've checked for the presence of yarn needles!)

Is it too much?  No....I think it's all good right now.

It's the little things

I can definitely say that crochet is the common factor that links everything together in my world - messy, convoluted, wonderfully stitched together and full in almost equal part.

It's been a tough, grind it out and keep going year, but the highlights have been the threads...the crochet, the colour and the connections.  Crochet has been my 'I can do that' moment, my deep breath in times of complete blankness, and the fun retreat (building a stash has been worth it after all!) when it's gloomy.

I've been back studying after losing my job, so it's been a lean time - then there's been crochet.  I've been able to make bits and pieces for my new niece, along with successful competition items, blankets, bags, beanies and everything in between.  Crochet has had the starring role - no doubt of it!

And that looks set to continue in a calmer environment in 2015.  After literally 'seeing stars' in the lead up to Christmas, I've charged into granny stripes and hexagons, sorted out - as much as possible - the stash, and have a diary just for crochet projects?  Is that weird?  Well, it works for me.  I'm jotting down timetables, ideas, pattern choices and row counts for projects, have a roll of who gets what, including competition and donation items, and am taking action. I'm even starting to use Ravelry properly! Every project that gets started also has a photo taken with the ball band and crochet hook, and I'm checking in with my family members for preferred colours and patterns.

I'm very proud to say that my younger brother - who last received a crochet item from me when he was born in 1982 - has actually put his hand up for a blanket in his favourite sporting team colours, and even charted out the colours he wants, as well as the stitch pattern.  I have been waiting for the opportunity to crochet something for him for a long time!  Even my uncle has been the recipient of a few beanies, and my father proudly uses crocheted coasters and has his own granny stripe blanket for those migraine days.

So - here we go, 4 mm hook (I have four of them lined up, 'just in case') in hand, and project bags at the ready.  One granny stripe coming up!

Emerging into the New Year!

Well, that was fun.  Chaos, catch ups and Christmas.  Now, while so many in the blogging world are surrounded by snow and happily creating crocheted and knitted marvels in the cold weather, we are beating off the heat.  Bushfires and cicadas, iced drinks and cricket, shaded rooms and dashes outside to check on the frazzled garden.  This is Australia!

The heat can get ferocious, make no mistake.  Even on Christmas Day,. as we saw the forecast rise from a palatable 22 degrees C to well over 30 in our part of the world, we knew that the deck outside would be a no go zone.  Christmas was indoors for our heat sensitive family, and while it would have been lovely to meander in the garden, there were adequate compensations.

For one, it was my niece's first Christmas:

Here she is, being made into the family Christmas card, complete with a crocheted Santa hat.  I did get to sit with her on the front verandah later on Christmas Day, and it was beautiful - fifteen minutes with a contented little person on my lap, watching her peering around at the world, and having an occasional chatter in her own special language. 

She is lovely.  The New Year is wonderful.  I can't wait to see what it brings, and while a week in (it's my father's birthday today - Happy Birthday, Dad!), I wish everyone out there all the very best for 2015.  My resolutions and plans are somewhat amorphous at the moment (heat affected), but I certainly intend including plenty of crochet, writing and time with this lovely baby.

Stay cool - or warm - depending on your part of the world!

Lynda

The way it goes....

Well, this is the good and unexpected.  My little circles of Sirdar colour evolved into a lovely blanket (using the Sunny Spread pattern on Ravelry), which won third place in crochet homewares at the Royal Melbourne Show.  I was delighted. This was my second win this year.

Of course, when all starts spinning out of control, it's good to have woolly comfort to look back on.  At one stage, I was not only finishing a university placement; although I had been preparing beforehand, I had a week full of 10,000 words of assignments.  If you asked me now what some of them were about, I couldn't tell you!

Then came a lovely week's break...but at the end of it, I had a tickle in my throat, and slightly sore eyes.  I couldn't even crochet properly in the evening.

Three doctors' visits later, I've nearly recovered from whatever it was that had me in its grip - something like a pumped up Flu Does Survivor.  Now I am back in the land of crochet hooks and books, a little later than desired, but well in time for Christmas preparations.

And it's a lovely place to be.  Springtime, half a crocheted bag, a cup of tea and a good magazine - may this be the way it continues to go for at least the next few weeks.

Colour time

Has anyone else had one of those cases in which they compose a perfectly lovely blog post, only to have it eaten at the last line?

I know I'm not the only one by any stretch...just like I'm not the only person who loves Sirdar Snuggly Crofter DK, Liberty fabric (for lavender sachets) and granny square blankets, whipped up out of four balls of said Snuggly Crofter (in Tilly) and edged with shells in Calico.  It's not Fair Isle in this permutation, but it's like hundreds and thousands and springtime, all mixed in one.

Now, after my battle with technology and my realisation that all 4 mm hooks have transformed overnight into either 3.5 or 4.5 mm instead, I am going to do what technologically suffering crafts people the world over do.  I am going to get a cup of tea, a biscuit and my latest project, abandon the daily grind for ten minutes, and do just a few (or more) stitches to regain serenity.  It works for me!

Where it begins

Sometimes when the world takes over and you're in that special spiral of family, study, work and whatever it is that fills the days, it's good to stop occasionally and think - and breathe.

I remember when I started to crochet.  I remember it well, and I still have my first crochet hook.  My great aunt Beryl gave it to me.

Beryl passed away about eight years ago now, but every time I look at a stash of wool (oh how I love the photo above - my first ever order from Deramores), and especially every time I swoop around the corner on a granny square, I remember her.

Then I recall what I've made, how it squeezed into all the gaps of busy days, or floated along through holidays, and how making time is breathing time.  Making time is breathing time, colour time, connecting time and happiness.  Even when you have to go ten rounds back because you missed a stitch and now everything is out of step, this is a good time.

This is your time.  This is that chance to think about how much a stripy blanket will be loved, whether this beanie will be slouchy enough for your uncle, what colour square should go next, and what's happening on Ravelry.

And this is when I have always felt at my best.  I'm sitting there aged six with a half made coaster, then thirteen frowning through a blanket challenge, and going through my twenties making granny squares and sewing Irish roses on my tops.  I have never stopped making things, and every project has a story and a place in my life.  Even though I may never see the blanket/bag/scarf again, it is part of my story, too.

As the years pass, I'm drifting through the suburbs finding bookshops, funny little antiques stores, and wool shops that make me smile and check my usually coin filled purse and topsy turvy handbag.  These places become landmarks, signposts to projects and presents, ideas and inspiration, supported by the rest of the world as it reaches out and shares in an online connection so much like all those projects and patterns that surely entrench themselves in our DNA.

And who could ever imagine this absolute brilliance in the middle of all their busy days, or when they're little, just starting out with uncertain acrylic and chain stitches?  Who knows what that odd ball of cashmere is going to become, or whether the pattern translated from another language will translate into something beautiful or useful?

This - this minute, this stitch, this strand - this is where it all begins.  And - I love it!

Never too early

Yes, it is only July.  But it is the end of July near August, and that means it's time to start getting into Christmas.  Of course, I make no excuse for absolutely loving these little stockings (apart from the time I made around 30 in three days, which was ridiculous and should not be mentioned in polite company), whether they emerge from the 4 mm hook in rainbow colours, solid blocks, or simple stripes.

Why do I love them so much?  Well, they're cute.  And they're a 'wearable', with personality and shape, rather than being flat.

I've made them according to colour preferences, used up scraps of yarn (and have even developed a 'range' in kitchen cotton that is surprisingly quick to make), and employed my mother on trimming ends.  My sister has had me (and it looks like it will happen again this year) making them as part of a gift for her workplace, and I've used them myself as mini presents with a candy cane or lollies inside, as well as hanging them on a cord as bunting decoration.  In effect, they've become part of my annual Christmas story.

It's no secret among those who know me that - no matter what - I love Christmas.  So, these little stockings represent a sense of occasion, and hanging as they do in various spots throughout the year, help to extend an enjoyable shared time and create their own stories.

The original 'recipe', created by Le monde de Sucrette (and which can be found on her website) provided a great starting point, which I have adapted slightly since.  I can close the toe by weaving the starting yarn in and out.  I slip stitch the heel closed, rather than sewing it, in a definite time saver.  And, by typically doing single stripes, I don't need a stitch marker.  (I do, on that front, ensure that I start in a different place each round, so as to avoid a diagonal 'step' stripe from the stitch texture).

Some time ago, I also tried making a bigger version of this stocking, employing my dubious maths skills to perfection.  It worked well, but it wasn't quite the same.  No - these stockings are meant to be little gestures and symbols of a special time, and in that way, they work perfectly.  And, in recognition of that, I've already made two from scrap yarn this year, destined for Christmas 2014!

Material world

It's been a world of busy-ness, wool and cotton swirling, essays being (kind of) ignored, cold weather infiltrating, and the days just marching on relentlessly.

It's been a world of perching beside the heater, admiring other worlds of summer, and checking that the cherry tree has small leaf bumps on it.  Spring seems a world away.

My cut back, chopped away, depleted wardrobe is not made for winter.  I have scarves aplenty, but the jumper/coat side of the bargain is largely unfulfilled.  Somehow, I seem to have adopted a number of coats that chop me in half, are stiff and not cosy, and - I shouldn't complain, I know! - I seek the elusive light, knee length, draped number that will provide a bit of winter magic.  It's out there, I'm sure it is.  Otherwise, I'd be quite happy with a long duffle coat.  The problem is that by now - and with complete lack of logic - retailers have started stocking warmer weather gear.  There's nothing like stepping into a shop from hail and icy winds to see short sleeved blouses everywhere.  Give us just a few more weeks.  Wait until the cherry tree's leaves have actually started to emerge.  It will happen.

In the middle of all this tangled angst and myriad cups of tea, there emerges serenity. It is unexpected, and a pleasant surprise.  Being interested in just what can be done with combinations of crafts, I placed some of my favourite photos in mirror image arrangements with Spoonflower.  I had tried out one other photo with them before, and thought it was worth another attempt.  And....I'm delighted.  I'm still deciding what to do with the results - a silky swathe of orchids, light voile maple leaves, and a poplin square of roses - but there will be more.  This is a bright triumph in wintry days.

Unfortunately - or perhaps luckily! - I don't quite have enough of any of them to make myself a coat....

Round and round

There is nothing like memorising a crochet pattern when you've embarked on a huge project, you're hitting the deadline limit and you're thinking - why didn't I just do granny squares?!  (naturally, everyone knows how to do granny squares as a matter of course....)

There is also nothing - a late breaking discovery, this - like working with variegated yarn, and just sailing along, watching the colour changes, rejoicing at the lack of ends.

That's how it is for me right now.  While I also have a much deserted granny square project 'on the go', while I love - truly rejoice in - picking my own colours, and while I even enjoy the process of trimming ends to signal the completion of a project, this 'Sunny Spread' variation of mine needs to be done NOW.

It is for a huge competition - possibly the biggest I've ever entered - and I've gone for the combination of colour, intricacy and availability.  As anyone who pops into Ravelry will know, the Sunny Spread in all its variations is a spectacular item, but a steady challenge rather than overwhelming for anyone with a bit of crochet experience.  I have a substantial stash of Sirdar Crofter DK ready and waiting, coupled with some lovely Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 8 ply (when my budget allows, I'm restocking on this one) to frame each circle.

Am I nervous about getting it done in time and looking good?  Of course.  Such is the nature of these competitions that everyone's work will definitely look better than mine, and I'll have mini nightmares about a huge hole developing in a central seam.  But such are the risks we take in the cause of getting our work out there.  So, I'll keep going round and round and round...and....next year I think I'll do a granny square blanket!

In full bloom

Even though it's winter here, there's a kind of uncanny beauty in the bare branches and dropping leaves.

The fire of autumn has all but gone, with just the odd cluster of maple leaves and one sad miniature cherry leaf clinging on, something like the last embers of a blaze.

The crepe myrtle that fascinates me so much with its bright green leaves in summer and its russet-gold combination in autumn, is now a slightly forlorn collation of twigs.  Just beyond it, the star magnolia is doing just that, showing its stuff in distinctive white petals and pink blush furry buds.

Would it be such a feature in spring?  Possibly not.  I wonder if it knows that just as it is fading, the world is stirring, the earth is warming, and sweet peas, cherry blossom and a larger installment of silver princess gum blossom are just waiting to burst forth as the banksia rose froths onto the front fence.

I feel the same about the daphne as I do about the magnolia.  It has such a distinctively icy winter scent that whenever I think about it taking its place in the spring months, I have to discard the thought.  It is a product of colder days, and there it works beautifully.

So this little patch of ours ticks away, and the main colours that keep flourishing arrive with the camellias - cherry blossom pink, skirted candy and white streaks, puffball mauve, and the occasional cupped cream and gold.  The bounty of the camellias means this jug can be filled every couple of days, just as the top heavy blooms collapse with a soft thud, and petals float gently to the carpet.

Before they give way, however, the jug of camellia catches the sunlight, holds the standard high for winter blooms, and even - just faintly - connects me to the far off spring.

Crochet Love

One thing that is really special is seeing your finished crochet projects 'in action'.

This little cardigan was completed in February, and can be seen here on my lovely baby niece...about a week ago.

She is just beautiful, and I'm delighted to have such a sweet bundle wearing something I made!

This, of course, is just the beginning.  There are more cardigans, blankets, ponchos and toys on the way - and that is but the start.  Sadly, we've found out that she doesn't like hats or mittens, but I have plans for many future projects.

Welcome to the world of crochet, Alisha!

Your very grateful aunt.

Often the best

The simple things, indeed, usually are the best.

There is a reason why many hundreds of pages on Ravelry are related to granny squares or variants thereof.

Not only can granny squares be as elaborate, uncomplicated, cosy or sophisticated as you like - they are economical, quirky, pretty, elegant, simple and all tell a story of both the maker and the intended recipient.

My most recent version - made from the ever popular Stylecraft Special DK - is for a little girl called Violet.  Needless to say, there are plenty of mauves, purples and lavenders in there, edged in the reliable Parchment shade.  I haven't elaborated on design; it's my standard 3-2-3, 3-1-3, and made in pansy and viola shades as well as adopting the violet tones.

I've made many granny square blankets (and other granny square items, from scarves to bags and cardigans) over the years, from a big brown boucle number adopted by my mother, to a Summer Garden coastal blanket in pure wool.  I've adopted the Summer Garden pattern from Attic24, as well as granny stripes, and I've loved every project along the way.

My first granny square blanket - from 1985 - was made for my grandfather, and it stands out as a crafting highlight.  Not knowing then what I do now, it rather uniquely still has all the yarn ends in place, with a jersey fabric backing attached that hides them more than adequately.  It was made from scraps, and my favourite colours and combinations - red and grey, raspberry pink, aqua and orange, to name a few - were present even then.  It took forever to make those 120 squares with the original 6.00 mm hook granted to me by my great aunt, and putting the shell edging on after my mother sewed the squares together (randomly, with a peach coloured wool that was always around, no matter how much of it we used!) was a crafting triumph.

And...it was loved.  I think that is what I appreciate most about granny squares and what we make from them.  No matter how many jokes you hear about the 1970s and burnt orange acrylic, a classic like the granny square is made to last and be enjoyed.  It's the identifying highlight of crochet, and the item that so many prospective crocheters name as something they would like to make. Quite simply, the granny square's the best.

Smelling the roses

I've been thinking of taking a watercolour class, and turning my paintings into cards.

Problem is, time and money conspire against me.  I'd love to learn a traditional technique and add it to my repertoire, but this doesn't look likely to happen any time soon.

While thinking about this conundrum, I've found an app (I keep wanting to say 'application'!) called 'waterlogue', and have been using it on my phone.  It turns my photos into watercolours.  Magic!

Problem is, my phone's temperamental, and patches keep getting taken off the images.

Instead, I tried it on my iPad.  It gives me a bigger view of the final results, and saves them without any chopping.  Magic again!

I turned a photo of a rose into a 1950s style watercolour, then printed it for just a few cents and turned it into a card for Mother's Day.

There was no problem in the end....just my mixed up thoughts about technology, saving money and time, being pleased with the results of combining creativity with buttons and screens, and taking the chance to smell the roses - every which way.  Who knows?  I may get to take that class in the future - or I may not.  In the meantime, this is how I'm sharing the loveliness.

Just grannying

It amuses me that I originally took this photo on my big camera, then saved it on my laptop, emailed it to myself, saved it on my phone, then played with it on an app (Afterlight) for the surround and a dusty filter, THEN saved it on my phone again, put it on Instagram, emailed the final result to myself, saved the photo on my laptop, then uploaded it here for use on the blog....all for five minutes of sunshine and photo out on the back lawn. 

Anyway...moving right along....this is the start of a pansy/violet themed granny square blanket.  I've done a few more squares since, but have put them aside to finish up a medal ribbon themed scarf (for my father), and to get starts/finishes on another couple of blankets.  It's a never ending story, and a great way of using up the stash.  I'm finding that, as this lean year progresses, I'm working my way through some lovely fibre, and have only purchased minimal amounts in order to fill colour gaps where needed.

The plan for the squares above?  Once I've finished eighty in this fashion, I'm planning to edge each in a neutral colour, then join.  It'll be an eight by ten mix, with a broad neutral border.  I can get about five of these middles done in a night, and it's proving to be very relaxing...unlike the photo saving and communicating process!

Yarnbombing

Well, this is only a temporary form of the great art of 'yarnbombing' (I've decided that it's a compound noun, no matter what anyone says!), but having had to dig this image out in the last week, I can't help but smile.

It's actually my most recent granny stripe blanket in progress (late last year), and it's hanging over the edge of a very elevated terrace at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.  It's a stunning day looking into the centre of Melbourne, and even though this is simply an iPhone photo, I think the nature of the city and the blanket alike are very well captured.

When I think of travelling, it's funny how many times I actually connect yarn to the concept.  I'd love to go to Purl Soho in New York, Loop in London, and possibly the HQ of Deramores, Shilasdair on Skye, and a few others in between.  What I'd do in an ideal world is buy some of their beautiful product, step outside, liberate a few loops and leave a signature little granny square or similar, then take a photo, just as a connecting marker of having been there.

Well, that is the dream, anyway.  I'm not sure if yarnbombing my way around the world is a feasible concept, but I'd certainly like to put it on the bucket list!

Heaps

I had to retrieve yarn.

It's said in exercise circles that, for a session to be effective, you should at least end up a bit sweaty and short of breath.  In that case, I've found the perfect workout.

I had to retrieve yarn of various types in order to get a diverse group to try out a chain stitch.  So I toted a variety, including chunky, acrylic, cotton, laceweight, fun fur (for hedgehogs more than novice crocheters), metallics, and a ball of Noro for show and tell.

The response from the new learners was that (apart from the fact that some of them obviously thought I was crazy...hey, it's a general 'train the trainer' class, not necessarily naturally disposed towards crochet love!) this was a LOT OF YARN.

Huh.  No, it's not.  Iceberg, tip.  Not even tip.  This is an iceblock tenderly removed from a massive glacier. I did a spot count while I was gathering the bundle above, and although I haven't been extravagant in purchases - particularly in the last five months - I have at least twenty tote bags full, along with four or five huge plastic bags that are probably double the capacity of each tote bag, one huge 125 litre tub, one 80 litre tub, two drawers in a deep chest of drawers, one big round tub, one basket, and a couple of other bags.

Too much?  Probably.  But it's a great resource and one that mostly brings me much enjoyment except for those occasions when it decides to collapse and get all muddled up in a tangle around my feet.  It represents the enjoyment of making projects, picking out colours and - in my present parlous state - 'shopping the stash'.  I actually look forward to the day - hopefully not too far distant - when I have made as much as I can from my present collection and can then assess my needs, rather than bored biscuit eating time orders, in order to build an informed yarn bank.

So yes, right now it's HEAPS of yarn - but it's also heaps of fun, heaps of resources (when did I get that Cleckheaton Merino Silk in a lovely eggplant shade???  Anyone????) and heaps of crochet stories just waiting to be told.

Ripple Done!

One thing I have learned, although it's a lesson that I try to deny - a week of intensive study with no escape, lasting for around ten hours a day including lots of driving, does not make for easy crochet time...or indeed for anything but taking notes and travelling.  Thoughts of sneaking projects in under the radar can be rejected when the lecture theatre is full of about 140 other people, and especially when the project in progress is a blanket at border stage (and I made that up myself, too.  I admire those who flatten the ends to create a full rectangle, but that's not for me.  I think the ripple effect throughout is the charm).

Weariness at the end of the day also does not make for effective border completion time.  However, it's beautiful and bright now, and only awaiting the birth of my niece in about seven weeks' time.  I also have a full range of the colours still remaining, having convinced myself that two balls of each colour would be needed.  Funnily enough, just one was required for all shades except the Ivory Pearl.  I'm quite tempted to replicate the whole project again.  Working with the Stylecraft WonderSoft Pearl was just lovely, and the end result is a substantial but not too warm blanket.

I hope the little one likes the final result - and that her mother (my sister) does too!