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!

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.