A mere few weeks ago, I remember being wrapped up in all my woolly items and still shivering. We've had the longest Winter in most people's memories and, finally, the sun has decided to grace us with its presence. About time too, the bastard.
Time for a spot of knitting al fresco while my son happily plays in the sunshine. Aaaaaaah, this is the life...
This is one of the 'Death to Depression' Mitts that I finished last night and I'm really pleased with how it's turned out. Unfortunately for you lot, it looks far, far better in real life than it does in pictures. The yarn I'm using (UK Alpaca Superfine in Mustard) is simply a snoggy delight to work with. It has strength, bounce, and softness and is very easy to knit with. I might marry it...or at least start an elicit affair, which will hopefully end in a dramatic showdown where I shout. 'I've moved on to Fyberspates Scrumptious anyway!' when the truth is that I have a complicated and highly frustrating relationship with Fyberspates Scrumptious (another blog post...).
Ahem, I have an active 'mental' life to compensate for quite a serene real one.
There's something about this mitt that whispers, 'Put some purple in me, I will love you for it'. I'd like to tell it to shut the hell up but then I spotted this bit of colour inspiration in Forbury Gardens this afternoon:
That Chanel Rouge-Noir in tulip form looks stunning against the fresh greens and soft ecru of the foliage. I find this most pleasing and I might have a think about embroidering a dark colour like this onto the mitts or perhaps shelve the idea for future colour scheme inspiration.
I had a very nice browse around Aunt Elsie's Spring Fling at the Market Place in Reading this afternoon. There were many, many wonderful handmade goodies and artwork to see and I got a chance to chat to some of the lovely artists there. I also came home with this little fella from Red Kyte:
He has been named Von Clownsticks (after a silly meme currently doing the rounds) and he will be very at home with his new family:
Meet our lovely collection off oddbods who ordinarily inhabit the mantelpiece in our living room: (clockwise from the back) Uncle Funky the giraffe, Crab Monster, Pootlebeetle (a Japanese silk owl, no less) and Baby Crabmonster. The two larger owls and the giraffe are from the ridiculously talented, lovely (and mildly batty) Caroline Rose Art (she's doing an owl sale very soon, so join her Facebook page and do a stake-out because these babies fly out of her shop at ninja speeds).
Some one should probably stop me before I become one of the people you see on those awful 'Hoarders From Hell' programmes. Intervention needed!
Here I am, indulging in a spot of 'therapeutic knitting'. Basically, that's a nice way of saying I'm getting truly fecked off with the brioche cowl and I'm feeling a bit Stabby It would seem that 'I've got five minutes, I'll just do...' invariably ends in disaster because I'm rushing and not in the Zenlike state conducive to knitting. So, I just wanted something quick and dirty that packs a good confidence-boost.
For me, crafts are a big fat cannon in my war against a small collection of mental health problems: I can be creative in a way that fits in with my life, plan things to do (vital), and feel I've actually achieved something concrete (with my level of genius, that's quite literally possible). This gives me a good dose of kick-arse positivity. The trouble is that I haven't actually managed to complete a project in some time. I've been trying to learn new things and push myself while working on projects that are interminable long-term, which is fine unless I am struggling on the anxiety-depression front (I don't need to feel like I'm failing at one more bloody thing, thank you very much).
Hence:
Some mitts/arm-warmer thingies that I'd saved on Ravelry (Jiffy Armwarmers by Iris Wilde) and forgotten about. Waddaya know, I have the right yarn, the right needles, and I can totally do k2p2 rib! A new but achievable thing that is knitting up really quickly. I've nearly finished one and so I'll put more progress piccies up at some point and then do the big TA DA!.
So, these shall be named my 'Death To Depression' Mitts. Yeah, I have a thing about death, doom, and destruction because 'knitting is a battleground'...or was that 'love'? Easily confused. Oh, look! That otter looks like Chevy Chase!
Why is, every time I want to make something, I don't have the right things to make it with and so I have to buy more stuff?!
Take my modest stash above. I can't start a single project I've got lined up for the yarn because I don't have exactly the right needle or hook for the job. Nope, I'm not even going to to start all that 'doing it in a different yarn by checking your gauge and changing the needle size' because guess what I still won't have the sodding right size needles, will I, and I'll have to buy yet more??!! Also, I'm easily confused. No, I don't know why I chose such a confusing pastime either, except that it's meant to be a cheap hobby, as opposed to llama trekking in Peru or moonwalking on the actual moon.
Ok, I admit I do quite like the challenge of finding the right project and the right materials to make it. I also quite like completely losing my rag over it (catharsis again, people) and making high-pitched, enraged animal noises (sorry, neighbours). For this reason, I have come to love Ravelry. It confused the pants off me before I realised it's potential.
For instance, their search function allows you to refine it to the point where you can find crocheted, child size, fingerless mitts, using aran yarn at a beginner level. That might give you a big fat clue as to what I'm planning to do with that alpaca yarn I got at Unravel and categorically did not make a Knitted Necklace with. I shall say no more on that project except:
What can I say? This blog is the place both to celebrate glorious successes and to get a bit Rumpelstiltskin when things don't go to plan.
Oh, and I'm not entirely sure I'm going to bother finding a crocheted hat pattern for Rob because I think I was doing single rib stitch correctly, I just lost faith in the whole 'bear with it because it will look an unholy mess for the first few rows' method.
