six and a half stitches

THROUGH THE LEAVES

I hadn't intended leaving it so long between posts last week - I really wanted to carry some momentum from the last post through to get posting a little more regularly. Thanks to everyone who stopped by, left a comment, and lent support. I've tried to reply to everyone, but got waylaid with a death and a funeral in the middle of last week, so if I haven't replied, I'm sorry, I'm going to try and catch up this week. It was my mission to reply to every comment.

I'm starting to slip behind on so many things: Luckily I was ahead at work up till last week, so that's one pressure off (ha!!), but craftwise, I'm really behind. And I am so far behind in this little thankyou::

Lisa and I did a swap recently - she got part of the beautifully wrapped gifts and basket bag posted a while ago, and I got a selection of red and black and natural pieces - necklace, coin purse, cards, and this from her shop:

The cutest little baby t-shirt that is going to be fantastic with some of the things I'm making and buying for her. Fashion Accessory? Aren't all little girls a fashion accessory???? Lisa does wonderful stuff whether it be on her blog, or in her shop, and pretty much anyone she links to is wonderful as well. I've found some lovely bloggers through her. Including Shari and her little Compound Word photography project which I've signed up to do. I have to take a photo of cake.........I think I better start experimenting......

P+W=O

Aggghhhh. What a week. Last week was one of those weeks you can't wait to end, and it seems it will never end. That's not to say it was filled with catastrophe to make it a crap week, just everything was tinged with, well, crapness. Work's been hard - a tough slog of getting through 'things' and getting 'stuff' out and pretending you still work 4 days when you are actually only there 3 days which is an interesting concept given everyone thought you worked 6 days when you worked 4....hmmm, something's wrong there. I've been grumpy too. Tired, heavy, bad hair day hairy legs and under arms grumpy and really low on energy. I attempted baking last weekend and soon realised that function has also been switched off in my brain along with remembering appointment times. The cupcakes didn't quite work out. Look good, taste good, but they're nowhere near 'perfect'. The Whisk and Pin packet scone mix (foolproof I thought) was too crumbly. And I burnt myself again.

The fair aisle twin set has been a little burst of colour and I love the freshness of the colours. It's been a little highlight in my week - deciding colours, imagining it, dreaming it. And that's one of the wonderful things about creating things: it's not just pieces of material or a simple case of pattern + wool = object. The things we make have meaning and substance beyond the ingredient lists of materials and wool, needles and threads. They are extensions of our place in time - emotive, physical, financial. Perhaps some people do make things for the sake of it, but I don't normally do that, and those who responded to my last post don't see it like that either. Each project has a piece of me at that point in time embedded in it. The little baby set I made at New Years was a joyous celebration of the decision to try for another baby. The Loop D Loop scarf was finding new paths, new directions and growing confidence, and the baby cashmere cardigan was a way of bonding back to a mothers love beyond adversity during a particularly hard patch in my pregnancy, the cashmere symbolic of nurturing and comfort which I wanted for my baby, but also for me. I don't always make apparent my reasons for doing things - I take it for granted sometimes the reader understands, or has followed emotional and life experiences to date to make some connections. And nor do I feel I should have to make things explicit. Sometimes I like a long post, sometimes I like to just show off a photo which captures it all for me.

Jane last week wrote a very poignant, and terribly honest and real post about comments on blogs. Particularly the comments which are negative and destructive without justification. In particular the ones which result in hurt for the writer. Jane touches upon this as a broad collective problem increasingly faced by craft bloggers. I couldn't agree more with Jane's observations, and I wrote her a long email supporting her voicing of those opinions. Because it's something I'm acutely aware of on my own blog. I've had negative comments on here - not many and not often, but one recently which really hurt and I took very much to heart. I put a lot of myself out here on the blog - I keep a lot hidden as well, but I do try and be honest about a lot of things going on in my life, and make enough connections without being overt about everything.  I don't feel I have to justify why I do what projects I do, and nor should I justify my choices of material. What I choose to use, or how much I spend on something, or the choices I make, are the choices I make.  And they're often quite emotionally based and relevant to other things going on which I may not have mentioned, or only mentioned in passing.

Everyone has a right to comment on a public blog. I don't take that right away from anyone, and those comments I believe overstep the mark I don't delete, or haven't seen a need to delete to date, although we did switch off comments at backtack because of this problem as well. That means they've got the better of me, and I believe I'm above that. However I would like an opportunity to respond to those comments, and as the author of this blog, I have the right to respond via the comment section or outright in a post. I do ask though that if you choose to comment aggressively, on my blog or anyone else's blog, that you have the strength of conviction of your comments to leave your real name and email address. Otherwise email privately. To comment anonymously is cowardly and adds insult to the statement you're making. I put a great emphasis on the comments I receive here. Given the readership I have, very few people actually comment, so each comment is very special for each post. I take comments and suggestions and questions seriously (although please do not ask me to send you patterns because I will not do that and it's against copyright and not fair on the store owners or pattern writers). I appreciate every person who does comment, and really take to heart those who email me privately. I have made many friends through comments, and many of you have touched real depths with what you have said. And I do get hurt and upset when someone takes a pot shot at my work, or calls my integrity into question. I am public property, and I am not at the same time. I am a real person who puts their work out there in the hope other people like it, or that I might inspire in some way. I don't want to be wary of what I write to appease the minority who don't get it anyway. I want to post and create freely, without questioning. And I'd like everyone who is part of this kind, and warm, and very creative community to get the same treatment.

Heathen Fairaisle

I'm curious. What is it that makes us choose the thing it is we're making? Is it a purely analytical excersise, or a gut feeling, or something which grows over time? I surprise myself at times with the reasons for choosing to make whatever it is I'm making. The times I've become instantly smitten and have to knit that certain something immediately, aren't always the best as far as customer satisfaction goes. I never really regret making something, but there's definite joy in some projects over others.

I like the projects where you slowly build up connections, symbiotic relationships between things, till suddenly you have something whole and unanimous within heart, soul and mind. I like a progression, a story that can be told about how it came to be, and why it became important. I've been thinking about this a lot this week, and this post is spurred on particularly by Sooz, who was the catalyst for a lot of this. So the story goes something like this::

I've felt like knitting again, having done a lot of sewing recently. It's been cold and wet here, and snuggling on the couch in front of the heater seems more appealing than sitting in the cold study (till it warms up) and getting sore from the hard seat I sit on while sewing. I prefer to sew during the day at the moment, because the sun shines through the windows - when it's sunny that is - and it's much more pleasant. Long knit projects aren't really on the cards at the moment, because apparently my brain has stopped functioning as well now. So small, quick, easyish.

My boxes of yarn are stacked up around me in the study, and they're in clear containers so they peek at me and I can look at them and think through things without getting them all out, and there's a few balls of yarn which I've been wanting to use, and have used some of, but have been waiting for the right project. They call to me repeatedly, and it's always nice to daydream about what they could become. I love the fact my stash is big enough, and broad enough that I can make projects from anything in there without necessarily having to go out and buy yarn specifically. I like the challenge of finding something in there which is just right. So one of the yarns which has been wooing me from the boxes is a Martas Yarns variegated 4 ply in sea greens and blues. The other is Kaalund 2 ply in guava colourway. And finally some of the Habu I bought in New York. So through the week I've been talking to Sooz about knitting, and she's been making trips to Martas. And so that got me thinking about the sea green again. The thought process originally took in another colour which compliments the sea green, which is chocolate colours. So the more I talked to Sooz, the more I wanted to start something too. With my own Martas stash. And then I started flicking through my knitting books, and one pattern has repeatedly jumped out at me since I got the book, but it never seemed right to make it. Till my brain functioned for a little moment and put a number of stash images together, and we had a project formulation moment. Then the new issue of Selvedge magazine arrived. And in it was a leaflet for the Knitting show in London, and an image of the new Rowan Yarn and patterns, which featured Fairaisle heavily in deep dark colours of richness. The pattern in the baby knits book had some fairaisle. Now always being one to look for an unusual slant to whatever I make, I had another moment of brain activity where the two fairaisle ideas came together, but done in variegated yarns. Snap. That's the moment it all makes sense. And you have to get home and find the wools you have to make this work. So it started out with sea green and chocolate and I threw in some dark charcoals, and it wasn't quite right, and then I settled on the combination above - fresh and pretty (did I just use that word?) and girly without being overtly so. The main body will be done in the green, with the fairaisle in the other colours. It's just a short band of fairaisle, so the colours will add life to it all without being dominating.

Now I must away and clean the house and start slow cooking lamb shanks for dinner guests. And think of something exciting and easy for desert Apple pie sounds like a winner to me on a cold dreary wet day. And train the child to pick up all his toys and leave them in the boxes, and see if I can't get the cats to sweep and vacuum. First I might have some fruit tart and a cup of tea.

I'm still curious about what your reasons for making things are, so let me know.

BRINGING UP THE REAR

Mondays are my day. At least for the next 4 weeks they are. I can rest, have a little nap, sew, potter around, wander up the street for coffee and cake, or lunch, or both, knit, and even catch up with other friends minus their children. It's a day for me to think, rest and bond with the little one growing inside me. This one day to myself has made such a difference to my working week, with the added bonus the week goes much quicker too.

I've had a few stalled weeks on Petite 6.5st's quilt. I got the top finished, and then faltered. The back has lain in pieces just waiting to get sewn up:: It's another mini quilt in itself using scrap pieces (literally) of charcoal fleece, light grey wool blanketing, and a little patch of reds inserted in the top right corner to break it up.  I've faltered, because I ran out of energy partly, and also because I knew the next part would involve being on the ground, which isn't always easy now, nor is it particularly advisable given my pelvic status. And also because I didn't quite know how to proceed from here.

The front is so intense - colour and shape wise - that to do excessive quilting over it would be dissapointing. None of the traditional methods of quilting it seemed right, and I've battled a little with whether what I would like to do is acceptable, and whether it would indeed work. I've needed to bear in mind that the back is simple, and unrestrained, and beautiful in it's own right without quilt stitching to cut it up. I think I've settled on quilting along the seams of each rectangle on the front, in a different coloured thread, so that on the back you'll see either long rectangular strips, or large rectangles. Maybe I'll even offset each rectangle a little so they look uneven along the back, and not too regular. Then to add to it, I've been thinking about hand quilting some of the larger rectangles. The dilemna here being that I said I would never hand quilt again, and also that I'm not sure I really do have the stamina to do it now, even though it probably wouldn't take too long. I really want to get this finished, and free myself up to get smaller quicker things out. Can I do that? Mix and match hand and machine quilting?

I've added more photos at flickr, along with a whole load of photos of recent japanese craft book purchases and sneek peeks inside. I take no responsability for anyone needing to purchase though...

SUCKERED AND STRIPED

Now that's weird.

I went out looking for something sweet, girly perhaps, even, maybe a hint of pink, or cute. Which I'm finding kind of hard actually, to the point where I'm struggling a little bit, but that's OK, because technically I have banned cute pink stuff. Sort of. For now. So the orange thing. I actually like orange. A lot. Which will surprise a lot of people, because orange never features in anything I do or have. I am particular about my oranges. Deep, intense, rust, burnt pumpkin oranges are my favourite. Something with warmth, and saturation. Light oranges don't normally do it for me, and peaches and apricots - forget it.

So kind of weird then that this really jumped at me and said Make Me Into  Pair Of Pants For Your Baby Right Now. It started with the orange and red striped t-shirt at the back - a Katvig piece. Now I profess to love anything scandinavian, and grew up in Marimekko fabrics and clothes and stripey t-shirts. And this t-shirt is gorgeous. And the orange thing kind of escalated from there. Till walking into a material shop I put down the grey blanket fleece, and picked this seer sucker orange red and green striped fabric up instead. It has apricot in it. And peach. And yellow. But it does have grey in it as well, so all is not lost.

And promptly made a pair of pants for Petite 6.5st out of it - same pattern as before (pattern book here), but without the elastic to the legs. And somewhere - probably with the cream blanket material which is still missing - is a muslin pattern all cut out to be a top to go with it.

TODAY IS BOUGHT TO YOU BY THE NUMBER 1

1 is for::

• A new Bunny - Does this belong to you?
• A ferocious crocodile - Max you better watch out
• A single green cashmere silk sock
• A finished Swirl Scarf
• A scone mix waiting to be made up
• A day without child
• A severely sore leg from night time pregnancy leg cramps
• A day less I work each week and a month till I finish
• A new toy - a cupcake icing Kit

HOW LOW CAN I GO?

I’ve needed some light relief from the daily grind, and so Jo has been providing me/us with some low grade humour, barely out of the gutter humour about quilting. As if anyone needed any more proof I was a heathen quilter. As so often happens when discussing quilting around me, the conversation took a minor detour to the topic of Spotlight. In fact, generally discussion comes round to Spotlight when I talk with Nicole as well. It's a love hate relationship.

For those not initiated in the wonders of Spotlight – large industrial, badly merchandised hall of :: basic sewing necessities : household goods : a large and growing selection of scrapbooking and ‘craft’ items : some fairly hideous yarn selections with questionable names and even more questionable fibre content : and an appallingly bad collection of material of which synthetics, glitter, fake fur and animal prints seem to take a prominent display focus. Fantastic for sewing machine needles, sewing thread, patterns and pillows, but not really somewhere I’d shop for quality material for sewing (although it serves a purpose for cheap cottons and ginghams). I am sure every town, city, country has it’s version.

If you’re a sensitive quilter I suggest you look away now, because I fear I am about to offend a great deal of people. Then again, if I do offend, quite possibly you’ve missed most of the graphic qualities of this blog anyway. I decided to lay down a challenge. For fun. I must emphasise that. Fun. I’ve worked on some pretty heavy duty serious stuff this year, and I needed some relief. Jo was keen. A little too keen – I must one day question her keenness. And then Nicole was keen. And the TACK Challenge was set.

TACK Challenge:: Creating Tack from Crap. Or creating something from crap. Or just letting go of our dread and working with fabrics way outside our comfort zones. Go forth to Spotlight, buy 3 really bad fabrics – bearing in mind this only works amongst people you think will understand your decision about what is, or is not, a bad fabric, because after all one persons bad fabric is another persons goldmine of a find – get a minimum cut, and send to the other 2 people. Then make a log cabin thingymagig somethingorother out of it. The log cabin should hide some of the garish qualities sure to turn up (well, they certainly turned up in what I sent out). Then blog it.

The aim was to try and make something good out of the bad. But given what’s turned up in the mail so far, we may be struggling with that one. What has surprised me so far about the challenge, and we’re only up to the sending out of fabric stage, is how hard it is to actually buy bad fabric. I had some selections that I had to put back because they were really quite awful. Only to see them walking off with someone else to join the cutting queue. Lining up myself, I was quite embarrassed about what I was buying. Until my mother nudged me and notioned to the other people in the queue. Suddenly glitter encrusted balloons didn’t seem so bad.

ONE HUGE

One huge what? Mess? Pile? WIP? Disorganised jumble of crafting chaos? All of the above.

This is what surrounds me in the study - loads and loads of, well, everything. A large pile of japanese craft books waiting to go, somewhere, but they don't really fit on the shelves (well, they do, but I'm trying to keep them clean and clear), a baby book which has come from a box somewhere - a pretty interesting book about approaches to motherhood and babies around the world and how different cultures deal with the same things. Pattern pieces cut out of yellow architects trace. I never cut patterns - I trace my own pattern which can be beaten up instead. Petite 6.5st quilt folded up holding the backing section - it will be a mini quilt in itself, just need a good day to lay it all out somewhere. Jeremy Fisher frog - a little something for the baby - he watches me work. 300 million pieces of scrap fabric - is it any wonder I can't find anything....Addi turbo needles poking out of baskets waiting to go into my needle roll, plastic bags of wool waiting, and underneath it all a large assortment of sewing stuff including 3 pairs of scissors performing different cutting functions, threads of various colours, cutting knives, more pattern pieces, batteries, a purple toy car, tape measures, rulers.......

And let's not even go near what lies beyond all that on the floor either.........

NEW FAVOURITES

1. ISBN 4391622394 (sorry, incredibly bad link to amazon.co.jp without a nice pretty picture to make you all go buy it. Excellent, excellent little book though) and a whole range of things I Need To Make Right Now including this bunny knocked up in a few hours, and a crocodile which has gone missing somewhere in Max's room. Eventually I'll get pictures up at Flickr with some images from inside the book. Cute as.

2. Fleece Artist Handmaiden Silk/Cashmere (and you thought I was kidding about a slight cashmere obsession) Turkish Cast On, Daisies That Didn't Work So We Went Back To Basics Because Our Pregnancy Brain has Kicked In And I Can't Follow A Simple Pattern Sock. Mmmmmmmmmmm.

3. Kidsilk Haze Swirl Scarf. 2 more rows to go and I'm done. Fluffy.

THE MEANING OF CASHMERE

Remember the cashmere crisis a few weeks ago? I followed up everyone's leads, and went to everyone's lovely links, and almost spent an inexplicable amount of money on various cashmere yarn options for a newborn cardigan....I faltered at the doorstep of Posh Yarn and their beautiful handpainted yarn, but will surely go back at a later date (thanks to Heather). I got excited about Ebay solicitations, but stopped my finger making that all important push of the 'Buy Now' button for Jaeger Cashmina. I stopped counting the number of times I went back to the ebay sellers, desperately justifying why either bright pink (err, probably a little hypocritical after this) or grey would be appropriate ways to spend a small fortune. I poured over online shops of Debbie Bliss shade cards, but I have been bitten before by bad colour representation of Debbie Bliss online. In the end, despite my protestations about the lack of supply, I found myself at Tapestry Craft eager to have canvassed all avenues. And I left 3 balls of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino in a dusty pink/purple colour richer. And the result::

Debbie Bliss Quick Knits For Baby Garter Stitch Cardigan, no alterations to pattern, and 3 mother of pearl buttons. A cashmere crisis averted, but another one started as I fall terribly in love with cashmere.