If in doubt..

..get the garter stitch out. That's a motto I ought to keep in front of my nose at all times. Luckily I gravitate towards the squishy comfort of garter stitch when I just go with my instincts and don't over think my knitting. If the window onto appreciating every day beauty is the best gift that blogging has brought me I sometimes wonder if overthinking knitting is the worst? Ha! To be honest I don't think I can blame the blogging, just my nature, onwards with the seeking balance!

Happily, lovely things still make it through the brain mincer without being analysed to death. This purty project was just a random whim of a choice and how nicely it is working out for me. Sunstruck and its associated KAL came up as a pattern suggestion for me on Ravelry and despite having never had all that much inclination to knit a big colourblock shawl I bought the pattern, joined in the play of making colour selections from the sock yarn stash and have been gently knitting away on it since the start of April, soothing me right through the overwhelmingly busy part of the year at work. I'm way behind the KAL curve but I always knew I would be and from here I think this is one of those knits that I'm going to miss so much when it's off the needles that I'd be amazed if don't just instantly begin another. Anyway that day is a while away yet as there are twelve colour sections and a border to the construction. I'm sticking with the four colours in play here as I think I have enough yardage and they are a pleasing mix to my eye, but there are many, many lovely variations of this, more and less shades used to great effect. So much fun to be had in the choosing of the palette for a project like this.

I'm currently knitting on the second section of KPPPM and it's just the most magical yarn to knit with, slightly heavier than the other sock yarns I'm using and oh. the. colours! This yarn is a special stash treasure since I was gifted it years ago and I always meant to pair it with a tawny-grey I bought at Imagiknit to go with it but when I pulled from the stash this multi had to be part of the Sunstruck set while the grey didn't quite work. (Ah well just another reason to do another shawl I so that one would fit in!) This yarn - with the dull-o number of P112 rather than an inspiring name - produced what I declare is my favourite row of knitting ever when I joined it in the first time. While Koigu may lack in the fabulous naming skills there is of course no lack in genius dyeing. Every single stitch is a different colour, a constantly shifting spectrum. I couldn't go a big project in all over variegated yarn but slices like this seem like a wonderful way to get the enjoyment of knitting with colourplay without being overwhelmed by it.

The window

I think the biggest gift that crafting and blogging brings to me is to give me a window of awareness of all the amazing things around me. Amazing things right here. Every. Single. Day. It give me a framework that makes me stop and just be. Sometimes. It could be more. I wish for more but at least sometimes it helps my eyes be wide and my brain quiet and it lets me see and feel and hear and smell and taste more. To get deeper in to what is happening in the moment and further from the to dos, should bes and never enoughs. It's peak plum blossom time. Sensual overload.

Linocuts

Well escapism it certainly was. An absolutely wonderful weekend of hacking at lino, in a studio in an orchard. This was my Christmas present from my Mr. A weekend course for the two of us from Flagstone Press. An inspired choice as I would never have guessed how much I loved this. It makes bad drawings good, gets you to think about things in a whole new way and really challenged me and I have never been so pleased with my first attempts at any sort of creation. Can't wait to do more I'm starting to see the world in linocuts!

Weeks ago now..

..I went to Cornwall and had a very delicious time. Not only did the sun shine (though the cold wind was still blowing) but I got to play in Poppy Treffry's workshop and made, with a lot of help from the very lovely lady herself, a cheery cushion with a house on. She is a wonderful teacher and I have high hopes that with lots of practice freestyle machine embroidery and I are going to get on very well. Mum and I had a wonderful trip all round. We found a great quilting shop and booked in our next workshop and few days away together and brought home plenty of fabric and other souvenirs from our few days in the depths of my home county. Over to the pictures now as I'm just dashing in to make sure I share at least a little of the pleasure from the last workshop before I head off tomorrow on another one! Here's a blog post from Poppy's site from someone who attended one of her courses last year or a link to a video if you want to understand more of what we were actually doing all day. Apparently as well as craft kits I may now be addicted to craft courses. Escapism much??? Happy weekend!

 

Knitting in the sun

I may actually be too warm. Having cursed England to an eternal winter by finishing my honey cowl late in the season I would like to apologise! I am very much enjoying this sunshine. It's cold outside but I'm snug on a train with a double seat for me and my knitting and several hours with nothing to do but knit in the sun. Just what holidays are for.

I'm heading down to Cornwall for the rest of the week with a very special treat on Friday. A machine embroidery course with Poppy Treffry. Hurrah for holidays.