While sticks wait for inspiration...

As knitting just doesn't seem too appealing at the moment, I thought I'd review my crafts history to make some sort of attempt to keep this blog going.

My family has a long history of craftsmanship. My greatgreatgreatgrandfather was a tailor and as I later discovered, quite a well-known man in his time. His wife was an avid knitter and she passed her enthusiasm to her children and grandchildren.

As long as I can remember, my grandmother would ring me about a month before Christmas to enquire if I was ok for socks and mittens. Up until her health took a bad turn, every single one of her children and grandchildren got a new pair of socks every single year.

When I was seven and my mother was doing some sort of special nurses training course, my great aunt used to come down to mind me. She always had some yarn with her and eventually she taught me how to crochet. The first thing I ever crochet was a little yellow and blue-striped oven cloth. I'm sure my mother still has it somewhere.

About a year later my great aunt taught me how to knit. I remember hating it, as I kept dropping stitches but my great aunt, with her remarkable patience, kept picking those lost stitches back on the needles. Eventually I learned how to do all the basic stitches and even made a few jumpers. Around that time she also took me to the local craft centre and taught me how to weave. That was the craft that she really enjoyed and my mother still has some rugs she made for her. Weaving is something I would have loved to have done more.

I was lucky enough to go to school in a country with a vast crafts syllabus in school. Apart from knitting, sewing and crocheting, we also did some felting, embroidering, silk painting, printing and tapestry.

Years went by and every now and then I'd get this mad urge to knit something. Sometimes I'd crochet things too but as I had forgotten most of the technique, knitting usually took over. I didn't knit much during high school but once I got to Ireland (and to everyone's great amusement and surprised) I picked up those needles again.

In future I'd like to do some more printing and weaving. As said knitting is on hold for the moment but I'm sure someone will need a new pair of socks soon :)

In perfect (knitting) world

As mentioned before, I've been struggling to motivate myself to knit as no pattern in particular has caught my eye. So I've been doing a lot of mindless knitting and made things that are either Xmas presents or something I really need.

Last night while I was not sleeping, I was going through some Finnish blogs to look for inspiration. Some of these will probably never materialise but one can dream:

Ring scarf, something like this here.
- my mom would die of laughter if she knew I wanted to make this, as she remembers all the arguments about wearing ring scarfs when I was little

Lace ribbon scarf in Knitty.
- I can't believe that after making two Clapotis, I want to make something very similar again.

Drops jumper with hood
- this is a bit of fancy and a bit of practical. I have been wanting a thick hoody to wear with denim skirts and this might just do.

Odessa hat

Odessa hat
Originally uploaded by zanga

I've made this hat before and I must say I absolutely love the pattern. It's easy to make and it appeals to my scandinavian taste. I skipped the beads and made the hat a bit longer.

Pattern: Odessa by Grumperina
Yarn: Artesano Inca Mist
Needles: 3.5mm and 4mm dps

I'm also still knitting a couple of christmas present socks and some mittens.

Little knitting, a lot of thinking

I've been very busy with studying so I haven't knitted that much. The only major knitting I've been doing are socks and a very modest attempt to get rid of some odd balls of wool.

I also organised some of the yarn I have and tried to see if anything was screaming to get on needles. I've been struggling to get excited about any patterns, hence the not knitting and no new projects.

While knitting has been miniscule, some other ideas have been brewing. I've rediscovered my love for print and photography and been working on some things I might get printed at a later stage.

So until something gets done or I get inspired to start something new, it will remain quiet around here

Pics pics

Mini Clapotis

The very much trial version of Felted Waterlily

Some FOs, some bitching

I've been pretty busy with college but have managed to finish the mini Clapotis and a pair of socks while commuting up and down. Clapotis was actually pretty good knit this time and as I had got familiar with the pattern, it was pretty mindless knitting.

I also made a felted waterlily while I was playing a really long deepstack tournament. I wanted to see how it would turn out and made a trial version as I'm planning to make some of these for a certain occasion.

Photos of all these will materialise once there is more light available.


Then the annoyance. I was in a hurry the other day and wanted to grab a 5.5mm dp needles for a new project. As I was rushing around I never noticed my mistake until I was on the bus to Dublin. Why oh why do they only put 4 dp needles in some packs? I realise that many "imperial" knitters don't use the fifth needle but for me it's crucial. Apart from knitting hats, this pack of four needles is pretty useless to me.

The other thing that really annoys me is the way some yarn shop owners treat a young customer like me. I went to X yarn shop (it wasn't the one I usually go to) and the owner was following me around as to see if I was going to steal her precious wool. Once I got sick of this I started to talk to her about knitting, materials etc. She assumed that I had absolutely no idea about knitting and kept shooting my ideas down with "that would be too hard" or "that is very advanced".

I might not fit in the demograph of usual knitters but I myself as a customer service person have often witnessed, that no matter what kind of person walks in the door, you can't be sure what they know/are like. I might not look like someone who knits and is familiar with some more advanced techniques but all it takes from the other person is the balls to ask. Questions of my skill level are much less offensive than the assumption that I can barely knit and purl.

This episode ended in me throwing some knitting jargon right at her face. That made her shut up but it was too late as I'd already decided to take my future business elsewhere

Nothing new on the Western front

Clapotis numero zwei is on its way. Very, VERY slowly on its way.

 I'm sacrificing the rest of my Latvian wool for an experiment. More about that at a later stage.

I'm also knitting 3 pairs of socks and trying to proofread my friends college assignment, on top of working and college. Reckon that's enough on my plate for a while?