Silver Rings

Hi Everyone

It’s a Silver Day today. I have three new rings designs to share. These rings are similar to the last batch but using thicker Silver for the main bands. Hopefully, I can finish off the rings in my work session, it will be a short session today. I have just soldered the bands together, so there’s a filing and polishing job to do.

                      

Alongside my ring session, I’m trying to re organise my studio. This is a big, big job ! However, I’m at the point where I just need to get on with it. I’ve been thinking about new storage and ways of efficiently organising my materials and tools for some time and I think the day has arrived.

When my stuff is well organised, I feel energised in lots of ways - so it’s an important job. I have set aside the majority of two days, by the weekend - I should be there. Wish me luck.

Thnaks for calling in today.

Writing Day

Hi Everyone

In theory, Wednesdays are designated for ‘writing’ and today, I’m wondering what I mean, exactly, when I think ‘writing’ ? Somehow, I think, its time to consider the daily focus of my blog days; not just Wednesdays but all the days. Initially, the daily focus (on the blog) for each day was about making sure I gave some time (each week) to working with different materials and/or techniques. Much of my Making time is mixed media work and I’m regularly working with a variety of materials alongside their traditional crafting skills to develop mixed media projects.

Monday’s deal with Polymer Clay; Tuesdays, Sewing Day; Wednesdays deal with Writing ; Thursdays are Silver Days and Fridays are Fibre. I also work with Paper things (quite a bit) and feel I’m neglecting this material, so I’m thinking about adding Paper to Wednesdays and opening up the writing idea to incorporate painting too. I’d like to keep the central idea of a Writing Day because I do need time to record as well as edit projects within my work and prior to the designated Writing Day, this aspect of work didn’t happen in an organised way. Often, spending time organising and reviewing is a great way of promoting efficiency for me. It’s very easy to get sidetracked when I have lots of projects underway at the same time. So, where does that lead me ? I’m not quite there yet. I think, I need to re think the organisation of my work. 

Generally, I’m working with ‘projects’. I devise projects for a number of reasons - teaching, publishing and learning (for me) seems to sum up the reasons. On the whole, I will devise a project for a particular situation and then adapt for a wider application. Writing up the projects tends to follow a regular  process. I have a Project Journal for recording each project as well as a Blog Journal which uses the information recorded in the Project Journal to plan content on the blog. If I’m writing for publication, that’s means anything that someone else will read, I will directly write up into my iPad. I will use both Journals for reference,these Journals are very important to me.

         

I’m not sure that clears up anything ? I’ve probably ‘muddied the waters’ ! However, I’ve started thinking, and that’s what I need to do. I do tend to get very anxious if I feel disorganised, it’s safe to say - I feel disorganised, so this is a priority. My way forward is to ponder all these thoughts this morning, probably go for a walk later and make decisions. I’ll share the results of my little ‘mind conference’ next time.

Thanks for calling in today.

Making Robins

Hi Everyone

Making Robins seems to be a bit of a theme for me this year re Christmas preparations. I didn’t particularly set out to choose ‘Robins’ -  it’s just worked out that way. I do keep seeing Robins, everywhere. I developed some appliqué cards (look back a few days ago) with the Robin shape and its definitely a favourite at the moment. I’m now looking for more situations to include Robins in my Christmas theme. That said, having a ‘Christmas theme’ sounds very organised and rather sophisticated. My house will get a Christmas treatment of some kind but I’m not sure it will be organised or sophisticated in any way ! 

We have another Making Workshop (read back here for more about Making Workshops) today and of course, it’s about making Robins. I’m very excited about this one. I’m hoping I can make a few different felted Robins to adorn my Christmas house.

In addition to today’s treat, I have a lovely project, featured in a Kirstie Allsopp book (Craft) featuring a felted Robin. It’s lovely and it’s been waiting for quite a few years to be included in one of our Christmas’s. This is the year I will make it.

                       

I’ll try and get some photos during our workshop today. I always set out to record our Making sessions with some photos and often fail because there is so much going on. I usually remember to take photos as everyone is leaving, having packed away their Makes ! Fingers crossed, I can get my act together today.

Thanks for calling in today.

Christmas Cards etc.

Hi Everyone

Today, I’m spending some time developing Christmas cards and tags. I’ve already started making some samples of these cards but my sewing machine let me down a few weeks ago. It’s all fixed so hopefully today will see a batch of designs coming from my ideas. I’d like to sew a range of simple appliqué shapes onto cards and tags using some hand printed fabric (from last year).

I’m using robins and very simple Christmas trees :

           

I’ve got an initial batch of 20 to produce for today. Hopefully , I can get all that sorted. I’m wary of thinking everything is decided before I begin, I often start with very simple ideas for these kinds of projects and several days later .......  find myself still creating additional elements ! It’s all in the detail.

Wish me luck.

Thanks for calling in today.

Fibre Friday Update

Hi Everyone

As promised last Friday, I’m giving an update on the Big Sweater project today. This is something which seems to have been going on forever without much progress. Read back here (way back in May) for the first piece I did on the Sweater. I’ve  been working away, very slowly on this project and have about 1/3 of the yarn I need. In summary, I’m spinning a blended (by me) fibre for a sweater. It’s a sweater for my husband, so I’m calling it ‘Big’. It’s not that big but it seems I need quite a bit of yarn, 1250m to be precise. My intention was to try and spin everyday, this doesn’t happen but I do get through a few prepared rolags each week. I tend to prepare a batch of rolags and grab a single rolag when a I have a gap in my day. I’m happy I will get there and it’s a joy to spin, so the project is a happy one.

The eventual sweater will be use a pattern from Rib magazine (No. 2 Navigate) and is called the Cayley Pullover by Irina Anikeeva. It’s described as a casual crew neck. It’s mostly stockinet and has cables across the top. It’s a lovely sweater so I’ve got big hopes for the final item, whenever that is !

My other fibre news today involves the Christmas knit that I talked about last Friday, read back for details. This was going to be a ‘Christmas Eve cast on’, the Afterthought Everything sock. As you can see, I couldn’t manage to wait until Christmas Eve and have knitted the first sock. I’ve yet to put in the heel and will add an Afterthought heel when the other sock is complete. I didn’t keep to the plan of knitting a long tube and then dividing for the two socks, then adding toes and rib. Somehow, it just seemed as if it would create more work - separating the tube. There seems no point ? I’ve decided to follow the same construction for the second sock but next time, I will do a ‘tow up’ construction. Yes, there will be another pair, for Christmas Eve cast on. I like the idea of trying on the sock for fit before adding the heel and I like the option to add the rib or top to get a nice loose cuff. Im not sure, I need a ‘provisional cast on’ ? for the beginning of the leg of the sock (to add an Afterthought Cuff), again more work than necessary. I’m a very tight knitter and my cast on is always a little on the tight side, so I thought I needed to replicate the second sock exactly (I did consider starting with the rib !). I used a lace bind off for the first cuff and it’s just right for me. This issue of which order to add the Afterthought bits has been a useful excercise. My next pair of socks will definitely start at the toe, knit up to the rib, finish with a rib and add an Afterthought heel. I’ve yet to decide on the heel technique ? I’ll let you know next week.

This Afterthought Everything idea sound great but being pragmatic, I’m not into creating work for the sake of it. I’m sure someone must have a good reason for adding Afterthought elements throughout but it’s not for me.

I’ve loved knitting this sock. The yarn is lovely, WYS Holly Berry and I’m using 2.5mm DPNs - my usual way is to use Magic Loop but it’s a nice change and I do like using DPNs.

Thanks for calling in today. Hopefully, I will have my finished socks for next time and the announcement of the official Christmas Eve sock !

Have a great weekend. I’ll be back on Monday.