Upcoming Craft Show

I've been too busy to blog at all lately! Specifically I am having a dry spell in inspiring photographs to write about, or rather I have not had time to get them off my camera and pick out the goodies:-)

Anyway I, (as Knitting Nymph :-) ) will be at the Fredericton Crafters Picnic and Art Sale this Saturday, June 12, from 9am until 4pm. It is being held at the Saint Andrew's Presbyterian Church at 512 Charlotte Street. Admission is free as well as coffee, tea, lemonade and snacks, plus activities for kids with the Fredericton Childcare Collective!

I'll be back to posting asap after this is done!
And now to knit like mad.

Bloom

Here are photos of my lately finished Blooming Cotton Scarf by Eunny Jang. I used a combination of Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo and Sirdar Flirt. These two yarns are actually the exact same composition of bamboo and wool, just in different colorways. I thought they made a great substitution for the  recommended Tahki Cotton Classic. With 80% bamboo this yarn has excellent drape. My only disappointment with the pattern is its tendency to curl, as stockinette stitch patterns do, and so has to be blocked frequently. But is it not worth it?

Grumpy Owl

This is a little wool owl that I crocheted for a friends daughter. I used the basic shape from the bird pattern to make the body and wings http://bittersweetblog.wordpress.com/2007/02/19/birds-of-a-feather/, and then improvised the rest. He turned out to be more of an angry owl......Like the birds and ladybugs that I made in April, he also has a shakey toy in his belly to make him extra fun for little hands.

 

I am almost finished Blooming Cotton Scarf, by Eunny Jang. I can't believe it, this is probably the most work I've ever put into a scarf before. And very heavy - I used 9 colors of Sirdar Flirt and Baby Bamboo, and I think it is probably weighing in at about 500g ! So soft and comfy though, I think it will be well worth it:-) Pictures will be coming soon.

I am also almost finished sock #1 of Bayerische, and about halfway through two socks at once in Belle Epoque. After I finish off a couple of these projects I plan to start back up on my Lush and Lacy cardigan, which would be great to wear in summer.

Time to relax and knit before bed.

The Power of Now

Over the last few years I have struggled on and off with anxiety and depression.  I attribute these issues to a number of things; a combination of personality, life situation, genetics, identity issues, stress, and basically coping with growing up! It all sounds so grave and serious, but I really believe now after all my experiences, that it is actually very normal, and well, common. More than you would think at first glance. I think everyone goes through these problems to some degree at some point in their lives. But because we are all so different, it manifests differently in us all. A very wise and helpful person told me once that "depression is the common cold of the brain. " That is exactly what it is.

Anyway, I have come a long way and learned much through all this, and have been doing excellently for more than a year. However I have never been able to quite capture the wonderful feeling of living that I used to enjoy in my youth. Up until I was about 23, I considered myself the happiest of happy people. Nothing had ever broken me. I was idealistic, naive, but almost euphoric.  Then the responsibilities of adulthood started to crush my spirit. Or rather, I allowed them to. This was around the time after I graduated from university, when the pressures of earning money began to increase. I had very high hopes and ambitions of being perfect at my job, buying a house, (which we did at a young age), having a family, and indulging in all the endeavors that I was interested in. Basically, there was nothing that I would accept 'no' to. I wanted it all. If it was unrealistic I would find a way to get it. Gradually the fulfillment of my goals began to take over my enjoyment of the present, and I felt like I was stuck on a treadmill of working. Mind you, a lot of it was fun work, but because I was so often caught up in planning my next project, I didn't take pleasure in what I was doing at the time. I always did an excellent job at what I was doing, but everything became about efficiency and 'not wasting time'. This turned into quite a nasty habit. I understand that to some or many of you this may not sound like a problem at all. But if you are always focused only on the final result, you will never be satisfied. I am still struggling with this but lately I have made some headway.

I am reading the Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, and I am starting to think differently at times. I realized while reading, that what he was talking about in the book was more along the lines of how I used to feel as a child and teenager. Surely if I had it before I can get it back again! I hope:-) I was starting to think that the rather dull, often insatiable feeling of everyday monotony was just the feeling of being a  functional adult. It very well may be, for many of us. But I don't think it has to be. And I think I used to know this, I just forgot. :-)

Anyway, read the book, and decide for yourself.

Some pictures of Ewan today. He's pretty cute, it's hard to pick which photos to talk about:-) He is 14 months and has begun standing at furniture and walls and taking some cautious steps. Walking will be soon! But his main form of transportation is sill the funny "scoot" crawl that he does:-)

I love this one. Sometimes Ewan will get all quiet, and when you look to see what he is doing, you find him peaking at you from around a corner or under a chair..... with a great big smile on his face. It's like he's just waiting for you to notice what a cool thing he's doing.

Ewan with his blanket that I knit for him. He absolutely loves it, he will nuzzle in it and make "mmmm" sounds whenever he sees it.

All is quiet now, with Ewan in bed. Time for some knitting and a movie tonight. Ahhhhh.

Flowers and birds

Here are a few of the petal hats. We have been making these like crazy! I just wish Ewan would keep a hat on for more than 2 seconds so I could get a cute photograph of him modelling one.....it would be MUCH cuter than the yarn ball supports!

I have posted a few of these on my Etsy shop, and will continue to upload more colors over the next few days: knittingnymph.etsy.com. Next I will format the pattern and post it here for anyone who would like to make their own.

Also more little birds!

I am planning on attaching little loops onto some of these as they would be great for homemade car seat or stroller toys. They have little rattles in them that make a jingling sound that babies love.....well Ewan does anyway:-)

Craft Fair preparations

Oh it has been a busy winter. Tomorrow is the first craft fair of the year. I have been scurrying around preparing all the last minute details: building a new display shelf, tagging new items, and finishing off some last few projects. I have nice new business cards that I ordered this time, instead of doing them myself - fiddling with formatting to get them to perfectly print on the perforated paper was just getting too time consuming. I'd much rather be knitting!

I have incorporated some crochet into my inventory - little stuffed ladybug rattles. I am enjoying the quicker pace of crochet over knitting. I plan to make many more in lots of colors and fibers:-) Next up, little fat birdies!