Jealous!!

A few years ago I knitted Air in Rowan Calmer (a yarn not loved by all). I wore it out and recently retired it. Now Karin is knitting one for her mum - and I'm very jealous!! I contemplated last night just how much I have become blog led - most of my recent projects have materialised because of browsing other peoples blogs and seeing their finished objects. At first I felt quite down hearted about it. Did it mean I just copy other people? Had I lost the ability to be creative and find my own patterns? I then thought about it from another angle: I have to consider this a good thing for many reasons. In most cases I already had the pattern sitting gathering dust on a book shelf ( and in some cases, the yarn), it is fantastic to see a garment on someone else looking good enough for me to want to knit it and I'm hoping it shows my good taste (as well as my fellow bloggers)! However, I do have a few (million) unfinished objects to contend with.


Louisa Harding comes to Chingford
I'm hoping Karin blogs about this as well (since I have definitely killed the camera and have to buy a new one - at some point) as she brought her camera with her. JJ's Wool and Craft (my much loved local yarn shop)was abuzz this morning. The shop was packed and we were rewarded by a talk and taster morning featuring Louisa Harding. Had I not already been a knitter her talk was inspirational enough to make me want to start. She explained her background and how she came to be in the fashion design and knit wear business. She gave an insight into her inspirations and she spoke passionately about keeping the tradition of knitting alive, not just as a hobby, but as a creative process that has earned the right to be a prominent craft. This from someone who was not overly fond of her designs - until today. Her talk actually made me look at her designs again with new eyes (so to speak) and whilst I am still not sold on most of her yarns - I have fallen for some of the patterns.

Not a lot happening on the knitting front - but I do have this:



My Martha inspired cardigan with beads

I will never say a bad word against modern technology again!! It took a while but I managed to work out how to use the camera on my phone. Not great but something.

The cardigan and dress were for a family gathering on Sunday - in the absence of Costco many cakes were in the making, including the one below - Strawberry Cheesecake. I'm just glad the dress was made with lots of give in it.......

Technical difficulites!

Well, if you can call dropping your son's digital camera, after taking lots of arty shots of your latest UFO's and FO's to post on your blog a technical difficulty. I have lots of humble pie to eat - and a new camera to buy!!

So no photo's until I manage to work out if said camera can be repaired or a new one purchased. I leave you with the last photo's downloaded before I killed the camera. This is my latest project based on Martha from Rowan Mag 37

I wanted a yarn and colour that went well with the material shown (dress in the making). I liked the first colour the best, but it's the finest of the yarns and I could not make it work for me. I've settled on the third one, Rowan 4 ply cotton (the sienna is too thick but definitely a me colour, so I'll have to find a project that deserves such a fantastic colour).

The cardigan is almost finished. I've also finished the Debbie Bliss rib and bobble cardigan. That's all I've been able to work on at the moment. Still chaotic here but hopefully not for much longer.