Further publications

Considering my last post was about buying new yarn, it amuses me that my most recent publications are about using up the scraps and burning the stash.

The wonderful people at Let's Knit even had me on their "designer profile" page at the front this time!

The designs stem from ideas I had a while ago about putting brights against black for a stained glass effect. I've tried this in tapestry crochet, which works okay, but the pattern turned out to be a knitted hat and mitts set.

It's about scraps, Russian joins and magic balls and although the end result would look great in wool (and would be fab in felted pattern) my scraps are all nasty from the stash, so that's what we used.

I liked the name "Tracery", but I know nothing about magazines or marketing, so figure that those who do are best placed to chose the names.

May I introduce Amelie.....

....and Isabelle

My Bad

After a year of considerable restraint,

I went mad,

Well, it was half price, and I know that I shouldn't have but

PRETTY!

Forgive me all for I have sinned.

It's a marshmallow world in the winter...

...which means that it's bliddy cold and impossible to get anywhere.

Sorry to be a misery about it, but not being a labrador puppy, the appeal of snow is somewhat lost on me.

This is the view from my window.






Bleak, huh?

So, it strikes me that it's hat weather.

As we're hoping to run an "introduction to crochet" workshop at the end of this month, in which we will learn different stitches, it seemed sensible to use them in a pattern.

By using a combination of dc, htr and tr, a "wave" pattern" is produced.

There, ain't that perty?

Tried to deliver said hat to the shop but they weren't around (don't blame them), so I popped it through the door. On my way, I'd fallen over on the damned ice, so now have aches and pains, but we must all suffer for our art!

In the unlikely event that any of your kind folks would like the pattern, it's here.

Stay upright folks, unless you're with someone gorgeous!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to whoever is kind enough to read this.

Another year gone, eh? No point in looking backwards; I've done some things well (sold a few designs, not bought too much yarn) and other things not so well (have read far fewer books than I would have liked, and my time management occasionally went to pot).

So what does 2010 hold? Who knows. I'm not a fan of new year's resolutions - if you're going to change something, do it NOW, don't wait for a point on a calendar and give it a significance it doesn't deserve. So I'm not going to say "I'll knit X items, or I'll stop biting my nails".

Instead, I prefer to have plans. I would like to finish Scattering (the working title of book two). I will try to update this blog more often (hope springs eternal). I will try to keep my accounts up to date, and not assume that I'll remember stuff.

However, I don't believe in planning too closely. This time last year I hadn't had the ideas for designs that I've sold. So who knows what my little brain will come up with this year? Will I come up with the idea for a novel that I must write, putting book two on the back burner? Will I crack some knitting or crochet holy grail and be hailed as a yarn genius? Or will I be sitting here in a year's time thinking "well, that was pants"?

I've just discovered the predictions that I don't even remember writing! How did we do?

1) Will forget to add to the blog. - So yes.
2) Won't read as much as I would like - Absolutely
3) Will finish second draft and send it out - Actually, did it! Got an agent! Have been rejected by some of the finest publishing houses in the country!
4) Will make more knitted items and not buy yarn. Okay, did the latter, pretty much and also the former. Beginning to feel quite smug!
5) Will probably not lose weight - largely correct. (Largely being the best word, here)
6) Must save money - didn't do too badly (see not buying yarn, above)
7) Train for new job and be self employed. - I did it - and that is still scary.


We can't predict the future (although it looks as though I know myself better than I realised...), so I'm just going to work hard, treat others with respect, and keep an open mind.

Peace out.