Pockets, pockets and pockets

I made another dress last week.  It is 100% cotton, 3/4 sleeves with two front pockets.  At first, I was convinced the fabric was too thin but will all the sweeps and three layers for the big front pockets, it hangs very well and doesn't cling to parts of mine like my other two dresses that I made recently.  It's always a weird thing buying fabric and hoping it will conform to the ideas that I have in my head about how fabric should look and feel.  

I got an amazon voucher from my dear brother for my birthday at the end of March.  It was a truly lovely suggestion but I'm clueless what to buy with it.  I know fabric would be the obvious choice but I like to see a piece of fabric in real life and to touch it as well.  I need to see it and feel the weight of it to get some idea IF it will work for me.  I'm quite picky about fabrics.  Also, I find amazon's search features for fabrics, well, frustrating to say the least.

I haven't been as creative as I would like to buy as my dear son wants to go for long walks lately and really, it is England after all and when the sun is out, you really have to take advantage of it.  Yesterday's walk was just over 8 miles from Silsden to home.  We haven't done that walk before and it was definitely a winning walk.  Stretches of nice houses, woods and views of the countryside and very little people.  We definitely decided to include that on our list of walks for the future.

Apart from that, I had a job offer but I'm waiting for references still.  I imagine it will still be some time as it is the Easter Holidays now and my references I supplied are teachers as obviously, I was in education for 7 years.  SEVEN years.  I'm still desperately trying to escape that unhappiness.

I am now going to cut some pattern pieces for my next project, pictures will follow:

You can visit my Facebook page for more details on this dress:

It has been a while

I haven't blogged for a very long, long time.  I've lost touch with the blogging world as my world fell apart around Easter this year.  I had to walk away from my job and completely just shut off for a while.  However, there was a silver lining in all this upset, turmoil and conflict in my life...I began sewing again and even sold my dresses.  

I published pictures online in a group on Facebook and received some orders for my dresses and sold about 7 items of clothing.  Then, I thought at last!  And it just fizzled out.  I don't know what to do next.  I'm not very good at promoting myself.  I know I need to improve this, but my self esteem took such a kick in the guts this year, I really have struggled to pick myself up.

I want to be positive again, creative and have a better work life balance.  I keep getting emails from former colleagues and my tutor asking me to return to teaching and not to give up.  I really don't think they understand what it was like me for me at my last school.  I just can't do it any more.  However, I am starting to job hunt again.  I will rebuild that confidence that I once had.  I will also publish another knitting pattern and hold more competitions to win prizes!  I will blog again and share my projects and create an Autumn collection of clothes to buy in the shop as well.  All of this will happen.  It has to because I realise now that if I'm creative I'm at peace with myself and my life does fall into place then.

I thought I'd post some pictures of dresses and tops I made.  Maybe it will inspire people to buy something from my shop!

My friend Carol looks stunning in my change of hearts dress

A simple wrap dress, the fabric is 100%

I have two versions of this top, one with little sleeves and one that is sleeveless

When Times Passes

I've wanted to blog again and yet, it hasn't happened for a very long time.  It is too long of a story to talk about what happened to my time.  The short story is I had a job and it was too consuming, too overwhelming, too upsetting and I left.

So now, I'm at a crossroads yet again in my life, wondering what to do next and what will work for me.  I was so unhappy for so long that I don't want a repeat of that experience.  I had days when I cried and just felt so utterly alone, desperate to have something, to feel more positive and it wasn't happening.  I had moments when I felt like I was suffocating, just alone with my thoughts.  I would come home, be surrounded by two other people and still feel utterly empty.  Days turned into weeks and then months.  I realise that is deeply personal, all of this but maybe you'll understand...sometimes you just have to walk away.

However, out of something bad, something good came out of it.  I knitted a cardigan, I designed it myself and I live in it.  I wanted something that would be a classic style that I would just treasure for years, that would be me.  

Here it is for your viewing pleasure:

I am going to write up the pattern and have it published on raverly where you can buy the  pattern. Not the cardigan as that is my labour of love, it was my sanity, my quiet time away from all the demons in my heart and in my head.  I will give you the link when I finish the pattern.

From now on, between jobs, it will be my creative time, MY time, doing the things that make me remember there is more to life than stress and emptiness.  I feel like I've been stuck in a loop for so long, just going in circles, chasing my tail and I'm just exhausted so wish me luck on my next venture.

Finished Dresses

As promised, two photos of the finished dresses.  Both are pink flowers.  One is a lightweight fabric and the other one is a sturdy cotton.  I added belts to both of them to stop them looking like tents.

For your viewing pleasure, I give you dress number one:

Yes, I make a rare appearance in this photo

And now for the second dress (minus me):

A pale pink but heavy sturdy cotton.

I have to say I like the second one better than the first.  I think that mainly because the second one the fabric is a good quality cotton while the first one, I'm not sure what the material is but it is very lightweight and feels flimsy in comparison.  I'm sure that both will grow on me.  I'm getting there with my hand made wardrobe...slowly but surely!

Sewing Project Update

I've been busy with life and sewing.  I'm currently in the process of making some dresses for the Autumn.  I spent time researching and looking for a dress pattern that I would like and finally bought what I thought was the best pattern.  However, there is still a lot of trial and error going on with the sewing process.

The first dress I have made is with some fabric my mum bought me from Liberty.  She says its a cotton but it has a strange silky feel to it and I can't find it any where on Liberty's website to verify what it is.  I did wash it first before sewing as it stank heavily of perfume!  The fabric is a little too light and floaty and creases incredibly easily.  I still have the edging to do on the little capped sleeves and make a belt for it.  I took it in yesterday to stop it looking tent-like but it still seems that bit too wide.  I need to find a balance between it looking too floaty and clinging to the wrong parts of my body.  We don't need to emphasize some aspects of growing older!

The second dress is made of cotton, 100% woven cotton.  This dress already feels much nicer and since the cotton has some weight, it hangs much better.  I only have the sleeves left to do on this dress.  Both dresses are actually pink flowers.  I am not normally a pink person, I'm trying to step outside my comfort zone and have more of a variety of clothes in my wardrobe.  We'll see.  I prefer my blues and greens.  This said, my next dress will be a pale blue with Paisleys.  I think this dress will have more of an appeal to me.  Who knows?

But for now, there are no pictures as they are works in progress.  But I promise to post them as soon as the dresses are finished.  It won't be long now as I spent all of yesterday sewing and plan to continue today.  The weather forecast is wet and overcast with grey skies so it is always encouraging to do my sewing.  Also, my other half has taken the PS3 down to London with him while visiting his family!  Noooo!  I was playing "Dishonoured" and loving it....so yeah, no distractions so I am being on the ball with my sewing.  Of course, you all knew that there had to be some hidden factor behind this sudden burst of "motivation", didn't you?  You know me all too well.

Patience and a Piece of String

I would like to say that I would have more patience than I do these days but seriously, right now, no...that is not the case.  My son is in the thick of GCSE exams and I have no peace, no personal space, no free time that is truly my own.  He wants me to ask him questions, go through past papers with him, mark them and help him with things he doesn't understand...its constant and never ending.  Yes, I'm glad that he is trying his best but truthfully, we are both exhausted and I have painted the room blue with colourful language some days.

In between helping him with exams, I've been knitting.  I've finally finished my two fronts, backs and am currently doing the sleeves.  I had to unpick one second back to the first butterfly as there was two glaring mistakes I could not ignore no matter what and also, I did one butterfly too many...because obviously at 48, I'm incapable of counting correctly when there is 5 butterflies on one side. Its clearly too much on this taxing mind. What an idiot I can be.  I still have a LOT to do.  Blocking, adding the ribbing, etc.  But here's my fronts:

Yes, those are butterflies.

Yes, the very tops don't match exactly but it was the best I could do with the decreasing and following the pattern.  Its from my own pattern so fingers crossed...I've never knitted a cardigan from a pattern I've made myself.  Maybe I should put the pattern on raverly when I'm done.  I guess it depends upon how it looks and IF I can remember exactly what I did.

I have some fabric to make a dress but that is not going to happen this weekend.  Aw well...it will happen when it happens.

Two New Dresses

I'm hoping that the weather will be reasonable enough to wear two new dresses I made this past week.  I can hope.  They are both 100% cotton and from the Stylish Dress Book, one of my Japanese pattern books.  I got the book from Salts Mill and I've made two tops from it last summer.  I made them "large" even though, I'm hardly what I'd call a large person.

First off, the blue flower dress:

Pretty blue flowers

This dress should have been so simple to make but the neckline caused me no end of grief.  I kept getting confused which way to put the pieces and I had to unpick the neckline twice.   The original pattern called for five pleats in front but I opted for a gathered neckline instead.  I'm glad I did.  It hangs much nicer this way.

The second dress is fabric my son picked out.  Its a box style dress.  If I was to make it again, I'd make it a little smaller but live and learn.  Here's a picture of the end result:

It has two pockets on the front as well.

I figure I could actually wear this in slightly cooler weather with some tights and a long sleeve t-shirt underneath.  I'll probably wear this on weekends and when I'm not working.  Remember, stupid dress codes and other people's ideas about what you should and shouldn't wear.  I might be accused of having too much fun in this dress.  Enough of my whining.  Two dresses completed.  Oh how I love time off from work!

Digging and Thinking

Yesterday it was actually sunny out.  A much needed sunny day to get me out of that dark hole that is my mind.  Sunday I ended up being one of those tedious moods where it just rained, the whole house felt damp and with that, my mood was definitely damp, cranky and impatient with myself, my life and especially, the weather.  I don't mind one day of rain that I'm happy to stay in and do my knitting or sewing but when it goes on and on...well, I feel like I'm climbing the walls quite literally.

So the young man and I went out for a blissful walk to clear our heads.  We found a £5 note on our travels so our drinks and chocolate brownies cost £1.20.  Always a bonus when you live on a tight budget.  When we got home, he settled down in a better mindset for revision, while I finally got stuck in with the garden.  I cut the grass, pruned some bushes back, weeded the garden and tidied up the edging.  Here are the results:

I spent hours doing this but you wouldn't think to look at it now

It looks much tidier but in need of more colour.

I want to get some snapdragons or something...something to brighten it up a bit.  Anything would be an improvement.  This year I said no to sweet peas.  Every year my parents get me some and its this search of find some suitable sticks to tie them to and then I lost interest in looking after them.  I prefer my old house and its brighter garden.  This one has too many trees over looking it and its ALWAYS dark.

Today, the young man and I went out for lunch with my parents.  It was enjoyable and afterwards, they went home and we went out browsing.  I got fabric to make something else.  Just as well because yet more rain is forecast for tomorrow.  Because clearly we haven't had enough of it this year.

Lace Borders

The weather in the UK has been typical for a Bank Holiday weekend.  Cold, wet and dark.  It is pretty miserable to say the least.  However, being indoors has allowed me to crack on with on-going projects.  When I say on-going, I mean ones that are taking longer than they should.  I don't really know why this is anything new.  It happens in life.  I have all these ideas and inspired ideas and then I come home from work...drained, lifeless and unmotivated.  Ugh.  I really need to kick that habit.

However, I've had a few days this week where I've been knitting while watching telly on a night and cracking on with my projects.  So work is actually progressing and MOVING forward.  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel and I feel that inner peace again.  Yes, yes and yes.  I need that.  I'm tired of feeling like its just work and home and just that blah feeling from life.  That feeling where you are not feeling content within yourself.  Just restless and unsettled...but nothing you can put your finger on.  I hate those times. 

So here is one nearly completed side of my cardigan.  I'm being ambitious (for me) and knitting a lace border.  This side has NO mistakes...unlike the first side which has one or two and I'm seriously thinking about unpicking it back to those mistakes now.  Before I was going to leave it...but well...it will bug me if I leave them now.  So, for your viewing pleasure:

One side of a cardigan.

This is not normally a colour I'd normally wear but I'm trying to step outside my "comfort zone" with regards to colour.  I think for the past few years, I have to conform to a dress code at work and my sense of style went completely out of the window.  I can't even begin to tell you how sick I am of my work wardrobe.  Its drab and makes me feel older than I am.  Enough of that crap.  So what if I'm getting older, we all are.  I can still have my sense of style and individuality.  Clothes can be beautiful and make you feel good about yourself.  I don't have to resign myself to cream blouses and black trousers for work, do I?  I hope not...

Made Me May

I didn't know this as I'm always a bit slow on trends, events, fashions, etc. but its "Made Me May" month.  I found out about it in Ysolda's blog and read more about it here.  I had no idea but anyway, I decided this week to dress in something I made at least three days a week.  And you know what?  I did it.

On Monday, I wore my mandarin shirt.  Tuesday, I wore my paisley and roses shirt and Thursday, I wore my olive green cardigan.  Tomorrow, I will wear my owl top or something else.  I still have great lengths to go with regards to producing my handmade wardrobe but its a three day weekend so time to sew a dress!

I have great ideas for this dress I want to make.  I've been looking at Pinterest for ideas.  One of the things, oh it pains my heart....that I actually fell in love with was this tunic dress.  Lisette 2245.  Oh its so my style but sadly out of print!  NOOOOO!!!!  I even discovered a pinterest board with admirers of this dress.

Oh how I wish for this:

Tunic Perfection
 

Awww.....how could such an unique and timeless pattern as that be out of print?  Its a real shame.  I even looked on ebay.  Yup.  Still, more pictures to come of more sewing inspired ideas and a some works in progress knit-wise.

Cream, short sleeved top

I spent most of Saturday and a little bit of Sunday sewing another top for myself. This one doe not have the mandarin collar but just a simple round neckline. I was supposed to put some lace around the sleeves and the bottom of the shirt but I think it would have looked too busy. Also, I only had bit of one cream lace in the house and I didn't really want to venture out just for a bit of lace.

Here are the results:

I decided against the lace in the end but it looks fine.

I have been enjoying this creative time sewing tops but now I need to focus on skirts and dresses. I have 2 lots of fabric left. Actually 3 lots of fabric. I have one pink one with lots of flowers, a blue and green flower one and finally an olive green one with leaves and vine patterns on it. Decisions, decisions, decisions.

I have found it very therapeutic sewing as of lately. I've been very careful with my sewing and making sure to iron pieces to get a neater finished top. It has been working. While I sew, I find I stop beating myself up about life in general. I feel just calm. Isn't that what everyone needs?

Mandarin Shirt Completed.

My most recent top did prove to be a challenge.  It is a pleated short sleeved short with a mandarin collar.  I am actually very pleased with the results.  Here is a close of the collar.  I don't think the picture actually does it justice.

Close up of the collar
 

The fabric in the photo makes the fabric look darker than it is.  It is actually a dark blue.  I had to hand sew the inside of the collar and make it with invisible seams.  It took time but it was worthwhile. 

Here is a picture of me in the shirt. 

Finished Top.

It is a very flattering cut on me, well, that's my opinion.  Its always hard to decide what I should be wearing at my age.  When I was young, I just wore what I liked, there wasn't always all those questions such as "Does that suit my shape?", "Is this age appropriate?", etc.  Those things happen with time.  You think as you get older, you become less preoccupied with how you look but you just find you have different issues.  Such is life.

I have some cream fabric with little pink, green and blue spools of thread on it.  It is very sweet indeed and very much me.  I'm debating what to make with it.  Another mandarin top?  A three quarter sleeved blouse?  A tunic top?  Decisions, decisions, decisions.

This time off from work has been very constructive this time.  I have had the opportunity to see old friends, spend time with family and sew.  Normally I return to work after a break thinking I didn't use my time as productive as I could have.  However, I realised that this time, I really need to knuckle down and get on with things.  I just feel so much more at peace with myself.  I need to do this more often!







 

Cost Effective and Long Overdue Update

One of my friends recently asked me an interesting question about my sewing. I was sat across from her and I was feeling pleased with a top that I sewed the other week. I told her I made this top and then she asked me if sewing was cost effective. That was it, no other questions, just that. Was sewing cost effective?

Now, that's a tricky question because it is all relative with regards to what some people consider cost effective and what isn't. How do you measure cost effective? Price of materials? Time spent sewing? Quality of items made? What specifically? Also, other questions such as it depends upon how much money people spend on clothes, what they consider to be quality and how important are clothes to them? Do they spend hours looking for the “perfect piece” or just buy something cheap and cheerful but disposable?

Olive green cardigan.  Isn't it sweet?

First off, sure I could actually buy myself a mass produced, cheap generic top from certain stores for cheaper but is that what I want? The answer to that is no. I have realised as I grown older, I'm tired of cheap, mass produced, poor quality clothing. I want something that is unique to me, something that I could consider good quality, made with love and care plus attention to detail. I don't mind spending a day or two making something for myself. I find it hugely rewarding. I like that by making my own clothes, I have choices about style, colour, patterns, quality of materials and type of material. It is my way of expressing myself uniquely. I do not have to follow a fashion or a trend, rather clothes that suit me, my body shape, my personality and my sense of style. Why does that have to end at my age? I used to pride myself on being an individual when I was young. Now that I'm older, why should that change?

Green Dragon Fly Top. 

Secondly, dress codes. My past three jobs have all had dress codes. You have to look smart and professional. I hate that. I'm not going to lie, I hate having to conform to a dress code. For the past couple of years, my wardrobe has been bland, mainly blacks and generic tops. I do not look in my wardrobe and look forward to wearing something. I wear the clothes for work because I have to, it is expected of me. Blah. Well, that has to change. How you dress does affect how you feel. I can still look smart and professional. But the clothes do not need to be outrageous or bland. That can be just me. 

Owl Top with kick pleats in the front.  Hides a multitude of sins.

In the past couple of months, I've made 3 tops and knitted one cardigan for myself. I have enough fabric to make 3 more tops and a dress. I'm currently knitting another cardigan for myself. I have an A-line skirt pattern for myself. I intend to make some skirts as well to coordinate with my new tops. The range of colours is blues, greens, pinks, rose reds and creams. Patterns are varying from purple owls to flowers to simple spools of thread. My cardigan I'm knitting is a deep shade of cranberry. Yes, there will be some black in my wardrobe but not as much. 

Blue top made with fabric that was a gift from my son.

 So there has been much progress in my life with my handmade wardrobe. Its high time. I should have done this years ago. So it is cost effective? Yes to me. You can't put a price of feeling content with life.

Winter Blues

I haven't been my normal self lately.  This usually happens in the winter when I go to work in the dark and when I get home, its getting dark.  This winter is no exception and what's worse is the lack of sun.  I am so sick of rain.  I appreciate that they have been having terrible weather in other countries, but the rain in this country gets rather tiresome.

I am looking forward to brighter and sunnier days.  However, with it only being January...that really is a long way off.

On a more positive beat, I've sewn myself another top.  Its in bright greens, creams and browns.  Wonderful shapes, almost like vines and stone staircases combined...or that's what my imagination says to me.  I have some more fabric that is of vines!  I got three metres of it so I'm really debating what to make with it?  A tunic dress, another pleated blouse, maybe combine it with other fabric?  Decisions, decisions, decisions!

Here is a picture for your viewing pleasure:

Green and browns!

I am still knitting my cable yoke cardigan.  I am currently on the yoke itself.  Its taking a while as its a 14 row repeat and I have to do that sixteen times.  Its not the kind of thing I can do while I'm watching telly...well I do, but only if its a programme that doesn't require my full attention.  I don't know where people get this idea about multi-tasking...it doesn't really pan out for me that well.

I did have several days over the Christmas holidays of knitting and listening to music on 8track.  Is anyone else there? I love that you can create, share and listen to other people's mixes.  I have found some amazing mixes featuring some wonderful Icelandic bands and singers.  Jonsi is just wonderful.

Music is a curious thing.  For me, as I've grown older, my music tastes have mellowed considerably.  I used to be into punk and new wave as a teenager and some trash.  Now that type of music makes me feel edgy, uptight, irritable and just plain uncomfortable.  Yet, surprisingly, I have wonderful memories of that time, of places and of people.  But as for the person I was back then...well, I'm happier now.  I think its been a long journey for me to feel comfortable in my own skin as well. 

Feel free to say hello to me sometime too.  I often wonder what kind of people read my blog.

Finished Hat

I finished a hat for myself this week. The reality was I wasn't feeling well and I wanted to knit something quick and practical. However, I wasn't feeling well and I had zero concentration. I won't even begin to tell you how many times I had to restart. (Hint, it was more than twice.)

However, as soon as I began to feel better and I had full concentration, I knitted this up in no time. I'm quite pleased with the results and it only took one 50g ball of yarn. 

One winter hat

Now, that is complete, I'm starting one of my more ambitious projects. Here's a sneak preview:

This is the back...plain for now.

Finished vest

I finished my vest I was telling you about. I have mixed feeling about it. Yes, it looks good on the hanger but I wish it would hang better on me. I think I tried it on with the wrong top or maybe the boobs got in the way. I just wish there was a little more on the sides to it. But hey...it could be worse.

The plus points...I like the colour, it was knitted on circular needles as a one piece, it does keep my shoulders warm and it has a nice shape. It will grow on me. On the plus side, I still have enough yarn to make another vest...need to search for a pattern I like.

Here it is in its finished glory:

A quick, simple knit

Finished Cardigan!

My beauty

Last weekend, I finished my cable cardigan. It was therapeutic to see it finished. I even wore it to work on Monday I was that pleased with the finished results. Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure. Unfortunately, the one hanging on the door is way too dark but you get the idea.

Cardigan slowly being pieced together

Potentially too dark of a picture but you get the idea about its shape
 

 

I like how the cables turned out on the sides of the front. I also like eyelets on the raglan sleeves. I modified the pattern to do this as I thought it looked nicer than the original pattern.  Here's a close up of the cables.

 

Finishing this cardigan has been inspiring. It made me get off my butt and I'm now nearly half way through a vest that I began last week. I find I've been watching programmes on hoarding on the Internet and knitting at the same time. Its strangely therapeutic. It makes me feel less anxious about the amount of stuff that I own and keep things in perspective about my own life. I would like there to be a good film to watch on telly but it just seems to be an endless circle of repeats. I think I need a light comedy tonight. Just the thing to end a long week at work.

Finished Tunic!

Remember the fabric that I cut out and was ready to sew? Well, I actually finished the project over a week ago. I meant to post them sooner but as often the case, real life gets in the way of blogging. I was back at work, which meant to adjusting to early mornings again and days preoccupied with work. It always seems to take me a week to feel like my old self again after the initial shock of those 6:30 wake up calls.

So, here are some photos for your viewing pleasure:


I'm really pleased with the neckline and the sleeves
 

As you can see the sleeves are gathered!

I have also nearly finished my cardigan. I have one more sleeve to attach to the body and then the rib around the neckline. Oh and add the buttons. I promise to post pictures of that real soon. 

I have to admit, I have this huge mental block about piecing and blocking together my knitting projects. I really need to learn to get over that hurdle. I tried one night after a particularly long day at work to sew it together and the sides didn't match. I was getting all flustered about it when I realised, I didn't match it at the bottom so of course, it was all askew. The following night, I pinned it together very carefully and voilà, the sides matched exactly. A valuable lesson in learning to be more PATIENT.

My next knitting project is going to be done on a circular needle with no need for blocking or piecing together. I feel pretty excited about that prospect so you would think I'd be more motivated to finish my cardigan. I will get there and hopefully, get over the piecing together anxiety.

Procrastination and Sewing

Remember me being full of motivation and ideas for my fabric purchases? Well, if you don't...I don't blame you. I'm trying to get over the all talk, no action thing. The fabric sat on the day bed for a month (or two...) gathering dust while I mulled over what to do with it. I would look at it, feel guilty and then flake out on the computer. I'm sure none of you know what I am talking about with that one.

So today, I spent a considerable amount of time going through my various patterns, asking for advice from both my sweetie and my son...getting the fabric out, putting it back down, looking at my patterns again. Finally...I took a deep breath and made a decision. I hope its the right one. Seriously.

Here it is at present, pinned down, ready for cutting. It was a tight squeeze but doable.

Beautiful fabric, lets hope it washes well.

One view of fabric pinned down, ready for the chop

Another view, note things waiting to be pinned.
 

My biggest worry is how it will fit me. Silly things like: Will it fit me in the shoulders? Will it fit around the expansive hips? Will the buttonholes look crap? I always have issues with fabric that way. Wondering if I was careful enough with the cutting of pieces, doing my tucks and hems...making sure I match things correctly...oh you get the idea. The biggest challenge will be the button holes. I have never done them before on my sewing machine...my old one yes...this one no. Thankfully I have enough fabric to test first and get a feel for things. It should be an interesting process. A huge learning curve potentially. Wish me luck.

Knitting Therapy

I've been making a conscious effort to get more involved with my knitting. Last night, I finished the first sleeve of my cardigan so I have now completed the back, sides and one sleeve...which leaves one sleeve left, blocking and then the ribbing. I can actually see a light at the end of the tunnel.

The positive thing about knitting as it does require some of my attention so it stops me for fixating on crap like work issues, applications for Graduate School and future plans. I obviously still have to write a personal statement and that will happen in due course. The truth is I need a clear head and lately, work has been draining and I'm not in the right mind set for that this week. Next week will be different, no work and time to just focus on that. 

Of course, like most knitters, I'm already thinking about what I would like to do next when I complete this project. Last week, I went to Purl and Jane in Skipton and got this lovely pattern. 

From Purl and Jane, available on her website

 
Jane makes such wonderful patterns, so easy to follow and yet so beautiful. She is also incredibly helpful and very friendly! It requires 3 ply wool and I know I will have to do a tension square next. It leads to all sorts of problem solving for me as I tend to be a “loose knitter” and generally have to go down a size in needles. I don't really intend on knitting on much smaller needles than I already have and since its in children's size...I might have to experiment with that. The fun part will be deciding what wool I would like to use. Yup...first world problems.

Say it with me, just two more days of work then a whole week off. There, it doesn't sound that bad now, does it?