Monday 29 August 2011

The Crafts Place

Now days I generally wont leave the house without a pre-planned visit to a craft or wool shop and if I'm lucky enough to scrape together a couple of quid I will make a special effort to drive anywhere I know sells wool. After a week of work I was lucky to take out £20 spending money to one of my favourite places Wimborne with one of my favourite ladies Geri. We had a day of charity shopping, lunching and the highlight of the day visiting The Crafts Place.

Located by the river the shop completely overwhelmed me. I did not know where to look first! I think one of the things that really got me interested was that it did have the same feel to my bedroom, full of vintage and crafty things with a feeling of arty chaos. I really love a shop that sells local handmade items and even more seeing those pieces being made as you walk in.

Running various classes and workshops, The Crafts Place offers a very friendly service, answering my many questions. One thing that caught my eye was spinning and I was taught on the spot how to do it which lead me to invest in some felt to start spinning myself. As I was enquiring I discovered they had several knitting machines in perfect working order for £15 each. With £14 left in my pocket I asked Geri for £1 (an investment into my future) and purchased one. I left the shop feeling incredibly happy and would recommend anyone to visit it. I will defiantly be returning to learn how to crochet.


Sunday 28 August 2011

Come out and find the one that you love and who loves you

So I have just entered into a new relationship with my knitting machine, brought home from Wimborne and just my type: a complete arse.
Like any new relationship I was very excited about the concept. Being in love with the idea of being in love instead realising of the reality of commitment. There was that shyness and almost a desperation, wanting it to work so badly but rushing it has only left me with several useless knitting attempts.
However these rubbishy bits are all part of learning and although the machine has left me in the most foul of moods, listening to The Smiths and in tears I do feel I can take it on again.
I think I may have over reacted to my initial attempts at machine knitting, just because you know one type of knitting does not mean you know all. Things take time and I'll just have to be patient with it. I'm sure we can work on it together and make beautiful jumpers ... eventually.

Tuesday 23 August 2011

Jurrasic Me

Today has been a day of surprise ups and downs. I think doing too much in one day makes looking back on it a little daunting, however it is the feeling you end on that carries you through to tomorrow. I've spent the day in the company of some of my favourite people, treated to lunch and dinner, made to feel like a king. I am ever so thankful to these people as they make me feel like me again, rather than the recluse I have become, they inspire me and most of all believe in me.
Dinner tonight was spent at Gerry and Ian's with Faith and Keith, we adventured into Wimborne to their beautiful farm house and had an amazing dinner, I can't remember the last time I laughed that much or felt comfortable as soon as I walked through the door! It is a lovely location for possible photo shoots and will keep that in mind for my next uni project! I believe I am being taken in the right direction for my knitting and things are beginning to take shape. Just chatting about the possibilities after graduation excite me, rather than wishing I didn't have to leave next year.

I want to really start thinking about my branding, who I am as an artist, rather than a commercial corporate being. Being shown this industry at uni which is very clean cut and generic somehow has never sat well with me, I'm not like that, I'm a complete train wreck of tangled wool and absolute tat. I'm starting to see there's more to taking a photo, any one and everyone is a photographer, I need more in my images and I think knitting is what I have been searching for. It's just me.

Click click click knitting will always make me happy.

Sunday 21 August 2011

Unicorns Are Forever

A couple of days ago I went down to my favourite wool shop on Cardigan Road to purchase some wool! I came out with cream and pink and an idea to finally design a unicorn jumper.
I wanted it to be based on Christmas patterns but replacing the traditional deers with unicorns. Using some graph paper I constructed the pattern and started knitting it! So this is my progress so far.

I also saw this comment to my sister which made me smile :)))) and today got chatting with a clothing designer who I may be knitting some bobble hats for! The monicle fox also seems to be a hit according to his lovely new owner and people have been googling my name! May start designing a website soon! Busy busy!

Wednesday 17 August 2011

Jesus I've Been Commissioned!

I'm back in bournemouth for about a week and whilst here doing a couple of shifts! As luck may have it I have a rsi on my wrist from all the knitting, meaning I'm wearing a bandage for support. However this lead to people asking what I'd done whilst working at the pub. I explained to a local and showed him some of my work, he asked if I would make him a jumper and I said of course! He thought about it for a while and decided on a Barbarella pattern, handed me a £20 deposit and now I'm ecstatically happy!

I'm finally putting up a photo of something I've been working on in secret and I think it's because of this I've been commissioned! :))) I crudely drew the pattern for this and this is a solid weeks work, waiting for me to finish it!

Monday 15 August 2011

Make Do and Mend

A small while ago my mother showed me an article in the paper about a new shop opening up called Make Do and Mend, I was ever so excited and a few days ago got to visit it. It was a beautiful shop with a range of local peoples work as well as craft supplies. After chatting with the owner Hannah and the general loveliness of the shop I have decided it is my favourite crafty shop of all time ever and I really wish them success.

What I really loved was the enthusiasm shown about hand making items and building up the creative community. They run several workshops and clubs which I will certainly be attending. Another thing that really inspired me was the giant knitting needles (28mm) in the shop window which I shall invest in once I have the money!

Visit their website


In other news I have had my first fox commission, I changed the pattern slightly and made him slightly quirky, so hopefully he'll be a hit! I decided to knit him in super chunky, so the make time was a lot quicker, however slightly more expensive! I have a third fox project underway and several other ideas for a collection which hopefully I will knit on the giant needles!!

Thursday 11 August 2011

Point of Moustache

Today I felt unwell and rather wonky until I was finally hit by a bolt of inspiration and a bag of beautiful wool donated by a neighbour. And now I can't sit still. But that will unravel in due time :))))

Meanwhile I have started designing another jumper in chunky knit, it's darker than what I usually make but I'll keep working on it! Also going to start on another fox for a friend (this time in chunky) busy busy :)))))

Wednesday 10 August 2011

Faux Fox

A couple of days ago I came across a photo of a girl with a knitted Fox Stole which got me really inspired to make my own. I rushed out to get some wool and started knitting. I have now finished him, mid summer and my wrist hurting so much I'm having a day off from making and have been researching some ideas instead. As I am particularly poor at the moment I couldn't purchase the pattern for the fox and instead just made it up as I went along. I have a couple of other projects which are all free handed and with a market for patterns I am considering designing a collection and having a little Etsy shop (maybe even a facebook page)! If I can do enough in time maybe I could tie it into my photography work.

The Etsy Awards - One Year On

I can’t believe it’s been a whole year since I won the Etsy Awards. Time has flown by and my small business has grown so much. Winning th...