HRYC

After struggling my way through Rocky Coast the Second, my knitting mojo went out the door. A pair of simple socks were also on the needles, and knitting wasn't feeling all that inspiring. I sternly told myself that nothing new could be cast on until Rocky Coast was done. 

At long last it was done, a mental hurdle conquered. I'll post a pic once I get around to weaving in the ends and blocking it, which of course i'm also procrastinating on.

To tell the truth, casting on something new didn't fill me with excitement. But cast on I did:

Stasis.

In Zealana Rimu Fingering, a gorgeous mix of NZ merino and possum. Rib isn't terribly exciting. Slowly getting closer to the colour work, the nerves kicked in. Colour work isn't my strong point. And then something magic happened...

I enjoyed it. Suddenly there's a project in my hands that requires focus, and concentration, and real awareness of what's going on with each stitch. Checking to make sure floats aren't too tight, following a colour pattern, untangling balls of yarn. 

Isn't it interesting how a challenge can be just what is needed to get excited again? 

And this yarn! Oh my. 

Zealana Rimu Fingering is 60% merino, 40% possum. The possum gives it just enough fluffiness to create a nice halo, but not so much that your knitting looks like a hairball. It's on the heavy side of 4ply, and i'm inclined to call it more of a sport weight than a standard fingering weight yarn.

It feels lovely to knit with, but the magic is in the fabric. Smooth, perfectly squishable rows of stocking stitch are making me weak at the knees. If a 4 ply jersey is what you're after, it may as well be a treat. This absolutely will be. I'm anticipating wearing this so much that the elbows will wear through and patches added. See me in ten years' time and no doubt i'll still be pulling this one on when the day is chilly. 

I am fudging the sizing a little bit, but that's part of the joy of a simple stocking stitch body - there is room to make sneaky size amendments. I may even felt it slightly for an even cosier finish. 

What's on your needles at the moment? Do you knit with thoughts of how you'll feel when you wear the finished product, or is that just me?

For ages i'd been casting about for an excuse to order in this yarn. At long last a customer asked specifically for it, I did a little dance, and joyfully went about selecting colours. I'm absolutely going to knit a great big squishy something with it. Here's a few other ideas.

Shroom by Lee Juvan 

Leaf Blanket by Susan B Anderson for Spud & Chloe

Chevron Baby Blanket by Purl Soho

Now that we have our hands on it, it's a gloriously robust, springy and assertive yarn. It's perfect for NZ winter woollies, too. You get the bulkiness that's so in fashion, but the the cotton helps keep things a little cooler for our mild winter days. Couldn't ask for more!

It's certainly winter, and as us weirdos in the Southern Hemisphere are wont to do, a Midwinter Christmas celebration seems in order.

For this week's Thursday Knit Night, we're going to crack out the mulled wine, truffles, Christmas mince pies and another wintery treats! I hear there's a Southerly on the way, so you might need to brave the weather, but it will be worth it. Promise! We may even put on some special discounts and find some spot prizes just for the evening. 

Image from this great Etsy store

A Midwinter Christmas Knit Night

Thursday 11 June

6pm - 9pm (yep, an hour earlier than usual, for more merriment!)

For treats, mulled wine and some sweet discounts. And some knitting and good company, too.

Free! Hooray!

Today we're super super amazingly lucky to be bringing you a guest post by Laura Vincent. I actually remember reading in the paper yeeeeeeearsssss ago about this new 'blogging thing' and Laura was profiled as one to check out. Her blog Hungry and Frozen is guaranteed to make you hungry, and now Laura's picked up the knitting needles. It makes me infinitely happy! It also seemed to make perfect sense to ask Laura about her beginner knitter thoughts. Thanks a million Laura!

I am a new knitter. It's only a month or so since I picked up needles and yarn for the first time. And…I am obsessed. Which surprised me, initially. I am clumsy. Impatient. Big on starting projects, not on finishing them. Distracted easily, also easily downtrodden by small mistakes. Not particularly good at following instructions. Sounds like someone who should never get near knitting needles, yes? And yet. And yet. Despite my personality and physicality suggesting I shouldn't, I have taken to knitting in a big way. There's something so utterly soothing in the quiet, repetitive motion of looping wool here and pulling wool there, it's oddly calming to the brain in a way my brain frankly isn't used to feeling. It's soft and tactile and cosy, it's practical and productive, and it's really, really fun - watching your creation grow before your eyes, choosing colours and patterns, finding your muscular rhythm.

I once, while sick during a school holiday, crocheted a wobbly scarf. That's the closest I've got to the woolly arts, till now. A group of us meet regularly at a pub, each at varying levels of skill and project completion, but at equal levels of friendliness and helpfulness. I was baffled at how quickly I picked it up, considering, I don't know, I still can't ride a bike or drive a car. I'm lucky to have great people who help me out as I go along, and the prospect of communal knitting every Tuesday definitely helps me get through that otherwise all-too-typically bleak day. Seriously, what's with Tuesdays? 

The oddly reassuring thing about knitting is that if you screw it up, it's not the end of the world. A dropped stitch can be picked up and disguised. A bumpy edge can be straightened off later. Stitches can be ripped back - not as brutal as it sounds - and started again. Which, showing how fully my love of knitting has escalated, doesn't even bother me because it means I get to knit even more. 

My first project is a blanket. It's very simple - just straightforward stitching, no purls (I'm not so good at keeping count, so that will be my next challenge) and I'm now three quarters of the way through it. Not only am I still in love with the act of creating this thing, I'm already starting to look for more projects to begin. Knitting might not be for everyone, but truly, don't discount it just because you've been hopeless at other things, or you think it's out of your reach with complicatedness - if I can get this far, you can too. 

All images thanks to Laura, and the above is a screenshot of her wonderful Instagram feed. I couldn't resist.

This is the third time i've tried to write this post, hopefully it's lucky number three!

At Handmade this year I spoke at the two Pecha Kucha sessions. I really hope they are part of the programme again next year as it was loads of fun and so interesting to hear a range of different craft stories. Pecha Kucha is a quick fire set of talks. Each speaker gets 20 slides which are up on screen for 20 seconds each. 

I agreed last minute to do it, and the first thing that came to mind was the following (abbreviated here) talk. It's so interesting meeting all of you wonderful knitters, be you new to the craft or an old hand. 

These aren't my confessions - oh no, they're yours! A series of troubles that I hear over and over again from you - the crafter. And  i'm going to ask something of you. it'll be a bit scary, and little hard to take, but I know you can do it. You really can.

It took a long time to come to terms with - but I am. I don't do things perfectly by any stretch of the imagination. It used to really, seriously stress me out. I would get all twisted up with anxiety because almost everything I made had something wrong with it. A wonky seam, the wrong colour thread, slightly asymmetrical hem. Or fudged knit stitches because my stitch count was out, or a cable crossed the wrong way. 

 One day, in a fit of anxiety, I decided it wasn't worth it. Why was I so caught up in making something perfect? So what if things didn't quite turn out like the image in my head? I made something. As my grandma says - only God is perfect. In some cultures they make mistakes on purpose for just this reason. I've made peace with my imperfections - and it's made me a happier, more satisfied crafter. Religious or not, it's important to remember that we are only human.

I watch people furrow their brows as they learn a new technique, and frown when they don't get it right the first time. Something we forget as adult learners is that the learning is in the mistakes - we figure out what went wrong and what not to do. Mistakes are GOOD. You are learning something completely new, so give yourself a break and accept that you won't get it absolutely right first go.

I messed up this 'simple' lace scarf pattern so many times it was infuriating. But in making those mistakes I learned something: don't knit this project when talking to people, when tired, or basically any time that may present with distractions. 

I say the word practice like it's going out of fashion. If you're learning something new, we've already covered that you're going to screw it up. You won't get it right. No-one expects you to. Oh, wait! YOU EXPECT TO! Ahhh, yes, Guess what? You won't. You'll get it wrong and the only way you're going to improve is by doing it over and over and over and over again. You know what? I've done things over and over and over again and ended up with this:

This blanket is epic. I can't really crochet. I can do two stitches - and they are right here. And now i've done them so many effing times I can't possibly forget how. And look what I have at the end of it! Practice is wonderful!

so you're allowed to make mistakes, you're allowed to not be amazing at it. Once you know that - relax. Enjoy the process of learning something new. 

I cannot emphasize enough just how important your tools are. If you have crap tools, you will spend your entire time fighting against them. And if you're going to invest your precious time making something, that time shouldn't be filled with the frustration of struggling to get an inferior product to bend to your will. 

Yes, you should make things for yourself, yes you should get yourself something nice, yes the most beautiful fabric or yarn or paper should be used for you. Be selfish with your making. Don't agree to make your manager at work a hat, unless they are the most amazing manager you have ever had. Your hobby is for you. 

Time is precious. Don't pretend to people that what you made isn't a big deal - it really is. After the emotional stress of accepting your imperfections, after all that practice, you make something beautiful and valuable. Don't play it down. Celebrate your handmade items - you have a skill, it is worth something.

If you're near an independent craft supplier - use them. You'll get better service, more passion and real knowledge. They'll bend over backwards for you and without you - they'll be gone. Show off what you've made - because by golly they'll get excited about it.

People will think you are weird. They will judge you. It doesn't matter. This is your time - do with it what you will. Knit in public. Wear your handmade items with pride. Don't let anyone tell you that it's not cool. If you enjoy it - cool doesn't even factor. 

This is my cat. Because he doesn't judge my knitting, or me, except when there's no room on my knee for him because there's too much yarn.

My grandad learned to snowboard when he was 70. Don't tell me you can't do anything. Don't put limitations on yourself. Go forth, make mistakes, challenge yourself, and craft.