Owning my Anxiety
11 Feb 2012 8 Comments
in counselling theory thoughts
In a way, this post has been over 20 years in the writing.
That’s how long I’ve experienced the physiological and emotional effects of anxiety in my life. That’s how long it’s taken me to get to this point, where I freely admit to having an anxiety disorder to anyone who cares to know. I’ve let my workplace know (I’m lucky that I work for a “Mindful Employer” with a commitment to supporting those with mental health issues) and am getting more and more comfortable with identifying myself this way. Whether my anxiety is predisposed or inbuilt into my genetic make up or purely a reaction to the environmental factors around me isn’t important to me any more.
It’s not easy… I’d rather not stick this label on myself, but dealing and living with my anxiety symptoms has become steadily easier the more comfy I get with this label. Some think (and I don’t disagree) that labels are confining to people, but I’ve found this one has freed me. At least so far. I guess it depends on how the label is used. If I start waving that label in people’s faces and using it as a reason to not engage with life, to not challenge myself and push back the boundaries of my comfort zone, then it is confining. Not only that, but I’d be betraying all those who live with anxiety and don’t use it as a reason not to try. So far, I’ve used this label to ask for the help and support that I need to function at my best. It’s allowed me to recognise my limits, to accept that I’m human, not super-human, and to counter the decades old voice in my mind that still judges me for my anxiety.
For twenty years, I’ve surfed the waves of anxiety. It’s not a constant condition, it’s not (often) a severe condition, although there have been at least 4 times that I can easily bring to mind where my anxiety stopped me functioning pretty much altogether and it took a lot of effort from a lot of friends to start me moving again. Consider that those 4 times would have had at least a year of chronic anxiety and stress to get me to that point and took at least a year to recover from each time, and that there were many times where the anxiety lingered but didn’t get severe enough to stall me so I limped along best I could not accepting that I was in need of help because, well, “it wasn’t that bad”. I hope you can start to get a sense of how much of my life has been spent in this state. In some ways it became normal… and it’s only years later looking back that I realise it wasn’t normal to spend so much of my life in that way.
This made it easy to see it just as me being weak, failing, not being strong enough, not coping with things that other people find easy. With that attitude toward myself I fell into the old traps of being harsh on myself, expecting even more of myself and berating myself terribly when I just couldn’t cope. I couldn’t accept these emotions that I didn’t want, I relied heavily on my husband to accept them for me, and I fought as hard as I possibly could to push these feelings away. Of course that didn’t work, and they just fell on me when, exhausted, I could finally fight no more.
My first breakdown at 17 created a critical voice in my head that through psychosynthesis therapy I labelled Horrible Harry. HH would drip poison in my ear, telling me my anxiety was a sign of the bad person that I really was inside. The bad person that I hid from the world, but that everyone would see if they just scratched deep enough. The bad person that would get out if I wasn’t careful enough, if I let myself slip up somehow. My friends would stop being my friends if they only knew the real person below the “act”. I wasn’t anxious, I was lazy, this was just my way of getting out of things I didn’t really want to do.
My fearful and negative thoughts were the real ones, the strong ones, and they drowned out the thoughts that told me how hard I was working, how much I was overcoming, how deserving I was of love. How deserving I was of support and help.
Through therapy, I discovered that Horrible Harry was actually a terrified little part of me, it was such a stunning breakthrough to realise that this vicious poisonous voice that I’d been swallowing whole-heartedly and believing for years was like a terrified toddler screaming angrily at the world to keep it at a distance where it couldn’t hurt any longer. It was far easier to be angry at myself rather than scared of the world. And I was scared of the world, for a very long time. The world had done some mean things to me, turned my life upside down at times and generally proved itself unreliable and untrustworthy.
Another stunning breakthrough was when I studied Attachment Theory and read my personality and the reasons why I was the way I was in the pages of a book that John Bowlby had written several decades before! That allowed me to start letting go of the harsh judgements of myself and start accepting me just as I was (instead of making my friends and husband perform that duty for me). Was that’s saying again… what we resist, persists… when it comes to emotions, that’s so true. Resisting your emotions just keeps them around. You may hide them for a while, drown them with substances, distract from them with activities, but ultimately they will be there once the lights are off and the noise has stopped, and they are “magnetic” – they draw other emotions to them until finally, feeling ANYTHING at all will link to the painful stuff you’re trying to avoid. We can’t avoid ourselves, and eventually we run out of strength and it’s at this point we experience some kind of breakdown where normal life has to stop for a while until something changes.
So here I am, twenty years after my first breakdown, having gone through several more since then. Actually, the trigger for writing this post is having actually just gone through a couple of weeks of severe anxiety due to work pressure – but this time… it’s fine.
Yes, I was so anxious I could barely breathe, eat or sleep for a week, but not once did I tell myself off for not coping, not once did I think I was a bad person for not coping. The feelings were still there… I was scared, I was panicked, I was overwhelmed, I was a rabbit in the headlights, I broke down and sobbed that I just couldn’t do this to my ever-understanding husband – but as CBT states, just because I feel it, doesn’t make it true. A single day later and I’m singing along to the theme tune of the “Big Bang Theory” happy in the knowledge I got through the week and my emotion now is pride! That one I’m going to take as I’m feeling it AND it’s true! 
I was able to separate my feeling state and my rational recognition of a situation that was no one fault, but was too much pressure for me to deal with. Plus, unlike previous times where the fear is that the feeling state will last FOREVER without surcease, I knew this would end and I knew ultimately that I would cope (coping here means getting through and still being in that job weeks later when things had calmed down), I was coping as well as I was able within the limits that my anxiety sets for me. And gradually, through working with rather than fighting, I get to extend the limits of what my anxiety will let me do.
I wrote this for me, to recognise what a big step this was, to mark this moment in the hope that it’s not just a step forward, but it’s a corner turned, a corner that stays turned forever.
I wrote this for you in case you’re someone living with anxiety to try and offer some hope through my story.
For you in case you’re someone who maybe doesn’t really understand anxiety but tries to support a loved one through it.
Or maybe you’re one of the people that has walked with me for some of the past twenty years, maybe you pulled me to my feet when I’d stopped moving, reminded me time and time again that the inside of my head lies to me, or provided a map when I lost my way. If you are… there are no words to express my gratitude at your patience and love. Just know it worked…
Cable hell
30 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
I think I hate cables…
I don’t know what cable knitting is like for needle knitters, I imagine that moving the stitches might be easier as stitches held on needles have some flexibility in movement and position compared to the loom where each stitch is held static on it’s own stationary peg. Trying to move stitches an inch to the right really tests the elasticity of the wool! Needle knitters feel free to correct me!
Technically, I’ve got the hang of cables now, I understand the concept of them, I can see how the purl stitches at the side make the cable pattern pop out even more and I’ve even mostly memorised the sequence of steps that create the cable (though I still wouldn’t trust myself to knit away without the instructions glued to my knee!) but I don’t like it… it’s not easy to knit, it’s very easy to mess up…. it’s uncomfortable to knit as I struggle with the wool not quite reaching the peg I want it to.
I thought I’d found a trick when using the KK flower loom which has removable pegs… instead of taking the wool to the peg I took the peg to the wool, knitted the final loop with the peg out of the base still, then put it back in it’s hole having gained more slack with the extra stitch. It was still tricky, but I didn’t think I was going to break my yarn each time… but alas it seemed to leave it’s mark in the final pattern and I could tell the cable crosses where I’d moved the peg rather than just the wool. *sigh*
For my test project I’ve been using this pattern: http://gettinitpegged.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/cabled-mug-hug.pdf
It’s a cabled mug hug, although I’m making it to be a headband. Uses small amounts of wool – fab for using up those odds and ends. Can be made different sizes (you just change the number of cable repeats). Uses only 10 pegs and depending on what wool you use, you can use different looms. As I have the large gauge looms, I’m using quite a thick slightly fluffy wool.
It’s a fabulous pattern, although it doesn’t in itself explain cables. For that I bought the Isela Phelps book from Amazon which explains cables well and contains a few patterns to try them out. Isela also has all the videos in the world to help you with tricky things on youtube, so if like me you can find written instructions tricky and it’s easier to watch someone and copy them, I’d seek her out.
This morning, my first day back at work this year (for various boring and complicated reasons), I took my cable headband in progress on the train with me so my mind could focus on that rather than the anxiety. Sadly, on the very first right cross that I attempted, I snapped the loop.
This is the end of cables for me for the moment. I had got quite far with the headband but not far enough that it’s actually useful for anything. I will try again at some point with a yarn that feels more stretchy but at the moment, trying to knit cables is extraordinarily stressful no matter how pretty they look! I will eventually be persisting with cables and hopefully they will get easier. For the moment however, for the sake of my sanity, I shall be putting them to one side and concentrating on the large project that has morphed from being a christmas present to a birthday present as I couldn’t get it finished in time – I’m still wondering if I’ll manage to get it done by the end of April!
Kindle Screensavers
20 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
in Photography
Following the reassurances of a good friend (who understands how much my shiny toys mean to me), I went down the road of jailbreaking my Kindle in order to get screensavers that I liked rather than the staring eyes of Emily Dickinson!
I’m not going to put details or links of how to jailbreak on here because if I’m honest my friend did the finding and applying of the relevant files and I doubt I’d be able to answer any questions anyone had on the process. I’d also feel terrible if some bad info or link I’d given caused harm to a Kindle. Finally, I’m aware it’s in a mucky legal grey area (although amazon have seemed to turn a blind eye to it) and I corrupt enough minds as it is!
So, if you’ve not done that and want to, there is a wiki page on the subject that is very good, but I hope you understand that I ask you to find it yourself.
After a while of looking through pics that other people had converted/made/found, I decided to have a look through my photos and see if there were any that I wanted to make into greyscale screensavers. There ended up being a few… I decided to publish them here and make them available to anyone who wanted them. If you do use any of them, I’d appreciate knowing which ones.
To make kindle screensavers from your own photos – crop them to 600×800, make them greyscale, and save as PNG files. JPG also works, I’ve been told that PNG works better though. Some images work and some don’t in greyscale, give it a go with your own photos and see what happens! I had a bit of trouble with getting some of them the right size. If it’s too small, the kindle centres them on the screen.
Don’t forget to put the new images in the right folder (the wiki explains all if you’ve found it), and don’t forget to restart your Kindle (Home, Menu, Settings, Menu, Restart) otherwise you won’t see the new images. I did that and panicked for a moment!
roundup notes part two!
10 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
Mum and my sister Esme showing off their crafted gifts!
Mum got an entire set of matching hat, gloves and scarf because she’s my Mum! 
I was so happy with how they turned out, the wool was two different colours of the same type of wool, a red and a beige and they blended perfectly together. Esme received a pair of slippers and a scarf with a middle section of the same wool. I had originally planned (and started knitting) slippers in the darker plum at the ends of the scarf, but I ran out of wool with just 5 rows left to do and no chance of getting extra wool!
Scarves I was never happy making as I started off with stick woven scarves in August 2010 and figured giving the sae item two years running was a bit naff, but finding a pattern where you missed out pegs meant for an interesting braided pattern and a much faster knit, and it was nice to make sets with the gloves. I much prefer the pattern and texture made by missing pegs out. I can’t stop planning ahead, so I’ll note that I have plans to imitate cables with this design.
Mum was the only person to receive a hat from me, for some reason I had a little block about knitting hats – I think because they are on show and therefore have to be nice looking in order to be worn!
A lot of people received fingerless gloves from me this year. Two reasons – one is that they are useful items that most people will be happy to use, the second less altruistic reason is that they are a quick and easy knit!
Slippers – After my slipper fail early last year it was a pattern I’d dropped, but I picked it back up for Xmas and made a few pairs for people to go with other items. With the right wool, it’s a quick and easy pattern and a nice item. The wool does have to be superthick though, and if using several strands of thinner wool, it can get awfully tight and hard to knit.
Roundup of 2011
10 Jan 2012 Leave a Comment
For this and the following posts I have to thank all you lovely people who sent me photos
It’s lovely to see the items I made being worn and I sincerely hope that they are useful accessories, there’s no point making these things if they don’t get used! I’ve always been a function over form kinda gal!
My digital camera appears to be dying (the memory card needs almost constant formatting meaning I keep losing photos and the battery runs out of charge like an asthmatic poodle trying to climb an escalator) – I would like to say this was the reason I didn’t take photos, but that wouldn’t be true! I just never got around to taking photos of my xmas crafting before gifting them, so I’ve collected photos from their recipients
I estimate that I crafted over 20 items for Christmas presents (and a couple of birthdays that were in Nov/Dec). No wonder I haven’t picked up a loom since I finished them (and some were being knitting on Boxing Day to finish them off!).
First we have the Neck-Hugs – a short scarf, just big enough to go over your head (otherwise it’s fairly useless!!) and sewn together at one end with buttons or accessories to suit.
This one was done in camo colours, as I always associated lovely earthy colours with Liz. The wool was quite wide and flat which made for a lovely texture. It was a braided pattern which basically means you miss out pegs while looming it. The basic pattern was found here, although this is my adaptation of it – I knit with a regular loom tool, not my fingers, I wrap single pegs rather than wrapping round two pegs at a time (which makes it easier if you’re knitting with fingers) and I made up my own pattern of wrapped and missed pegs. With the long looms you can remove the pegs you’re missing out entirely to make it easier). The bind off with this missed peg pattern is a little tricky, I found I needed to start thinking about the bind off when knitting the final row to ensure there was enough slack in the stitches so that both ends matched. Took a little trial and error to get it right.
Two pointy oval gold buttons were sewn on one end to complete it.
This is a good project for small stashes of wool that might not make a full length scarf and offer an option in case you suddenly find you’ve run out of wool!
Thank you for being my model Liz, and I’m glad you like the neckhug!
Unproper crafty update! Dad’s two-tone gloves
05 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment
My laptop went to silicon heaven and it took a while to find another decent machine. Now that I have a beautiful new laptop (shiny shiny!) you’d think that crafty updates (not to mention those long dead musings on counselling theory!) would be easier to do….
However…
I now face the problem that what I’m crafting are all Xmas presents and a lot of the people I’m making for have access to facebook and might see this blog…. actually I have very little idea of anyone I know reads this, but I don’t want to take the chance of someone seeing what their present it, so I can’t write about a lot of my projects!!
But I have some family members who aren’t that tech savvy, aren’t on facebook and don’t even know I write this blog, so I can show you some of what I’m working on for them.
I’m being bold this Xmas and using it as a motivation to try techniques that I’ve not yet done. Things I have in mind is using different colours to make patterns (as everything I’ve done so far has been one ball of yarn and if I use more than that, then I’ve just tied the second ball of yarn to the first one!
I also want to start using cables as I think they look so pretty. I’ve bought myself a pair of cable needles, they are currently staring at me from their pocket beside the sofa as they are still in their original packaging!
Here’s my first attempt at using two colours in a pattern, these are fingerless gloves/wrist warmers for my Dad, hence the black and grey theme (it feels more masculine!!). I am so goddam proud of them! I only wish the wool was a bit thicker or I’d started using two strands as one, but they are what they are and I’m still proud.
Actually if I’m completely honest, there’s another change I’d make if I could – I did a rib for the cuff (2knit, 2purl) which created a lovely textured look as the black purl stitches sank back and the grey knit stitches stood boldly out, I wish I’d carried on the knit and purl rather than switching to all e-wrap knit once I’d finished the cuff. There was a tricky bit at the flat panel where the pattern was still spiralling clockwise, but I was knitting back and forth, but I managed it.
If you want to make your own – get the two colours you want to use. I used the small blue round knifty knitter (well, I don’t have the KK’s, but they are identical to them in all but colour). Tie the two colours loosely to the anchor peg on the side.
Cast on by e-wrapping two pegs in one colour (going either clockwise or anti as you work best) with the unused colour just on the inside of the loom (you will have a pattern on long stripes of the unused colour on the inside of your glove), then wrap the next two pegs with the other colour. Continue wrapping two pegs at a time alternating the colours. If using the blue knifty knitter this will work out perfectly. Wrap for the second time in exactly the same manner so you end up with two loops of the same colour on each loop. Knit off that row.
Now starts the ribbing – I did 12 rows, you might want yours to be bigger or smaller, choose one colour to be knit and the other purl. Keep the unused yarn to the inside of the loom, I found the balls of wool kept tangling and wrapping round each other as I went but tried my best to use this to secure the separate yarns together as I wound the pegs. Make the cuff by bringing up the first row of knitting and putting it back on the pegs – do be careful to keep the colours the same on the pegs! It will take a little care as you of course have two different colours running around the bottom. Knit off. Now you should have a nice puffy looking ribbed cuff to your wrist warmer (a sentence that sounds vaguely smutty in my head…).
Decide which direction your pattern is going to go in. Let’s say your colours are black and white. If your row starts with two black stitches then two white (BBWWBB) then you will wrap a white first, then the usual pattern of two of each colour (WBBWWBBetc). Up to you if you want to continue the knit/purl rib or not.
Now the number of rows depends on the size you want them to be, I knit about 12 rows, then started the flat panel to create the hole for the thumb. You will have the pattern now, so just keep an eye on what you’ve knitted to show you which colour to put on which peg. It’s not hard, but is different to what you’ve done for 12 rows or so. After 4 or 5 rows go back to knitting in the round (again just keep an eye out that you’re continuing the pattern correctly), do another 6 rows then bind off in your favourite way (I move the loop from peg 2 to peg 1, knit it, move it back and keep moving round the circle that way, you may have a prettier way, but you don’t want a very loose bind off, you want it to hug the hand just below the fingers)
So… if you try that and need help, do ask in the comments and I will do my best to explain better. I’m not someone who makes patterns, I don’t read patterns or understand the technical shorthand easily. I am someone who often makes it up as I go along and don’t write it down so what I write makes perfect sense to my brain…. doesn’t mean you understand it though!
I’m looking forward to doing more colour change patterns now, as it wasn’t nearly as tricky as I feared!
Proper crafty update
16 Sep 2011 1 Comment
And what do proper updates mean?
Prizes! … erm I mean photos! 
When I started this blog, I had grand ideas of detailing my craft projects as I went along as well as it being a place to explore various counselling theories in more depth.
The reality seems to be that the combination of crafting items, writing a post, photographing the craft items (which necessitates working batteries in my camera, which in turn recently meant buying a new battery charger!), uploading the photos to my laptop (currently doing it’s best to die but I won’t let it…) and putting them in the blog is frequently too many things for my brain to deal with, so I’m left doing catch up posts instead! The counselling theory thoughts have completely fallen by the wayside!
I wonder if I can rectify this? Considering this post has been hanging around since the 3rd August and I’ve only got round to finishing it now…. apparently not easily!!
This post will hope to get me completely up to date with photos of my items and even links to get you started on your own, if you so wish (as I’m aware some readers find this blog through google searches).
Please note that none of these patterns are mine – I will boast mightily if I ever come up with something myself (like that Kindle Bag!), please see later in this post for evidence of that boasting! I will also fail utterly at explaining the pattern no doubt If I’m linking to a pattern, it’s not mine.
I also have a plan at some point to put up my little glossary of loom knit terms, but that’s quite a big project and I make no promises. In the meantime, if there’s ever a term you don’t recognise it, just google it and the info is out there, probably with a video. Videos are cool. There are also many yahoo groups that are still active with patterns and people who are far more knowledgeable than me. Seek them out if you are a bit loomy like me.
Not going to Camp this year threw a lot of my craft plans awry as I’d been using the conceit of selling at the Market to motivate me to make things. Without this motivation I faltered slightly, (work was also insanely knackering!) but I also starting working on projects I wanted to with no thought of selling (thoughts instead of the Pay It Forward that I signed up for, one gift sent, 4 more to go! 2 of those in my office drawer waiting to be sent off!).
I also made the big decision to just bin several items that I simply wasn’t happy with the quality of and from which reclaiming the wool wasn’t worth the effort. Included in that were most of the slippers I’d made. In the end, just not good enough. Good practise… and a pattern I will revisit at a later date with better quality (and chunkier) wool.
It felt cleansing!!
The slipper pattern is here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/mary-jane-parkers-for-knitting-loom
Oh and join Ravelry, it’s an amazing resource, even for loom knitting, which is far less known and catered for than needle knitting.
Now I’m thinking of Xmas presents and starting to think about what to make people. I’m also trying to use up random bits of the stash in mitered squares to make a blanket – this will be one of those ongoing things.
This is the worst square I knitted, why did I photo this one?! But now I’m here writing and the power cable is behaving itself, so I’m not going to stop to take more photos of my other squares as this laptop is fragile as I want to finally post this post. It gives you the general idea.
Mitered squares rock! I can’t quite figure out how I end up knitting a square when it feels like I’m knitting a triangle, but it works (it’s magic!!) and it’s an easy and quick thing to do. As you’re constantly decreasing the number of stitches, it almost pulls you along to the end.
I was given some lovely purple wool recently that changes hue from light to dark and I’m making myself a diamond scarf from it. To go with it, I’ve also made a pair of fingerless gloves, and a hat and I might possibly make a headband, so I will have a matching set
Mitered square instructions here - http://www.knitchat.com/tutorials/mitered-square-magic/
Mitered Scallop scarf pattern here - http://kellyknits.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=168:mitered-scallop-scarf&catid=38:patterns&Itemid=54
Fingerless Gloves = depending on wool used and your hand/wrist/arm size, either use the knifty knitter flower loom or the smallest round loom. I used e-wrap, knit 18 rows, then did 6 rows as a flat panel, then 6 more e-wrap rows. Adjust as your skill level permits Add a ribbed cuff, alternate purls to make a pattern. Whatever you want. They are also warmer than they look.
Easy Everyday Beret pattern here - http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/everyday-beret - This lady is amazing at patterns!
Boasting time – I did warn you.
I created a new Kindle bag, a smaller version to fit within a larger handbag with a button fastening. Again on the small red loom, I sewed up the end once I’d finished but you might like to cast on so the bottom is closed to start with, I just couldn’t remember how to do that and was too excited about my new idea to spend anytime looking it up. Just knit in stitch of your choice till it’s long enough to fit your kindle in, bind off one side, then start decreasing on the other side (I decreased both sides at once every other row, you might have or find a better way) until you get to two stitches, continue knitting a cord on these two to form the button hole, (you may wish to just use one peg to knit your cord depending on wool and size of button) then bind off these two stitches. Secure the cord, sew on a button and you’re done. This was easily completed in an evening.
And I told you I sucked at patterns!! Honestly, I can’t explain it any better than that! I am pretty much making it up as I go along.
The number of rows etc will depend on the wool you’re using and the stitch pattern. And of course it can be made any size. I recently got a pair of loom clips (which also make mitered squares very easy), so I’m thinking of making more little bags as they are quick and lovely little present ideas. Also gives me an excuse to look at buttons in charity shops!
So, of course, I’ve now started to become interested in embroidery! I very much doubt there will be an embroidery post anytime soon, but I’ve started looking at making bookmarks and coasters to add variety to the xmas crafting selection! For now, I’m pretty much up to date, so I’ll leave this post here. Wonder how long it will be till the next one!
Update
20 Jun 2011 Leave a Comment
I haven’t posted in well over a month, but I’ve still been crafting. I took a quick peek through my blog and I’ve come a long way from the last posts. Pictures will come at some point, but not now.
In brief -
The ill fated “breast” bag (see earlier enties) was ripped back and the wool used in a copy of the Kindle Bag pattern. Just need to sew the handle on.
Another Kindle Bag is currently being made on commision for a friend that I may have persuaded needed a Kindle. It’s using three strands of wool, all of which are rather fluffy types and so are tangling horribly. I’ve spent more time untangling than I have knitting!
I’ve made many more slippers and they’re sweet, but not good quality enough to justify the hours spent making them… I’m also getting utterly sick of binding off half the loom to create the strap. These may become present items rather than selling items and for the moment, I’m done making them.
I tried a proper sock pattern – still on the large guage knifty knitter so it’s a large slipper sock type thing – which meant I learnt to do short row heels which meant that I HAD to buy a knifty flower loom so I could make baby booties. The first pair of booties is with it’s tester and I received a user review so I can hopefully make better booties. Am very proud of tackling short row heels with little issue as some comments I’d seen here and there on patterns had made me very wary of them.
Currently, I’m looking at more fingerless glove/wrist warmers as a selling item for upcoming druid camp, even thought my attendance is currently questionable 
Which will leave me with shedloads of knitted items and nothing to do with them!
Projects – Completing the Kindle bag for friend, trying to use up all the flag wool in little scarve type things, and using a stunningly soft brightly coloured wool in anything I can for myself – all 7 skeins of it are for me!!! Mwahahahah! So far those skeins have made slipper socks, wrist warmers and the rest will go into a lovely bright soft scarf.
Kindle Bag
17 Apr 2011 2 Comments
I’m very proud!
Yesterday my hubby came home with a present for me, he’d bought me a Kindle to reward me for finishing my counselling course and getting a job which is more in line with what I actually want to do rather than just hiring my admin skills out for money.
My mind of course immediately turned to accessories – I can’t help it, I’m a girl, it’s what we do.
I started pondering about how I could craft one, whether I could manage one with a “frame” area so the Kindle could be read without removing it, etc etc.
Then I recalled a previously failed project. I’d knitted a flat tube on the red long loom with the intent of it becoming a neck pillow, but it was too small for the pillow I already had, and lay sadly waiting for me to get round to finding some stuffing for it.
I found it and slid my Kindle inside, perfect fit width wise, almost twice as long as it needed to be.
I stitched a line where the bottom of the Kindle was, folded the remaining tube up the front and stitched in place to create a smaller pocket on the front – or two pockets as there’s also the space between the tube ends. A bit more stitching to ensure nothing was about to unravel on me and it was time to look at the strap.
I recently treated myself to an automatic spool knitter, which is one of the most beautifully engineered things I’ve ever seen! Only £15 from an ebay seller, I chose the Prym after doing some user review research.
Today, however, it didn’t seem to like any of the wools I tried, and I very nearly gave up on this altogether before my innate stubborness won through and I rescued a tangled mess, unravelled it and tried again, managing to get a decent length of cord this time.
This got doubled up and sewn to the inside of the bag, twirling it together.
The next stage, which won’t be tonight, will be some decorative embroidery with a metallic purple thick thread I have, and to fashion some kind of fastening, for which I imagine making another length of spoolknit cord and a big button of some kind I have yet to own. Whether each pocket has it’s own fastening or there is one that reaches over all of them I’ve yet to decide. I may look at lining the pockets at the wool is fluffy and that could get annoying.
In the photos, I’ve put white paper peeking out of the pockets, so it’s clearer where they are, and also shown the Kindle poking out the top too – normally, the Kindle sits snugly inside and doesn’t poke over the top like this.
At some point I might look at a Kindle case that doesn’t have to be removed to read the Kindle, but for now, I’m blissed out at having a gadget bag of my own! I’m set for that long Easter weekend away now!
First pattern attempt!
28 Feb 2011 Leave a Comment
in Crafting, Knitting Loom Tags: loom knitting
I started writing this post at the end of Feb and just haven’t managed to get the photos onto my laptop to finish it off.
I decided to get over my fear of following a pattern (despite my obsession over collecting them!) and I started a slipper. As well as tackling my first pattern, I’ve started to go through the collected patterns and get rid of those for a different loom than the large gauge looms I have.
This slipper pattern involved new things! Increasing rows. Binding off part of the loom to make a strap. Gathering Bind off.
I used wool that’s soft and fleecy but also a horrid baby pink, so I don’t care if it gets used up in botched attempts.
It’s a quick pattern, knits up in less than a couple of hours and I almost always knit on my work journey, so that’s an hour already done. An episode of The Tudors later and I had a floppy pink disintegrating slipper! It’s not fit for use, but it’s achieved it’s purpose in getting me over my pattern intimidation.
Attempt two was done with two strands of wool instead of just one, and worked a lot better. I ignored the increasing rows instruction this time and it makes a wider hole for the foot, but avoids the holes that increasing the rows produced.
Third attempt, this time with a lifted stitch that I found for increasing rows, and it does make the end slipper hold it’s shape better. The lifted stitch eliminates the hole, although I still ended up improvising a couple of other lifted stitches (where I saw a hole, I lifted the bottom of it onto the peg above and knitted it off (lifting bottom loop over top loop) – this only works of course if you see the hole when it’s close to the pegs, not half way down your knitting! This seemed to hide the holes without messing up the slipper shape – it might help that I’m using fluffy wool which might hide some stitch inconsistencies.
So now I have three mismatched pink slippers!!
My team leader at work liked them, and liked the pink, so, as it’s her birthday, I decided I’d make her a pair with a slightly darker pink fluffy wool I have. Now I feel I know what I’m doing, the slippers will hopefully match, and I plan to make a couple of little loom flowers to sew on the sides of the straps. It ended up looking good and of course I forgot to take a photo of them!
I’ve removed all the fluffy wool from my stash (I have lots of the same type of yarncraft fancy wool) – blue/white, pink, “spring” (yellow, green, orange) and plan on a slipper making marathon!! Guess what some of my Pay it Forwards will be!!
The next pattern I will attempt will be fingerless gloves/wrist warmers of some kind, although I have some busy weeks ahead of me, so I may just stick to spoolknitting and stick weaving until I have more time.
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