Creative dilemmas

Sometimes its hard to be creative. Especially when your job is ostensibly a creative one. As well as full time stay-at-home mum, I am a features writer. I work from home, and it takes up far more time than I'd like it too, but it is a living and I am lucky that I can do it from home. Writing is something that always came naturally to me, although I struggle sometimes to take criticism when I pour my heart and creative soul in to a piece of work and it's not so well received. I am struggling with such creative dilemmas today, trying to strike the balance between creating a feature that is concise and informative with what the client is looking for, and it leaves me feeling a little deflated.

But anyway, onto more crafty  matters. This week I made a pair of wrist warmers for a Christmas present, though they're so lovely I'll struggle to give them away! I knitted them from a pattern of my own design (I pretty much just made it up!). I used 6.5mm needles and Rowan Cashsoft Chunky, cast on 27 stitches then worked about 10 rows of single rib (knit 1, purl 1) before switching to stocking stitch to make the lengths for the gloves. I cast off knitwise then just stitched them up using stocking stitch, leaving a gap for the thumb hole.

Also sitting my lap there is the accompanying Christmas gift- another circle stitch cowl the same as the grey one I made last week...

I went to the Country Living Fair last Saturday. We survived about three hours (probably less) before the immense crowds got to us all, so we buggered off to Byron Burger and stuffed our faces with meat and wine. FAB! I got a decent haul, which I will share nearer Christmas time. However, we did meander through Camden Passage after the burger, and I finally made it to yarn mecca- Loop! What a beautiful shop! I met the ladies at the knitting and stitching show before, and loved the goods they had on display, and the shop is perfect! It was very busy though so I didn't stop for long. As well as some circular knitting needles and some more Sublime Baby Merino Silk DK, I picked up some Rico Aran- trying to match it to my Debbie Bliss aran that I'm making the dress with.

Can you see it nestled there? Another creative dilemma. The yarn is slightly darker, do you see? So I have managed to find this same Debbie Bliss shade in Cashmerino Chunky, rather than aran. If I work it on the same size hook I am sure I can get away with making the bodice part of the dress in chunky. What do you think? Should I buy it? It'll be better than the too-dark-Rico-yarn.

 Another dilemma- how do I keep this new owl hat on my son's head? He keeps removing it, grrrr. Pattern from Ravelry, yarn is Snuggly DK doubled up and worked on a 5.5mm hook, trim made from scraps of yarn. Cute, non?

I am very excited to say that as of next year I will teaching crochet workshops at Make, Do and Mend! The lovely Hannah has asked me to teach the Next Steps in Crochet workshops, so my final dilemma is what pattern to teach! I need to come up with something that teaches how to read a pattern/chart whilst perhaps incorporating technqiues more advanced than the granny square. I think I'd like to work on crocheting in the round or sphere plus edgings, so I'm brainstorming ideas. In the meantime you can book onto the workshops here, or come and see me running the Make, Do and Mend workshops at Hooga Boutique next month.

I feel like I need some retail therapy. A spot of chazzing and Christmas shopping for me, I think, finished off by a Starbuck's Gingerbread latte? Yes please.