Brag, Brag, Brag

Ooooh, look what the postman brought me this morning.  Squeeeeee I love these colours and I'M so excited. Will I tell you why?  For the first time ever I have decided to join a CAL.  It is the Mandala Madness by Crystals and Crochet.  At first when I saw this advertised I wasn't mad about the colours or the price tag of the kits.  At more than 400 Euros for one kit and 200 for the other, it was way out of my price range.  But last week on the day that it began I was reading about it in a Deramores post and realised that it was also available in a much more affordable version with beautiful hues of purple.  Just perfect for the sofa in Benny. It is called the colour crafter pack.

Just look at them all set and ready to go in my basket.  I know that I'm a week late with starting but I'm sure that I won't have a problem catching up!!

Yesterday I was in my LYS , The Baldy Sheep, and spotted this Louisa Harding Noema yarn on sale and I just couldn't leave without a few balls.  I have knitted with this before last summer when I made the capelet in the pattern book.  This yarn is going to make the cowl in the picture.  It is beautiful yarn to knit with and never splits.  and on top of that the colours available are just scrumptious.  I really do prefer when I have a definite idea for yarn that I buy.  I have found that sometimes when I buy yarn on sale it tends to sit around for quite a while waiting to be matched with the perfect pattern.  This cowl I know that is going to be really quick and easy to make.  It should be finished in just a few days........but first there are one or two projects that need finishing.  A baby blanket for a niece that is due in May (my first time being an auntie!!) and a gorgeous woolly jumper.  I have to be truthful and firm with myself and finish these first.  I know well that if I don't finish the jumper soon, the summer will come along and I'll have absolutely no interest in knitting away at a big chunky sweater.  But then again the Irish summer being what it is, I'll probably need to wear it!!

I was in such a crafting slump for so long.  Unable to knit or crochet without pain.  No ideas or inspiration coming to me.  Constant failing in my attempts to create something gorgeous at that terrible time. My crafting mojo just abandoned me.  It was driving me insane.  Something had to be done.

I began by crocheting some small colourful coasters and a granny square potholder, really must take some pictures of these pretty little things, to awaken my creative side again. Then in January I was back in hospital for my regular visit and I brought two new bigger knitting projects with me.  My chunky sweater and a shawl in soft delicate merino yarn.  

Now I love both knitting and crocheting and when I started these two projects, I found that I could sit and knit for hours in the hospital without and pain or discomfort. It was so much easier on my body then the crochet was.  I suppose that it is the constant movement with the one hand with the other just stabilising the work but with knitting it is just gentle movement with both hands.  For weeks I only worked on my knitting, not even thinking about my hooks.  But for me when I'm I just can never be away from the colourful world of crochet.  I just see it as being something fun that I can let my imagination run wild with.  Even though I started out learning to knit, it is crochet that just has me hooked!!  Sadly though I know now that I can only work for a couple of hours every second day otherwise the tennis elbow will return.

 

Talking about inspiration, I've got a new addiction.  Japanese crochet patterns.  They are simply beautiful and so very unusual even if they are difficult to read.

See what I mean.  Just look at those mittens and the intricacy of the coasters.  Just flipping through the pages leaves me drooling and itching to start.  But I'm going to be good and only do two projects at a time..........I so hope that I can be good.