Does procastination and lack of organization affect your creativity?

It has been so long since our last blog! I had good intentions, but with one thing and another before I knew it almost five months had passed. One of the hardest parts I find is taking photos. The weather has been abnormally wet and many dull days make getting the light right for photos hard. 

My entire life I have struggled with my lack of organizational skills, and it often feels like one big chaotic mess. Oh to be one of those born organized people. I have found the older I become the more difficult it seems to be. My menopausal brain is most definitely not helping! I am constantly misplacing items, forgetting things and lose my train of thought midway through a sentence.It is oh so frustrating and somewhat embarrassing.

Image by pikisuperstar on FreePik
 

Without question my creativity is being zapped by my lack of organization. A window of opportunity arises in which you think it would be perfect to do some crochet or sewing. By the time you have found the pattern, searched high and low for the tools you need and cleared off your workspace, you become so frustrated that you just don't feel like it anymore, or you no longer have the time, as you are needed elsewhere.  Where do I start? How will I store things? What needs to be stored? Will Miss C help me???!!! This leads to more procrastination and then you ask yourself,do I want to be doing this or would I rather be creating? Well obviously I would rather be creating, however it is not a calming relaxing experience when you can't find things.

 

 

Miss C and I were inspired by all the lovely Advent calendars that people had last year and decided to make our own handmade advent calendars. Whilst my intentions were good, the year has rolled by and on my end I still have quite a lot to do. A lot of procrastination ensued on what to make. I was becoming extremely overwhelmed on Friday afternoon and after completing a couple of the smaller projects, I decided that I would begin packaging them and whilst on a roll, I packaged all that I had completed so far. To my surprise I had actually fully completed 14 of them. By focusing on what I had accomplished, instead of the long to do list that I still have left, made me feel so much better and more inspired to push on. With only 36 days until Advent begins will I get them finished?

Will I ever be an organized person that has everything in its place? Somehow I don't think so, however I would really like to try and tame some of the clutter in my life and allow my creativity to shine.

Until next time,

Samantha

Lots Of Crafty Things To Share

We have had a very productive couple of weeks with the completion of lots of sewing and crocheting. My shawl is finished, another Sassy Cowl and some Winter Wishes Scarves. We have made project bags, little zippered pouches, and crochet hook holders. 

Finished Objects: Crochet

My Florentina Triangle Lace Crochet Shawl by Annie Design Crochet is completed. I am absolutely thrilled with the finished shawl, which has ended up nice and large to wrap around yourself. The pattern was very enjoyable and easy to follow. I originally put small fringes all around the shawl, on each shell shape like the designer, but I didn't like the way they looked and the fringes seemed to catch on each other. After removing them, I made three tassels from embroidery thread using a tutorial by Sew Can She. I think the end result is stunning and would definitely make another.

I have completed another two of my all-time favourite scarf pattern the Winter Wishes Scarf, using Red Heart Aran Charcoal Print. I love the way the variegated yarn has worked up. Using the same yarn I made another Sassy Triangle Cowl by Avery Lane Creations. I like the effect of the variegated yarn which gives a totally different look from the plain ones I made here. 

My mum has also been busy and finished her first crochet shawl, the Half Circle Crochet Shawl by Annie Design Crochet, which she really enjoyed making. She added a toggle button to the front so it would sit over her shoulders. The Abbey Road yarn colours she used are now discontinued. 

Crochet Hook Holders

We were looking at patterns to make a holder to store our crochet hooks. A while ago I  made some travel toothbrush holders from washcloths, and I had a few that were leftover sitting in a box. As we are trying hard to re-purpose things this year, these were just perfect to transform. They already had pockets, some were wide and others were narrow perfect for crochet hooks. I divided the wider pockets and sewed a couple of rows of stitching to make them smaller to accommodate our crochet hooks. For a finishing touch, and to secure them when rolled up, we removed the ribbon that was already on, and used some pretty elastic headbands that I had made ages ago. They look absolutely gorgeous, will keep all our hooks in one place, and are transportable to take on the go. This was a very quick and easy project that took less than half an hour.

Zippered Pouches

Miss C wanted to make some zippered pouches to store notions. She found some zippers and a Youtube tutorial and set out to make them. She had never put a zip in before and really enjoyed it. Once conquering these she quickly moved on to project bags.

Project Bags

Miss C has been busy making zippered project bags, using the  Holiday Bag pattern by Hue Loco. It is a free downloadable pattern and has a beginner-friendly, Youtube tutorial as well. I made my very first project bag using this pattern. It makes a good size bag, with a boxed bottom, perfect for smaller projects like socks. These are the first zippered project bags that Miss C has made and she did an amazing job. The lovely fabrics were kindly gifted to us by a friend. Miss C is entering them in the #dodgybagmal22, being run by Ali of @starryeyesali and Claudia of @crochetluna on Instagram.

Until next time,

Samantha & Miss C xx

Mannequin Madness!

Since starting the blog, taking photos has always been a challenge. Trying to make the garments look good when laying flat, or trying to model them, has not been very successful. We have been dreaming of getting a mannequin to make photographing easier for a while. Lincraft had a sale, and we now have a gorgeous mannequin to display our handmade creations. My son noticed on the tag that the mannequin actually had a name, and was amazed to find it was called Samantha. I think it was meant to be!  We have already put her to good use with our latest creations. Now we have a mannequin, the next thing is the lighting. It is raining and dark, so difficult to get good photos.  

Finished Objects:

We have just completed two Sassy Triangle Cowls by Avery Lane Creations. We really enjoyed working on this design and the stitch pattern looks really pretty. Miss C had always avoided patterns that required you to crochet into the third loop, as she thought it was quite difficult. The instructions were very well written and easy to understand. Miss C found out that third loop crochet was actually quite easy!  I always have trouble getting my cowl to sit properly and look good. I really like the Sassy Cowl, as it is worked so that you join it together at the back, resulting in a cowl that sits nicely, without falling off. Miss C used Bendigo Woolen Mills Luxury 10 ply in Coastal Blue and I used 4 Seasons Marvel 12 ply from Spotlight, in Wild Orchid.

Miss C has finished her 2nd Gorse Sweater, by Eleven Handmade. She loves this pattern, as its simplicity really makes the gorgeous yarn shine. (Hobbii Tweed Delight in the "Wisteria Bloom")  The colour is absolutely gorgeous. She made the XS size again, with a 6mm hook. As the cooler weather approaches, she can't wait to wear it.

What's On Our Hooks:

Miss C:

Inspired by my shawl, Miss C is also making a Florentina Lace Shawl, using a cake from her stash, Oh My Yarns Southern Scapes in the "Fairy Bread" colourway. (this colour is now discontinued) She is loving the pattern and can't wait to finish it. It is such a pretty colour combination and has shorter colour changes than mine.

Having successfully mastered sock knitting, Miss C has now begun work on The Road To The Mountains Of Pyre cowl, a free pattern, by Miss Wrap 'n' Turn. Using Cascade Yarn Heritage Prints - Sand. She is really enjoying knitting the lace section.

Her Up North Cardigan in Bendigo Woollen Mills, Bloom 8 ply Sugar Plum is simply divine. The yarn is such a sumptuously rich colour, and the ribbed texture created by using half trebles makes the cardigan a lovely timeless piece. She is making a small size. 

Miss C has begun making a pair of knitted socks for her dad.  This time she is making her first pair of toe-up socks. A lot of people use the Sockmatician's toe-ups sock recipe, so I suggested to Miss C that it could be a good pattern to purchase. She is thrilled with this fantastically unique pattern, which is created as a recipe, that allows you to use any weight yarn and fit any size foot. The main colour is - Fiddlesticks sock yarn in black,/grey, and the contrasting toe, heel and cuffs in Mayflower 1 class sock yarn in Light Gray. She is knitting 76 stitches, 8.5 stitches per inch, on 2.25mm/ 80cm needles - working magic loop.

Samantha:

Quite a lot of progress has been made on my Florentina Lace Shawl by Annie Design Crochet. I am loving the pattern and can't wait to finish. As the shawl is now quite large, the rows are getting longer the stitch count continues to grow and so my progress is slowing.

Until next time,

Samantha & Miss C xx

Crochet Shawl Heaven

We had a long weekend this weekend, which was rainy, windy and cold, the perfect weather for curling up with a nice hot drink and crocheting. Not that one needs an excuse to crochet!

What's On Our Hooks:

This week I have started a new project. The Florentina Triangle Shawl By Annie Design Crochet, using a colour cake from stash. It is a two-row repeat that is quick to work up and makes a really pretty pattern. I am absolutely loving it, a very relaxing pattern that you don't have to think about.  The colours are so pastel and pretty. Colour changing yarn is quite addictive as you want to keep crocheting to see the next colour change!

Miss C also has a new project, the Tiara Sweater, which is part of the   #makenine2022mal that we are participating in as mentioned here. She is using Mayflower 1 Class Sock yarn from Hobbii in the gorgeous colour Ocean Blue. It is a very interesting pattern with lots of different stitches and a lovely lace pattern starting to emerge. 

Miss C has made some progress on her second Gorse Sweater. It has been put aside since starting a new project, the Tiara Sweater.

After completing the neck on the Desert Irony Poncho I have moved on to the body. The colours are looking beautiful, I like the soft pastels. Upon reflection one of the colours we had chosen to use the Indigo, is too dark and detracts from the other colours. Looking at the basket of yarn now, it is very different from the others. We have decided to omit it and use another softer colour. This has put this project on hold for the moment as I will have to order more yarn.

Finished Objects:

Miss C has completed her first pair of knitted socks, using Mayflower 1 class sock yarn in "Tobacco" for toes, heels and cuffs and Wisdom Yarns Pix in the "Street Art" colourway. She has done an amazing job and has come a long way with her knitting. You can read about her knitting journey here.

Until next week,

Samantha & Miss C xx

Autumn Crochet.

We hope everyone had a lovely Easter. We spent an enjoyable, relaxing long weekend away, catching up with family, that we haven't seen in a long time. The weather is really starting to change with cool crisp Autumn mornings and evenings. In preparation for the cooler weather, we have been crocheting sweaters, gloves, and scarves. 

What's on our hooks:

Miss C made a Gorse Sweater by Eleven Handmade a couple of months ago, as mentioned here. She really loved it and has started making another using Hobbii Tweed Delight - Wisteria Bloom. The colour is absolutely gorgeous. She has only been working on it for a few days and has already made great progress.

Using one of our favourite crochet patterns, the Winter Wishes Scarf we have made significant progress on our current projects. Miss C has almost doubled the size of hers, using Country Naturals 10 ply Toffee. My navy one is almost complete with a tiny bit to go before the keyhole. We went to Lincraft, whilst we were away and purchased some cute buttons to add the finishing touch to our scarves. 

We have also both begun working on our Gelato Gloves by Nancy Said, which we didn't manage to finish for the Love Your Stash CAL. This is a lovely pattern that has very good instructions and is a joy to crochet. We are using leftover yarn, from the Little Stories Cowls to make matching gloves. 

The neck has been started on the Desert Irony Poncho by Crafternoon Treats. I am looking forward to making this using yarn from stash. 

Until next week,

Samantha & Miss C xx

Up North Cardigan Progress.

My Up North Cardigan is progressing really well. It is a very easy crochet pattern and works up so quickly. I think it is the perfect pattern to crochet as a beginner in garment making. I pinned the cardigan together at the shoulders to see how it was looking. I absolutely love it! It is a perfect fit and I am so looking forward to wrapping myself up in the cooler weather. The Bendigo Woollen Mills Bloom 8 ply Marble Statue yarn is looking gorgeous. I have basically finished the main body, one sleeve, and have begun work on the second sleeve.

Even though Miss C has made more complex garments, after seeing mine she has been inspired to make one for herself.  She has the Bloom yarn in Plum which she will be starting soon.

We have both been crocheting more Winter Wishes Scarves. One which is almost complete, using Red Heart Aran Charcoal Print. I love the way the variegated yarn has worked up. The other is in Country Naturals 10 ply Toffee. It is such an enjoyable pattern to crochet with a variety of stitches which creates a very textured scarf.

Miss C has started a pair of Rhinebeck Roomies knitted socks using a pattern by the Crazy Sock Lady. She is using a Fiddlesticks yarn that is now discontinued. She has made the large size using 72 stitches and loves the pattern. The last socks she made were using DPN this time she is using circular needles. Aren't the colours just gorgeous?

In addition to our crochet projects we recently made some journals using scrapbooking paper. They were inspired by our favourite podcaster Kathryn of Crafternoon Treats. A lot of fun was had mixing and matching papers and finding embellishments to complete the covers. We are really pleased with the finished products and looking forward to using them. Although they are almost too pretty to use!

Until next week,

Samantha & Miss C

Sock Extravaganza!

This week Miss C is taking over the blog, with her knitting journey and how she came to start crochet.

I have had many experiences with socks, crochet and knitting, not all of them successful!! Last year, I made a pair of crochet socks for myself, using a free pattern online, with some King Cole Zig Zag sock yarn. I can't remember the colour, however, I think it has been discontinued. I was very pleased with this, and I then decided to crochet socks for my whole family for Christmas.

 I was using the Segue Socks pattern by Deanne Ramsey of Addydae designs, and Happy Sheep Magic Sock Wool as the main colour (Hot 'n Spicy) and Mayflower 1 class sock yarn (Deep Sea) as the toes, heels and cuffs. I was pleased with the finished object, however, they did not fit the recipient. After that, I sort of abandoned that idea, but it was still in the back of my mind.

I watch a lot of podcasts, knitting and crochet, and have been seeing heaps of gorgeous socks and decided that it would be a  great first knitting project! Before I started crocheting a couple of years ago, my Grandma had tried to teach me to knit. It was a simple garter stitch blanket, but somehow, I managed to drop stitches and add them and do all sorts of things, driving my grandma insane. Finally, we decided it was a lost cause, and later, I started to crochet after my mum and grandma went to crochet lessons at the local library. We later became locked down in 2020, developing my love for crochet, like so many others, being stuck at home.

I found some DPN's, which were the wrong size, just to see if I could figure it out. I followed the "Vanilla Socks on DPN's" video tutorial by The Crazy Sock Lady, and miraculously, I managed!! I ordered Knit Pro Zing DPN's in 2.25mm, and have started again with socks for the whole family, and will gift them for Xmas. I have started with my brothers, I used Mayflower 1 class sock yarn in the "Tobacco" colourway for toes, heels and cuffs and Wisdom Yarns Pix in the "Street Art" colourway. I am so pleased with how they have turned out, and they actually fit!!! They are cuff down and I did 72 sts (Large size in Kay's pattern), 5rnds ribbing, 15rnds leg, heel flap and gusset, 8.5inches on the foot and then the toe.

I am super excited that I can now knit socks, and I can't wait to fill our sock drawers!! I ordered some needles so I can try magic loop.

Until next week,

Miss C