Happy New Year! I hope you all had fun celebrating the arrival of 2019 and are full of plans and intentions for the coming year? I had fun celebrating but that's about it. I always feel more New Year-ish in the spring, or when school goes back in September, than I ever do in the middle of winter. Right now feels like time to pause and regroup, reflect on last year and think about this one. No resolutions here, because I don't believe in them, but if I just keep trying to find balance and contentment in life (no small thing, let me tell you!) and not always be rushing, rushing, then that would be very good indeed.
It's that time now when I like to look back at last year's crafting and see what it all looked like, what I made and when, favourite crafts and new ones. I'm always surprised how much my creativity changes with the seasons - not just in the kind of things I want to make, but in my output. I seem to have a lot more energy in the lighter months of the year. Crochet and embroidery featured heavily again this year, but I managed to try a few new skils too: weaving on a loom, shibori tie-dyeing, framing an embroidery and experimenting with making miniatures. I knitted my first jumper and sewed my first dress, two major firsts that I never thought I'd achieve, and I finally started that hexagon patchwork quilt.
January, February, March
February
June
July, August, September
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October, November, December
October
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2018 was a year when we were busy working on the house and garden, trying - as ever - to get the most that we can from this space that we love so much, on the smallest of budgets. I think that John, always in the background here at this blog, supporting my ideas and occasionally reigning me in when I get a bit carried away, deserves a mention. As well as digging up gardens, knocking down walls, laying flooring and never moaning when I ask him to drill a hole somewhere for me, he made some really beautiful and useful things for the house this year, including this outdoor table and seating, the peg rail shelf, and the most beautiful bench for our hallway.
I am going into 2019 with quite a few half-finished projects to complete: a crochet jumper, a patchwork quilt and a cotton crochet summer blanket, just for starters. Crafting continues to be one of the hobbies I love the most, the thing that both energises and soothes me, keeps me sane and makes me slow down when life gets too busy. I haven't really thought about crafting goals this year, but I know that I would like to improve at weaving. I've just taken delivery of a lot of wool and roving, and I'm now planning how I can turn a big old picture frame into a loom to make a huge, beautiful weaving for our hall, so that is occupying my thoughts a lot at the moment. I'd like to make more clothes too, perhaps a skirt, and do some more knitting. What about you - any crafting goals or resolutions this year?
