A jumper and a cardigan

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are two of my recent knitting projects. The chunky cable-sleeve cardigan was knitted in a day, and I learnt the magic loop method in the process (turns out you don't need circular needles of varying lengths; you can use long ones for small circumferences, too). It bought this pattern from Knit Safari and made it in size S, but I used different wool: Lana Grande from Cascade Yarns, which is 100% Peruvian highland wool and very soft and lightweight. I also love Tiam's designs with big sculptural sleeves and have bookmarked some I might try in the future, but I chose this one as it fits under a coat without being too bulky.

Making the jumper was a very different experience, and as I was switching between thick needles (I was working on a blanket with 25mm needles at the same time) and thin ones, my first attempt resembled a chain mail, as I didn't knit tightly enough. It is based on a free pattern by Paintbox Yarns ('Bubblegum Bobble Sweater'), but I spaced out the bobbles more - the original has two extra rows of bobbles between my rows. I also used different yarn again (a cotton/bamboo blend), and I didn't bother making the tension swatch. When I did measure along the way, I stretched the piece, which was another mistake (I do tend to interpret instructions as a rough guide...). In the end my head didn't even fit through the neckband and I had to make the front and back again. 

The result is now a mix of sleeves in XS, as they were fine, and the torso two sizes larger ('to fit bust 91cm', which I am not), but it is still quite small overall, so it works.

I am happy with how it turned out and didn't mind the extra work - I enjoy the process. Sewing it all together was the hardest part, and my seams are a bit messy. In hindsight cotton/bamboo wasn't the best choice for bobbles, but I just pretend the visible holes are deliberate. There are also some irregularities in the rows of stocking stitch, but I like the wabi sabi look.

I love bobble patterns - they are so tactile and fun - and am planning to make some cushion covers with bobbles next.

Flower power

 Jasmine for the garden

 Florals on a jumper (from Part Two)

Peonies that never opened fully

Essential oils and tea from a local herbalist

Last week, on our way to the midlands to visit friends and family, we stopped at a lovely garden centre for presents and got a jasmine plant for our garden, which is a dream come true for me (if it survives the wild west of Ireland - the very helpful lady there assured us it would and gave us advice on how to plant it). The car journey for the rest of the day was an aromatherapy experience.

Sleeping with the window open and the intoxicating scent filling the bedroom may not happen for a while yet, unless I sleep in the shed, as we put the jasmine beside the door to the shed, where it is sheltered. Between the stock (another strong fragrance), the jasmine and the lavender, our garden is fast becoming a feast for the nose. 

Another favourite, though not as fragrant, are peonies. We have a few in the garden, but the ones in the photos came from a florist. They never opened fully, but I love the tight ball they start out with. 

John got me some essential oils and a specialty tea for clear skin (hint?) from a local herbalist. I had asked for neroli and rosemary, and he kindly added sweet orange oil, so I have been burning a lot of orange-focused blends to sweeten my time in the studio (it badly needs it, as a piece of furniture in there still smells musty from the damp in the last house - John calls it 'the smell of stale ideas' hovering in the studio, and I am determined to conquer it on both levels).

Budding

 

I feel a bit like the elephant in the last picture. I don't know whether my tiredness is the post-counselling kind, a sign that spring is coming or that I cannot tolerate more than one glass of wine in 24 hours.

The weather is telling me I should be at the beach or on a mountain, but my body can only decide between bed and couch. I have been dressing in combinations of winter knits and summer linens (I have had that linen dress for at least twelve years - it is indestructible), and most of my plants are happy and active. Underneath this lethargy I am enthusiastic about new beginnings.

Patterns

Repetitive patterns are calming to an over-anxious mind:

 

|  I chose this Noa Noa dress (a present from my mom) partly because of the print - dots in wobbly squares with rounded corners are very satisfying. I can stare at this print for a disproportionate amount of time - it is a type of meditation.

 

|  I have been making more crochet cuffs and knitting socks.

|  Tempting liquid blue in Ballyvaughan.


On a different note, today I am procrastinating by reading a book about procrastination that a friend lent me. I am only a few pages in, but it is interesting what Fiore has to say about the role anxiety, self-criticism, fear of failure/success and guilt play in the context of procrastination. We need compassion for who and where we are now to overcome the underlying causes of procrastination. I always knew that I procrastinate because I feel I am not good enough, so why even bother starting something, etc. And I can see that while putting things off leads to anxiety, the reverse is also true, so it is important to tackle the anxiety. Fiore is adamant that laziness and disorganisation are not the reasons people procrastinate, which is worth reminding yourself of.

Into Spring

That sense of urgency and excitement I described in the last post is still here now that I am back in Ireland, but it is tempered by extreme tiredness (I fell into bed at 2am). So instead of tackling the things that are at the top of the list, today I have been  procrastinating with domestic tasks, lazy coffee breaks in the uni and organising. And I may watch another part of Mildred Pierce tonight - I am making the five-part series last a few weeks instead of watching it all within a couple of days, as I sometimes do with DVDs.

 

| What remains from my trip home - a fast-disintegrating manicure with my mom's coral nail polish that I cannot bring myself to take off just yet. The sunlight is deceiving; it is bitterly cold, with sleet and hailstones. I dressed rather optimistically in a linen skirt (with tights, Mama!) this morning...

 

| Books:
-I am reading this Deirdre Madden book - because I loved Molly Fox's Birthday - and am trying to get Authenticity as well; she is such a brilliant writer. I haven't finished this yet, but am enjoying it (if that is the right word - it is not a light read).
-My notebook and I are inseparable. Now that I try to practise restraint with my diary, this is where all the mad scribbling takes place, but at least it has different categories.
-A friend lent me Drawing Texts - an anthology of essays by artists and other people in the arts about the activity of drawing - years ago and I have found it refreshing and valuable for both my teaching and for myself. Earlier this year I came across it in a second-hand bookshop and I am rereading it.

 

 |  Sorting through my wardrobe. My bedroom is small; the wardrobe is small. While part of me would like a bigger wardrobe, the minimalist in me is pleased, and I find that I still only wear less than half of my clothes regularly. Nice dresses are displayed on the doors and the wall. I am careful with any new purchases; they have to be good quality and ideally ethical and go well with lots of different things. My kitchen cupboards are next. Both with food and clothes I can be extremely impractical (weird food combinations due to lack of planning, lots of flimsy camisoles, but no proper jumpers, and so on), and I need to be better organised.

I am looking forward to the long Easter weekend. We will be working a bit, but the plan is to do something nice, maybe a day trip, and bake Easter cakes (something I haven't done in years). In my family we used to have a Polish Easter cake made with lots of eggs, so I might try that.

House tour - the reading and crafting corner

Another photo-heavy post. Words feel elusive at the moment. There is so much spinning around in my head, but I cannot seem to put any sentences together this week (thankfully my classes were an exception).

I have been consuming words a lot instead. All my evenings and the weekend were spent reading with candles lit, dipping into books new and old, then crocheting while processing it all.

Even though we still haven't found somewhere to move into together, I am beginning to feel nostalgic about my current place, as if my time here were already over. It has made me go into documenting mode, taking pictures of every corner. So this may well be one of several house tour posts. I am extremely curious about how people live and known to look at everything -as long as it's on display; I don't open drawers and the like- when visiting somebody's house. Here are some of the things I want to remember about my own humble abode:

 

Piece of furniture that was here when I moved in and I painted antique white. It's where I put current crochet and knitting projects, magazines and books - all in view to make sure I go back to them.

Coffee table given to me by a friend that I painted antique white; couch dressed in second-hand bedsheet and lots of cushions; the bird ring was a Christmas present from a friend

White books and donkey - a gift from a friend who knew of my obsession

Re-reading this at the moment - one of the books that are always on my coffee table

Grey books & photograph cut out of a newspaper years ago that I was viscerally drawn to - the girl looks like the younger me (unfortunately I didn't write down who the photographer was)

Blueberry days

1. So excited about this book - I have heard so much about her. Plus: sewing on buttons - very Zen
2. Baking (see post from Friday) - blueberries are the best. And blackberries (still haven't gone to pick them)
3. Dress to go with blueberry cake (pure coincidence) - I have a newfound love of belts - belting everything
4. Late-night activity (that's 8pm in Marina-Land) - knitting, using up leftover yarn to make wrist warmers
5. My friend James made these huge mackerel for a science event this weekend

Books by colour

With way too much time on my hand (convalescing, so leaving the house or anything too exhausting, physically or mentally, wasn't an option), I decided to re-organise my bookshelf, by colour.

I spend a lot of time in my house and therefore a lot of time looking at the objects it is filled with. Since I am a neat freak -and it's getting worse-  I thought arranging my books by colour might be a good idea and look less overwhelming. Although I hasten to add that books on shelves don't really qualify as clutter in my opinion. Books are good.

Before:

And after:

I think I might still tweak it a bit here and there. My house is full of colours, but I don't like it when there is too much primary colour action going on. This "after" image is actually the toned-down version of what I attempted first, which was much bolder. 

I was a bit hesitant, because my books were organised by genre/subject before, and that does seem to make more sense. But I am a very visual person, and I actually think it will be easier to find a particular book, as I always know exactly what the cover looks like. I also like how this system juxtaposes completely unrelated material and how the colours play off each other. I do not like all the black. Nor do I like the black leads creeping from the speakers, for that matter. Also, from now on I will rotate the books whose covers I display.

I moved some art books to my art room and put some books I am unlikely to ever read again into a box for the charity shop. So it feels a bit lighter now, too.

Facts about my books:

-Most of my books (well, at least the spines) are white, black is second, blue is third. I only have one book with a purple spine -there are very few purple books, when I think of it.

-I own quite a few books I haven't read yet, though I've had them for years and look forward to reading them.

-Now it is not so embarrassingly obvious at first glance just how many self-help and esoteric books I own!

Crafts rescue

Sorry for the long silence. I am still settling back in again.
My sister stayed with me for a couple of days, which meant  a) I had a swimming buddy and b) that some of my unfinished handmade things were taken care of - she is a crafter extraordinaire. Whenever I make a cushion cover I only sew three sides and then just abandon it and hide the sloppy opening. Now these two have proper seams and ribbons:

 Thanks again, Anke!

Inspired by her, I tackled the basket of other unfinished stuff that was sitting behind my bedroom door and organised my fabrics:

 Said basket also contained examples of the purposeless rectangles and squares I used to knit when I only had one ball of yarn, usually an impulse buy because I liked the colour/feel. In the past I have made clothes from such pieces (unshapely!), but mostly they just ended up under a pile of knitting materials, never to see the light of day again. In an attempt to salvage some of these sad reminders of time and money misspent, I made some sort of cushion cover/bag, again with the fourth side unfinished...:

I also continued working on the throw I started in Germany. I had to buy more yarn and could only get three of the four colours, but it doesn't really matter. The next time I work with granny squares I will use scrap yarn, though.

Bags by Anke Ryan

Five-year plan #26 (or something): When my older sister and her husband finally move here (WHEN??!!), we will set up a market stall selling handmade things. In the meantime I am trying to convince her to open an online shop. Here are two bags she has made for me in the last few months. She is much more prolific than me. I think she doesn't sleep.

 The detail!

Despite her warnings not to carry too much heavy stuff in it, this was my everyday bag for months, filled with all the survival-bag essentials I used to carry around with me. It seemed sturdy enough, but then one seam tore a bit, and I haven't got around to fixing it yet. This (and my decluttering frenzy) made me reconsider what I schlep around with me (and what it does to my shoulder), and I am now quite happy to leave the house without the heavy second notebook, keys I don't even know what they were for and several weird make-up items I never needed (though I am still known to carry two or more bags at a time...)

Inside Out

Today was supposed to be dedicated to working on the looming-deadline commission. I got up early, went for my commute-simulating run, put a blend of essential oils of ylang-ylang, lavender and cinnamon in the oil burner (supposed to "stimulate mental acuity and increase inspiration" -smells great, too) and then... I did my laundry. I cleaned hidden corners of my house. I cut out articles from magazines and filed them. I made an elaborate lunch. After a few hours I was finally ready and willing to do the preparatory work and stretched and primed canvases in the sun. Then I got distracted again, by an idea:

This is an Ian Mosh (me neither) jacket I got in the sale two years ago, meaning I did not pay the full 280 euros for it. I would be slightly annoyed if I had, because the outside has gone all bobbly. I bought it primarily for the gorgeous lining (I'm a sucker for nice lining).

 On closer inspection the lining is a bit bobbly, too...

So today I decided to make the few alterations that would make it possible to reverse it. Since the seams are all neat, all I had to do was take out the care instructions label and add buttons on the inside. Then I didn't fancy having to sew on buttons. So I just belted it and realised I was able to use the top button by opening the lapel a bit more.

The time I saved by not sewing on buttons was then used to actually do some work. I surprise myself with my newfound discipline.

Silk!

Only a few days ago I was very upset about something, and here I am, feeling good and having grown a layer of thicker skin (which has always been on my life's to-do list; long way to go, but mini steps are better than nothing). The lovely weather we have had for a couple of days helps, and maybe the detox did, too.

I am now looking forward to some time off -even though I will be working on a commission- and to DIYing and road trips and cooking new dishes and meditation and running.

I will have to live frugally for the remainder of the month, as there have been some major expenses. I have noticed that when I stay away from the shops I do not even wish to buy anything, so this is easy enough. In the past few months I have decluttered my wardrobe, and while I love clothes, I do not like too-much-stuff, so I am aiming for something between a small wardrobe that works well, i.e. has lots of potential in terms of combining pieces, and a policy of only buying something if something else can go (once I have more closet space, all this may change). I am managing quite well on a small budget, and I am grateful that I can survive despite the fact that I only work part-time and my rent is high (a price I am more than willing to pay for the luxury of living alone).

Whenever I can, I try to buy good quality (you don't need to be rich to do that -good quality tends to last longer and be more ethical, and I think it makes more sense to buy less, but more expensive, instead of lots of cheap stuff). So. I finally bought two silk pillowcases that had been on my wish list for ages:

 The benefits of sleeping on silk rather than cotton or other materials are numerous, including anti-ageing effects and less frizzy hair. These two reasons alone did it for me. And it feels good. I adore silk and actually enjoy caring for my more delicate silk clothes and lingerie (handwash, etc. The pillowcases can be machine-washed. They are very difficult to iron, though). No regrets.

Dress in progress

I am working on a knit dress (cue overexposed shots):
Estoy trabajando en esto (disculpad las fotos sobreexpuestas):




This may be the biggest item I have ever knitted, and it was surpirisingly fast.
Of course my impatience was punished -I didn't have the right size needle (I used a 6 instead of an 8) and couldn't wait, so the dress is, well, shorter than intended. However, the cleavage cries for nipple tape (ok, or a top underneath).
Esto debe ser la cosa más grande que he tejido, y me sorprendió lo fácil y rápido que era.
El vestido acabó más corto que había pensado, y tiene un escote demasiado grande, así que será necesario llevar un top abajo.

It's a simple LBD. But it will have gorgeous, fanciful sleeves -they are long, wide, delicate mohair-silk affairs. I only just started on them and love the mesh:
Es un vestido negro sencillo. Pero tendrá mangas extravagantes -son de mohair y seda, largas y delicadas. Acabo de empezar tejerlas, y me encanta la malla:



(Pattern from freundin-magazine, 23/2010, p. 181)
(Patrón de la revista freundin, 23/2010, p. 181)

Monday!

While I am finally taking lots of photos for future posts, which will hopefully be a bit more inspired, let me "embellish" today's post with this one:

And I promise: the day will come when I shall have some money and buy a better camera and teach myself how to take better pictures (but hey, I never claimed this was a photo blog!)

Four things about this photo:
1. It's me, frizzy hair and all, in my bathroom.
2. I actually like it, because the flash makes the camera look like some glowing thing that I am fascinated by (I have a version without flash, but it's mundane in comparison)
3. This must be my first outfit post (Everytime a beloved item of clothing falls apart, I wish I had kept some documentation of it, because I adore clothes -and my sisters and I, living in different countries, want to know what we wear -so this might be repeated in the future, we'll see)
4. It shows the inspirational quotes and poems I have stuck on the mirror. It is nice to get up in the morning and read something uplifting first thing (instead of just looking at my face...)

Speaking of which, to begin the week on a positive note (MONDAYS ARE GREAT), here is my list of things I am grateful for right now:

-I am excited (and a bit scared) about a new project and will hopefully be able to post the results here someday. I work best with a deadline, so this looks promising.
-my new steamer (no more boiling vegetables to death). Yes, I love domesticity!
-eating lunch outside for, like, the second time this summer -when it's raining all the time, you REALLY appreciate the sun, even if you only get five minutes of it
-doing yoga again after being sick and weak for weeks (haven't gone back to running and swimming yet. This morning I made it to the swimming pool, but on getting there, I decided to only go to the sauna, where I fainted)
-my sisters and my mom, who have all kinds of great things happening, and the fact that I will see them in a month or so!

Hope you all have a great week! x

Mientras estoy sacando fotos para entradas que espero que sean más inspiradas, os doy esta foto de arriba para acompañar esta entrada.
Y os prometo: un día voy a tener dinero y voy a comprar una cámara mejor y voy a aprender a sacar fotos mejores...(nunca dije que éste es un blog de fotografía...)

Cuatro cosas sobre esta foto:
1. soy yo en mi baño, pelo crespo y todo
2. me gusta, porque el flash de la cámara la hace parecer algo brillante de que me estoy maravillando
3. esto debe ser mi primera entrada de lo que estoy llevando (he pensado muchas veces que me gustaría tener documentación de la ropa que tengo, y ya que mis hermanas viven en otro país y queremos saber lo que llevamos, a lo mejor esto va a ser repetido)
4. se ven las citas y poemas inspiradores que tengo en el espejo. Está bien leer algo que eleva el espíritu al levantarse (en vez de sólo mirarme a mí misma)

Hablando de eso, para empezar la semana bien (el lunes mola!), aquí están las cosas para las que estoy agradecida en este momento:

-un proyecto nuevo (también tengo miedo). Trabajo mejor con una fecha tope, así que suena prometedor
-mi nueva vaporera -ya no voy a cocinar las verduras hasta que no tengan vida (y sí, me encanta la domesticidad!)
-almorzar al fresco por la segunda vez este verano... si llueve todo el tiempo aprecias el sol mucho más, aunque sea sólo por diez minutos
-hacer yoga después de semanas de estar enferma (aún no he vuelto al nadar y correr. Esta mañana fui a la piscina, pero al final sólo visité la sauna, donde me desmayé)
-mis hermanas y madre, que tienen muchas noticias buenas en estos días, y el hecho de que les voy a ver en un mes!

Espero que todos tengáis una semana buena! x

Some of my new favourite things

triquetra necklace (excuse the blurry photo)

This necklace that my younger sister and her boyfriend gave me. It's a triquetra (often found in Celtic art), and she went to the jewellers with a drawing of it and got it custom made. She also got one for herself and one for our older sister -there are three of us, so the triquetra symbolises that. It means so much to me. The three sisters are a common theme in mythology and literature, and it is indeed a special relationship (though I, of course, am the traumatised middle child!). I miss my sisters so much.

(Algunas de mis nuevas cosas favoritas)
Este collar que me dieron my hermana menor y su novio. Es una triquetra (este nudo aparece mucho en el arte celta), y mi hermana fue a la joyería con un dibujo -está hecho a la medida. Ella y nuestra hermana mayor tienen uno también -somos tres hermanas, y la triquetra lo simboliza. Es de valor incalculable para mí. Por cierto, las tres hermanas son un tema común en la mitología y la literatura, y es verdad que es una relación muy especial (aunque yo soy la hija del medio traumatizada!). Les echo de menos a mis hermanas.

My older sister sent me a lovely lacey tunic and the prettiest handdrawn card, which is now on display in my kitchen. She not only draws women in beautiful dresses, she also makes historical dresses (see my profile picture)! She was born into the wrong century and would be much more at home in a Jane Austen novel, for example. I love her style.
Mi hermana mayor me envió un vestido de encaje muy bonito y esta tarjeta dibujada que ahora está en mi pared. No sólo dibuja mujeres en vestidos bellos, sino también cose tales vestidos históricos (ve la foto de mi perfil). Ella nació en el siglo equivocado y se sentiría mucho más a gusto dentro de una novela de Jane Austen, por ejemplo. Me encanta su estilo.



Her fiancé gave me this:
Su novio me regaló esto:


I didn't even know that Natalie Merchant (one of my all-time favourite singers) had a new album out, so it was a double surprise to receive this CD. I have been listening to it nonstop this weekend. She set 26 poems, ranging from children's nursery rhymes to eccentric and little-known poems by British Victorians and 19th and 20th century American poets, to music. The two CDs come in a beautiful package with an 80-page booklet that contains the poems and information on each poet plus photos. You can listen to the first track here.
No sabía que Natalie Merchant (una de mis cantantes favoritas) tenía un disco nuevo, así que fue una sorpresa doble. Lo he escuchado sin parar este fin de semana. Puso 26 poemas, desde canciones infantiles hasta poemas poco conocidos de poetas británicos victorianos y americanos de los siglos 19 y 20 a música. Los dos discos llegan en una caja muy bonita con un libro de 80 páginas que contiene los poemas e información sobre los poetas y fotos. Una de las canciones está aquí.

(I know, I was going to post this yesterday, but I didn't get a chance, as I spent all day on a little project, designing a brochure and a poster. I am so proud of myself -though not sure whether I'm happy with the result- that I managed to sit down and get to work, and it was enjoyable. I was so focused, I didn't fall into my usual mode of obsessing, self-loathing and worrying. Yay!)
(Iba a poner esto ayer, pero no tuve tiempo, ya que pasé todo el día trabajando en un diseño para un folleto. Estoy muy feliz de esto -aunque no sé si estoy feliz con el resultado- que tuve la disciplina de hacerlo, y disfruté de hacerlo. Estaba tan centrado en lo que estaba haciendo que no caí en el modo de preocuparme/obsesionar/odiarme a mí misma que suelo hacer...)