When I discovered I was a pregnant a couple of months ago, I pretty much stopped making anything. It was like something had switched off any crafty impulse I'd ever had, as if the intensity of my internal creative effort left no room for anything else. I couldn't even be bothered chasing up an order of missing Addi Turbos. Anyway, two months on, that has all changed, thank goodness! I was beginning to think this baby was never going to get anything handmade by its own mother!
Earlier this week, I was half heartedly checking out a few of the bazillion feeds on my Reader. I often gravitate to
Soulemama, and I felt really inspired by some of her latest posts: her amazing efforts
rearranging her house, her
gratitude wraps, the space she makes for her children, simply her life of creativity! She's amazing, eh! Watched a bit of TV, engaged in a bit of recreation with my husband (ha!), and headed to bed. Lay there rehashing the TV show (it really was quite a good epidsode of
The Border) and then meandered on to Soulemama, and then all of a sudden, I was wondering where a particular knitting book of mine
(this
link has pics of my some of my fave patterns) had gotten to, and then I couldn't sleep until I'd gotten out of bed and gone through my whole yarn stash to evaluate what was there, and found that missing book, and jumped on the computer to finalise that ancient Addi order, and decided what to knit the next day! Then I could go to sleep!
Anyway, since then, I have been knitting. Knitting hats, to be precise, with
yarn that has been sitting there for so long that I despaired of using it while here in Canada (we leave in October). I can feel a sense of creative relief as ideas I had for yarn pairings knitted into particular patterns are working out and coming together. This sense of flow - idea into creation - creates room for more ideas. I just have to keep the flow going.
Have also begun some gratitude wraps, thanks to Soulemama's free pattern. One for me and one for a friend. Using this
Russian Nesting Dolls fabric for mine. Been finding
some lovely notecards on Etsy to put in them when I'm done. (And how
this for cool - I LOVE it!)
So all in all, it feels fantastic to be back crafting again. I look forward to the day when I get something on needles for this new little one. The only pressure is this deadline of leaving Canada, cos of all the things I want to make as gifts before then! I'm learning, however, to listen to my emotions, and at least note when an activity feels life-giving and joyous, and when I'm doing it just to get it done, for the end result. Sometimes simple awareness is enough.
Anyway, just wanted to share that with the world! To all the prolific crafters out there, you are amazing!
I'd been looking forward to trying out Elizabeth Zimmermann's Baby Surprise Jacket for about nine months, and finally got to making one for our new little man, Jethro. Picked the colours out from my stash before he arrived on the scene, not knowing if he'd be a boy or a girl, but that pink doesn't look out of place on him!
It's a great pattern, mostly for the surprise factor, how it all comes together so neatly. I'd like to try it next with a varigated yarn - less sewing in of ends! Not that I mind sewing them in, actually. It can be even more meditative than simply knitting, I find...
Jethro can't wait to get his hands on it! How satisfying! I must say, I was glad to have another boy, cos now the jumper or two I made for Jasper (which he's eschewing, too cool for woolen sweaters) will get a second go... =)
In all its glory, the RAINBOW baby surprise jacket.
And the back. Love how it comes together.
And finally on...
