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Creative Process

Handmade Journals

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What do you do when you decide in mid-October that you will knit some of the Christmas gifts for your nearest and dearest?

Do you decide on a hat, fingerless mitts or a cowl? I assume you have the good sense not to embark on knitting lap blankets…

But knitting blankets involves a lot of time sitting. I could have watched TV, Netflix, or my usual favourite knitting podcasts. But I came across Pam at The Paper Outpost vlog on YouTube. I was inspired. Oh yes, I fell down another crafting rabbit hole… hook, line and sinker…[Read More]

Virtual Shetland Wool Week 2020

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A long-held dream of mine is to attend Shetland Wool Week.

Neil and I visited Shetland in 2015 in early September to celebrate our 50th birthdays and our Wedding Anniversary. Gosh, there is so much to love about Shetland, the ponies, the sheep, the amazing scenery, the glorious colours of wool and the most delicious Fish & Chips you will eat anywhere!

Shetland Colour Inspiration 15

It was wonderful and often places we visited were busy gearing up for Shetland Wool Week starting a week or so later… [Read More]

Bullet Journalling

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I’ve been journalling for a long, long time.

I’ve kept planners, diaries, journals, art journals and sketchpads. I came to journalling from an artistic background, so my first choice was working on sketchpads and then combining the artistic form with my journal. My use of journalling, therefore, has to also take into consideration my creativity and inspiration.

This has always meant that I need to have more than one journal going at any one time.[Read More]

Creative Process

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My creative process is the same for most of the projects that I choose to work on to a greater or lesser degree.

For example, I  decided to revisit the creative process used in designing my Amethyst Dreams Collection for Sasha Doll Style (made in 2010). I wanted to show my design process from my initial inspiration to the completed collection.

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My Inspiration Box

The first step taken in beginning my Sasha Outfit Collections always started at least 2 years before I would begin my design process. I’d start with a plastic box, for storing everything that inspired me, for the project. This would usually evolve into more than one box over time.[Read More]

Keeping a Knitting Notebook

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Broken Rib Socks Notes

I love, love, love, the notebook I am using for writing down all my in process notes about the Broken Rib Socks (or any of the other works in progress that I am knitting at the moment). The notebook was created in January when I treated myself to joining the New Beginnings Journal online workshop by Juliana Coles.

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The Knitting Squirrel Ideas 2013 notebook started life as an RSPB spiral bound diary. Making it involved lots of taping with masking tape and painting over the tape. I should have used more decoration on the pages but I wanted to retain plenty of writing space. The wonderful thing about this notebook is what a pleasure it is to write in. I quickly started using it for my works in progress. I’ve even found myself using the images to influence colour choices for new projects.[Read More]

Which Colours Make You Feel Amazing?

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It is wonderful to hand knit a garment which looks beautiful on you.  So, how do you choose colours that enhance your skin tone and look attractive? I find that it is great fun finding which colours look wonderful on you.

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It is particularly important to find out which colours look best on you when you are knitting a new scarf, hat or cowl which will be worn next to your face. There is nothing more disappointing than choosing a beautiful yarn in a fabulous colour, spending many hours knitting the new accessory, sewing in the ends, washing and blocking the new scarf, standing in front of the mirror and putting the scarf on for the first time… and instead of making you feel wonderful… something just isn’t quite right… The new scarf joins your other unworn projects and is then given away as a gift.[Read More]