Hello, hello! So, the last time I wrote any substantial update was in June 2021. Now that I have moved over to this new site (and FINALLY got all my products listed, whew!), I plan once again to write them more often. If you enjoy following along with my creative endeavors, please subscribe to receive updates in your e-mail in-box.
In January, I decided to finally strike out into the land of having my own website. Previously, I’d used a free blogging service. I’d also tried Etsy and Big Cartel for selling handmade goods. Even though I could use my own domain name for some of them, they all have their limitations. I researched web hosting, decided on a site builder, and found a reputable host that was having a huge sale on hosting if you paid for three years. As long as I can put my own site together, I will save money on hosting. Of course, Colleen never does just one thing at a time; this HUGE project (much bigger than I thought – a bazillion options exist for each and every website-building tool) appeared in my brain alongside a couple of personal projects I was just getting started with. I’ve told my husband multiple times, “If you hear me muttering about some new project, DON’T LET ME DO IT TIL I’M DONE THESE!”
Below is a photo of my collection of upcycled cashmere mittens. I had to go through them the other day as I was listing them in the shop, because I couldn’t remember which ones I’d sold in November (at my first craft show since 2017! Yay!). Now the rest are nestled back in the tub, waiting for their pairs of hands to claim them.
Next, we have a stack of cushion covers made from upcycled natural fabrics and lots of beads, sequins, and embroidery (I LOVE doing decorative handwork!). I had to sort through these the other day, too, because I could not tell from photos which cushion-back photos went with which cushion-front photos. I had to match up the photos with the actual cushion backs. For the green and blue backs, this was tricky!
So, the past two-and-a-half years have been strange for me. Yes, we have the matter of a worldwide pandemic going on. In a few weeks, Nova Scotia (where I live) will reach the two-year mark since the state of emergency was declared. But just months before that, in September, my father had died. Two of my friends also died, one in August and one in October. I attended the three funerals within six weeks. In the midst of that grieving, I got very sick in January. A few weeks later, hello pandemic (I sometimes wonder if I actually had COVID-19 – I did have contact with people who had travelled). Fast forward to this past July 2021, when our then-20-year-old daughter was hit by a car. You know how, when your kids are little, you teach them all about how to safely cross the street? In hopes that they avoid getting hit by a car? Well, that nightmare came true for us (thankfully, she survived – it was very bad). I might write more about it at another time, but suffice it to say these past months have been traumatic. One thing that helped sustain me was doing handwork. I knit multitudes of dishcloths while sitting in the hospital rooms. I don’t have photos of those, but below are photos and explanations of a couple of other creative projects I did recently.
This is a handbound journal I needed because I ran out of space in my last one. I use these as planners. I very loosely use a bullet journal method, not fancy like one sees on Instagram. Just barebones, on blank paper, so I can arrange things the way I see fit. I drew and coloured the cover pictures and glued them to cardboard. I made the handstitched book signatures following a tutorial. The spine is covered in a scrap of suede leather from my scrap fabric collection.
The other thing I’ve been doing is making myself persist with learning to knit socks. After MANY runs at knitting the first half-inch of the toe section, I finally made it through the most difficult parts to learn! When I first tried this a few years ago, I used double-pointed needles (DPNs). I found this so frustrating because the yarn would slide off, the needles would flop all over the place, and I’d lose stitches off each end of them. Then I discovered three wonderful concepts: Judy’s magic cast-on, knitting toe-up, and the magic loop method of knitting with a circular needle. Once I got about an inch of sock done, I started to get more confident. And voila, almost done my first sock!
I will end this update here. I have more to write about, so stay tuned (and subscribe!). Talk to me in the comment section below!
