Equilibrium

Today is apparently my 4 years blogging anniversary! Over the years, crafting has given me fuel to blog and blogging has motivated me to keep crafting. Recently I’ve had less time and motivation for either because my creative energies and time have been increasingly directed towards my theatrical pursuits, which is less suited to writing about. Rehearsals don’t make for many pretty pictures! Here’s some pretty tulips instead!

I’m currently rehearsing for my third show of the year and I’m hoping to take part in a couple more before the year is out. Not only that, but I have also recently gone back to work after nearly 9 years of stay-at-home parenting. I wasn’t planning to go back to work just yet, but when my dream job fell in my lap, I couldn’t possibly refuse! I’m currently in the rebalancing phase – hopefully I’ll find my way back to crafting and therefore blogging once I’ve found the new equilibrium. There’s still plenty on my making list!

 

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Don’t they fly!?

The years, I mean. WordPress kindly informed me yesterday that it was my 3 year anniversary here. That would have totally passed me by!

I celebrated by picking up my knitting for the first time in about a week. I only managed a couple of rows but something’s better than nothing.

I also went to a rehearsal last night. I’m itching to get back to rehearsing a show. But this one was for a show I’m crewing in a couple of weeks time. Backstage work is something I enjoy, and you still get the buzz of being in a theatre, but it’s not the same as being part of the cast who’ve been rehearsing for months and going out on the stage in front of an audience. So I’m keeping my eye out for other opportunities.

In other news, the cake is safely in the freezer and it remains to be seen whether it survives on the other side.

Happy anniversary!

Yesterday marked my first blogiversary, here at Jack of all craft. A whole year occupying this little corner of the crafting world. I’m not sure I really thought I would get this far when I first started out, so it feels like quite an achievement.

Mr Jack thought it was an occasion worth celebrating, so he sweetly treated me to Chinese takeaway and some yummy wine last night, and chatted with me about the last year of blogging, and what the next year might hold. (I may or may not have shown him The Twisted Yarn’s amazing blogiversary celebration cake at some point in the past…)

Blogging encourages me to craft more, and crafting encourages me to blog. It’s great to document the process and be able to look back on everything I’ve created over the last year, and see the progress I’ve made with knitting especially. Thanks to everyone who has read and commented on my posts – I love hearing from you, and I really enjoy reading and learning more from your blogs too – they inspire me and challenge me to try new things.

As it was a special occasion, I thought I would treat myself by casting on something new.

These will hopefully become a pair of socks for me! I only have a small 50g ball of yarn, so I’m not sure how far it will go. I’m hoping for trainer-socks at least.There is a possibility they may have to be frogged and re-knit into a smaller pair of socks for one of the boys, but for now I’ll keep going and see where I get to.

I’ve never worked with variegated yarn like this, so it’s exciting to see the different colours emerging as I knit.

I’m kind of making the pattern up as I go along, using bits of patterns from different places. I started with a cast-on method I found at Silver’s Sock Class, which is what I’ve used previously. I wasn’t keen on the heel method I used before, so I wanted to have a go at the heel-flap construction I’ve heard Cassy talk about at knitthehellout. In fact, I’m using one of Cassy’s patterns, Earlybird, found over at Knitty.com for the toe and heel directions. I can’t do the cable pattern, as I’m pretty sure it’ll eat way too much of my yarn, so I’m doing my own thing on the instep, with a bit of 3×2 rib. I’ve never worn handknitted socks, so I’m excited to see how they turn out!

So, happy new year to you all! Let’s see what this one will bring.