our creative space . . . 'generational knitting'

Greetings all,
My hand surgery is coming up & boy do my hands know it, a last hurrah of carpal tunnel agony before they get chopped up & fixed, yay!!  So i haven't be playing along with Our Creative Space lately as the most creative thing i've been doing is pressing buttons on various kitchen appliances & baking!!

Last night i found my 3rd daughter, freshly bathed & pyjama'd, enjoying the balmy evening outdoors.

 This girl comes from a long line of knitters: her twin sister is especially good, her mother not so great (i knit too tight, i crochet too lose) & her grandmother, possibly the Queen of knitting, who was taught by the best - her mother - who was a house maid (totally Downton Abbey style) in Northamptonshire England & her mother-in-law - who was a seamstress & made the finest dresses for high society in Sydney Australia.

 I grew up in a family where the boys matched our father's fashionable outfits & we girls matched our mother's colourful ensembles!!  It could be safari suits & mumus, or matchy matchy knitted jumpers, beautifully made, but surely we looked like a cult or Von Trapp family gone wrong.  The worst part was truly the hair cuts!! 

 Back to this little lamb - her dream is to spin her own wool off our sheepy fleece when we have a farm.  I can totally see her doing it too.  Only she wants to knit straight off the lamb, so she has a foot rest for comfort & a lamb for company!!

 Before i took these images i did spy on her first, she chatters away to herself & moves her mouth to the rhythmn of her knitting.  I do that when i cut fabric!!

 What a delightful evening in her own little world of craft.

I love that my children have been given the gift of handmade craft from my grandmothers down to my children.  Even my brothers can ice cakes & sew, knit & paint - often better than their wives!!  Generational craft, not only do you learn the skills but it's often the most memorable time you spend with family.  Love Posie

social commentary Sunday . . . 'teaching an old dog new craft tricks'

Greetings all,

I'm always impressed when people acquire new skills, later this week i'll be all impressed with myself, i hope!!  I'm SO excited . . . i'm re-learning how to knit & from chain stitch beginner level . . . how to crochet!!  Kylie from Mealy&i is an absolute sweetheart & offered to teach me (& my 4 children, not sure she knew that was part of the deal but i'm guessing they'll be re-teaching me a few minutes after Kylie leaves).  What a great school holiday activity (yes, we in Canberra have another whole week to go). 

Today i went shopping for the 'tools & equipment' - i guess in time i'll use every one of these different sizes??  The bulk packs were too good a deal to refuse. 

 Art Viva Tasmanian Oak knitting needles from my stock at Shop Handmade.

 I could only find ugly wool on sale, so i sucked up the price & bought what i thought was pretty.  I guessed which would be suitable ply & acrylic balance of the yarns (so many variations).

I just find crochet hooks the strangest things - to me they look like they are ready to have a chat to you.  I assume all crafters talk to themselves, i do, i'm very agreeable, just like these 9mm & 10mm hooks. 

So wish me well, i am prone to not hold things correctly & i'm sure adding knitting & crochet to my skill set will only make my carpal tunnel syndrome groan (in both hands, since my mid 20s, i like to overachieve like that).  Oh well, sleeping in metal hand splints for the last 10 years is just one of sexier boudoir looks i covet.  Have crafty weeks & do try something new soon.  I'll be back with some results for show & tell, i hope.  Eeek, love Posie