Well today is the first day. Of writing down my thoughts to share with whomever happens to be out there, other than my family members! I want to share some of my journey to now and hope to renew my creativity and spark for new exciting projects. I also hope to meet other like-minded souls to share ideas with. I am turning the big 60 next year (no sense hiding from it) and I feel it's time to re-evaluate what and where I am going. I want to focus on my craft(s) and see where this takes me. I worked for many decades in a very stressful career and am needing to find my centre again. If I ramble too much, well, I'll apologize in advance. Hopefully, I won't bore you.
I'm not sure I like the design of my blog page yet, so I might make some changes as I figure everything out and become more comfortable with this process, so please be patient with me! I have been reading knitting, weaving and sewing/quilting blogs for some time. Many have inspired me, both personally and creatively. I hope to share some of my favourites with you soon.
I have been knitting since a young teen, but only simple items like scarves, hats and mittens. My mother, and her mother, (Icelandic knitters both) were able to knit without benefit of any pattern. Imagine! In fact, my Grandmother Helga apparently had one of those amazing circular sock knitting machines! What I wouldn't give for one of those!! She apparently was a kind and gentle soul who knit socks and mittens for any local children in need. I wish we had met, as she sounds like someone I would like to know. She passed early in her life after birthing eleven children, even crossing the Atlantic in 1920, while pregnant, to immigrate to Canada. Tough souls they were!
My mother was an amazing seamstress and in the true nature of "living green", aka "being poor", would recycle old clothing into stunning, fashionable garments for her children. She once took apart my father's old winter wool coat to make me a pea coat, fashionable in the 60's. Remember those anyone? I have to confess to challenging my mother with tough sewing assignments (well okay, in many other areas too), as I could typically only find a pattern that somewhat resembled what I wanted. I would then draw and redesign it, and my mother would always come through. Needless to say, in my teens and early 20"s, I was always very well dressed, even though we didn't have extra income. I learned early on the plain benefit of having classic, good quality, clothing. Although, I could not sew a straight line, (almost failing Home EC) I certainly knew what I wanted, and how I wanted to look. Sheesh, I wish I had that same strength of conviction now!
When my daughter was born, I decided it was time to sew. Just like that. This is the first thing I ever made!! #5 at the bottom. I made it in a light blue denim, with white lace around the edges. My girlfriend gasped in horror at my task, given my lack of skills. Okay really, I had none! However, I am pleased to say it turned out great, by some miracle of genetics I wonder, and I still have it in storage with the vain hope my future grandchild(ren) might wear it. haha indeed. The truth is, I would probably make any future grandchild an updated model of this pattern and many others.
Anyway, I think that is enough babble for my first entry. I somehow feel the need to talk a bit about myself before I get to current thoughts, projects and ideas. I will give you a hint tho' ...here is one of my next projects for "Peanut", my "almost DIL". Peanut knows this is coming her way, just not when. I haven't knit with unspun wool cakes before so if anyone has hints, I would appreciate hearing from you.
That's all for now,
Love and Light your way,
Naomi (Mimi)
