extra special

Stamping my troubles away

Posted on December 8, 2015 by bekswhoknits

I was bored. All interesting crafty stories seem to start that way.

I was bored and so I decided to experiment with my metal stamps. A while ago the lovely Lisa (from teaandcraft and co-founder of the green hair crafty ladies of Perth) borrowed my stamping set to make some leather key chain charms.

It worked pretty well and so after impulse buying a cheap but mostly boring white wallet ($2 – cotton on) I wanted to experiment.

I probably should have researched good ways to ink the letters before I jumped in and used permanent marker. But it’s a rustic sort of look (well as rustic as you get with fake vinyl and a Mass Effect inspired quote about dating a fictional race of space aliens).

I’m definitely now on the look out for other stamping opportunities that are already in my closet.

#6KCBWDAY2 – all about me

Posted on May 16, 2015May 16, 2015 by bekswhoknits

Knitting saved my life.

I believe this to be true.

My brain tells me lies.

It tells me that I’m not good enough, that no one wants me, no one could ever love me, the whole world is against me and I am stupid and ugly and mean and cruel and a terrible person.

My brain tells me these things daily.

I take medication to make me remember that my brain isn’t working properly. Most people don’t have their brain constantly telling them that they’re worthless and everything would be better off without them. Most days it works and these thoughts don’t consume me like they did before I found the right medication. Then there are other days when the lies my brain tells me get through to me and I have to be strong enough to not believe them. And I’m not always that strong.

Knitting helps me not believe the lies.

It shuts down my brain. I can knit and make things and my brain can’t lie to me because I can see it with my own eyes that I can knit. I can make things. I can make fucking awesome things!

Having something tangible that I can hold makes some of those lies go away.

Not always, but some of those days where I’m in a depressive state and all my strength is taken up by moving from the bed to the couch, I can pick up some knitting and make something. I can knit.

I can knit. My brain can’t tell me that what I make doesn’t exist.

That’s why I think knitting saved my life. If I didn’t have that crutch to fall back on, that tangible evidence that makes me realise that my brain lies to me…….

*this is a post for the 6th annual knitting & crochet blog week hosted by ekimimi makes. To see other posts on this topic search #6KCBWDAY2

Finished object 8&9 – nurmilintu

Posted on April 27, 2015 by bekswhoknits

Remember that shawl that I posted without taking a good picture of first?

Well I have my photo!

Isn’t it just lovely??? Megs of course but also my shawl!!!

The pattern is nurmilintu and I just finished another, this time for myself and also in my own hand dyed yarn.

Blocking it made such a difference. But blocking with cats? When they’ve taken one of your blocking mats to be their new scratching post? Not fun.

At one point Tina ran off with a pin in her mouth and I had to chase her through the house so she didn’t hurt herself. In the end I locked them in their room (formerly the spare room) pinned it all out and then put it outside and once it got dark then put it into our bedroom and closed the door.

That’s the problem with open plan houses. No place to block your shawl with two nosy kittens.

I’m still not entirely convinced that the lace panels are correct. Either due to me not being able to count or the chart being wrong, but I don’t really care.

It’s colourful and warm and soft and it won’t leave my neck for at least until I finish the picot scarf that’s nearly off my needles.

Spot the hand-dye!

Posted on September 30, 2014October 2, 2014 by bekswhoknits

My sanity blanket is completed.

I am so please with it.
Not only is it squishy and warm, but I am damn proud of the way my own hand-dyed yarn holds up against the store bought yarn.

I really think that you can’t tell which stripes are professional yarns and which ones I did. But I may be a little biased.

See if you can tell!

Mums Garden – Part 2

Posted on August 25, 2014 by bekswhoknits

Almost immediately after posting what shall now be known as the first instalment of Mums Garden, I received a flow of emails with more photos. (Mum is a very faithful reader of my blog – Hi Mum!!!! love you!)

So I can show you some of the wildlife, and not so wild life that we enjoyed.

Mum is particularly fond of birds. I am not so fond. Yesterday I was just minding my own business, reading a book on our front porch (the last book of the Grisha series by Leigh Burdugo so it was particularly tense) and there’s an unidentified noise coming from the roof. I look up and I see two eyes and a beak peering down at me. Fortunately it flew off to chase some smaller prey but it made me jump out of my skin.
I’m jumpy around birds, which makes these next three photos a little odd to be on my blog.
I’ll put them after a break for all of you who are also jumpy around birds.
Continue reading Mums Garden – Part 2

Guest post – Mums garden

Posted on August 21, 2014 by bekswhoknits

My parents are moving house for the second time in my life. And while it’s a good move and a necessary one, it does mean that Mum loses her garden that she’s spent 15 years pottering around in.

Somewhere along the line Mum’s green thumb genes mixed with some recessive black thumb gene and resulted in me. I have killed cactuses.

So I asked Mum to guest post for me and show me her favourite parts of the garden.

There aren’t many places that can compete with this view. Although living so close to a National Park does have its downsides.

Fortunately fires aren’t too regular an occurrence.

But being that close to the National Park means native flowers and wildlife thrive. We actually do get kangaroos come up to the backyard and drink from the bird bath. [Beks note – I wish Mum had sent me a pic of that! I’m sure we have one somewhere]

And she even sent me a pic from my old bedroom window.
It’s not quite the view I remember as there has been a few changes since I left home. But it was still one hell of a view.

Shop Update! Bad Wolf & Bulletproof

Posted on August 8, 2014August 8, 2014 by bekswhoknits

I’ve added two new cuffs to my shop.
I’m trying to have more pre-made examples in my shop, which of course means making more for myself! All cuffs will continue to be made-to-order, but with more specific examples.

Before I started making cuffs for myself I had bought a bad wolf one. I ended up giving it to a friend one night at the pub.I figured that he wanted me to make him one, and rather than wait I just gave him the one I was wearing and made one for myself later.
(If you’re a doctor who fan the reference should be pretty self explanatory. If you’re not a doctor who fan – it’s something to do with doctor who!!!)

I also wanted to experiment with the new calligraphy font that I’ve got. So I looked through my notebook of other peoples words and settled on Bulletproof.
It’s one of the songs on my ‘ladies who kick serious ass’ playlist.(We all have one don’t we?)

(Don’t forget all my blog friends can get free shipping with coupon code “PARTTIMECRAFTER”.)

Little things that are making me happy

Posted on July 28, 2014July 28, 2014 by bekswhoknits

*electronic stitch counters that tell me exactly where I’m at in a pattern

*finding flowers pressed in a book that you forgot all about

*pretty knitwear in movies

*tea selections arriving in the mail

*yarn just waiting to be dyed- full of potential

*nail polish the exact same colour as my glasses with chipped paint

*glittery socks

*doctor who yarn club deliveries

*eyemasks with headphones in them

*being greeted by the giant ball of hair known as Cookie-Dog

Stop! Pajama time

Posted on June 17, 2014 by bekswhoknits

It’s bloody cold here at the moment.
And that’s not just me saying that, a radio announcer said that exact quote last week.

So I figured that the first project from Tilly and the Buttons – Love at First Stitch would be the Margot Pajamas.

I wanted them to be warm so I stopped by the local grocery store and picked up some flannelette sheets (which were on special – $10 reduced from $25!)

Tracing the pattern onto baking paper was the hardest part. I tried 3 different types of tape and about 5 different pens before I found a combination that vaguely worked. Even then they look a bit mangled.

Cutting out using Tillys instructions was almost easy!
Considering that’s the part which has tripped my up in my sewing adventures before that’s a win!

Then I diligently set about to sewing the pieces together. Even using the zigzag stitch to finish the edges which I’d never done before.

Once I’d sewn the legs together I looked at the instructions for the crotch and realised I’d sewn the two fronts together and the two backs together.
I had to unpick and start again.

But I won’t be making that mistake again!!!!

After that they went off without a hitch.
Ta-da!!! Pajamas!!!!

FO 5, 6, & 7 – A couple of shawls

Posted on April 17, 2014 by bekswhoknits

It’s the middle of April and we’re STILL having 30 degree days!
I just want to wear jeans already!
And these two shawls that have been finished and blocked for ages now but can’t bear to wear them yet.

So no awkward modelling, but you can admire them from afar.

The green one is Multnomah made from Invictus Yarns Determination which was a dream to knit with. Except that it was previously had frogged yarn, but that’s not the yarns fault.

The purple one is Terribly Simple made from my own hand dyed yarn! I added a simple cable down the centre to add a bit of something special to it.
I’m so impressed with my dyeing job.
Totally love both of them and can’t wait for it to be cool enough for me to wear them. Obviously I’m more in love with my hand-dye because I could only find one photo of the multnomah.

(What the last pattern is is a mystery to me, but it’s yarn from Yarn vs Zombies Doctor Who yarn club so I must have finished it this year. I just don’t remember when. Maybe some yarn fairies came in and made it for me in my sleep.)