Weave It

In the run up to the end of 2015, I decided, having missed one of my besties birthdays, to challenge myself and get creative - that and the lack of inspiration on the highstreet - and come up with something I'd had in mind to do for a while and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do so. I did have a teeny tiny experiment prior to the real thing - it's amazing what you can do with an old picture frame serving no particular purpose and a handsaw. The challenge? Teach myself to weave in a matter of weeks - and just for good measure, make the loom on which to do it to boot - in order to create a large-ish wall hanging for my friend.

I thoroughly enjoyed the whole process - albeit by complete trial and error - sometimes having to take a row or two back, sometimes more or even starting again. Making the loom wasn't very hard and after scrolling around various weaving blog posts, I was confident enough to set out with my needle and yarn. The bigger the better in my eyes, especially when it comes to something I'm unfamiliar with!

The design itself was the main hurdle, I scribbled many different ideas down before settling on 'the one', then set to drawing it to scale - a very long drawn out process... Initially, I thought that from the first row to casting off it would take a day, maximum two. One and a half weeks later, I finally got to the last row and indeed, was quite overcome with glee when I knotted the last couple of warp lengths and packaged the precious item ready to fly to Australia and be delivered to my friend.

Hang loose. Ph. by Jem

January Hues

Images via Pinterest

I recently read a short article about 'list makers'. One comment that stuck was to 'prioritise the worst task first' - genius and finishing up feeling good too! So, inspired by this, I shall start by saying how much I dislike January in England, it's grey, it's cold, it's soggy, it's drab. But I'd hate to come across as a git, so I'll omit any further reasons as to the why for my dislike - as I'm sure I'm not alone on this one. *insert angel emoji* That said, in a parallel universe (the Southern Hemisphere) right now it's damned hot, sunny and non stop fun... in January?! It's not January's fault, he didn't choose for it to be this way, I'm sure.

As a result of this rather dull month, until hibernating is deemed acceptable by the human race, cooped up indoors against the biting cold is how it is. With it, come certain habits that go hand in hand with 'not having much else to do' syndrome. In a bid to stop myself from consuming anymore cheese on toast, call it a test of will, I end up replacing one habit with another and find myself scrolling around and awe-struck by all things colour, clearly attracted to one particular palate that now adorns a Pinterest wall of mine.

On the odd occasion when the sun's out and the sky's blue, that wonderful Winter light happens, which makes a short day seem marginally longer and more importantly, it makes you want to go outside! I'm a sucker for it in truth, it is of course the combination of pastel pinks, baby blues and golden tones as the sun fades on the glass like sea or filter edit of the recent-ish adaptation of Pride and Prejudice - I defy anyone to say Mr Darcy crossing the field in that dawn light isn't brilliant. It seems I just can't help myself, I'm falling for all things pink.

In a bid then to turn it around this January and dwell on the positive, (she types wearing an oversized grey knit, black turtle neck and jeans) surround myself with colour on those overcast, soul destroying days, embrace my love of neon orange and mid-wash blue denim, wear those recently purchased dusty pink joggers with a turquoise knit and become my very own walking sunset and say no to boring in 2016!