Recapturing creativity

I've been having a very frustrating few weeks, where I just cant seem to settle and complete a project. Actually I've hardly been starting them, I'm not sure how many times I've cast on and then 'frogged' it, you know (rip it, rip it, rip it - as row after row comes undone) or 'tinked' it (knit backwards, as in undo what I've stuffed up). I was starting to feel really down about my creativity going out the window and getting sidetracked doing lots of not much. 

                                          BUT then........

I had a panicked phone call the other day from a friend , the mother of our adopted grandson with the news that the person who was booked to make the birthday cake cancelled. I said to her don't worry we will make it, forgetting that young Stanley had 'ordered' a blue t-rex dinosaur cake. Well I made a hurried visit to my dear friend 'Mr Google' for inspiration. I then had a vision in my head of how the cake was going to look, I was a bit worried when my middle child didn't catch the same vision at all, and kept looking at me with that 'you are out of your mind' look. Well much to my relief the cake on the plate ended up the same as the vision in my head. Stanley thought it was wonderful as did his mother and all the family and friends that were there for his 4th birthday party. But most importantly to me, I felt that creativity creeping back.

It's been very cold here in North-West Tasmania but today was spectacular, the sun was out and the sky was clear. Absolutely perfect day so we also took our aspiring photographer Mikayla to a few locations to do some snapping, check out her photos http://www.redbubble.com/people/mikaylahouse I am so proud of her!! Mikayla is visually impaired (actually legally blind) and yet her creativity shines through in her captures

So after all that ramble the point I'm trying to make is that if I feel my creativity dwindling I WILL look to the enthusiasm of the 'little people' in my life, with their blunt honesty and imagination intact and to my creative daughter who defies her 'disability' at every click of the camera. I also will not let pain, fog and all the other annoying symptoms of Fibromyalgia dampen my creativity. If you read this and wonder if I'm actually creating something feel free to question, I think I'm going to need the accountability :)

After all this I'm off to sit near the fire and Knit!

Camels and Cantelopes

I was at a Sistapreneurs meeting this week and a visitor said to me "oh you knit like I do" which took me awhile to decide if it was complimentary or not. I was taught to knit by my Father and I've never managed to be able to knit like my Grandma and all the clever older women in my life who can, like magic flick the wool around their needles without taking their hands off them. I have tried and tried unsuccessfully and all I have achieved is a mess of knots and tangles. I've been reading a book this week called Things I Learned From Knitting by Stephanie Pearl- McPhee, I love the humour and the ability to laugh at ourselves. The quote that has set me free this week is "The act of knitting is unlike almost any other human activity in that two people who are as different as camels and cantaloupes can take the same pattern and the same yarn and do their own thing with it, and they both can walk away happy".........."There's more than one right way to knit, and you don't have to be perfect or even good at knitting to have it work out for you. That's pretty unusual, because there really aren't a whole lot of other hobbies where you can relax, be imperfect, and still have a wonderful time..... just ask rock climbers"
  I love that idea that I can use the same yarn and pattern as someone else and can knit with my individual unco-ordinated 'skill' and still end up with an item that I am proud of.

I live in a town where the only felted knitted items you are likely to find are in the local op shop because someone hasn't read the washing instructions on their clothing properly.  It will be interesting to see the reactions when I felt the bangles and necklaces i have knitted and display the lacy knitted coffee cup sleeve and the knitted wire and beaded bangle. But in the meantime I will keep reading Stephanie's books and blog http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/ and keep gaining confidence and feel her cheering me on, even while hearing my son say "you are NOT taking your knitting!"
OH YES I AM!!
Till next time I wish you the finest yarns and no unintentional dropped stitches