Evolve. . . . knitting, hand dyeing, new projects...

Hello !

Anybody there ??

First thanks for the followers that have not clicked the 'unfollow' button :-) and the ones who have, well, I totally understand them.

I have been away from my little space here for so long. . . so much has been happening in my little creative and crafty mind. . . I have evolved into so many things. I still feel I 'm trying to find myself if that makes sense ?

I like trying everything I get my eyes on, I'm curious by nature and want to know how things work, how is it done, I like solving misteries. . .

I learned to knit socks because it was an utter mystery to me. . . often times once I resolve the mystery of it I go on to something else. . .

Crochet stayed in my life for a few years and in fact all my life on and off. . . and knitting seemed to be just out of reach. I learned to knit when I was a child, I must have been 10 or 11 ? I can't really remember but I remember it not being a nice experience. I knit a scarf in 2x2 ribbing. . . how did that happen ? I wonder when I rescued the scarf from a bag with old things. . . .

The thought that I could not get passed knit and purl stitches stayed with me and so the idea of doing just that bored me.

Anyway, I picked up my knitting needles again 3 years ago and knitting has stayed with me and crochet was abandoned there and then (not forever though) but 3 years on I just can't put knitting down. . .

I have made cowls, hats, a cardigan, 3 shawls, socks. . . not very much to be honest as I'm a slow knitter and I spend more time ripping back than actually knitting on something :-)

I have now started the so called 'cozy memories blanket' although for me is not about memories but about using scraps or 'minis' I have dyed myself. . . I have been experimenting with dying yarn (yet this is another mystery solving for me). . . . the colour creation has proved fascinating for me, so much fun (I need to write a post about this). And yesterday I could see this also reflected on my kids.

Yesterday we had one of those nowadays rare free afternoon . . . .and we all needed calm and a quiet time. We made 'homemade' painting using corn flour, water and food colouring. My kids loved mixing the colours and try to get as many different colours as possible. Once the colours were mixed they were done with it, the fun was over. Mixing the colours is supposed to be only the preparation so that they could paint with them afterwards, but no, no painting happened.

I leave you here a few pictures of my blanket and the newest shawl I have started, and also the plan is to start this week this cardigan for my daughter.

Above is the French Cancan Shawl I have made for my mum

These are my first hand dyeing experiments, using food colouring which I will talk more about in the future, as I have also now have started selling full hanks hand dyed by me in my Etsy Shop

This is green ball is one of my favourites, the colour is not as bright as it looks on my screen, it is bright but not as much

 This is how my hand dyed yarn blanket is looking . . . so far

This mini here is also one of my favourites. . . .not sure why but I got lots of these pink/lilac minis, my hands and mind just seemed to mix the colours into these most of the time. . . 

And this is the new shawl I've casted on. . . I started this 3 times so far. The yarn is lace (2 ply) and I'm not used to working with such fine yarn. I was knitting with 3.5mm needles but the project did not call me, I was being put off . 

I changed needles to these zings 2.75 mm and I'm loving it !!

the pattern is this one. 

And just yesterday I bought this pattern in Ravelry to make it for my daughter. . . .

That is it from me for now, hope to post sooner this time :-)

Thanks for reading !

xEva