Filling up my sketchbooks

Creativity gives us a mental boost. But sometimes I just don’t have the ideas, the confidence or even the energy. In those cases, I've found that just filling up my sketchbooks, just starting with some colour and a (small) blank page before me, without expectations, is so soothing and calming and re-energising. Besides, the practice, even if it doesn’t result in a nice sketch but rather an ugly experiment, is what stretches the creative muscles.

I also find that working with another medium, with a sketchbook and some colour, influences and inspires my textile work.

That’s why I’ll be sharing some of my sketches now and then with you, hope you don’t mind!

Selbu Mittens

The Selbu Mittens is a pattern by Skeindeer Knits. You can buy it here on Ravelry. Skeindeer is a London-based Norwegian pattern designer highly influenced by traditional Norwegian knitting. She hosts a nice YouTube podcast that I watch regularly.
The pattern is well-written and easy to follow, and I loved learning new techniques (like the Old Norwegian cast-on). It was a bit like solving a puzzle to me. This colourwork knitting is really something I want to do more of.
The yarn I used is John Arbon Textiles knit by numbers DK, bought online from Knit with Attitude
(a local yarn shop in London). I am very happy with these mittens, they are so super warm and cosy. I made them as a Chritmas gift and I hope they will be well received!

Sooo cosy and warm!

starting a new project is always a bit daunting…

Tadaa! The Baa-ble hat

Now all of you should hear triumphant trumpets! I have been meaning to knit this hat for a while, but was rather scared of the colour-work.
The Baa-ble hat was the official pattern for Shetland Woolweek 2015, held every year in Shetland to celebrate Shetland wool and its associated crafts. When I downloaded it, the pattern was still free. Now you can purchase it, here on Ravelry.
The yarn I used is Rico Design Essentials soft Merino aran superwash. I adore the colours!! But I would recommend a more rustic yarn for this hat. The yarn I used makes the hat a bit too stretchy and soft. That being said, I am sooo happy with it. The sheep are so adorable and the hat is very warm. And let's not forget the huge pompom. I wore it in the house for two days, that's how proud I was.
This is an ideal introduction to colour-work or Fair Isle knitting. As a bonus, I learned to knit with two colours in different hands, which makes colourwork much more fun. And another bonus is that I can now knit continental, which is so much easier on the right shoulder that gives me quite a bit of trouble.
So, in my opinion, triumphant trumpets in order here!

let's get started, on double pointed needles:

the colourwork, on circular needle:

me, very happy, with my own Baable-hat!