Sunday, July 19, 2020

I've found it!

After a month or more of slogging past my craft room, sighing, feeling like I'd lost something akin to my left arm (not my right arm, mind you, but still... my left arm would be a pretty big thing to lose), I'm happy to report that I think I've located my motivation again!  Motivation for a number of things, but since this post is about crafting, I'll keep it on topic.

Now...   I don't think I've gone to sleep lately thinking of color combinations and what new project I want to make (which I used to do), but I'm back in the groove of wanting yarn flowing between my fingers.  It feels natural again.   I don't mean to exaggerate, but honestly...  I don't think, since I've picked up crocheting again over the last 10 years or so, and learned to knit, have I felt so close to just stopping altogether.  I considered what it would feel like to just give all my yarn away, and I actually imagined it might feel good.  I was sure I wouldn't regret it if I did.  Thinking those thoughts would pass, though, I didn't do anything rash, but having the experience was a new one for me (regarding yarn).  And while the slog part wasn't pleasant, the feeling I could give it all away and not regret it was refreshing.  Relieving, even...

Anyway...  that's a glimpse into my recent, let's call it, COVID-brain episode.  I'm feeling motivated to "needle craft" again.  So let's talk about that.  😊

Sometime in the not too distant past, when Marsha (Lefty Crafter) was making a gift of white dishcloths for someone, I was inspired to consider a mammoth skein of white kitchen cotton I had lingering in a drawer and thought how much I'd like cloths made of it.  I really like large (like 10 inches or larger) washcloths for my face and body, so some months back I set out to knit my way through that skein and see how many large cloths I could get out it.  But interest waned. And, actually, I forgot about it.  I finally uncovered it, and picked that project back up this week, and by yesterday I had finished a total of nine cloths (having finished about half of those some months earlier).



It's not a particularly flashy project, but it's another WIP finished and another skein gone from my stash!



And then there were these:


This week I also finished the tedious task of weaving in ends of  12 or so already crocheted Maybelle Flower squares that had been lingering for... I don't know...  at least a couple of years.  Now that I've gotten my hands back on it, I think I'm going to try to move this project along by doing some version of Join As You Go.  

At the moment, I'm thinking of joining squares vertically into strips until I have a blanket-width's worth of strips joined together, then finish the project by joining the squares horizontally.  A big project, that will likely take me many months yet to finish, but I think seeing it grow will be more inspiring to me than just watching the squares accumulate - knowing that some day I'm going to have to join them. 


And that's all she wrote!






47 comments:

  1. Well done! I know that feeling so well. What if I were to retire from making art, wouldn't that be restful? Tried several times and ended up happily making art again in weeks. I think sometimes your mojo just needs to lie fallow for a while.

    I'm glad yours is back, so now you know yes, you can still do this.

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    1. Thanks, Liz. Lie fallow - that's a good way to look at it. Times of rest, even from things we enjoy, is good for the soul and mind, I think.

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  2. I think those washcloths look great, and in fact I'd love to see them unrolled! Those granny squares look great too, I'd say you had a pretty good week!
    as for "I considered what it would feel like to just give all my yarn away, and I actually imagined it might feel good. I was sure I wouldn't regret it if I did.", you know it'll be the perfect excuse to start a stash anew!

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    1. lol. Sometimes I do wonder what it would be like to start all over building stash. I'm sure I'd do it differently, but I wonder if the end result would be the same - too much!

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  3. I've definitely been feeling that way lately myself! I'm glad you've found your motivation again!

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    1. While we've gone through some hard stuff over the last month or so, I do believe COVID is taking it's toll on most everyone. I know I've experienced some periods of depression and sadness - even before the recent hard things. This just isn't a normal time, so it's understandable that our emotions and thoughts will reflect that. I hope you find your motivation again, Kath. And sooner rather than later.

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  4. Oh Becki, so good to hear you've found your motivation. The cloths look lovely, actually your photo looks like it was taken in some fancy expensive spa. I had the Maybelle Flower blanket on my list as well but I chose another pattern instead because I could join as I went on. I'm not really good at joining squares later on, they just tend to sit in a dark corner and get forgotten. Here's hoping your plan works out.

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    1. lol - I hoped my photo set-up would jazz up the plain white cloths. A spa was exactly the look I was going for. :)

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  5. Whew! I was really getting worried about you! So glad you got your mojo back for everything. I think maybe you were busy worrying and caring for hubby and then of course the COVID thing...I'm surprised you didn't hit the bottle! Bottle of Tylenol I mean! LOL! I love your vignette of those lovely white cloths and your aqua accents....lovely bathroom!
    Lo and Behold! Great minds think alike! Did you see what I posted about? The Maybelle blanket! LOL! I will make another one I love it so much. Next time I will use scraps....yours is so pretty! Glad you are back in the groove! Hugs ~ Sam

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    1. Aww, thank you for worrying about me, Sam. It's probably good that I don't drink - though I have eaten my way through COVID a bit much - and that needs to change. Yay, that you finished your Maybelle project! It's such a sweet square, and makes a pretty blanket.

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  6. I wrote to Ruth who used to be in our group year before last and asked if she does any knitting any more, as she left to start running and now seems to have filled the gap with running a lot. I didn’t ask if she got rid of her stash. I think during Covid it is wise not to make any rash decisions, these have been strange times and will continue to be for a while. In a time when it’s easy to feel like you can’t control things it could be that thinking you could give away all the yarn was a glimmer of something you could have control over....but just because you can control that decision doesn’t mean it’s a decision you won’t regret. I’m glad your mojo is on it’s way back.

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    1. I've been thinking about Ruth a lot during these recent weeks. How great that you contacted her. I do think you've got something there - at least that my loss of motivation may have a lot to do with COVID. I have been starting to feel overwhelmed and grieved with what this period of social distancing is costing us personally. And when we experienced personal loss on top of that (which produced a lot of reflection) I, perhaps, finally started to go numb. Just the thought of getting rid of my great collection of yarn made me feel something and it was almost euphoric compared to the numbness that was settling in. Climbing out of something here this week, I can see I need to be purposeful about some things going forward as we're in this time of COVID for a while yet.

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  7. Your pile of wash cloths look great- they look very clean and organised! I'm glad you didn't get rid of your stash and that the mojo may be back.

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  8. so happy your mojo has returned. Covid-brain - I get that. Today I just felt defeated and sad. A long nap and then 45 minutes of spinning has helped quite a bit. It just all seems to much sometimes. Your wash cloths look very professional looking - is the pattern on your ravelry pages?

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    1. Yes, you can find the pattern there (should be at the top of my Projects page). But I'll mention here that it's the Boxes washcloth pattern. A very easy stitch pattern, and can be made any size as long as the number of cast-on stitches is a multiple of 2. The pattern says the cast-on must be a multiple of 4, but once you understand the pattern, you should be able to see how to make them with a cast-on being a multiple of 2.

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  9. I'm glad you have got into the groove of crafting again, I think we all through periods like this from time to time but thankfully for me at least it never seems to last for long, thank goodness you didn't get rid of your stash! it doesn't bear thinking about. Your washcloths look lovely, I love how you've displayed them. Have a great week.

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  10. LOVE your white knit cloths all rolled up! I want some like that. Come fall, I always feel like crocheting.

    I've had to take major breaks in my life, to help me appreciate my talent + ability to do something.

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    1. Thank you, Martha. Yes, I think breaks are good for seeing things afresh.

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  11. Oh how I can relate to this post. I, too, have had Covid-Brain. But I did take some steps to thin out my stash - probably about 25% is denoted to a thrift shop. And for me, it did help spur me on to do something craft wise with the remaining treasured beauties. And instead of wash cloths, I cast on a garter stitch blanket with double thread in acrylic yarn - and I am almost done with it. During those months of disinterest, I worked my way back to interest again in knitting.

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    1. Having a long-term simple project going is such a good idea. Dishcloths tend to be that for me, but they're not quite enough. But a big blanket? Yeah... You're making my wheels turn, Elaine. :)

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  12. Happy to see you have located your mo-jo! Mine went into hiding for some time as well. It is nice to have it back ♥ I absolutely love your picture of the washcloths!

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  13. Wow those Maybelle Flower squares are so beautiful!! Also those dishcloths look great. Always good to use up some stash :)

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  14. Hi Becki :) I'm so glad you found your motivation again. Mine has been waning, but now that we have water, I'm feeling a little more myself. I can't even process covid anymore these days, I think that would shoot me into depression if I think about it too long. Your cloths look so great, especially how you present them!

    And by the way, thank so much for your sweet and thoughtful comment on my post, that made me feel so loved, really. Just to let you know...I've decided NOT to walk anywhere near where I hear those gunshots. I spoke with a neighbour and she told me where they come from, way up the road, so I won't walk that way anymore. I'm very safe from the guns, please don't worry! Safety is my first thought. I wear a very "loud" orange and yellow shirt when I walk on that logging road too. When I go to town next week, I'm going to stop by an outfitter and buy some pepper/bear spray. Now I'll be armed with an air horn, pepper spray and my cell phone! That same neighbour told me there has never been an incident here of anyone getting attacked by a wild animal or being shot while walking along the road. She walks there every morning by herself for exercise and she told me it is quite safe.

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    1. Oh, thank you, Rain. That's exactly what I was hoping to hear from you. As I read your comment above, I'm thinking that makes complete sense. If everyone knows there's a road there, they're not likely to aim their guns in that direction even if they clearly see a deer or something else that's fair game for dinner.

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    2. We can only hope that people are that responsible right? I was talking to Alex tonight and we thought...okay what if that guy drinks or does drugs and aims foolishly...but then I guess people would be talking about that, the lady I spoke with has been living here for 40 years so I trust her judgment. Still though, safety first. Thanks for caring! xx

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  15. Congratulations! How nice to see your mojo is back. The stack of wash cloths is impressive to me. A 10" cloth is nothing to sneeze at. Weaving in ends......Not a favorite past time of mine, but, a necessary thing to be done.

    As for giving away all your yarn.................You are not alone in those thoughts. I too, have had that thought at times. It was fleeting though. In fact, I HAVE given away copious amounts of yarn in spurts. It is quite freeing. But, I do not know if I could ever get rid of ALL of it.

    Anyway, I am so glad to see you letting yarn pass through your finger again. After loosing your MIL and then your hubby having surgery............I was hoping you would find comfort from your hooks and yarn.

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    1. Thank you, Marsha. Yep, the motivation is back. Fininshing these WIPs is motivating in its own right, and I'm starting to think of new projects I'd like to get underway. This is a sign of good things.

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  16. That's such a pretty pile of washcloths...well done! Nice to hear you're back in the creative groove again. Sometimes I think it's good for the soul to take time off to regroup and regenerate. I know what you mean about contemplating getting rid of your stash and wondering how it would feel - I've given some thought to clearing out my crazy quilt fabric stash in favour of more cottons and fodder for landscapes. But then I think about how much time it's taken me to accumulate all the choices I have for CQ...to say nothing about how much it would cost now to replace even a portion of it. Most of the fabrics I have were purchased from thrifties back in the days when they were dirt cheap and that would be impossible to do now.

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    1. I recently brought some cotton fabric home from my MIL's. She was a quilter and she had a lot of cottons. Don't know what I'll do with it, but I'm looking forward to playing with it - probably use some of it to finish off some cross stitch projects - gotta get back to those, though...

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  17. I’m so pleased your motivation is coming back. I find it very disconcerting when mine goes. I hardly know what to do with myself. I love the dishcloths/flannels. They look just perfect all rolled up together.
    Your maybelline squares are beautiful. The colours are divine.

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  18. So glad your mojo is back! That's a great pile of washcloths!

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  19. How wonderful to feel motivated about your crafting again, Becki. Making has been one of my happy places during this endless coronavirus, really helped center me. Thank you for the lovely comments you've left me, I'm sorry I've not been around , it's been a very busy time at work these past few weeks and not much time for visiting.
    Amalia
    xo

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    1. Not a problem, Amalia. I was so glad to get back to your blog. The only way I can access is it on my laptop, and I enjoyed catching up over the weekend. :) Your posts always make me smile.

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  20. Happy to hear you found your mojo. A friend of mine recently gave me all her wool, her patterns and her knitting needles....and there was A LOT of it. I had a great time sorting through it. I kept what I thought I will use and have set quite a bit aside for the charity shops when they start accepting donations again. My friend's hands have deteriorated and she won't be able to knit again. I think she is happy to pass everything on to someone who really understands it. I feel honoured.

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    1. How wonderful to be the recipient of someone's love stash of yarn. :)

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  21. Hooray! I'm so glad that your motivation is coming back around. I'm making myself dig around and at least put some projects together in bags for future work,
    I have made dish cloths in the past, but i love the look of your white wash cloths all in a stack. They are beautiful and I'm sure compliment your bathroom too.
    I love the way you did your Maybelle squares with the leaves in the corners. I did a square like that and used the celtic lace join, by Cypress textiles which I love the way it came out, but it still has a lot of ends to work in too. Maybe that should be my next challenge! We can keep each other going by sharing the sewing in!

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    1. I think that would be a great idea, Allison. I need to find the time to block the squares I have done - then I think it will be fairly quick work to stitch these together. My days are so choppy right now. It's a happy choppy, but still... it's choppy. ;^)

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  22. I was in the exact same spot a year ago: I honestly thought I was 'done'with crochet. I finally realized it was depression, and that made me re-think giving away all my yarn. I did give away about half of it, but it was to an organization that does all the good things for others I wanted to with yarn. It was extremely liberating: I was still doing a good thing so there was no guilt about the money I had spent on the yarn. If I feel like making shawls or hats or baby blankets myself they will take finished objects as well, but I don't have to make ten of any one thing to feel I am contributing. Soon enough my motivation came back and I am so glad I didn't give it all away; but I don't feel overwhelmed with all the projects I want to make for others as well as myself. I am glad you feel like getting back into it, the least of it being I always get so inspired seeing what you make☺

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    1. I remember you talking about packing up all your yarn. And I do think I've gone in and out of depression during this COVID time, and then with family loss in June and everything that goes with that I just didn't have the inner motivation for much of anything. I'm so glad to be out of that for now. I'm braced for more of it, and think I need a plan - as I expect we're in this COVID time for quite a while longer. Thank you for your encouragement, Jenn!

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  23. Your pile of dishcloths is really lovely!

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  24. Great accomplishments this week.

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