Well that was it, another odd year done and dusted. The new normal of being at home hasn't been difficult for me to get used to, it is my favourite place and I have been fortunate this past year to be able to push forward with Bluebird & Daisy in both making and pattern writing but also the tech editing part of my services which I'm really excited about doing more with in 2022. I had been looking to change career and start on something new but, you know what, I've been drawn back time and time again to my love of crochet and knitting and all things yarn. I guess I've just given in to what is obviously meant to be. There was a time I would love to learn something new and taken on the challenge but the more you look at what you can do with a ball of yarn there are more than enough challenges to keep me going there.
Photographs are fabulous things, snapshots of a moment in time. Some feel that with the digital age that we take more photos than ever before but never actually sit down and look at them like we used to with a film camera. Do you remember thinking carefully about the photographs you took on a film camera, sending them off for processing and patiently waiting for their return, in the hope that at least some were not too fuzzy. I think because this was such a process and because you didn't know quite what you would get that sitting down and going through the pictures, putting the best in albums meant we savoured the process. I did a City & Guilds qualification in photograph probably over 20 years ago, back when learning the workings of a dark room was the only way to process yourself. Playing with the exposure and the process meant you could have a further say on the finished image or just end up with something that was way too dark to decipher what it should be. The digital age whilst it takes this process does give an immediate image. I do spend hours going back through photographs I've taken, whittling out the good from the bad. The things you can do on even a free photo editor is mind boggling. So, here are my 12 photographs from the past year, one for each month, of makes and creations and a glimpse of my faithful if not ever so slightly needy assistant, Otto. It was difficult to pick just 12 as I've made far more than those things but I didn't think too much about it and just went for what leapt out.
From top to bottom, left to right:
January: Stylecraft Cardigan pattern 9460 using Life Double Knit in Turquoise and Mustard
February: Otto the crochet helper
March: Sock Three (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/sock-three )
April: Coastal Crochet Picnic by the Beach blanket made into a bag (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/picnic-on-the-beach-blanket)
May: Choose Colour! Cowl by Maddie Harvey (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/choose-colour-cowl)
June: Majestic Mountains Jumper by Stephen West (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/majestic-mountain)
July: Beach blanket (own design to be written up for 2022)
August: Bob the Dinosaur (waiting to be written up and tested)
September: Sock Six, currently being tested, for publishing in 2022
October: Halloween keyring trio (https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/trio-of-halloween-keyrings)
November: A Gonk Christmas Carol based on this Gonk pattern https://hookedonpatterns.com/crochet-patterns/christmas-crochet-patterns/santa-gonk-crochet-pattern
December: Stylecraft Pattern 9653 using Life in Natural Nepp
So, what does 2022 bring? Well I'm trying to be organised, not in a New Year Resolution way but there will be more blog posts with techniques and free patterns. I'm also inspired to design some shawls based on where I grew up on a farm in Cornwall which is down to doing the knitting tech edit course so I have such a better understanding of construction than ever before. The current crochet along finishes in February and I have another two blankets made and designed but awaiting photographs and testing so there will be at least two other crochet blanket patterns in 2022 too. I am due to do a specialist crochet tech edit course in March 2022 so will be able to enlarge my services even further. Add to that my ever increasing list of ideas for my Etsy shop and odd local craft stall I think I will be glad that I am a home bird.