First YarnBomb: Completed!

I did it! With shaking hands and rather an alarming amount of anxious perspiration I finished and attached my first yarnbomb!

It was my last day temping for this particular creative agency and as soon as my fellow receptionist, Tats, left for the day, I took a deep breath and started attaching my yarnbomb to the desk leg.

In order to hide my fiddling hands from the rest of the studio filled with people behind me, I had moved the chairs round the leg.  I cannot tell you how nervous I was - I was actually whispering to myself to keep calm which just added to the mad yarn lady image I was trying to avoid!

Just as I finished securing the bottom section, which required me to be on my knees (not so subtle), I got caught! One of the guys in the finance department, who sits closest to Reception came over to ask me something and on seeing what I was doing, promptly sat down and in surprise and immediately wanted to know what was happening.

I was crouched on my knees, bright red holding cable ties, looking distinctly dodgy! All I could manage was a whispered, "Ssh, I'm being a yarnbomber." Needless to say he looked all the more confused...

I eventually managed to explain what I was doing and why. He seemed very taken with it and promptly offered to lift the desk, allowing me to tuck the end underneath the leg. He told me he thought it looked awesome and by then I was riding high off the adrenaline.

This could get very addictive.

Before attaching

Attached!!

They, Tats and Showgirl, found it the next morning and tweeted it so I think they liked it.

My first YarnBomb experience has taught me that:

It takes much longer then I anticipated to secure the piece.

I love cable ties.

I was much more nervous then I had thought I'd be.

It was amazing and I want to do more more more!

Hoorah!!

"Creativity is a great motivator because it makes people interested in what they are doing. Creativity gives hope that there can be a worthwhile idea. Creativity gives the possibility of some sort of achievement to everyone. Creativity makes life more fun and more interesting. "
- Edward de Bono

First Yarn-Bomb Location: Identified

I'm temping this week at an agency where it's safe to say I'm a regular. I work with one of the two receptionists (blog-names: Showgirl and Tats) each time and they are both equally amused and interested by my current knitting projects and always ask for updates.

Last week I was talking to Showgirl about my upcoming yarn bombing plan and she was intrigued, we ended up looking at various yarn-bombing websites and images together.  This week she's on holiday and so I am covering her. This morning I found she had left me a note asking if I had achieved my yarn bomb yet.

Tats brought it up too, turns out Showgirl was telling him all about it and he too is intrigued. While talking about it, he had a truly fantastic suggestion - yarn bomb her desk for her return from holiday! I was excited, what a brilliant idea - I will yarn-bomb the leg of the desk she shares with Tats and I think she will love it!

It's a creative agency and the desk leg faces the studio not any incoming clients so I doubt anyone will mind...we'll see!

The YARN BOMB TARGET...with a bit of Tat's tatted leg.

Of course this won't exactly be anonymous but there's time for more risky pieces later...let the measurements commence!

“Why do you have a cigarette lighter in your glove compartment?" her husband, Jack, asked her. "I'm bored with knitting. I've taken up arson” 

―Audrey Niffenegger, Her Fearful Symmetry

Streets of Colour

I have been considering having a go at yarnbombing for a while now, looking at images like these has inspired me. I'm going to do it! Watch out London I've got my crafty eye on you....

c/o History to the People

c/o Stickluben

c/o Illusion

c/o Flickamag

c/o Design Drool

I will document my yarnbombing adventure on here, first thing's first I need to select a spot to yarnbomb....

Excitement!!

“Art is an evolutionary act. The shape of art and its role in society is constantly changing. At no point is art static. There are no rules.”
― Raymond Salvatore Harmon, BOMB: A Manifesto of Art Terrorism

Stash Storage Envy

I keep stumbling onto Stash Storage discussion threads on Ravelry right now and oooh my envy is growing! Some people have a whole room for their knitting stash and projects!

I'm temping today on a quiet front desk so had a little google...

c/o 1521 blogspot

c/o Rubbermaid

c/o the loopy ewe

c/o Crochet Me

C/o Streets and YOs 

As a Virgo and a yarn addict I am officially jealous!

“I recognize that knitting can improve my mood in trying circumstances” 

-Stephanie Pearl-McPhee

Peek Into My Yarn Stash

I recently-ish went to Wonderwool in Wales and treated myself to quite a lot of sock yarn. It was too beautiful to not indulge, the successful heel turning of knitting a sock too addictive, full of way too much satisfaction.

I spent about £50 on various sock wools, one lovely lavender grey Gotland skein specifically for The Big One. He is yet to fully understand and therefore appreciate the world of handknit socks but I think he will be pleasantly surprised...he certainly likes the pair I finally finished for myself.

Here are some of the others I invested in, at last my black sock collection is under threat, there'll be some new kids in town...eventually!

Krafty Koala Mockinjay Butterfly Yarn

Krafty Koala Neon Lights Puffin Yarn

Tall Yarns and Tales Soliloquy Sock Yarn

Koigu Painter's Palette Premium Merino

What do you think?

“His socks compelled one's attention without losing one's respect”

-H.H Munro

Wonderwool? How Wonderful!

Yesterday I booked tickets to attend this year's Wonderwool in Builth Wells, Wales! I am so excited, it's my first Wonderwool and it's very close to My Lovely Dad and his wife M's gorgeous home and B&B The Rhedyn so we get to visit and stay with them. It was his wife M (a fellow crafty) who told me all about it when we were last there for Christmas. She told me there are sheep being sheared and demonstrations about how the fleece is spun into yarn....how exciting is that!?

I also know that two of my favourite yarn suppliers will be there, Toft Alpaca - who are bringing some of their Alpacas (soooo excited) and Tall Tale Yarns who I recently bought gorgeous Canadian Koigu yarn from.

The Big One is coming with me and I am really looking forward to sharing my excitement with him, I wonder what he'll make of it all!

Prepare yourselves - there will many pictures!

"A hobby a day keeps the doldrums away."
- Phyllis McGinley 

Yarn Delight!

My Christmas presents from My Lovely Dad and Painter were so thoughtful! They gave me beautiful yarn local to their area in pattern kits. I got a hooded scarf pattern and beautiful merino and kid mohair yarn to make it with. It is soo soft!

I also got a kit (pattern and local yarn) to make a bag and purse!

The yarn is untreated so has that incredible yarny smell!

Add to that the lovely slippers and complete surprise of an iPad 2 from The Big One and I became one very spoilt and happy gal!

"A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

- Margaret Mead

Currently Knitting...

Do you remember that I decided to learn Scandinavian/Fair Isle style knitting? Well I started over the Christmas holiday and am utterly De-LiGhTeD with how it's looking!

The scarf is knit in the round so will be super cosy!

It's considerably easier then I thought and yet the results look so impressive! I think I'm going to change the colours gradually in different sections and am very excited about designing my own patterns eventually! I've already had one order for a scarf in this style so I may be very busy click clacking for a while!

"If the knitter is weary the baby will have no new bonnet." 

~Irish Proverb

A Yarn Round Up: Perth

I cannot let 2011 come to an end without finally blogging about the incredible Elena Costello Yarn & Fibre Studio in Perth Scotland. You may remember I was performing in Perth in September, well amongst my wanderings I found this beautiful treasure trove of yarn. I had meant to blog about it at the time but with the transfer to London, getting ill etc it got lower on the list...til now!

I met Elena herself in the shop and she kindly let me take pics of all the delicious delectables she had on offer,  she even showed me around personally and answered all my questions. She explained that the shop had been flooded and severely damaged only a few months after opening and that it had only  really just been restored to working order by the time of my visit. It looked pretty good to me!

Elena was lovely, really warm and welcoming and if it was closer to London then I'd be in there all the time! If you're in the area, (Perth is incredibly beautiful so well worth a visit) I highly recommend a 'pop-in', you won't regret it - your purse might, but you will skip away with a fabulous recycled paper bag of buzzing excitement just like I did!

See  - even the bags are cool!

Some DK for my afghan of travels and some yellow fun!

Thank you Elena for giving me so much of your time...and your great taste in yarn!

“...the number one reason knitters knit is because they are so smart that they need knitting to make boring things interesting. Knitters are so compellingly clever that they simply can't tolerate boredom. It takes more to engage and entertain this kind of human, and they need an outlet or they get into trouble..."

-Stephanie Pearl McPhee

Just Cast Off

Bought this as a kit at the Knit & Stitch show at Alexandra Palace back in October (a belated post yet to come). The kit came with the pattern and 2 balls of Toft Alpaca Fingering yarn.

It was a fiddly pattern, not the easiest to figure out but certainly not the hardest. ANYway I finally finished it today and was so pleased I popped it straight on for pics before ironing...

I am delighted with it and will be wearing it out tomorrow...after ironing it. Aaarrrgh I hate ironing!

"I buried a lot of my ironing in the back yard."
- Phyllis Diller

Currently Knitting...

I am beyond in love with this colour yarn, plus it has that untreated smell which I adore! I got it in Perth when we were doing the show there at this fabulous yarn shop which I shall be blogging about very soon. Plus look at my luverly chic black needles with mother of pearl tops...a Christmas gift from Mama Mooskin  - they are DiViNe!

It's going to be a cowl...hopefully a gorgeous one....

"Follow the yellow brick road." - E. Y. Harburg 

A Beret Full of Cables

I finished this the other day and have worn it several times to the sound of muchos compliments!

I'd love to show you a pic of me wearing it but here in Belfast I don't have my trusty photog, The Big One.  So til I pluck up the guts to ask one of my cast members of stage management, you'll have to imagine it on.

I can assure you it looks fab...if I say so myself!

It looks really blue here but it's actually a teal colour

"A crown is merely a hat that lets the rain in."

- Frederick The Great 

Are You Thinking What I'm Thinking...?

Crazy Zauberball

Just so we're on the same page  - I'm thinking SOCKS! My first pair of knitted socks are about to commence! That is what you were thinking right?

“True love is like a pair of socks: you gotta have two and they’ve gotta match.”

- Anon

Currently Knitting...

Having finished The Big One's Hat (pics coming soon) and the lace shawl I have now cast on a cabled beret...I am kind of ObSeSSeD with hats, in particular berets and cabling so this should be perfect right?

Here's hoping!

I'll show you once it's finished, hopefully I'll love it so much I won't want to take it off...

"Cock your hat - angles are attitudes."

 - Frank Sinatra