Inspiring, fun, thought-provoking, and crafty links to round out the week and jumpstart your brain.
Stumbled across Nimona this week and it’s now one of my favorite comics.
A visit to the Voss Folkemuseum
Check out this awesome library in Sweden
Hasty and passionate scrawlings
Creative Thinking hits close to home
I would love to walk this path through the treetops
Enjoying listening to Sunny War
Spotted at the butterfly pavilion at the Los Angeles Natural History Museum
Inspiring, fun, thought-provoking, and crafty links to round out the week and jumpstart your brain.
Wonderful Calligraphy Animals by Andrew Fox.
Make melon sorbet without an ice cream maker.
Enjoying a quick photo trip around Oslo.
Great explanation about color dominance in Fair Isle knitting.
A building for measuring borders.
Love the Gnome Team Selfie by Anna Hrachovec.
What a cool coffee house.
These op-art rugs remind anyone else of illusion knitting?
Inspiring, fun, thought-provoking, and crafty links to round out the week and jumpstart your brain.
Metropolitan Museum of Art Releases 400,000 Images to the Public Domain
The Ages And Ages: Tiny Desk Concert brings the pep.
A green grass roof seems like a great place for a picnic.
What the internet actually looks like.
This is one lovely yarn shop in Portugal.
Had a fun idea for a new pattern. After copious notes, sketches, and knitting, all I have to show for it is frogged yarn. Time to cast on again.
Inspiring, fun, thought-provoking, and crafty links to round out the week and jumpstart your brain.
Pejac’s Canvases and Street Art
Love peeking into an artist’s studio
How to Kick Monkey Butt - Focuses on drawing but is good advice no matter what your medium.
Fun and interesting links from the week.
Underworld: The Intrepid Cave Photography of Robbie Shone
Beautiful, varied lamps made from vintage and discarded glass
One wonderful balcony, please.
How to Make a Knotted Steek - Definitely want to test this for my next major color work project.
Now I want giant, silly pom-poms for my bike too.
Way back in January, which isn’t as far away as it seems, I shared my pattern design goals for 2014. The last day of March seemed like as good a time as any to check in, take stock, and stay accountable.
I only had one major goal, to design and release 1 pattern every 2 months. We’re 3 months into 2014 and I haven’t released a single knitting pattern. Good thing I didn’t push myself to release a pattern a month or I’d be really dejected right now. The thing is, I’ve been putting in the work. The first pattern I worked on this year is finished aside from the final necessary steps - the layout, proofreading, editing, and photography stuff. Still a lot of work to be done but those tiny little balls of yarn are proof that the knitting is finished. The pattern itself won’t be released until Summer is on it’s way out. Maybe I can come up with a name by then. Why does coming up with a good name have to be so hard?
The second pattern of the year was a set of kitchen towels and washcloths that I submitted to Holla Knits. These towels were the first pattern that I’ve ever submitted for publication by someone else. Submitting a design was a goal I’ve had for a long time and a hidden goal for this year. Dropping the swatches in the mail box was exciting and nerve-racking at the same time. The set wasn’t accepted but it’ll be showing up here just as soon as I finish the samples and put the finishing touches on the pattern. Just might be my first release of the year.
As for other patterns, I’ve been sketching and taking notes as soon as the ideas popped into my head. A few skeins of my recent handspun have been brilliant inspiration. I’ve even resurrected a few older patterns from my notes and WIP bin. Some of them I’m ripping out because they’re just not as exciting or likable since the novelty wore off. Still others have reclaimed some brain space so I can get back to puzzling out the details. The next few months are going to be busy with pattern knitting and writing. Plenty of ripping too. I’m sure of that.
Even after 3 months, I still feel like I’m just getting started but at least I’ve got some momentum. There have been more small successes behind the scenes to keep me going then there have been disappointments to hold me back. When I was feeling complacent and lazy, this interview with Alex Tinsley over on the Loopy Ewe blog was a swift kick in the pants. I’ve read it several times and I’m sure I’ll be coming back to it when I would rather be be a giant, lazy lump. Until then, there’s no time like the present to get serious and get things done. So, I’m sticking with my original goal of releasing 1 pattern every 2 months. It’s not going to be easy or quick but it’s worth the effort.
A collection of fun and interesting links from the week.
Time Tunnels by Fong Qi Wei
Knotted Needles Make Knotted Knits; The knitted toruses of Sarah-Marie Belcastro
Cupcakes dressed up as Succulents
One Amazing Home Renovation
After reading numerous “Best Of” and 2013 showcase posts, I was inspired to make up a little gallery of my 2013 patterns. Here’s what I have to show off: The Cornered Slouch Hat.
And that’s it. Just one measly pattern. I had all these ideas in my head; some of which I sketched and swatched and started knitting. Out of all of these, the only pattern that saw the light of day was this hat. Disappointing? Yes. A kick in the pants? Definitely.
So, this year I’m setting a goal. My realistic side wants to design and release 6 patterns. That’s 1 pattern every 2 months. The crazy, overachiever part of me wants to push 1 pattern a month. I’m going to aim for something in the middle and see what happens. Some of the patterns will be ones that have been lingering on my needles and some will be the ones that I just have to cast on for right that second.
The pattern currently dancing around on my needles is definitely one that I wanted to cast on for as soon as the idea popped into my head. Unfortunately, I wasn’t even in the same state as the yarn at the time and had to wait a few days. Turned out to be a good thing since I was able to mull the project over and work out a few details. Well, as well as details can be worked before the yarn hits the needles. Now I’m one swatch in and the whole thing is still a good idea. 2014 is off to a great start.
Thanksgiving is sneaking up next week and I’m just sitting here with my Christmas knitting.
The wooden Tryllemromler Installation looks like a giant strip of lace.
Deconstructed Video Game Controllers by Ballen Photography - Part 1 & Part 2
A different take on the old fashioned Hot Chocolate Recipe
How to Spin Variegated Top in Progression
Cauliflower with Brown Butter Crumbs
Partly Cloudy by Grant Snider
Hi! My name is April Klich. I write about knitting, spinning, and straight up making with a focus on playing and finding joy in the process.
