Soul searching

Recently I have taken a step back from all forms of social media. I have not posted to YouTube since October. I have not posted on Instagram since November. I have been doing a lot of soul searching.

Spinning is good of the soul - especially with home dyed Merino clouds 

Social media is great in so many ways. I have made amazing, true friendships through my podcast, and I have found inspiration through seeing what others are creating. However, it can also be a source of anxiety for me. I feel there is a pressure (although most of it self made, and very little within the crafting community) to get it 'right'. To be 'on trend' and 'insta-worthy'. And those are ideals and standards to which I do not want to live. I had become too involved in what I felt I should be putting out there and not what I wanted to be putting out there. Let's face it the 'shoulds' are a lot safer than the 'wants'. What I want is to honestly share my creations and my thoughts, and that is scary as hell. What if I get something 'wrong'? What is people are mean to me? What if no one likes what I make/do/say? And then...then I asked myself the right question. Why? Why do I want to share things? I thought about it for a really long time and here is what I came up with:

I want to share creative things with the wider world because it makes me happy. There are so many reasons to be negative, doubtful, and sad in this world of ours, that sharing things that make me happy, that bring some joy and positivity to my life, may help someone else find those things too. 

Doesn't Portsmouth look pretty all lit up for Christmas

And so I am going to start using my blog more. I feel comfortable writing. A pen and pad of paper used to be my go-to happy place, my sanctuary. Somewhere along the way I censored that bit of myself, and I am working to release it again. I will start using my Instagram account again, and I will occasionally film for YouTube, but I just can't compare to the other crafting podcasts out there. I am not a prolific crafter so don't have a lot of projects to share, I don't have a camera that records with any sort of decent quality, and I feel more comfortable (for now) with pictures and text. 

My happiest of happy places - walking on the moors near Minions, Cornwall

So in the spirit of spreading some happy thoughts, and contented feelings, here are some of things that have been making me smile recently:

• Hallmark's 'When calls the heart' on Netflix - if you enjoy gentle, historical dramas you'll like this one
• Wool Exploration from KnitBritish (I came to this late, and not sure I'll make the first deadline - but love it!)
• Vlogmas with Katie, Mina, Dani, and Ellie
• Sleepy body lotion from Lush
• Anne with an 'E' on Netflix - Anne of Green Gables is one of my all time favourite book series, and this dramatisation is a good one!

Wishing you all a peaceful, contented, and very Merry Christmas!

Mrs B x x

A blog post rather than a podcast

I went to record a podcast this morning, but found myself dragging my heels. I'm tired, so very tired and so instead, armed with a lovely cuppa, I decided to revisit my blog and show it some long overdue love!

Bertie Tea from All About Tea, and a mug from a dear friend = bliss!

Life has changed a lot since I last posted here. We have bought a house and are now in the process of giving it the TLC that it is most definitely in need of. Luckily it's all cosmetic, but we're trying hard to get this lovely, old house back to feeling elegant and beautiful, not just functional. I now have a craft room (yay!!!) that I'm in the process of decorating and kitting out. I have painted 3/4 of it, and the last wall will get done by the end of the year. I need to move my piano in order to finish things, hence the hold up as my piano is heavy! I don't want to be moving it more than I have to. There are some tiles to come off the wall too, and the process on the other wall showed that they will take dents out of the plaster when they come off. However, once the final wall is done, my husband is very kindly going to build me some custom shelves so that I can store all my happy things away nicely! I'm also planning on getting a small comfy chair so that my crafty corner can also double as a cosy reading nook.

The hobby wall! The one wall left to do!

Today I have been trying my best to clear ivy from the old brick wall that runs along one side of our garden. The ivy can have a negative impact on the mortar so getting it off will help preserve the wall. All the old brick is just gorgeous! One of the perks of living in a house that is 117 years old! We are trying to be sensitive to the age of the house.

It may look untidy, but this is an improvement!

The interior aesthetic will be up to date but reflective of of the era when the house was built. We don't want uber-modernist, nor do we want Victorian, but we're aiming for a happy middle ground. Keeping the original features, and updating the areas that are feeling tired and unloved. It's so nice to finally live in a house that is all ours, and that we can truly settle into.

Moving house isn't the only change around here though...I have recently changed jobs too! I am a registered veterinary nurse, and I have moved from 1st opinion veterinary practice to a specialist referral practice. So far I am loving it! But this is also why I am extremely tired. Learning so much, so quickly is melting my brain, and the anxiety of being in an unfamiliar environment/situation has had an impact on my sleep. However, I wouldn't change it for anything. After just 2 weeks I have learned so much, and I am enjoying my new role. As time goes on there is a lot of scope for progression, and I'm looking forward to the future.

In between changing jobs I had some time off and managed to get my knitting mojo well and truly back. I finished a pair of socks in 6 days!! Whew!!

The 6 day Hogwarts socks!
(Yarn: Norah George Yarns and Felt Fusion, Pattern: my own plain sock recipe)

I've also got a jump start on Christmas knitting, finishing a pair of socks for my mother-in-law. And both of these projects qualify for the year-long knit-along I'm hosting in the Ravelry group: Stashfest 2017! Come and join in the fun!

Mother-in-law socks
(Yarn: Bergere de France Goomy 50, Pattern: my own plain sock recipe)

It's nice to have my knitting mojo back, and with it came my designing mojo too. So keep your eyes peeled. 2017 may be the year where you see some Mrs B patterns floating around...

Happy knitting!
Mrs B x x

#StashFest2017

I love my stash, my big boxes of yarn and fibre, they give me joy and it's about time I returned the favour!

This year I will be making a year-long concerted effort to show my stash some serious love, and I'm inviting you to join me. I am hosting a 12 month create-along in my Ravelry group which can be found here.

The rules are simple:

• Only stash purchased/received before the 1st of January 2017 can be used!!
• All projects must have been started on or after the 14th of December 2016 (let's give last year's WIPs a chance!) and finished after the 1st of January 2017
• All projects must contain over 50g of fibre goodness
• Knitting, crochet, and spinning projects all count!
• You can enter as many FOs as you like, but you will only have one post and all projects should be added to that one post (gives slower crafters a chance!) - simply edit the original post to add new projects
• You can enter at any point throughout the year
• Share your projects on social media using #stashfest2017

There will be a prize at the end of the 12 months, the winner will be randomly drawn on January the 6th 2018. However, there may (possibly depending on how things go!) be some smaller prizes randomly given along the way. A year is a long time after all!

Let's dive into the stash piles and show them some serious loving!

Mrs B x x

Happy New Year from me and the scruffy mutt!