Six months already?

I haven’t written a blog post or updated my site in six months. Depression took over in November and didn’t leave until the last few weeks. Winter is always rough, but it seemed worse than usual this year. Maybe because of all the political stuff going on… I can’t use a sun lamp like most people with seasonal affective issues, as it makes me fall asleep. (So does caffeine. I didn’t used to be that way. It’s weird. I can drink a Red Bull and I’m out like a light.) So there’s really no option but to soldier on as best I can.

So let’s talk about crafting, because that’s mostly what I’ve been up to for the last few weeks.

I took a break from my giant cross stitch project for a few months, but I started working on it again about a week and a half ago. I finished pattern page 11 (of 20), and am on page 12 now. Here’s a pic I took when I finished page 11.

I’ve started playing with band weaving again, this time using Baltic pickup techniques. This was me first one on my new-to-me small inkle loom. I got it from a guild member in return for a skein of my handspun.

I used a pattern from Baltic Style 2020 by Marieke Kranenburg, available on Etsy as a PDF. You can see how one end of the band is wonky. That was where I started. Practice makes perfect, and all that. My friend Vampy, who is an extremely talented artisan, gave me a tip: if you don’t have a knife-edge shuttle handy, use the dull side of a butter knife as a beater. Genius. The yarn is size 10 crochet cotton.

I’m currently doing another band on it, in pattern Baltic-9 5 from Anne Dixon’s The Weaver’s Inkle Pattern Directory: 400 Warp-Faced Weaves. Yarn is 5/2 perle cotton. I’m still struggling with getting the proper tension on this loom. (My freestanding giant inkle loom is in storage at the moment.)

In other news, I’m playing with abstract drawing. A dear friend got a book on the subject, and I thought it sounded like fun. So I’m playing. It’s not museum-worthy stuff or anything, but it’s fun. I created a gallery for them, which I’ll add to sometimes.

I’ve been knitting scarves and hats for fun. I’m planning a tapestry-like wall hanging using Theo Moorman technique. I’m spinning yarn for a new sweater. I’m considering taking a college class again.

So yeah, the depression has faded, and I have until November to enjoy life before it starts all over again. Gotta make the most of it!