Do you knit?

Knitting was one of those things that I just didn't get. I tried it, and then tried it again. But it just didn't seem to work with my brain. My Mum can knit, but alas I could not. But crochet is another story!

I can't remember when I started to crochet, but I do remember doing a table cloth in 1991/1992 when my beloved and I did a "round the world" relationship breaker/maker trip. Back in the good 'ol days when you could do craft on planes. I once loved doing fine work with crochet, but the appeal of knitting always escaped me ..

I have a friend who is a mad knitter (sorry Trudi ..) and she is on a mission to declutter and has given me a pile of books, magazines and knitting patterns to sell at the next Northside Makers Market on my stall. They are all "like new" and many still have price tags on them.

So please come down and take them off my hands ...

My Year in Craft

Northside Makers are doing a Crafty Meme to wrap up the year. Get involved!

1. In my twelve months of crafting, my crafty self made all these...

Bags, bibs, shoes, wallets, pillows, coasters, pendants, pencil rolls, crochet blankets ... and attempted soft toys (not successful). I've been very pleased at my bags and have been enjoying making bags a lot more than the baby shoes that I started off making.

2. If my year was a colour it would be...

I don't think I can give this year a colour, although I have been leaning towards purple as my "colour of the moment".

3. This year I spent way too many craft hours...

un-picking things! I have this basket of things that get un-picked when I am watching things like Glee .. I should really not unpick and just have a seconds sale!

4. This year I wish I'd had more craft hours for...

"no pressure" sewing. Just mucking around for the sake of mucking around. I need to do some skirts for work or re-fashion some old ones, so my muck around time will have purpose. I am quite happy not to have any markets on in January and my husband on holiday, so that I can do this!

5. My proudest craft moment of the year was...

my first quilt for Lexi ... or Wigglesworth!

6. My biggest craft disaster was...

My attempt at a women's wallet. It stills sits there and mocks me ... but in 2010 I will be successful. Hoping to develop some cute Kaos Purses and wallets for my market stalls.

7. This year I had stalls at/visited this many markets...

Sisters Market, Sonny and Coco, Made n Thornbury, Northside Makers .. lots of them!

8. My most enjoyable market was...

definately "our" first market. God it was hard work and stressful, but when it was finished it was so satisfying! On top of organising a market, we three girls decided to also have stalls at it ... crazy women!

Northside Makers; Jennie, Jay and Margaret

9. My best handmade purchase/present/swap/acquisition was...

I swapped something for one of the finki handmade brooches with the rabbit from Alice in Wonderland on it. I also swapped some embroidery for a Mrs Beckinsale Tram Cushions which will arrive sometime next year (no stress).

10. After this year I swear I'll never again...

do 7 markets leading up to christmas .. maybe 3 or 4 MAX ... even though there were more markets, there wasn't more money to go around. Was it worth it? Maybe, it made Christmas less financially stressful but the physical and emotional stress was not worth it.

11. Next year I'm determined to...

Make more crafty things for me, spending more time with friends doing craft and doing craft swaps. I'd like to learn some more practical skills like screen printing or silversmithing, but I probably don't have the time! I am also determined to finish my daughters quilt for her bedr

12. But I'll probably do this instead...

developing things for my markets ... building my business.