Mother Nature it is

The new cardigan-to-be gave me some grey hair at first because of this yarn...

If you know this yarn you may know why. It's beautiful to look at but once you get it on the needles it feels stiff. I thought I wouldn't like to tackle this for 350 grams but after I found the right needle it started to work. The right needle is Addi with "very smooth, polished metal tips" as it says on the needle envelope. Now the yarn glides on easily. But since I had these difficulties at first I had to convince myself regularly to keep on and so far the project has barely started. I'm half way in the back side.

The last picture here is to give you the size of the stitch markers. The feel of the fabric is very nice but I don't like garter stitch so much. I wish there would be bad weather with absolutely nothing else to do but knit and a pile of good dvd's to watch. It is so easy to be tempted to do something else than rows of garter stitch... But am sure once this cardigan is finished am pleased.

I have been tagged for the very first time by Moggy and me. Thank you!

Name five women, artists, crafters and others, who inspire you

I have been pondering hard on this, maybe too hard, and so far only one crafter or artist is clear. Also I approach this task as what inpires my knitting. I'm not sure if this is the way you can take this challenge but I'll try to pick one for each of the coming posts. The first one, hope you don't think this is a cliché because

Mother Nature

(see this beautiful wool she has scattered around...)
it is. My knitted creatures are solely inpired by nature, like Miss B. The idea to knit animals I got in the Nordic Knitting Symposium summer 2001 in Kristiansand Norway. There was a good workshop by two Estonian Anu's, Anu Raud and Anu Kotli. After that workshop I felt that a precious gift was given to me and I treasure it. If you read this AnuAnu, thank you again!

My concern as a child was not being able to play when being grown-up. I am sure there are plenty of you who felt the same and I hope you all have managed to... When I feel that a new creature is on its way (sometimes it takes weeks, sometimes months...) I collect pictures of real life, make lots of sketches, and then knit accordingly. I don't make a pattern nor write down my choices. I want each one to be one of a kind, like everyone on earth, so that reproduction is not possible. Without a pattern you can follow your instincts... Someone once asked me how do you make the impression on the face. The answer to the question is simple, you look into the face as long as is needed to see the creature looking back into your eyes...There are few more whom I'll introduce when each one of them is ready to come out. They are simple and shy folks.

Many times I knit following patterns from different designers and trusting their yarn choices. I think that is a good way to learn. Like when painters used to copy masters...I'm not sure if they still do so. Once in a while I try to accomplish something of my own. If there isn't a source for the pattern here in the blog then it is my own.

It is Saturday. I have to get off the computer now because there is a queue behind of me, this feels like I'm in a phone booth...