Play? Yes!

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

It’s essential to be willing to break through the rules and conventions we set up for ourselves

and to be willing to try new things.

We need to be able to take artistic risks and

to suspend judgement long enough to experiment with new approaches,

new techniques, new thoughts…

or to look again at the ways we have always worked and

to see if there is a hidden treasure waiting to be re-discovered, re-invented, re-created.

So, give yourself permission to play, play and play some more, then step back and see what emerges!

The other day, I was thinking about writing about permission to play as part of the

Face of Joy Challenge.

I decided that I definitely wanted to include photos of  my ‘Permission’ doll. I tried taking boring old lay-the-doll-on-a-piece-fabric and shoot, pics.  Oh, borrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrring………

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

Besides………. the monster wrinkles in the fabric were just ridiculous.

So……… I decided to be playful, and to give the Permission doll a new place to sit.

I figured I could ignore some rules about ‘where things go’ and then shifted some furniture around in the studio.

Voila! A new place to sit and weave with my small looms.

The cupboard on that wall of the studio had always seemed to be an impediment to using that space.

I decided…. what the heck…. the cupboard is full of Christmas stuff, and only gets opened to take the Christmas stuff out, and then a month or so later, to stuff the Christmas decorations back in.

Why not ignore it, hang a loom on the doorknobs, and enjoy the space?

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

The boss of the studio approves of her bench being in a new spot, and I think the Permission doll does, too….

And, one of the most delightful benefits of playing around with the stuff in my studio is that I have given myself a very pleasant place to sit and weave with my small looms.

Also, choosing to ignore the mostly unused (but useful) cupboard in the wall is an excellent metaphor about another issue that writing about ‘permission’ brought up.

I realized that I have been frustrated by the placement of this cupboard for the 15 years that we have lived in this house.

I had made a rule that I couldn’t block access to the cupboard, even though access is only  needed a few times a year.

By saying: That’s a rule that doesn’t work for me, I was able to re-claim a wasted space that I am simply revelling in now!

Ah…. those rules……… sometimes, we have to bump up against them before we even know they exist! It sounds so simple, and minor, but it was a big ‘aha’ moment for me……  so often, we define our lives by rules that we may have invented unconsciously, or have inherited from relatives, friends or ‘experts’.  If we don’t know the rule is there, it’s going to shape our spaces and shape our lives.

Playful exploration is a good way to shine a light on all kinds of corners in our lives…..

photo by Noreen Crone-Findlay copyright

I designed the Permission doll as a reminder that we need to give ourselves permission to be and do

who and what we are, what we love, and to approach life with joy, panache and zest.

So, go ahead and play, and give yourself permission to move things around, and to try out new things, and to ignore some of the things that might have felt like blockages.

AND…. please remember to enter the Face of Joy Challenge…..

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

One of my most favorite designs is for a doll I named Lily.

The pattern for Lily sold really well. I kept having to reprint her, but then a strange thing happened.  The masters for the pattern simply disappeared! pooft!

Vanished.

I ripped the studio apart…. no Lily masters.

So, sadly, I took her down off my website.

As I was working on the Elspeth and friends dolls 

and then Esperanza,  I thought: I have GOT to find the  Lily masters!

Well! I tore the studio apart looking for the masters.

No joy.

I looked for the Lily doll.  Couldn’t find her.

I gave up.

Then, all of a sudden, when I was working on Esperanza, I discovered that I still had the ‘pre-masters’ for Lily!

I was THRILLED!

AND then! Even better… I found the Lily Doll!

BUT! poor baby! She’s had an adventure.

Actually…. it looks like more of a mis-adventure! Boy, talk about indigestion~!

Something has eaten her tummy! Poor Lily!

I’ll need to knit a new patch of tummy and applique it over her frazzlie bits.

Ah, frazzlies. It happens to all of us….. now and then.

I think I’ll park a teddy  over the boo boo for now, and let him do his comfort work. ……

I’m working on the new pdf for Lily, so people who’ve been wanting to order the pattern will be able to, really soon…..   )

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

Yay! I have finally finished the PDF for the Knitted Esperanza Doll. I’m doing the happy dance. )

I’ve been working on this PDF for ages. But, you know how it goes….. deadlines and a million other things come up, and things get pushed to the edges until they fall off the radar screen.

Last night, a note popped up in my email, saying that a lady wanted to order the pdf. Yoicks!

I pulled up the file and realized that it was no where near ready to go!

I looked at the charts and went: Phooey! NOT GOOD ENOUGH! So, I started over from scratch and now the charts are oh so much better. Not poifeck, of course, but I’m not complaining.

Lots of designers have software that they use to make their charts. ahem. Not me.
♥I ♥ am my software! LOL! Me and my bottle of white out and favorite felt tip pens.

So, I spent last evening, completely re-doing the charts and pdf and discovering new things in the process.

All in all, it was a very satisfying way to spend 5 or 6 hours!

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

Crocheted caps,

and  mittens,

and easiest ever knitted bears, dolls and toys 

So, I have decided that it’s time to post a more involved pattern.

I am going to be uploading the pattern for my design for a knitted fairisle pattern doll, Elspeth…..

So, if you’re up for a slightly more challenging knit…

stay tuned!

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

Anyhow, while the servers were down, and I couldn’t work on my blog, I finally got to work and pulled together all the pics of the new crochet hooks  that I have been carving.

I had kind of lost track of them! LOL!

I had to rummage around the studio to find them and get them organized and measured and photographed and photoshopped and finally up on my website.

(I have been neglecting my website because of focusing on blogworld, so when blogworld vanished, I was able to do some maintenance on my website. Hidden blessings!)

So, here’s a few pics of some of the new hooks I have been playing with:

My homage to Jane Austen and cats and dogs:

and heartfelt musings about home and hearth :

and another Snowman (we’re back into another blizzard! Oh! Will winter NEVER end?)

I have more blanks started, and since winter is such a drag, I will be finding respite in the workshop.  And that means….

more crochet hooks……..

And, oh yes, we’re also working on a series of new Jane Austen inspired spool knitters, too!

Can’t get enough of Jane!

Post from: Hankering for Yarn

I have designed all kinds of dolls in homage to Jane Austen, including a :knitted Jane Austen doll:

Sooooooooooooo………

I am utterly ecstatic that PBS is running a series on Masterpiece theatre, showcasing all her novels.

Persuasion  was brilliant. Perfecto!  

Ditto for Northanger Abbey. In fact, it’s my least favorite of all her novels…. BUT, this interpretation was so good that I actually liked it! 

A L A S…… I thought Mansfield Park was a disaster! They totally blew it…. they made a hash of the screenplay, (Fanny didn’t get sent home?!?!?! EH?!) and missed out on great fun by down playing and minimizing Evil Auntie Norris.  And, excuse me, but Billie Piper was utterly and hopelessly miscast as Fanny.  Pituey.  I thought it stank.

A N Y H O W ! ! ! ! ! 

I am sooooooooooooooooo excited about 6 delicious weeks of Jane Austen telly that I have carved a homage to Jane Austen crochet hook! I turned it on the lathe, and am tickled pink with it.  It’s my second attempt. 

My first attempt did the exploding hook routine- kapowweeeeeeeeeeee!

but, the second one has me feeling happy.

Here she is:

Ah, Jane Austen, I’m your biggest fan…..

Post from: Hankering for Yarn