A Guest Speak on Episode 27 of a Self-Sufficiency & Homesteading Group

Last week, I had the pleasure of being a guest speaker for Episode 27 of the talks run by Tanya Malan of the Self Sufficient Homesteading & Gardening Facebook group, also hosted by Warrick Selzer of Beeware.

Leon De Beer of the National Grower's Association of South Africa was also guest speaking, with some excellent info on sheep farming and what happens to the fleece on a larger scale.

Whilst the video is based on farmers, small-holders and homesteaders in South Africa, the same can apply in any country in the world.

So, a huge thanks to Tanya Malan and Warrick Selzer for having me along.

It was really interesting and insightful. Plus, I got to (hopefully) spread some of the joy of creating with natural fibers on to others.

A Sweet Little Handspun Weekend

I was saving a special batt of fiber that I bought, for just the right time, and this weekend was it.

I needed a little self-love and TLC, so I dug it out.

I'd bought the batt on Etsy several years ago (but can't find the seller to attribute it to, sorry) and thought it so pretty that I was reticent to spin it up straight away.

And I'm so glad I waited because it was just such a lovely treat for me.

The batt looked like this ...

And here's the finished yarn ... swoon.

Feeling soooo much better.

A New Name & A New Me

 It's been a while since I posted, and life has moved forward ... as is its way.

I took a little break from the business, which unfortunately turned into a long break. This happened because I went back to work full time in September 2015 when my son started primary school. And then, his father and I split up last year, which further meant that I had little to no time for my business 'A Yarn Loving Mama.'

A few years on, and we are all settled into our new way of living and doing well.

I'm still crafting on and off when I can, but as a single mum, time is limited.

But I have renamed this creative business ... 'True Love Yarn' which better reflects me as I am now.

I had a challenging time leaving the old me behind to move into a healthier, happier version of myself.

The yarn hobby and business always bought me so much joy and fulfilment, but I found myself in a situation that was non-supportive of my aspirations in these areas.

So, I have had to park those for now, and close the Etsy shop. However, I am continuing to share on Instagram, and I still have knitting patterns available in my Ravelry store.

As and when I create or design something pretty, I'll post here, but for now, I just wanted to update you all.

*******

Life takes many twists and turns, some of which are more profound than others.

I hope that I can re-establish the business thoroughly at some point in the future, but for now, I am still re-building me and focusing on raising my son.

The most important thing is true happiness and being able to live from the heart.

Anything else is a waste of this precious life we've been granted.

Thanks to everyone that has followed and supported me this far.

Sending love to you all xx

A Love of Pots ... Trying My Hand at Pottery

I've wanted to try pottery for as long as I can remember, but my school didn't have the facilities.

Much like my love of spinning yarn, I'm also mesmerised by the spinning of the potters wheel ... watching the clay take form almost magically by the hands of a skilled potter.

So, I decided to take the plunge and try my hand at it.

I did a few initial lessons with a teacher in 2014, and then last year I joined a local pottery group running in the evenings where there is no tuition, but for the price of entry, you can use the clay and the equipment provided.

I've been so intrigued by this craft, and finally getting my hands into the clay as a new medium has been fantastic.

Whilst I've never been much of a fan of messy hands, there's something very satisfying about working with clay and moulding it into something beautiful and functional.

And then, I'm amazed that what was previously mud, as an archaeologist can testify, can be turned into something that can last thousands of years.

Whilst this isn't yarn crafts, I thought I'd do a little post to show you what I've been up to.

Remember that crochet doily I made? (You can see that HERE if you would like to). Well, I've used that as a way to decorate this porcelain cheese board by pressing it down onto the wet clay before firing my piece ...

And here are two mugs I made on the potters wheel - the big one's for me and a mini one's for my son ...

And here's my favourite experiment with glaze. I glazed the inside of a triangular pot I hand-built, which produced a beautiful blue, teal and turquoise effect (the photo doesn't do it justice) ...

And here's a random sculptural piece I made, which is my take on a conker shell ...

This is a sweet little hexagonal coffee mug I made. I love the rustic shape and feel of this one.

Here's a slab built butter dish I've started. It just needs to dry, ready for its first firing. I'm not sure what glaze I'll use to finish it off just yet, but I like the idea of a nice glossy deep blue finish.

This is my first go at sculping a bust - a buddha style ornament for the house. This is it finished but still wet ...

And here it is fired and finished ...

So, what do you think?

Have you tried pottery? Or are you inspired to give it a go?

Let me know in the comments below.

Working With Colour

I *love* to work with colour.

It truly makes my heart and soul happy.

There's been a lot of research done on colour therapy, and it is a thing!

Colour makes us feel better.

It's different for everyone of course, because beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but I believe that we all need colour in our lives.

It's the beginning of winter here, and it's cold and dark and wet. So, I'm showing you a selection of some of my finished creations, so you can see how much colour is a part of what I love to do ... and share with the world.

Some of my colourful handmade drop spindles (previously sold in my Etsy shop) ...

And here is how I play with colour on some of my hand-dyed yarns (all colourways that I previously sold in my Etsy shop) ...

And here's how I like to hand-spin, hand-knit and crochet colourful pieces that make my heart soar ...

Well, I hope you enjoyed my little ensemble of (yarn arts inspired) colour therapy today.

In Memory of Wink (A Creative Being)

TRIGGER WARNING (TW) ... this post covers subjects around loss, mental health, depression and suicide. Please look after your wellbeing and read on at your own discretion. Thank you.

*******

I feel that I need to write something to mark the passing of a friend and creative genius Marinke Slump (or Wink) as she preferred to be known. It's been a week since she lost her battle to depression, and I am still struggling to control the powerful waves of emotion that frequently run through me as I think of her.

Yesterday was Wink's funeral. People from around the world, myself included, continued to honour this inspiring lady who loved to adorn her hair with pretty flowers, colours, wool and dreadlocks (search for hashtag #wearingflowersinmyhairforwink). As I write this blog post, there are 347 photos on Instagram of people across the world uniting in a combination of mourning for her loss and celebrating her creative life by wearing flowers in their hair. I crafted a crochet daisy throughout the week to wear yesterday. It was a solemn day for me as I wore that pretty flower that was loaded with so much emotion.

A continuing celebration of Wink's creativity can be found by searching for hashtag #mandalasforwink or #mandalasformarinke. At this present moment nearly one thousand photos of beautiful hand-crafted crochet mandalas have been posted on Instagram by adoring and grieving followers and admirers of Wink's work.

I met Wink for the first time in 2014, along with other lovely crafters and bloggers at fiber arts festival Unravel at Farnham Maltings in Hampshire. I was delighted to meet this lady who I had followed and admired via Instagram. We instantly hit it off; later on in the day posing for a fun 'duck face' picture.

It was while we were sat having a bite to eat and drink in the Maltings cafe that Wink and I happened to discuss the deeper reasons why we love to craft with yarn. She told me that crochet had once saved her life, and that it helped her to manage the days when she found life difficult. I totally understood this. This is because I too have discovered respite from difficult periods in life in the sweet repetition of clicking needles, hooky hook or whirring wheel, and in the instant colour-therapy gained by working with yarns of every conceivable colour from over the rainbow and beyond.

A year swung around quickly (as they do) and Unravel 2015 was on the horizon. I looked forward to seeing my friends again. Wink was staying with Sarah of Crafts from the Cwtch, and I planned to meet up with them both. Having my young son with me (who I knew wouldn't last more than a few hours at the festival) meant that we arrived later on in the afternoon, but it was wonderful seeing Sarah and Wink again. After the initial hellos, and having not seen the sights yet, Wink very kindly offered to walk around the Unravel show with my son and I whilst Sarah continued to catch up with friends and rest her legs in the cafe. Wink shared with me that she had had a tough year since we last met, and I remember giving her a hug and some words of comfort. We continued to look around the show and took another selfie picture of our time together.

I am so incredibly sad that this is to be the last time I will share time with Wink and that this is the last photo we will have together.

This is a heartbreaking time for those who knew Wink. My most profound condolences are with her family, friends and boyfriend.

When bad things happen, I try to find a silver lining somewhere ... I have noticed this week that many of the comments on social media have centered on the celebration of Wink's light and talent. Also, and very importantly, it appears to have opened the floodgates of people being able to talk about their own struggles with mental illness. So many individual messages of support have been left by people who truly understand the darkness that overwhelms the lives of those touched by this dreadful illness.

Any one of us can suffer. The Mental Health Foundation states that 1 in 4 of us will experience some kind of mental health problem in the course of a year. That's a disturbing statistic, but it is only after events like this that people begin to talk and open up about such matters.

One of my favourite quotes comes to the front of my mind ... It is one that I try to live by ...

***BECAUSE EVERYONE YOU MEET IS FIGHTING A BATTLE***

Please can I urge anyone affected by diagnosed or suspected mental health conditions to reach out for help if they feel they are struggling to cope with life. There have been a number of brilliant online sources of information on mental health concerns that I would urge you to take a look at if you want to learn more. Let's end the stigma and ignorance about this topic once and for all. Please don't suffer in silence.

• TIME TO CHANGE
• MENTAL HEALTH FOUNDATION
• MIND

To family and those who were very close to Wink, I hope that you are (even in a small way) comforted to know that she was so loved and respected by people who had either met her or who knew her through the blogosphere. Wink is gone but her creative legacy will live on and continue to inspire countless people to create beauty and comfort in their lives.

You can find Wink's catalogue of work on her Instagram page or on Ravelry.

Wink published her first book Boho Crochet earlier on this year, and another called Crochet Mandalas is due for release later on in 2015.

Let's cover the world in her brightly coloured creative vision.

Goodbye Wink ... I'll never forget you and our kindred-spiritedness xxx

Crochet Doily FO

I love the look of doily's. They are beautifully intricate, and with their round shape, that also remind me of mandalas. 

They were always traditionally made in plain white thread, so I've made one with a modern twist.

I've used bright green cotton thread for mine, and I think the results are amazing.

So, here it is!

At the start ... (I was having a nice cuppa while I worked on it)

And the finished piece ...

Whilst some of the doily patterns look a little overwhelmingly complex, they are actually relatively simple to do, with really striking results.

I might actually frame this one for the wall.

Unravel 2015

Having my pre-schooler in tow, it was going to be a challenge to visit the Unravel Knitting Festival for anything longer than a few hours, but visit it we did ... and we did it in style.

Unravel has become an annual treat for me, and I was very happy to introduce my son to it this year. He was very curious about the adventure I was taking him on in the car. I kept him entertained for the hour-long journey to the venue with a sing-along session to a Disney CD.

We were in good spirits when we arrived at Farnham Maltings at about 2:30pm on Saturday 21st February, where I was delighted to find a car parking space at the venue straight away.

Eager to see the goodies, I took my little one by the hand and led him around the quirky corridors of the Maltings to the sales halls of delights.

With it being later on in the day, I was relieved to see that the usual crowds I'd encountered at Unravel in previous years had dispersed.

The Natural Dye Studio's stall was as stunning as ever. The best way to advertise your range of colourful yarns is to see them in action of course!

After receiving a text message from Sarah of Crafts From The Cwtch that the Nudinits talk she had listened to was finished, I cut our tour of Unravel short to see my fellow crafting and blogging friends in the cafe area of the Maltings. I was delighted to see that Sarah was there, along with Marinke from A Creative Being Blog. It was so wonderful to see these two again, and after the initial hellos were said, they introduced me to another lovely lady called Alison (Cristaltips on Ravelry). My little one was bashful at first and then sat on my lap as I caught up on news with friends.

Realising that time was slipping away, I still needed to see the last half of the festival, so my son and I excused ourselves from the cafe area to go and look around some more. Leaving Sarah to her networking, Marinke decided to keep us company whilst we investigated more rooms.

The most tempting stall for me personally with regards to wanting to part with my hard-earned cash was the one run by Louise Player of Spin City. Hers is a feast for the eyes ... with all the kinds of fluff I love ... gorgeous hand-carded batts, sparkly and girly drop spindles, roving in all the colours of the rainbow, and more. As a spinner, I couldn't keep my eyes off of it.

Louise herself was busy trying to (and succeeding) in converting yet more yarn lovers to the joys of spinning on a drop spindle.

And here's one last full view of the stall, with Louise and her lovely Mum.

A vendor that I hadn't encountered before had me loitering around their stall for quite some time. The faux taxidermy knitting kits by Sincerely Louise were just so well designed and executed. From giant tiger floor rugs (like picture below), and trophy wall-mountable animal heads, to faux fox stole scarves, Louise's designs and kits were all really tactile, endearing as well as being quirky and fun.

Other stalls that took my breath away included Hilltop Cloud, John Arbon Textiles, and IST Crafts.

It seemed even bigger and better this year, which may have something to do with more stall holders, more Maltings rooms allocated to the event, and the fact that this was the first year that they'd run the event over three days instead of the usual two. Either way, it was great. With familiar and unfamiliar vendors, it was a feast for the eyes.

As usual, the Maltings was decorated with a variety of yarn-art to inspire crafty souls of every persuasion.

'Growth' by Barbara Touati-Evans

Towards the end, I discovered a very interesting installation at the event called 'Blue Jumper'. This was a participatory knitting experience conceived of by artist Sarah Filmer. Hanging up around the eaves of the Undercroft area of the venue was knitting in a large variety of different blue coloured yarns, in undulating and beautiful shapes, hanging down with unfinished sections attached to knitting needles ... inviting you to join in. Many women were sat at this communal knitting lounge adding their few lines to the sculptural work. It would have been rude not to have participated, so Marinke (Wink) and I sat down and got involved.

My little one is too young and lacking in the fine motor skills needed for the yarn crafts, but I'm hoping that some of the buoyant creativity seen at events like Unravel will rub off on him in some way.

5pm had been and gone, and it was sadly time to leave. I said farewell and safe travels to old friends and new, got in the car with a tired and happy little one, and home we went.

Thanks for a great afternoon, and see you next year Unravel!