These handbag books came in the mail yesterday and are going back today. They're beautifully done - great eye candy - and yet they either have the crafty type style I'm not interested in or not quite enough of the information I was looking for. I find that frustrating about books lately. They all seem to be written for the beginner level only I think beginners might find they'd hoped for more steps in the instructions. A big four pattern could actually be a better learning tool. Interesting.
On Saturday, after I'd finished the main body of the baby jacket, I went back to working on the bubblegum pink sweater. The back and fronts are re-knit. Next are the ribbed button bands. I prefer to knit those on when doing the fronts only I wasn't willing to work out all the buttonhole math until I saw if the stitch pattern and the size worked out this time. It did. Now I wish I'd knit it on. Oh well.
Stephanie Pearl-McPhee - the yarn harlot - is a fabulous writer. I read her blog regularly and ordered her latest book - All Wound Up - to have a closer look at her humorous, creative, non-fiction, stories from real life, approach to writing. I'd like to improve my writing style and have been looking into writing classes. Unfortunately, there's not much available locally but something will come up.
Did I mention the bracelet blanks? I ordered them so long ago that I can't remember. They came. All six dozen. In sizes from 1/2" to 3". These are lightweight aluminum blanks in a standard six inch size. They are "mini canvasses" and a great way to learn about creating textile bracelets. That's on my to do list after the JoAnna bag that never seems to get started never mind finished. It will. Eventually.
The make it fun approach of The Right Brain Business Plan: A Creative Visual Map for Success by Jennifer Lee appealed to my creative side although I've only glanced through it enough to know that I'll keep and read it. How to run your business books are quite applicable to life, a place where we want do well, have fun, get ahead, and live our own version. IMHO any tool that helps you know what you want and create balance is valuable.
It's two months today since we put our house on the market. We've sold a lot of houses over the years and I can't remember if any other one took this long. And that's okay. Even though I've alternated between patience and impatience, and am doing better at some points than others, and would really like to get on with it now, it's been a great experience because I'm learning so much.
I've been journal writing, which in my case is more like praying on paper, and I'm excited about the things that God has shown me. I don't believe in some unknown hand of fate or putting things out to the universe. I believe in God and I'm thrilled to have a direct line to the guy in charge even if I wish he would speak louder into the mike so I'd know exactly what's going on. I think - LOL - that my control issues might be part of what we're working on.
I wish I'd written everything down in point form because I can't articulate it all - some of it's more a feeling of peace - but here are the highlights. I've realized that creativity is my area of expertise and the place where I need to be whether in a business format or for personal growth. The hand bag project illustrated that I need to shift my creativity in a challenging, stretching, growing direction and try not to have extended "paint by number" type projects which is why I bought the bracelet blanks. I want to have something I'm working on that is growing me as an artist, keeping my brain alive and active, and generating creative excitement.
I've thought about writing and how much I enjoy organizing thoughts and concepts and teaching them. No decisions have been made but I am debating writing another book. For now, I'm looking at ways to improve my writing quality and style. I've been reading books on creative non-fiction and studying the style of writer's I enjoy like Stephanie. It's a start BUT the important part is I've realized that I can do this - write better and more - and it doesn't have to make money. Making money is not the point. Using my ability is. That's a huge awareness for me. AND THEN...
... I've thought about finances and the importance of lowering or eliminating our debt and of learning to live within a budget and of pacing things like renovations and new furniture and about eating in more than eating out and SO MANY aspects of money management and I'm excited about accomplishing more in that area. Over the past few years, we've made tremendous strides on our mortgage and I want to extend that into other areas. I track our expenses so I know I'm doing better already. I haven't spent as much in the last thirty days on fabric and books as I was spending per week at the beginning of the year. Although the handbag project and re-reading my art/writing/business books are a HUGE factor in that, I can see what's possible.
When you're moving, you think a lot about furniture and re-decorating - or at least I do. The concept of making a home has been tickling in my brain. Not so much about what goes where and what color should it be but a home as in a place that's warm and comfortable and welcoming where the people who live there as well as others who visit want to be. We're moving to a strata unit. I will be on the younger end of the women who live in that community. Some are very lonely. I've thought about being welcoming and friendly and having an open home. It seems to me another way of supporting and encouraging others which is really important to me. I'm not sure what might happen but I can see how positive it could be.
AND... I've thought about getting a job and have weighed out what's important for me in terms of time and money and family and balance. At first, I felt a lot of pressure to work and now I've come to the conclusion that unless I absolutely have to for reasons I'm currently unaware of I can continue waiting for the job that meets that criteria. That's a luxury I realize and one I appreciate. It's nice to not to be running around in circles worrying about it and to be focused on what I can do. This is good.
SO... I wonder if there are more lessons for me to learn first or if we'll be moving soon - LOL - or if it's even connected or if one of the lessons to be learned is that we're not moving at all. We'll leave our house on the market into the early spring and if it hasn't sold by the beginning of March, take it off as we can't move between mid April and the end of June due to holidays and events already planned. Time will tell. Hopefully, I can remain calm and creative and open to whatever more God wants to teach me. I hope.
Talk soon - Myrna
Grateful - the desire to learn and grow
"I find that frustrating about books lately. They all seem to be written for the beginner level " This is one of my complaints too. I can't believe that I know everything and yet the writers are only repeating what I learned years ago.
ReplyDeleteI guess that eventually some of us become so old that we watch a cycle roll around: a whole new generation needs to be introduced to our avocation. I've "suffered" through several, with both needlework and sewing. For solace, I investigate instructional books from decades before I was born. (That is getting harder and harder to do!) There are some interesting techniques in those tomes, that puzzle one's brain to bring into the 21st century.
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