Something strange has happened to me this year. When I started working for Simply Knitting and The Knitter in January, I thought I’d give myself a break from designing and concentrate on working (and then sleeping). Three months in and I’ve still written 3 patterns – but these are for the magazines and not Buttons and Beeswax.

I decided it was about time I made some things for myself. Any followers of my Instagram will have seen these in parts, as it seems easier to post pictures regularly than write blog posts.

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[table] Wonderwool purchases!

To cut a long story short I’ve rediscovered knitting for a hobby. Having a full time job, coming home, putting your feet up and following someone else’s pattern is something to be said for. No working things out!

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[table] Fivemoons Luna Twist 4ply

Last year I was writing patterns full time, and any knitting time was spent making the designs I was working on. Once finished, I started something new – anything else felt like I was wasting time when I could be making money. Doing bar work in the evenings just made me feel there was something better to be doing – I was just killing time until I could get home and put my head into designing.  And drinking more than I wanted to be. (Sorry Windmill, I love you really!)

Certainly not the worst pub to have been working in!

At the moment, I’m loving not designing in my free time. I’m still taking on commissions from work, and I still have ideas, which are growing by the bucketload due to the line of work that I’m in. So many beautiful patterns pass through my hands on a daily basis I’d be crazy not to be influenced or want to make any of them for myself.

So I made these:

Circle Socks by Fnugg

The circle socks were a direct result of sock jealously after I finished the Strings socks for Chris.  It simply wasn’t fair that he could slouch around in a pair of hand knit socks and I couldn’t.  (Although the cable socks he bought me from Fatface were definately helping.)

I really enjoyed the colourwork and found this pattern on Ravelry by Fnugg.  It’s free too – not something that was in my search criteria, but how could I resist! I changed it slightly so the circles go all around the sock and I wanted to make it toe-up – but I think my afterthought heel could be a bit neater.  I just haven’t quite grasped colourwork in the round neatly enough yet.

And then I made these:

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[table]Saltburn by Rachel Coopey

After visiting Wonderwool and seeing the lovely Rachel Coopey’s designs in the flesh, I couldn’t walk by and not take her book with me.  I’d already picked up this yarn and wanted to go home and make something with it straight away! I picked Saltburn as I loved the cables, but wanted to make them all one colour.  It’s a really fun pattern to knit and I finished them in a week.

To say I’m enjoying myself is an understatement.  I forgot that this whole love of knitting stemmed from a hobby in the first place, and trying to turn it into a design career suffocated that a bit.  There needs to be an even balance. Quite possibly, I might have found it.

For now, however, I shall mostly be indulging in making things just for me 🙂