The perfect vacation project...
...hand-dyed wool in the colours of the landscape that surrounds me...
...a pattern I designed myself when the internet let me down...
...good company and good conversation to crochet to...
...all combined in a finished result that I love more with every few hexagons I add.
I am lucky. I have a room of my own, just as Virginia Woolf prescribed. It used to be the little bedroom (tiny boxroom that even the realtors called half a bedroom!), then it morphed into the junk room. Ever since the single bed went though, it has been designated a room for me to use as I will and there is a table in there for me to sew. It has seen so many cycles of big sort out - creative use - too messy to use - time for the big sort out again.
We live in a small space in London. I have many interests, and I have done 5 years of university while we've lived here. The walls are bursting at the seams. But we love it. When I left work, my first priority was to declutter everything, but it has been discouraging, when small steps are swallowed up by the intimidating whole.
But I am lucky, I have a room of my own and by damn, I'm going to use it. Today I'd had enough. Why? Maybe because Zenia just moved and it is so much fun setting up a new space. Maybe because I just got back from Artfest and realised that without my space I am less productive. Maybe it's because I am going to IKEA tomorrow and I can buy some stuff to help. Whatever it is, it's not a good idea on a day when you are feeling utterly crappy with some random bug.
So in the name of fresh starts, I am coming clean. This is my space, stripped back to bare bones.
And in the name of full disclosure, here is something worse. This is everything I had to move from the floor, the table, the window sill, and the chair, to even get it looking like this. Bear in mind please that this is also everything I need to put back, give away or throw out. I am going to handle the shelves one at a time, I didn't dare go any further once the bed was covered.
Now I am going to put some music on, get a wet cloth and see what I can do!
Yesterday was such a perfect day! The weather here has been wet and grey. I've been preparing for Artfest and artist book fairs. Everything has been slow and uphill. I haven't even posted for a week because I haven't even had my thoughts together, nevermind my words or photos. I have really appreciated all the comments for my last post, I feel supported and encouraged and that is no small thing in this world.
Yesterday I gave myself a gift. I've been wanting to go to the Henry Moore Exhibition at Kew Gardens since October, and it closes on Sunday. I made the time to go, even though heavy showers were forecast, because I knew I would always regret missing it. The universe rewarded me with beautiful spring weather. Time stood still as I explored trees and sculpture. A single huge pine cone from a Bhutan pine waited for me on the grass. My photos are here. I even explored my camera, and took all of these in manual.
I finished the day by spending a couple of hours at the Stitch and Craft show. I was disappointed in the range of paper available, but I bought more merino for felting hedgehogs and my gallery piece; some pliers to make charm production easier; and a lovely fern stencil.
