Self realization

I've been a maker/crafter most of my life. What my craft of choice was at any given time has varied. Early on, it was cross stitch. I painted for a while, using a couple different techniques. I did wood working, weaving, spinning, dyeing, crochet...if it has to do with fiber, you name it, I've done it.

My craft of choice for the last few years has been knitting. I find that to keep my attention, a project has to have some decent level of difficulty. A friend called me a "challenge knitter" a couple years ago. She was right. I loved the challenge of leaning new techniques. Cables? No problem. Beaded lace? Bring it on!

I learned how to spin fiber into yarn. Then I added the challenge of processing the fiber so that it's ready to spin. Then I started from raw, unwashed, fiber and worked on spinning that. Next was spinning from the lock, rather than the prepared fiber. It was all a new challenge. It all became less exciting...less of a fix over time.

I've come to the realization, somewhat with the help of my dear husband, that I'm a challenge maker. I love learning new crafts, new skills. It doesn't really matter what a given craft is, I want to learn it. I just purchased some pewter and a ladle to do some pewter casting. Have I done metal casting before? No. Is that going to stop me? Never!

I think being a challenge crafter is why I'm excited about sculpting these days. Over the years I've been excited about different crafts, mastered (some of) them, done OK in others and moved on. Right now the challenges are sculpting and molding/casting.

Who knows where else making will lead me?

Octopuses

Back in August, I made a new hat. 

Meet Hamish:

Hamish has accompanied me most places that I've been this winter. Sadly, my daughters aren't old enough yet to be embarrassed by me when I drop them off at school wearing an octopus on my head. Hamish is great for keeping me warm because his tentacles come down lower around my face than most hats do. He does argue a bit with my winter jacket, which has a hood that also wants to take up space around the back of my neck, but he mostly cooperates.

I love that he makes people smile.

In November he went with me to a knitting retreat. The people there loved him! I could hardly get across the room to go out and listen to the wonderful waves on Lake Michigan without people wanting to get his picture. It was like attending with a celebrity!  I did take him for a walk on the beach. He behaved and didn't try to go for a swim. Perhaps he knew the water would be quite cold. It was November in Michigan after all.

He gets lots of attention wherever we go.  A few people have asked if I'm going to make them to sell. I had been telling them no. Then, when I went to donate blood, the nurse who took my information said "Here is my phone number *writes down phone number and name on the paper they always send me home with* call me if you decide to make them to sell. I'd love to wear one, maybe in red and white, to the Red Wings game"
That got me really thinking about making them. I make one for each of my daughters and paid attention to how long it took to make so that I'd know roughly how much I'd have to charge for them to make them worth my time.
Here's Thing One with her octopus which she's named "Fred the abominable octopus"

And here's Thing Two with her octopus, which I think she's also named Fred. Yes, her sweatshirt is on backward. I think it had something to do with her sister's bff teddy bear not liking moose, which is what's on the front of the sweatshirt. She wanted the front two tentacles to be pinned up in curls. Who am I to argue with this cuteness?

Thankfully the woman who designed the pattern for this hat has been kind enough to allow people to sell what they make from the pattern. She asks that we post a link to her Etsy shop. Here's a link https://www.etsy.com/listing/525624161/updated-crochet-octopus-hat-pattern-pls?ref=shop_home_active_6 Thank you to the Twisted Hatter for the pattern!

Coming soon: Octopuses part two, which will be about ones I'm making to sell.