Equidistance

Lines are parallel if they lie in the same plane,

and are the same distance apart over their entire length

(not my photo - found on Google images)

When I was at school, we were taught that parallel lines could never meet. Parallel lines remain the same distance apart over their entire length. No matter how far you extend them, they will never meet.

But I have a theory, developed over the last few years, that I am in fact leading several lives in parallel.  In the life I live, I forget people's birthdays, give people shop-bought cake, read magazines, shop too much and never make anything.  In my parallel lives, I make my own cards and remember to send them on time, I sew my own clothes and bake cookies and muffins to take to work, I write stories instead of just talking about writing them, I call my mother every day... you begin to get the picture.  And it's not just the wholesome things I fantasize about.  In a parallel life, I buy frockage from Saks (instead of just photographing it) and swan around at parties.  Or I actually learn to speak French fluently for once and for all.  I don't know - it's just a sense of roads not taken I suppose.

 (not my photo - found on Google images)

For some time now, I have wanted to introduce myself to the parallel me that's out there somewhere.  Part of the real me thinks that the parallel me would be an irritating, smug, prissy little thing that I might want to kick in the shins.  But part of the real me also knows that the parallel me might actually be living an altogether more fulfilling life.  Don't misunderstand - I love my life.  I really do.  For all sorts of reasons, I think I'm the luckiest person on the planet.  But even then, might it not be possible to discover a whole new side to yourself? 

Some of this schizophrenic thinking has led to the decision to experiment at bit.  Why not try to do some of the things my more creative alter-ego is busy doing?  Why not learn to make my own presents (that people might actually want), and bake the odd cake or make a skirt that doesn't look like it should be shredded for dusting?  In short, why not push a little here and there, step outside my comfort zone and try something new.  And in the process achieve more of an equilibrium.  Do you think that could be the opposite of equidistance?

So, what are you doing in a parallel life?  Are you a lady who lunches in Channel suits, or working in a soup kitchen?  Are you a painter or orator?  A mechanic or musician?  Do you scuba dive or ride fantasy horses?  I really would love to know.

And in an effort to make sure I get to know the parallel me a bit, I am continuing with my Happy Christmas project (note that I am following Mr. P's advice about easier letters first) AND have made another granny square:

Not sure if I'll take the sewing to Australia, but at least it'll be ready and waiting when I get back.  But I am definitely taking my crochet hook.  On that, if anyone has an easy way of changing colours, I'd love to hear about it.  I found a way which involves making a slip stitch with the new colour and then casting off the old colour loop over the slip stitch.  It works fine, but it means that all the threads are bunched up in one place in the square rather than spread out around the place making them easier to manage. 

All help gratefully received.

Oh yes, and on my walk to work today I saw...

...this Lego sign...

...made of hundreds of builders stood around in hard hats - how cool is that!...

... these amorous pigs...

... and neon pink pastrami.

I hope you don't mind me sharing my 'walk to work' photos.  It really is motivating me to get out and walk.  But I have to tell you I was late for work today because I lost track of time staring at the Lego shop....

C.x

I spy

(With apologies for the quality of my iphone photos) 

Yesterday I walked to work and on the way I saw...

...a frou frou frilly apron in Magnolia Bakery...

... the mother of all Lego towers, which made me want to reach in and bury my hands in colour...

... two elegant teapots shyly courting...

 ... and more frockage in the window of Saks.

What do you see on the way to work?

Hope you have a lovely day.

Claire

A spoonful of sugar

This morning I walked to work.  That's two miles from one side of Manhattan to the other.  Admittedly, we're not talking about marathon distances here, but it's two miles more exercise that I normally do.  There are two main reasons for this:

Reason no.1: In preparation for my trip to Australia (this Saturday - hurray!) I am becoming reacquainted with my Summer clothes.  That meant spending time over the weekend rooting in my wardrobe (I do love a good root*), unearthing things I'd forgotten I had and then parading in front of Mr. P when he was trying to watch the tellie.  I grew up in a house full of women - I am the youngest of three sisters, no brothers, and a rather stylish Mum - so I am used to having and being a more responsive audience than Mr. P in such situations.  "That's nice", "Yeah, that'll do" and "Fine" aren't really what I was looking for, but never mind.  And because I have been watching what I eat and have lost 6-8 pounds since Christmas (depending on how accurate I believe my scales to be) I can fit into most of them pretty well.  All except one pair of trousers that fit like a glove last year and that I absolutely love.  And without going into the anatomical detail, they now look a bit indecent.  So, I am determined to lose another two pounds this week.

(BTW, I am not normally so bothered about my weight, but this time last year I was about 12 pounds lighter.  Then I started a job which, shall we say, was something of a challenge, and instead of sticking to worthy soup every day, I got into the habit of eating delicious General Tso's Chicken for lunch.  Take it from me, this falls into the "moment on the lips, lifetime on the hips" school of culinary delights.  But this is my last week in this job, so I am determined to regain some of my old self, and leave the bad bits behind, including the 12 pounds I gained.)

Anyway, back to the walk.  I'm eating pretty healthily at the moment, and I don't want to go on a crash diet of cabbage soup or celery stalks, so I figure the only option left is to stride it off.  I am not at all sporty.  We have a gym in our building and I can count on two hands the number of times I have been there.  So, the two mile walk to work seems like a plan. 

And besides, there was an ulterior motive - which brings me to reason no. 2:

Every day I pass this shop on the bus to work, and every day the window display goes by too quickly, so I knew immediately the route I would take as I wove through the streets as I crossed the island.  And (obviously) they must be reading my blog, because they've caught the crafting bug too.  LOOK!

 I went back after work this evening and tried on the lovely looking top.  Only it wasn't lovely on me.  Never mind.

 And how fabulous are these?  I would love a tour around the head of the person who came up with the idea.  Coat hangers as dresses.  Of course.

And inside this evening, I saw these rather shouty cushions and chair.  It's a bit full on for me, but how fabulous to look at when it's all grey and cold outside.

And they had this amazing fantasy light which sort of just grows out of a bookshelf.

How very Miss Havisham!

And finally, for the more up-market crafter in us all, a little Chanel frock in the window of Sacks:

Such a shame the moths have had at it...

Claire

*For any Aussie readers out there, a "good root" means to rummage.  Just to clarify that I have not taken to having a bit of nookie in my cupboards...

Hooked

Warning: shameless bragging below

Ta-Dah!

I've cracked it.  I am a super star crochet genius.  LOOK!

And it's square.  See.

Okay, so it's not a whole blanket or anything.  I am learning that Ta dah! moments are reserved for fabulous creations like Lucy's at Attic 24, but it's a start.  And at least this is clearly recognisable as the first step. And an improvement on the earlier effort.

In the end my sister came to the rescue.  She sent me an email yesterday giving me the link to a series of videos on YouTube which starts with this one and takes you all the way through each step while the nice lady talks to you.  While I love the videos at Meet Me At Mikes, in the end I needed the words as well to get the rhythm of it.  (I told you I trust words...)  And now I feel like I know what I'm doing enough to attempt another one without the video.

But I LOVE this one.  Okay it may not be perfect.  But I had an idea about the cream inside and outer edge of every square, with variations of the other blue/grey colours in the middle.

And I can imagine now how this might work for a whole cushion cover or even a blanket.  Hurray!

AND (cue look of smug self-satisfaction) I have sewn in the ends so it's all neat and tidy.  We'll see how long that lasts...

Before today, I was hedging my bets a bit.  I bought the five skeins, but I had only wound two of them into a ball.  Just in case I couldn't master it and had to bring them back.  But now, I'm in.   All the way.  I'm a crochet queen.  Tomorrow I will wind the rest of my wool.  I discovered Annie and Laura's blog at Nimble Fingers and Steady Eyebrows (what a great name) the other day and they have a wool winding contraption like the one they have in the shop at Purl Soho which looks like this.  Maybe I'll get one one day.  For now, I am happy with my own low tech version.

Granny would be very proud.

Claire

Look what I found!

Hi again.  I know I've just posted but I couldn't resist:


















A granny square swimsuit! 

Tension

I'm sure Pip of Meet Me at Mikes is a very nice person.  In fact, I know she is because she has spent an inordinate amount of time and gone to a lot of effort putting video tutorials on her blog to teach ninnies like me how to crochet.  I'm sure she has no idea how much grief she is causing as a result.  She has no idea. 

Here's the thing: I know my efforts are supposed to look something like this:

Believe me when I tell you that I have studied Pip's videos until my eyes hurt.  I have mastered the individual bits  - chain, trebble, slip (see, I even know the right words...).  But somehow this is what I have ended up with:

And this is not even my first attempt. Best not to tell you how many times I have ripped the whole thing up and started again.  Moving to a new colour felt like a major achievement until I realised that I'd make too many white bits on the inside rows.  And then I couldn't get the hang of the corners.

In short, in my over-enthusiasm, I have found holes to crochet into that aren't there, and made a circle where there should be corners.  And every now and again, just to add interest, I hook through and split the yarn of a stitch that slips so effortlessly over in Pip's video, so that I end up with a wispy leftover that I have to figure out what to do with. 

But (and right now it feels like a very small but) I think that the top right hand corner might be somewhere along the right lines.  So, I am going to try again on the basis that if I can do it once, even if by fluke, I am capable of doing it again.  I WILL learn how to do this. 

Futuregirl is right and I'm so very wrong.  You don't learn from videos or books; you learn from making mistakes.

The anti-craft

Among all the items of clothing in my house there must be nothing further from the crafting life than a swimsuit.

Mr. P and I are off to Australia in a couple of weeks.  And that means a glorious escape from the misery of this weather.

And swimsuits. 

I have January skin.  Dry and grey-white.  And post-Christmas belly.  These do not go with swimsuits.  I know because I spent time this weekend trying them on.  Not pretty.  No photos.  Trust me, that's a good thing.  But this is what I have settled on.  In blue.  Maybe we can take the model on holiday and she can wear it for me.

Claire