Springing back to life
As the weather warms, buds pop, and leaves unfurl, so too does my mood.
On the hob - work in progress
Same as last month! Although, this Thursday I’ll be doing a workshop on ‘Writing Bad Guys’, so if you fancy it, come along to the Number One Writing Group at Rochdale Library and get your villain on!
Learning, always learning - CPD
Not much last month - to be honest, March passed in a blur. I’ve relearned KDENLIVE to never use it again after struggling to put a podcast together for my YouTube channel. (Oh yes, I’m back, see it here and ignore the weird slot where a frame should be that KDENLIVE randomly decided to NOT render. Grr.)
I’ve entered a couple of writing competitions because it’s been an age since I did this and I’m trying to get stuff out there again.
Filling the well - replenishing creativity
At the beginning of March, after a tumultuous, and scary, beginning of the year, my friend Gina treated us both to a spa day in Chester which was lovely. I’m not great at relaxing and resting but I’m trying to learn to be!
The River Dee and a comorant.
I went to see Pixies with the aforementioned ace friend Gina in mid-March. Sitting down at a gig is a thing now for this gently ageing rock chick!
Pixies at Manchester’s Albert Hall, they finished with Monkey Gone to Heaven which made me very happy.
I saw my friend Cazz a couple of times in March - we’ve been friends for longer than we care to remember (about 33 years). And we had ridiculous cocktails as well as a catch up.
Ostentatious cocktails at The Alchemist. The one on the right is called “French Kiss” and it was ridiculous, but very tasty.
It’s also been a month, now that I’m part-time, of making soup and delicious, nutritious meals from scratch.
And I think that’s it for this month’s update except that I’ll end with a photo I took while out at RSPB St Aidan’s yesterday - a squabble of birds but still a tranquil day out.
Permissive Footpath across the scrapes, reedbeds, and wetlands of RSPB St Aidan’s.
Plodding on - balancing creativity and CPD (and avoiding CBA)
February was a bust - an absolute bust. With everything that’s going on both personally and *gestures at the entire planet* it’s been A Lot. So let’s skip straight onto March. On to daffodils, and warming earth, and silver birch buds.
On the hob - work in progress
I’m always working on more than one thing at once. If I’m knitting/crocheting then I currently have 2 x cardigans, 1 x dresses, and 1 x jumpers that are located near the sofa.
It’s the same with writing (albeit not near the sofa). I’m working on a short story (as part of Writers’ HQ’s Write a Short Story Festival) and I’m working on a children’s novel (code name: Project Rec). I am finding that the crafting hobbies have been feeding the creative practice. Now that it’s spring, I always find it easier to crack on with ideas that have been percolating, but balancing this with the urge to “cast on” new story ideas. In order to do battle with this cycle of idea - write - new shiny idea - write - first idea languishes in dust I’m using Google Keep a bit more actively than I have done. I’m capturing the ideas when they come and caching them for later. Stories that are safely stored before I begin the process of brewing them up.
Learning, always learning - CPD
I recently gave up one of my contracted jobs - mostly because I was so tired during weeknights and weekdays, oh, and weekends. This has freed up a little time for sleeping AND CPD. So, I’m gleefully joining in with the Story Festival and refreshing my mind with previous exercises from Writers’ HQ (I pay for my membership and I think that they’re great). I’m also trying to be a bit more active with my Golden Egg membership too, even though I hate using Facebook with a firey passion!
As a member of the Society of Authors, I also went along to today’s professional workshop - How to Run Writing Workshops - which featured Kirsty Logan, Majorie Lotfi, and Nadine Aisha Jassat. This was a great refresher and I’m looking forward to running some more workshops later this year outside of the contracted job! The video should be on the SoA’s Vimeo site soon.
Filling the well - replenishing creativity
I went to London halfway through April, primarily to see the Fantasy: Realms of the Imagination at the British Library and have a bit of a London explore. My partner and I also did the “typical tourist in London” thing of “catching dinner and a show”. The former Frida Camden for a selection of appertisers (delicious and affordable) , the latter the excellent Back to the Future: the Musical at the Adelphi. (This was hands down possibly the best show I’ve ever seen. I’ve been lucky to have seen, and have been, in a few productions in my 45 short years on this earth!)
During February I also managed to get not one but two local productions in: Gaslight at Todmorden Hippodrome and the delightfully shady Hay Fever at Hebden Bridge Little Theatre. For a small valley, the talent here punches above its weight!
-
That’s it, I think, in terms of an update. I am sending so much love and hugs out there. It’s difficult when we’re presented with war crimes, with hatred, with fear, with uncertainty to create anything be it music, writing, art. But it’s important - to badly paraphrase Brecht - to make art in the dark times.
Back to work, back to reality (plus a new freebie!)
As a first version, I’m very glad that Soul II Soul didn’t go down that lyric route.
The Keep Calm and Carry Yarn freshers’ fair stall at my place of work, items are on the Todmorden temperature blanket from 2021!
I’m back to the day job today after an, erm, interesting start to 2024. (Read: a WTAF incident in real life which, if things get weirder, I’m sure I’ll have a chance to reflect on later this year.)
I’m rested, though, which I definitely was not at the end of last term. I’ve plotted in more breaks for this term which will be needed. I expect it will hit me like a tonne of bricks when the students return over the next couple of weeks. In one of my roles I started putting things in place for activities and events for staff and students to help balance wellbeing with study. As well as our yarn club, I have set the ball rolling for lots of activities - a new running club, a new creative writing group, the return of mindfulness monthly, and a DND group - this term should be ace.
Finally there's a new freebie in the Freebies section of this site! Want to track your writing and check off each day you manage to write? Help yourself to the pdf :-)
Make Nine 2024
The nine items I’d like to attempt this year! More details below.
As well as writing, making - sewing, knitting, weaving, spinning, and crochet - keeps me sane / offers a small amount of control in turbulent times. It’s also a good way of letting off steam after a busy day! (Looks at the half finished Nectar blanket in the corner of the room.)
I am once again attempting a “make nine” items challenge. Partly to remind myself that I can make myself pretty things for the body that I have. This especially helps when I’m battling with that internal fatphobia which has plagued most of my life. (I have found over the last decade that acknowledging it is as important as challenging it.) I also want to build in wiggle room if I get mega busy/stressed/sad again this year. And I have a few health things to contend with this year as well as a self-imposed deadline for finishing a draft of “Project Rec” and outlining “Project Manchester” . Plus getting back into making, and sharing (AKA “being brave”), what I believe the cool people call “content”.
So, from left to right, top to bottom, with links to the original designer where possible, Here’s my proposed make nine for 2024:
🪡Anna Allen Clothing Demeter dress and top: this pattern goes from size 00 - 22 which is just about OK in terms of size inclusivity and it is a boxy pattern with a lot of wiggle room / dancing twirling ability. I plan on making a few tops and will probably lengthen them because this does not look drafted for a 177cm body (just under 5’10’’).
🪡Deer and Doe Mysosotis dress: this pattern has been in my possession for years now and I’ve intended to make it for about that time too! It’s European sizing which does throw me a little, however, Deer and Doe have more about sizing on their website here (links to page).
🪡Cosmaudi Carolina Cardigan Lite: a boxy, “brioche” style crochet cardigan that is available in sizes XS - 5XL (or chest size 71 - 158cm / 28 - 62 inches) which I think is good size wise, however, it also recommends 20.25 - 20.5cm / 8 - 10 inches ease which may make it a little restrictive if you are on the larger chest size.
🪡Sew Liberated Chanterelle Pants and Shorts: wide legged, tapered or short shorts with myriad pocket styles I fell in love with the wide legged style of the pattern when Meg teased them weeks and weeks before the pattern was released. Good sizing range from 0 - 34. Loads of pockets and the instructions are great. Now I just need to make myself a pair - I’m thinking patchwork, I’m thinking 90s hippie style for summer…
🪡The Little Pomegranate Sabina skirt: you may remember Rumana from 2016’s Great British Sewing Bee. This skirt is a free pattern (yay!) and sized from 6 - 34 (UK sizing). I’m planning on turning my Friday Pattern Company Wilder gown into a skirt as I don’t like the bodice on me.
🪡Ready to Sew Jazz e-book: again, a series of patterns I’ve had for ages and been too nervous to make. UK sizing 4 - 24 which is a bit more restrictive than some of the other patterns. That said, I really want to make the playsuit with the cross over in linen for summer.
🪡True Bias Nova Jumpsuit: the version I own is 0 - 18 (not great in terms of size inclusivity), however, further sizing is available in 14 - 30. I’m aiming for a summer jumpsuit to live in like a luxury Florida nana. The fabric I’ll be using for it is a viscose jersey from October’s Sew Hayley Jane luxury box.
🪡Jennifer Lauren Handmade Pippi Pinafore: although I bought the original version years back, the Pippi is now available in sizes 6 - 34 with multiple cup sizes. I love the pockets on this and I have some gorgeous bee corduroy which will look ace.
🪡Tilly and the Buttons Lyra dress: I mean, what isn’t there to love about this shirt dress? Available in UK sizes 6 - 34 and apparently runs on the larger size with its billowing, positive ease. Definitely one for twirling, definitely one for reliving the 1970s.
What's another year?
Or so sang Johnny Logan over 40 years ago.
I got some sort of bug back in early November - actually, to be precise, it manifested on my birthday so late October! - and it floored me for a week, earned me an informal sick review, and, to be honest, has been kicking my arse on and off since then. The joys. I tested for COVID four times and it came back negative each time. It felt like a flu, my body once again marshmallow, my cough doing worrying emphysema impressions.
Tl;dr I'm entering 2024 feeling less than perky. But I'm full of plans which include: being a bit braver and “getting out there again” with making and writing. Will I succeed? We shall see. But my first challenge, as presented by my ace friend Gina, is a January writing challenge. It's a laid back, 500 words a day, affair. So for accountability I'll share how I'm going over on Instagram (@librariancrafting). Let me know if you want to join in! We’re calling it Janowrimo, riffing on National Writing Month (aka Nanowrimo).
Gatherings
Yesterday I ran a workshop for Writers on Tap at the Medicine Tap in Rochdale. It was inspired by gatherings: both the upcoming harvest season and exploring in-person gatherings.
We began with a story circle inspired by the following prompt:
The summer days are drawing to a close, even though it has been wet it has been warm. But the yellowing days and bonfire nights are coming. We are turning towards the harvest; this month is where the grain gathering begins. On the one day that was not raining, I was with two friends when we turned around and we saw…
This story went from running from the rain towards the houses, to gathering around a bonfire, drinking mead and singing. It was really special and I loved how everyone had a go with passing the “story stone” around to add their bit. If you fancy having a go at a piece of creative writing with that prompt have a go!
We then moved to freewriting that drew upon memories of Augusts past and how this month is like a stepping stone between summer and autumn; a liminal month, a transitional time.
Following this was a piece of writing that utilised the free writing work and was moulded into either a short story or a poem. And finally we played with character archetypes and placed them together in a gathering of our choosing - one participant wrote an amusing story about a funeral from this one. I have included a handout from this session which you can download from the Freebies section of this site :-)
Rochdale’s Medicine Tap was originally the town’s post office. Image from: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Post_Office%2C_Rochdale.jpg