A Coaxing Of My Inner Craftiness

When I moved back to Memphis, Tennessee from Miami, Florida about five years ago I anticipated a life at a much slower pace and full of spare time. I envisioned a studio art and craft room where I would spend hours on end creating and designing fabulous things. Stained glass, mosaics, paintings, handcrafted jewelry, candles, cold processed soap and all sorts of other artsy avenues were on my list. I bought the house, decorated the studio/office, moved in my desk and computer, my easel, a jeweler's bench and many years' worth of collected art supplies, yarns, knitting and crochet supplies, fabrics, a sewing machine and all things crafty. Everything was in place but the artsy-fartsiness didn't commence. The room has been set up now for five years. I do knit some things now and then - mostly caps and scarves, oh, and a dog sweater for my Mom's dog, Andy, who promptly died leaving his little rockin' red sweater virtually unworn. I've made a batch or two of soap and cranked out a few pieces of jewelry as last minute Christmas and birthday gifts.

I really want to be that productive and creative person I thought I would be. I'm not sure what has kept me from getting myself in gear, setting up an online shop and commencing a fun little business of "Stuff I Make" but I just haven't. Probably for the same reason I never start that exercise program or grow my nails long enough to go get a professional manicure...lack of commitment.

I have never been one to follow through on New Year resolutions so I don't want to set myself up to fail, but I am going to set a goal for myself to do one artistic or crafty project a month and post the final product on this blog.

I just finished my January project a few days ago. It's a simple knitted cap but I started and finished it within a few days and it's slightly more complicated than other knitting projects I've done so there was a small element of a challenge in it for me. Here's the proof of aforementioned handiwork....



I'm not going to commit to any particular project for February but I will do something and post a photo of it. I can, at least, commit to that. I think.