For some time I have been reluctant to start this blog as I was concerned about jumping in and putting my stamp on what is a group blog. But in the absence of anything happening I have decided to just get out there and jump in the deep end.

We are a group of craft women - intelligent, interesting and gorgeous if we say so ourselves. We live in Sydney and all but one of us are Mums. We are all working to a lesser or greater extent in professions including florist, book editor, doctor,  screen title designer, graphic artist, banker, businesswoman, art curator and more.

Our talents are many. We knit, we crochet (hence Cr(ochet) + (Kn)itting = Critting), we embroider, we sew, we quilt, hand make cards, we pot and make ceramics and jewellery and that's all that I know of but there is probably more. Vanessa has even written a wonderful children's book, Vivi Finds Bean.

We all cook very good cakes. Really good.

We meet about fortnightly at one of our residences and the host makes the cake. Everyone else brings chocolate or some other offering. Ivana brings beautiful flowers.

We delight in each other's creations and creativity. We share patterns and ideas, blogs, websites and other news. We debrief after a busy multi-tasking day, or week, or two. We share books and discuss films, politics, families, babies, children, parents, houses and of course, it being Sydney, renovations and schools.

At the end of the evening, we all Feel Much Better.

Yarntrail

I will start by introducing myself and my passions. I am a doctor, mother of 3 and come from a line of passionate crafty women and men. Because of my profession, I am not going to show my face in public and will call myself Yarntrail. 

I can't remember learning to knit but I think I must have been about 5 or 6. I think I was largely self-taught but a mother or grandmother may have had something to do with it. Ever since quite early childhood I have loved playing with yarn, textiles and all things crafty. My mother is no different so from an early age we spent many, many happy hours together in fabric shops, wool shops, visiting sheep and mohair farms, going into clothes shops and saying to each other: we could make that at home SO easily! Mum learned to spin when she was at that difficult period of having young children and feeling frustrated by not working and needing to learn something new and therapeutic and creative. She taught me using a drop spindle when I was 11 and home from school for the week with the Mumps. I have been spinning on and off ever since. Though in the past 15 years, more off than on. 

My main passion is knitting, though I enjoy exploring other things: sewing, embroidery, felting, tapestry, quilting and crochet. I knit quickly and I am relatively fearless. I am not a perfectionist - my seams do not bear close examination but I am prolific. I have many works in progress so there is always something else to tackle if I want a change. There are usually a couple of easy things and something to get your teeth into. Something to carry in the handbag to bring out at a meeting or a traffic jam or whilst waiting for a child here or there. 

I am not sure what I like so much about yarn. It simply gives me intensive pleasure. I love every part of the process (except maybe the sewing up of seams); the planning, the purchasing, the beginning, the process, the giving or wearing. As a scientist, I expect but have as yet been unable to prove that the repetitive nature of the process does something very good for the brain and I would hypothesise that it decreases the blood pressure, slows the pulse and breathing and produces changes in brain waves akin to that achieved through meditation. If anyone would like to give me a research grant I'd happy to explore this hypothesis further (I am deadly serious). I expect it is good for depression and anxiety too. 

Some work in progress

Here is the beginning of a little jumper for my tiny, brand new nephew. This is in the mindless project category. 

This is one of the squares (no. 19 of 35) from my Lizard Ridge Afghan from Knitty.com.  Using glorious Noro Kureyon. 

This is my multi-tasking craft location on the verandah of our weekend retreat. Note laptop with recipe open, ipad with a paper I am reading for a talk I am giving this week, a cuppa and two knitting projects. All in a glorious setting.