Expect the Unexpected

About two weeks ago I got an unexpected gift. A client of my MIL heard that I knit and teach knitting and she promptly gathered yarn that she thought I could use and sent it my way. Two garbage bags full of yarn and a bunch of needles! In with all the acryllic I found a few gems. A very old skein of 100% wool (picture 13), 1,5 skeins of a linen mix from the HEMA (a well known and loved warehouse that used to have a wide array of yarn and patternbooks) (picture 9), a huge ball of lace weight cream coloured wool (picture 14 in the front) and a couple of purple 'Idunno' with purple shiny stuff skeins (not pictured). Most of the stuff must be from the early eighties or older, it brought back a lot of memories of my grandmother knitting me sweaters. Thank you unknown client person!!
I didn't get much time to turn my sewing classes into 3D stuff, but eventually I did manage to sew this skirt out of two € 1,- coupons of IKEA material. Along with the elastic waistband the whole skirt set me back about € 3,50. I don't think I ever managed such a good deal with any knitting project. Ok, maybe with given yarn... Oh no, I'm not complaining about knitting and I'm not turning into a sewing maniac, don't you worry! It's just amazing that I got a complete skirt in about an hour and for less than a fiver. Ok, sorry I'll stop 'swearing' now.
It's a really simple circle skirt, but I'm in love with it. It suits my figure (the top on the picture isn't ideal) and it says HELLO in a very friendly way. All I need now is some cute mary janes to go with it.
I decided not to cut the 'designed by so-and-so for IKEA 2007' off the fabric for fun. No one at the sewing café thought it was fun though... oh well...

Also, this...
turned into this...
A fleece version of my 'Space Invader' pattern and a 'Gloeiworm' (glow worm?). My first attempts at making toys out of fabric. They kind of look like the're visiting from another planet next to the African animals. They've now found new homes with baby earthlings. I wish them well! Bleep, bleep, skrrp, skeep, pling!

MeMo

I saw this a couple of times at other blogs and thought it would be fun to try. (Delia I'm totally copying your explanation... sorry and thank you!)

The Concept:

a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.

b. Using only the first page, pick an image.

c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker).

The Questions:

1. What is your first name? Saskia

2. What is your favorite food? Italian (pasta)

3. What high school did you go to? Zeldenrust College

4. What is your favorite color? Green

5. Who is your celebrity crush? Johnny Depp

6. Favorite drink? Bailey's

7. Dream vacation? Sweden

8. Favorite dessert? Creme Caramel

9. What you want to be when you grow up? Knitwear Designer

10. What do you love most in life? Boyfriend & Son

11. One word to describe you. Active

12. Your flickr name. SAS Knits It Again

1. This looks just like Tanja, Liesbeth, Saskia and me (152/365), 2. London Pasta Week: Day 1, 3. ZELDENRUST paviljoentjalk, 4. Forest Green, 5. Depp, Johnny, 6. OH Dayton - Bailey's, 7. Red house in Sweden, 8. Crème caramel & Framboises, 9. ruth cross pleat vest, 10. 1951, August, Nieuwvliet, father & son R, 11. Active Volcano Crater, Ecuador, 12. Logo_SAS_Knits_It_Again_oudroze3

My Mix & Match Life

Think I should get contact lenses??

Those little baby fingers give me

a whole different perspective (quite literally) on the world.

It's been about 3 months since I've changed my professional life about 180 degrees and I'm still loving it. I don't miss the world of 'be's' and 'wanna-be's' at all. All the prejudices I had before, and things I was afraid off before I decided to go another direction I can now easily dismiss:

- I don't miss having co-workers. Mostly because I kind of still have them when I teach at the naaicafé (sewing café), the women that work there I consider to be colleagues. But I'm my own boss so I guess it's only the social part of being colleagues that we share. Which is good!
- My world isn't getting smaller and smaller. Nope, it's expanding by the day, I'm connecting with other makers, getting invited to do projects and meeting lots of new people (not only online ;-). It's just a different kind of world than before.
- My child doesn't miss hanging out with other kids because he doesn't go to daycare. I have lots of (new) friends with kids and because I'm very flexible with my working hours we get to hang out with other moms and kids whenever I want to.
- I'm not waisting my education. I in fact combine all my previous career moves. (photograpy, design, writing, marketing, teaching) It's the perfect thing for me!

All in all I'm the luckiest woman in the world. I really feel that way and count my blessings every day. Professionally I'm aiming in the direction I want to be and slowly but steadily it's taking me there. At the same time I get to take care of my BB (Baby Boy) almost full time and that's fantastic. And Boyfriend Dear is supporting me all the way! (and I still haven't finished his Cobblestone Sweater...poor guy)

I do sometimes feel that some people don't really understand and support my choise and think that I do waste my education and career but that's just a feeling. No one has actually SAID something, it just sometimes hovers in the air during a conversation. You know what I mean? I sometimes feel the need to explain myself and let people know that what I'm doing now is probably the biggest project ever for me. I need to let that go. I can be very gutsy, but sometimes I'm still really just a girl.

Ok, enough soul searching. On designing...

I made this very simple and easy belt, to wear over tunics, skirts, dresses or long shirts. It's made of raffia I bought in Sweden two yrs ago. The closing is a piece of hollow wood I found on a beach in Denmark. That makes it a really Scandinavian design I guess. Ooh, that leaves all kinds of great naming possibilities... Ronja (Ronia the robbers daughter), Abbalisious, Bjorn Belt...

I needed a summer hat for Baby Boy but it turned out a little too girly... I love the design though and I'm definitely writing out the pattern soon.

Oh... writing out patterns... I must have about four projects I need to write down and I'm sooo bad at it. I just rather start a new one. Sounds familiar to anyone?

Ok mom, that's one time only ok? Can we make a deal please?

I'll smile big, but this is the first and the last time I'll pose for your girly designs!

On other news, I'm still working on an Etsy shop but I need good pictures and the light is not cooperating during working hours (when Baby Boy sleeps). So that's coming soon.

Mom, what are you doing on the floor?

I didn't want that piece of broccoli, you can just leave it there, I don't mind!