A Simple Cowl

There is one thing you should know about me - I hate having my photograph taken. I hate it so much that I actually refused from the age of 23 to 30 to have a picture with me in it. Because I never like what I see. And that's silly, because now I have children, they NEED pictures of us for their own memories when we're long gone. The irony that I looked my absolute best at the very time I would not let anyone capture it forever has not been lost to me. I do tell my boys, 'I once looked human - like a real lady, not this brain-dead, sap-sucked, withered specimen you have before you', but alas, without proof they think I'm joking (I actually found my old passport last week and showed the midget - he was shocked, IS THAT REALLY YOU!!?! so perhaps all isn't lost).

But photographs? Not me.

So understand these coming images are hard to share, but as I wanted to show you my new cowl in situ and not just plonked on the bed I thought a recent day out with the boys would be a fine time to get them to hone their photographic skills and to get me into photographic existence.







This cowl took one evening to complete. A break was needed from other projects with no pressure and no deadlines and this fit the bill perfectly. It is the Woodland Cowl knit up on 10mm needles flat. Yarn was two skeins of Seriously Chunky Wool, in Barley.

It's a seriously warm cowl, and seriously easy knit. And even though this yarn is acrylic (I know!) I still like it a lot.

Details to follow on Ravelry.





And now mama would like her camera back. Yes, she would. Yes, she wooooould.....

This is Work

It's been a while since I mentioned the 'secret project' I'm working on, right? Hmm, OK not really, but like I've said before it's taking up more and more of my time now. I'm constantly thinking or doing something in regards to it. Laptop work is constant, notebooks beside the bed in case inspiration strikes (yes! really!), and this, photography, is still on my mind.

It's safe to say I am not going to read those books I bought and I am not going to avoid my eyes glazing over at the mention of 'aperture', so I've had to bite the bullet and book myself on an online course. More on that later, but I am really, really hoping that one day I will be able to take my camera off automatic and get some amazing results. I am working towards the time I know what I want, and I know how to get it.

But until that glorious day, I continue to dabble. Badly.

A Matter of Perspective

Three shots. Same thing. Different view.

Sometimes changing your perspective and viewpoint is easier to affect a change than trying to rearrange the world.

Work with what you've got. Try hard. Try harder. Make it beautiful.

Be content with that and forgive everything else.

Give Me My Props

Without giving too much away, this secret project is calling for an upping of my game with photography. And I'm scrabbling desperately to make the grade. Failing, and trying again. Learning curves are so much harder to climb when you're older and have other responsibilities that are more pressing...

But, give me my props, people. Because I now have a suitcase (vintage, naturally, darling) full of them! No more hunting around the house for that thing I thrifted a while back and which has now come into its own.... now I have them to hand.

A little bit organised, and a little bit granny. An eclectic mish-mash that seems to work in this house...

Snapshots

So. It's super hot, the car is all but dead and stuck together with gaffer tape. No beach trips in sight, but that's OK because we're fasting anyway and that doesn't sound like my ideal day out to me. Hoping a car will materialise, and the sun will stay after Ramadan for us to hit the beach this summer *please*.

I haven't picked the DSLR up for a good while. Again. Partly because we haven't really done a great deal and partly because all my attention is on this new work. (Sorry it sounds like I'm teasing you, but I'm really not).

Some snapshots then of daily life recently. The highs, lows and the bits in between.

Stay cool.

Trying My Hand

This new 'work' I keep teasing you about is requiring a whole load of new skills. I recently tried to get to grips with my camera, and I'm way off the mark with it - bumbling along as I do on this blog - the few books I acquired lay flicked through and discarded as I glaze over when words like 'aperture' and 'ISO' start being banded around. I am a terrible student, really.

For years my way of learning involved skim-reading and bullshit and I'm amazed at how far that takes you in this culture. But. It only takes you so far - to the very boundary where actual talent is required, and then my wings melt and burn.

I had a lesson in that this week. Those people who take amazing photographs and you think 'I could do that'? Well, it turns out you can't. Not unless you put the hours in. And practice and try and fail and try again. And maybe start concentrating when people talk about 'aperture'.

I'm trying my hand at something familiar, but new. I'm having to tame that lazy student in me.

A Week of Instagram

Are you on instagram? Come on over and say 'hi'. You can find me here posting inane and random shots of little bits of our days. I do so like the frivolity of instagram and how shots don't have to be insanely perfect to be perfectly good enough. And it's a nice bunch of people over there.

See you there?