#7

Knitting is my me-time...

Hello everybody, and welcome back to my weekly newsletter!

This week I’m coming to you with a shorter newsletter. This past week has been CRAZY! I’ve started a new job, which for now is only three days per week, and the other four days I’ve been truly focused on my thesis as there’s an important deadline coming up. So I’ve pretty much done research and typed at the laptop in both cases for hours and hours every single day. And that, of course, means less time for knitting and my other creative endeavours. But, fear not, there’s always time to knit at least a little bit, that sleepy half hour in the evening, just before going to bed with a lighter mind.

What I’m currently knitting

Last week I came at you with a long list of WIPs I really wanted to focus on these next weeks and, guess what? I didn’t finish any! I’ve worked pretty steadily on the Sugar, Tea, and Rum Sweater by the Raw Wool Company for the best part of the week, but not enough to knit the whole last sleeve. And then last Saturday Martijn’s slippers broke and I suddenly remembered that last year I had actually started knitting some winter slippers for him, and then, of course, I ended up knitting only one. So I picked up my needles again, and this time I’m set on finally finishing them. I’m knitting the Heartfelt Christmas Slippers, a free pattern by Drops Design. I forgot how big the actual pieces are, as they will be felted: I’ve been knitting on the second slipper in every free moment I had for 2 days, and still I’m only halfway to finish it! I don’t have pictures to show you right now, but I actually talked about knitting the first slipper in the very first episode of the ‘Knitting in Holland Podcast’ almost one year ago! Check it out, if you want to see a younger Camilla enthusiastically talk about her big slipper WIP: little she knew that one year later, those slippers ain’t finished yet.

Bookclub News

It feels a bit unreal, but the second month of the ‘Knitting, Fashion, and Sustainability Bookclub’ is already almost over. And as today is the last Tuesday of the week, you know it’s time for our virtual meet-up! I can’t wait to discuss the ugliness of the fashion industry with like-minded knitters and crafters tonight! And I already have planned a very nice interesting reading for the month of October!!

Don’t have any clue of what I’m talking about?! Don’t worry, you can find more information and, if you’d like, join us, at this link. We are always happy for new faces and new voices.

Destash Accountability

I’m sad to admit this has been another week without FOs, but I’m glad to say I did not buy any new yarn either!! I’m actually on quite a dry spell of new yarn, it may have even been a whole month! Wow, I’m surprised, proud, and disappointed in myself all at the same time.

IN: 0g

OUT: 0g :(

Net: + 4683g

Obsession of the week (a.k.a. my weekly source of procrastination)

Oh, this week my obsession is a good one! I’ve been obsessed on not shopping! (or I haven’t been obsessed on shopping?!)

I need to give you a bit of context.

Last year, around mid-October, I decided to start a shopping ban: I would not have bought anything new for as long as I could (hopefully a whole year), unless I needed it. My rules were simple:

• NO clothes. Clothes was a no brainer: I perfectly knew there was little chance I ran out of a specific type of garment any time soon, I even probably had enough underwear and socks for two years at least. So, no clothes at all!

• NO make up and skincare stuff: my make-up routine revolves around a concealer for the always there dark circles, a brown eyeliner, mascara, a lip tint. My skincare routine is about as small: make up remover, face wash, serum, eye lotion, face lotion, sometimes a mask. And yet, for some reason, I had at least one new piece of each of these, when honestly one bottle lasts me more than a year.

• NO toiletries: honestly, how did I end up with a cabinet full of 12 toothpastes, 8 shampoos, and 10 conditioners?! No new ones until I was done will all of them.

• NO office supplies: I am somehow a magnet for all the merch pens that any little shop at some point gives out for free. My desk has a full drawer of pens, pencils, highlighters, post-its, cute notebooks, etc. Sure, I am at least one of those people who still enjoys writing by hand something on paper, but I can recognise that my office supplies could carry me on for another university degree or two.

• NO household items: I’m not particularly big on home trends, as I am horrified of fast furniture as I am of fast fashion (please, if you’d like to know more about fast furniture, listen to this great talk about it). But I still, sometimes, can’t stop myself when I see the cute vase that would look great by our window, with cute flowers in it. But then I have more vases than windows, and I can buy myself flowers, but they’re honestly expensive so that doesn’t happen often either. So, unless there is something I absolutely need, like a new pot to cook into, no new homeware for me.

These were the general rules. I had two exceptions: I could, of course, buy presents for family and friends for Christmas/birthdays, and I could buy myself ONE present for Christmas/birthday. Oh, and I forgot, one rule was also NO YARN. I know, crazy.

Everything worked out well until February. For my birthday in January I bought myself yarn, of course, and I received presents, of course. But in February everything was still grey and cold and I kinda liked the feeling of having new things! And that’s when I decided I could be a bit more flexible about yarn, and from there it all went south!

So, one year later, I believe it’s time to give it another try. I haven’t bought excessively in the past months, but I still think that a bit of discipline wouldn’t hurt. This time there is not going to be a no yarn rule, as my net zero stash goal should be enough to keep me in check. I will let you know how it’s going.

In the meantime I’m keeping track of what items I finish/break for which I already had a substitute in a cabinet/drawer. So far, in this past week, I’ve run out of 1 bottle of shampoo, 1 bottle of conditioner, 1 eye lotion, 1 marker. And, guess what, I already had new ones of those in the house!

I may have inspired you to start a shopping ban as well. If I did, please let me know as telling somebody else usually makes us a bit more accountable ;)

Practical information

As I’ve told you, life is being particularly busy these days, and it will be like this for the next couple of weeks as well. So I’m planning on temporarily write this newsletter every 2 weeks instead of every week. This would allow me to have more to tell you and to better curate my content for you.

Thank you so much for joining me this week. If you haven’t done it yet, please subscribe to not miss any future update!

To stay in touch and see even more knitting-related content, don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and Youtube!

Have a great week,

Camilla