There’s been something on your mind. Something you wanted to do. Have been wanting to do for years since the last time you did it. It gave you such an amazing feeling but it was a challenge and a half. Then afterwards you have verified that you are still capable, can still complete it and you have fulfilled that need for a while. Do you know that feeling?
No, I don’t know what you are now thinking about, and probably don’t need to know, but I was thinking of knitting. Over Christmas I knitted a jumper. From scratch without a ‘proper’ pattern. I made a swatch up and worked out the pattern myself. I’ll have to find a picture of the finished article and will so a ‘sketch’ to go here too. The previous time I did that must have been over twenty years earlier. I knew I was capable of doing it but could I still? I didn’t really plan other than turning up with wool and needles and willing and time. Time was easy while chatting to family and watching films and grazing on chocolates and nuts. Four days later and I was knitted out, I’d fulfilled that niggle, that need to know if I could still do it.
Show don’t tell.
He was knitted out.
Vs
He didn’t have the heart to tell his aunt that the jumper she’d knitted him for Christmas didn’t fit, or that his girlfriend used it when she woke in the mornings after she’d stayed at his.
Lynne’s AtoZ blogging challenge theme in case you couldn’t tell:
Linked to thoughts of emotions and behaviours, my theme is ‘I feel….’. Writers among you will be familiar with the phrase show don’t tell, for others it’s what every novelist tries to do. Authors want to show you the emotion and behaviour without telling you it. Trying to practice showing not telling, I have included an example in each post. I may have got it right, I may not have. Please let me know.
Here’s who else is doing the AtoZblogging challenge.
lynnelives 
That’s awesome you knitted a jumper without a pattern. I’ve only knitted small things and I usually have a pattern to follow.
~Patricia Lynne~
Story Dam
Patricia Lynne, YA Author
It was a very weird experience but I like awesome better! I knew I was capable but had no idea if it would work. Once I started there was no turning back if it didn’t work it didn’t work but I’d only know once I got to the end. A bit like writing my novels come to think of it.
I’ve been feeling that way about painting with watercolors. Haven’t done it for year, but have the urge to pull out my supplies and see what I can do. Yes, the desire to paint has been niggling at me.
Good that you keep your supplies, I had that urge for oils only to find I’d given them all away.. drat.. Nowadays I paint regularly so the watercolours are always with me when I travel, as are the pastels.
Scratch that niggle and get them out today! 🙂
Now that’s impressive!! I love your illustrations – they are so soothing and have a flow that is soothing to my eyes every time Your post scrolls onto my screen.
Thanks Sammy.
Awesome and impressive are great words to get for my creative endeavours.
Glad you love my illustrations, that means a lot as I think I didn’t appreciate them for what they were originally, I’ve now realised I’m an illustrator as that’s what they are, some will work as designs and I found out this week I’m a caricaturist!
I got great feedback from my sketches last year and I wanted to do more for this year. I’m not sure where they’ll take me but looking forward to the ride! I’ll take soothing as a word for them thanks!
I can’t knit for toffee – it either comes out too tight or too loose or, if I’m really lucky, both :). I even completely failed with a knitting machine. I know all about niggles like that though, when you just have to go find the old kit or something just to see if you can still go it.
Tasha
Tasha’s Thinkings – AtoZ (Vampires)
FB3X – AtoZ (Erotic Drabbles)
I loved using my knitting machine but it’s been put away for years and I prefer to hand knit these days.
My current niggle is to make a bench from wood from my garden.
My mum taught me to knit about thirty years ago, but I didn’t really give it a proper go until about two years ago when I needed a new hobby. I don’t think I could knit a whole jumper, but I can make a mean hat! 😉
If you can do a hat you can do a jumper. Depends on the pattern that’s all. I love knitting.
I’ve always wanted to learn how to knit. My friend says she’ll teach me, but we haven’t gotten around to it yet. It looks so relaxing. Wonderful post! Happy A to Z.
Thanks!
I put in ‘learn to knit’ in my browser and got links to some great videos showing you how to knit the basics. The techniques are different from how I knit so everyone gets their own style I think. If you want to do it get a pair of needles, some acrylic yarn and start. Who needs to wait for friends to teach us? Enjoy!
We have a few things in common it seems Lynne. I am an artist as well as a writer, and I’ve been known to dabble in DIY projects, which I usually term as ‘sculpture’. I say sculpture because it sounds more artistic, just in case it all goes wrong.
I learned to knit when I was a cub scout, but have never attempted it since. My usual niggle these days is to produce an acrylic painting or a portrait. My website: http://www.tom-benson.co.uk/
Looking forward to our sessions next week with ‘L’ setting us off.
Thanks for the link, it was good to have a wander round your life. We have very little and a lot in common.. I love growing then painting flowers from my garden too. I loved some of your art and didn’t like others. Probably the same for all of us. I’ve got open studios coming up so am used to people liking some and not others.
Good luck with the cover design, glad the novel’s selling. Once I get April over I’ll go back to editing mine.
See you next week. I’d better get my L sketch uploaded and scheduled..
Hehe… at least the ill-fitting jumper got some use. 🙂 Your little stories and stories are so cute.
Random Musings from the KristenHead — K is for Kristen (and the KristenHead Nickname)
Cute’s not a word usually associated with me so huge thanks. I think my novels might be cute stories too which will limit the readers but help me pitch.
them: ‘What’s your genre?’
me: ‘I write Cute fiction. They’re stories about families.’