Most people who know me agree that two of my major passions in life are food and making things. I love handmade things and wherever possible will make things myself or buy handmade things from sellers local to the place I am in. Most of my money gets spent on things to make, such as material, yarn, equipment, magazines and patterns, and things that generally inspire me.
Yesterday, a very exciting thing happened. Birmingham's first city centre Handmade Market was launched by the very brilliant Creative Open Workshops hosting a number of brilliant artists and crafters. The Handmade Market provides a valid city centre forum for local artists and sellers which appeared to benefit from a huge amount of footfall in the area, and hopefully with a weekly changing offering of products and art, will be a lasting addition to the existing Birmingham markets. I'm even in discussions with a milliner and a papercrafter that I met at the Market yesterday to host a stall together in the coming months.
It finally feels that Birmingham is beginning to recognise the crafting talent that it is home to right in the city, along with the success of Created in Birmingham earlier this year, and the linked project This is Birmingham, which I understand is due to open this year. It really is inspiring, and a long time coming behind the success that pockets of London, Bristol and Glasgow have been enjoying for a long time. Also, the nice people at Created in Birmingham ran a competition to win tickets to Moseley Folk Festival for Sunday 5 September, and I won!!
Now, on to my handmade interests... I am starting to make Christmas presents. I have 8 birthdays coming up before Christmas, but they can fit in amongst the Christmas presents. I actually cast on for my first Christmas present yesterday which I can't go into because the person it is for may read this blog! So here are some photos of things that I have made relatively recently...
A shawl I made for my Mom's birthday back in May.
A coffee cup holder I use ALL THE TIME at work (we have those silly paper cups, no kettle and no sink).
A stitch holder I made with memory wire and beads.
A mini scarf complete with buttons, ready for autumn. Just seen: Knitting for Dummies - my bible.
A huge pashmina knitted in a gorgeous gorgeous Manos yarn I bought from a store in San Francisco.
A cute little purse I whipped up one Sunday afternoon as a birthday present for my cousin, which she still hasn't received, despite her birthday being at the start of the month... Oops. 
1 comment:
cute knitting! The shawl you made your mum turned out really well and I love the yarn you used for the pashmina, it's so pretty.
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