Thank you
For all of the comments on my granddad’s knitting. I’m so lucky to have these, and delighted to have you to appreciate what treasures they are. My mum called me up to tell me that the post, and your comments, made her cry. She told me a little more about her father’s knitting and her own. I wondered whether, in the photo of me and my granddad together, we were wearing hand knits and it turns out we were. He knit his jumper, apparently he knit all of his own knit wear other than fine knits for ‘going out’, and liked to make Icelandic style jumpers from kits. My mum remembers selling these kits from the shop she worked in as a teenager. The cardigan I’m wearing in the photo was knit by my mum (I think most of my family can knit to some extent).
Thank you also to everyone who has given me the make my day award and apologies for not thanking you personally, I’m horribly behind on non business email. I’d been kind of feeling like my interest in reading blogs was waning a little, but I’ve loved all of the make my day lists floating around, so many wonderful discoveries. I’ll be adding my own list soon but I’m sort of struggling with it. So difficult to choose just ten!
I’m so happy, if often suprised, that so many people like my blog, but sometimes I wonder about the gulf between the impression you might have of me from it and what people who know me in ‘real life’ think. The general impression of anyone who has never visited me seems to be that I’m pretty neat and tidy. Anyone who has visited me has found the contrast between the glimpses of my flat I show here and what it’s usually like highly amusing. So in the interests of bringing a little more realism to the blog, here’s a photo that Hannah snapped the other night while I was helping her with a project.
And now I’m off to clean the kitchen, because unlike the mess above it’s more unhygenic than creative.
Posted: January 31st, 2008 under knitting.
Comments: 21
Comments
Comment from Eliza
Time: January 31, 2008, 8:53 pm
oh, I’m glad to know I’m not the only one to live in chaos!
Comment from Shannon B
Time: January 31, 2008, 9:01 pm
I’ve often thought to myself “Ysolda is too creative to be that tidy - therefore she must have an excellent eye for styling these photos.”
; )
I love that picture of you - great grin!
Comment from isabelle
Time: January 31, 2008, 9:41 pm
you remind me of my sister, she lives in (creative) chaos. and, i love the boot behind you on the picture, haha.
Comment from Birgitte
Time: January 31, 2008, 9:58 pm
Oh, that’s a wonderful photo!
I like:
(1) that your desk looks just like mine has done for as long as I can remember - I like tidying it up now and then, but it’ll look the same in a day or two - my desk is usually a huge mess and a mixture of studies (i.e. huge books and printed articles) and knitting - and the size of the desk I have now is only a quarter of yours since I have this old English 18th century secretary; peculiarly, the huge desk at my temporary work looks just the same (without the knitting, though)
(2) that you’re smiling in the photo! It’s always like that: when you’re posing in order to take a model photo, you wouldn’t have a grin all over your face, so we, the blogreaders, haven’t actually seen that yet ;)
I must say, you look even nicer in that everyday photo ;)
Comment from Fuji Mama
Time: February 1, 2008, 12:50 am
I love seeing a glimpse into “the life” of a person! Thanks for sharing not only the picture of you in your workplace, but of your granddad’s knits.
Comment from Jessica
Time: February 1, 2008, 1:07 am
That’s so cool that knitting spreads across your family. My grandma crochets and I knit and everyone else is either into classical art or sports.
Comment from Amber
Time: February 1, 2008, 5:45 am
Love it!! I took a photo of my craft space right after making a bunch of sewing/embroidery projects thinking that I would post the “aftermath” pictures but unfortunately, that aftermath has remained for much longer than originally hoped!
I mentioned your blog in my own Make My Day Awards (though I cheated a bit on the choose 10 part) because you are so inspiring—-clutter or not!;-)
Comment from clementine
Time: February 1, 2008, 7:10 am
You know, I don’t think that’s really *too* terrible for someone as prolifically crafty as you are- you can see the floor at least!
One thing that always puts me off posting pics of my crafty projects is that I’d have to spend an hour or two cleaning my desk first.
Comment from Phoe
Time: February 1, 2008, 3:28 pm
Creative minds are always a bit messy. I think it’s in the rules.
Comment from Juliana
Time: February 1, 2008, 3:48 pm
I can only say that I like you the way I met you. Sadly we did not have much time to get to know each other better but I like your ideas, your blog and think that you portrait yourself very honestly. Hopefully I’ll be able to visit sometime.
Comment from maryse
Time: February 1, 2008, 4:49 pm
you are very cute.
and i feel better about the condition of my desk now ;)
Comment from alyssa
Time: February 1, 2008, 5:48 pm
Oh honey if you could see my apartment…it’s a mess. Its only clean every other thursday when our maid comes. And that only lasts till about 2 hours after we get home from work. We truly never get to enjoy a clean home.
Comment from Tajhia
Time: February 1, 2008, 7:50 pm
Hehe… your flat looks like my house!
How nice that most of your family can knit… My mum used to knit as did my grandma, but out of me and my siblings, I am the only knitter. I am determined to carry on the legacy by teaching my children to knit too (the eldest has asked me a couple of times - must sit her down with some yarn and needles….)
Comment from Alice from france
Time: February 1, 2008, 9:29 pm
Mess don’t want to say that it’s not totally disorganised, i mean it’s mess okay but an organised mess! You know where the things are.
I’m like that, messy but sort of an organised mess, the most place which is messy is my desk, full of paper of any sort, full of stuff i keep for sentimental reasons, things like that, i don’t need them, i don’t use them but i kept them on my desk, and it’s made sort of tower of paper, records, cards, …
I think major part of the people are messy, but maybe we just need more storage places…who knows!
Comment from Casey
Time: February 1, 2008, 9:35 pm
Not to overwhelm you, but you’ve been nominated again for the “You Make My Day!” award! http://elegantmusings.wordpress.com/2008/02/01/friday-favorites-sweet-surprises/
You are so cute in that photo! And I daresay we all have lives and such that look quite different from what we post on our blogs… I know I do!
Comment from m
Time: February 2, 2008, 10:58 pm
The wellington on the floor behind you - TOO FUNNY!
Comment from Jocelynn
Time: February 3, 2008, 6:26 am
I just want to say thanks for sharing a bit of yourself. I was moved by the photo of you and your grandfather. It got me a bit emotional as it sparked memories of my grandmother who was a knitting fiend and constantly kept her hands moving. That is all I really remember of her. So, thank you for bringing that memory back to me. :)
Comment from Judy B
Time: February 4, 2008, 3:19 am
Most creative people live in untidiness so it doesn’t surprise me. If you spent all your time cleaning you wouldn’t have time to do the important stuff. That nice photo of your grandfather and yourself made me remember what a lovely man my grandfather was. Thanks.
Comment from Samantha
Time: February 4, 2008, 3:36 am
It’s a creative mess. If only I could have my desk look like that and still be able to find things.
Comment from Macoco
Time: February 4, 2008, 3:18 pm
Thanks for a behind the scenes glimpse! I have to say, that random boot standing behind the chair cracked me up.
Comment from Gina
Time: February 20, 2008, 7:12 pm
Your table looks just like my work table in my room! I love the chaos!! :-)
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