Author: Kirsten

Hello and welcome to my blog. My name is Kirsten and I live in the west coast of Scotland. Mika, my rescue dog is my constant companion and together we walk through life. Author of the blog, "The Bifo Kid's Yarns - The Yarns We Tell And The Stitches We Make

Hello Everyone,

Kirsten

Hopefully, this post finds you all doing as well as you can under these strange times we are living under. Wherever you are in the world I am wishing you well and good fortune.

For those who are finding life a bit of a challenge, at present, I am sending you love, kindness, compassion and support across the waves of time and space.

Summer is here in Scotland. Took this snap of my neighbours roses. Beautiful!

Where Have I Been?

Quite a bit of time has past since my last entry. Until now I have been uncertain whether or not I would return.

To put you in the picture, as some will remember, I have had challenging health issues throughout my life. They have been manageable and I have had a good quality of life within limits. Unfortunately, as with everything in life, things began to change in 2016. Since then I have had a series of health concerns resulting in stays in Intensive Care (ICU) and High Dependency (HDU) Units as well as rehabilitation.

Whilst the rational and intellectual side of myself knew this would mean, at the very least, I would have to build myself back-up slowly. The emotional and, sometimes, impatient and impetuous side did not seem to grasp just how slowly or how far back I would have to go.

This is by way of saying, perhaps I started the blog too quickly after one of these episodes. Somehow, as mentioned in my first post, I was hoping by concentrating on the blog, amongst other things, it would help to give a little structure and purpose back.

The reality was I did not have it within me to keep the blog going. I struggled to get out of bed most mornings and for long periods I didn’t unless I had to. This created worry that I was lazy, had no focus or purpose and I was scared I would not have a life, again, beyond my bedroom walls.

This dramatic decline over the last few years with no guarantee of recovery has not just been scary. It has left so much uncertainty as to where to go from here, what is reasonable to expect of life from now and where are my limits of capacity? Adjustments are in the small things such as struggling to stay awake long enough to do anything. It is in the bigger things like long-term plans; what does the future hold?

Though artificial, I love the bright colours.

A Way Forward

Over time, however, I realised what was needed was acceptance. Acceptance of where I was emotionally and physically and, it has to be said, intellectually I was not working at even a previously minimal level.

I needed patience in abundance to give space and time to heal as best as I could and still, I am healing.

As I also previously said, things have been improving. In recent weeks I have found myself automatically getting out of bed in the morning. I have energy and interest for other things and people. I have stopped having the TV on almost none stop which I was sleeping through. I have given myself space to expand and grow my life once more.

Again, however, I have to recognise the progress I am talking of is within even narrower limits than before. I have yet to have any inkling of previous levels of energy or capacity. Although I have to be very honest and say I am particularly lucky; many people who have experienced the challenges I have had over the last few years have had far worst outcomes.

More colour and love from my cockatiels; Coco and Alfie.

Be Gentle With Yourself

Sometimes we can be too hard on ourselves. As it happens I was not being lazy or lacked focus with no purpose. The truth was, every part of me needed a break and if I wasn’t going to take one my body enforced it. Given the outcome, I am glad my body said,’NO’. I understand that I am no longer the young thing that bounced back after each blow. Now there is need of rest and recuperation with almost every little health concern. Making such allowances provides better outcomes in the long term. Acceptance and self compassion is the name of the game.

It is important for us all to look after ourselves as well as others. A little self love, compassion, kindness and support goes a long way. Even those of us who have responsibilities for others should remember a vessel which is empty cannot give. Be gentle with yourself as well as others.

What of the Blog

As for the blog? Whilst in the midst fo struggling with health concerns and wondering what the future holds the blog seemed to be beyond me. I could not find anything to write about nor had I the conifidence to do so. It is so strange how the human body and mind work. If one is out of kilter the other is invariably affected in some way or other. The thought of the blog was overwhelming at times for no apparent reason.

Lately however, I have been mulling over what I could write and whether I wanted to keep going or not. Today seemed to be a turning point. Someone noted it had been some time since my last post. To this I agreed and I said I thought the blog wasn’t too bad to which they agreed. It seemed like a light turned on and suddenly I knew what I was going to write today.

So here we are together again; my writing and you reading. Who knows where this will take either you or I; if anywhere? Yet I am ready to try again and get something going between us. Please come join me if you can or would like.

Work in Progress

In my absence I have not been fully without crocheting or knitting. Although progress has been glacial.

For me, right now, it is not the speed of the projects or demonstrating how wonderful I am at complex stitches, designs or colour combinations. It is taking one step at a time and proving to myself that I am able to complete something.

To this end I am in the middle of an important project. After leaving ICU in 2016 I asked one of my brothers to bring my knitting to the hospital. I had a fancy that by digging into something I had known well it would help my cognitive recovery as well as manual dexterity and focus. 

The first item was a jacket I completed in hospital. It was therapeutic as I had thought. Though it was not my greatest achievement as a garment. I have never worn it as I got one of the arms wrong and have never resolved to fix it. Somehow it serves as a memory of how far down I had gone but how far back up I got by perseverance. 

At different points it has looked like I would never have the capacity to do anything again; yet here I am.

The second item I started during this period was another jacket which I am sure some will remember from visiting during the 2016 hospital stay.

It is the jacket I am working on at present. You can imagine it has had a chequered history of being intensely concentrated on, ignored, progressed and frogged. There were times when it was frogged, when I am sure it didn’t have to but my ability to think clearly was not at its’ best. The last time I frogged I had been making the two fronts at the same time. Suddenly, for no apparent reason, toward finishing I decided I did not think they either looked right or were neat enough and I pulled them both out.

A panel from the Swing Jacket in Bonus Aran Tweed, Ginger

It has been suggested to me that I should just frog the whole garment and move on. This would not give me the sense of closure and reassurance that I feel finishing will. To be clear, I have done other projects in between but not finishing this one nags at my confidence and ability still.

So here I am knitting the Hayfield’s Swing Jacket in Bonus Aran Tweed; colour Ginger (762). There is a front and a half left to do and I can already see myself wearing it.

Come Join Me!

It would be good to hear what has helped you through challenging times? Have you projects which have special meaning for you?

Please feel free to drop your story in the comments. 

Also please sign up for notification of future updates by entering your email at the blue bar.

Bye for Now

Take care and best wishes to all.

Materials Information

Kirsten

The materials used in the jacket I posted earlier today were:

Yarn 

From: Lovecrafts https://www.lovecrafts.com/en-gb/ 

Hayfield Spirit:  Chunky

100g Balls

155m/169yds

80% Acrylic, 20% Wool

Needles

UK No.3, USA No.10.5 (5.5mm) needles

Buttons

From: Charming Beads, Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01BFG8PJU/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 

Brown Wood

25mm round

Varying coloured thread decoration

Doing it different isn’t necessarily wrong!

Kirsten

Hello everyone. Hopefully this post finds you all managing as well as you can under the current circumstances.

We remain in lockdown here with just a little hope that the vaccines which have emerged will give us some h return to a more normal existence at some point.

The worst of the winter cold and snow is behind us on the West Coast of Scotland. We officially enter spring on 20 March. Driving into Glasgow yesterday I noticed the crocuses were out in force. I always find a bright cheery welcome when they arrive and it gives hope for better weather to come.

Since I last wrote I have been thinking of how things can evolve in life such as my interest in crafts. When I was a young child it seemed to me that every adult female I knew was knitting and some had other strings to their bow such as crocheting or sewing and the like.  They were women who were brought up during WWII or born not long after and who, mostly, did not have television and the like growing up.  Money was tight and they had learned the mend and make do method of life.  Once a crafted item had served its’ purpose it was often unravelled (frogged) and made into something new.

I loved to hear the women chatter and see the needles going fast as lightning clattering away.  One woman in particular was mesmerising in her speed. It appeared to me at the time and even now, as I think back, that she could not have been human in both her skill and speed. The others were fast but this was amazing. I wanted to join the group.  I was attracted to learning a skill but also the social connection they appeared to gain from it.

Generally most people try to fit in with others.  Young people dress in ‘fashionable’ clothing resembling a uniformity of some type, people join groups, wear actual uniforms and follow rituals, norms and values expected of them.  We all in our own way identify with different groups in various aspects of life.

It can be quite a challenge whenever we set out to learn something new. It can be so immediately apparent when something has gone wrong or is different. Being part of the group is not always possible no matter how much we would like to.  I learned to knit and enjoy the creative and social aspect of knitting but, alas, my tension was so tight nobody could teach me. It held me back, at first, from being part of the group, from that sense of belonging and sharing which is so fundamental to our humanity. There was also the fact I was unable to make a knit stitch by placing the needle into the front of the stitch on the needle – it just felt really awkward and more; it felt impossible. For many years I had a sense of not being quite part of the group when someone would say, ‘I don’t understand the way you do this. It looks so awkward to me.’ or ‘I can’t imagine why you are unable to do that the way everyone else does.’  

Luckily I had the skills and resources to cope, to find a way to where I wanted to be. As a disabled person I have spent a life time negotiating situations just to get to a starting point before being able to do anything else. I thought of the situation like a challenge and revelled in the idea of having to work out a solution for myself. Eventually by working on my tension I taught myself to knit but continued to make knit stitches by putting the needle into the back of stitches for many years.  Then one day, well into adulthood, I realised I was knitting as others do and it felt absolutely fine – the change was not intentional, it just happened. Although I still work in my old way at times.

Knitting differently never actually bothered me personally but I did find the comments irksome. As I got older, several people over the years have asked me to show how I managed to get, what they thought was a more attractive outcome. There was reward in my quirkiness.

Crafting is not a matter of life or death that things are done in a particular way.  When starting out you may find some things a little more challenging than others.  In these circumstances I would encourage you to persevere.  If it is something you want to do you will very likely find a way which suits your skill set. Instead it is a challenge to ourselves to examine our skills and knowledge and see where and how they may progress. 

Doing it different isn’t necessarily wrong! It is a sensible response to a challenge set before us. It also provides us with a greater sense of individuality. My garments were no less useful or attractive to look at when I did my stitches in my own way. 

When I first took guitar lessons I used to stop each time I made a mistake and go back to the beginning.  My teacher was confused by this and asked why?  I said I had not got the piece correct so had to keep repeating it until I did.  His response was revolutionary to me.  If you make a mistake keep going, don’t stop half way and go back to the beginning.  Think of the learning and practice you get before you go back to the error with more experience and skill.  Thinking of all the errors I have made while crafting and techniques I have struggled to learn and over time through different projects I gradually improve and so does everyone. The secret is progression and not instant mastery.

The ability to problem solve and negotiate our way round challenges in life are part and parcel of stitching another piece of the cloth of life we are all making.

These lessons were outlined to me, yet again, when I returned to knitting in the last few weeks. I was going great guns and then went into one of those stages you can get where you can’t do right for doing wrong – I bet you know what I mean. Among the things that went awry were knitting an arm far too long as I had got into a happy rhythm and lost track of what I was doing. The second arm was finished only to discover I had initially cast on 55 rather than 45 and had to redo it again. Finally, the pièce de résistance was having to try three times to sew in the hood. Despite all of this, it felt good to have kept with it and completed the project.

It is also useful to bear in mind that doing it differently does not necessarily mean you have to keep hitting your proverbial head against the brick wall. Sometimes it is about recognising that your skills and talent are in a different direction and taking what you have learned so far and find a completely new avenue to explore. This is a skill I have often had to use.

By the way there was another reward in finishing the jacket. I don’t know about anyone else but I absolutely love sewing with the mattress stitch. Intellectually I understand how it works and where the sewing yarn ends up but the child in me is still thrilled to see it disappear as you pull on the end. What satisfaction, a smooth, clean join.

It is an irony that I took up crafting not only to learn a new skill but to benefit from the social aspects it seemed to offer me. However, over the years I have found it has been less of a social element and more a therapeutic and individual occupation of which I demand more in times of difficulty. Finding myself in stressful hospital wards, challenging personal and professional situations or in splendid isolation due to lockdown, crafts have been one of my main ways of getting through it all.

Come, join me!

I’d love to hear from you all about what crafting of any kind has meant to you. What do you get from it and when does it serve you best?

If you would like notification of my future posts please sign-up at the blue button at the right hand side of this blog. I would be delighted to have you join us. We don’t know where we are going but we are enjoying the ride.

Work in Progress

Yesterday I completed my first project in a while; the jacket I referred to above. It was knitted in:

Yarn

Hayfield Spirit

Chunky

100g Balls

155m/169yds

80% Acrylic, 20% Wool

Needles

UK No.3, USA No.10.5 (5.5mm) needles

Buttons:

25mm round

Brown Wood

Varying coloured thread decoration

I hope to have my next project finished soon and will keep you up-to-date.

Until then take care of yourself and be safe.

Kate

Happy New Year!

Kirsten

Hello again. It is good to be back with you. Hope you all had as good a festive period as possible in these trying times. Wishing for 2021 to lead to more positive outcomes for everyone.

In the months since my last blog I have experienced not just the joys of the worldwide pandemic and all it has to offer but my health necessitated a stay in hospital. Hence the long hiatus between my last blog and now.

Over the years I have come to the realisation it is never a good idea to hang on to an ideal of how things and people should be. Life very rarely provides perfection as you imagine it to be.

Also, just as you enter a sweet spot, where you believe and feel everything is right in your world life moves on either for better times or not. So it does when you are at the depths of despair. Don’t get me wrong I am not saying you never get to enjoy this sweetness or wallow in the sorrow so to speak. I have known some who have supped from the sweet stuff for years. Some get good slurps of the good stuff while others spend their life maybe getting an occasional sip.

Whatever your fortune has been there are always times where your ability to cope and move forward can be as much, if not more, of an asset than your ability to hold on and enjoy or endure.

In this I see parallels with our mutual love and participation in our crafts. We see the ideal pattern or, better still, are able to dream up some item to design and work on. However, we all know the frustration and, sometimes, painful process of having to frog a piece not just once but many times and of not getting things just the way we had imagined them. The agonies wondering if you are ever going to get the hang of a new technique or stitch. Will you ever be able to produce an item that can be used usefully? In the end we, as individuals, make our own decisions how to proceed with varying success.

Whatever the outcome, it is the product of our own work with all the beauty and skill we have to give. While it is a shared journey as we learn the skill as others have and exchange ideas, show off our work and rejoice and commiserate accordingly, it is also a deeply personal journey as only we know the learned experience of producing that individual item and what it means to us. You provide your own style, taste and quirks to your work and only you know where all the hidden joys and pains as well as the ‘hidden’ uncorrected mistakes are.

There is also the external influences which determine the final outcome. What resources do we have to enable us to produce our much longed for new jacket with the outrageous colour combination or the delicate doily with sweet meadow flowers. Do we have enough money, access to materials, knowledge and understanding or skill to produce such wonderful items. Do our personal circumstances allow for such activities or do they remain an aspiration.

Likewise, in these days of pandemic which is having an overarching influence in all of our lives in so many ways we must choose how to proceed and it will be a deeply personal as well as shared journey for all of us.

Life will move on and the pandemic will be behind us; at least in terms of how we are able to manage and live with the virus. Our lives however will not only be influenced by experience of living through it but the personal choices we make along the way.

I wish us all well in the coming months and hope we have the best life we can.

Current Projects

In my last blog I wrote, “For at least the time being, I will not be outlining my future plans for larger projects and the like. Instead I will be sharing with you what I have on my needles or hook at present as well as any interesting bits and pieces I come across along the way. I will also share my progress to date and any strategies I have found while trying to get back in the groove. I know from reading and speaking to others I am not the only person who has ever mislaid their crafting mojo. Perhaps something which I find helpful will assist someone else.”

Well, now I know, at least in part, where my crafting mojo went. There was obviously something working on me which was causing my fatigue, lack of concentration as well as motivation.

What I have been finding useful lately is not to sweat it; to relax and do what I can. Gradually, not only is my crafting mojo returning but my ability to get on with things in general. Putting out of sight any unfinished projects which I am not working on at present has lessened the sense of being overwhelmed. To be really honest the one thing which has helped a lot is just doing whatever I have been putting off. It serves to remind that thinking about something too much can make it seem more challenging than it actually is. Also, I tend to remind myself of a conversation with one of my brothers many years ago in which we both agreed that working to avoid doing something can be, more often than not, harder than actually justing doing it – so I am just doing it whenever possible. I also remembered another two things: I enjoy crafting and can find it therapeutic and calming when in challenging times.

So, at present there are two projects I am wanting to progress. The first is from Pippin Poppycock and is the Arizona Blanket, https://pippinpoppycock.com/arizona-blanket/. It is a blanket I have crocheted before as you can see from the picture below.

I used Stylecraft Special DK in the colours of:

Soft Peach Apricot

Vintage Peach Jaffa

Spice Walnut

Copper

The colours were chosen to bring a feeling of warmth, brightness and happiness.

The blanket was a project I enjoyed doing in an earlier stay in hospital and was surprised how quickly it came together. So when I had my more recent stay and needed something to occupy my mind I chose to do it again. My concentration was not at its’ best at the time and I thought something familiar would be helpful rather than doing my usual of jumping straight into something new with technique learn and pattern instructions to understand and follow.

I must say, it did do the trick. Concentrating on the blanket also enabled me to manage better the circumstances and surroundings I found myself in at the time. Unfortunately, since coming home I have not progressed it any but I am now feeling more able and motivated to get going.

The colours for this Arizona Blanket are:

Tomato Saffron

Spice Copper

Khaki Meadow

Apricot

They were inspired by my idea of autumn and the earth. It is interesting that many of the nurses who saw the work in progress at the time said it reminded them of autumn without my having to say which was excellent. I had been concerned about my colour choice.

My second project is knitting which is my first love. Although it has been some time since I have actually knitted anything – crochet just kept getting in the way of it. However, I am determined to get back to it.

For this project I am using Knoll, Soft Donegal 100% pure new wool in Killala which is a tweed green. I love it. I made a swatch using both 4 1/2 mm (no 7) needles and 6 mm (no 4) and found the larger needles produced a softer, more flexible and comfortable outcome. I am using the Irish Moss Stitch or Seed Stitch.

It is brilliant to feel I have my mojo back and am able to accomplish this without fatigue or lack of concentration. Long may it last!

Come join me!

Now that I am well on the mend it is my intention to blog regularly as I had initially meant, sharing my crocheting, knitting and of course chat.

You are welcome to join me along the way by signing up at the top of the page and we will see where the journey leads. It would also be most welcome if you were to leave any comments you may have.

Have you lost your crafting mojo at any time? What do you find helps?

Hope you visit again soon. Take care and be safe.

Kate

Hey Ho, That’s Life

Kirsten

Hello everyone. Hope you are all well and in good fettle. Yet again you may have noticed my absence for some time. I would love to be able to tell you I was off on some unexpected adventure of a lifetime and had been enjoying myself so much I was unable to make contact with you. The sun was to die for, the water so appealing and the activities exhilarating along with life changing interludes and relationships.

To be honest, the truth is much more ordinary. You may remember my telling you that there had been some challenges for me adjusting to life changes of late. Well, I had hoped at the last time of writing I had put all that behind me and was getting on with life. However, the reality is more laborious and needy of my continued strength and attention. It is therefore evident that I cannot continue to make promises regarding my intentions for knitting and crochet projects which are not being fulfilled – a trait which is not my norm.

For at least the time being, I will not be outlining my future plans for larger projects and the like. Instead I will be sharing with you what I have on my needles or hook at present as well as any interesting bits and pieces I come across along the way. I will also share my progress to date and any strategies I have found while trying to get back in the groove. I know from reading and speaking to others I am not the only person who has ever mislaid their crafting mojo. Perhaps something which I find helpful will assist someone else.

To this end, I am incredibly lucky to have someone who has years of experience and all the patience in the world to assist and coach me along the way. We have come up with a way for me to get back into the crafting habit. Small projects which require little thought and take very little time but should work well in my getting into the rhythm of stitching again. By doing this I am saving a little of the time and space for myself which I have always found so helpful in life, no matter what was happening around me and I have missed so much.

It is amazing to think that in all the years I have crocheted and knitted I have never made a hat or a scarf – very often some of the first items people make when starting out. I don’t know how but I seem to have missed that step.

Well, here I am knitting my very first cowl and hat. I am really looking forward to it. Over the years I have collected many patterns and had many ideas for designs and now I am going to action at least two of those. Wish me luck!

Have you had issues mislaying your crafting mojo? I would be interested to know and how you went about finding it again. What worked for you?

If you would like to follow how I get on please feel free to sign up to be notified of updates at the top of the page and if you would like to leave a comment, please do.

Take care of yourself and be safe.

Well Hello

Kirsten

Well, hello. Long time no hear from me – I know. As can sometimes happen, life took me on a diversionary route. It is one of those times, which I am sure many of you, if not all, can relate to; readjusting to this new life we are all leading at the moment. My diversion was good, in as much I have had time to refocus. Consequently, I have rethought the blog and how things may develop from here.

First, I have to tell you, in line with not blogging, I have not completed any craft to share with you this time round. However, this will most definitely change and I will share my progress on the Scheepjes 2020 CAL d’Histoire Naturelle by Christina Hadderingh from A Spoonful of Yarn in my next blog. Also, I am not starting anything new until I have made a considerable dent in my pile of unfinished projects. So, look forward to revisiting such popular and well known names as the Demelza Blanket.

Hopefully, you have been progressing with your projects. If not, perhaps you have been able to refocus and move forward step by step as I have. However, it is important that you look after yourself and take the time and space to work toward where you want to be. This is Fun! Not a drudge. So if you are still getting it together – so be it. This is your hobby, time and space – enjoy!

For me, personally, being able to do something creative has helped greatly in good and bad times and I wonder what is helpful to you?

For the dHistoire Naturelle by Christina Hadderingh I have chosen my colourway:

It is Stylecraft Special DK.

Come, let us craft our way through this testing time. Please feel free to sign up to be notified of future posts and I would welcome any comments you care to leave.

Take care and be safe.

Yippee!

Kirsten



Welcome one and all to my blog. By my presence here you will have realised that my first foray into blogging has not put me off. I would like to thank everyone for their good wishes and positive feedback. It is heartening to be received so well.

Yippee! Tinna Thorudottir Thorvaldsdottir’s crochet along(cal), The Queen https://www.facebook.com/groups/TinnaCrochetClub was released last night ahead of its’ advertised launch today.

Immediately, there was a buzz on the super highway as crocheters everywhere picked up their hook and began. Posts are springing up like new flowers across the web of variegated colours, yarn and design. I can almost hear the voices, all vying to chatter about their excitement and views already. People are eagerly demonstrating and explaining the pattern and techniques to each other as they go along. What a community! I am really looking forward to starting. That will be tomorrow as I had other commitments today.

Nevertheless I have had a quick look at the pattern. For me, it is likely to be a bit of a challenge as I tend to prefer written patterns too charts. Ah, but it all adds to the fun. One day I won’t even give it a second thought when there is a graph – hopefully.

As is my wont in life, I agonised over which colours to use. When I purchased the yarn, Stylecraft Special double knit, a few weeks ago I had decided to go with a kit. Now, I am wondering will that be a regret, should I just choose my own colours? In the end I decided to do a bit of both. As I had kits for the three colourways I decided to crochet the colours in the first parcel I opened. In this very precise and scientific manner I have discovered I will be doing the Tequila Sunrise Queen. Ta rah!



Tomorrow I will be studying the pattern and deciding which of the three skill level options I will do. Although, I am tempted with the Adventurous Queen to have some of my own input with the design.

I will keep you in the loop as I go along. Likewise, I would love to read your comments and learn how you are getting on. You are, as always, more than welcome to sign up to be notified of updates at the top of the page.


Take care and be safe

How has your day been?

Kirsten

Ever have one of those days when you are just not at yourself but you can’t quite put your finger on it?

That was me today. Woke up bright and cheery, ready to meet the day.  Gave all my morning greetings and attended to all that needed. Then, still cheerily, settled down to work on my ideas for a new blog.

Bounced ideas back and forth with my cousin several hundred miles away in Greece. Then, quite freely requested she send me some feedback; in the certain knowledge whatever came back would be honest and constructive.  I knew what to expect, I asked for it.  Yet when the critique came back slowly but surely emotion got the better of me.

Don’t get me wrong, my cousin was not horrid or gratuitous in her comments and it was very helpful and constructive. As I came to tears I think I was just taken aback that so much of myself was hanging out there in what I had written. Cathy had picked up, accurately, my feelings and insecurities were reflected back at me. I emailed back to her in explanation of my response, “A mirror in front of you is fine when life is good, you have your face done and feel good in your clothes and skin. It’s quite different when you’re not quite there and feel the bulldozers have been in.” I had been surprised at my response as I genuinely thought I was feeling good, until that little chink of realism entered.

Nevertheless, it was a good experience in the long run.  It has helped to realise just where I am and how far I have to go.  So, with kind words and encouragement from my cousin I wiped my eyes, blew my nose and promptly fell asleep.

Since waking up I have discovered I have put on my big girl pants and straightened my stance to move on forward.  It helped that I made a delicious snack of toasted cheese and onions with tomato and a liberal sprinkle of black pepper.

Fortified with tears, snot, sleep and food; accompanied, with lashings of tea, here I am at my computer typing away.

Welcome

So, to begin, welcome to my blog. I am known as Kate.  I live in a small town on the west coast of Scotland just outside Glasgow.  It is a place which has changed dramatically in my life time both in size and character.  Nevertheless, it continues to provide a happy and warm home.

More recently I have been at home due to health concerns.  This is one of the reasons for the blog.  In these days of the pandemic and having a pre existing condition I have found myself spending many long days and nights on my own.  Whilst I am used to single living, I am also used to going out and about; sharing my interests and life with others.  This, as we all know, is  restricted now and may be for some time.

I have always had a hankering to write but not the confidence: one of the observations my cousin insightfully made. So, now I am where I am, with time on my hands. 

A blog should help. I am taking the plunge despite my nervousness; building that confidence. Working on my writing skills. It should start to give the structure and focus to my life which has been lacking of late. Although, I am not talking miracles or instantly sorting my whole life out. Just stitching another piece of the cloth of life and may this one be strong, useful, beautiful and not misshapen in any way. Even if there does appear a ‘bespoke’ knot in the yarn, it will be mine along with all the others I have gathered throughout life.

What’s in a title?

An inner voice tells me you want to know about the name of the blog and what it means.  Well, Bifo Kid was something my siblings used to call me when we were young. I never felt or believed it to be unkind but in fact, was a childish warm way of acknowledging my disability and its’ challenges.  I had been born with Spina Bifida.  Thus the The Bifo Kid. It was a play on all the names you used to get in the old western movies such as Billy the Kid. They used to fall around gesturing as if I was fighting my way through. The yarn comes from chatting and telling stories as well as working with actual yarn in crochet and knitting. The name of the blog seemed apt as it declares the Bifo Kid is still here and still fighting.

My interest are many and varied but in this blog I will be sticking mainly to crochet and knitting along with a healthy dose of chat. Can’t do without the chat.

Come, Join Me!

I would really welcome your input and maybe we could see where this journey takes us both. You are more than welcome to sign up to be notified of updates at the top of the page and if you would like to leave a comment, please do.

Work In Progress

As chri…oh gees, I nearly said it. As that time of the year is nearly upon us I have been thinking of what to do for presents.  So, a couple of weeks ago I ordered yarn from Lovecrafts and Woolfull.  They are both based in the United Kingdom. The presents to myself were a delight to receive.   Well, it was yaarrrrrn – why wouldn’t it be? (Note the stress on the ‘r’ with the scot’s accent.)

At least one of the projects is going to be Tinna Thorudottir Thorvaldsdottir’s crochet along(cal), The Queen. https://www.facebook.com/groups/TinnaCrochetClub https://www.ravelry.com/designers/tinna-thorudottir-thorvaldsdottir It is due to start on 18th September 2020. As far as I am aware there are three different levels of difficulty involved and would be appropriate for the new crocheter to the more experienced amongst us.

Another is Scheepjes 2020 CAL & Read-A-Long: d’Histoire Naturelle by Christina Hadderingh from  A Spoonful of Yarn. https://www.aspoonfulofyarn.nl/home/ The design which, according to the Scheepjes’ website, “explores many galleries of the breathtakingly beautiful Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle (Museum of Natural History) in Paris.” https://www.scheepjes.com/en/cals-and-mals/scheepjes-cals/scheepjes-cal-2020/information/ These galleries are featured in the book ‘All The Light We Cannot See’ by Anthony Doer which is the subject of the bookclub online. Both the CAL and the Read-A-Long begin on the 23 September 2020. Never read a book along with a cal before. It sounds fun and I would encourage anyone, who is interested, to get themselves organised to start. Can’t wait!

So far however, my yarn is still in its’ original packaging in containers.  It waits for me to either finish what I am working on or, yet again, have another work in progress (wip).  I wouldn’t give odds either way.

I am trying so hard to be disciplined and not rip open the lovely firm brown paper to reveal the imagined wonder of colours and squishiness of yarn.

It is my intention to sit down before my next post to decide what I am making for who.  Once I have done this I can assess the work required and try to manage so that there is no mad dash at the end.  Some hope! There’s always a mad dash where I am concerned.

Well, I think I will go for now.  Thank you for reading this far and hopefully you will visit again.

Take care of yourself and be safe.

All About Me

Kirsten

My name is Kate,

I live in a small town on the West Coast of Scotland.

I learned to knit and enjoy the creative and social aspect of this when I was in primary school. However, at the time my tension was so tight my mother could not continue to teach me. I, on the other hand, for some strange reason, was unable to make a knit stitch by placing the needle into the front of the stitch – it just felt really awkward.

Eventually I taught myself and continued to make knit stitches by putting the needle into the back for many years. Then one day, well into adulthood, I realised I was knitting as others do and it felt absolutely fine – the change was not intentional, it just happened.

Knitting as

Hopefully, we will be able to spend some time together exploring life our mutual passion for knitting and crochet.