100 days of creative play: Days 11 – 20

7 min read

I am one fifth of the way through my 100 day project and I am loving every minute of it. So far there weren’t any days where I felt tempted to skip my creative endeavour for the day. The fact that I have kept the parameters of the project so wide is definitely helping. I might not always feel like knitting or won’t always have time to get my sewing machine out. But being able to go with my mood and the energy and time I have makes this challenge a lot more achievable for me.

Further, I think in many ways being in lockdown is the perfect time for a challenge like this. As we are at home all the time, I have a lot of freedom and flexibility. Doing a challenge like this would require a lot more planning and discipline if we were travelling or had fuller calendars. So, I am glad I am making the most of lockdown life!

So, let’s see what I have been up to over the last 10 days! (You can check out days 1 – 10 over here.)

100 days of creative play: Days 11 – 20

Day 11: A fringe for my scarf

A while ago I had made a scarf from this beautiful yellow yarn. However, I used a brioche stitch, which made the scarf super chunky. As the scarf was also very long, I ended up never wearing it, because it was too warm. But I loved the yarn. So I decided to unravel the whole thing and start over. Rather than using a brioche stitch I opted for the waffle pattern which I really love. I never re-attached the fringe that I had originally put on the scarf. Last week I found the yarn pieces that had originally made up the fringe and decided to put them on – and I really like the look of it!

It took very little time to complete – I managed to get it done during my lunch break, which was lovely.

Day 12: Sock progress and cookies

Since being pregnant I have had a much greater desire for sweets. I don’t normally have a sweet tooth so this is quite unusual for me. In order to still eat as healthy as possible I am currently on a quest to reduce my intake of refined sugar. So I made some sugar free cookies! My dear friend Eleanor (the beautiful genius behind Coco Vegan Bakery) kindly supplied me with the recipe. They were a big hit and gone very quickly.

Other than baking, I also made a bit of progress on my socks.

Day 13: Knitting, knitting, knitting

Speaking of socks, day 13 was all about them. I finished the toes on my second Coraline sock and started on the afterthought heel. This technique of knittin a heel is new to me, so it is very fun to learn!

Day 14: A new creative skill

Recently I have been seeing embroidery everywhere. I have done some cross-stitching many years ago, but was never very good at it – there is so much counting! But the idea of modern embroidery, where you can be a bit more free really appealed to me. I love the idea of being able to add a bit of a personal touch to a pair of jeans or a bag or to simply make a cute little design to hang up in our home.

However, before getting there I need to learn some basics! So on day 14 I watched a couple of youtbe videos and practiced a few different stitches. Very fun! But very slow. Definitely a different feel to sewing of even knitting. I can see more of this craft in my future though!

Day 15: Blackwood, bookmarks and baking

This was a very productive day in terms of creative play! One thing I did was turning my embroidery practice piece into a bookmark! I simply trimmed it into a square and added a nice little border – decorative and it keeps the edges of the fabric from fraying.

I also made another batch of sugar free cookies! This time I used a recipe by Niomi Smart, which I adopted slightly. The result was very satisfying!

Finally, I cut out some sewing patterns and fabric: I had planned on making the Blackwood Cardigan for a while and ended up with quite a bit of leftover fabric. So I quickly found a pattern for a baby jumper and cut that one out as well. I can’t wait to match with our baby!

Day 16: Making a cardigan

Day 16 was a Saturday so I had lots of time for sewing! I more or less completed the Blackwood Cardigan. It was such a joy to sew. I think I am slowly getting the hang of sewing with knits.

Mustard yellow is my favourite colour and I love long cardigans, so this is pretty perfect! I didn’t bother doing any fitting, as I assumed my pregnant body will change a lot over the next year. If I sew this pattern again I would probably give myself a bit more room in the arms and around the armholes and shorten the sleeves.

Day 17: Another pair of socks

I haven’t finished my Coraline socks but on day 17 I casted on another pair of socks. Naughty, I know! Inga Skeie from the YouTube Channel “Knitting Traditions” was looking for pattern testers so I volunteered! I love the cabled design and so far the socks have been really fun to knit.

Day 18: Buns and Brushes

Another baking adventure: Cinnamon buns (or cinnamon rolls)! Oh my days – these are so delicious. I used this recipe with some small changes and I will most definitely make these again. Such a wonderful afternoon treat with a cup of decaf coffee. Heavenly.

In the evening I got out some watercolours to make some cards. I am not much of a painter and never was any good at drawing but playing around with colours and shapes was so fun. They aren’t masterpieces but I think those little experiments will make some lovely greeting cards.

Day 19: Sort and prep

On day 19 I wasn’t feeling too well but I did manage to sort through all of my craft supplies which was actually very fun. I measured all my fabrics and little scraps and matched them with different patterns that I have in my sewing folder. Lots of inspiration for more sewing over the next 80 days!

Day 20: Eat the frog

During my sorting efforts I came across a few things that have been in my sewing box for YEARS waiting to be fixed or finished. For example this pair of pot holders. The little loops to hang them up on had broken and all I needed to do was to crochet some new ones onto them. And on day 20 I finally did it. It took me maybe 10 or 15 minutes and now I have a pair of beautiful pot holders that can live in my kitchen rathern than in my sewing box. Hurray!

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Have you been working on any creative projects lately? And are there any crafts or projects you think I should definitey do over the next 80 days? I am always happy to get some ideas and inspiration!