Knowing I will have time to myself, without the demands of home and pug, I like to bring plenty to do. That involves reading of course. Also the book of sudoku puzzles to improve my technique. Knitting, of course. The Irtfa'a Shawl is well under way and getting towards the end. Two of my Seven Pillars of Retirement are Creativity and Learning. I always like to bring something that will require concentration and is a new technique. Two years ago it was string games. Two years before that it was filet netting. This year it is Celtic knotwork.
I happened to pick up a book on this subject at Vinnie's a while ago and thought this would be the ideal time to concentrate on it. I brought my colored pencils and my Palomino Blackwing pencil, plus some square graph paper. The results do far are visible in the picture. I am pretty pleased with the outcome, and yes, I realise that the red one isn't right, but it is a start. What fun it is, how soothing. It really appeals to my sense of pattern and rhythm. As a child I used to spend hours folding paper into squares and then decorating the squares with repeat patterns. There will be more!
As a bonus there was a sample is someone's handiwork tucked into the book, in lovely metallic felt pen.
Question. How can I use this new skill? Greeting cards? Just for fun? Knitting patterns in Celtic cables? Tatting? Much to think about.
