Slow your Mustang down

Slowing down and social media don't really go together. Even though I don't pay much attention to the number of followers my blog has, I still get the fear that if I go too long without posting everyone will move on and I'll find myself shouting into a digital void. (This is stupid. On the internet, there's always someone listening, even if it's just a troll who'll respond with 'lulz u suck' or an impressively rich bloke with a vast amount of money he needs to store in your bank account and just needs your account numbers for.) Of late, though, I haven't so much fallen out of the habit of posting, as deliberately embraced it. I don't have to live my life online. I can just live it.

My current knitting is making me think about slowness. Yeah, it's the same cardigan for a friend that I started at Christmas. I did warn the recipient that I am a slow knitter! It's not even from a vintage pattern, so I don't share it with you. It's coming along, though: every day I do a little bit, and it gets closer to completion. It started with one stitch, and will end with one stitch, so none of the others in between are any less important, they just seem less noteworthy. I don't think I'll manage to knit a 1960s summer top in time to wear it, though. Maybe I should start a winter knit as soon as I've finished the cardi.
I know life in the past wasn't easy – I can't imagine going without a washing machine, or having to go to the shops most days, even in a dank, wet late autumn, because I don't have a fridge to keep things fresh. But it does sometimes seem that people had more time to focus on things in the past, perhaps because they had fewer silly distractions like mobile phones. Would 1930s Mim have completed her cardigan by now?

Because a cardigan and an embroidered tablecloth aren't enough, I'm also hankering to make some bits and bobs for the living room. I've had this book of Beth Russell's needlepoint patterns based on the designs of William Morris for literally years. Possibly 15, perhaps even getting on for 20. All hail the office clearouts of yore. Several times it's nearly been sent to the charity shop, but I love Morris and always promised myself I'd make something from the book one day. Now the living room is looking rather Edwardian, it seems to me that a couple of cushions based on these designs would be perfect. Something to take my time over.

On one final note, remember that fabric I bought some of and used as a backdrop in my last post? I've just found a seller with loads more at a good price. And it's payday this week. Is this fate's way of saying MIM, BUY THE FABRIC?

Comments

  1. Blogging's a little peep into our lives isn't it, but never the whole picture. I have so many projects, half finished, that will eventually be blogged about (but maybe not this year...)

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    1. You do go to lots of places, though! I'm always impressed by how active you are.

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  2. Social media certainly have changed the pace of life in general. Even if you've sworn it would never affect you, there's so much pressure to be "on" all the time. It's hard to find the right balance, sometimes. I am not a crafty person, but I love reading and walking (though the weather hasn't been great for that last one lately), and these are the things I can lose myself in. I love William Morris too (did you ever visit Kelmscott Manor?) and it seems like an interesting book, even if you never make anything out of it. That said, needlepoint would really be something to slow down with ... xxx

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    1. I've never visited Kelmscott Manor. I be it's beautiful.

      Being someone who *always* has to think too big, I really want to make a pair of steampunk wall hangings in the Morris needlepoint style. Should probably start with cushions first...

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  3. I've been feeling the whole vibe of wanting to slow things down, step away from social media and blogging for a while now but then I think of all the lovely people I've met through it all and I can't bring myself to give it up.

    I love a bit of William Morris too (although I'm a much bigger Rossetti fan - let's not mention Jane Morris!) and I agree with Ann, you must take a trip to Kelmscott Manor if you haven't already. It's literally 5 minutes from my house and you can almost feel the Morris' walking around the manor with you. xx

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    1. Ah, Rosetti! Any man who mourned a wombat the way he did will always have a little piece of my heart. Aidan Turner in Desperate Romantics didn't hurt, either...

      You always seem to do such amazing things. I look at the stuff you make and am blown away by it.

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  4. People often comment that I'm quite motivated and get a lot done. I know that by modern standards I'm considered bit odd for not having a smart phone and keeping my ancient Nokia mobile shut away in a drawer, only turned on if I'm out on an adventure on my own. Social media is only accessed if I turn on my PC- which isn't even every day.
    I love that needlepoint book, I'd never have the patience to have a go at it - my sewing projects tend to be things I can finish in a day. xxx

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    1. I don't go on the computer much at home, unless I'm blogging, which limits that side of things at home, but Twitter and Instagram on my phone can be horrible time sucks. I think I'll take a leaf out of your book and ditch my phone over the long weekend. (I've got a book to review for SFX and a game to do for Official PlayStation this weekend anyhow.)

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  5. Everything moves too fast for me. I never understand the need to be plugged in twenty four hours a day and I have other things that need doing which take precedence over what I want to do and then comes blogging. The fact that blogging is third on my list is likely why I go all but unnoticed in blogland!

    I love the hare in the William Morris book, that's beautiful. I have a book of art nouveau cross stitch patterns which I often think of getting back too as like Ann says, that'll certainly slow things down xxx

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    1. I love stitching - knitting, needlepoint, wherever. There's something nice about being able to put it down thinking, "Yeah, I did something today, and here's the proof."

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  6. Good luck with your knitting, Mim! I'm on my second blanket of the year and as I can get obsessive about it I, too, am trying to do a little each day.

    I've enjoyed my break from blogging but I have tried to keep up with others blogs simply because I enjoy reading them.

    The William Morris books looks wonderful - one to savour again and again...

    I'd say yes - buy the fabric!

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    1. I might buy some fabric if I have money left over after buying Pete's birthday presents. I'm hitting Bath in search of good gifts tomorrow. Good job his birthday's just after payday!

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  7. I followed the link-the kits are reasonably priced. Why, oh why did I follow the link?

    I did loads of needlepoint when I was younger, don't know why I stopped as it always seemed to go quicker than embroidery and quilting. Blogging doesn't take much of my time, but running does. I should learn to run and chrochet-imagine the multi-tasking possibilities!

    Yeah, you should buy the fabric. The Universe wants you to have a nice fabric stash for backing all the cushions you needlepoint.

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    1. The universe wants to bankrupt me ;-)

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  8. I haven't blogged for a month, but will try and post something today. I don't want it to become a 'chore' and start writing just for the sake of it, so have decided to let things flow naturally instead of keeping to a rigid blogging regime.

    Back in the 90s I went through a big needlepoint phase with Kaffe Fasset and Candace Bahouth designs, but after a while there's only so many needlepoint cushions a sofa can handle!

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    1. I like your blog. Flowing naturally is a good thing; I hate it when blogs become forced, or you feel someone's persisting with something out of a sense of obligation (or, worse, for financial reasons).

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  9. I'm not one for a fast pace really. I am all for slow sewing, cooking, needlework, walking...all of it actually! I do like my bit of social media space...mainly because of all the great people I've 'met', but I can't be plugged in all the time. I don't have a smart phone. My old Motorola is still going strong after 8 years! I love needlepoint and I have that book. I bought an Ehrman kit in 1995 and finished it in 2006. Now that is slow!!xx

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    1. I bet you treasure that finished kit now!

      I'm definitely going to start leaving my phone in my bag all weekend and not getting it out while I'm at home.

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  10. i have the same book as well as a couple of other beth russels ,on the same shelf resides Elizabeth bradley kaffe fassett and a host of other ideas books...its a bad habit..lol

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