All posts filed under: inspiration

cool stitches – fair isle sweaters with a modern twist

Published by fairfaxhill

Today, I’d like to share with you the work of one very cool maker from Normandy. If you are a Fair Isle sweater design fan, you’re going to love the work of Sophie Ochera. This French knitwear designer combines machine knitting with traditional hand knitting techniques to produce the most beautiful designs. I particularly love her choice of colors, which at times do not seem to fully coordinate, but result in modern, unique sweaters that are sure to become heirlooms. I personally would love to knit an adult version of the Quince pattern for myself, but unfortunately, I don’t see an adult version of it (yet?). Maybe in these colors? I’ll keep checking! Another beautiful sweater I can see myself trying to knit one day is the Noomi sweater. Would you love to knit one of these sweaters, too? Good news! The patterns are available on Sophie Ochera’s website and on Ravelry. If you are not a knitter — or if colorwork still scares you — do not despair! You have the option to have …

week 4: mindfulness, color inspiration, and weekly recap

Published by fairfaxhill

About two years ago, I purchased a special issue of flow magazine dedicated to 19 days of mindfulness. The topics and exercises in the publication were things I was thinking about then, and I am still thinking about now: meditation, writing, slowing down, finding time to explore creativity. Many of the reasons I started writing this blog. Unfortunately, the magazine has stopped producing its English version and I am glad I held on to this issue. This past week, I have been trying to incorporate some of the exercises into my daily routine, but rather than trying a different exercise each day, I’ve decided to focus on one for a longer period of time. I’ve started with Morning Pages. In this exercise, you write about what’s on your mind right after you wake up, and before doing anything else. The idea is to write without editing your thoughts. It helps you clear your mind and get clear on goals. I’m really liking it, although I must admit, I have been typing mine. You are supposed …

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november plans and ideas – wk.47

Published by fairfaxhill

I was thinking this morning, that on a typical week I find so many ideas for projects I want to try, that I have trouble keeping track of them all. I keep a paper journal where I save photos of things I’d like to make, names of websites I stumble upon and want to revisit, recipes I think we’ll love, gift ideas, etc. My paper journals are complemented with apps like Evernote and Pinterest, and quick snapshots saved on my phone. So, today I had an idea. What if I gave myself a recurring task to review my notes once a week, and select my favorite things to share with you? I got this idea from reading this article on creativity, which I revisit often and has inspired me to try other things like drawing and thinking up my own knitting patterns. I will comb through all my notes every weekend and share them on the blog on Sundays. This will a) motivate me to write more often, b) give all my favorite notes a …