Studio overhaul

I have people coming to stay and a lovely piece of furniture being delivered, so I started to make space for both. I soon realised that it wasn't just a question of a quick tidy. I've posting this here so that I have some accountability and will update you later. No, no before photos, I'll share some midway through ones soon. Meanwhile, this is what I am waiting for:

Oliver Bonas UK

Isn't that cute? So many drawers for sketchbooks and loose drawing paper. Yay! It's even worth tidying for!

Remedy for a cold and the January blues

Hibernating with this:

And this:

And a lot of this:

And maybe a sketchbook nearby. Giraffe pictures to share soon...

Wishes for 2013

For me and mine, you and yours:

May we all find the joy in every day,

Notice the beauty we may pass at any moment,

And bring a little of both to those around us.

News from the needles: cabled wrist-warmers

Are cables a mystery to you? I was convinced that they were an unconquerable mystery. My dear friend Sam offered to teach me, and I bought cable needles in anticipation. Before she got the chance, I found this lovely little kit from Nest (in London's Crouch End). They don't carry it anymore, but they have many other lovely things including ribbed wristwarmers at the moment. It's a family business, and although I have no affiliation with them whatsoever, they were lovely on the phone when I rang!

I've cast off the first one, and am determined to finish the second one in January. I'm not convinced I finished any knitting projects in 2012, so I'm out to break the pattern!

PS. I just love wooden needles. Do you prefer wood or metal?

Letting the tightness go

Why do we fight ourselves constantly? I read an article by Leo Babauta at Zen Habits that resonated with me in the last few days. It was on letting go of the tightness, in your shoulders, in your meditation, in your work.

I recognise this tightness. It's a cousin of restlessness. They both get in the way of what I want to do, whether it's meant to be work or play. Leo explains how without fighting or giving up, he was able to just let the tightness go. The first step is to notice it.

I've experiencing tightness around a number of things at the moment...
...tightness in my feet and my shoulders...
...tightness around the idea of yoga, the yoga I haven't done, the yoga I can't do, the yoga I can do but won't find time for...
...tightness around the idea of letting myself be looked after, of not being the looking-after-er...
...tightness around the work I have yet to do...
...tightness about life choices, big and small (are there any small life choices?)...
...tightness around the idea of my weight, size and fitness...

So I am trying not to fight it, not to power through, especially not to berate myself for the tightness. Instead I notice it, and release it. Let it float away. If it is too sticky, I take myself back to Leo's article and go through his steps for releasing tightness.

I think these days of waiting for all the promise of a new year hold tightness for a lot of people. What tightness are you carrying these days?