Crafty Tuesday: A Knitted Cushion

Hello from the icy wastes of Adelaide! It is freezing (well, relatively) here at the moment and, happily for the dams and rivers, it has been raining!! My first post back from blogging Siberia, where I have been since the end of school, is a crafty one. In fact, this is the reason I've been in blogging Siberia.

Since school got out on Friday I have been in therapeutic soul recovery mode. And what do I do when I need soul therapy and when I have time for said therapy? I make something.

However, what on earth inspired me to make a knitted cushion is a strange series of random linkings indeed. I actually picked up a cardigan the Bestie had knitted some months ago when we were enjoying our weekly pizza night at her place last Wednesday. She is a great knitter my Bestie, having created some amazing garments over the years, but in latter times she has developed an aversion for sewing things together. I on the other hand quite enjoy the final process of sewing articles up so I took the cardy thinking, I'll get that stitched up for her in no time. Unfortunately, the BA suggested we visit a local craft store on Saturday to purchase a quick unpick so I could finish a job for her (does anyone else lose quickunpicks at the rate I do????) and I spied the knitting section. Inspired by the Bestie's cardy I perused the patterns for an almost, but not quite entirely, dissimilar garment. I didn't find one. But I did find a pattern for cushions! It looked like the 'cardigan sew up' would have to take second place.

Back at the ranch, I had two cushion covers which were disintegrating rapidly, aided by children who callously cast them to the floor or use them as 'stepping stones' in various games. Perfect! A quick, easy project with a practical outcome (cushion covers I actually need) which would serve ideally to transport my mind and humour as far from the classroom as possible. To aid and abet this flight from reality I called upon a recent canny investment: the entire first season of The Waltons ( 6 double sided discs) purchased for the grand total of $15.00!!!!!!

So as I knitted my little heart out, I pictured myself in the well scrubbed homely parlour of The Waltons mountain home; the smell of baking on the air, children cheerfully completing chores and me rustically producing my own home accessories.

I did mention it was a flight from reality didn't I?

Anyway. I have finished it and I am quite pleased with the result. I am not sure how robust it will be or how it will cope with cat hair and cushion fights, but I am currently coasting on the satisfaction of finding a home made solution to a practical problem. I have bought more wool in a tweedy, greeny, brown colour to do another!

This then is my contribution to Carrie's Crafty Tuesday and I cannot tell you how good it feels to have made something again! I haven't done it in awhile. Do you have anything crafty to share this Tuesday? Take a look over at Carrie's and see what others have been up to.