This post was inspired by a reply to a comment I made to this post on https://nanacathydotcom.wordpress.com/2018/05/15/scrap-happy-adventures-with-junk/which was about creating a ‘junk journal’.
I have a journal but mine is quite different.
The photographs you see are of pages in the order they occur in the book (obviously they are a very small selection). I took the photographs quickly on the floor of my study on a sunny day. (Taking more than one and making them perfect seemed too much of an effort!)
Now my son has a tendency to buy me quirky presents sometimes and they are often tech related. One birthday or Christmas he bought me this. It is a small printer that prints tiny prints straight from a camera. The prints are sticky under a backing. At the time I really wondered what I might use it for but I kept it. However it has proved invaluable for creating pictures for my journal.
Now my younger daughter one birthday or Christmas bought me a book with blank pages from Paperchase: a shop that sells mainly decorative paper products. I really love the way three of the butterflies have movable wings.
I shared my attempt to make a copy of this book for my daughter HERE.
Again I wasn’t sure what to use it for but then I had a brainwave and my Knitting and Crochet Projects journal was born.
Here is the first page. I start with a few basics for reference.
And then I move on to a few charts and instructions for making basic things. Like my own way of making Granny Squares. I have never made a Granny Rectangle but, if I do, I have a reference to the way I liked best here!
I also added diagrams of how to do the ‘Magic Loop’ a name shared by both knitting and crochet for quite different things.
Now I planned to use black ink for crochet and blue for knitting but you can see I am already forgetting!
This is my first project: a hexagon blanket based on a pattern on the Attic24 blog
You can see I include charts where it seems to help or save space. They are not always in colour and sometimes I try and photograph them off the screen and include as photos but that is less successful.
Here is a knitting chart that I worked out to create a pattern of adjoining hexagons with three different textures. I included a photograph of the hat and scarf where I used it.
Sometimes it is impossible to include details of all the patterns but it is still useful to have a record. Here are details of a doll I made for one of my grandsons.
When I make socks I like to wait till I have a few pairs and record the basic details. Up to now I have always used a toe-up method with short-row toes and heels.
Sometimes I want the book to contain details of a complicated pattern I have created, so much, that I add in a printout.
I include the details of things I have made from other people’s patterns as well as my own.I have a red A4 folder which is full of printouts of other peoples patterns and also some of my own ones as a supplement to this, so if I want to make more seahorses, the pattern is there, but here I have added details of how I made the finished hanging.
This is where I am about to add details of another make.I cannot write straight easily so I start by drawing pencil lines that I rub out later. Also the book is always behind where I am, so every so often I spend a morning catching up!
At the back of the book, working forwards, I make a list of projects I have in mind for the future. This is the first two pages of this: one for knitting and one for crochet. You can see I have completed all the crochet ones but still have not done all the knitting ones. Of course not all projects get listed here only ones I may make in the future and don’t wish to forget.
I am now three quarters of the way through the book but recently my daughter bought me another book from Paperchase.
So I have somewhere to continue when I finish this one!
Vous êtes géniale.On voit que vous aimez le tricot et le crochet et ce que vous réalisez est beau et pratique.Nous partageons la même passion et comme vous j’ai des cahiers et des documents . Je vous souhaite de bons moments de plaisir et de détente avec ces activités.
Maria d’Alger
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Merci beaucoup pour vos commentaires.
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What an amazing record of your projects – I like the look of that Polaroid printer – I do love a gadget.
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You can still get something similar in white but it seems more expensive. Kodak do a cheaper version. I don’t find the quality brilliant but it is useful for the journal.
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I did do a search and found a few – more research needed, but I’m very tempted. Don’t understand how they work without ink – clever!
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Presumably in a similar way to the original polaroid cameras but I don’t know how that was.
🙂
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This is beautiful! Thank you for sharing and I definitely another Paperchase addict. I wish soemtimes they’d team up with my favourite paper maker because then they’d just have the perfect journals.
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So who is your favourite paper maker?
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I really love Rhodia’s 90 gsm paper that they use in some of their ‘higher end’ notebooks and the Clairefontaine heavier weight papers too.
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Thank you. Never noticed paper makers before.
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This is lovely RJ. Thoughtful presents from your family and a brilliant record of your knitting and crochet. I have scraps of paper everywhere and notes in half a dozen different notebooks, and two files now with knitting patterns, and absolutley no idea of how many proejcts I already have supplies for. Feel totally inspired by your journal. Thank you so much for sharing.
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It does take a bit of time to keep it up but I do find it very useful and good to look through.
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I love a good journal! I’m writing one about my childhood memories
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What a great idea!
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This is something that I should do at some point. Hope you don’t mind if I copy your great idea. It’s a great way of remembering something you have made once and want to do again.
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I am pleased to think that my journal idea is helpful to someone else. Copy away!
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This looks really cool and I wish I would have the motivation to keep things like this updated
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Well I am always a bit behind but I suppose I have the incentive of having it as easy reference for the future.
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I love this post.
There’s something so good about seeing handwriting in this age of text, text, text everywhere! And yours is so neat. (Don’t argue Jane!)
I love the Polaroid printer, what a nifty gadget.
Good also to read a relaxed and happy sounding post about journaling. I cannot see the point of it when it stresses out others and makes them reflect on the mistakes. This looks well done and a practical way to record makes and how-tos.
My own craft notebooks are invaluable reference guides as to what yarn and size needles or hooks I used, the source of the pattern or inspiration etc.
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Thank you for your encouraging comments. I too find my journal invaluable as a reference and it gives me a sense of pleasure and pride when I look back on all the lovely things I have made!
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