A Busy Time

It's been busy over the past few weeks, and I'm glad it's been like this. But, it's also been a weird time too. Over the past few days, I've been losing my voice - so I'm off to the doctors tomorrow; and I know I'm going to be sticking around the house for the rest of the week.

But I've been knitting and doing arty things while I've had my art in those three galleries across Brisbane. So far, one of the exhibitions finished - and nobody who put their work in sold their work. So, my piece came home and his currently on my bedroom wall; awaiting next year to be shown again. 

Then, in the next week or two, there'll be my 'Crazy Beanies' being sold at the Logan Art Gallery's Pop-Up Store. And on 9th, November, I'll be there doing a demonstration day in their workshop - which is always fun. I take along my knitting, yarn, and other gear and set up a table and demonstrate what I do, and how I do it, and make some sales there too.

My other piece is still in at the Judith Wright Centre in the city. I'm not sure if somebody has bought it or not. But people are liking '18 Butterflies'. 

I'm still knitting and painting right now. However, with my throat, it's a very quiet time for me. How's your craft and work going? 

Arty Things Afoot!

Well, I've got art in three galleries across Brisbane as I write this. 

One is in the Judith Wright Centre. Then, there's a painting in the Abel Gallery at the Logan Artists Association and then just this week, I dropped off my Crazy Beanies to the Logan Art Gallery. 

This is looking really good. 

I may sell some of my works, and yet over the Christmas Season when the Pop-Up Store is on at the Logan Art Gallery, I always sell something there. So, I will make some money from that. I'm really looking forward to the demonstration day there where I can sit and knit there and sell things there too. 

This is going to be a good year for me in the way of money and art.

I've had a friend remind me that I've got a Red Bubble account, but as in the past, I still have problems with people wanting to buy things which are printed onto items of my paintings which aren't the original things... I know that sounds strange, but really it's been 9 years since I created that account and I still don't like that idea. 

Well, it's just me I guess.

So, what have you been up to with your creations? As you can see, I've been really busy! Until my next post, keep creating!

Creating New Things

I haven't been in here lately, but there's a good reason for it.

I've created a new beanie - and it took me a few months to get it down. Well, okay, there's a little fib in there: it took me about a year, but I worked on its final bits over the past month or so. And it turned out so well!

I called it 'Lynda's Crazy Beanie' and it's been popular amongst people on Facebook and I'm really happy about it.

The great thing is that there's not a lot of counting or maths in it; and that's what I wanted in my own creation of a beanie - nothing difficult. The only counting is casting on, and the Moss Stitches I chose to make it take on some texture. 

Otherwise, it's worked out so well! I've already sold a few and am hoping to sell more in the future. I've got family wanting them too - so I've been hunting around looking for different types of yarn to use too. 

You know, there's nothing like designing something which works out so well, and yet is so easy to make! 

So, what have you been up to? Until my next post, keep creating!

Woah! Been So Busy!

It's 4 months into the new year and I haven't written here yet! I'm sorry about this, but my life has been busy as hell.

Anyway, I've been busily painting away, still working and attending the Social Art Group at the Logan Artists Association at Loganlea and enjoying myself... and I've also taken part in the first members exhibition - 'Express Yourself' - which has raised funds for The Leukaemia Foundation. This was something I really wished for them to do for me as I shaved my head this year and donated my hair... and getting the LAA on board to help me raise money was going to be a big money-spinner for me.

So, as this event came up for me in March (shaving my head that is), I was crazily knitting beanies for myself. I managed to knit 4 beanies for myself and 1 beanie-scarf. I'm part-way through knitting a 2nd beanie-scarf which is going to be way longer than the first one and in my favourite colours too! 

I'm still working on doing a series of paintings of the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales - and am having loads of fun doing it. It still takes me a bit of time to get myself to the part where it gets easier... but seeing I'm up to my 7th painting - and am dabbling on another 2 unfinished paintings sitting around the place. Yeah, I get stuck with my paintings sometimes, so put them off to one side to 'wait for me to get to them'.

Otherwise, that's all I've been really doing...oh! Besides looking at saving up for a trailer tent - but that's a long-term goal. Yep, I want to travel big-time and get myself painting while I'm traveling... sounds like fun, right? Yeah, sure it does! Well, until my next post, keep on creating.

Winter Challenge

Being part of an online, Facebook craft group is always fun. No matter what I'm doing in my personal life in the way of painting or craft, it's always appreciated when I upload it onto that group... and this year, I've been either painting or knitting; and they love it all.

And this year, we have had challenge upon challenge thrown at us. 

But I can only do one challenge thus far: the Winter Challenge; which is great.

I'm making a scrap scarf this year. 

This is where I've gotten other knitted pieces from my past, unravelled them, balled up the yarn and made something out of that scrap leftover... not a bad thing really. 

So, what have you made from scrap yarn? A beanie? A pair of gloves or a couple of wash cloths? The smallest things are always appreciated, right?

Well, I must be going and knitting again tomorrow... I've done my knitting for today. Until my next post, keep creating!

A Few Months

I know it's been a while between posts, but I've been busily working away on my craft and paintings.

Art school has been great! I finished my first painting of 'The Tuscan Garden' and started 'The Living Room'... and Aaron has begun getting us into doing lessons on the first Monday of each month so we can learn more than ever. This means we'll be working on this kind of thing next year as well.

And then, I've also been working hard on my pin cushions and tiny paintings as well for the markets coming up in October. I can't wait for that! It's going to be so much fun to be back into the Boutique Market arena again! I know I may not make much money from it, but I have so much fun just going there.

I'm also enjoying knitting my throw. I found the perfect colour for the centre square and I'm getting in and knitting it too! It's going to be a large square of 80 cast on, then garter stitch it from there into a square... it'll look great! This throw is taking shape so well!

I've found a book on how to draw nudes too... just the thing to help me with all kinds of things that I have problems with in drawing and painting. I can't wait to get into it. Well, until my next post, keep creating!

Working Up A Storm!

I've been working hard on my new line of dishcloths over the last month or so.  They've come up a real treat!  The display looks wonderful!

Dishcloth Display

And today, I got back into working on my actual Crafty Pegs workbench where I sat down and painted up some pegs and pencils to some good hard rock music. 

What a great afternoon! 

I painted up 3 pencils, got some pegs all sorted out and cleaned up a lot of plates in the fridge ready to be used over the next few months.

By the time all this got done, it was around 4pm and I had started at 1:30pm.  So, there was a fair bit of fiddly word done and I sat down and did at bit of knitting for another hour or so before getting in and figuring out what to have for dinner.

I've been knitting for the last 3 hours... now that's a lot of work between two different patterns and colours to be done.  Tomorrow, I'm off to Spotlight to find a few more counters for myself.  This is so I can do more patterns on other needles and get more done.  I have only one counter, and so if I want to get in and do another complex pattern I can't while I am using that one.  

Well, what have you been up to in your craft lately? Until my next post, keep creating!

NB:  The Murarrie State School Organic & Craft Markets were postponed over the weekend due to the harsh weather conditions preceding it.  It will be held, instead, on 16th, May from 9am - 2pm.  I will still be there.

Scrubby Cloths and Fine Crochet Yarn

I'm really enjoying the knitting of my new line I've taken up.  It's only been a week or two and I've already made more than 4 dishcloths. 

There's two scrubby cloths, 2 ordinary dishcloths and one that has been started with a checkered pattern and another scrubby cloth started on crochet yarn.  I'm really getting into this.

I'm also still painting stuff as well.  But seeing I have so much of the painted stock, I've really sat down and started on my knitting to get enough for next year.

Here's a few photos of my cloths.  Aren't they the cutest things?

dishcloths

Well, anyway, it's just the beginning.  I'm hoping to make them in different sizes, styles and patterns.  Until my next post, keep creating!

Hand-knitted Dishcloths and Other Such Things

I'm looking forward to the Easter Markets this weekend.  Not only am I completely oranised, but I'm also working on a new line of little things to add to my stall - which are also hand-made, just like everything else I have on sale there.

I was taught to knit aged 12 when I was only holidays at my Grandparents' house at Tarragindi here in Brisbane.  It was a wet day and my brother and I were both bored and so Grandma taught me to knit and show my brother how to crochet (not that he'd let on that he picked it up as he never kept up the skill).  
When we returned to school, I remember in Home Ec., we were asked if anyone could knit or crochet.  Only two girls put their hands up - me and one other girl - and we were set to work on a 10x10 stitch of knitting.  While we both found this skill hard at the time, I have kept up my practice of knitting and have been making scarves and beanies for the last few years.  

However, I've begun making dishcloths and washers to sell at my market; deciding over the last few days to start making them.  So far, I've completed two and I'm onto my third one.  Each one is individual and are of my own pattern, being made from yarn I've had for years and wish to get rid of - so the yarn is perfect.  

This will take time though.  I'm not going to put any of them out on the stall until next year.  So, even though I'm making the first few now, I've got the rest of the year to get in and make well over 60 by Christmas.  And during the New Year break, I'll be making even more while I'm down the coast too.  So, it'll be nice to be able to enjoy making them there.  

Well, what have you been up to lately?  Anything new?  Anything old that you've picked up from years gone by?  Until my next post, keep creating!

Apologies From Me

First of all, I must apologise for not being here.  I've been off to hospital just last week for day surgery; and am currently recovering.  It's slow-going, but I'm a hell-of-a-lot better than I was last week when I couldn't move, let alone take any stairs.

This doesn't mean I haven't been crafty or arty.  I packed up all my painting gear for a bit and pulled out my knitting and sat back did some serious knitting of a new brown, fluffy scarf I'm hoping to get finished over the next few days for myself.  It's just lovely and I'll take progress photos of it, and a finished product photo too.  However, I'll update what I've been up to next week sometime when I get home as - you see - I'm at my brother's house at Brighton, and I don't have access to my Photobucket account here, whereas I do at home.

This means, I'll be updating my photos of what the paintings look like in my now-finished bedroom.  And instead of putting them all in the bedroom, I've spread them into the hall and the bathroom... to make the feel of them change the feel of the house.  My Mum loves how they just change the entire feeling of the room completely and softens the whole look totally.

Have you ever done this to accomplish a feel or a look to a room, a hallway or any part of your own place or another place?  Have you place a piece of art somewhere and the entire feel of the place has changed completely and made it just feel good, or different, or just so totally wonderful you wondered why you never thought of it before?  I knew I could get anything happening in my house with a change over of paintings... but when I looked around, the paintings I wanted weren't in any of the shops.  So, I created my own (as you can see) and they turned out lovely.

Well, that's about all from me for now.  I have to take a rest.  I've been going for some time now and it's time to kick back rest.  Until my next post, keep creating!

Busy Beez at Queen Beez Craft Group

Today, I woke to a dull and wet day, but I needed to go out.  I had promised to get my butt out to a craft group this year - to get myself more social and improve on my craft skills - and this was what I was going to do.  

So, after breakfast hunting around for my 'Crobots' book my brother  gave me for Christmas - and finding it - I caught the bus to Springwood and walked to Mum and Dad's place.  Sure I was two hours early, but with the weather the way it was, I didn't wish to be late, and I didn't want to trust the roads being all that safe.
My folks were reading The Sunday Mail from yesterday.  They had been out all day seeing my brother at Brighton, and didn't get a chance to read the paper, so spent the morning having a good look through it all.  Meanwhile I sat and read 'Anna Karenina' by Leo Tolstoy until it was time to leave for the Springwood Community Centre; only a 5 minute walk up the road.  And soon, it was time for me to take off up there, where I arrived 10 minutes early and in time for introductions to everyone there, including Coral, who remembered me from around 15 years ago when I had attempted to join up with them but wasn't in as good health as I am now.
I explained that my health is a lot better now, and I am able to attend groups such as these on a more regular basis; and everyone was pleased.  They also took the precaution in asking me to sit on the outside of the tables because I've got a medical condition where I'd need space if I collapsed.  Good thinking, but I told them I was fine now and stablised; but still they insisted.

The ladies there varied in age from around 35 - 85 and they were skilled in all kinds of crafts; from needlepoint, tapestry, crocheting, knitting, painting and other styles of work as well which they couldn't bring along, but they did bring the finished products to sell.  Then, we had myself and Christine - both of us new-comers - who wanted to learn something new.  Christine could crochet, but wanted to learn to knit; whereas I could knit but wanted to learn to crochet!  How's that for irony!  I offered to teach her to knit, but she brushed me off a little for somebody else a bit older.  I didn't mind as I really did want to concentrate on learning better techniques in crocheting from these ladies.
Coffee and tea was supplied along with the ladies of Queen Beez Craft Group supplying us well with home made goodies of jam drop biscuits, scones and other such treats to scoff into!  Yummo!  I had some ice coffee I made there in a small mug and ended up eating some of the goods.  Then, I found the hand-made items on sale pretty nice too.  There was a knee rug I liked and bought for $10 from one of the older ladies which was in the colours of my favourite AFL team; I can't wait until the season starts!

Too soon, the 3 hours passed by and it was time to go... actually, we broke early due to the weather and not knowing if it was going to get worse.  So, we put away out chairs and packed up.  Once the rain settled down, we all rushed off to our cars and I walked back to my folks' house with my umbrella.  They were pleased I enjoyed myself and that I wanted to go back next week.  Until my next post, keep creating!    

Plans September - December

I plan - like anyone does - and I hope that my plans work out.  But if I don't plan, I feel as though I have nowhere to go with my art.  And seeing the Home Festival was last weekend - and was a great success - I can work on the plans I have on for the rest of this year now.

For the last few months, I've been purchasing cheap - but nice - photo frames to make a family portraiture in my stair well.  It'll be of immediate family and pets; and so it'll take up the whole wall and consist of around 40 photographs.  Once I get the photos off the hard drive of my old computer from this year, I'll have something solid to work with and know exactly how many I'll need.  But right now, I'm looking for a retro-80's photo collage frame - one that holds a large number of smaller photos.  I hope Mum hasn't thrown hers out (I remember we had one once) and I'd be able to use it.

I also have some paintings I need to catch up on.  There's my self-portrait I need to finish the background of.  It's looking good and ought to be completed this weekend hopefully.
After that, I'm hoping to begin working on a new set of tiny paintings.  They are going to be tiny paintings of big things.  For example:  a tiny painting of the front grill of a Mac Truck... or a sky scraper of Brisbane reaching to the sky, or the Great Barrier Reef.  All on tiny, small canvas'.  So, I'll be needing to cut down some of my older brushes and getting one or two new detailing ones.  I do have photos of buildings of Brisbane... now to get them printed up at K-Mart - that won't cost much.  I'll get them done at the same time at the family photos.  I'm no in any hurry.  I'm hoping to get about 10 of these done by the end of next year and do them under a magnifying glass (I'll borrow one off my brother; as he has a few my Grandpa used to own in his older years).

Otherwise, I'm finishing up the larger blue blanket for friends who are having a baby and I'm hoping they'll like it.  So far, I've knitted up 3 little hats, 1 new-born hat, a green scarf, a red blanket and now this blue blanket... not bad for 5 months' work. 

So, what are you working on that has kept you busying this year - and will keep you busy for a while (like me?).  Until my next post, keep creating! 

Baby Goodies

I've been busy over the last few months knitting baby goodies for friends of mine.  From the moment I found out, I dug out all the knitting patterns I had and found bonnets, hats and any yarn that looked lovely and tri-coloured to knit something original and useful.  

And now, I'm up to my last piece:  a second baby square.  I've knitted up one and it looks lovely and cuddly and very much something a parent would use to spread out on the ground to keep baby off the dirt for a moment to change their nappy or to put into the bottom of the pram to add a little more warmth over a cooler day before other covers over their bundle of joy with more covers to keep them warm.

I've also knitted three 6-month hats with a loop on the top so it's easy to pull the hat off if they need to.  And there's one sweet little new-born hat with a loop on it too - just in case when little baby's born, the weather is cooler than expected (as their little one's due in December; and if you remember what Christmas in Brisbane was like last year, you'd all agree it was a little on the cooler side).

I hope you guys enjoy seeing the almost completed pressie I've got for my friends.  It's taken me over three months of solid knitting at night - and during every afternoon (including weekends) to get this all done!  The baby blanket/square too me around 6 times to get started; with the stitch I wanted to use.  And it's turned out wonderful!  

Baby Pressie - 1 

Baby Pressie - 2 

Baby Pressie - 3 

Baby Pressie - 4

Knit... knit!

In the last week, I've been attempting to knit a baby blanket for a couple who are pregnant. The amount of stitches I've cast on is 100 onto 4.5mm needles (nice long metal ones that can take the yarn well).  However, somewhere in the beginning, I've dropped a stitch and have had to pull it apart within the first 6 rows and start over again.

This drove me nuts until tonight when I got to the end of the second lot of the Irish Moss Stitch and found I actually made it all the way through!  Yay!  Now, to make sure it'll work for the next month or so - until the ball of yarn is used up - and I've completed the blanket.  I'll have to make sure that my knitting is accurate and that I'll have it well-counted out.  

Here's hoping.

Well, the other lots of knitting is complete.  This means that the 3 hats and little green scarf are finished.  I left the blanket until last so I could take my time to finish it up.  I'm looking forward to the time where I can give these sweet things to my friends and they can use them.  I'll have to take photos of them soon and show you all the completed results.  Until my next post, keep creating!

The History Of Knitting

I thought to bring in an article about knitting; seeing we're coming into Winter here in Australia and it's a great hobby and skill to pick up.  I've been a knitter since I was around 12 years old when my Grandma taught me during my Christmas school holidays and I was about to go into high school.  Over the years, I've knitted off and on, however it's been only over the last decade or so that I've really picked it up as a permanent hobby; something that I sit down and do every day.  However, where knitting actually came from is still something I don't know about, and no matter who I ask, I don't get full or straight answers.  So, here we go:  into the world and history of knitting.

Mostly, where the history of knitting began is a big mystery.  However, it's been in our lives for a long time; but shorter than we think; as the term 'to knit' has only been around since the 1400's or so and even then, it's only through guess work on how old items are kept in museums.  

Knitting is made of wool, silk, and other fibers that decay rapidly, even under perfect conditions; knitting needles are essentially sharpened sticks, and hard to identify as knitting needles beyond a doubt; they could be hair picks, skewers, spindles, or any of the other zillion uses there are for a sharpened stick.

Before the term of knitting was created, there was nailbinding; which was used to make stretchy fabrics. Termed 'one needle knitting' by some museums, it is similar to knitting in structure, but stronger, less stretchy, and a lot more difficult to create. The resulting fabric would look very sloppy unless done by a master, and it wasn't something you could have the kids do while tending the sheep -- unlike knitting.

The oldest knitting (formed on two sticks by pulling loops through loops) we've got is 'Coptic Socks' from Egypt, dating to around the year 1000 CE. There are quite a few fragments, all of them done in shades of white and indigo, in stockinette. Many of them have Khufic (a decorative Arabic script) blessings knit into them, or symbols to ward off evil, or both. All look really cool. All of the ancient knitted fragments are knit out of cotton. Wool wasn't used for knitting until a much later date.

Coptic Socks1 

However the first important - and datable - piece of knitting was found in Spain in the year 1275.  All the pieces of knitting found in this time, have had writing on them.  Socks had 'Allah' knit in bands on them.  And the pillow has 'Blessing' knitted in decorative Arabic script knit around the edges.  Knitting words in knitting was done from the very first piece made up; at a time Europe was largely illiterate.  It was the Islamic world that had wide-spread literacy. So, the early knitting fragments were produced by someone literate, and most literate people were found somewhere in the Islamic world. Particularly literate people with a knowledge of decorative Arabic scripts. for the first four or five hundred years of knitting's history, the most common materials were cotton and silk - not wool. Cotton and silk were far easier to come by in the Middle East than in Europe. If knitting had started in Europe, they'd have used wool first; or maybe linen.  

Have you notice we work the stitches from right to left along the needles; however it's in our left hand? Ever wanted to know why? We write left to right... it would make sense that we would knit left to right.  But it seeing how long it's been around, it's been passed along as this technique for so long that people are only knitting both left to right and right to left due to the invention of double-ended needles coming onto the market in the last 30 years or so.

Knitting has been around for a long time; since the 1200 - 1400's; according to museums in the UK and Europe.  After finding the first pieces in Egypt and Spain, more were found throughout the world as time went on.  How it became so popular and widespread is still a mystery; however, as our more modern needles came into play - as well more decorative yarns and wools became more available - knitting became something we all could do to make clothing, gloves, hats or scarves... all from a couple of balls of knitting yarn.  Really, you can knit anything and make anything.  It has become a craze where everyone does, then it's not something to do... personally, I enjoy it all the time.

I obtained all the information for this article from a knitting editorial.  Here's the link to it

the history of knitting 

There's pictures of the knitting I talked about (as they are too big to put in here).  I hope you have enjoyed this article about knitting. And until my next post, keep creating!

Knitted Beanies for New-Borns

One of my friends on Bookcrossing has asked anyone who knits in the UK to knit up some beanies for the newborns in the hospital they work in as they have a beanie shortage for the little guys.

When I saw the plea for these, I knew I had some yarn that was the right colour just sitting around doing nothing and I could help them.  So, I e-mailed my  good friend and asked if they minded me doing some up and posting them off to them.  The replied saying they hadn't thought of asking people from across the miles; and gave me their address to post the ones I get done to.  

And so, last night, after I completed a short scarf, I started on fixing up a beanie pattern with smaller needles.  I'm looking at getting about three done and posting them off; maybe more if I can do more in a month.  Wish me luck!  As well as those cute little babies who will be receiving the knitted headgear.

Two Scarves Finished!

I have finished my second scarf for this year!  The first one was a long, thick, luxurious one that flowed as its fluffy surface kept my legs warm.  All it needs is some short tassels on each end and it's complete!  And when Mum saw it, she ran her hands over it saying it was gorgeous!

Then, immediately after I finished that one, I started on a green and red one that was thin, but it's a lot thinner and shorter.  However, unlike the last one, where I knitted it in a Moss Stitch, I knitted this one in an Irish Moss Stitch.  This latter one looks like it's traveling and makes a scarf look longer and feel more textured if it's a soft wool.

Now, I'm going to look through the bag of yarn I have to see which one is going to be the next ball that will become the next scarf... you never know which one it will be!  Until my next post, keep creating!

Discovery of Old Work

Today, I was busy around the house and then went for my morning walk around Kingston Road and down Randall Street.  While I walked past large businesses, I found a tree I where I had installed some knitted work of mine years ago; and I though the Logan City Council had removed it while they pruned the tree.  However, they haven't.  It's been there all this time; and it's still attached to the tree; along with the piece of leather I used to tag my work.  When I tried to remove the leather, I found I was attacked by a nest of ants who had made the knot in the leather their home. How's that for nature taking over where we had interfered?

Old Tree Art 

Back Into My Knitting!

Woot!  I'm back into my knitting... okay, I never really stopped.  Queensland didn't really have that much of a Summer, so I was knitting throughout Christmas and the NYE and enjoying every minute of it.

However, I've been enjoying my knitting more seeing I've sorted through the 'Green Bag' by my feet and found that I have two unfinished scarves I started last year!  So, I thought it would be a good idea to finish one of them; well, the easier one of the two at least!  I picked up the purple fluffy one and started on it last week and have knitted half the large ball of yarn. 

But keeping track of how far I'm getting hard as I'm using bigger needles.  So, I grabbed a yellow bulldog clip I had in my supplies in the kitchen counter drawer and clipped it to the right side of the scarf and started off again.  Within two hours, I had around 6 inches of it done up!  How cool is that?  So, that mean, every afternoon of knitting for two hours each, I'll probably get that much done; even more if I knit past dinner time. Yep, I'll have this scarf completed before I know it and up for sale on PayPal before I know it.  Now, I've run out of photo space here on Blogger, so to keep my photos up on here, I'll install a link for you all to click on instead.  This will take you to my photobucket account where you can see my art; and to the photo I'm referring to, like this one here. Until my next post, keep creating!

Scrap Scarf Update

Since I've begun this project, I've had fun with it.  The colours have been great to work with, some of the yarns have run out and I'm working in a Moss Stitch; which uses up a lot of of the yarn too.  However, I have found that there's a lot of leftover balls of yarn that I haven't used - and there's a lot of new yarn in a bag yet to be used.

So this is what I'm going to do:

I'll knit the scarves I want to knit over the next year or so; completing them as gifts and selling others for profit.  Then, in between them, while I'm figuring out which scarf to work on next, I'll be knitting the scrap scarf to keep my skills up with knitting. 

This will keep me fast and the scrap from the scarves I've done will be used up in this one over time; and the scrap scarf will become longer and more beautiful over that time.  In the end this scarf will eventually take years to complete.  Something I thought would only take months has turned into a project which will occupy my time.

Have you done this kind of thing and begun something that seemed harmless to begin with; and it turned into bigger project than you first thought?  How did it turn out?  How big did it become?  And how small were you hoping it to be to start with?  Until my next post, keep creating.