Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 2 i Gathered

TRENDS We're in our Orka era. No, not like orca, the killer whale. ‘Orka’ (pronounced with the emphasis on the ‘ka’) is a Swedish word that means having the physical or mental energy to do something. It comes from the Old Norse word, ‘yrkja’, meaning work. And also the English word ‘irk’. You get our drift? We don't have a direct corresponding word in English, but, essentially, it can be used to gauge whether or not you can be bothered to do something, or even have the physical or intellectual capacity to do it. A great word to use in the negative during the heat of the summer months, it's inspiring us to linger a little longer in the hammock or to skip going out out for a night under…

MINDFULNESS Cats keep secrets. We whisper to them when we're lonely or in love or heartbroken, and they don't judge us. Their homely companionship combined with feline folklore painting them as wise and wily creatures make cats irresistible confidantes. But how much of this is just us being soppy humans and how much is based in fact? Feline appeal True, the age-old belief that cats are familiars for witches is a little far-fetched but there are plenty of real-world reasons for our enduring love. Cats are the most popular pets in the western world. When life is tough, the internet will make it all better with 31 million (!) funny cat videos on YouTube to choose from. However, while cats are renowned for being the cutest clowns around – adorably…

Sometimes refreshing your space is as easy as moving some furniture around, and we've recently been loving the idea of ‘shopping what we already have’, taking items from a different area of the home and restyling them elsewhere for a fresh new look. With that in mind, here are some other easy and quick ways to give your home a spruce up on a budget. 1. Let the light in One of declutter queen Dilly Carter's top tips for a brighter, more flowing home is to clear your windowsills. It's incredible how much can build up on these surfaces, whether it's plants that block the light, piles of paperwork, picture frames, candles or coasters. Try removing everything and giving it a good dust – as well as letting more light…

MINDFULNESS We've all tried origami at some point – even if it was a simple paper aeroplane we made as a child. Maybe you were the master of paper fortune tellers, little folded frogs or the iconic Japanese crane. Pads of brightly coloured square sheets were a delight to hold in small hands and with each decisive fold, turn and tweak, there was a kind of magic in turning 2D to 3D, creating our own little worlds. Perhaps it's not surprising that origami played a large part in the invention of kindergartens in the 19th century, as its founder Friedrich Fröbel often used paper-folding to create toys and teaching aids. It seems to have always appealed to the young and the young at heart. Origami plant pot holder Project by…

CREATIVITY 1. A fresh notebook and a new pen Who can deny the power of a blank page? Sometimes it can be a scary thought, but the trick is to not be too precious about it. Just start. Some people find it useful to open a new notebook at a random page and start there rather on the very first pristine sheet. Whether you're aiming to doodle, journal, write or sketch, the more often you fill the space, the easier it will be to get into the flow. And that's where your best work lives. 2. Travel watercolour paintbox Get your hands on a dinky little paint well in a little tin box (try temu.com) and fill with paints for art on the go. The combination of the great outdoors…

TRENDS We love a granny square. Thrifty, speedy and primed for experimentation, they tick all our boxes for wind-down crochet time. For most of us it will be one of the first projects we turn to once we've mastered the basics, and for those with design aspirations, it's the perfect medium to try out a few ideas. Attic 24 blogger and yarn shop owner Lucy tackled her first granny square just days after getting to grips with crochet. “I learnt the basics of crochet from a friend one afternoon, and attempted my first granny square a day later,” she says. “I made just one wobbly square before deciding to go for it – every square from then on went into my first blanket.” “With yarn scarce, early American settlers used…

MINDFULNESS When you're struggling to pay attention during a long (or, dare we say, boring) phone call or meeting, it can be almost impossible to resist the urge to start doodling. You begin with a few absent-minded squiggles while you gaze out of the window and before you know it your page is scattered with hearts, swirls, stars, geometric shapes or little cartoons. It's as though your inner creativity is trying to burst out while you're distracted. Many of us can recall being told off at school for doodling in the margins of our exercise books when we were meant to be listening to the teacher, but doodling isn't actually as distracting as we might think. The science of doodling Studies have shown that doodling while listening to a phone…

CREATIVITY We've been seeing handmade ceramics everywhere lately, from our Insta feeds to our TV screens, and we like it. If you fancy the idea of trying your hand at pottery, give these mini clay spoons a go. Teri's designed these to be used with salt and pepper dishes, but you can easily create a set of measuring spoons if you're feeling adventurous. Shape the spoon heads around those from an existing set of measuring spoons, then paint the measurement on the handle to label each one. You will need: • FIMO Soft in White • Clay knife • Paintbrush • Porcelain paint (we used Marabu Porcelain) • Baking tray 1 Cut a slice of FIMO. We used a 350g block to make 12 spoons, but the amount needed depends…

CREATIVITY 1. Mindful journaling, Scotland Gartmore House in Scotland's Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park is a jaw-dropping backdrop for a craft getaway. Join award-winning writer and poet Laura Fyfe for her Creative Writing Sanctuary class. Perfect for aspiring writers, as well as those with more experience who'd like to enrich existing projects with greater depth, insight and perspective, this break is suitable for those who enjoy writing poetry, novels, stories and/or non-fiction (including memoir). Enjoy five nights’ accommodation with four days tuition full-board from £879. gartmorehouse.com 2. Abstract painting, West Sussex Have you ever wanted to try your hand at abstract art but didn't know where to start? Artist Helen Turner can help in this joyful fourday course at celebrated West Dean College's Chichester campus, working with canvas, paper…