Color Explosion

Remember how in my last post I said I was craving color? Well, it's pouring out of me, but not through the paint brush (yet), but through my crochet hook.

I'm in a flower frenzy and I can't stop!! Nor do I really want to...

All of these flowers laying around, made me think I needed to reopen my Etsy shop, so I started taking pictures of all my knitted and crocheted creations I had made in the last few months.

I couldn't believe how much there was! Working with my hands like that calms me, but strangely enough the things I make are rarely for me.

I love making scarves, yet I hardly ever wear any myself.

I love knitting hats, yet again - I'm not usually a hat person.

And I love crocheting embellishments like the colorful flowers above, yet I wouldn't use them in anything I make - they bring me joy but are just not my style.

Strange, isn't it?

So, because I want to keep making things, I reopened my Etsy shop a couple of days ago and already sold one of my favorite scarves - a deep turquoise one knitted entirely of recycled sari silk yarn. It was stunning, even if I say so myself!

I've been combining fun yarns and trying new patterns - all for the sheer joy of making things.

You can take a look if you'd like. Simply click here!

Hopefully, soon I will get that same color explosion as I get back to my studio and one of my portraits. I have missed them!!

Wishing you all a color- and peaceful Sunday!

Knitting and crocheting...

Some time ago, I told you about the slouch hat I was starting with the beautiful sparkly yarn the wonderful Vicki (2 Bags Full...) gave me and here it is! That's a great pattern, Vicki!! I finished it and then decided that with the rest of the yarn and some of the pink wool yarn that my aunt had given me, I would attempt to knit a Moebius cowl, one of those cowls with a half twist - sort of like the symbol for infinity.

What a fun challenge that was with the most unusual cast on as you have to knit this in a very different way, sort of from the middle out. For those of you interested, I found a great youtube tutorial here. And then... I thought the slouchy hat needed something pink to match it better to the cowl, so I crocheted a big flower and sewed it on with the sparkly yarn. I love, love, love this!! Thank you, Vicki and Inge (my sweet aunt).  

(By the way, it's very hard to take self portrait photos without them looking creepy - you should see some of the ones I had deleted. Well, actually you shouldn't!)

Now a few glimpses of projects I am working on for my Etsy shop. I'm feeling energized again to make something to sell after a nice post Christmas break. Here is a scarf knit on the diagonal with beautiful and soft yarn and some nice lacy patterns. Love those colors!!

And here the beginnings of a scarf I have probably unraveled a dozen times. I was trying to figure out a cable pattern (all by myself) that looks the same on both sides of the scarf. I did it! And when it's finished, you'll be able to see it better.

And here a crocheted moebius cowl - I'm sort of fascinated by them! It was very different crocheting one than it was knitting one. With the crocheted cowl, I could test as I was going along how well it would fit. With the knitted cowl, I had to hope that once I cast off, I would actually be able to pull it over my head. Luckily, it worked!

I will let you all know when I update my shop with these and more. In the meantime, thank you all so much for your wonderful comments on my sketches. And thank you for also thinking that my sketch of myself looked much older than I do in real life. I think so, too!! ;-)

Here's to a relaxing and creative and sunny Sunday!!