Loving those Rainbow Yarns…

rainbow yarnThose of you who are familiar with my work will know how much I love working with colour; experimenting with unusual colour palettes, taking risks with different combinations & always testing the boundaries of what’s considered the norm in regard to ‘what goes with what.’ All those old sayings like, ‘blue & green should never seen’ ‘contrasts must never sit side by side’ are just that, old sayings, & I take little notice of them… hence I’m always on the lookout for yarns that incorporate unusual & interesting colour combinations.

Recently there’s been a trend for gorgeous variegated yarns with striking & long colour changes, of which Noro & Mini Mochi, to name a couple, being particular favourites of mine. So, imagine my delight when I found ‘California’ by Cleackheaton  (100% wool) at my local yarn store… I purchased some balls right away but must admit, after initially making some headbands & a beanie a while back, a couple of which sold quickly, I allowed them to sit idle in my stash for some time until I remembered I still had some left over somewhere.

I had in mind to make a bag… & perhaps I was feeling a little lazy that day… Aussie summers have a habit of doing that… but instead of going through my stash looking for colour combos, I asked myself if working with just the ‘California’ would work & decided to give it a  try … the colours are rich & bright just like our Aussie summers… Oh, but the black is extra… here’s the result & there was enough to make another headband… not bad for working with just one yarn type eh?…

rainbow-bag2rainbow-crayon2

‘Fern’ & ‘Bouvardia’ by Moda Vera (both wool, acrylic blends) are also great finds but I still need to think about those & what I’d like to do with them.

A Holiday Thank You…

It’s hard to believe that another year is coming to an end but 2012 is definitely just around the corner & galloping ahead at that…. As I look back on the year I can’t help thinking about all the wonderful people I’ve met, both in the flesh & on the net, who have supported me in my endeavours in so many ways: your questions, your compliments, your purchases, your trust & encouragement.

And so, in this spirit, I’d like to say a big THANK YOU by offering you, my readers, ‘Free Worldwide Shipping’ in both my Etsy & Zibbet Shops (patterns of course are not included as shipping doesn’t apply) – the offer is valid till the 30th Nov 2011.

So, if you’ve had your eye on one of my pieces, I hope you will take advantage of this once a year offer.

The Coupon Code for both shops is FRSHIP2011 – just put this code in the appropriate place on checkout & it should automatically apply the free shipping for you… (I haven’t used the shop coupons before so, if by chance they don’t work, please let me know & I’ll refund through PayPal)

You can visit Etsy or Zibbet from here or go to any of the Gallery pages, click on the piece you like & you will be taken to that item in one or the other shop.

Happy shopping & many thanks everyone!!!

Archive Gallery revamp & update….

Whew!! Giving myself much applause… because I’ve finally completed the Gallery Archive Page revamp & update. It was such a mish mash of everything that I thought it would be easier to navigate if I made separate pages for each section

~ Bags, Purses, Pouches ~

~ Hats, Headwear ~

~ Garments, Scarves, Wraps ~

~ Other Great Stuff ~

The Archive Gallery is a showcase of works that have been sold, donated, given away or, in one way or another, no longer belong to me & are happily residing somewhere in the world where I trust they continue to give much pleasure & joy…

Enjoy your visit down memory lane… I hope it inspires & encourages you to try new ideas but most of all brings a smile to your dial…

Ideas & Inspirations No7 ~ Spirals

this will be my last post of the Ideas & Inspiration Series & therefore appropriate that I say something about the spiral – the symbol I have used, over & over again, in all of my work. Some time ago, someone commented about this but, all I could say at the time was that, ‘I just simply like it’… nevertheless, it starting me thinking… Why do I use it so often? And, what does it mean?

Since spirals are found everywhere in nature, I think it’s only natural that artists will be influenced by them no matter what walk of life we are from. I believe the spiral is intrinsic & embedded in everything we know & understand about ourselves, our world, the universe… be it: organic, mineral or abstract… perhaps this is the reason why it’s been so revered & used as a sacred symbol by humans since time began.

Spirals are simply beautiful to behold: centered, balanced & harmonious, yet, at the same time complex, wondrous & awe-inspiring. For me, personally, they represents life’s forces: since everything in life goes round & round in circles, to my mind, because we are always learning & experiencing, therefore adding to the progressive directions of our lives, these circles will never quite meet.

 

So… I guess in a nutshell, the Spiral illustrated my personal expanding journey for awareness… I just haven’t been conscious of it most of the time… but having that said… in the end….  I still just simply like them…

For those of you who are interested & would like to learn more about the spiral just google it… that should keep you busy for a few hours or so…

2 new crochet patterns to play with…

Hello & welcome to 2011….

I thought it might be appropriate to begin the year with 2 new crochet patterns & trust they will be useful additions to your crochet repertoire – The crochet bag purse pattern is for sale & a basic foundation for embellishments – let your imagination go wild by adding your own ideas to make this your very own creation… The button pattern is a free download & a handy little item when that special button is required but is often so difficult to find – enjoy!

(1) Easy Basic Crochet Bag/Purse Pattern

This basic crochet bag/purse pattern is worked on size not number of stitches & can be used as a foundation for embellishments by adding crochet/knit flowers/motifs ~ beading ~ lace overlays ~ freeform scrumples ~ or anything your imagination & heart desires ~ your choice of yarn & hook size will determine the look & feel of your purse/bag – experiment with yarns, hooks & width/depth of your bag/purse & have fun creating your own individual design

Pattern includes:

  • basic purse/bag pattern instructions
  • simple crochet button & button loop instructions
  • US & UK terminology
  • stitch diagrams (charts) & stitch drawings
  • clear colour photos

Requirements: to create the purse in the photo I used:

Yarn Bee (Down to Earth) 70% Bamboo, 30% Cotton – 150 grms ~ hook size 4.50 (US: G) ~ satin lining ~ shade cloth for bag base ~ simple crochet button

* Please note: flower embellishments are not included in this pattern

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(2) Simple Crochet Button pattern – free Download

This simple button pattern will come in handy when nothing else suits or is available – experiment with yarns, threads & hook sizes – work pattern in back loops of stitch only – play with multi colours by changing colour on every round or use variegated yarn/thread – thread beads onto your yarn/thread & bring them into your work as desired – stuff with wadding for a firm button or cover old buttons Pattern includes:

  • simple crochet button & button loop instructions
  • US & UK terminology
  • stitch diagrams (charts) & stitch drawings
  • clear colour photos

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