This pattern looks amazing, but is actually pretty simple once you get the hang of it. I got the stitch pattern from Crochet Kingdom.
For this shirt I used Dragonfly Fibers Sylph Worsted in Love in a Mist. Each skein is 200 yards and I used 2 skeins - one for the front and one for the back. I used a 4.5 mm hook.
I cast on 55 + 7 and worked it until the yarn ran out. I then sewed it together leaving 8 inches for the arms and about 9 for the neck.
Still can't get over how well this commission plate came out. I have been stressing about lemons and sunflowers for a few months, but it came out better than I could have hoped. Now the big thing will be shipping it to Arizona without it breaking!
I have a bunch of tests in here with the new Clayscapes glazes on a few different clay bodies. I made the decision to cut corners and not sieve. It wasn't a good decision, but it is what it is. It's hidden on the texture, but my ramen bowl is speckled in ways I did not plan. I'll need to go back and sieve them, but they are beautiful. They didn't quite come through on the Brown Bear. I think I might try another batch with 2 dips instead of one.
A good number of the crabs made it into this kiln and they look amazing as always.
This kiln finished right before I left for the workshop. How amazing is that platter! I'm really pleased with how it turned out after all the test pieces I did to get there.
This was my second time at Michael Harbridge's workshop and once again it was absolutely fantastic. Michael runs Learn Fired Arts and I have a lot of his products. This workshop is an opportunity to learn different ways to use them as well as get together with other like minded clay people. We did a ton of projects over 2.5 days and ate some amazing food all cooked by Michael's wife Jeannine.
This first project was on provided bisque and we added a gloss glaze before adding a raku glaze.
I absolutely love how it came out.
This pumpkin and witch hat will eventually come together into one piece.
This is my very first birdhouse. It was a little soft at the time so it's being held up so it wouldn't sag. It eventually firmed up and looks great.
How cute is this mushroom! I can't wait to make more and put them in my garden.
This year we also got to do some glass work. Here is the before of my bowl.
Here is the after - it almost looks like a butterfly. I wish I could say tat it was planned, but its just a happy accident. We also learned how to stamp the outside of the bowl with multiple colors using Colors for Earth. I will definitely be using more stamps in the future.
This the before of a glass test. We uses liquid glass and painted it on.
Michael added a piece of top glass and fired it. Now it's either a small coaster or a paperweight, but it is cool looking.
This dragonfly was also a piece of bisque that we used non-fired techniques on. Michael helped me with the eyes, but they weren't nearly as hard as I thought they'd be.
I love how shimmery it is in the sun.
This little piggy is a planter. The project was a turtle, but I made a pig. There were also sheep and a cat. I want to make a whole menagerie for my garden.
I am really hoping the pig tail survives the trip because it's so cute.
This last piece is one that Michael made. He made a bunch and raku fired them and then we played lets make a deal as we opened the can. I definitely got the best one!
I don't know where I got this yarn, but I had 2 skeins of it. It's Malabrigo 108 Chia that's a worsted weight yarn that has about 210 yards per skein.
The pattern is just half double crochet and then 2 chains back and forth until the yarn runs out. Nothing fancy in the stitches, but still looks really pretty.
My calla lily candle holders are one of my most consisent sellers of my more art type pieces. I intentionally make them all slightly different. My goal isn't consistentcy, it's that each set is unique.
The first one I make always starts off rather rough. I have to remember how to roll them. By the time I've done the 3rd or 4th I have it down. The biggest key to these is to not try to do it when the clay is too wet or they will not stand. This is true of anything that's taller than about 3-4 inches. You want the clay to still be moldable, but have stiffened up enough to hold the weight.
I ordered these daffodil cutters from De La Designs a few weeks ago and I couldn't wait to start making things with them. The first thing I've made is these candle holders. I think they're super cute.
I think I'm also going to make some garden stakes with them in the near future.
I also realized that the cutter looks like a Star of David and realized that opens up some interesting possibilities as well.
Last year I sent Craig out in the canoe to get me a bunch of lily pads at the cabin. When we got home life happened and I didn't have time to use them right away so I decided to freeze them. This weekend I pulled them out and learned that while freezing works short term (like 1-2 months) it does not work longer term (almost a year). The leaves had all dried out and were papery.
However, I also found this small back of a few strands of lavender and did freeze well. They were in there for less time, I vaguely remember freezing these the end of last growing season. So even though my lavender bushes haven't started flowering yet, I was able to start making lavender things.
I made spoon rests and appetizer plates, but have plans to make more. I'm going to keep using these 5 strands of lavender as long as they hold up, then I'll wait for fresh growth.
I made the bulk of this jacket while at the Cloisters Spring Tea and Bazaar. The first day I went through two skeins of Kim Dyes Yarn Starless Night. I grabbed two more skeins thinking they were the same and in the dark light in the Cloisters they looked the same. It wasn't until I was back at work and the sun was shining on it that I realized it was different. It was actually yarn from Into the Whirled that I had leftover from another project.
So the blues in this sweater are actually slightly different. They feel slightly different, but I'm probably the only one who will ever notice. You have to look at it in the sun and then really look closely. this pattern looks awesome, but its actually just one repeating row so it's pretty easy.
I used a 4.5 mm hook for this. Since I switched yarns I'm not entirely sure how much of the dark blue I used. I think it was close to 1200 yards for the dark blue and then it was about 600 yards of the light blue.
Stitches:
ch - chain
sk st - skip stitch
dc - double crochet
half shell - 4 dc then ch 2 then dc in the same stitch
shell - 5 dc in the same stitch
For the main wavy lace pattern you want to cast on in multiples of 6 + 6.
For the back cast on 60.
Row 1: Dc in the 6th chain from the hook, *ch 2, sk st 5 times, half shell. In the last stitch just do the 4 dc (no ch 2 dc).
Row 2: ch 5, dc in the same stitch, *ch2, skip the first ch 2 space, half shell in the ch 2 space of the half shell in the previous row. In the last stitch just do the 4 dc (no ch 2 dc).
Repeat until desired length, I had 30 rows
Front Panel (make 2):
Cast on 24
Follow the instructions above. Make the front panels the same length as the back.
Sew the panels together. Leave about 8 inches for the arm.
Add the sleeves. I picked up 7 half shells. The sleeves are 11 rows and in rows 5 and 6 I tapered by crocheting together 2 of the half shells.
Lay the sweater flat in front of you and start at the bottom right.
Row 1: sc all the way up the side, across the top, and down the other side
Row 2: ch 1, *sc in the same stitch, sk st, shell. End with sk st and sc. If you don't have exactly the right number of stitches make it work.
Row 3: ch 3, 2 dc in the same stitch, *sc in the 3rd dc in the shell in the previous row, shell in the sc of the previous row. End with 3 dc in the sc.
Row 4: repeat row 2
Row 5: repeat row 3
Row 6: Repeat row 2
Do the same for the end of the sleeves, but only do rows 1-4.
Pockets (make 2)
Cast on 18
Row 1: sc all the way up the side, across the top, and down the other side
Row 2: ch 1, *sc in the same stitch, sk st, shell. End with sk st and sc. If you don't have exactly the right number of stitches make it work.
Row 3: ch 3, 2 dc in the same stitch, *sc in the 3rd dc in the shell in the previous row, shell in the sc of the previous row. End with 3 dc in the sc.
Repeat rows 2 and 3 until you have 11 rows.
Sew on the pockets where the arms meet.
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Finally getting around to making my garden flowers just in time for Mother's Day! I will have these at the Belle Aire Market this Sunday May 14 from 9-2.
These are what they look like in process. I use a 2 part epoxy that I put into the stem and then add a garden stake that I get at the hardware store. My husband had the brilliant idea of the clamp to hold it in place while it cures. While it says it cures in an hour, I usually leave it for 6-8 hours to just make sure.
This is what the flowers look like right side up. I have a bunch in my own garden and they are little bright spots for the butterflies and bees to drink out of.
I think these will make a great mother's day gift!
Last year at the Maryland Sheep and Wool I accidentally bought two fingering weight and one DK weight of the show color Monet's Pond from Kim Dyes Yarn. I contacted Kim and was able to get 2 more of the DK weight which I made into my Shell Dome Top.
I was looking for a light summer sweater and I still had the 2 skeins of the fingering weight which turned into this beautiful sweater. It's really light an airy, but also keeps the chill off.
No pattern for this one, but what I did was pretty simple. The bulk of the sweater is half double crochet and a chain in alternating stitches. The edging on the sleeves and the collar are three chains in alternating stitches.
I think I appreciate this yarn more than I've ever actually appreciated Monet's Pond.
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