Following a Pattern...

Arghhhhh! I'm still just not in the mood - feeling flat. At times like these I try not to force myself to create anything, as if I do the results will just make me feel even more deflated.

But I find this is the ideal time for me to curl up and relax with some patterns I've stashed on Ravelry and some beautiful wool (Aslan Trnds La Pampa) that I picked up for a REAL bargain online here at Webbs.

I don't have to think about anything - I can just follow the pattern and watch TV! A while ago I put this pattern by John Brinegar of Yarn Ball Boogie in my project queue. It a long, long, long crochet scarf that looks well 'fierce'.

Aotearoa Neckpiece

Aotearoa (pronounced [ao tea roa]) is the most widly known and accepted Māori name for New Zealand. It is used by both Māori and non-Māori.

I was invited to contribute to a group show at 'Quoil Contemporary Jewellery Gallery' in Wellington, NZ (www.quoil.co.nz) the title of which is 'Aotearoa'. It needed to be a neckpiece with earrings.

To me (being a recent migrant to this beautiful country), NZ equates to sheep, wool, blue coastline, lush green grass, paua shell and the native Māori peoples. Quite a simplistic view, but hey that's me!

I wanted to combine my love of spinning, which is something I have recently learnt how to do here in NZ on a NZ made spinning wheel, with a wearable piece of jewelry.

First I dyed some polwarth sheep wool and kid mohair locks using blues and greens. Then I spun it into yarn adding in pieces of paua shell along the way.

The centerpiece is a vintage (1940s) 'blinking' dolls eye which I am using to represent the Māori peoples. The eye is set into Faux bone using UV resin with tiny fine silver beads and gold plated washers and vintage pink glass shards.

 I am quite happy with how it turned out. Its definately something that I would wear. I made simple earrings to match with oxidised sterling silver.

 

  

Summer Sunset Handspun....

I purchased this delicious batt created by the amazing fiber artist Jazzturtle (who has a shop on Etsy of the same name). She really does create the most amazing textured art batts - if only I had more money.....

 She describes this 'Santa Monica Summer Sunset' batt fiber as a "beautiful sunrise colors of corals, pinks, fuchsias and yellows, with a hint of orange".

She used fluffy merino top, squooshy targhee fleece, soft corridale fleece, curly kid mohair locks and shiny bamboo. For the black shadows she swirled in some soft black merino, shiny black bamboo and a touch of black shimmery firestar. She added pink and orange sari silk for texture and LOTS of sparkle with firestar, and gold and shades of pink angelina.

 

 

Thats why I could spin it up into such a delicious art yarn! It was so easy to spin, I almost didn't need to be there!