Pink Optic Fiber Turquoise Brooch Pin with Felt & Crochet.....

Apologies. My 9-5 Mon-Fri office job seems to be getting in the way of things and all I want to do in my spare evening time is knit!  Knitting is my latest addiction. But it is fabulous to have some cash coming in on a regular basis and some warm woollies......

I finally got around to finishing this piece which incorporates optic fibers with a pink LED. The LED is hidden inside the felt on the back and is powered by a small, flat  3V coin battery.

The beautiful, multicolored piece of turquoise (purchased from Heart Of Stone Studios) (size 42.5mm x 33.5mm) comes from right over the Tibetan border in China. It is the same source of turquoise that the Tibetans have used and worn for centuries.

I have also used oxidised copper, UV resin, vintage shards of pink glass, brass eyelets, merino wool (needle felted), beads, crochet thread, conductive thread, bamboo, bone & craft wire.

About 10cm long by 8cm wide.

Knitting Handspun Frenzy.....

I'm in a bit of a knitting frenzy at the moment, which has been great for using up some of my handspun yarns. I can now nearly shut my cupboard!

Some of my better knits go to The Little Gallery Of Fine Arts in Tairua and these ones are all headed there. Its a fabulous tourist destination on the Coromandel run by the talented artist Paula McNeill.

The Coromandel is one of New Zealand's favourite tourist destinations - you can even dig your own hot water spa pool in the sand at Hot Water Beach.

The above is a crochet scarf - I love crochet as its difficult to drop a stitch by mistake as there is only one on the crochet hook anyway! The gorgeous commercial green heather merino wool is Cascade Magnum in Moss colour (100% Peruvian Highland Wool). Its 2 stitches per inch - love it! Nice and quick!

Crochet Rainbow Woolly Hat

I finally got around to crocheting up my first spinning attempt (the rainbow 'lumpy' yarn) into a funkytastic hat!

The weather here in NZ seems to actually have got colder, despite there being hints of summer being on the way - so I can actually wear it out!

Friends think it looks rather like one of those vintage rubber swimming hats.....

LOVE NEST Pendant

Just finished this piece - which is an achievement since I am mainly felting soap full time at the moment!

I've called it LOVE NEST - as the lower part has 'love' etched onto it and the top crochet wire makes it look like a bird's nest, especially with all the fiber inside.

Its made from merino wool, pink silk fibers, Fair Trade resin orange ring from Indonesia, base metal, sterling silver, fuschia chalk turquoise, Faux bone, chocolate brown pearls, spinel, amethyst, seed beads, copper (etched) and mica powders.

Length - about 13.5cm (approx 5 inches).

My first attempt at crochet with wire and my fingers are ok after!

Spikey Crochet Vessel with Lid

I'm busy with my crochet exploration - I've mastered a few basic stitches but have LOADS to learn. I LOVE CROCHET! I've done a few scarves for my kiddies as its getting cold now here in NZ. Doubt they will wear them though.

This is one of my recent vessels - crocheted wool with wet felted details, including pink 'spikes'. It also incorporates sari yarn which is made in Nepal using recycled fibers from the sari manufacturing process in India.

I like making pots as they are fun to keep things in and I can just freeform crochet! I'm not great at following a pattern (or actually following any type of direction) - I can never remember what I have just done or where I am!

I am also now totally addicted to buying yarns - there are some amazing handspun yarns out there (I love drooling over the website Material Whirled - www.materialwhirled.com) they have a fantastic selection of handspun yarns by very talented spinners.

I so want to learn to spin my own yarn......maybe have my own cute little dreadlocked alpaca in the garden....

Recyled Sari Yarn

I bought this FABULOUS recycled silk Sari yarn from Yarn Traders in New Zealand (who import it from Nepal).

About this fab yarn........

"The yarn is made from the scrap silk, and other fibres, produced as a bi-product of sari manufacture and other silk production in southern India. The colourfast industrially dyed remnant fibres are brought into Nepal and distributed, via women's cooperatives, to disadvantaged women. Spinning and knitting the yarn enables the women to earn a much needed small income from their cottage industry.

The yarn is hand spun, either by charka, drop spindle, or wheel, into gleaming hanks ready for export or use in local garment manufacturing. Because it is hand spun each hank is unique, and there are no dye lots. In addition, the yarn varies in thickness and contains some overtwisted areas. As a consequence of the village conditions where the yarn is made it carries a slight musty smell. In addition, you may also come across the odd piece of straw or leaves. Simply remove any "foreign objects" as you go along! The yarn handles washing well."

For this pot - I crocheted the sari yarn with some beige wool and did a lid using pink wool with sari yarn edging and some 'spirals'. Plus some spotty wood bicone beads.

This little fella is only about 7cm high.

So far my daughter has claimed all the crochet vessels I've made to put her 'bling' in - but I may put them on my website anyway. Maybe....