Friday Inspiration - Felieke van der Leest's Beaded Work

I love beading and have only made small stabs at it - usually adding edges or accents and the occasional necklace.  One of the things I've been meaning to do (for years) though is a piece made mainly of beads.  So when I saw Felieke van der Leest's work, I fell in love with it!  It's beautiful, whimsical, and sure to put a smile on your face.

Felieke combines crochet with beads and plastic animals  ...

Bat Girl

Hare O'Harix and his 6 Carrots

Prairie Pioneer

Be sure to take a look at the dozens of pieces on her website.  And if you need an English translation, click on the British union jack in the upper right hand corner.

Happy Creating!  Deborah

Easy Knitted Cowl

I'm becoming a big fan of cowls!  They stay on and don't have to keep being re-wrapped like scarves do.  And they keep you warm!  I've had a couple of skeins of Plymouth's Boku for a few years and just realized they match one of my coats.  Since I've become a champ at straight knitting, I thought how hard can a cowl be?  Easy, it turns out!  I basically just knitted a square and then seamed it up - and afterwards realized I could have knit it in the round.  Oh well, I'll do the next one that way!

Materials:
*about 1 1/2 skeins worsted or aran weight yarn
*size 10 1/2 needles

Cast on 90 stitches.  Knit in straight knitting until it measures about 7 1/2 inches.  Bind off and seam together.

Happy Creating!  Deborah

Friday Inspiration - Radiant Orchid

I can't believe my luck ... last year's Pantone color of the year was Emerald.  I love Emerald Green and soaked in seeing it everywhere all last year!  And this year, Pantone has chosen Radiant Orchid as the 2014 color of the year - another favorite!  Greens and purples are right there at the top.  So I get another year of seeing a color everywhere that makes me feel good!

Already, I have visions of more orchid!  My orchid kitchen towels need replacing - pretty much not so radiant any longer, just stained.  I have some yarn I dyed with acid and cochineal that turned out a beautiful mottled orchid ... maybe another hat.  It's a color that reminds me of spring and Easter ... and picnics for some reason!  Can't figure that one out.

So here's to a radiant new year full of orchid!

Happy Creating!  Deborah

A New Year ... A New Hat!

Happy 2014!  And what better way to celebrate than with a new hat!  Last year I put a moratorium on making myself any new hats - I spend a large part of the winter in Phoenix, where hats are seldom needed.  However, suddenly my hats all seem old and worn or have just disappeared!  I recently found this crocheted slouch hat by Liz on her Crochet in Color blog and fell in love with it - you can find the pattern here.

I used Lion Brand's Amazing in the Glacier Bay colorway and it took a skein and a half.  I also took Liz's suggestion to move down one hook size when working on the ribbing.

Okay, I know it's a slouch hat but I don't have that much hair so it really, really slouched!  I like it better with the ribbing turned up.

Happy Creating!  Deborah