Hi folks,
I think this is the first piece I’ve shown you that has fringe on it, which is weird, because I think fringe is really fun.
I don’t really know if this is a wrap or a giant scarf, but it is long and cozy.
I dyed the yarn for this one myself. I have a couple of skeins of this colorway left. I’m not sure what will become of it yet.
See more photos of the New Horizons Wrap and purchase in my Etsy shop.
Until next time,
Annie
Hi folks,
I follow a lot of blogs on a wide variety of topics, most related to arts and crafts and making stuff. I usually see tutorials and new works, but in late June I read this sad post on A Creative Being. The post was not by Wink, the site’s creator, but by her sister, letting all of her readers know that Wink had taken her own life.
Soon, Kathryn at Crochet Concupiscence started the #MandalasforMarinke project, an effort to let fellow crocheters remember Wink and raise awareness about depression by creating mandalas from Wink’s beautiful patterns (Wink’s name was Marinke Slump, but she went by Wink). Though I only knew Wink through her posts online, I wanted to participate.
Here is my mandala:
And here is the note to go along with it:
I read the blog post about Wink’s death while I was in the waiting room of my therapist’s office. I’ve dealt with a lot of issues through my treatment, one of them a period of pretty deep depression. It was a bad time for me, but I am doing very well now. I feel stories like Wink’s deeply because while I don’t know the specifics of her depression, I know what wrestling with depression is like. It sucks. A lot. It is also scary for me to see someone who seemed, at least to me, to be doing ok have depression come back in such an aggressive and tragic way.
Even before I saw posts about the #MandalasforMarinke project, I knew I would be making one of her mandalas as a reminder to check in with myself to see how I am doing. It is so much easier to say, “Hey, something feels off,” when those feelings are starting then when you’ve been feeling them for a while.
I have made two identical manadalas: one for me, and one for the #MandalasforMarinke project. I dyed the yarn in bright colors that make me really happy, and used the first mandala pattern of Wink’s I ever saw. I wish the circumstances surrounding this piece were different, but I’m proud of the mandala I have made and that I am able to write all of these things and sign my name to it.
Thank you!
Annie Webster
Interested in making your own mandala for the project? Check out the project page here. The deadline for submissions has been extended to October 15. The pattern I used is here, but there are many free and paid patterns available.
Want to see other mandalas that have been submitted to the project? Look at these blog posts on Crochet Concupiscence.
I also recommend “9 secrets I’ve uncovered about depression” by Kady Morrison on Vox. I did a lot of head nodding in agreement when I read it.
Until next time,
Annie
Hi folks,
I love this scarf. The colors are amazing.
The yarn is called Apple Orchard. All of the yarns in Lion Brand’s Landscapes line are pretty spectacular, but this is one of my favorites. I considered keeping this one for myself, but I’ve already done that with another Landscapes scarf I made, so I thought I should release this one into the world. I’m wearing the other one in the photo on the About page. That colorway is Boardwalk and it is awesome, too.
This scarf is ready to ship! You can see more photos in my Etsy shop.
Until next time,
Annie
Hi folks,
I have been coveting the Intense Rainbow Mini Mochi yarn from Crystal Palace Yarns for a long time. It is so beautiful—just a full Roy G. Biv spectrum of wonderfulness.
I don’t know what is going to become of these little squares in the end. I have a couple of ideas, but I’ll have to see how many squares I have when I get through my two skeins of yarn. Whatever I end up with, it will be pretty nifty, because this yarn is awesome!
Until next time,
Annie
Hi folks,
I started this one a couple of weeks ago, and now it is ready to go!
In my first blog post about this scarf, I was pondering whether or not to keep the scarf flat, or to seam it into a tube. I decided to go with the tube, and I am so happy with the result. I offset the alignment to create the spiral look, and added a little frilly finish to the ends.
This piece is in my Etsy shop now.
Until next time,
Annie
Hi folks,
Toucan Cowl. Toucan Cowl. Toucan Cowl.
I love saying Toucan Cowl.
I have an app I use, Knitting and Crochet Buddy, to keep track of the time I spend on each piece. I usually enter the color of yarn I’m using and what type of piece I am making as my project name, then come up with a “real” title after the piece is finished. In this case, I have enjoyed seeing and saying “Toucan Cowl” so much, I’m sticking with it.
I just posted this piece in my Etsy shop.
Until next time,
Annie
Hi folks,
It’s finished!
This is my completed blanket for the B.hooked Crochet Challenge for Warm Up America! It was a big project, and while I enjoyed making it, I’m also happy to be done.
There was not a border with the blanket pattern. I went with a couple rounds of single crochet in black to finish it off.
In case you can’t get a good idea of what the overall pattern is here, this is plan I mocked up in Illustrator before I started:
This guy will be shipped off to Warm Up America! tomorrow. He did get a bath this afternoon, post ragweed country photo shoot, so he is all fresh and clean for his journey (I don’t know why he is male, he just is).
Until next time,
Annie
Hi folks,
I added a new piece to the shop today. This is the Frosty Windows Scarf.
I used my own hand-dyed yarn for this piece! I use a few different methods for dying wool yarns—for this particular fiber I used food coloring.
Check out more photos and purchase the Frosty Windows Scarf in my Etsy shop.
Until next time,
Annie
Hi folks,
I don’t mind telling you, this shawl took FOREVER to make. There are a lot of little stitches here!
This piece is the Sunrise, Sunset Shawl. It is based on the “Sunset Shawlette” by Tamara Kelly at Moogly. I used a yarn color called “Sunrise” to make it. Sometimes the titles pretty much write themselves.
Visit my Etsy shop to see more photos and purchase now.
Until next time,
Annie
Webster Fiber Arts 