Mas Avocados!

Another new avocado item...

This one is special because it can be donned about the neck and on the lapel!

In addition, I made this version of an avocado smaller than its predecessor as some people may not want to sport a life-size greenie about the neck.

I'm having fun! 

Lots of Little Things...

As many of you are aware, I tend to work on long laborious projects. I love elaborate and long projects. They give me a chance to really explore a technique or process and I feel a huge sense of accomplishment upon finishing one of these endeavors. However, sometimes, I really just want to churn out a bunch of items in an evening. This feeling is where my new found hobby of crocheting adornments found its genesis. So, yeah, I've been making avocados, feathers and a even few little houses...

Actually, I've been crocheting little house rings to be more specific.

These were my first forays into the hand-held housing market. The pattern has definitely evolved and as soon as I finish my own version of the burbs I will share the instructions for these simple and satisfying edifices with you!

I kinda like this spooky version...

Want one? Head over here and pick one up!

California Grown: A Monster Crochet Revival Story

If am hooked (pun intended) on anything above all else, it has to be crocheted vegetables (and fruit)! After all, I began my blogging career by sharing my love of creating sinister veggies with you all in 2005. Although my imagery might have evolved a bit since then, I still love a nice piece of crocheted produce...

Enter the life-size avocado brooch. Oh, and it also sports a three-dimensional pit! 

This California grown (read = crocheted) creation looks quite fetching affixed to one's lapel. So much so that as it happens, I am wearing one of these green lovelies today. Let me just say that many a co-worker has commented on my big green crocheted jewel as I strut on by, "Nice avocado."

They're just jealous. But really, there's no need for them to feel so green, as I am listing a few of these fantabulous brooches in my formerly defunct Etsy store, Monster Crochet. Yes, it's alive! Oh, I have lots of plans for my little corner of the interwebs. Don't you worry! This here avocado? It's just the beginning... 

There will be lots of jewelry, accessories, patterns and handspun...Oh my! I'm sooo excited!

Crocheting and spinning and blogging, oh my!

I cannot believe it's October! Jeesh, I feel as though I have raced through the year working, traveling and making stuff every waking moment. It's all a bit of a blur...

Despite the fervor, I have gotten a bit of spinning done...

Definitely channeling jewel tones at the moment! The blues and greens are wool as is the bottom pink/purple colorway. The top pinkish hank is spun from recycled silk sari fiber.

Spinning recycled silk sari fibers is awesome. I love this stuff! The colors and textures of the silk sari "fluff" are just wonderful!

In addition, I have also been crocheting and weaving. I'm not knitting much as of late, but I'll pick it up again soon. I always do. However, check out my latest thready crocheted creation...

She's my version of a little matryoshka. I plan to back her in felt and make her into a pendant as she's only about 2 1/2" tall. My daughter (who is 19 now...can you believe it?) has claimed her already. Some things never change!

Thread-Etude

Although I seriously lack the musical genius of Chopin, I am currently caught up in a practice which he perfected, the etude, whereby technique or technical conundrums were explored through focused compositions. Essentially, these were explorations meant for technical study, not intended to be anything more. I love this practice and have immersed myself in my own set of etudes recently.

My etudes center upon the technical aspects of thread crochet. Those who know me, know that I have a penchant for skinny threads worked with teensy steel hooks. I have always found something very intriguing about how such an ordinary material, cotton thread, can be transformed into works of wonder such as lace, doilies (for which I also have a penchant) and images created from a simple series of blocks, my beloved filet crochet. At any rate, thread, experimentation and technique go hand in hand for me. Thus, I am in the midst of a thread-etude.

Pictured above is my favorite crochet space: the coffee table that sits in front of my sofa. Here you can see the current thread-etudes that I am working on: thready flowers and a feather. Incidentally, the feathers qualify as an etude because I was exploring the technical aspects of thread and how its properties could represent an organic form. Initially, I had no intention for the feather's ultimate use. I was just having fun.

By the way, are you guys digging my Jesus mug??? Ahhh, I digress.

In addition to having fun making them, the thready flowers have become a way for me to explore motifs and how they fit together. Basically, I've become obsessed with motifs. We can blame this on my woven projects (i.e., the now ubiquitous and motif heavy diamond shawl) or we can just say that I have the creative attention span of a gnat as I am always searching for some unfamiliar technique to try and embrace. Whatever the characterization, I am completely cracked out on thread right now. In fact, I may need to place an order for some more DMC right away!

Crocheted Feather Pendants

I am in the midst of a personal creative renaissance and it feels so good! It's been some time since I've felt such an overwhelming urge to constantly create, experiment with a variety of processes and mediums and churn out work with abandon. I leave the cube farm at the end of each work day, primed to make stuff! As such, I've been immersed in my usual foray of fibrous activities: crocheting; knitting; weaving; spinning and playing around with the dye pot. In addition, I have also begun to dabble in photography as well as paint and make sculpture again (my art group is back together working on a large project and I'm loving the energy I have for the endeavor). At any rate, each evening I flit around my work space from project to project making progress on parts and pieces before heading to bed with a sense of satisfaction and last night was no exception. I bring you my latest little experiment...

I crocheted these lovely little feathers (about 3" in length) in a variety of size 8 perle cotton colorways (more in the works) and a US size 6 steel hook. After completion, I stiffened each feather with commercial fabric stiffener found at the local craft store (not sure that I love this stuff, but I am working on thinning it down so it's not so "Tacky Glue-y"). Any advice that you all may have regarding this type of product is definitely welcome! Finally, I attached jump rings to the tops of each feather and strung each one on a ready-made pendant. Voila! A pendant that I can create in a matter of hours!

These are so dramatic when worn. I just love that they are simple pendants that make a statement. Here's a larger view of the "sparrow" colored feather (thread procured from Sarah's Colorwave Yarns)...

And the "cardinal" feather (thread for cardinal and amazon feathers was procured from Artfabrik)...

And finally, the "amazon" feather...



Now, I off to take my lunch break in order to crochet more of these in the SoCal sunshine!

Pineapple Pendant

I have always been obsessed with accessories. ALWAYS. Jewelry, hats, scarves and shawls are part of my daily donning. As you all know, I make many of the shawls and scarves I wear, but recently I thought I'd try my hand (and hook) at some jewelry too.

So, I crocheted a pineapple and attached it to this stylish ready-made pendant!

C'mon, you all know I like me some fruits and veggies! Although this one lacks the iconic eyeball, I still kinda like it!

I whipped this up in an evening using DMC perle cotton in size 8 and a size 6 steel hook. All I can say is thank the lord for my daylight lamp! At any rate, it was a very satisfying quick crochet.

Methinks I now need a Carmen Miranda inspired fascinator! Woo hoo!

Happy weekend everyone!