Dream catchers are something new for me that I am really enjoying making. What I love most about them, is the combination of textures, fibers, and nature. I love the process of gathering together all the bits and pieces of what I find inspiring at the moment, and using them to create a piece of art. I made this 6″ dream catcher over the weekend. It is inspired by the month of May, the scent of lilacs in the air, and blooming wisteria.
If you are interested, it is available in my shop!
A weekend weaving inspired by our recent trip to the sand dunes of Lake Michigan.
In my studio recently, I have found myself being drawn to raw, natural fibers that are sturdy, strong, and coarse. My hands have been reaching for hemp, silk, and fibrous handmade papers. Inspiration has been drawing from my beach stones, drift wood, and bright blue skies.
It’s April, my children are on Spring Break, and the weather has been warming.
In response to these early stirrings of spring, we packed up for the day and drove to my most favorite place on this Earth – the Lake!
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I love coming to this place anytime of year. The summer, of coarse, is fantastic with the soft, sandy beaches, and cool water. The cooler weather of fall makes hiking the sand dunes MUCH more enjoyable, and in the winter, there are amazing ice flows. Springtime, however, has come to surprise me. In recent years, I have found myself spending more and more time here in the spring. The beaches are,for the most part, empty of human beings. There is sand EVERYWHERE. Every year, I am amazed at the amount of sand that the winter winds bring. If you come early enough in the year, the park is almost unrecognizable and half buried in sand. It is this phenomenon that I can’t get enough of, because along with the sand comes all sorts of treasures. I could spend days combing the beach for colorful stones, driftwood, beach glass, and bones.
As I walk the shores, my mind just swims with ideas of things to make. “This could be an awesome necklace”, “These should be tied into a dream catcher”, “This is so straight, it could be added to a weaving”. I collected quite a pile of colorful goodies before my kids were done.
Their hungry bellies were grumbling, and they informed me, the beach just isn’t fun if you can not go swimming. So after 4 hrs of beach combing, we went to go hike the dunes. I guess 4 hrs is long enough. Although, I am secretly plotting another trip someday soon while these guys are in school. shhh! 4 hrs is not really enough for this momma.
I came across this sweet little bunny illustration generously provided by Kelli Murray’s Blog. It’s one sleep too late for Easter, but just in time for Spring! Follow the link to download one for yourself.
This is a wip & a bit of a sneak peek at a project I am doing. It is a reflection of my thoughts on spring & my desire to see MORE green.
I did a little winter weaving on my portable loom. It felt good to sit down on a cold, snowy day & play with some of my stash yarns. This little weaving was inspired by the fresh fallen snow & the Magnolia tree in our backyard.
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This weaving loom can be found in my Etsy shop
I love little vintage treasures! I enjoy sifting and hunting through old things; and the rush of adrenaline I get when I find that perfect item. Last week, I was out thrifting in hopes of finding some unique things to add to my children’s Easter baskets when I came across an old hand-knit egg cozy in the shape of a rooster. I found myself smitten with the quick little knit, and wanted to write a pattern for making more.
Materials
I used some of my stash yarn to create this egg cozy, and have long lost the yarn band to it.
Fingering weight yarn in white & red
One pair of strait knitting needles size US 5 (3.75 mm)
Gauge
6sts x 5 rows = 1″
Pattern
CO 40
2×2 rib pattern for 4 rows
Switch to St st and work 12 rows
BO 13 st, K to the end of the row (27 total st)
BO 13 st, P to the end of the row (27 total st)
K 8 rows
BO
Finishing
Fold in half lengthwise, and using your favorite method, stitch the sides together.
Using the red yarn, single crochet stitch across the top of the head, and down the outer edge (the roosters face).
Tail
Loop yarn around your hand several times. Tie at the center to secure the loops, and attach the tail to the rooster.
The cozy will fit any XL sized egg or a plastic Easter egg.
We received a large amount of snow this week, & yesterday, the schools were closed. The kids & I took advantage of the day to go out & play. The sledding hills were perfect & the weather was great, but there were also hints of spring!
As I looked around, I noticed that our trees are beginning to bud, & the birds have been returning to the area. I can hear their songs throughout the day bringing cheer to these last days of winter.
This weekend the temperature is suppose to be 20 degrees warmer, so I know the snow won’t stay for long. I am ok with that. We got our last romp in the snow, so now Spring may come
artbycarriejoy.com 