Petit Purses: Part 2

The next three crochet purses Jodie and I put together used variegated yarn.

This was a standard 4 ply worsted weight yarn. It was interesting to watch this yarn color pool into diagonal stripes.

For the inside, I used some scrap fabric from a pillowcase that used to belong to my mother-in-law and that I inherited when she passed. It's nice to think that a little girl will have a piece of my mother-in-law who was also and artist. She was great with kids and enjoyed giving girly-girl things to her granddaughters.

I used the same kind of decoration on this purse as the previous two - a white crocheted flower with a flower-shaped button.

The final two purses were made with a specialty yarn that Jodie had in her stash. She thinks she bought it at an estate sale. I'd never used a yarn like this. It was quite kinky and slinky. One of the strands was very sparkly. The yarn was fairly tangled up, so I took some time to unknot it (quite some time, actually, due to lots of knots), then spun it into new balls.

Because it is a very thin yarn, we crocheted with a double strand. In this side-by-side photo you can see that Jodie used a larger crochet hook and her stitches are nice and loose. She made a bag that was slightly wider and shorter than mine. I used a smaller hook and tend to crochet with more tension, so I had to stitch a couple extra rows to make the proportion of width to height look correct to my eye.

Here's an observation for those who enjoy creating. Depending on how we combined the strands, it gave each purse a slightly different look. Jodie's has more of a confetti feel with all the colors mixed together. I lined up the colors on the two strands more closely, so I achieved a bit of color pooling with slightly diagonal stripes. 

I point this out not because one method is better than another, but because it shows how Jodie is a much more free spirit in the way she takes an idea and runs with it. I tend to be more rigid and follow the pattern instructions precisely as written. Working side-by-side, Jodie helps me be more playful and less concerned about outcomes. I find it an interesting correlation to our personalities. It's super fun to craft with Jodie because we bring out the best in each other.

I lined these two purses with a sweet pink small-checked gingham I recently found at a thrift store.

Jodie tried the single, wider handle on her purse. We added another white crocheted flower with a blue flower-shaped button center.

In this photo the shimmer of the slippery, slinky, shiny yarn is very apparent. I stepped out of the norm and added a turquoise flower made of a super soft yarn, then added stacked buttons in yellow and pink, sewn onto the center of the front of the purse with turquoise.

:: stepping up on my soapbox for a minute ::

Some folks have asked if I sell my artwork. Making these purses is a good reminder of why I never opened a craft business. It was fun to try making the same pattern with different yarns and linings and decorations - to a point. But I tire of doing the same thing over and over. 

If I had a business, I'd have to do the same craft repeatedly. To make any kind of profit - or even cover the cost of materials and photographing and advertising - the finished items would be too expensive. Each of these purses took about five hours from start to finish - not counting the time it took to untangle yarn and wash the lining fabrics and write blog posts. Even at a minimum wage for labor, the cost for a single one of these little-girl purses would be at least $75.

There are simply too many fun crafty things I want to try in a great number of mediums. I'd rather use my crafting space for a variety of yarns and floss and fabric and paint and paper and specialty tools than have to give up space to inventory and shipping supplies, and give up time for selling and accounting. Thank goodness I get to use my free time for learning and enjoying the process and honing my skills. Most working women don't have this opportunity. 

I have an embarrassment of riches in the way of time and supplies. It's one reason I like to share my completed work through charity or via random acts of kindness (think painted rocks and quilted hearts). I don't keep this blog so much to show off my efforts, but to try and inspire others to try things, to not fear making mistakes, and to give freely. I receive a lot of satisfaction and gratitude in return. Priceless.

:: stepping back down ::

Petit Purses: Part 1

Jodie and I crocheted some purses for little girls that will be distributed through Bags of Love. Kids in crisis don't only need safe shelter and the basics of blankets and toiletries, but they also can use comfort items. That might be a teddy bear. Or it might be a little purse to call their own and hold their treasures.

I found this pattern through Pinterest. We made five altogether, each one taking approximately 4 to 5 hours to create. I'll share the first two here and the other three later this week. 

This pattern uses the "granny stitch." It's the same kind of crochet stitch used in classic granny square afghans. We used a single strand of 4-ply yarn. The bag is worked in the round.

This pink lady was my first attempt. I followed the pattern directions that called for crocheting two narrow handles.

So that none of the treasures would fall out of the holes created by the granny clusters, I decided to line the purses with coordinating fabric. The cherries are cheery!

For the decoration, I crocheted a white flower, then attached it to the purse with a pink flower-shaped button. The buttons I used on this project were some I found at a thrift store several months ago.

For my second attempt, I followed the pattern for the body of the purse, but put my own twist on the handle by crocheting a single, wider handle.

I lined this purse with a fabric that had characters from the movie Frozen. 

For decoration, another white crocheted flower with a purple flower-shaped button.

Jodie and I are quite pleased with the result. We got a bit more adventurous for the next purses, using variegated and specialty yarns.

Color Blast

I want to share a few more photos from our trip to the Rhododendron Garden at Hendricks Park last year. We may yet go again this year, though the flowers are likely just past their peak now. It's a wonderful place to stroll and take in aromas and sit and be still and let the beauty soak into my pores.

Queen of Stacks - Double the Fun

Here's a double dose of shaped puzzles. It's a stack of books and the cat who "owns" them. We first put together this beautiful rainbow-colored stack.

The box came with two puzzles, each around 325 pieces. 

"Shaped" because it's not an image fit to a rectangular base, but the image shape is the puzzle shape.

Included was this very crisp 1/2-size poster. The books are on one side, the cat on the other.

The puzzles are an excellent quality. That texture feels good in the hand, making putting the puzzle together super enjoyable. Plus, they're so well-cut that I could pick the completed puzzle up without it falling apart!

Speaking of the cat ... what a pretty fellow! Gorgeous colors! I admit that all that fur was a tough go for me. But I eventually completed the puzzle.

The stack of books and the cat are about the same size. I find it slightly disproportionate when the completed puzzles are side-by-side. Shouldn't that stack of books be taller? But I sure would not have wanted those fur puzzle pieces any smaller than they were.

That's one well-read kitty!

It reminds me of our kid's cat named Tabby. Best cat ever.

Unique Birthday "Card"

Dale celebrated his 65th birthday this week. Our main gift was to see a live performance of The Moth, which we thoroughly enjoyed. (If you get the chance, go see it. Highly recommended!) But I also got him a little gift to unwrap and was planning to make a card to go with it. Instead ... this is what came out of my creative noggin.

It's a greeting banner/swag. I got this last-minute idea on Pinterest.

I started by pulling these wood heart shapes from my stash. They range in size from about 3/4 of an inch to about 3-1/2 inches.

I wrote down a list of traits I love in my husband, then printed one trait on each heart. At first, I was simply going to use ink or paint to write the words. Then I got the idea to try wood burning instead.  (What was I thinking?)

I pulled my Creative Versa-Tool out of a bottom drawer in the closet where it's been languishing for years and started playing. (There's a different / newer version of this tool available on Amazon).

The center large heart has "Happy Birthday" on one side and this on the other side:

I used the wood burning tool to create the holes, then strung some nylon cord -- like thick fishing line) -- through the holes to hang the hearts.

Here are nine wonderful traits I chose for the hearts. (I somehow missed getting a photo of "HUGS"). 

Of course, Dale has many wonderful traits I missed -- chief among them are intelligence and creativity. But, you know, I wouldn't want his head to get too big by heaping on how extraordinary he is -- and I was running out of the right size of wood hearts. 

:: tongue firmly planted in cheek ::

I hung the banner from the mantle in the living room so he'd have the surprise when he got home.

And yes. He gave me the go-ahead to show this. I wouldn't have posted if it would have embarrased him.

I love this man so, so much. I couldn't have a better life partner. We're better together!

Watercolor Road Block

I'm delighted that my ankle is healed enough for me to take longer walks again. Now I get to see  my neighbors' flowers at nose level. This weigela was growing so exuberantly that it nearly blocked the sidewalk.

Buds, blossoms, and bedraggled all on one blushing branch.

OMG  This! 

Like a watercolor painting. 

I jumped into photography in order to take this kind of nature photo. Belly flowers. The kind of flowers you need to get down on your belly to fully appreciate. Sharing the beauty of nature in the midst of difficult times is my vocation.

By the way ... did you notice this plant returned love to me?

Dead or Alive

Either way, these camellia at Ruff Park in Springfield were beautiful last month.

Around the Pond

One of the activities I've challenged myself to do in 2024 is to go for solo drives to combat my pandemic-induced agoraphobia. I nearly stopped driving altogether. (Mental health problems are fun to deal with ... NOT). I'm quite good at driving to my daughter Jodie's place in Springfield ... just over 10 miles away. Yesterday I decided to drive to Junction City alone ... about 11 miles north of where I live.

I stopped by Dollar Tree and two thrift stores, as those feel like "safe places" to me. On the way home, I decided to return to Junction City Pond. It was a pretty, sunny afternoon, so I decided to follow the path around the water. The pond must have been recently re-stocked with fish, because there were quite a number of folks out with their lines in the water.

On the back side of the pond is a forested area where the recent rain kept the air humid and the ground muddy. The pond creeped up the shoreline

and there was lots of moss covering rocks and climbing the trees.

The wind was up a bit, and the water muddy and rough. I saw one fish jump out of the waves like he was happy to feel the sunshine and grateful to have a less crowded spot in which to swim. Some trees limbs, overloaded from last winter's ice storm, had cracked and rested on the banks of the shoreline.

Emerging from the forest shadows, my eye was drawn to bits of wildflower color. This vetch was a bit beat up by the wind and bogged down by the rain earlier in the week. The color, though. Vibrant!

Near the highway, white meadowfoam are blooming.

Back at the parking lot, I felt more calm and refreshed from my walk. I took time to stand by my car and look northwest over the farmlands and coastal mountain range.

Fulfilling a self-challenge and getting distance vision is always good for my soul.