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 an 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 ::