Welcome 2012

HAPPY NEW YEAR!


The Holidays are over and soon the grandkids will be heading home leaving me some much needed time to make you some fresh new designs for 2012 before I head off to my new job. It is a part time gig so I will still have to time for my own passion, creating lovely beaded jewelry and fiber designs for you! It has been a delightful Holiday with the girls but it is time to get back to work.

I have some new slipper patterns in the works and some lovely designs from patterns that I purchased from Fiber Trends. For those of you who knit and crochet I highly recommend the patterns there. I have purchased 2 so far and they are very well written and easy to follow. For those of you who do not knit, I’ll happily do that part for you so stay tuned for styles, colors and prices.

I also have to complete a white version of the Poinsettia beadwoven bracelet seen below for Bead and Button magazine for next years Christmas edition. It has to be finished and in their office to be photographed before March 1, 2012.

I had a great season with Revolution in White River Junction for my first year with them. I’ll be working with them again this year as well as Fyberworks in Portland, Oregon and Tardif in Waterville, Maine.

Knitted Slipper Pattern for Real Men

Have you made felted slippers for men?!

This was an exciting new adventure for me. I searched and searched, knitted and crocheted and could not find men’s slipper that was really a man’s size. I purchased many patterns and they were too narrow, not big enough so I finally came to the conclusion that I had to make up my own. I also figured out how to make a slipper for someone whose foot I do not have to measure.

After a little trial and error I finally came up with one!

These can be worn with the cuff up or down and think of the ways it can be embellished! You could needle felt a design on it, attach appliques, embroider, bead embroider, use school or favorite sports team colors. You could put soles on the bottom or use the traction trick I am using.

They only take an evening to knit up (each) and they are made all in one piece so no sewing together once you are finished!

These are knit with one strand but for a really thick pair you could use 2 strands. I can get nearly 3 slippers out of a 476-yard skein of yarn so they won’t break the bank either!

These are still wet so I can’t do anything yet.

The pattern and all the information about how to size them will be available soon! I have to work out the women’s size first.

My Knit Slippers for Real Men pattern will be available soon at Divella Delights!

Handmade Flapper Hats a Huge Hit

Once again this year the handmade crochet flapper hats I create are flying out the door.

In addition to Fyberworks in Portland Oregon and Tardif Jewelry in Waterville, Maine I now have an account with Revolution in White River Junction Vermont. In all locations the hats are doing very well. They have also begun to move on Divella Delights, my website.

I love the way these hats frame the face. In this design the classic crochet Flapper Hat meets present day practicality while keeping the timeless feminine appeal from an era long past.

This new fashion forward design is pleasing to the touch, as soft as it is warm. I use a blend of fibers giving you a hat that is soft, warm and so comfortable you will forget you have it on.
One of my customers said this was the softest hat she has ever had. Please check the feedback/guestbook section to see all the wonderful things my customers have said over the past several years.
The matching scarf  you see on some of the designs have a 2-button closure and is hand knit from the same fibers.

I hope you'll stop by my website and take a look! They are going pretty fast but Iam always adding more one of a kind handmade crochet Flapper hats so check back often!

Buy Handmade!

You won’t find me shopping the Black Friday "sales", as I prefer to purchase from an artist or artisan and buy handmade. I am participating in Small Business Saturday however and I’ll be looking for handcrafted goods or service offered locally by small business. While the masses are out pushing, shoving, waiting in line only to be let down when the deals are not really that good, or what they wanted is gone, I am sitting here with my cup of coffee, sweet music playing, talking to you.
Remember to look for gift certificates for services in your community. Not limited to but including car repair, car wash, child care, housekeeping, providing meals, yard work, snow removal, haircuts (at small locally owned beauty shops/barbers) just keep it small, keep it local! If you plan to visit a coffee shop, try out one of the small, independently owned shops rather than one of the large chains.
A lot of folks tend to believe that if you buy handmade you are either paying way too much or not getting good quality while the opposite is actually true.
The sweetest thing about getting something handcrafted is it is almost always unique. For instance, if you buy a piece of jewelry or a hat from me I guarantee you that you will not see another one like it coming down the street towards you unless you purchased it as a gift. The same is true with most handcrafted goods.
Consider these points:
First and foremost you are supporting your economy, a small business, an entrepreneur, or a stay at home mom perhaps.
The quality you get when you buy handmade in most cases far exceeds the "made in China" goods you can buy at big box stores.
It is easier to shop handmade from home and there are a lot of artisans who offer free shipping and gift wrapping, like myself. No gas to waste, parking spaces to hunt for or lines to stand in. Use keywords like "handmade", "handcrafted", "artisan-created" or you can go to Etsy or, Artfire where they have a large community of wonderful creators. You do have to be careful of Etsy. When they first began everything had to be handmade, not so anymore but all you have to do is hit the "handmade button" and it will limit your search to handcrafted items…almost. I do suspect that some of the shops located in the East are mass produced as they will sometimes have a large quantity for sale or when you look in the "sold" section of their shop they have sold 150 of the EXACT same thing. Making 2 handmade identical-in-every-way items is extremely difficult; just keep that in mind.
You can use the "shop local" feature and discover artisans and crafters you never knew existed right in your own back yard!

I hope everyone will support independent artisan, crafters and small business this year and each year forward. Start small if you like. Commit to buying this way for 3 people on your list.
Have some fun, express your individuality and that of your recipient…shop outside the box!