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!

Upcoming Changes

Hi Everyone!


I am certainly enjoying the extended Fall season

we are having here in the Northeast!

There are some upcoming changes to coming to

Divella Delights.

At the end of December I will stop selling the

beading patterns and tutorials.



It has come to my attention that my patterns are being stolen so I will have to make up the bracelet and photograph it made up. This means there will only be a very few that I continue to sell until I get them made into bracelets.



Meanwhile I have

listed them at 50% off so if you have been wanting

to learn how to bead those luscious peyote stitch

bracelets, now is the time! They are delivered via

e-mail so you get them right away. They come in 2

formats: the pattern for those who are familiar

with peyote stitch patterns and also bead by bead,

row by row with all the Delica bead colors listed

for you by number. I also have extra large formats

for those with eyesight like mine! They are so

soft and supple, almost like a fabric when they

are made. Give it a try!

The crochet flapper hats continue to be a success

this year but I am changing the design for next

year. My yarn cost went up 30%, which I think is

outrageous, so I am trying to come up with a

pattern just as beautiful with different materials

so I can keep the price the same. I would also

like to keep that super soft, wonderful feel that

my customers seem to love. I use mostly fibers

made here in the USA, as well as a few from Europe

and am struggling to maintain that.

If you have not checked out my latest hats, stop

by and take a peek! If you are in The White River

Junction area you can stop and see them at

Revolution, the latest shop to add my designs!

I wish you all a very happy holiday season, tasty

turkey dinners and dreams realized!



Warm Regards,

Dianne

Great gifts for kids under $25.00

While shopping around for great gifts for kids under $25.00 I stumbled across Funny Farm Toy Barn and was instantly taken back to my younger days. The toys were simple then and they lasted forever!
Here are a couple items from their shop which are all handmade and completely natural. Most of them are made from wood and wool they glean from their 50-acre farm right here in the USA so they are made in America.


Buy handmade and support American artisans this year and always!

Holiday Handmade Gifts Under Twenty Dollars

This time of year with the high cost of heating your home it is especially nice to be able to shop for gifts that don’t break the bank but are still a pleasure to give. Handmade gifts, even if the gift giver does not make them with their own hand are also more pleasing to receive than something bought in a big-box store. It is comparable to shopping at a hometown boutique as opposed to fighting the crowds at Wal-Mart. As an added bonus you can feel good knowing that you are supporting an independent artisan.

Another advantage to buying directly from the artisan is that the quality is usually much better. We care what our customers think and we want them to come back to us again and again. If something does happen you have someplace (besides China) to go to get your situation resolved.
Think outside the box this year! If you can’t think of a "thing", how about offering your services to that single parent friend of yours for a few hours of babysitting or for the elderly woman next door a few hours of lawn care, snow removal, or cleaning? If you can’t do those things yourself, find a teenager in the neighborhood and pay them to do it! You can make up gift certificates on your home computer. While a lot of people think these things are trivial they mean so much to those who receive them, much more so than that box of chocolates.
That brings me to another idea of gift giving that has seemed to die out. Bake some cookies, make fudge! One of the most cherished memories I have is one year when all my kids were actually able to be together for the Holidays and we baked cookies, biscotti, made fudge. We had a great time with lots of laughs and made a huge mess that we were happy to clean up. This year those same kids are spread out through all corners of the earth, literally.
Kids can get in on this too. They are fabulous at coming up with amazingly appropriate gifts that they have made themselves out of very little.
There are many of us in the designer and crafting world that sell our wares as a hobby, but most of us are trying to support themselves and their families by marketing their goods and/or services. This year why not make a pledge with your family and friends to have a handmade Holiday gift-giving season? If you can’t make it yourself, buy handmade!
There is an idea many people have that buying handmade has to be expensive and that is simply not true. Look at my shop. There are many items that you can give your friend, sister, mother, daughter, aunt, etc…that will cost you under $20.00. Of course if you want to spend more, feel free! Really though, all kidding aside if you look around you will find fabulous gifts appropriate for every member of your family that had the caring, loving touch of an artisan that won’t wreck your holiday budget. It can even be a family outing. Go to your local craft fairs this year. It’s not just a bake sale and granny square afghan kind of affair anymore (although I do love those!). You’ll be amazed at how much talent lives in your area and you’ll probable see someone you know that does beautiful work you have never seen.
In closing, whether you pick out an "Oh I love it, love it love it" gift from Divella Delights or another artisan or crafter, try to buy handmade this year and support a starving artist!
Have a great Holiday!

Design of the Week

Hello!

Some of you may have noticed that I have a new Categiry in my shop at Divella Delights, "Design of the Week".
There will be a new design each week. It might be jewelry, a hat, bag or anything else in my shop that is 40% off and of course shipping is always free in the US. There will be only one (excpet in the case of beading patterns) and it is first come, only served.
I offer shipping internationally but you'll need to contact me for rates at info@divelladelights.com
This week it is the Kathryn Cap in Autumn shades at only $17.40!

What a great brain cage for leaf peeping, you'll blend right in!

New Fall Jewelry Designs

I love this time of year and I find it much easier to design jewelry with the colors inspired by the season of Autumn.

Fall brings with it the end of those dog days of Summer and ushers in a gentle reminder that Winter is approaching. It is the time of year for fresh warm apple pie and hot cider, cozy sweaters and warm colors. It is once again time to pull out the crock pot for delicious homemade soups and stews and heat up the oven for fresh biscuits. We can justify putting a few logs in the hearth to chase away the early morning chill.
It also means football is finally back and in our house that is serious business!
The best part as a jewelry and hat designer is the fabulous Fall palette I can delve into for my designs. I could never decide if it was the fibers or the gems that give me the most joy, I enjoy both immensely.
You can see some of my Fall flavors above but there are many more to choose from.
I will leave you now and go give the Split Pea Soup a stir and get those biscuits in the oven.

Enjoy your stay here and when you leave don't be gone too long because I am shopping for yarn this weekend so I should have some lovely hats for you to look at soon!

Pele Goddess of Fire

Although I am selling this pattern on my website I thought I would let you know how I attached the cabochon on this piece as I did not do it as I normally would have. Usually I would attach the cabochon to a piece of suede cloth and bead around it then attach it to the piece. This time I completed the bracelet piece, then used E6000 adhesive to attach the cab to the bracelet, clamped it and left it for several hours. After that I worked a bead embroidery technique to go around the face and then worked circular peyote stitch from the base.
I attached my Fireline securely and picked up 4 beads keeping with the color on the base. I went through he bracelet, through a couple of beads then back up and through the last 2 beads, added 4 more bead and repeated. I continued this around then worked the circular peyote. It is a basic bead embroidery stitch so if you are unfamiliar with it do a search for “bead embroidery tutorials”, there are hundreds out there free!

Extra Extra...Read all about it!

Extra, Extra Read all about it!

This Newsboy Hat Pattern was fashioned after those boys (and I am sure sometimes girls) in the 1920’s and 1930’s. I have given mine a tiny bit of a feminine twist, using 2 strands of yarn and choosing colors other than brown. On the model I have used 1 strand of Homespun and 1 strand of 100% wool worsted weight.

I have the Pattern as well as the finsihed hat on my website. As with all my patterns once I have sold 50 they are retired so get yours now!

Jersey Girl or Newsboy?

I have heard this hat referred to as the Newsboy style and then my son told me it is called the Jersey Girl.

Whatever it is called, it is my own take on the popular brimmed hat crochet style and I call it the Kathryn Cap.

I named it the Kathryn Cap because it reminds me of one of my nieces. Kathryn is a very talented gal, a bit sassy and quite an athlete so no flowers and flourishes for this design!

Like most of my other hats it is worked with 2 strands of yarn with a variety of fibers. After the basic hat is completed I attach some embellishments for a little more attitude.

Hope you like it!

New Bracelet Designs

I love learning new techniques and when I figured this one out I enjoyed it so much I thought I would do a new series of bracelets for the Fall line up!

The top one in the photo was my first attempt with Swarovski pearls and larger beads. The 2 lower pieces are with smaller beads and gemstones which I like much better.
What do you think?! Should I put clasps on them or make them bangles that you can roll on?
Here are a couple I have made with clasps and I am working on the Bangle now.

New and Old Hat Designs for Winter 2011-2012

I am having so much fun looking ahead to Winter this year. I have come out with 2 new designs for winter hats so far and am planning a couple more which should be rolling out soon.
Featured here are the Julia Cloche and the Allie Cloche. Both are my granddaughters but they very different in style. Allie is more the tomboy and does not like all the frills and flowers of my previous designs so I made a cloche style that is still a touch feminine but without all the pomposity.

Julia is a bit more girlie but still quite down to earth so her cloche is a little casual in appearance but with a decidedly more feminine flair.

Naturally because they have been so successful I still have my Diva Hat and my Ella Cloche also both named after granddaughters.
Ella is a bit feisty but very chic and classy.This series is hand knit with 100% wool then felted. The embellishments are made and attached to the hat after it is dry. Wear this hat when you want clean lines and a sophisticated look.                                                                                 
Diva is my little Diva Darlin’ and unlike the image her name would invoke, she is a very sweet, gentle girl who is very loving and affectionate. Like her mother, she cares deeply for others making her quite compassionate. I have been making this design using a blend of wool and acrylic for several years and have sold hundreds with as many very happy customers.

I still have some of the fabulous 100% wool Flapper hats

and a few of the Flapped Flapper Hats as well.

Make sure to check the Drastic Reduction section for some special deals on some of last year’s hats.

Drastic Reduction Sale

It is time to make room in my jewelry safe for some new designs so I am having a drastic reduction on pieces made in 2010. Every couple of days I will add more pieces as time allows at a drastic 70% discount. On most of these pieces I am taking a loss but I really need the room! Check in with Divella Delights if you have a favorite piece…you never know

Call to Artists

Because I love to buy handmade regardless of what I am buying I have decided to have some fun and feature a different handcrafted item and the artisan who created it 3 times week. You will find all sorts of things here, fine arts, fiber arts, artisan created jewelry, pottery, clothing and the list goes on.

My goal is too help other designers and artists promote their work. Let's make the handcrafted market explode together by supporting those who through their creative vision bring beauty into our world.
The artisan will be submitting photos, description of the piece, price, a short Bio and a link to where you can find them on the Internet!
Check back next week for the first one…who will it be?
Are you interested in being featured? Send the above info to info@divelladelights.com






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Moving Sale!

I am moving to Vermont and I don’t want to take the hats!


I have a variety of colors, styles and materials available at 50% off.

Stock up now for fall/winter or get a jump on your birthday or Christmas gifts for later this year! I have sold hundreds of these hats both wholesale and retail. Come check them out. I also have a selection of felted bags.
Sorry, no more special orders until these are gone!

Summer Garden Necklace

Summer in Maine has arrived at long last! The sun is shining and the flowers are in bloom giving me just the inspiration I needed to create this piece.


For this necklace I used vintage and contemporary Lucite flowers, beautiful rich genuine pearls in 3 colors, filigree bead caps, large pieces of high quality Rose Quartz and vintage Lucite leaves. The clasp is by Swarovski and the entire piece measures 18.5 inches but can be made smaller with a sterling lobster claw clasp.

Both the base and the garden were woven by hand by yours truly. The leaves are made with seed beads, also each woven with care.

This is a wonderful summer piece of wearable art and as I do only one you will be the only one at the party wearing this beaded Summer Garden necklace.
Available at Divella Delights

Winter Frost and The Last Rose of Summer

If you take a peek at the June 2011 issue of Bead and Button magazine you will find my necklace Winter Frost on page 17. After that came out I began receiving requests for the tutorial which; of course I had not made while I was creating the piece. I decided to do another using the same technique but change things up. The new one, my statement piece of 2011 is The Last Rose of Summer. While I was working on that piece I did create the tutorial which is now for sale on my website.

This magnificent piece was created with a large Hill Tribe fine silver rose as the centerpiece. Along the lower neck Argentium Silver, gold and garnets are interlaced placing the Last Rose of Summer in a breathtaking resplendent garden just before the gold, silver and cranberry garnets come to rest comfortably on your neck. The clasp is a Bali Silver toggle making it very easy to put on and take off yet keeps your treasure safe and secure.

Creating this necklace in gold and silver makes this necklace very versatile. An astounding and striking woven necklace to add to your collection of designer jewelry.

Home for Orphans

I have had so many wonderful comments on my free form peyote bracelets, which I have not made in quite a while but rest assured fans, more will be coming soon.




I often buy "Orphan Beads" from Amanda at Rufus and Roxy who makes stunning lampwork beads. She will occasionally have a sale on a group of beads that do not go together so I buy them. This allows me to buy more lampwork (I love that part) and make a piece of original jewelry that always gets rave reviews!



If you have some beads laying around that need a home other than that tray you have them in, why not give them a home they can boast about? If you don't have any orphans of your own check out Amanda and adopt some!



Freeform peyote is so much fun and because you can use beads of any size and shape it is a great way to de-stash! With no set pattern, just a few simple rules you can make a one of a kind piece of wearable art. Give it a try. If you need some help getting started, just let me know.

Here are a few I have made in the past.