&Spring 2012 preview!

So sometime during the dark hours of winter I decided that I wanted to make a collection of accessories: like a "real" designer. For my inspiration I chose the album of Simon and Garfunkle's Concert in Central Park.

The first piece I made especially for the collection is a shawl I call Kodachrome.


(& yes, I REALLY need to get a real photographer to work with; my iphone shots are horrible!)

But Kodachrome is a half-granny square triangular shawl, done in various yarns in hues of black and white and grey. (As Paul Simon sings, everything looks better in black and white!) The yarns are all synthetics, so Kodachrome is appropriate for those with wool allergies, and is also vegan friendly. :D


The second piece, "American Tune", is also done -- and already sold, after a lengthy conversation on Facebook!



American Tune is still blocking -- on the awesome blocking board my even awesomer mom made for me --! I promise to take some better pictures before sending it off to its new home. It's a star-shaped shawl with eight points, done in a supersoft merino wool//silk//nylon blend with s bunch of silver sparkles. It's amazing. (Purchased ,
here, from bugsnugger on etsy!

Amazing yarn that worked up into a breathtaking shawl, and if anything was going to get sold before it even dried, it would be "American Tune" -- named for my favorite song on the album, incidentally.

Keep on the lookout for more pieces from my Spring 2012 collection! And yes: I do do comissions, so if you're interested in my making you something -- or you're interested in buying any of the pieces from the Spring collection I post -- please do comment or email me!

Cheers, V.

&Headbands!

The other night, a good friend of mine mentioned that he was challenged by barettes and wondered if I could make some headbands for his daughter. Could I?! Could I ever, I thought, and was brainstorming ideas as I worked on making her the most Obnoxiously Pink Sparkly Hat Ever.

When I got home, the first thing I did was go to ravelry.com and search for headband patterns. It's rare that I buy a pattern, but I fell in love with this join-as-you-go floral motif one. And, wonder of wonders, as I was working on it, I accidentally learnt the foundation single crochet technique that's been eluding me for years.


&so there's the finished project! I hope it fits her: it's cute, reminds me almost of a Hawa'iian lei, and that makes me smile. The yearn is Paton's Lace, which I have a love/hate relationship with.


I loved the project so much that I instantly had to make one for myself. Out of more of the lovely rainbow sequinned yarn I had. An edit I made to the original pattern was to crochet it flat and not round, and leave space at either end to make ties to adjust the size of it.



Modelled so lovely on my wig-head! You can only see part of it, though, so I did another picture of it flatly.




And then, using my oh-so-creative brain (haha!) I quickly determined that it could be also worn as a statement necklace.




And then, after sitting and thinking about the basic headband pattern, I decided I could create one of my own. I made a simple band (that I hope is big enough to fit!) and made it with ties at the end insteasd of one closed circle. That way, even if the band isn't big enough, I can make the ties longer quite easily, and if she grows out of it, I can make the ties bigger again. They stay tied pretty well, due to the clingy nature of the yarn. (More Paton's Lace, with little sequins this time!)

Then I went looking for a good heart motif, crocheted it, attached to headband, and tah-dah! A lovely valentines gift, if I do say so myself.




I have, as of yet, anyway, managed to resist the urge to make one of these for myself. Maybe if I had valentines day plans it would be a different story! In the meantime, I'm planning on more headbands for my favourite little girl once I see if these ones fit. I'm working two shawls: one in that infamous Paton's Lace and another in cobweb weight blue cashmere and a 2mm hook. (Said second shawl is on hold until I can get a 2mm hook set in an ergonomic handle! I need my wrists to function, thank you!)

&Introductions

This is going to be a short post, with just some introductions to the kind of work that I do. The pictures could be better; hopefully I can get some help making better ones soon.

I do a lot of shawls. Shawls are my favorite thing to make, probably because I like to wear them so much.



This is my favorite shawl pattern, blocking, and it's a pity you can't see how yummy the yarn is!

My most recent finished piece is a pair of handwarmers.



They were quick and easy to make, inspired by the fact that I discovered rainbow sequinned yarn at Hobby Lobby. Rainbow. Sequinned. Yarn. Just take a moment to let that sink in.

The pattern is fun and so is the finished project: my hands stay surprisingly warm, and I have a flair for the dramatic, so I think I can carry the look off!



(Yes, I do have a thumb, promise, it's just hidden!)

I've also been doing an addictive hat pattern, made with a stretchy band and then tons of bobbles. I made the prototype out of babyweight yarn the colors of superman ice-cream:



(Here I am, modelling it.)

I swear, I've gotten more compliments, comments, and requests for making people hats like this than anything else I've made since my first five point shawl!

...that's all for now. Peace, love, and art:
~Verity

Welcome!

Welcome, friends, to my art blog!

I'm S. Verity, a fiber artist working in beautiful Kent Ohio. I specialize in luxury, hand-crocheted, fashion accessories. Crochet is truly an art there are no machines created that can mimic the stitchwork and beauty that is formed by two hands, a strand of yarn, and a crochet hook.

It's important, then, to remember that everything commercially avaliable that's crocheted has been made by hand -- take a look at the price, look at the "made in XXXXX" label, and try to guess how much the workers got paid! Ouch. If you want ethical crocheted art, always buy from a fair-trade association, or from a local artist! :D

Currently, I am hard at work on the beginnings of my late winter/early spring collection. It will contain shawls, shrugs, at least one blanket, and perhaps some surprises along the way! The inspiration is the album from Simon and Garfunkel's Concert in Central Park. More on my new collection when I've figured it out!

Also soon to come: pictures of my past creations, more about me, and...fun, of course!

&hearts, Verity