Crocodile Stitch Statement Necklace

I have been seeing this crocodile crochet stitch everywhere! I love the way that it looks, it reminds me of dragon scales (other people say fish scales or flower petals, but that's not nearly as much fun as dragon scales). One of my favourite occurences of this stitch is in Dainty Loops Etsy shop- she makes necklaces like this one that are smaller and more delicate and absolutely stunning. I've been wanting to try making my own for a long while. Mine turned out bigger (statement sized) because I used size 4 worsted weight yarn- not exactly your most chic and delicate kind, rather closer to the opposite. But it was what I had lying around, and this morning I decided it was time to learn this stitch. So a few mock ups, rip-aparts, grumbles and adaptations later, I had this chunky and delightful new piece to wear.

I'd love to share the pattern, but...
a) I don't know how to explain exactly what I did,
b) It is practically impossible to find written out instructions for this stitch online, and
c) I don't want to step on Dainty Loops toes.

So here's what I do have for you.

If you want a necklace like this of your own, please visit Dainty Loops Etsy shop here: Dainty Loops on Etsy where you'll find tons of different colours and other amazing crocheted wonders.

If you want to try this stitch out for yourself and play with it, these were the resources that I used:
- Teresa's video on her Art of Crochet blog
- Jennifer's Crocodile Stitch 2 part video on YouTube: Part 1 and Part 2

I'd love to hear about your experiences trying it out, or even if you just love things created with this stitch :)

*Maria

Crochet Rainbow Fingerless Gloves - Free Pattern

Last night I decided that it was time for another pair of fingerless gloves, or armwarmers, or gauntlets... Every now and then you have to make something just for you- it's kind of like an insurance policy against losing interest in your favourite crafts. If I'm constantly making things for other people it can start to feel like only work, and the last thing a creative entrepreneur needs is to get sick of the things you want to make for a living. You also need to try stuff out to see if it might become a new item in your shop :)

I've always had issues with fingerless gloves- I have very small wrists so sometimes things that I buy are too big, and things that I make for myself are too small for others. These fingerless gloves measure about 8" in circumference at their narrowest point around the wrist. If you follow this free pattern look for the stars that mark the places where I decrease to get this wrist size. You may choose to include the decrease or not- the nice thing about this pattern is that it's pretty intuitive, and you can try these on as you're creating them and alter them as you think you need to. The decreases occur around the thumb as it connects to the wrist. There is also a portion of the pattern that includes increases as your arm gets wider. Again, these can be included or not- just judge based on how the glove fits you as you proceed.

Alright! Here we go!

Striped (Rainbow) Fingerless Gloves

Supplies:
-at least 2 balls (contrasting colours) of size 4 medium worsted weight yarn (I've used Lion Brand Vanna's Choice in 6 colours, 3.5 oz (100 g), 170 yards (156 m) )
-size I (size 9 or 5.5mm) crochet hook
-scissors
-darning needle

*Colour change tip: When I change colours, I yarn over with both threads and complete the stitch with only the new thread. Holding on to the old colour and the tail of the new colour, crochet underneath those two threads and complete the stitch above those two colours. This way, the yarn gets woven into the back of the stitch and saves you from having to weave in the ends when you are finished the glove.

Ch 26, join with slst to first ch.
Round 1: Ch 1, sc 26. Add marker if you like to see precisely where the round begins/ends, because you will now work in the round (no more slst to the beginning of the round, you'll just continue with sc)
Round 2: Sc 26.
Round 3-5: Repeat round 2.
Round 6: Sc in next 2 sts, ch 7, skip 2 sts and sc in 3rd and every st until end of round.
Round 7-8: Sc

Round 9: Change colour, sc in back loop only for whole round.
Round 10: Sc
Round 11: Sc2tog twice*, sc in next 6 sts, sc2tog twice*, sc rest of round.
Round 12: Sc
Round 13: Sc2tog twice*, sc in next 3 sts, sc2tog twice*, sc rest of round.
Round 14: Sc
Round 15: Sc2tog twice*, sc rest of round
Round 16: Sc

Round 17: Change colour, sc in back loop only for whole round.
Round 18-23: Sc
Round 24: (Sc in next 5 sts, 2sc in next st*) repeat to end of round.
Round 25: Sc

Round 26: Change colour, sc in back loop only or whole round.
Round 27: Sc
Round 28: (Sc 7, 2sc in next st*) repeat once, then sc to end of round.
Round 29-33: Sc

Round 34: Change colour, sc in back loop only for whole round.
Round 35-40: Sc

Round 41: Change colour, sc in back loop only for whole round.
Round 42-47: Sc

You can make the last colour longer if you like, but these ones reach about a half inch below my elbow, and I have long arms. If you try out this pattern I'd love to hear how it goes! Please let me know if you share it, or leave a link if you blog about a pair you tried out! If it works out nicely for you and you want to sell them, please credit my blog with the pattern.

Happy crafting!

*Maria

Black Friday Fantastageddon

Black Friday.

This was a term that never really had that much impact on me. I'm Canadian, and I'm not a big shopper, and it's taken a while for the events of this calendar date to trickle into Canadian retail. Before this week, "Black Friday" was just another day, except it usually had higher casualty rates for shoppers who found they couldn't keep their footing amidst human stampedes at the entrances to stores with mega sales on limited products ("But my kid NEEDS a Tickle-Me-Elmo!!!"). And so I find myself in an unusual place, because now I'm a little retailer, and of course I'd like people to spend the money that's burning a hole in their pocket on my products, but I don't promote senseless consumption. We are a collection of people who don't really need more "stuff"- we've got plenty of that filling our homes, storage units, garages, and garbages. So my perspective on Black Friday (and Cyber Monday) is that it's an opportunity for sellers to offer lower prices and increase their sales, and an opportunity for buyers to find meaningful products at prices that let their dollars go further.

 Cotton Candy Brooches - Currently only available at craft shows. Inquire if interested and outside of the Guelph area ;)

I put a lot of thought and effort into the design of my jewelry and accessories so that whoever wears it is doing so for a reason that is hopefully related to the intrinsic meaning behind the product. Each piece that I sell is handmade by my 8 fingers and 2 thumbs, and there is an added level of authenticity that goes into a handmade item that you can never get from a mass produced product. So on this shopping weekend that launches the holiday shopping season, I encourage you to spend your dollars wisely. When someone hands me a ten dollar bill in exchange for a pair of earrings or a cotton candy brooch, I am thrilled to know someone loved my product and to see exactly where my work is going, and my customer can see it on my face and hear it in my voice. Does Apple smile at you and shake your hand when you drop $200 - $300 on an iPhone?  You work hard for each dollar that you earn, you should spend it where you know that each dollar you pay is equally appreciated and deserved.

P.S. YES there IS a Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale and promotion going on in the February Jones etsy shop! Kaleidescope Necklaces, select Quantum Squiggle Earrings and Quantum Teardrop Earrings are all on sale. PLUS if you purchase 2 or more items I will send you a FREE pair of Quantum Rosette Earrings in the colour of your choice (include colour choice in your notes to seller when you purchase, otherwise you will get a random colour). Visit the Etsy shop to browse!

Sample of some of available colours for the Quantum Rosettes

Happy Shopping!

*M

Handmade Halloween

I grew up with a house rule during the Hallowe'en season,

"If you're trick-or-treating you should earn it by making your costume." 

That made Hallowe'en an event that required planning, and sometimes, hard work. Pulling on the soccer uniform that I'd worn once a week that past summer wouldn't cut it in my household, and the handmade Hallowe'en philosophy has stuck with me.

Tonight my fiance Jim and I took his daughter out trick-or-treating, and we planned her costume the week before- she was going to be a Zombie Bride. We hit up our local Value Village and picked out a satin-ish ivory coloured nightslip and matching cozy sweater to wear underneath as Abby's bridal gown, chose a bouquet of flowers, and found some creepy armwarmers (the only "new and packaged" item that we purchased). We used cotton webbing for the spiderwebs, and made a tiara with wire, a rubber bat, and some plastic flies (also made matching bat earrings). After a little bit of rolling in the dirt, messing up the hair, and makeup application, I had one scary looking Zombie Bride trick-or-treater.

Abigail, age 10 as a Zombie Bride 

Abby got lots of compliments at the doors for her costume, and many fulfilling reactions from the people who came to see. It was wonderful to see the obvious delight that she derived from this experience. It wasn't the obtaining of candy that was the fun part for her, it was showing people (strangers and family alike) something home-made, something that she and I had worked on, and having them react in an emotional and positive way that was her entertainment this evening.

Abby and I in front of our apartment door on our way out... I'm a Foxy Zombie ;)

It was so rewarding for me as a parent to provide for her an environment that encourages this kind of positive reinforcement for doing something for yourself. 

I encourage you all to make home-made or handmade a normal and treasured part of all your holiday seasons, not just Hallowe'en. You have lots of time to plan a new tradition for Christmas :) Hop to it!

*Maria

A Maker of Things

As a Maker of Things, I have come to appreciate everything that goes into small-scale production. And by “small-scale” I mean as small as an army of one. The World of Handmade is a vast and wonderful place where hard-working, committed, creative people are manifesting their dreams with their own two hands. In a world as interrelated as ours is showing itself to be, that is worth so much more than the carbon copies or artificial self-differentiators that are rampant in today’s marketplace. 

 One of a Kind (OOAK) Custom Betty and Veronica Bubble Danglers

Click here to view more photos of this sold item in the February Jones Etsy shop

Two years ago when my fiancee and I made the decision to cut cable tv out of our daily lives, I thought I would finally see the end of my life's constant commercial bombardment. I was excited to live in a world where I wouldn't have to experience the constant tumult of brands being shoved down my throat that promised to make me a unique individual if I purchased them along with the rest of millions of other people who were purchasing the same thing. So many products are espousing benefits that are supposed to add to your self-definition or allow you to "express yourself". But how can these products effectively do that when the exact same thing is also in the hands of many other people? In any case, cutting our cable did not bring an end to corporate sponsors entering our home, but at least it modified the frequency. Lessening the presence of corporate culture in my life has allowed me to appreciate the real value of handmade goods that much more.

Once upon a time the marketplace was the center of the city where everyone gathered to exchange their skills and handmade products for things that they needed but could not make or services they required but could not perform. Money, or a medium of exchanged allowed people to trade their wares and skills for credit that allowed them obtain those things and services they required. It was simply easier than searching for what is called a "double coincidence of wants" in which you exchange something you have with another person who has something you want. Money didn't have any value in isolation. Classical economic models apply to this market system, not a global market. With all of the economic fluctuations that have been occuring in recent years, it has come to light that economic predictions simply are not panning out. No one wants to say that the "market" these predictions are trying to forecast is simply to large. No one wants to say that a global marketplace might be a bad thing. Bigger is better, right? But the planet has been trying to tell us that this isn't the case, and it's time that we listened. Why put so many of your hard-earned dollars towards expensive items when you are clearly paying so much for the brand power? Companies that have the money to pay for a prime-time commercial slot during the Superbowl pass the expense on to you, the consumer, through their high price tags. You pay for the name, not necessarily the product.

 

Comparison of designer label Tiffany & Co. vs handcrafted couture label Ghost Love

Be proud of the things that you can do for yourself, and be proud to own something that you know came from the hardworking hands of another person just like you. Take an interest in learning a new skill. Fall back on the ways of living throughout human history that brought people together and built up communities. Don't be afraid to become A Maker of Things, and challenge yourself to learn about the amazing things that people in your very own community can do.

Visit Etsy and use the Shop Local option (clicking on the link will automatically load Guelph shops, but you can enter your own location), and keep an eye on your community listings for different artisan events. Visit your local Farmer's Market (listings for Ontario, Canada) to get an idea of all the great things that you can find close to home made by hands that you probably know through six degrees of seperation or less ;)

Enjoy your browsing, I hope you'll be both amazed and inspired.

*Maria