Monday, February 8, 2010

Genesis of a New Direction

First experiment in crocheted silk, incorporating Millefiori (1000 flowers) glass. I must admit, I had Mardi Gras or Carnival on my mind when working on this.

I started going for length right from the beginning--kind of like earlier long bracelets and necklaces on knotted leather--made to wrap and wear different ways.

Pretty simple, but the point is, you just have to start somewhere in exploring, then developing a whole new idea! And I've already taken this two different directions--a bit more complex--to be shared when they are photo ready!

It's been wonderful to be busy filling orders, finishing some special orders and in between, in bits and bobs, inching towards some new ideas.

I can always tell I'm starting to get the itch for Spring when I become obsessed with crocheting. I can hear you all going, "Huh? What are you talking about?" Well, only readers who were around my blog last year, about March, will probably recall the reminiscing I did about the technique of crochet, how it had factored into my girlhood. Some photos of that series are here, but I don't think any of these are even in my Etsy or Artfire shops right now. But that's all OK, there's a whole new crochet series now in progress.....

Last year, my material was waxed linen and this year, it's extra fine silk fiber. Silk threads, actually, that are spun primarily for use in jewelry fabrication. Last year, I was really interested in working towards shapes that had a lot of body, that held their own shapes in a sculptural way. This year, I'm enchanted with how soft silk is, and how beautiful it drapes. Now my main challenge is, the fiber is pretty small, and needs to be smallish in order to thread through the beads....but crocheting with it is pretty challenging. It's fine and needs a small needle, it's slippery and takes some practice keeping the tension right.

But oooohhh, the drape of it, and the possibilities! It's so incredibly strong yet looks so delicate. I didn't have many colors on hand, but did some research over the weekend and tracked down some pretty nice colors. Couple this with my sudden urge to use some brighter colors in glass, pearls and stones, and this is a few of the qualities I'm bringing to my next series of new crocheted neck pieces--that double as multi-wrap bracelets. I'm only sharing one of the first experiments here...but watch for more development in this direction shortly!!

8 comments:

kandi-o designs said...

Luv It! : )

Anonymous said...

Mardi Gras was the first thing I thought when I saw this...so I guess you are on the right track if they evince the same reaction from others as you felt...

Campbell Jane said...

Absolutely LOVE this!! Awesome! So much fun!

Ann said...

Very colorful. So bright and festive.

Cher Duncombe said...

Purrrfect for Mardis Gras! Lovely for any season. Your creative powers never cease to amaze me.

Amy Lilley Designs said...

VERY Mardis Gras indeed...and so happy right now for New Orleans!!!...Karen, check out this new site, when you get a chance...you can list your shop, blog, twitter, etc...

http://handmadespark.com/

a la, the wonder boy, Tim Adam.

Rick (Ratty) said...

I don't usually appreciate jewelry, but I like what you have in the pictures. There's just something about those colors that I like.

Anonymous said...

They're gorgeous! It's so fun to find a new direction to follow when creating. As a fiber artist myself I can appreciate the length of time (and finger cramping) that those are sure to take. I can't wait to peek into your shop!

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