Knitting and Crochet Blog Week - Day 2

Day Two (Tuesday April 23rd): A Mascot Project.
Your task today is to either think of or research a project that embodies that house/animal. It could be a knitting or crochet pattern – either of the animal itself or something that makes you think of the qualities of that house. Alternatively it could be a type or colour of yarn, or a single button. Whatever you choose, decide upon a project and blog about how and why it relates to your house/creature. You do not have to make this project! It is simply an exercise in blogging about how you come to decide upon what projects to make. Try and blog about the journey which inspiration and investigating patterns, yarns, stitches, (etc) can often guide you through. You may wish to make a collage or 'mood board' to present several ideas, or even sketch out your own design.

When I first read this, one design came to mind....mainly because of the colors....It's the Olana Shawl by Grace Akhrem.  I think it is a beautiful shawl....and it has some "busyiness" to it...with the stripes and then the texture/cables at the bottom that look a bit like honeycombs..especially in the yellow/grey version....I absolutely ADORE this shawl....and some day may actually make it....She also has a design called Bumble Stripes that is so obviously a bee-inspired design...

Now since I am mainly a crocheter, I also thought I would put a few Kathy Merrick designs in here too...She is my favorite crochet designer....many of her projects are done in motifs...she is most famous for the Babette Blanket.  Look at all those colors...and the motifs!  I do work motifs on occasion...but I prefer more solid pieces....I have made her Chain Lace Big Fat Scarf. It's probably my most favorite thing I have made and I wear it at least once a week...my version...

I have also made her Boteh Scarf

I made a version of her Rist Canyon Shawl....I didn't quite follow her design, but mine was inspired by hers...

 So even though I have made Kathy's (I feel like I can call her Kathy, as I have met her a couple of times and had a couple good conversations with her) more solid pieces, I believe her motif pieces really represent the bee....because with motifs, you are working on something new almost all the time. 

Blog about the journey which inspiration and investigating patterns, yarns, stitches, (etc) can often guide you through.  I'm pretty literal...when I see a pattern...usually it is the yarn that attracts me....and I will try to use the yarn called for in a pattern...even down to the color...I have ordered yarn because it was called for in the pattern....but at other times, it's the yarn...it tells me what it wants to be....I am drawn mostly to yarn first and then patterns....so I don't normally think about it a lot...I just pick up the pattern, get the yarn and start....although I do "wing" patterns quite often, but that is when I have an idea in mind and I use a picture for inspiration and then just create...my latest being my Spock Bear...

I just looked at a picture of Spock..and using what I know from my amigurami making, I just created him as I went....so not only do I have a lot of WIP's or WIM's (Works in Mind)...I am also pretty eclectic in project choice....How about you?