Messier mandala is finished + Spring photos

Hello friends! It has been awhile since my last post. A mid-term lull at work, new crafting projects, my dog, and prime weather have helped lift a brief bout of blues. I'm happy to get back to blogging and share a finished work, plus a heap of photos from my springtime outings. After a slow…

Messier mandala WIP; craft studio visit

In my last post I mentioned a few things I’ve been working on that have been on the back burner for a very long time. One of these is a beaded mandala using Miyuki glass beads that I sourced in Japan last year. PHOTOS: Early days of the Messier mandala, using Scheepjes Catona yarn and…

Mini check-in: weekend WIPs

This weekend, I’m working on several things at once (surprise, surprise), including a couple of fairly simple pattern repeats with very different yarns. The first is a stole that’s about 2/3 finished, using delicious (but sadly, discontinued) Berocco Mykonos yarn and a 3.75mm hook. The yarn is a luminous mix of linen, nylon, and cotton…

Weekender poncho

Just a quick update; we are home from a fabulous Andong trip and I'm ready to share a roomy poncho from a pattern by Crystal Bear Designs. This poncho is constructed from mitred squares and features an oversized cowl neck and dedicated sleeve openings. It’s huge! I may not wear it much until next winter,…

Andong and Hahoe Folk Village

Today is our last day in Andong, and so far it’s been lovely. Situated in east-central South Korea, the city of Andong is in the province of North Gyeongsang (Gyeongsangbuk-do/경상북도), at the geographic and cultural heart of the country. Andong Overview Andong downtown https://youtube.com/shorts/s08qXXfmnXk?feature=share VIDEO: Our train chugs along through Gyeongsangbuk-do's farmland, on the way…

Cosmos flower cushion pattern; on our way to Andong

I am so excited to announce my first crochet pattern for the Cosmos flower cushion is now available on Ravelry and Etsy. It's an easy, customizable pattern that uses one skein of DK yarn for the main flower. Examples shown use Lion Brand Mandala Sparkle (in Nova; see skein above) and Stylecraft DK (purple/white), but…

Due for another road trip (Bloganuary)

Daily writing promptThink back on your most memorable road trip.View all responses Finally, an interesting prompt. There are too many trips to go into detail about here. I adore road-tripping, and have done so many. The top three road trips that come to mind: My very first road trip was cross-country (USA) with my parents and…

New alpaca scarf; Past or future (Bloganuary)

Daily writing promptDo you spend more time thinking about the future or the past? Why?View all responses Yesterday I wrote a bit about food nostalgia, so this WP prompt is somewhat related. I think much more about the past than the future. One reason is I likely have many more years behind me than I have…

Korean oysters; what makes me nostalgic? (Bloganuary)

It's now peak season for oysters in South Korea. I just had a passel of live ones delivered to me at the crack of dawn today. They were on ice outside my door, and I kept them there until I was ready to start shucking (it's below-zero weather these days, so outdoors is like a…

Cosmos flower cushion

I'm back to crafting more now that my winter break has begun. One of my winter goals is to create three original crochet patterns, each with different elements that help me practice making them polished. My first one is the Cosmos flower cushion. I just finished a prototype using a gradient yarn cake, and I've almost…