Fiber Arts

Printmaking has been on hold for a bit now. Partly because I no longer have free and open access to the studio (since my class is over), and partly because the holidays are just busy. Also, partly because I've been spending time bonding with this guy:

Just because I haven't been printmaking, however, doesn't mean I haven't been using my creative juices. I've been turning, instead, to the fiber arts.

When I was 9, my grandmother taught me how to crochet. I started a rose-colored blanket with her that day that I never finished, but I've always had a bag of yarn lying around, with pieces of projects and scraps of leftovers. I love to make gifts for people -- scarves and hats and sweaters and such.

In the past year, I've really tried to expand my crochet repertoire, and move beyond your basic winter hat and scarf. I did this cardigan for my wedding a year ago (today!):

and I made this pretty sweet quilt last year out of yarn scraps.

Today, I was going through all of my yarn, and I have a ton of leftover from various projects. Trying to think of something quick and easy to make with the nubbins, I came up with these guys:

Now, I've recently become a coffee drinker. And I unashamedly like coffee with annoying flavors like blueberry (sorry, you coffee snobs, but it's just delicious). I asked for a couple travel mugs for Xmas, which my dear brother Sam provided, but it turns out that this metal one, which I quite enjoy, gets really freaking cold in the walking time between my car and the school during these chilly Vermont winters. (By the by, we've gotten 30 inches of snow in the past 24 hours. And likely will STILL have school tomorrow) So, when I hunkered down after Mass today, determined not to leave the house for the rest of the day, creating a few little coffee cozies with some of my scrap yarn seemed like a brilliant idea.

I envision swiping a few Starbucks/gas station cups in the near future to test the fit and size, but I think that they could be used on those cups, too. And heck, since I'm a granola Vermonter now, just think of the trees one would save if you didn't have those silly paper sleeves or (God forbid), the extra cup on the outside of the regular cup.

I'm going to tweak my methods a bit, but before long, look for these guys in the Etsy store!