Victorian Frippery ~ and Holiday Crafting

Knitting and making a project that is truly your own is largely a factor of picking colors and texture that best compliment you.  But don't overlook how much the color and texture contribute to expressing the style of your project.  For example, I wanted this Sand and Sea Shawlette to be a sophisticated accessory piece for my wardrobe so I chose a mass produced yarn with a silk component to give it a sophisticated finish and combined it with colors that remind me of Victorian times.  The result is "Victorian frippery" which simply means that it's not knit for utility so much as for adding style.

Southern California, where I live, is having one of the warmest Falls in recorded history and so this holiday season I wanted to keep my style simple and yet still feel I've dressed up.  This shawlette is just the ticket for me because old England and the Victorian era way of celebrating the holidays really resonates with me.   Of course in Victorian times I likely would have been a peasant and not enjoying myself all that much but I don't dwell on that.

Particulars:  Sand and Sea Shawlette designed by Never Not Knitting (Alana Dakos) from her Coastal Knits pattern book; 2 skeins Shibui Knits (Staccato) in the velvet colorway; 1 skein Koigu Premium Merino (KPM); US 6 circular needles; finished dimensions: 60" x 12".   Other designs I've knit by this designer are her Autumn Vines Beret and Oak Grove Mitts.  I made no modifications whatsoever ~ this is an easy knit and great piece.  The only trick is when picking up your stitches (using wrap and turn technique) make sure you use the correct technique to avoid leaving a hole in the fabric (the prior link is to a tutorial to help you do so).

Holiday Crafting with Paper Mache ~

I'm no Picasso but nonetheless I had fun painting this old world style Christmas Santa.  I purchased the paper mache form a vendor who sells unfinished (as well as finished) pieces and what I really like is that she uses chocolate molds and so her Santas remind me of candy shops and the pretty foiled chocolates they sell at the holidays.

Particulars:  Paper Mache form purchased from Linda Hill's Etsy Shop; prepared with a coat of Gesso surface prep (which sealed the paper mache and made it easier to see the design); painted with acrylic paint; and embellished with German Glass Glitter (purchased from Meyer imports) which I adhered using mod podge.  I also made the wreath pictured below using a wire form and evergreen cuttings, milk pods; holly; and moss.  The star ornament is the only non-natural addition.  To keep the wreath fresh I remove the star ornament and milk pods and soak it in a basin of water overnight.

Until next time be well and love well and since we will be away through the New Year I would like to wish everyone a joyous and meaningful holiday season ~ from all of us at Mr. Puffy's Knitting blog ~