On the Meaning of Independence

Voie de Vie designs from the multi-designer curated Women & Water 

summer collection, clockwise from top left: Stars Align bracelet, So Much 

Shine necklace, It's About Time Watches, Lake Ontario Shimmer, and When 

Coco Met Elsa bags, all available for purchase (along with over 60 other 

original designs), in my Ravelry pattern store.

As everyone here in the U.S. prepares for various July 4^th events, I thought it appropriate to take stock of what independence actually means to me.

There is no doubt to anyone who reads this blog regularly that independence is one of my running themes. I have, also, marked past Independence days in 2012, 2013, 2014, and just briefly in 2016. It is, nevertheless, difficult to pin down with any specificity how to define independence. I am an indie designer who also designs for third party publications when the design spirit moves me and those publishers smile favorably. I have my own small independent creative business, yet throughout this time I have held a day job. So is this independence, or just following many masters?

While I definitely would like to cut down on the masters, I have never had any illusion that my small creative business would ever be my sole means of income, so the multiple people to whom I must answer was pretty much a foregone conclusion. No, what independence means to me is an evolving ethos in my creative business - only working on those designs and projects that truly move me. As a result, you will note all the jewelry and bag designs above (and there is still one more design I am so close, albeit late, to finishing for the collection). I genuinely love both, even though they are not usually the cash cows that most shawls and cowl designs tend to be. I have things in the pipeline for later in the year (both from me and from third party publishers) that truly mean something to me - either the subject matter, or the concept, or the design. I cannot know whether or not they will be popular, but each of them will exercise my own flavor of independence. 

As a certain portion of the world has already or will mark an independence holiday this month, I hope each of you find your own independence sweet spot. 

Oh, and don't forget to include all the tasty food.

Our Happiness Make A-long 2017 Update

My four Progress, Hope, and Happiness designs:
 Jewels of the Najads, Stars Fell on Yellowstone Cowl,
A Force for Good Capelet, and Stone's Clutch. All of
them are available, along with all of my other single
patterns, for purchase during today's Solstice Flash sale.

Well, everyone, we are about half way through our Ravelry-hosted make a-long (MAL if you're into acronyms), and makers are working on and through the 14 designs in the collection. We celebrated Worldwide Knit in Public Day with some awesome photos and a little yarny give-away, and now we are at the height of summer - the solstice! If you haven't yet checked out our make a-long group, now would be a great time, as we are having all kinds of fun over there for the next 24 hours. Really. I won't spill all the beans, but the fun includes a huge flash sale for most of the 10 designers!!!! If you want some quick summer makes plus are into saving your precious cash, check the group out, hit the bundle with all of the participating designs, and link to each of the designers' individual Ravelry stores and get while the getting is good!

I am working on, or have completed, several of the designs and I am enjoying each making experience. I completed a quick Jewels of the Najads bracelet for my summer fun swap package recipient (and have heard from her that she likes it very much); I am almost done with a winter version of Stars Fell on Yellowstone Cowl (photo of which, just prior to starting the edging, you can see to the left); on Worldwide Knit in Public Day I started a mohair version of a Lilith Stole for myself, and I will be working on a few other things before this along is over and done. I have no idea if I will get everything completed prior to the deadline, but since two items are model thank-you's, I am hoping to speed through their projects in record time (at least record time for moi).

Makers from all over (U.S., Canada, Australia, and Germany, at minimum) are working on multiple projects. I hope you will join us and make some summer happiness for yourself!

Fait à la Main: Day 2

Hello - I hope everyone is recovering nicely from giftmas; here at chez Voie de Vie it's day two of design introductions from my latest collection.

As you can see, it's all about the jewelry today - specifically, the Brabant Cuff. Named for both the historical lace technique (related to Bruges lace) as well as the Belgian Duchess (who is currently 14 years old and the next successor to the Belgian throne), this is worked in the awesome NFC Chromium. The slightly rustic quality of the silk and stainless steel makes for textural interest as well as a surprisingly strong jewelry piece. Silver-lined seed beads and a sterling silver tube clasp complete this oh-so-quick piece.

Kudos to the husband and wife who modeled the cuff. I actually tried to get a wide shot of both of them, but I couldn't get a smile from hubby - nerves I expect. 

If you haven't yet seen it, you can click on the collection's look book below to see all of the designs that are ending my 2015. And of course, you can tune in tomorrow for the next design introduction.

Day 3 of 8 Days of Designs: A Little Jewelry Music

Alright, we're up to day three of my 8 days of designs, and we've hit upon one of my favorite designs in the collection (even though I do love all of them) - The Channeling Gabrielle Necklaces:

These are gorgeously delicate, yet made strong with the use of LB Collection Wool Stainless Steel. The small amount of stainless steel also provides a certain "memory" which is very much appreciated when crafting jewelry. As a result, these are soft enough to wear next to the skin, yet can withstand more wear and tear that one might think from first glance.

Both necklaces take advantage of very simple motif work, but are worked up differently, and the pattern contains a schematic explaining the joining points of the shorter necklace.
 
I also thought this a good opportunity to mention how color changes in context. I photographed these necklaces against the backdrop of two different portions of one of my paintings created for this collection, and the necklace color really changes depending on the background:

 Do you see how the cerise colorway of the LB Wool Stainless Steel almost becomes neon-ified up against the blue values in the painting? Against the more neutral portion of the painting, the cerise (along with the beads) just lights up.

I love both of these, and expect I'll work up a few more in different colorways, either in the LB Wool Stainless Steel, or perhaps Habu Textile's Stainless Steel. I will need to study the colorways before I decide. I will also say that either of these would look super in Habu Textile's copper version of its stainless steel. Hmmm ... so many great materials choices, so little crafty time ...

Do stay tuned for tomorrow's design installment. And if you're hankering to see the pattern preview book for all of these designs, just scroll up to either the first or second day, and then just click on the linky.

A cone of LB Wool Stainless Steel -
there's several pieces of jewelry
to come from it!

Someone Paid it Forward

Way back in April I blogged about a paying-it-forward scheme that a fellow Pacific Northwest blogger, Michele over at pdxknitterati had posted. I filled the third and final slot on her list.

Well, guess what? I received my hand-made gift last week! A lovely bracelet made by Michele:

Isn't it purty? Purple, clear and multicolored beads strung on a crochet chain - how simply elegant.

Thanks so much for the smile Michele! This was a very pleasant surprise in my mail box.