heirloom | Exchanging Fire

As soon as I heard about this month’s Phat Fiber Sampler Box theme, Rust and Roses, I immediately knew what I was going to do. I have so many ideas rattling around in my head, and it’s hard to find the time to raise these inspirations out of the dark. So thank you, Phat Fiber, for giving me the opportunity to bring another beauty into the light.

This design began by pairing together the colors of rust – copper – and a sweet, unusual color akin to copper and topaz blended with bittersweet melon:

Now, I’ve never really been a fan of the traditional red rose. It always bored me, quite frankly, and growing up I was usually attracted to the more unusual varieties of flowers, like hibiscus, orchids or calla lilies. As I have grown into adulthood, however, I’ve become more aware of the roses that exist beyond the grocery store florist – like the wild rose, with it’s gorgeous knock-out blooms, or unusual heirloom varieties with colors like smokey bronze, chocolate-red, rusty apple-orange or spiky green. Wow. I want a whole garden full of unusual roses!

So without further ado, here are my brand new La Vie En Rose stitch markers, gold-dusted pink topaz rosebud Czech beads paired with gorgeous copper accents to create a look so realistic it’s like you are knitting with miniature roses.

The name was inspired by the haunting cabaret melody of the same name, which was written by the famous French singer Edith Piaf in 1945. It’s a melancholy post-war tune that is as much a classic as Moon River, and very evocative of the time period. Here’s a modern rendition of it that I find absolutely gorgeous:

Don’t forget, if you purchase anything in my store from Nov. 19 – Dec. 20 you are eligible for the Phat Fiber Superbox Giveaway! To win this month’s Phat Incentive, which includes the contents of this month’s Video (aka The Superbox) AND a $100 Gift Certificate to one of the participating shops, you need to join the Phat Fiber group on Ravelry and then post what you’ve purchased in the Rust and Roses incentive thread.

Want to know how you can get one of these boxes? For a Phat Fiber community edited guide to snagging a box, visit this thread in the Ravelry group. The cost of the box is $36 including shipping. Good luck!

Enjoy the new design, which is up in the Exchanging Fire shop!

I commissioned my friend Katie to make me a chevron cut chenille throw blanket and it arrived today! It’s absolutely gorgeous and I’m over the moon about it. I love the bright aqua chevron stripes with the contrasting sunny yellow edging and chenille-style backing. I was inspired by the work in her Etsy shop, Mr. Kitty Is My Name, and knew I wanted one of her fabulous blankets!

For those of you who have never seen this style of cut chenille, it’s created by a very time-consuming but worthwhile process. You sew half-inch to one-inch lines along a set of fabrics that have been layered together (a pretty fabric for the front and different colors of flannel fabric for the back), and then cut the flannel channels made with the sewing. When the blanket is washed and dried, the flannel creates the chenille because since it it is cut on an angle (the bias) it fluffs rather than frays.

I’d been lusting after this blanket since seeing the online tutorial for it about a year ago. However, I’ve loathe sewing machines since I was “taught” to use one in a 7th grade Home Ec. class back in the ’90s, so getting my dream blanket seemed like a far-off wish. Until Katie started her cute little shop and I realized my dream could be a reality! For this blanket, Katie went the extra mile, sewing along the lines of the chevrons to create a lovely zigzag pattern on the chenille side.

As you can see from the images below, I laid this out on the floor and went away to find my camera. By the time I had returned, someone had ensconced herself on the blanket. She didn’t believe me when I told her that white and blue do not match black kitties, promptly rolling over to show me her belly as a response. Sigh.

I love my new blanket, it’s totally awesome, and the perfect size for me to wrap myself in it and take a nap. Which I may or may not have already done. 😉