Yarn Tales Tuesday

Crochet Inspiration

  The designing part of my brain has become blocked again...I guess sometimes I just get burned out and need a break. The extra-busy time of the holidays is fast approaching, and I might as well take a bit of time to unwind while I still can.

  When I say "unwind", I don't mean stop. I can't stop crocheting...I think I begin to suffer symptoms of withdrawal if I'm away from yarn and a hook for too long. What I mean by "unwind" is to change things up a little. Aside from designing some new things outside of my comfort zone, I have some yarn-oriented cleaning and organizing to do, plus some yarn-related crafts I've had on hold.

  Of course, this means there could be a few less free crochet patterns being posted for a few weeks, but I'm focusing creating better projects in the meantime. While I'll be backing off of posting patterns, I'm going to be adding some new tutorials, tips, and ideas.

  Now, let's dive into my new motivation:

  One of my other biggest hobbies is gardening. You'll find me outside when I'm not buried under a pile of yarn. I have 5 acres of plants to take care of, so there's no such thing as a true "break" in my life, there's just something else to do. Whenever I develop another case of "designer's block", quitting is never the answer for me. It only means it's time do do something else!

  I often rediscover my creativity when I'm taking care of everyday life tasks. The Fmelted Plarn Toothbrush Holder was invented when my wall-mounted toothbrush holder fell off while I was cleaning it. My Deca-stitch Cowl 2.0 was created in the favorite color of a dear friend who passed, and these Men's Fingerless Mitts were designed in the middle of a cold winter for my other half. Life usually jumps in and provides a reason for me to create something new.




  But lately, Life has stepped back and given me the time to design what I want to design. I've been experimenting with flowers, headbands, and some jewelry. Until now...I only have one project in design queue, but it's something very large that I can't begin until I can afford all of the material at one time. Hopefully I can create some new stuff before I finish posting my recent group of patterns.




  So as I mentioned, it's time to go do something else. Winter is on it's way, and I need to be taking care of my plants and making sure the animals will be cozy. I often carry my camera with me when I'm out on the property, and I've been snapping some great photos of nature in my backyard.

  Coincidentally, I've found my inspiration after all. What better muse is there for creativity than Mother Nature? The bold, beautiful colors and many fascinating shapes found outdoors often lend their influence to design. Why not use them in my crochet?





  I'm not talking about recreating plants and animals; I've already covered that. I'm thinking something more along the lines of an afghan with stitches and colors revolving around the interesting image of this recent thunderstorm:

  I love the contrast of the blue/gray sky against the rich green of the grass and the dramatic lines in the clouds. Unfortunately, the spiderweb-like orange and yellow lightning streaking across the sky wasn't captured in the picture, but I'd like to find a way to also work it into the design.




  And if that's not inspiring enough, I've have plans for the following photo, too. I'd like to create a garment of some kind, I just haven't made up my mind over what it will be.

    Perhaps you can give me some hints about what you'd like to see. Why not take some inspiration from my readers, too? I can't make everything for everybody, but I sure could use a jump-start right now.




  Use the comments section to leave a suggestion for what you think I should make next. Would you like to see a tutorial for something? I'm up for a challenge, so don't hesitate!




  Has something in nature ever inspired you to design your own crochet pattern? Do you get the motivation to create from everyday life situations? Let us know about it with a comment or by sharing a link to your own post.