Along Came A Spider

You can see the real spider's web on the outside of the window!

I haven't officially decorated for Halloween yet. I was about to wash the windows, like I do every Fall, and noticed a spider web on the outside. It reminded me of a picture I saw of a crocheted spider's web and thought I'd try it.
I don't particularly care for thread crochet as I'm more of a chunky girl myself. I thought of trying it free form, but since I'm not used to doilies or working with thread, I decided to search for a pattern to get me started. Once the center was started, it was easier to change it up and free form the outside. (Having an asymmetrical center might be better next time.) I added a piece of Ric-Rac that reminded me of the Orb Spiders that we have in the vegetable garden.
This pattern from Crochet 'N' More is for a Spiderweb Table Topper and calls for a sport weight yarn. I used Aunt Lydia's crochet thread size 3 and a D (3.25 mm) hook, following the instructions through round 4 or 5 and then improvised. You could make it as large or small as you like.
I pinned mine to a window corner, but you could make it large with worsted yarn, tie it to a fence or a door, and add a really big spider if you want. I will add a tiny spider to mine once I get the decorations out. 'Tis the season!

The Spirit Continues...

I mentioned my brother's art work in my previous post. He sent me some pictures from the many pieces that adorn his walls. Mixed with the monster collection, horror movie posters, Pabst Blue Ribbon and rock 'n roll ephemera are hundreds of guitars, line drawings, paintings and ceramic pieces like these. I picked my favorites to show you here. Chris is also designing and building handmade guitars in his spare time.

In the Spirit of Things

I've been so busy making things for the many shows that I have planned that I haven't taken time to decorate for Fall or for Halloween. Today, I am setting aside some time to clean and put up a few fun things to spook the kids and kick off the spirit of Halloween.
My favorite Halloween decorations are the black lights that I hang in the window and the vintage jack-O-lantern that is missing the clip-on light, but I put it over a basic candle lamp. There's something about things that glow that make this time of year special. For me, it's kind of a transition as the evenings get darker and calls for candles at Thanksgiving and twinkle lights at Christmas.I also love these two handmade pieces from my brother, Chris. I'm always encouraging him to create more. His love of guitars has taken over the creative side of his brain lately though. He has always been a big fan of Halloween and has a huge monster collection. He painted this fun sign on a piece of slab wood. This skeleton is a sample of the many skulls and Frankenstein masks that he's created over the years. There are so many gorgeous pieces on his walls and I really think that he should open a museum! (Perhaps we should collaborate and create a book of monster art or something.)I am also mesmerized by the art of Jack & Cat Curio. Something about Frankenstein in art always grabs my attention, but when I saw the beeeswax dripping from this Halloween collage, I had to ask them about it.
I asked Jack & Cat Curio to tell me a bit about themselves...
"We are a couple that love to stay up late creating mixed media pieces. We specialize in encaustic/beeswax collage. We compile different imagery and ephemera and then put it all under several layers of beeswax. Sometimes we use colored wax to achieve a certain look, other times a heat dye. Sometimes we stamp, imprint, and graph the wax.
We also specialize in digital imagery,trinkets and do-dads. Lesley also creates confectionery goods when not crafting with beeswax. We also travel and teach several workshops and classes on these topics."
I did look up "encaustic" and read that it was a technique using hot wax with pigments and that it was first used in Greek ship building to seal cracks in the ships and evolved into an art form from there.
You can visit JackandCatCurio.Etsy.com to see more of their beeswax collages, altered art, mixed media, and prints. I encourage you to visit their blog as well at http://JackandCatCurio.Blogspot.com. I've thoroughly enjoyed listening to their "Art Makin' Blues" playlist while writing this. I may just keep it playing and dance around as I decorate this morning! And, if you're in the Phoenix area, check out the class schedule as posted on their blog.
(Special thanks to Mike and Lesley from JackandCatCurios.Etsy.com!)

Glow In The Dark Yarn

When my kids were little I crocheted slippers and used glow-in-the-dark fabric paint dots on the bottom to make them non-skid, or less slippery. It was fun, but at the time I was thinking how cool it would be to have glow-in-the-dark yarn.

Bernat has introduced Glow In The Dark yarns! What a fun embellishment yarn that will be. Of course I instantly think Halloween and spooky crafts. Think of all the other ideas for kids safety - backpacks, hats, mittens, bicycle gear, etc. I may have to make my husband a glow hat for commuting.

With the light pastel colors available from Bernat, handmade glow worm-type dolls will be all the rage!

Bernat's Glow In The Dark yarn is now available at some Michael's, Pat Catan's, or Hobby Lobby Stores. Here's a link to find some in your area... Find Glow In The Dark Yarn.