Winter flower

I found this simple flower walking by my house on a snow day. The color combination chocolate brown flower on white snow caught my eyes. I simply couldn't walk by:)

Felted brooch in robin egg blue

I hand felted this flower brooch in a shade of robin egg blue, sky, green and white. Those are perfect winter colors that will cheer us up during monochrome days of winter.
For me blue is a color of magic and fairy tales. It is airy and light and has some mystery to it. Blue will go well with pretty much any dress and outfit. It's such an appreciative color!

Warm and cozy hand knitted items from Socksandmittens

Winter is approaching and we are all looking for soft and cozy knitted items to keep us warm during this cold and harsh season. I recently came across a wonderful shop on Etsy called Socksandmittens that offers accessories for men and women: wool gloves, socks, wrist warmers, hats, etc. Every piece is hand knitted and unique.
It's a mother daughter team that is constantly working on improving its designs!

Q: How did you start knitting?
Many many years ago a young girl named Valentyna saw a knitted garment on a girl in a street of a small town in Ukraine. She got so interested in how to make one that started knitting herself. Since that day Valentyna continues improving her knitting skills. She cannot let go of her favorite needles and yarns. Valentyna is my mother and I remember her knitting my whole life. She is never alone and never bored because we run our Etsy shop together and she is very passionate about her favorite thing, knitting!

My mom has been knitting for me all my life. Later she started knitting for my son and now, when she is retired, she finally can do this full time. That's how we came up with an idea of an on-line store. We opened our online shop on Etsy in 2009. It's been a success so far!

Her knitted garments are amazing. My mom's inspiration comes from nature with its bright colors. She creates items thinking about people's real needs and preferences. When we create a new design we are always trying to picture a person who will wear it. Is he or she spending most of their time at the office, by a computer desk? Does he or she love outdoors? Is he or she a hunter, a fisherman or stay at home Mom? There are so many different ideas! We make our best to turn all these ideas into beautiful, warm and cozy hand knitted items.

Q: What yarns does your mom use in her knitting?
She loves to work with wool but we are also thinking of people who might be allergic to it, so we are making some of our items from vegan and other natural yarns. I have to say, these other yarns have improved so much in recent years! They are soft and come in a huge assortment of colors and are really easy to take care of!

If you would like to see my mother work please visit our shop on Etsy or follow my blog to receive updates.
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Red Berry hand felted brooch

Brooches are excellent for adding color and style for one's outfits. A bright brooch can completely change the way a dress or a suit looks. Red, raspberry and cranberry colors and hues work especially well with pretty much any attire. Even the outdoor clothing can be decorated with a pin. Just think about a brown or charcoal grey coat with a bright red pin attached to it. It will look so much better!

I always wear all my brooches and that's much fun as people always pay attention and take a notice. With a unique and beautiful brooch one will always stand out from the crowd.

Felt wool white frosted berry brooch

It's Christmas season and we will eventually get some snow here in Virginia. Coming from Russia I personally love snow. There are so many things one can actually do in winter. And don't forget about beautiful winter forests! Trees are covered with snow, one can see frosted berries here and there, animal traces. It always feels like a fairy tale in a winter forest.
White felted beads are plush, durable and beautiful. They are easy to work with and there is this natural feel about them. Felted beads are made from wool using eco-friendly techniques and, thus, are ideal for eco-conscious and nature-loving individuals.