(Anatomical) Love Is In the Air!

Crochet Anatomical Hearts by Lost In The Wood

February has been set aside for a much needed catch up with the paperwork (dull but essential), a move into my new cute little studio (exciting), finishing commissions (overdue) and an exhibition piece (satisfying). However, I was a very busy little bee in January, working on some new anatomical designs (which will be a key focus for my work this year).






I've started with hearts, the most appropriate bodily organ for this time of year and one of the most interesting to crochet with all it's ventricles, veins and arteries. I'm not claiming these are anatomically correct (no student of biology/ physiology should look to these as learning aids or we're all done for) but they make a reasonable attempt. Intended as large wall pieces, hang them as statement art works or nestle a smaller one under a bell jar and let them be brazen about their well crafted weirdness! They have been hanging splendidly in the Lotti & Wren shop window (Stryd y Plas, Caernarfon) since Santes Dwynwen (often called the Welsh St Valentines).

Heart In Bell Jar @ Lotti & Wren, Caernarfon

I've had a few enquiries about the pattern for these but I don't have any plans to publish it anytime in the near future. I write my patterns in quite a messy way and adjust them every time I re-make something, so they evolve depending on the thickness/type of yarn used, improvements on the last one, a new idea, etc etc. Some people are brilliant at writing clear, easy to understand patterns which have reliable results. I am not one of those people. My tension is tighter than the average so I can never be set loose on crocheting any clothing (unless for elves/mice) and my patterns use both UK and US terms scrambled together. I understand them so the chaotic system employed really doesn't matter. I think too that at this stage I prefer to keep my products unique, just for me to make. Of course other people can crochet their own hearts/ animal heads etc but they will always be a bit different from mine (arguably they may be a lot better but let's not dwell on that). Anyway, different, that's the way I like it...

Monochrome Crochet Heart, Feb '16

Sookie on Tax Return Day

In other news, I'm sure fellow cat owners can empathise with the too-cute-to-be-genuinely-cross behaviour that emerges whenever there is urgent paperwork (especially accounts/ the dreaded tax return) about to happen. My tax return was filed this year despite the help of two furry monsters. Here's Sookie really not giving a damn for last year's sales records. Probably she was making a statement about last year's productivity. She's critical like that. I attempted to move onto the Herculean task of sorting out the rest of my paperwork, and more generally the study, in a long over-due amnesty towards the mess. I Have come home to find this most days recently. I have temporarily given up.

Two Desk Hogging Cats, Cute But Not Helpful