Floral Forms Inspire Fiber Art Jewelry

Flowers are an inspiring source for many kinds of crocheted and knitted jewelry. If you pick a simple floral shape, you can interpret it in thread crochet using perle cotton or embroidery floss. Stitched with tiny hooks, these threads will be dense and will keep their shape. You can wash the rings by hand so they will last indefinitely. 

I'm very fond of Zinnias. They come in many colors and shapes and always look quite bold. I began with a pretty zinnia in gold, orange, and hot pink. First I crocheted the flower. It took shape beginning with a circle and proceeding outward in tendrils of variegated color. Then I crocheted the band in a cotton and metallic dark gold perle cotton. I securely attached the flower to the band. This dramatic ring weighs almost nothing but packs a big visual punch. I hope you like it as much as I do!

This ring is available now at my Etsy shop. Each of my fiber art jewelry pieces is one-of-a-kind so when this ring sells, I could only approximate a similar one.

There's a nifty little app available at Sherwyn-Williams that lets you separate out the colors from a picture you have. Here's what I came up with for the Zinnia: 

 That was a little harsh for me so I ended up choosing these colors in floss for the ring:

 They're similar shades but with a more predominant red/peach tone for the flower's center. 

I hope you enjoy the spring and summer flowers and look to them for inspiration as I do. Please leave your thoughts, comments, etc. below and join in the conversation!

How to Crochet Floral Jewelry

My flower garden is a great joy and one of the major sources of inspiration for my fiber art jewelry as well as my knitted and crocheted accessories. Each of my pieces begins with an image. In the case of this necklace, the image was of the humble morning glory. I'd like to invite you to share in my design process for making this piece.

Once the image is determined, I gather my materials: *crochet hooks *threads in cotton, bamboo and silk *beads and other findings. I then experiment with shapes. I'm not seeking to duplicate nature, but to interpret it in order to design versatile wearable art. The Morning Glory may be worn as a long lariat, a doubled and twisted choker, and even as a dainty looking headband. This is made with fine threads, but it's crocheted so tightly that it's very durable and even hand washable to last for many years.

Many people view morning glories as weeds because they're so invasive. I go after them in my garden too, but they're so lovely that I wanted to preserve them in this necklace. You can find my Morning Glory Lariat / Choker / Headband in my Etsy shop. To see all of my current Fiber Art Jewelry please click here.  I'd be glad to speak with you about any questions you may have about this work. Just comment below to begin the discussion.

Starfish Are a Preview of Summer Beaches

My Turquoise Starfish Brooch

and Ring are a call to the sea.











I've loved poetry from my earliest years, most likely because of the music of its rhythms. I definitely remember learning this poem by heart when I was still quite young:

This is meter right out of Homer and moves the spirit for sure!

Starfish combine both the sea and the stars and also are wonderful design elements. A year or so ago I made a Turquoise Starfish Ring --

I used Perle cotton #5 to make it and it's been in quite a few Etsy treasuries. Then a few months ago, a customer asked me to make a starfish brooch --

Can you see the starfish impression on the shell? The brooch is made with a DK weight mercerized cotton.


On my worktable right now is a starfish earring I've designed. This is made with variegated embroidery floss and the tiniest hook I could get to work with that easily separated thread. I'll mount these on silver plated ear wires.

You can find the ring in my Etsy shop and the brooch here. finished them. I'm also making a PDF crochet pattern for these enticing creatures that will be coming soon. I wish I could be on the beach right now smelling the salty air and hearing the waves while I do my design work.

Totally Terrific Tulips and the Crocheted Bracelets They Inspired

I've been working on a series of Baroque cuff bracelets inspired by the amazing tulips blooming in my garden this spring. I went a little wild with the plant catalogs last fall and am now reaping the benefit of my indulgence in floral fantasy. Some of these tulips are just amazing. Their size and colors are a feast for the eyes.

Here's a sampling from my garden this week:

This is a close up of the gorgeous yellow, red and green Parrot tulips:

As they open up, they become more flamboyant looking!

Here are the giant red tulips with touches of yellow on them:

 As these flowers were coming into bloom, I was working on my thread crocheted cuff bracelets. I use fine French cotton threads to make them and a very tiny hook. At least 4 different colors and several stitch textures are incorporated into each bracelet. The intricate detail of these bracelets is reminiscent of the decorative Baroque style in the arts of the 17th and 18th centuries characterized by ornate detail. Think of the palace of Versailles, the music of J.S. Bach, and the paintings of Caravaggio and Rubens. I love the theme and variations quality of this work.

Here's one of the cuffs in blues:

This cuff is a polychrome interpretation of the tulip on the left:

Today I'm finishing a cuff bracelet related to these gorgeous pink tulips. I'll be showing the cuff bracelet companion to them soon!

As long as the garden keeps blooming and my imagination keeps going, there will be no shortage of these to make and display.

In the meantime, the blue cuff is available here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/97702205/crocheted-cuff-bracelet-turquoise-green?listing_id=97702205&listing_slug=crocheted-cuff-bracelet-turquoise-green

and the polychrome cuff can be seen in my Etsy shop here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/97872557/crocheted-cuff-bracelet-multicolored?listing_id=97872557&listing_slug=crocheted-cuff-bracelet-multicolored