People with creative minds are often classified as… let’s just say different. I don’t mind the description, as I recognise that it does describe me. My mind works a little differently than most people I know — unless they happen to be creative types too, and then we have our own little padded room where we can all be different together.
Who knows what others think about when they have a moment to themselves or during a 30-minute commute. Or when dozing off to sleep late at night. My mind tends to wander to what I might create next. Lately, that train of thought has landed on tulle.
Perhaps I am longing for the days when my eldest child attended ballet classes. Although I do have to say that if I never have to watch The Nutcracker again in my life, I won’t complain. My daughter’s ballet teacher was high up in the Cecchetti ballet world and she absolutely loved The Nutcracker. I believe my daughter danced in it for the end-of-year concert at least five times. She began as a tiny fairy and, as the years passed, I had the honour of watching her dance the Tarantella.
But anyway… this brings my familiarity with tulle to the fore.
Why not use tulle with crochet?
And so I did.
Dancing With The Fae Neck Warmer was born from ideas of the magical — and more than likely from those years of watching my daughter in tutus and the wonder that brought to my life. This is a statement piece of whimsy.
The tulle is added in a similar way to fringing, so if the need to wash the piece arises it can easily be removed and replaced.
For the yarn I used some leftover Hobbii Friends Extra Soft Merino 4-ply combined with Prestige Moseta Kid Mohair and Silk 4-ply held double. This combination adds to the fae-like feel of the piece, as it is unbelievably soft.
Of course, this design needed a touch of quirk. The main body tapers wider, and the added flowers slowly grow in size. It closes with a button and long ties.
The tulle I chose has an ombré effect with small beads scattered across it. The strips were cut in a deliberately random way, while still keeping the ombré grading flowing through the fringe.
And despite how it looks, it works up surprisingly fast.
If you enjoy a design that steps a little outside the ordinary and embraces a bit of whimsy, this might just be the project for you. Sometimes the most delightful creations come from the slightly unusual ideas — and perhaps from a mind that wanders to tulle during a quiet moment.
