Love in the Form of Yarn Scarf Project

Love in the Form of Yarn Scarf Project  ~  No crochet hook or knitting needle required!
By Artist Leisa Demostene

My inspiration was in large part simply falling in love with the same yarn I’ve been using in my recent projects. I love the reds and oranges hues mixed together and the super soft, non-itchy texture. I just want to wrap myself up in them.

The best way to do that, that I could think of was to make a scarf. I love rustic looking scarves and after my success with creating the headband on my cowboy hat I decided to give it a go.

Deciding to make a scarf was pretty audacious considering I don’t know how to knit or crochet. The most I’ve ever done before was make a single chain, but I figured worse comes to worse, I’d have to spend a few minutes unraveling yarn — no lasting damage.

1.) I tied the three strands of yarn together and made a large loop at one end.  (click on any photo to enlarge)

2.) I stuck my fingers through the loop, grasped the yarn, and pulled it through.

3.) I repeated this process until the chain was as long as I desired.

4.) I draped the strand over my neck to make sure the length was correct.

5.) I made it 72 inches long, which is quite a bit longer than most commercial scarves.

6.) I folded the end loop back toward the crocheted part and then pulled at one of the strands of yarn, and formed it into a second loop.

7.) I chose to only pull on the red yarn, because I wanted the scarf to be airier than if I made a loop from all three strands together. The yarn is very thick and nubby and I thought it would feel too heavy if I made it too solid.

8.) I stuck my fingers through the red pulled loop and the end loop. I grasped the yarn and pulled it through.

9.) I continued to pull out loops from the crocheted area and repeat this process.

10.) I wasn’t diligent in making sure to catch each and every stitch (is that what they’re called? I really don’t know anything about crocheting; luckily I don’t have to for this project!) Because I wanted a very homemade (imperfect) look, I just went with what was pleasing to me.

11.) When I got to the end I decided the scarf wasn’t quite wide enough yet, so turned around and went back the other way. After my fourth pass I felt it was wide enough. I knotted the end.

When stretched out, the width is little more than 3 inches and has lovely “windows” between the rows. I was thrilled to see that I had achieved the rustic airy look I was aiming for. And it barely took any time at all!

12.) I decided to attach a nice long fringe to the ends. I cut several sets of yarn for the fringe. I used one of the first strands as a template for cutting all the others so that my fringe would all be even. The fringe would increase the length of my scarf to 87 inches!

13.) I simply pulled small loops from the end and tied on the fringe by folding the fringe strands in half; poking the folded half through then pulled loop and then pulling the ends through the folded end encircling the pulled loop. I didn’t have a strict plan about where exactly to place the fringe. I just went with what looked right to me.I ended up using a lot less fringe than I thought I would. In fact, I ended up making a tassel out of the extra pieces I’d cut.

14.) I was inspired by the satisfying sparkle glass beads added to my hat band, so I decided to add beads to the fringe. I threaded them onto the fringe in a deliberately random pattern. This was the hardest part of the entire project! The yarn was too thick for many of my beads. In fact the only way I got any of them on was to use a straightened paperclip (oh, I guess I used a tool after all! ) to push the yarn through the holes.

This project was crazy easy, and yet super satisfying. I am incredibly pleased with the result. I was able to pick colors I love, in a type of yarn that is warm but super soft and not scratchy in the slightest (most cool scarves are wool and I CAN’T do wool), and long enough for me to wear it the way I like best.

In short, it took a little over an hour for me to make the perfect (for me) scarf! Not bad for someone who doesn’t know how to crochet!

I can’t wait to experiment with different combinations. It’s going to be a toasty winter. What does your perfect scarf look like?
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Leisa Demostene…a Woman with a “Can Do” Attitude

Often when something creative catches my eye I think, “I can do that.” That attitude allows me to put an imaginative spin on everything I do, but that’s only true when I give myself time to be creative. Too often I let mundane, soul-leaching activities take over my life. I’m tired of living that way, so I’ve made a pledge to myself to do at least one project a month.

My Lady of the Red Thread

Cosmic Cowgirl Writer & Artist: Leisa Demostene

Instead of mortifying my teenage son by shopping in the same store as him and his friends I slipped next door and shopped for inspiration (it’s a lot cheaper and more rewarding than actually buying a lot of things).

It didn’t take me long to find this little charmer.  I studied her to decipher her secrets.  It wasn’t long before I was confident I could reproduce my own version.

Her head looked like a tiny ball of kite string.  And I was pretty sure her body was wrapped wire.  I paid close attention to how her pink hair was attached.

My mind raced with all the possibilities.

At first all my ideas were pretty close to the original, but soon my imagination began to personalize my project.

I had an incredible experience during one of Shiloh’s “Our Lady of the Red Thread Café” web course, and ever since then red yarn has called to me.  At first I thought I’d use red yarn for her hair instead of pink, but that didn’t feel bold enough.  My heart yearned for more red, so I used it instead of the kite string.  I made a little wire stick figure and wrapped it from head to toe.  She turned out pretty darn adorable, but I realized I didn’t want adorable.  I wanted her to convey power.

I grabbed my wire cutters and my roll of wire.  I needed to create a taller and curvier body.  She needed to be a woman, not a little girl.

I started off using one continuous length of wire.  I worked quickly and didn’t get caught up in striving for perfection.

As you can see, her body frame is barely more than a stick figure.  When I finished her legs looked too stubby, so I cut two more pieces of wire and gave her what I thought were a pair of boots.

I wanted to give her pointy toe cowboy boots (like I gave my first doll), because she’s a Cosmic Cowgirl, but she made it quite clear she wanted to go bare foot.  Who am I to argue? Don’t feel like you have to stick with your original plan.  When I work on a project I start with a plan, but I’m always up for changing it on the fly if something doesn’t feel right or I think of something better.  Learning to trust my gut (in this case what my doll “tells” me) is what makes projects like this such a positive experience for me.

I decided not to use wire to form her hands.  I ended her arms just as you can see in the picture.

I didn’t have a clear idea of how I wanted her to look.  I let her speak to me.

Don’t let fear of mistakes get in your way.  A lot of times a “mistake” ends up being exactly what was needed.

I formed a tiny heart with a piece of copper wire and then wrapped the yarn around it to form the ball that became her head.

This was a detail that didn’t affect her appearance, but it is very important to me.  I feel that adding my intentions when I make something makes a difference in how the final piece feels.  That heart symbolizes that she loves being a strong confident woman, and when I look at her I remember that, and I remember to love that about myself too.

When her head was the right size I stuck it on her neck without cutting the yarn and without using any glue.  I then started wrapping her body.  Some areas I wrapped over and over again, and some areas not so much.  I used the layers of yarn to give her extra shape.

To form her hands I pulled a couple of short pieces of yarn through the rounded ends of her arms and knotted them in place.  I trimmed and shaped them to give the impression of fingers.

At this point she looked so strong yet humble that I seriously contemplated leaving her without hair.

I convinced myself to give her hair only when I realized I could easily remove it if it lessened her impact.

I chose a black version of the same nubby yarn I used for her body.  I went with really long hair, figuring I could trim it shorter if I changed my mind.

I cut the pieces twice as long as I wanted her hair to be.  I poked one end through a loop in her head and pulled the strand half way through it.  Then I simply left it that way.  I repeated that process until she had a full head of hair.

One of the neat things about her hair is that I can put it up in a pony, braid it, or leave it down.

I can also change her pose if I want, but I prefer her hair down and her head thrown back with arms out stretched.

If you really look at her you can see how flawed she is, but who cares?  She embraces who she is- she flaunts it- she revels in it even.  And in doing so, she personifies feminine empowerment–for me.  Whenever I look at her I’m empowered.  I love that!

My yarn doll does that for me, but maybe not for you.  What would work for you?  Different colors?  Different pose?  Different materials?  Different idea all together?  The more personalized the better!

I didn’t follow any directions when I started my project, and you don’t need to either.  Follow your gut.

I’ve made a pledge to complete at least one creative project per month.  Will you take the pledge with me?   My suggestion is for you to complete a project (within the next 30 days) that makes you feel empowered.

Please feel free to share with us what empowers you and what project you’re working on.  The more people we get to play along the better.  Inspiration breeds inspiration.  Have fun!

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Leisa Demostene…a Woman with a “Can Do” Attitude

Often when something creative catches my eye I think, “I can do that.” That attitude allows me to put an imaginative spin on everything I do, but that’s only true when I give myself time to be creative. Too often I let mundane, soul-leaching activities take over my life. I’m tired of living that way, so I’ve made a pledge to myself to do at least one project a month.

The Song of Tough Angels is Hope

Dear Ones,

I am so honored to have as my guest writer, Patty Melnice of Tough Angels. Patty joined Cosmic Cowgirls a few years ago, and when I saw her website and what she was up to I was profoundly moved by her work. I love hearing the stories of all the good work being done by all of these amazing service based organizations, but when it is one woman on a mission I have to say I get fired up. Patty and I have been keeping in touch as time moves along and her vision of returning to Africa to continue her work makes me hold onto that red thread of hope. The song of tough angels like Patty is hope, and it gives us all hope when we hear her story, and the story of the women and children she serves.

Around here at Cosmic Cowgirls we don’t like to get too heavy without spreading the light around. And yes this article is a heavy one, but one which we are so proud to share. Our work, profoundly includes ending violence against women and children and social justice movements. When we hear the legend of Patty and her www.toughangels.com …we can feel called to our visions of what we want to create. What do you want to create?

Chief Laughing Cloud reporting from the Red Thread Cafe…with a cup of tea and a toast to Lady Fair

My decision to quit my job as a visual stylist for a luxury retailer . . . to put my belongings in storage . . . to walk away from my home . . . to venture into the unknown and travel alone to South Africa, followed a divorce after 24 years of marriage. My life had to be about something bigger than my divorce, and I couldn’t think of a better way to move through the heartache than to be of service to others. I never dreamed however, that it would change the course of my life so completely. Moreover, I never dreamed my actions would have a ripple effect that would reach further than I ever imagined possible.

After spending six months, independently volunteering in Africa rescuing children that had been raped, I returned to the US driven by a voracious passion for aiding and assisting women and children of violence. I don’t know why I’ve been chosen to do this work, but I do know there are far too many synchronies to deny my life’s purpose. After my experience, I was determined to incite awareness as step one to begin the process of transformation and healing for women and children far less fortunate than ourselves. Surprisingly, along the route, what I discovered was so much more about myself. I found I had the courage to walk away from my comfortable lifestyle in order to dedicate my life to humanitarian efforts. I have recently founded my own non-profit organization, Tough Angels, Inc.

I am determined!

Rescuing children that had been brutally raped and the rate at which it occurred was an incomprehensible experience that I didn’t know I was equipped to handle. I assure you however, I found so much more there than tragedy. I came to know and love these wonderful, strong, forgiving and grateful people that became my teachers.

It would be impossible to illustrate with any accuracy the depths of adversity and hardship that is experienced in this culture. To give you a thumbnail sketch of what I encountered, the youngest rape case, though not uncommon, was a 4-month old baby that died from her injuries. From point of rescue, to the final court proceedings of each case, I worked with the child victims, the police, Child Protective Services, the hospitals, and the judicial system to address what is now an epidemic problem in Africa. The final case I was involved in only days before I left the continent, was an 11-year old girl; stabbed, raped and left for dead on the side of a road after her perpetrator rolled a huge bolder on top of her tiny body. The brave little girl clung to her life and was able to give us the details necessary to track down the rapist. The police officers and I searched for days through the impoverished hills of the countryside for the rapist. High speed chases, guns firing, and attack dogs still did not deter this man.  Each day the little girl clung to her life. In the end we did catch him and in the end, she lost her life – oddly within minutes of his capture. Did she fight to stay alive until he was arrested? I always believed she did.

South Africa claims the #1 spot in the world for rapes of women and children and HIV infections. Many of these tragedies can be blamed on a tribal myth that exists within the poverty-stricken communities that believe purification and a cure for AIDS can be attained through sexual intercourse with a virgin child. The work required around education, prevention, and the reporting of the abuse in order to undo this myth is believed by some, insurmountable. I however, believe that by empowering the women to have a voice, to stand for justice, and to refuse to accept this as a way of life for themselves and their children is the way to bring about change. Women rising up . . . this is new for them!

I worked closely with the Zulu people and one woman in particular, named Lady Fair, became my benchmark for grace, gratitude and generosity. Lady Fair is a single Mom supporting her family of 5, in addition to 11 orphans that she has taken in off the streets. She receives no financial help for the orphans and she once told me that if she had 2 potatoes, God would want her to give one away to help others. Lady Fair lived in a tiny tin shack with dirt floors, no running water or electricity. She never complained, nor did she ever ask for help. When I became aware of her circumstances, I knew I could not leave the continent without helping her. I had no idea what that looked like or how I was going to accomplish it but I was determined to create a warmer, safer place for her and the children. Without financial means of my own to achieve this, I pawned my wedding ring and with the help of friends was able to secure land and build Lady Fair a house. She now lives in a home with a secure foundation, and running water for the first time in her life.

That being such a cathartic experience for myself, I started “The Wedding Ring Project” as my first campaign to raise funds to return and build a safe house in the Kwa Zulu Natal region of South Africa. Others can do the same and donate their broken, unused, or repurposed jewelry to Tough Angels, Inc.

I remain in touch with Lady Fair as I’m certain I will until my final breath. She is my sister. She recently told me that she had been in a deep dark hole all her life and many people had stopped by to look at her in the hole. She stated that the change occurred because I believed in her, and the difference being, I got down in the hole with her to help her out. I did not do anything extraordinary. I saw a need and stepped up . . . the same as anyone with a heart would’ve done. The real story is in what Lady Fair has done as a result of being given a chance. We were recently in contact, at which time she told me she had a surprise for me. Within days, I received a letter from an attorney in S. Africa with an attached proposal for a safe house Lady Fair wants to build and facilitate. Can you hear me screaming with excitement and joy?! Her dream was to run her own safe house for children awaiting placement in adoption or foster care once they had been rescued from rape. The name for her proposed site is Ngiwelise, which loosely translated means “crossing over the bridge but remembering where you came from and turning around to help others cross over too.”

Contained in the proposal is the outline of who the safe house will accept and assist. In addition to the children awaiting placement, Lady Fair will care for children of teenage mothers during the day, with the stipulation that the moms attend school. That is where the healing begins and change begins to take place. One by one, life improves and it begins to have a ripple effect. We can all be part of the solution to make a difference! It doesn’t require going to a developing country and volunteering for 6 months, but it does beg us to get involved. Spread awareness.  Brainstorm ways to bring about change. We are all in this together.

I keep this photo handy. When I first arrived, I remember riding in the backseat of a police car with this little girl on our way to the hospital for her forensic exam. It was about 1:00AM and the night air was blowing through the opened windows of the rickety police car. She trembled in my arms with her head resting on my heart for the entire ride. We couldn’t speak each other’s language but I wrapped her in all the love and protection I possibly could. Months later, right as I was getting ready to leave, I was at an orphanage and didn’t even recognize her until she came running to me with open arms. She is my “hope” talisman and my reminder that we can heal . . . her body was indeed raped, but as you can see, her spirit was not.

Please contact me or visit my website if you have any questions or want to help. www.toughangels.com

From the bottom of my heart, and on behalf of the children and women I serve, we thank you.

Patricia Michael Melnice

How This Cosmic Cowgirl Got Her Hat

Inspiration cowgirl hat.

Crafty Cowgirls Featured Artist Leisa Demostene

I became infatuated with a funky cowgirl hat I saw in a catalog, but I wasn’t ready to pay $58 plus for something I’m not likely to wear very often.  I tore out the page and sadly stuck it in my “In My Dreams” file.

I kept my eyes open for a cheaper version, and soon I found a hat with a cute shape that fit me perfectly.  And it was cheap!  Only trouble was, it looked it.  Hmmmm.  What’s a crafty Cowgirl to do?

Paint and create a new headband of course!  My inspiration piece was pink, but I’ve been drawn to a lot of red lately, (it’s my Legendary Self’s favorite color, dontcha know?), so that’s what I wanted the end product to be.  But I also wanted it to look lush, and I knew just slapping on some red paint wouldn’t do.  At a recent Cosmic Cowgirl workshop I learned the importance of developing depth by adding colors in layers.  I lightly wet my “canvas,” and then dabbed, smeared, and smushed small amounts of red, orange, and burgundy paint over the entire surface, making sure not to blend away all of the variation.

After the first coat dried completely I used Quinacridone Crimson to give it a luscious red glaze.  Once that coat dried I tried wrapping a couple of old belts around it thinking one of them would make a good headband.  They looked okay, but they somehow managed to make my audaciously red hat look rather ordinary.  And the limited palette limited its wearability.  Clearly I needed something more interesting than brown or black leather.

When some red yarn left over from a previous project caught my eye, my gut told me to use it, (another ode to the Red Thread).  Red on red alone wouldn’t work, but when I added in two other yarns, an orange with a touch of green and a light golden brown with a little purple; I loved the combination.  All that extra color also meant it would go with a lot of things in my closet.

I held all three yarn ends together and tied them into a loop.  I then loosely crocheted them into a single chain just using my fingers.  When it was long enough to fit around the hat I simply tied the end to the beginning loop and added some more yarn to form a tassel.

I was really pleased with the warm homespun look of the headband, but I felt a Cosmic Cowgirl hat needed a little sparkle- a little glamour.  Sparkle and Glamour always make me think of the Beaded Lady, and I realized beads would be the perfect addiiton.

I make a habit of snapping up glass beads whenever I find a good deal, so I had plenty on hand from which to choose.  I picked out various shades of red, orange, pink, brown, black, and purple.  I hand sewed them onto the head band and loved the way they complimented my glorious red hat.

This project didn’t cost very much, and it didn’t take much time, but do you want to know the best part?  It’s knowing I made another one of my little dreams come true.  And the result was so much more than I ever hoped for.  I did it, and so can you!

Leisa Demostene…a Woman with a “Can Do” Attitude

Often when something creative catches my eye I think, “I can do that.”  That attitude allows me to put an imaginative spin on everything I do, but that’s only true when I give myself time to be creative.  Too often I let mundane, soul-leaching activities take over my life.  I’m tired of living that way, so I’ve made a pledge to myself to do at least one project a month.

Crafty Cowgirls features fun hands-on projects designed by Cosmic Cowgirls. We invite you to take some time for yourself and connect to your creative legendary self.  Tap into your own style to make these projects unique to you— and know that results always vary. Please follow the instructions on all products you choose to use and keep safety in mind.  With that said, relax, enjoy and go with the flow to let joyous results unfold.  If you have suggestions, ideas and tips to share, give us a holler by writing a comment.  Happy Cowgirl Crafting!

Donniece Smith is a multi-faceted artist and writer. She creates original fiber stitchery, bead embroidery, mixed media jewelry, along with paintings,stories and poems. All are vibrantly colorful and textured. Her “real life” skills derive from over twenty-five years of industry experience in graphic design.  She inadverdently became a computer geek in the process but prefers to call herself an “information architect.” Donniece’s blog Thirteen Threads from the Wild Heart is a project launched in January 2011 to celebrate living her creative life much bigger and bolder upon her fiftieth birthday.  You can join Donniece, and her muse Lulu Red, explore the creative ties that bind our hearts and lives together through the metaphor of thread at  http://www.thirteenthreadsfromthewildheart.com

Quest for Wholeness

Writer Kathryn Barry Elliott, Ph.D. aka Sparkling Wisdom Warrior

At some point, if you’ve answered an inner call, you find yourself on a quest.

While we commonly pursue goals for external rewards and known destinations, we pursue quests for internal rewards and unknown ports of call. We undertake an inner journey of transformation that yields priceless gifts. One of these gifts is an ever-deepening connection to wholeness.

Wholeness is a state of awareness. In this state, we feel more connected to what has heart and meaning for us. We experience a deeper connection to who we are and our creative capacity. We move closer to our inner visions and our ability to manifest those visions. Wholeness connects us to our ability and desire to unfold our sense of self that resides deep within our souls. Wholeness connects us to our most human and spiritual dimensions.

While the pursuit of external rewards is often associated with acquisition, the pursuit of a quest moves us to relinquish. Quests move us to release, reframe, and deconstruct the inner walls that inhibit our innate ability to experience wholeness. Quests move us into different relationships with the mental models and conceptual frameworks that inhabit our inner world.  And in the process, quests move us into a different relationship with ourselves.

My experience of shifting these relationships spans the gamut from mildly unsettling to a feeling of annihilation. The shape of my identity morphs and transforms. Unsettling. Disconcerting. Discomforting. While no one accompanies me on this inner journey, I take comfort that others walk a similar path. Connecting with others on their quest for wholeness supports me in mine.

Quests move us into uncharted territories to face unknown challenges. Quest challenges engage us with deeper, inner dimensions, aspects of ourselves that we wouldn’t encounter otherwise. Throughout most quests, we also face recurring challenges of self-doubt, uncertainty, indecision, and loss of inspiration and vision.

However, without quest challenges there would be no quest gifts.

As we arrive at the new port of call, we encounter gifts of inspiration or insight, an expanded perspective, a deepened and renewed sense of self, or an increased connection to our potential, our abilities, our talents. These are the gifts of wholeness that we reap for our willingness to take the inner journey and transform our inner world.

Embracing our desires to explore and unfold our creative and spiritual selves as a quest is both liberating and healing. We find liberation in shedding the very linear notions that are intrinsic to our get-ahead, earn-a-living-but-not-a-life culture. We find healing when we acknowledge the transformational gifts that we receive as a result of our quest.

To all of us who are on a quest, we must take time to appreciate. We must take time to acknowledge the courage it takes to be guided by our quests. We must take time to glory in the wonder of our experience and give thanks for the deepening connections within our inner world that have taken place. And, we must take time to celebrate our quest for wholeness.

Intuitive artist, writer, teacher, and esoteric coach, Kathryn Barry Elliott connects people to their energetic wisdom, spiritual truth, and creative potential to increase wellbeing, ignite insight, and navigate their inner world with wonder and delight. You’re invited to visit her website:  http://www.EnergyAtPlay.com/

She Rises

Writer Allison Kenny

I always felt like something was wrong.  A little off somehow. And most of all, I knew it was my fault.  All the world’s problems somehow had to be because of me.  This is what sexual abuse does.  It takes away our memory of what makes us worthy of joy in any way.  Alla Renee Bozwarth calls this kind of abuse “the deliberate disappearance of our souls.”  I didn’t even know I had been walking around for years feeling ashamed, scared and alone.  I didn’t even know.

Until one day, I remembered.  Once the flashbacks came, the memories  flooded in, I had no choice but to go through them.  As 30 years worth of stuck feelings came flooding back, I did the only thing I knew how to do.  Create art everyday and believe it would heal me.  It was a desperate act. And it saved me. This dedicated arts and writing practice has brought me back to myself.  Only now I’m deeper. Lighter. Amazed by my own power.  Inspired to tell my story and encourage women to tell theirs.  I’m writing a journal with Cosmic Cowgirls because I know every woman who’s ever suffered has the ability to heal herself in ways she can’t even imagine.  It is an honor and a blessing to collaborate with Cosmic Cowgirls- a wild, authentic, risk-taking group of woman warriors who know what it means to rise up.  This book will be a way to practice trusting ourselves.  A way to imagine life free from the story of abuse.  A way to rise above and beyond the moment when our soul first disappeared.  A way to let go and begin again.

SHE RISES

When she plants a bougainvillea tree outside her door

Because the bursting fuchsia makes her heart sing…she rises.

When she wails, letting out grief that’s been stored for 30 years- a baby’s cry…she rises.

When she says no. And no again. She rises.

When she calls a friend or goes on a walk or breathes or cries or tries….she rises.

She rises when she chooses homemade soup.

When she gets deep rest and massages and takes Chi Kung classes for the first time.

When she reads Eve Ensler, she rises.

When she prays. When she dances.

When she screams and rips up the poem she just wrote and pounds her fists and allows anger…she rises.

When she calls him and says “I remember” in a calm, assertive voice…she rises.

When she lets a trusted friend care for her.

When she looks in the mirror and smiles.

When she believes enough to hope.

She rises.

When she puts her hand on her heart

and notices it’s still beating…

Will beat…

Will mend…

She Rises.

She Rises.

She Rises.

Allison Kenny I am a small business owner.  A mama to two little dogs. An actor, empath, play therapist, expressive artist.  Poet. Wife.  Queen of curried sweet potato soup.  Lover of redwoods.  And yes, a survivor.