How working on a silk blouse helped me finish the crochet project from 3 years ago

 Sometimes, things come together in unexpected ways. The bag you see on the photos was a travel project from my 2023 trip to Europe. On long flights, in airport waiting rooms, and during numerous train rides my restless hands needed to stay busy. I had this cream Turkish cotton yarn in 2 similar shades because I couldn’t get the same exact one anymore from (now defunct) Joann Fabrics. I saw a picture of a Prada bag made of simple crochet stitched cotton, and I got inspired. I didn’t want to replicate it, however. So I got stuck with an unfinished bag. I just let it sit in my workroom as a reminder that I need to do something about it one day.

Some time later, I was presented with a piece of beautiful silk crepe, cream with a crimson-ish berry print by a designer from Romania. The berries were rowan (рябина) — a favorite tree (bush?) from my childhood; about this tree (bush) my Mom and I used to sing an old folk song. So, I wanted to make a practical garment out of this silk, the one I could wear often. Thus, I came up with the idea of a quarter button down with a removable bow that could also be worn as a sash. The piping came from a silk crepe top that my friend passed onto me for repurposing. Amazingly, the color of that top matched the berries. It was meant to be. The antique buttons came from my collection. 

Last October, traveling to California, I accidentally came upon a yarn shop called Dharma Trading in San Raphael where I got a bag of small balls of yarn of various cotton blends. When I got home, one yarn was again(!) of the exact shade as those berries on the blouse. I needed to do something about that. The ball of yarn was rather small, yet I had that unfinished crochet bag that could use some bright intervention! I was over the Prada idea by then. So, I crocheted the flowers and buds (berries, if you wish) and incorporated them into the bag’s exterior. As you can see, I had to reposition them until the result was visually pleasing to me. The photo on the red mannequin is its latest and final look. 

When my apprentice came for a consultation, she commented that this ensemble would be good for the time of cherry blossoms. True. Maybe, for Valentine’s Day, too. Or any day that’s asking for a bright intervention.