Last week was hectic, so there was no Cultural Parallels article yesterday. In fact, I’ve decided to publish that particular segment on a biweekly basis for the rest of the year. I may choose to revert to a weekly schedule in 2016, though. I can’t believe it’s almost October!

Now that my sister’s birthday has passed, I can share some of what I’ve been working on lately.

As I mentioned in my greeting cards post, I love designing personalized envelopes even when they’re store-bought. This year, for my sister’s twenty-second birthday, I drew lipstick, mascara, nail polish, eyeliner, and lip liner on the envelope. Some of the curves ended up a little wonky after I inked the lines, but that’s down to nerves. More important, I learned that premade envelopes come with a waxy finish that repels watercolor paint. In hindsight, I probably should have foreseen that, but oh well. Now I know.

Part of my gift to my sister this year was a pair of crochet boot cuffs. These were the first human-size garments I’ve crocheted, and I’m proud of the outcome. I taught myself how to sew earlier this year by stitching together a little bunny I designed. After I finished embroidering his hypnotized little gap-toothed face, I used him as a model to create tiny crochet outfits.

To date, I’ve made him a buttoned shawl, leg warmers, and an infinity scarf. I started working on a hood a while ago, but abandoned the project when I couldn’t decide whether to turn it into a hooded cape or a hooded scarf. Today, I bought a few new skeins of bulky yarn and a larger crochet hook, and I’m planning on crocheting a human-size scarf now that I have the hang of working in the round. Once I finish, I’ll post the result here.