My Contribution to Mandalas for Marinke

In another post I talked about Mandalas for Marinke, a collaborative project that is being organize by Kathryn Vercillo. Her goal is to raise awareness about depression and to honor Wink, a crochet designer who recently took her own life.

I decided to use an unlabeled, vibrant, variegated yarn for my contribution in the hopes of inspiring happiness. Though I know all too well that one can't just simply choose to be happy, especially in the grips of depression, surrounding oneself with beauty and light can take the edge off for a while. I started with one of Marinke's patterns and then branched off and did a bit of freehand to finish my mandala.

If you are interested in participating in the project, keep in mind that your mandala needs to be postmarked by October 15th.

Mandalas for Marinke

So, there's an important event going on in the fiber world right now that I've been too quiet about. Mandalas for Marinke is a project that is being compiled by Kathryn Vercillo of Crochet Concupiscence. Her goal is to raise awareness and support for depression and those who struggle with it. This has all happened in the wake of the suicide of Wink, a crochet personality who struggled with depression. I have struggled with depression myself, so I can deeply appreciate the message behind this collaborative project.

To participate in the project all you need to do is craft one of Wink's crochet mandala designs and then send it to Kathryn. She has recently extended the postmark deadline to October 15th. I will be following suit and crafting a mandala to send as well. Here are all of the details for the project.

If you are out there struggling with depression, you are not alone. Sometimes life can feel overwhelming or even empty. There are people out there who care about you, people who understand, and people who can help. If you are someone who is looking to understand depression so that you can be more helpful to your friends and loved ones, I think that these comics by Allie Brosh are a great place to start.

Seaspray Mandala

If you haven't already gotten in on Attic 24's community mandala project for Yarndale 2014, there's still time! As far as I know Lucy will be accepting mandalas until the end of June. I participated in last year's Yarndale project and had a lot of fun.

Although she has several options available for mandala making, I decided to contribute my own free-hand mandala. No pattern this time, just random crochet fun. I can't wait to send it off to the UK in the next few days. Here's my Seaspray Mandala.

I used Martha Stewart Extra Soft Wool Blend in two colors and a 5mm hook for my mandala. I wanted to pretty it up a bit so I also attached some small pearls by running thin wire through the stitches. The pearls were leftovers from my jewelry making days and I was really happy they got some use.

Community crochet projects are so exciting! I love it when people can share their love of crochet with one another. There are two more upcoming community crochet projects that I'll be writing about soon. Stay tuned!