"I have created a deep purple batt with flicks of green and deep red. I wanted this batt to have a lot of depth in it and pops of color that you wouldn't see from just looking at it. I pictured a beautiful black woman with a braids and beads in her hair with lavender clothing and all of her spell books on a shelf. She is mysterious and catching on all levels. She is more than what meets the eye, just like this batt. I have also dyed matching Mashum locks to go with this beautiful batt. I love the combo of deep purple with a striking green that jumps out at you. I have dyed various shades of green on bamboo, faux cashmere, cotton nepps and silk. That creates texture within the merino roving when you are looking at it as well as when you spin this batt."

The "Reply Hazy" sweater was actually my first ever knit sweater AND intarsia project. Go big, or go home, right? Though I don't have a full-out graded pattern for you all, I do have both charts available for free below! I recommend working the charts on size 7 or smaller needles so that the gauge of them will fit onto a sweater. As for the words shown on the triangle side, I cut out and hand stitched wool felt directly onto the fabric! You can do this, duplicate stitch embroidery, or more intarsia to get the look!

Amanda Solomon  is a fiber artist that resides part time in the city and part time in the hills of the Catskills. Amanda is both a spinner, farmer and mentor that takes inspiration from music, adventures and her history. Find her on her website  or  Instagram
Brandon Fierman is a fiberartist and student of graphic design at FIT. Find him on  Instagram
Quayln Stark has established himself as a strong presence in the fiber arts scene, designing for many companies within the fiber arts field. Unique shaping and outlandish concepts help Quayln to push the boundaries of what it means to be a fiber arts designer in the social age. The mission statement of his design house, QUOE, has always been to “Break The Status”, and as such, embraces everyone who isn’t scared to step outside the established perimeters of crafting, art, and fashion. Follow what Quayln is up to next on his Blog | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Ravelry​​

Hello everyone! A while back, I had the idea of making a zine which curated submissions from some of my absolute favorite fiber artists. These submissions encompass all mediums, including art, poetry, patterns, and essays. I reached out to some of my amazingly talented friends with the theme of "Fortune", and they created amazing pieces! Sadly, at the time many unexpected life events played out, and I've never been able to showcase these pieces in a zine form as anticipated. However, it would be a tragedy for these pieces to go to waste, and as such I have decided to do a series of blog posts this month to publish the beautiful and inspiring work sent back to me! Tune in each Saturday this month to view all the amazing submissions from my fiber arts friends! If you enjoyed their work, please show your appreciation by staying up to date with them on their linked social medias. With all that said, please enjoy today's submissions from artists YarnGirlLiv, Adémígua Wittstock, and myself.

What does fortune mean to you? What images come into your mind when someone
wishes you good fortune? Do you think of stacks of money, yachts, and luxury cars?
That’s a great definition of the word fortune, but it is an incomplete definition.
There can be emptiness in both poverty and financial wealth, but there can be
fullness in both ends of the spectrum. How can we discover that beautiful richness
in life, no matter where we are on the financial spectrum?
​
We create it! We create the fullness and richness with our every thought and our
every word we utter. It’s like magic. My mother used to wake my siblings and me at
4 a.m. every morning for our mantras, prayers, and alter time. Of course, like most
kids, I didn’t appreciate it then because I didn’t understand the power in it.
Masaru Emoto’s research, the power of words on the formation of ice crystals is a
beautiful example of this in a physical representation. I encourage you to research
further into his work if you aren’t familiar with it. In a nutshell, the water that was
exposed to positive, uplifting words formed into beautiful crystals, and the water
exposed to negativity or ignored, formed ugly imbalanced formations.

What kind of thoughts and words do we express on a daily basis? Are we talking or
thinking about the things we hate? Or are we wishing people well on their journey?
Since I’ve been exposed to the practices of mantras and prayers from an early age, it
comes naturally to me. Before I begin a creative process that will have an impact on
others, I feel myself shift into a certain headspace and I begin to hear the mantras/
prayers that I need to focus on for this particular creation. I’m intentional with
everything that extends to others, whether I’m cooking food that will nourish my
family’s bodies, or creating a garment that someone will be wearing. I want the
energy of what I’m creating to create fortune for those I’m serving. I want the
garment I create for someone to make them feel amazing and empowered when they
wear it, so I infuse it with delicious energy and high vibes!

So, how can we incorporate some positive fortune-creating intentions into our daily
routine? Our fortune comes from the care and love that we put into ourselves. If
the water that received the positive words formed such beautiful formations and we
are composed of 60% water, how amazing that we can create fortune in our own
lives by how we treat ourselves with our thoughts and words. There have been
volumes written on this topic, but I want to give you just a few seeds to plant in your
own life to help you create fortune in your daily lives.

Body
Let’s start with a basic need that we all do on a daily basis – our bathing or
showering routine. How do you take care of and nurture yourself with the simple act
of bathing? Could you incorporate more self-care into it? The shower or bathing time
at the end of the day could be turned into a beautiful ritual of not only cleansing, but
nourishing after. The mood in the bathroom could be softened with some candles,
essential oils, or even fresh flowers in the tub. If it’s been an especially hard day you
can incorporate salts or even ground coffee to scrub the day off, both physically and
energetically. After you’re cleansed, spending time to nourish yourself with essential
oils is a beautiful touch. Rose oil can be used to infuse more self-love and sweet
almond oil is not only used in money draw spells, but is also very nourishing to the
skin. We could all use a bit of extra sweetness in our lives, right?

Mind
Meditation is a beautiful way to cleanse the mind on a daily basis to create a space
where fortune would like to reside. I’m not talking about meditation from a
standard, one size fits all, perspective though. Meditation can simply be a state of
awareness and observance while you take your morning walk, observing the
flowers, trees, and even the traffic. Meditation could mean sitting and listening to a
nice piece of music that invokes a release for you.

As a child, I resisted the chants and mantras my mother taught me and chose to do
walking meditations, where I would walk a straight line and count my steps. That
worked for me as a child. When I got older different mantras resonated with me and
I began to use them. The mantra I still use today is “I am…I am.” It’s very simple but
is a powerful tool to connect the mind to its true nature. Try different mantras,
affirmations, sayings, and meditative techniques to find what works best for you.
One very special prayer my grandmother used was “I am grateful to be in the right
place, at the right time, with the right people, for the right reason, right now!”. The
key is to bring your mind to center, to use the mind as a tool to create fortune for
yourself and others. There is power in our words. Each utterance is a vibration that
will bring failure or fortune. What thoughts and words are you using to shape your
space?

Spirit
The spiritual aspect that I want to touch on today is feeding your spirit in service to
others. It could be as simple as making cookies for your neighbor, or if you’re
shoveling snow in your driveway, shoveling for your neighbor at the same time.
You might take food to the homeless man on the corner, or knit him a hat when the
weather gets cold. All of this is feeding your spirit because as we know when we
give to others, we are giving to ourselves. Giving to others does not leave you with
less. There's enough room for all of us.

What will you do differently in your day today? Will you be more intentional with
your thoughts and words as you create for others? Will you choose to incorporate
some nourishing self-care habits into your day? How will you love and care for
yourself to create fortune in your life and expand that to others? Sending you love and good fortune from me to you as a start!

YarnGirlLiv is a crochet artist. She's mostly nomadic, but has a home base in upstate New York. When she's not crocheting she's usually traveling and going on adventures or spending time with her family. Find her on Instagram, Patreon, or Etsy

Adémı́gua Wittstock is a fiber artist, circus performer, and priestess to Obatala in the Lucumi tradition. She comes from a family of witches and artists and uses her knowledge of  occult, fine, and performance art to help others and spread the message of self-care and healing. She is the owner of Prema Witch handmade, a company selling handmade items and fiber supplies. She also is a co-host of the Triple Goddess  Retreat, a retreat centered around providing healing for women through dance, art,  tattooing, and energy work. Find her on Instagram at Prema Witch 

Quayln Stark has established himself as a strong presence in the fiber arts scene, designing for many companies within the fiber arts field. Unique shaping and outlandish concepts help Quayln to push the boundaries of what it means to be a fiber arts designer in the social age. The mission statement of his design house, QUOE, has always been to “Break The Status”, and as such, embraces everyone who isn’t scared to step outside the established perimeters of crafting, art, and fashion. Follow what Quayln is up to next on his Blog | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Ravelry​

​Follow what Quayln is up to next on his Blog | Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Ravelry

It is with a heavy heart that I bring you this blog. My Abuela, Yolanda Olguin, passed away earlier this month. This has been a devastating blow to myself and my family, as she was our family's rock. She will be missed tremendously, and I want to say a sincere thank you for the well wishes that have been sent to me and my family during this trying time. Over my extended stay in Odessa last summer, I had many amazing days with my grandma. I will be eternally grateful I was given that time. One of those days, my grandmother and I worked on a special spur-of-the-moment project. I've named this vase cover Las Alabanzas de Yoli.

My grandmother was a true creative and enjoyed many hobbies including floral arrangement. Together, she and I created this piece as a representation of our two creative outlets together. For her part, my grandmother selected and arranged the flowers. For mine, I knit the vase cover. This pattern wasn’t intended to be released, but I have decided to publish it to honor her memory and legacy. My work and style have always and will continue to be influenced by my Grandma Yoli. To Grandma; this is for you, thank you for all you have taught me. I’m only just getting started down this road, and a part of you will forever be with me as I travel it. Like you said; atras del miedo esta el dinero. Te amo mucho, Yoli. ​

These patches have been created as a way to show your stance on the current happenings of the world. Breonna Taylor, and everyone effected by police brutality deserve justice. The charts to create these patches will remain free in perpetuity. In lieu of payment, please consider donating to the Louisville Community Bail Fund, or similar funds to assist jailed protesters near you. For the patches themselves, I recommend 14 count Aida fabric and heavy weight floss, or fingering weight yarn. Look for a tutorial for finishing patches from me in the coming weeks. Stay safe, and stay activated.