Come april, tons of photos and a link to my learn to crochet videos!

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Tarot and Rune Cleansing Altar

I decided to take on a more ambitious project by carving and building my own tarot and rune cleansing altar. Prior to that, I also carved my own glass rune set. Now that I have four tarot decks and a hand-made rune set, I wanted to get into the habit of cleansing them after intense readings and long periods where I have not used them.

Since this deck and rune set are new, I wanted to put them through a bit of an initiation to infuse them with power and get acquainted with them. If you would like to find out what the symbols on the altar mean, please refer to http://www.thewitchescollective.com/Correspondences/symbols.html

By the way, I do not consider myself a witch. On to the pictures...




The first cleansing ritual went well, though it was quite windy yesterday. Obviously the element of Wind had something to say.

I chose four coloured candles for each of the four directions North (Green), East (Yellow), South (Red), West (Blue), one White (purification, warding off negative energy, benevolent intention). Purple Incense (encourage psychic power and clairvoyance, reaching out into the energy field for knowledge).




The garden is the best place to perform the cleansing. I sit close to a tree that was planted the same year I was born, so we have basically grown up together. For this reason I was a tad disappointed that I had to sit near the house, as sitting out in the open was too windy to keep the candles alight.


Here is the rune set I made a few weeks ago. I made 25 in all, following the Elder Futhark Rune set. You can find out what each one means here: http://www.therunesite.com/elder-futhark-rune-meanings/




I spent most of the day in the garage with some of dad's tools, carving away at the glass stones until I had 24 (plus one blank one makes 25). They turned out beautifully, and I can't wait to start using them. Have to study the symbolism first though.

Friday, April 17, 2015

Lemniscate Tarot Pouch- Free Pattern!

Hello everyone, I am crafting away again and have a new pattern to share with you! I began learning to read Tarot cards (and now Runes) earlier this year, and decided to make an original pouch for my tarot deck. My new Pattern is called The Lemniscate Tarot Pouch, and is available for free.



Lately I have been obsessing over green-teal-blue-purple colorways, so this yarn was a perfect choice.


Scroll down to find the pattern in full, and make your own original Lemniscate Tarot bag.


Lemniscate Tarot Pouch
An Original Knitting Pattern by Amanda Ward (Delancy Figgin)

I chose the Lemniscate (symbol of infinity) for this tarot bag because I think it is important for all tarot readers to remember that every action- good or bad- has consequences. The quality of the energy we send out into the world through our work will be returned to us.

Notes: 

• If you hate sewing, my apologies! This bag is worked in one long, flat piece with the edges sewn up afterwards to  form a  pouch. There is no reason why you couldn’t work in the round, but I worked flat because I’m a fair-isle  newbie!

• The stitch count for this project is a multiple of 3, so you can add more stitches to make a wider bag. You can always knit  more rows for a longer bag as well.

• Provided you don’t knit too tightly, the bag should have a fair bit of stretch.

• This is my first written knitting pattern, so I apologize for any mistakes or confusion. And yes, I know acrylic yarn  sucks, but I am horribly allergic to wool!

Materials:

• Worsted weight acrylic yarn (2 contrasting colors) I used Red Heart Super Saver in Monet and Black.
• US 8 (5.00mm) straight knitting needles
• Blunt yarn needle for sewing edge seams and weaving in ends
• 24” ribbon or cord for drawstring
• 2 beads (optional)
• Charm (optional)

Gauge: 20 sts x 25 rows = 4”x 4” square

Finished size: Approx. 4. 25” wide x 7.5” long (after sewing seams, unstretched).

This bag holds my 3” x 5” tarot deck.

Abbreviations:

CO = cast on
sts= stitches
K= Knit
P=Purl
Knit 2tog= Knit 2 stitches together at once
Rep= Repeat

Special Stitches:

Bar increase: Using your right hand needle, lift the horizontal strand between two knit stitches onto the left hand needle, and then knit it the same as you would any other knit stitch. (I use this method for eyelets instead of yarn overs, because I find that the holes created by yarn overs are too big and sloppy for drawing the bag shut.)

Seed Stitch:
Row 1) K 1, P 1, across
Row 2) P 1, K 1, across
Rep these two rows for seed stitch

Instructions:

CO 21 sts, leaving a long tail at beginning of work (you will use this to sew up the edge of the bag later.

1) Work 4 rows of seed stitch

2) Eyelet round: K3, (Bar increase 1, K2tog, K1) to last 3 sts, K3. (5 eyelets made)

3) Purl across (21sts)

4) Knit across (21sts)

5) Continue to knit and purl each row until piece measures approx. 11” from CO edge. You should end on a purl side row so you can begin the chart on the knit side.

6) Knit following the chart for 5 rows.

7) Knit 11 more rows, ending on a purl row.

Important Note: At this point fold the piece in half so that it measures approximately 7.5” long, to make sure that the symbol is centered between the top and bottom of the bag.

Knitting results vary from person to person. Please make sure you have worked enough knit rows after the chart so that when the piece is folded in half, the next row (step 8, eyelet row) will line up properly with the first eyelet row made in step 2. If 11 rows make the bag too long, rip back a few rows, if 11 is not long enough, simply knit more. Just make sure you end on a purl row so that you are ready to begin your 2nd eyelet row on the knit side of the piece.

8) Repeat step 2 eyelet round. (5 eyelets made)

9) Work 4 rows of seed stitch

Fasten off, leaving a long tail for sewing the other edge of the bag. Sew up the edges using mattress stitch (which will produce a lovely invisible seam if done properly). Thread the ribbon through the eyelets. Thread a charm (optional onto one end of the ribbon. Thread a bead onto each end of the ribbon, and tie a knot bellow each bead to secure them. Put your tarot cards inside, tie the ribbon in a bow, and let your cards soak up their Karma lesson! 

Chart:


Please contact me if you have any questions, need any help, or find any mistakes, Thanks! 

This pattern is intended for personal use only. (It would be pretty ironic if you did anything underhanded with my pattern, don’t you think?) :P

I hope this pattern helps you create something beautiful and original!