Unfinished and Unruly Basket Project

This project has a mind of its own, and is currently in the “unfinished” project pile. It was started years ago on my birthday weekend. At that time in my life I had young children and was feeling the need for some “Mom alone time.” I decided to give myself the an unusual birthday gift of allotting the whole weekend for a project. With a trip to the grocery store for a large supply of cereal and easy foods that the kids could fix for themselves done, I now had to pick what project to work on. I decided I wanted the freshness of a new project. A twine weaving project sounded like fun, and I had been given this gorgeous multi colored yarn recently. A small, twine basket would be a fun, relaxing, me-time project for the weekend. The family was told of my plans and the basket was started.  The farther I twined the more it didn’t look like the image I had in my mind’s eye. Upon turning the basket over I discovered it looked more like a turtle shell. It just would not listen to me. This was to be a fun project with no pressure so it you want to be a turtle shell I am done fidgeting, and fusing with you. You have my permission to be a turtle shell. (There I am still in control.) Of course the weekend ended before I could finish a twined turtle so the project was put up.

Upon getting the project back out about a year or so later, I got the wouldn’t it look cool disease and decided to add brass beads to the edges. Adding the beads was a lesson in patience, and a awkward mixing of skills since I had to use a crochet hook and pass the threads through the beads twice. The first pass being doable and the second pass being a “why did I think this was a good idea procedure.” I must admit to really liking the end result though. The designing of bottom of the turtle shell needed to seep in my mind for awhile so the project was put away for a later day.

Time passes and a lot of pictures of turtles have been examined. A few were even printed off. The strands were divided  and about five rows were twined on, starting the bottom of the shell. The thought of I will need to make a turtle for in the shell occurs and the search was on for a thin, brown yarn that would work.  A small skein of a rich, brown, silk blend was bought. Thoughts of the turtle project were interrupted by life, and put off because it is no longer an easy twined basket “we” (Obviously it has some say in the matter.) are designing. If ever finished it will probably either be my lifetime twined masterpiece or a why did I ever think that was possible glob of intertwined yarn. I have thought that if displayed right it kind of takes on a jelly fish look, however it whispers, “Turtle, I want to be and am a turtle. Please help others see me that way too.” So it sits unfinished on the shelf waiting rather impatiently for me to interrupt my life long enough to either finished it or mess it up completely.