Thinking outside the crochet circle!

Images from http://www.imrevolting.net/?p=3831

My friend Lydia brought this fabulous doily rug to my attention. I think it is so great!! I really like how the old doily has been made into something new and functional. I think that it is such a shame that we are losing the skill of creating handicrafts. When I was in Venice at the beginning of the year I went to a lace house, where a Venetian lady spoke about how handmade lace in Venice is now subsidised by the government because it is so expensive to make and there are very few people who are able to produce the quantity and quality which Venice is so famous for. This is one of the reasons that I have chosen to use crocheted elements in my collection because I feel that it is so important firstly learn these new skills but also to apply a modern twist to make them relevant again.