More needle felting and knitting up on Etsy

Here are two new listings for my Etsy shop, Artnest. One is a needle felted pin in the shape of a house with embroidery and seed beads. The other is a hand knit scarf with fabulous colors which are good for chasing away the winter blues.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/artnestbydiane

Needle felted pin with hand dyed silk and beads

Hand knit ribbed scarf

Looking for a new direction

I'm wrestling with the winter doldrums...it's a combination of cold and gray with a large dose of frustration at being unable to find a job. It is hard to see the bright side of the inevitable swing of the pendulum...surely the sun will come out again, I'll be able to pay the mortgage and all will be well with the world. ... right?

Some antidotes: draw and paint in my journal everyday.
Dance at least once a week.
Plan a trip for something to look forward to.

Any other suggestions?

Needle Felting: Roving and Hand Dyed Silk

It's been really cold and foggy in Seattle for the last five days. I've been battling the dreariness with color! Coral and Turquoise have been the basis of my color palette and roving, hand dyed silk and beads have been my materials.

I wanted to experiment with dyeing very lightweight silk and used ColorHue dyes which are used in cold water and don't require heat setting. Very simple but you can get some great results.

The roving was already dyed and has great subtleties of color in each bunch.
Here are the results of my experiments.

Coral Roving with silk and embroidered french knots

Turquoise Roving with stitched orange line

Turquoise roving with silk and stitched lines.

Needle felted turquoise roving, hand dyed silk and beads.

Freeform Crochet Neck Garlands

I've been making neck garlands out of fabric scraps and yarn by crocheting in a freeform style. It's fun and addictive. Here are some of the garlands now appearing in my etsy shop.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/119708294/crochet-upcycled-neck-garland-scarf?ref=v1_other_2

They also look great hanging over a window. What do you think of them?