I don't know if I've mentioned it here, but I love doing custom work. I'm inspired by the exchange of energy that comes from hearing what someone wants and bringing it to life. My latest commission came from a dream customer, one who is as excited about handmade magic as I am. She wanted a representation of Persephone. She shared a lot of ideas, but ultimately gave me permission to do what felt right. (She was also extremely patient when I had to move house in the middle of working on her goddess, and encouraged me to take care of business at home and finish the goddess when I got settled. Like I said, dream customer.)
The yarn I chose was Madeline Tosh DK in the colorway "Fathom." Mad Tosh yarns are dreamy to work with, and I love that they're hand-dyed in small batches in the U.S., and that the business started out as one woman's Etsy shop and has grown into something wonderful.
The customer wanted daisies, and a circlet with a light stone and a dark one to represent Persephone's dual nature, spending half the year in the underworld and half the year above ground. I chose black tourmaline and citrine. (Though in photos the black tourmaline is, admittedly, difficult to see.)
She also wanted Maidenhair Fern. There are a few different varieties of Maidenhair, so I took my inspiration from the one that grows here in the Pacific Northwest. I especially love the way the plant grows in a spiral, which seems so fitting for a goddess with such a cyclical nature. And, of course, she wanted a pomegranate, and I created mine split open to reveal the six seeds (represented by tiny garnet beads) that tied Persephone to the underworld for six months of the year.
Of course, I can't seem to create anything without including at least a few spirals. I used a combination of two colors of embroidery floss and remnants of another skein of Madeline Tosh from a previous project. Multiple shades of the same color gave welcome depth to the stitching.
This little lady is on her way to Canada with two other goddesses and a talisman from my shop. I'm so pleased they're going to someone who will love them as much as I do.
If you want a goddess of your own, you can purchase one from my shop, contact me for a custom order, or purchase my pattern from Hagstone Publishing's website, Etsy shop, or Ravelry store and knit one for yourself.
