Crocheting with Wire

My first attempt at combining crochet and jewelry-making. It's actually harder than I thought it would be!! Planning to practice, practice, and practice some more, with different gauges and hook sizes. This is a ring made of crocheted 26g wire, the ring is size 8.

Lupa, the she-wolf

I've been reading a lot of mythical novels and I found the story of the founding of Rome very interesting. I made this bracelet based on Lupa:

(see shop listing here!)

The story begins with two brothers, Numitor and Amulius, and a typical power struggle in which Amulius kills his brother, his nephews, and bans his niece Rhea Silvia from having any children (thus eliminating possible throne succession aside from his own heirs). Rhea Silvia was sent to become a Vestal Virgin, but ends up pregnant anyway (father was said to be Mars or Hercules). She gives birth to twins, Romulus and Remus. Amulius orders Rhea to be killed, for defying her vows as a Vestal Virgin (then, punishable by death). Amulius also orders the twins to be killed but the servant instructed to do the deed could not do it and instead, left the babies in a basket on the banks of the Tiber river. Lupa, the she-wolf, finds the babies and suckles them. Eventually, a shepherd comes across the boys, takes them in a.nd raises them with his family. They grow up as shepherds and natural leaders and were eventually told of their true identities. Remus and Romulus deposes Amulius and restores Numitor back to the throne. (It doesn't end there). The men decides to build a city of their own, but each had his own preferred location. Through yet more power struggles, Remus was killed. Romulus ends up naming the city, Rome, and goes on the create his legions and senate.

Anyway, I wanted to share, because I love antiquities. And this statue of Lupa suckling the boys became an iconic representation of the founding of the city of Rome.

It's Fall!

I love fall, autumn, harvest season! This pair of earrings is a statement of that. The leaves and chain are antiqued copper, and on the chain hang three Swarovski crystals in olive green, red siam, and golden topaz. These are colors I associate with fall. Although we don't see a lot of these color changes in California, where I currently reside, I do remember how beautiful they were in Virginia.