a swimming crew...

i spent today enjoying beautiful bluebird weather at the ski hill, where there is also an unbelievable 7 metres (23 feet) of snow! I am feeling spring in the air, but it's still nice to get a little winter in before the close of the snow season next month. when that snow is nice and powdery, it's all the better. what did you do this weekend?



yesterday i went back to the beach in search of more sea lions. unfortunately there weren't any, but i also took some new little creatures down to the shore for a photoshoot. this little harbour seal is made from repurposed wool suiting. he's kind of a shy fellow, but curious as seals tend to be.



a friend of mine is a masters student in biology, focusing on dolphins, and she has suggested i make a pacific white-sided dolphin for quite some time. this little guy turned out to be quite a challenge, and has three failed prototypes preceding him. but in the end i hope i captured a bit of the playfulness of these creatures. this dolphin is made with repurposed denim, with a linen underside that has a hint of shimmer, and featherweight silk gauze patches on his flanks and dorsal fin.



these two also tagged along, my first attempt at a mama and baby set. the grey whales are reappearing off the coast here along their seasonal migration, celebrated this week on the west coast of the island at the pacific rim whale festival, so i've had them on my mind a bit. (as i keep thinking about zooming over the pass to hang out there for the weekend.) this pair is made from repurposed cotton canvas in a deep blue-grey. the mother has lots of scars and barnacles, while the little one has only earned a few so far.



lastly i made a couple more humpback whales to join the crew, one with a blue/grey linen underside and the other with a marbled blue/purple cotton. all of them are currently available in the shop, my little merry band of swimmers. i should be back tomorrow to share some of the other things i found on the beach.

i'm feeling the urge to do some other crafting this week, and i suspect it will be the knitting needles that get picked up first. i have a friend i'm seeing in a couple weeks and i hope to have a soft new hat for her to wear while we are exploring the windy west coast beaches (yes! i am going to the west coast of the island in april!). there is lots of squishy yarn in my basket though, so we'll see what else gets picked up.