Tag Archives: Summer

Imagical Seasons- A Success! A Giveaway!

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ScannedImageI always find it fun, the way that crochet can be worked in so many different ways and still come together to create something that makes you say “WOW!”

The designs in Alla Koval’s latest books, Imagical Seasons- Spring & Imagical Seasons- Summer are no exception. Alla has won awards for her designs in the Crochet Guild of America annual Design contest, and having seen her work in person I can tell you that photos just don’t do them justice. She uses creative construction techniques and fun stitch placement to make her designs shine. Summer Tropicale Cover01

If you want to check out Alla’s designs for yourself, I am fortunate enough to be able to give away both of her new books, 1 to each of 2 lucky winners! The Imagical Seasons- Spring will go to the first, and the Imagical Seasons- Summer will go to the second. All you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post by the end of the day, Wednesday, August 26, 2015 and the winners will be randomly selected the following day and announced on Twitter and my Facebook page. Spring Parfait Bolero03

New Designs for the Beach!

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ScannedImageIt seems like it has been a while….but I have a couple of new patterns released! These have a “beachy” theme and were inspired from a conversation.

By friend Vashti Braha, of Designing Vashti, was pulling together everything it takes to do a booth at the annual conference for the Crochet Guild of America, the Knit & Crochet Show, in San Diego, California. She began her own yarn line Designing Vashti Lotus Yarn just about a year ago, and was eager to take on this new challenge.(If you want my thoughts on this yarn, you can find it here.) While we were chatting about the booth Vashti expressed how she would love to have some beach like items available in the booth, it sparked some ideas and now here they are!

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Sun Twirl Cover Up

The Sun Twirl Cover Up is worked up as a simple square of filet crochet and has minimal seaming, creating a fast and fun cover up for a day at the beach or time beside the pool. It is written for sizes S-2XL, and the Lotus yarn is great with it. The color is bold and the yarn has just the right amount of cotton to make it comfortable, while the rayon adds some drape and shine. The swirl pattern is one that I have played with for a long time. This top has actually been in my mind, finding a way to be created, and fortunately the opportunity was presented. I like the swish of the lines as it helps to flatter many body types and shapes. This pattern is currently available on Ravelry for $3.00.

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Quick Outing Bag

What beach ware is complete without a bag? This Quick Outing Bag is another fast work up that has nice stretch, but not too much. It has a slight color play with some spike stitches, and it really lightweight. It can squish down to a small ball, yet can hold a couple of beach towels. So, in other words, it stores away well when not in use. It is also available on Ravelry for $3.00. 

So while summer still has a grip on the weather, whip up one for yourself.

Mid Year Gifts! An Accessory Give Away!

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ScannedImageA few weeks back I attended the TNNA (The National Needle Arts Association) Summer Trade Show, in Columbus, Ohio.

It is always a whirlwind to see all the new yarns and products, catch up with friends, make new connections and attempt to find business opportunities. There are 2 trade shows a year, the Winter show, and the Summer show; this was my first attendance at the Summer show, and only my second time in attendance at any actual trade show.

At the show, I was fortunate to be invited to attend the “Marly Bird Designer Dinner”. Marly Bird is a well know podcaster, talented designer, industry leader, as well as a very kind and generous person. She has organized a dinner event outside of the TNNA framework that brings designers together with other parts of the industry; such as yarn companies, product innovators and developers, and publishers, to name a few. I will admit, even if I only attended the Marly Bird Dinner, the entire trip would have been worth it. There were so many different people there, and it helped bring into focus a larger picture of the industry. Often in designing or teaching, it is easy to forget just how large and diverse the industry in which I work is.

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Items in a Give Away! Susan Bates Mini Knit Klips, Eucalan Wrapture, Chic-a Gadget Tray, Bar-Maid Lo-Lo Lov Lotion bar, & an Erin Land project bag

One of the craziest things from this dinner is the gift bag. I came home with enough yarns to sample and accessories to play with, that I have enough to share! So I have a small give away today, and more to follow in following posts.

Today, I want to share with you some fun accessories that I have played with. First there is a small Erin Lane Bag. It is perfect for holding a small project, about 1 ball. It has a draw string closure, but one of the things I really like is the snap loop, that allows be to thread the loop through anything (I usually find my pants belt loop), and snap it shut. It stays right where you put it, but will still let the yarn feed. It is really practical, and fun with the brilliant fabric choices. Now a little secret….I may have shared this is posts past, but I have never really used projects bags, my traveling work has endured plastic grocery bags for the most part, so this is a really change for me. Not only do I look a little more put together, my yarn does not roll around and become a tangled mess. I do enjoy this bag.

Another fun item is a Gadget Tray from Chic-a. This little tray is genius. It completely folds flat (which I was so grateful for on my flight home, as I had so much to bring home) and has snaps in the corners to bring up the edges and is durable. This is easily a life saver on the table that sits next to my “crochet spot”. Usually that little table gets covered with everything; notes, safety pins, stitch markers, yarn needles, tape measures. Of course they always hid under the TV remotes, the mail I just opened or the yarn that I had an idea for, so when I need them they can become difficult to find, but this tray is helping.

I am also enjoying a bottle of Eucalna Wrapture. It is a no rinse wash, which smells lovely. I know many people that insist on blocking their projects in the solution, as it is gentle on the yarn, and leaves everything so fresh and clean. It also works well with lingerie and baby cloths.

I must say that the Lo-Lo Lov lotion bar from Bar-Maids was another great surprise. It definitely softens the hands, and makes a long day of stitching feel great, while having a greatly nice scent. This is one that I will definitely be ordering more of, as I find it can be quite addicting.

The last accessory I will discuss today is the Mini Knit Klips by Susan Bates. They look like little hair clips, but instead of one “tooth” that fits into a hole on the opposite side. Easily used as a stitch marker, or to hold pieces together when seaming. Little handy things, that I am sure will endear themselves to me in other ways the longer I work with them.

Now, these 5 little must haves can be yours too. I will give away a set of all 5 items to 1 lucky reader. All you have to do is leave a comment, tell me what accessory or accessories you enjoy best, even it is like the long time side of me, and it is a plastic grocery bag. A winner will be chosen at random from all comments left on or before July 12, 2015, and will be announced via my Facebook page and Twitter the following day.

Not All Color Is Created Equal In My Eye

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ScannedImageSummer creates a time of adjustment in my household. Our routine is thrown upend…okay, my routine is thrown upend. With the children home from school, it seems that their lists of activities and events occur daily, and leaves me to working in smaller spurts of time, except for when the sun finally dims and I convince them to go to bed.

So it might seem odd that I sometimes find great insight in my work during this time, but today proved to be one of those days. As I drove my kids to yet another outing, I was looking at the colors upon the land scape, and my reaction to colors of yarn came into focus.range-68838__180

There are certain colors that have never held much inspiration for me, there are definitely some other colors that just sing new ideas for me, and today I understood why that is true for some.

I will admit, I am picking about green. I like what I describe as happy and cheerful greens, greens with a little touch of yellow, greens that are bright. Greens that lean more olive, greens with a blue/gray tinge, green with a reddish brown underlay have never piquet my interest. If I am completely honest with myself, they make me a little uncomfortable, and today I understood why. They remind me of colors of certain pine and live oak trees that flourish in the area I have grown up and live.

Now there is nothing wrong with these trees, however when I think of the colors, it can remind me of hot, yes I mean hot, the dry hot of California summers. They remind me of afternoons that I spent as a child helping my family gather firewood for summer, or find missing cows in the rural foothills, or simply times I spent outside to avoid my younger siblings. The colors remind me of the trees that I sought shade, which never seemed to cool. Of the prickly nature of the live oak leaves, and the tall dead grass that would stick to my sweat socked legs. Unfortunately these colors never were ones that I associated with comfort.

I hope that by finding and understanding the association I have with these greens, it might help me to find a new relationship with them. I believe that the colors we love, or dislike, have some associations that cause us to feel the way we do…so know why am I so drawn to blue?

 

Creating Some Fun Memories for Summer!

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ScannedImageSo with June finally upon us, dreams of warm weather and vacations dance within our minds, at least for the most part.

 

My design and article in the Summer 2015 issue of Crochet! Magazine, about Yarn Dyeing with Kool-Aid will definitely foster new summer memories!

 

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Easy & Bright Market Bag Photo Courtesy of Annie’s

With simply water, wool yarn, Kool-Aid packets, vinegar, and a little heat, you can create fun moments with children and custom yarn to create your own projects. Speaking of projects, my Easy & Bright Market Bag is designed for beginners, and allows you to highlight the yarn that you created in the article! If you choose to forgo the dyeing, this bag can be created with any yarn and then accompany you to the farmers market, the beach, and the kids’ sports games.

 

If you want to take a look at Dyeing Yarn with Easter Egg Dyes, check out the post I did a while back, it makes for some fun too!