Happy National Crochet Month 2016

Happy National Crochet Month 

& Welcome to Day 12 of Crochetville’s 

2016 National Crochet Month Designer Blog Tour

This year’s blog tour includes daily visits with crochet designers and daily giveaways:

http://crochetville.com/the-crochet-express-2016-natcromo-blog-tour-daily-giveaway-schedule/

Daily Designer Schedule

http://crochetville.com/2016-national-crochet-month-blog-tour-designer-schedule/

Crochet Friendly Local Yarn Stores

http://crochetville.com/the-crochet-express-2016-natcromo-blog-tour-local-yarn-store-schedule/

Yarn Company Schedule

http://crochetville.com/the-crochet-express-2016-natcromo-blog-tour-yarn-company-schedule/

Party on Ravelry 

For the past several ears, I’ve participated in the Party for National Crochet Month on Ravelry, mainly by joining the FreeForm Crochet-Along, as both participant and designer for a day.  I’ve learned so much over the years from this.  The sharing and camaraderie are amazing.  It’s a joy to have an international brain trust of knowing hands whose efforts, exchanges, and endeavors inspire.

http://www.ravelry.com/groups/party-for-ravelrys-international-crochet-month

Free Patterns for National Crochet Month

It’s been a busy new year for me! I’ve created a number new patterns to use as fabric, appliqués and motifs.

From now until March 31, 2016, my Tiny Circles in Squares and Tiny Circles in Triangles patterns are available for free on Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tiny-circles-in-triangles

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/tiny-circles-in-squares.

 They were created to fill in those small spaces in crochet fabric in an interesting way.

Wishing you all joy in the making!

Square Doily Rug Prototypes

Working with jute is rough and tumble,

i wrestle the fiber into shape, yank and pull it

and often, undo recalcitrant stitches, reshape errant loops. 

like some wools, there is VM -- vegetable matter

and then i remind myself that it is, in and of itself, spun vegetation.

Still, my floor is littered with dark brown, bark-like tags

that I've plucked from the rugged strands,

which i've tugged and rolled

from a 10-pound, pyramidal spool of 3-ply jute.

 

The rugs are approximately 36" square.

Made using L/8mm hook.

Kokeshi Dolls and Pattern Testing

The Kokeshi Doll swap on Ravelry opened a door.

I found the form(http://www.etsy.com/shop/temple7e http://www.amazon.com/Kimmidoll-Japanese-Kokeshi-Doll-Tomomi/dp/B002M0AIXA) and history very interesting



and loved some of the nontraditional interpretations,
like these sold on Etsy:
http://ny-image3.etsy.com//il_fullxfull.113008635.jpg


I spent my time in rehab/hell/exile making dolls and trying to make dolls sculptural
and after seeing some "lady" Kokeshi dolls, I knew I wanted to interpret her as well
as inscribe my approach to this form.

The other patterns I saw were more girl-forms and girlie, a bit too sweet for me:
Crochet:

http://www.suncatchereyes.net/Kokeshi%20Dolls.html
http://www.felt.co.nz/browse/listing/12714/Crochetbury-Kokeshi-Dolls

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/yuuii---amigurumi-kokeshi-doll
Stuffie:
http://www.fionamarie.com/freepatterns/kokeshistuffie.pdf
Knitted
http://flutterbypatch.typepad.co.uk/flutterby_patch/2009/02/japanese-garden.html
(but non traditional as doll is not supposed to have limbs)
Embroidered
http://www.sublimestitching.com/node/3199

then I saw Krokeshi Art Toys
http://janmstore.com/250102.html

and was affirmed. And so Crocheted Lady Kokeshi doll pattern is now being tested by five intrepid volunteers!

And like teaching, pattern writing is a learning experience... it is so hard to say what one did, and for me even to commit to an approach. But I have, for this and it seems the good resulats are replicable. Ahhh replicants.







Hopefully we'll have a sunny day so I can get a decent picture with my aging digital--
the shots here were all taken with my cell phone.

Making Gifts

Doing my taxes plunged me into despair from remembrances of losses suffered last year
and reminders of new disappointments. I earned $403 and paid $145 in fees and spent $1020
on materials. Awful as it was, it was an excellent exercise. I sold more patterns than I did any other creations... so that should be my emphasis.

For holiday gifts I'm giving cowls... mine are more about when a hoodie meets a collar.

I started one using FPDCs on a Lang Joke --- a boucle mix of wool,mohair, acrylic, nylon and elastic-- and a L hook.

I started another using in double strands of brown Shetland Chunky by Patons using a M hook. ( I won this yarn and have fretted for nearly a year on how to use it. This dark almost chocolate brown will make a handsome gift for my DBIL.)

They recommended a J but the single strand seems very much a regular worsted to me, not a bulky and working with the M hook
makes everything a bit looser than I prefer--- but it suits the emerging garment.

This one begins with hdc for 4 rows and then expands with the dc and at one point I add a stitch and then I add a stitch again. I could see how a more pronounced funnel shape would also work.

I'm thinking of buying fingering and worsted to make some others and want another fabric. I did a swatch of sc-dc and like the nubbly texture having used and oversized J with a worsted weight acrylic. Now I don't know how this will translate with a multi
strand on a M/N/P but I'm excited to try. The multistranding is not for bulk or even speed, but for color, loft and a structure I envision...an architectural statement of
warmth. I'm guessing these will all be about 220 yds....

Akua's Daisy

I have learned soooo much on the internet and been comforted by other thread and yarn bearers!
I love flowers and am now working toward another flower pattern collection. I like dimensional
flowers, but am impatient: if a flower takes more than an 90 minutes, it's not for me ( as certain
chrysanthemum patterns do). Anyway I'm delighted to have decoded my improvisation and refined it.

And along the way, I've imprinted my own daisy, as I couldn't find my Daisy patterns.
(I know you all may be thinking, she could just look them up, but once I'm out of the wheelchair,
that's it for awhile and my bed is another worksite with table, hooks, yarns at one side, patterns
notes and tools in a huge canvas bag at the other).

So here's Akua's Daisy

Sl ring, ch1, 5 sc in ring: 5 sc
sc in each sc: 5 sc
sc in each sc: 5 sc
*sl st, ch3, trc, (ch2, sl st: picot), trc, ch3, sl st*, in each sc: 5 petals
Fasten off.


Variation
Sl ring, ch1, 5sc
sc in each sc: 5sc
sc in each sc: 5 sc
*slst, ch3, 2trc, ch3, slst*, in each sc: 5 petals
Fasten off.





Variation
With color A:
Sl ring, ch1, 5 sc
sc in each sc: 5 sc
sc in each sc: 5 sc
sl st to first sc, fasten off.
join Color B in same spot
*sl st, ch3, trc, (ch2, sl st: picot), trc, ch3, sl st*, in each sc: 5 petals
Fasten off.


It's my favorite "fill in" flower for BLOOM.

Flying Bird Pin Crochet Pattern!

The Flying Bird Pin Crochet Pattern is the second in my series of bird patterns.

Using 1/3 skein (approximately 30 yards) of light worsted weight yarn, F hook/3.75mm or equivalent (slightly smaller than recommended for yarn), the Flying Bird's body approx 2.75”, Wings 2.25” Tail 1.5”

The other materials needed are a small amount of fiberfill or other stuffing,
beads, round head pins or shiny black thread or thin yarn for eyes, a pin back, yarn needle and (optional) a small amount of embroidery thread for nose, neck markings, tail markings.

The pattern is available at my Etsy store.

Freeform Fall Flower and Leaf Lariats, Neckwarmers, Garlands

What to call these adornments?
Arranged alliteratively these are Freeform Fall Fiber Flower and Leaf Lariats or scarflettes, neckwarmers, garlands.

I returned again to leaves and decided my flower necklaces could lengthen and loosen and whoa! What fun and excitement!
I was gifted yarn that I made hats and squares for charity( through All Crafts for Charity on yahoo) and realized
that the fall colors worked together.