Spirals and Paisleys

The International FreeForm Group on Ravelry is holding a C/KAL on spirals and paisleys. I'm designer for the week beginning 7/7 and I created two new motifs
for the occasion.

The Cat Spiral pattern is available at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cat-spiral and the Lezli Paisley is available at http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lezli-paisley.

Stumbling Into Discovery: Venetian Lace

Looking at one thing led to another, and a site where motifs  and their symbol charts were displayed: http://www.otiskyprstu.ic.cz/minidecky.htm

One in particular caught my fancy and I made it as part of my do-something-daily for National Crochet Month and the Party , Crochet Along (CAL) in Freeform (FF) at Ravelry.

Seems it caught the eye of another crocheter, too.
http://gmaellenscraftycorner.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/crochet-diagrams-i-figured-this-one-out-now-what-to-do/

When I shared my effort, a couple of partygoers mentioned Venetian Lace.  Knowing an opportunity to learn when I see one, I did another google surf of images and saw what I would describe as file squares framed by picoted arches. I had tried picot arches last year, after becoming infatuated with them last year from a Duplet magazine.

Here’s a link to an about.com article from 1999 that tells you how, step by step, to make Venetian Crochet: Patterns For 1915 Motif, Collar and Lace Edging

http://crochet.about.com/library/n061999.htm.  The modern directions give you clues, but it still goes astray in terms of sequence of events.  I gave up on the sequence as written ,and made the loops, then covered them, using this process for both levels and made a Venetian Square:

 Loren Gaggini, one of the wonderful creators on Ravelry, very kindly shared this gorgeous image of a piece made by a family member. 

She writes "It was cool to see an (almost) duplicate in the magazine: Crochet Traditions, Fall 2012, p. 48-49 titled “A Vintage Venetian Border”. The article is not credited but the source of the original pattern is: “An Embroidered Teacloth, with Border in Venetian Crochet” by Anna Hapgood, originally appearing in the December 1916 issue of Needlecraft Magazine. Whitney Dorband is credited with crocheting the sample in the photo on p. 48"

Of Elephants and Inspiration

There is a National Crochet Month Party going on at Ravelry and I've been partying.
This has meant  several low-sleep nights and lots of time on the net, looking, pinning new discoveries on my Crochet Inspirations Pinterest board, chatting with  crocheters I haven't written since last year's blow out.  It's like an artist's retreat
without the physical relocation. But in the same way that the right poetry prompt  seeds your next unfolding and the doing it with others fuels creating, as does the dialyness of effort, well there are all the ingredients for new growth and learning spurt.

Last year yielded so much work that still needs to be finished. This year promises more of the same.

The prompt was to look up from your computer and  consider what you see. Above me is an elephant that my younger brother sent me. He remembered me and I was so deeply touched that in a time when most have abandoned me, he hasn't. So it is both what it is, an evocation of creatures that I admire, and an embrace.  

I collect elephants and he's the first person in my life to ever give me one ( and since getting her, someone else has given me several).

She is covered in leaves, so I looked for a leaf like those on her. It was an opportunity to try some patterns. And then I made several elephant heads. 
Then I worked on a pattern which I've named Elephant Love: 

60% of this pattern's sales will go to Elephant Conservation, because these beautiful beings are under threat.

April! March Reverberates. Duplet Inspires!

The International FreeForm Crochet Along and my preparation for the international freeform association's annual challenge continues to keep me hopping.

I had hoped to post my progress on the NatCroMo experience here-- but I was too deeply immersed. If you would like to see pictures of the experience they're here on my Ravelry project page.

 I am still drinking deep of the crochet elixir that is Duplet magazine.

Here's my latest deciphering, that i just realized is not 100% what was written, so
I intend to make another. It's show with an E hook and Worsted weight yarn.
Just what a leaf lover like me enjoys!

Square Single Crochet Cord

Square Single Crochet Cord

Chain 4
3 sc in first chain
turning clockwise, front post sc around ch3, then first sc, then second sc, then third sc,
continue to fpsc.