DragonFly

I’ve been wanting to make a dragonfly for a long time, so the CAL in the Irish Crochet Group on Ravelry provided just the occasion. 
When they appear in my part of the world,
it’s usually July, so making this is a harbinger of warmth that 
still hasn’t arrived.

I studied this image of their anatomy before creating my design. 

AkuaLezliHope's DragonFly

Underside

AkuaLezliHope's DragonFly

Volumetric, 3-D Leaves From Sheru

Crochet Leaf Pattern 56

https://www.sheruknitting.com/learn-to-crochet/crochet-le...

LOVE love love this, dimensional leaf ---tall stitches and short row Tunisian for shaping….

I fell in love with a new-to-me form. It’s a 3-dimensional/textured, volumetric leaf. Though, when I made some, they bloom into flower forms.

They are only two rows and their cleaver construction suggests an approach that I have to find other uses for…. I’ve done it for a flat leaf -- that is the short row/regular hook stuffed with stitches approach to Tunisian. This volumizes/textures the fabric and done unsupported, lays flat. Also in that flat leaf form, the shape is determined by hand, by graduated strand height pulls. The inexactitude can be annoying -- it is for me. The last strand can be longer than the first, but the ones in-between don’t always have neat increments.

This is the leaf I’m talking about, which when I found it, it also blew my mind at the time: 

I eagerly applied the approach to shell making, to texturizing, to scrumbling, without making the easy leap  to solving the even graduated height increment challenge -- smacking forehead--- I/we’ve used it to make wings and spirals and other things -- graduated stitches. 

This new leaf  So simple -- so these are graduated stitches, with the tunisian overlay and this Voluptuous Fruit form of a leaf emerges-- aI want to try to apply it to a flower. 
Anyway, this is from the brilliant and educative SheruKnitting.com, which has a treasure trove of Russian/Ukranian forms a vocabulary that continues to inspire.

 And there's another one -- simpler, still packs tons of drama! Oval Crochet Leaf 55.

Summer Birthday Sweater Made While Waiting

My fingers craved production, desired yarn flowing through them. I saw an airy  chained creation and thought of  drop stitch crochet and broomstick lace. I ordered a hook from Amazon that arrived after the substitute project was finished and yarn that has yet to arrive from Knitpicks. Instead of what I thought I would make using an airy sportweight, I redirected my urge, grabbed the thick utilitarian  aran weight at hand, sized up the hook and  improvised a summer sweater.  Fits me to a tee and looks lovely.

POETRY HAT

Them Gone, my collection of poetry, debuts in June. The Book Party was a magical occasion on March 28th at 171 Cedar Arts Center. I created the Poet Hat  for the event and wore my Bird Jacket and also created Poet Shoes.

Happy National Crochet Month!

It's been a rough winter for me. I've sent a lot of time in and out of the hospital and doctors's offices. Crochet helped me through it all. It was a comfort to complete new hats and little purses to gift nurses and beloveds.

That I could create while waiting, and in that time when I couldn't sleep -- that there was the wonderful feeling of yarn flowing through my fingers and evolving into new things, was most precious and healing.

So I wish you all joy as you explore the offerings of the other fabulous creators in this tour.

My gift to you is  my heart pouch for free for the next three days if you use the code NCM for National Crochet Month.

 http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/akuas-heart-pouch

GIFT-A-LONG 2016

The Independent Designer Gift-A-Long is an annual event where independent knit and crochet pattern designers have the opportunity to showcase some of their creations and inspire others to make them.  The Gift-A-Long is essentially two events:

A Sale:  Each of the designers has chosen 5 – 20 of their favorite patterns and will offer them at a 25% discount from 8 p.m. Nov 22 – 11:59 Nov 30 EST when you use the code giftalong2016.  There are over 300 designers participating this year which means there are thousands of patterns on sale!

The GAL (gift-a-long):  an opportunity to knit and crochet at the same time with other like-minded crafters and have the chance to win amazing prizes!  ALL patterns created by the participating designers can be made during the GAL, however only the non-free patterns will be eligible for prizes. 

The GAL begins Tuesday November 22, 2016 at 8 pm (EST) and ends December 31, 2016 at 11:59 pm (EST). While you are waiting, make sure you join the Indie Design Gift-A-Long group.  That is where all the chatting, friend-making, showing off of finished projects and prize awarding will take place.

Speaking of prizes … free patterns, pattern books, amazing yarns, yarn and pattern kits, stitch markers, project bags … there are hundreds of prizes this year! I've donated a book, the Crocheter's Companion, beads, crochet hooks and stitch markers.

You may make as many projects as you want.  There will be separate threads for 8 different categories:

• giftalong2016head
• giftalong2016hand
• giftalong2016feet
• giftalong2016kids
• giftalong2016garments
• giftalong2016shawls
• giftalong2016neck
• giftalong2016other

There is even a special prize category you can enter if you complete at least one project in each of the 8 categories listed above.

There will be more information appearing in the official Ravelry group as we get closer to the start date.

2016 International FreeForm Arts Guild Challenge

My work, for the 2016 International FreeForm Arts Guild Challenge — Flora and Fauna — is published.

You can see my, and the other artists' work that is included in the book here:

http://freeformfiberart.blogspot.co.nz/2016/06/2016-akua-lezli-hope.html