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!

Native Flora and Fauna: International Freeform Challenge

This year’s theme for the International Freeform Challenge is native flora and fauna.

So far I’ve designed the NYS official bird, a blue jay, a red cardinal, trees, squirrel, black bear, bison, and  moose. 

I've written patterns for all of these and have tested the red cardinals, black bear and squirrel.

I'm considering adding a beaver, coyote and owl.

Heart Package, Heart Pouch

Valentine's Day, my play niece, and an ad for a class on creating felt pouches led to a new creative series. (Really? does one need a class on that?) I though I would go one better and made heart envelopes/ pouches out of felt, stamped them, layered them, sewed on glass beads and stitched them with delicious Rowan wool cotton yarn.

Then I thought -- why not crochet them. I began by designing intarsia hearts -- one in a rectangle and the other in a graduated flap and then created a textured body. They're about 5" x 3.5" and feel lovely.

Black Bear: Flora and Fauna

The International Freeform Guild holds an annual challenge that results in a book  whose sales are donated to charity. This year's theme is Flora and Fauna.
So thinking about the indigenous and area specific wildlife I might include, I thought about the second largest animal around: black bears. They wander the hills above my home at the edge of this town called a city. They crossed a friend's yard.
I looked at pictures of bears, but one particular drawing gave me the way in to creating this appliqué.

I'm testing the pattern and hope to offer it for sale by the end of the month.
My first finished design of the new year. Happy New Year!

Doily Rug For Outside Front Door

I love swirly whirly designs in doilies, and the radiant, graduate petal looks. On Ravelry I aw a rug that had both the whirling petals and a nice density. The maker said it was from a 1991 book she got from the library. So I Googled 1991 doily books and couldn't find anything that showed a doily like this.

Finally, I chanced it (yes, I'm congenitally shy) and asked her the name of the book.
It was from Crochet Lace in Pictures by Yoko Suzuki.  I saw another project that looked very similar --  up to Row 20 of a pattern by Agnes Russel, Passionate Plum Doily in the book Favorite Throws and Table Toppers.

As my local library is inaccessible to me, I would have to by it or find it.
After hours of Googling and the lure of torrent sites, I found the 1991 book (and no malware or adware) on Scribd. The pattern is an “application exercise”, but so instructive -- it is charted(!)

as now I know how to structure the windmill and it could be made with more or fewer of these arms/petals/blades.

Happy National Crochet Month 2015!

Happy National Crochet Month 

& Welcome to Day 2 of the Crochetville’s 2015 

NatCroMo Designer Blog Tour! 

http://crochetville.com/crochetvilles-2015-natcromo-designer-blog-tour/

The Designer Blog Tour includes:

•  A month-long charity drive to collect hats and raise funds for Halos of Hope, a charity that sends hats to cancer centers around the country 
http://crochetville.com/2015-natcromo-designer-blog-tour-make-hats-for-halos-of-hope/

•  Daily Giveaways: a different prize package valued at up to $25 http://crochetville.com/2015-natcromo-designer-blog-tour-daily-giveaway-schedule/

Halos of Hope, the charity featured for National Crochet Month, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that provides volunteer-crafted hats to cancer centers across the country. Its founder, Pam Haschke, is a survivor of inflammatory breast cancer.  Her experience informs her passion to ensure that cancer patients across the U.S. have access to free, handmade, attractive hats to keep their heads warm while they undergo cancer treatment. Crochetville is collecting hats on theirr behalf during National crochet month.   http://halosofhope.org/guidelines

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Calls for Crochet

100 Women Crochet

Amy Reader seeks crocheted tendrils to install in an art work for her honor’s thesis exhibition at the University of Richmond, VA, USA.

https://100womencrochet.wordpress.com

Her goal is for 100 women to crochet at least one of these wisteria vines and submit them for display in an installation that will be shown in late April. The aim of this project is to showcase the strength and individuality of the women who participate.  The color of yarn and length of the vine are left to the discretion of the participants. Each woman will also submit an index card with their name and hometown on it and the cards will be compiled in a book that will be displayed alongside the installation.  The pieces need to be submitted by April 10, 2015.

Post War Blues

Isabelle Garbani’s Post War Blues addresses the issue of what happens to war innovations after a conflict is over and the possibility of innovating without violence or the threat of violence.

A ribbon of plastic flowers, crocheted and knitted from recycled plastic bags, bursts out of the old train car that sits inside the Brooklyn Army Terminal building. The flowers rise and slowly fall on the tracks in undulating waves, all the way to the end of the building atrium.

This project is a community-based art installation. She invites folks to create the flowers out of used bags  illustrating that in spite of our differences, we can work together and make something meaningful and beautiful for peace.

http://www.crochetchallenge.com/

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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

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

Cat Motif Collection

My collection of cat motifs is 50% for the next week.  I use them, as I use most of my motifs and appliqués to make fabric.  I used them in my freeform Cat Vest.

 To get the discount, use the code NatCroMo 
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/cat-motif-collection

Circle Birds, Little Parker and Chick Webb, Spiral Birds, 

and Zora Birds

These birds formed the fabric for my Bird Bolero. The three patterns are also on sale for the first week of National Crochet Month. To get the discount, use the code NatCroMo:  http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/spiral-birds
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/circle-birds-little-parker--chick-webb
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/zora-birds













Crochet Poetry

I've created a collection of poems on crochet and am now in search of fixed format conversion so it can be read as an ebook.  Along the way,  inspired by Wait Wait Don't Tell Me,  I've also written light verse - limericks.

A striking young woman from Cannes

was able to hook any man

It’s not what it seems

to have the prince of her dreams

she crocheted him according to plan

Crocheting is what we must do

wielding hooks, we find something true

despite piles of objects half done

this is how we have fun

try it, perhaps you will, too.

Akua Lezli Hope

Live long and Prosper!

* Circle Birds collection is free for a few days with the code

Free

Gift-A-Long 2014 Continues! Artesanity Interview

Through the end of the year, join me and 292 other independent designers in Gift-A-Long 2014 on Ravelry.com.  Chat it up in threads, crochet and knit! holiday gifts, and be eligible for many fabulous prizes. The Gift-A-Long extravaganza will last through the end of the year.  It is our gift to you to thank you for supporting Independent Designers!

One of these inventive indies is the bistitchual Annina Päivärinta AKA Artesanity.

How did you first learn to knit/crochet? 

Knit: in 4th grade. I hated it. I remember I made a head wrap and ended up having 1/3 more stitches than when I started :)
Crochet: It was summer I could had been 10 y-o, in the beginning of 90’s coz we had jeans jackets my cousin and me when granny taught us to crochet flowers.

What inspired you to start designing? 

The fact that I wanted something that was not for sale, didn’t exist or was so expensive that I couldn’t afford it. I wanted to do Super Cool things for my friends and family.
And the fact that I can’t follow patterns. I’m too impatient. And coz the creativity has to come out somehow :)

What led you to start designing patterns for sale? 

Greed, the deadly sin. No… It was a lady that interviewed me after I got honorary mentioned in a mittens designing competition. She said “wouldn’t it be nice if this pattern got you rich”. Well yeah! Didn’t happen though. But I am currently putting my bf through university so the little extra I get from patterns sales is really a lot!

What are your favorite knit/crochet books ? 

I don’t have any. If I need to know some stitch or pattern, I google.

What are you working on now? 

A sleeves wrap thingy. I love long and wide sleeves and thumb holes and big collars and this has just that, nothing more nothing less. I hope to go public with it soon, but Christmas is coming and I have a big to-do pile of DIY presents.

Websites/blogs you visit regularly for inspiration or community? 

Ravelry of course for community. Google and eBay for inspiration. I can type in a word and get all these images come up. It’s not like I’m copying other ppl’s designs, I just get inspired from them, it can be a stitch, a detail, color, background anything and then I start to build my design around that detail.

I also watch a lot of movies and tv-series. I’m a sci-fi girl and sometimes that shows in my designs. I’m also a fan of steam punk.

What are your favorite tools? 

Paper and a pen.

What is your favorite stitch? 

K tbl. Somehow I’m fascinated about the different it makes to knit in the back of a stitch.

Do you have a favorite fiber? 

Wool.

Do you have a favorite yarn weight? 

DK or thicker. I’m no lace knitter, it’s an impatient thing.

Do you teach or have you taught knitting/Crochet? 

Nope. I once tried to teach a 6 y-o to knit, it didn’t work out. But I would love to be a teacher! Either in hand crafts or cooking. I have a day job as a cook.

Her Ravelry store is at http://www.ravelry.com/designers/annina-paivarinta

and her FB page is http://www.facebook.com/artesanitarium

Gift-A-Long 2014: 293 Designers 3,822 Patterns on Sale and C/KALs

A rising sea raises all ships and thus in the spirit of mutuality and cooperation 293 independent crochet and knit designers from around the world  have organized
Gift-A-Long 2014.

The Indie Design Gift-A-Long is a 2 month crochet-along/ knit-along of holiday gifts made from patterns designed by a 293 independent designers.

From Thursday, November 13th at 8:00 pm US EST through Friday, November 21, 2014 at 11:59 pm US EST,  these independent designers will each offer a 25% discount on 4 to 20  of their patterns.

Once you’ve selected your Gift-A-Long patterns, you are encouraged to join a relevant KAL/CALon Ravelry.com.  (For instance, if it is a cowl, join the cowl KAL/CAL.) KAL/CAL participants are eligible for lots of lovely prizes.

KAL/CALs will run from Thursday, November 13 at 8pm (US-EST) through the New Years Eve party, Wednesday, December 31 at midnight (US-EST), plenty of time to finish all your holiday knitting and crocheting.  The event includes games, tons of prizes, great conversation, and a lot of fun, so pull up a chair and join us!
For more details: visit.
Here's a map of the designers http://www.zeemaps.com/viewgroup=1192489&x=-95.665000&y=38.555475&z=14
This is the second year of my participation.

Here's a snap shot of 16 of the 20 patterns I am offering for sale: