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If you haven’t already checked it out, week before last I contributed a spooky, tacky, pattern and story for the CRAFT pattern podcast. You can go here to download the pdf. I played around with telling a story to go along with the pattern. I hope to do some more things like that because I have a head full of imagined creatures with stories that need to be told.
One morning I sat at our table prepping the Triplets for a photo shoot, sticking a curved needle through their heads to run thread for hanging and posing… Rob was sitting beside me eating his breakfast and jumped a little at the sound of a needle piercing a rubbery dolly scalp. He gasped and looked a tad spooked. That’s my kind of Halloween fun:)
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The fall issue of Knitscene is headed to your newsstand if it isn’t already there. There isn’t much crochet in it. My scarf and a flaming bowling ball bag by Regina Rioux Gonzalez. There are some lovely knitted sweaters and the photography is nice. Will have to make note to self to nudge them to have more crochet next time!
This is the same little scarf that appeared in my photo-a-day run last March.
There’s certainly more to chat about. It’s been a busy and very social month. Several good friends are moving away this summer, all moving on to new and exciting adventures. There’s a wedding this weekend too. You’ll hear more from me about that, I’m currently enjoying watching the stain of my first ever mehndi deepen and can’t wait to wear my new sari to the beach side ceremony. Lots of pictures on the way!
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Look what landed in my mailbox today!
The July/August Issue of Crochet Today includes my pattern for a sweet, quick, and fun to work up stole/capelet, the “Rolling Waves Stole”. For all ya’ll recently entranced by ripple patterns, it’s a fun stitch pattern that flies off the hook once you get the hang.
There was a slight difference of vision in this case, the powers that be at the magazine added some length and a border. That’s how the cookie crumbles and I’m not displeased with the outcome of combining my whim with their needs. Because we don’t get to keep the samples, I still need to finish up my own to wear to a beach side wedding in a few weeks. The one (or two I might whip an extra up in a different color) I make for my own use will be a tad different. I promise to share pictures and input on taking a pattern and changing it up to make it your own.
I also want to note that I really enjoyed working with Moda Dea Fashionista to make this piece. It’s a nice acrylic yarn with an almost chenille sort of texture. Well, chenille-like in the richness of the colors and the look of the texture. Without the worming and chenille weirdness! It works up nice and soft and light with just the right amount of cozy warmth for a light wrap. I bet worked in a tighter gauge it could make a great granny motif bag…
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Remember the Doughnut Day a few months back? The tamest of the doughnuts and a lace bangle I made are now available in the new issue of Crochet Today for your own doughnut bracelet making pleasure….
These babies are kinda silly, but silly is fun and life needs more of both. Padding your bangles with some crochet takes away that incessant clanging noise and removes any fear that broad arm gestures might land a sturdy bangle in the face of a loved one. Well, if it does land in the face of a loved one via flying off or manic arm gesturing-thwapping in face while armed with said bangle the blow will be cushioned…
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Breaking from the mold of photos being froma specific date, I’m posting one from last fall because this just came out!
You’ve already seen pictures of the bag here. And it’s predecessor here. And you’ll be hearing more about it later. I’ll be telling you all about every step of making these bags.
This is the “Versatile Wrap Top”. Wear it wrapped in back, wrapped in front. Wrapped snug or drapey and slouchey. Wear it open like a vest… the list goes on. And yeah, there are stringy bits hanging in this photo… This reminds me to finish my own, I really want to wear it!
I love both of these patterns and can’t wait to see folks make and love them too.
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Here’s a little rundown on the Crochet Me episodes of Uncommon Threads. Three of the Five have aired so far. I haven’t seen any of them yet. That’s okay though, because what is really important are those patterns right? Luckily, DIY provides the patterns from the epsiodes, so even if you don’t have the channel you can peruse the site for free inspiration, gotta love that!
Little Material Girl, with Me, Marlo, and Chelle
Ribbon Weave Cloche
Lacy Shells Poncho
Crocheted Caterpillar
Contemporary Crochet Home Decor, with Julie, Tiffany, and Marlo
Jute Rope Basket
Leather Tray (This one is so very cool, Julie rocks!)
Funky Scrap Pillow
Info on using shopping bags for crochet projects
It’s My Party, with Me, Kim, and Donna
Spiral Bauble Garland (This one has been up on my site for a while.)
Wine Bottle Cozy
Crocheted Flower Pins
Still to come…
Custom Fit Crochet Clothing and Flowers Are a Girl’s Best Friend
There’s more than one great and quick gift season idea amongst this lot!
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The little snowmen that I made during the summer heat wave can be found in the newest issue of Crochet Today!
I sent them the wreath with the snowmen arranged around it and they changed it around a bit to make my gang of snowmen into a family trio. I warned them it would need a ribbon and some sort of dressing up, they went all out, even gave one of the little guys a hat!
Here’s a close up of the little guys from back in July. Heat wave resistant snowmen!
The little one makes me smile…
Filed under Uncategorized, Patterns, Crochet, Life, cats, Cool Crafty Things, Los Angeles, Japanese Craft Books by Administrator | 3 comments
~~We indulge our cats and let them have the tiniest bit of milk left at the bottom of our cereal bowls. This means that the sound of a spoon clattering in an almost empty bowl calls them to sit and stare at the cereal eater, they don’t blink when they sit like this. Why am I telling you this? At this moment, I’m slowly eating a bowl of Kashi Strawberry Fields while working on this blog entry. Kal has been sitting at my side (unblinking) for what he considers to be too long to wait for that tiny bit of milk. He’s attempting to take matters into his own hands, standing on his back paws with his front paws on my desk, trying to see the cereal bowl. He is very concerned he’s not going to get his milk… ~~
I visited Kinokuniya in Little Tokyo for a Sunday Japanese Craft Book Happy Spectacular with my friend Bridgid. Bridgid is the kind of cool librarian who really keeps up on things and looks for cool stuff for the young adult readers set. She has a knitting group going and everything. And of course, she’s been curious to see if she can find an amigurumi book that would be appropriate for her library.
Bridgid and I had a good time catching up on each other’s lives while flipping through the books. We went through almost all of the craft books, I found so many inspiring things. I certainly got some ideas for an upcoming podcast. I poured over the amigurumi books and Ooohed and gushed over the cuteness. And don’t get me started on the way Japanese quilt books inspire my crochet thoughts…
In the end I only brought one book home with me. This book rocks. I love stitch pattern guides and this one has some combos I haven’t seen before. Each stitch pattern has a clear symbol guide. There is no need for language in this book, only some understanding of crochet. If you need explanation of a specific stitch symbol in one of the patterns, that symbol can be found in the back of the book alongside step by step illustrations. A variety of yarns are used to showcase the feel of different patterns and all of the yarns seem to be no thicker than a DK weight. It will be interesting to see how these patterns play out in thicker yarns.
The Book: ISBN 4-529-02890-9
And why don’t I visit Little Tokyo more often? That well of fantastic craft books not to mention all the other inspiring Japanese twists on my Los Angeles life. I feel so silly for not visiting for years. When we get back from London I plan to spend another lazy afternoon perusing the shops.
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The Spider Woman Belt from
TYV Crocheting was one of our truely long distance efforts. I had a vision of a scarf/belt that had a spider as a motif… something that would look cool and be fun to make. We chose the
Lana Knits Hemp for the project early on and the personality of the hemp negated previous visions of a filet spider motif.
One day I pretty much doodled (you can doodle or sketch with yarn and hook right?) a spider web while sitting at my desk. It was one of those times where an idea in my head speaks directly to my fingers without consulting me too much and before I knew it I was holding a simple and easily made spider web. Kim had the yarn for the project so she got the honor of making it for the book. I sensed a bit of initial doubt when she first started the pattern, but then she became excited after another row or two as her web revealed itself. Kim also added the fantastic tassles seen in the book version of the belt, fit for a Spider Woman!
I relished wearing the Spider Woman belt at TNNA in January. That belt paired with my black boots made for a sort of “put togetherness” I rarely display. That’s what I love about a belt, it can really seal the deal. The super hero essence of the Spider Woman went straight to my brain too. I kept popping out my hip to show of the web motif, not unlike a 5 year old displaying her Wonder Woman wrist bands.
Alas, that belt had to go back home with Kim. Last week I
finally made my own with some random fuschia stash yarn.
I didn’t have enough yarn to make tassles so I tapered the
ends on a diagonal. I admit I haven’t woven in the ends yet,
but yeah I’ve worn it anyway.
Nothing like a fuschia Spider Woman belt to make a stroll through the grocery store a bit more exciting.
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The crocheted corkscrew reminds me first of the many hair ties Mama Mac made me back in the early 80’s. I loved the way the corkscrews felt bobbling around in my pony tail. So girly! That use of the corkscrew has found it’s way into the Crochet Hall of Shame alongside toilet paper covers and granny squares. I wouldn’t be Mama Mac’s great granddaughter if I didn’t enjoy fascinated walks in the Crochet Hall of Shame. From my time in that acrylic filled hall, I bring you this little diddy:
If you please, click the half eaten cupcake for the pattern:
