First, I wanted to share this FREE pattern of mine: the Pill(ow) Popper, courtesy of Caron. The pillow is made with a few skeins of Vickie Howell’s Sheep(ish) and it was pure fun to design it. Vickie requested wanted a retro modern pillow and the yarn is so smooth and has such strong stitch definition that I knew I wanted to do bobbles. I also knew I wanted to start in the middle, for two reasons. One, I like to avoid foundation chains as much as the next hooker. Two, I know *a lot* of crocheters don’t swatch (tsk tsk!!) and this way it’s easier to stop when you achieve the desired size for your pillow–this one is sized for a 16 incher. I started with the whole thing being bobbled but quickly realized I would run out of yarn, so I futzed with it and came up with this rendition, which I absolutely love. I like that the bobbles create these diagonal lines that are punctuated by the tuft of the grey crocheted button. Make this one, it’s fun and inexpensive and fun and fun. And if you like bobbles as much as I do, be sure to check out my Artichoke Hat and Cherry Cordial Scarf pattern PDFs.

In other orange news, I may have started something over at Yarnivore. I think my coworker (and knitter extraordinaire) Wendy has gone over the crochet edge making birdies using my Bird Mobile pattern from Little Crochet (see more info on how in this post). She showed me all of her birdies at work today, there are at least 20 of them and they look GREAT! She said she got about 11 of them from one skein of Noro Silk Garden sock, including tassels and winding off bits of less desirable colors. I would stage an intervention soon except that I’m thrilled that my evil plan is working and have no problem with her hooking away. Plus, she still does plenty of the knitting. Be sure to check out a few of her sock patterns on Ravelry (I’m told there are more to come!).

And for my last update on the orange theme, I’ve been trying to gain speed on this can’t-tell-you-about-it-just-yet tang orange project (made with the wonderful Cascade Pure Pima, delish!) but every time I get going this happens.

In case you’re wondering, this is closer to the true color of the yarn.

Side snorgler view. It’s a good thing he’s cute, but dang, I feel like my productivity is definitely suffering. Oh well. It’s hard to say no to him.

What color is on your radar right now?

The first project I have to tell you about is in a book by Tanis Gray,  called Knit Local: Celebrating America’s Homegrown Yarns. It’s a charming book, full of mostly knitting (and 2 crochet!) patterns, all inspired by American-made yarns. The best part about this book, if you ask me, is reading all of the stories about the history of over thirty yarn companies. In my opinion, many of the people working in the yarn industry, myself included,  do it  for love–and I love to read about the whys and hows, plus see pretty pictures of cute sheep, alpaca, goats and more.  The patterns are wonderful too, ranging from pillows and shrugs to cowls, vests and gloves. Many of them only take a few skeins of yarn, which is great because it makes supporting local yarn companies doable, even if you are on a budget.

My project is the Wildflowers scarf, a very simple lace pattern that utilizes increases and decreases to make the pointy petal shapes. At the time, I was interested in experimenting with them, because most crochet patterns tend to use chains and skipped stitches–for instance, filet crochet. I also wanted to do something in jut one skein of the luxurious–and boy howdy is it luxurious–yarn, Buffalo Gold Lux. The finished scarf measures about 5″ wide by 74″ long, but if I had it to do again I’d probably start with a shorter foundation chain and make a shorter, wider ascot-style scarf. It was really a treat to work with such a high quality fiber (a blend of bison, cashmere, silk, and tencel) and I’m honored that Tanis asked me to contribute to the book. Even if you don’t knit, Knit Local is worth checking out just for the sheer volume of information about American yarn companies. That is, assuming you are a dork like me.

Full Disclosure: Book links are Amazon affiliate links, and I have a project in this book, so they sent me a free copy of it. Also, I used to eat lunch with Tanis at least a few days a week for a couple of years, so, I might be biased.

I was cleaning out my stash recently and found 9 skeins of Berroco Touche that I bought to make him something (that was over a year ago!). I knew it was time to use them or donate them, so I started the Striped Yoke Cardigan from Little Crochet.

You can see that I went rogue with the stripes. I love crocheting stripes, and like to figure out new ways to make different widths and repetitions of stripes without creating any extra ends, but it’s something that can be hard to explain in a pattern.

So I kept it simple for the book, but started Tegue’s sweater on Friday night. I  had the body done by the end Monday evening.  And truth be told, I actually  finished it tonight (save for a trip to buy buttons). I made the 4 year old size, since it’s already hot hot summer here in TX, and realistically he won’t wear it for awhile– but I want to see if it fits him well enough that he can wear it to my book signing this Sunday. I think it will look so adorable on him now that he has blue glasses.

This project is a fun one, because once you get through the yoke it’s pretty mindless. I enjoy the process of crocheting, and crocheting something I don’t have to think about, or keep track of, reminds me how fun and freeing that can be. It is liberating to just do, and not have to explain. I can’t wait to go pick the perfect buttons tomorrow. After that, I have to stop procraftinating.

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And before I forget, let me announce the winner of World of GeekCraft, as chosen by the random generator. It is Illusions1984, who said:

I play WoW, love watching repeats of Firefly/Serenity (I took a class on this show/movie in college!), and am helping my fiancee in creating a tabletop role playing game. I usually am working on whatever needlepoint/embroidery project as we play (for some reason, it helps me concentrate). Please help to continue catering to my geekiness. It’s hard finding more and more geek related crafting projects!

Congrats!

When Susan asked me to contribute to the book, I had geek-worthiness-insecurities. I mean, I”m not that geeky! I’m definitely a dork and a nerd, but just not the type to fawn over tv shows and movies; or maybe, just not the ones that traditionally draw the following. However, flipping through the book reminded me that I DO have an inner geek and she loves these projects! I just want to share a few with you.

First, let’s get my blatant self promotion out of the way. I made this Trio of Tribbles (after the Trouble with Tribbles episode of Star Trek). I really can see no better use for furry yarn, Susan and I both dug out some of our neglected furry collection to create these. It’s a quick, fun project. No, they don’t actually do anything. But they’re funny and if you know a Trekkie, I think they’d get a kick out of them. I just love the photo of them on the bed–better than a mint, don’t you think?

I also swooned over this Oregon Trail cross stitch  project by John Lohman. I’d all but forgotten about Oregon Trail! As the kid who was not allowed to have video games, this computer game was the closest I got–and we got to play it as part of school! Remember how frustrating it was when you got dysentery and had to start over? Fun. I can’t believe how  much computers have changed since I was a kid.

Another amazing project is this Buffy Fuse Bead Portrait made by Shayne Rioux. I never got into Buffy–never tried, really—but wow, I love a good Perler Bead craft and I can imagine how many meditative hours I could spend on something like this. Actually, maybe I could make a Perler Bead Oregon Trail design and fuse both project ideas.

There’s so much more in the book, and if you are a geek (or “have a friend “who is a geek who might enjoy the book)–I think this would be a welcome addition to their shelf. If they (you) can find room among the DVDs, that is. I’m giving away a copy of this book to one lucky reader–comment with one of your geeky obsessions for a chance to win! I’ll leave comments open till Sunday evening, 5/9/11.

I’ve known Diane Gilleland, aka Sister Diane of CraftyPod, for so long that I can’t quite remember how we ever found each other in this vast world of the internets. I have the suspicion it had something to do with her producing a podcast and me being the Craft Editor for Adorn. The link to the audio for that podcast is broken, and part of me is okay with it. It seems like such a long time ago! I remember how giddy and excited I was to talk to Diane, who was and is as enthusiastic about crafts as I am.

Here are Susan, Diane, Lee and me in Portland–I went there in ‘09 to sign copies of Crochet Adorned.

Since that podcast, both of us have worked together in different ways over the years, on blogs, e-books, etc. She also contributed some lovely Vintage Kitchen Trivets to my first book.  Diane is the author her own photo tutorial intensive book, Kanzashi in Bloom, which is a really accessible craft for anyone, even if you are not a master sewer. She also writes a lot of great posts about the online craft community, social media, trying to make it in the crafty biz world, and, well, plastic canvas. She has a bit of a thing for vintage crafts.

I always love to read what Diane has to say as her posts are always well thought out and meaningfull. Head on over to see what she has in store for you today.

Craft is sharing the Cozy Crawlers Leg Warmers, which are made with a solid and variegated sock yarn (but of course, you can make them any way you’d like!). They’re sized for little ones up to age 2, with a recipe-style tip that will help you upsize them for older kids.

Now, before you laugh, let me tell you why mamas like legwarmers. Two words: Potty Training. Two more: Diaper Changes. No pants to pull down. They also make good padding for kids who are still scooting around until they figure out how to walk, and, I love them because you can use up your random sock yarn bits to make something new. Also: baby thighs. Need I say more?

Have fun, and be sure to add some pics to Ravelry if you end up making these!

To start off, I just want to mention that I am having a Little Crochet Book Signing at Yarnivore (San Antonio, TX) on Wednesday, April 13th from 5-8 PM, so locals, please mark your calendars for that! And if you’re in the Dallas Area, I’ll be doing a couple of signings at the DFW Fiber Fest (spots still available in my classes, by the way!)–one on Friday night after Mary Beth Temple’s Talk, and one on Saturday at Knitting Lagniappe’s booth (#38-39), at 1 PM. Saturday, April 9th.  Be there!

To celebrate the book in a virtual way, I’ve rounded up a host of bloggers, podcasters, and lovely people to review the book, make some projects, post insightful thoughts and of course, give away a few copies. There are even a few yarn giveaways thrown in, for extra fun. You’ll have to go to each day’s stop to see where the giveaways are, and here, I’ll write more about each person and how we know each other as their day approaches.

Here’s the official schedule, so you can keep up with all of the goodness.

Week 1
April 5     Susan B. Anderson
April 6     Carrie Lundell, This Mama Makes Stuff
April 7     Natalie Zee Drieu, Craft Zine
April 8     Diane Gilleland, CraftyPod
April 9     Joanna Johnson, Phoebe On the Road

Week 2
April 11    Stefanie Japel, + fun with Mary Beth Temple/ Getting Loopy (podcast)
April 12    Shannon Mullet-Bowlsby, Shibaguyz
April 13    Alice Merlino, FutureGirl
April 14    Brett Bara, Manhattan Craft Room, + an interview on the Knit Picks Podcast
April 15    Kristin Nicholas, Getting Stitched on the Farm
April 16     Ellen Gormley, Go Crochet

Week 3
April 18    Drew Emborsky, aka The Crochet Dude
April 19    Robyn Chachula, Crochet By Faye
April 20    Laurie Wheeler, Crochet Liberation Front
April 21    Guest Post on Whip Up
April 22    Vickie Howell
April 23    Cal Patch, Hodge Podge Farm

Week 4
April 25    Susan Beal, West Coast Crafty
April 26    Kristin Omdahl, Styled By Kristin
April 27    Floresita, Feeling Stitchy
April 28    Allegra Wermuth and Brandy Fortune, Petite Purls
April 29    Marlaina Bird will interview me on her Yarn Thing Podcast
April 30    Faina Goberstein, Faina’s Knitting Mode

Occasionally I get asked about how I sketch or what I submit to my publisher when I am working on a book, so I wanted to share a little bit of that with you today. The truth is, looking back, sometimes I’m amazed that my publisher (Potter Craft) trusts me so much. I went to art school, I know how to draw and sketch, but I usually leave my sketches a little on the basic side, because really I need to sketch in yarn. I want to be open to the possibilities of what happens when I crochet, and drawing a super-exact sketch when I don’t actually know what’s going to happen–well, that’s not as easy as drawing something right in front of me.

Boat Neck Sweater

I knew that I wanted Little Crochet to be full of  timeless patterns that would still be relevant for years to come. So,  I started with basic shapes and construction techniques and added my own colorful and crafty touches to them. I really wanted to explore different ways of constructing clothing (seamed, sideways, motif-based, top down, etc) with this book, so I noted those kinds of details in written descriptions that I sent to my publisher.

Swing Set Cardigan

The more I design, the more swatching I do, but believe it or not, for many projects in Little Crochet, I just sent strands of the colors of yarn I planned on using, a description of the project, and the very sketches you see here. (Note- I did swatch for all of the garments, but didn’t necessarily have time to do that for *each* design before yarn approval time). I thought I’d share some side by side comparisons, just so you have an idea what goes into the planning. I have started to think about math a LOT more these days, though, and oh my do I love swatching–it takes some of the guess work out of designing–although there is always the chance that your gauge swatch will lie, which I’m sure some of you have experienced.

Sweet Dreams Sleep Sack

Here’s an example of a sketch that really doesn’t commit to anything. I knew that I wanted to make a sleep sack using two colors of yarn, and that one yarn would just be a contrasting area or edging. When I sat down and planned out the design, I realized I liked the contrast in the sleeves better than as an overall edging–it’s less fussy, so it appeals to either gender.

If you want to read a little more about my design process,  check out Issue 16 of Inside Crochet Magazine, which features an interview with me on that very subject, among other things. I’m also working on adding all of the designs from Little Crochet to Ravelry, check them out if you’d like a preview!

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On Monday, I’ll be back with a rundown of the Little Crochet Blog Book Tour (madness!) I have planned. Lots and lots of great bloggers, giveaways galore, and fun guest posts are all lined up. I can’t wait! Just a few more days till it hits the shelves.

I took about 300 photos in order to make this short trailer, which just got posted on the book’s Amazon page. So, even though Little Crochet doesn’t come out until April, I thought I would share the trailer with you now that it’s out in the world.  The film will  give you a good idea of what you’ll find inside: over 24 projects including clothing, blankets, toys, accessories and nursery items. Whether you like quick projects or big heirloom-y projects, I think you’ll find a good number of patterns to enjoy.

If you frequent a local yarn shop, please ask them to order some copies.   And if you are coming to the Dallas Fort Worth Fiber Festival, I’ll be doing a signing there on Friday night (April 8)  and another sometime on Saturday (more info to come). I’ll have some books to purchase or feel free to bring your own.  (Shameless plug: there is still plenty of room in my Swatch Savvy class!). Oh, and San Antonians, please mark your calendars for April 13th, when I have a trunk show/book signing at Yarnivore.

I’m looking forward to sharing more of the projects and inspiration with you as we get closer to the release date. Have I already shared the heart-attack-inducing story of how half of the projects were nearly lost before they were photographed? If not, I’ll share that too. I can’t wait to hear which projects are your favorites, and see your little crochet popping up on Ravelry!

Kristin of Briney Deep Designs blogged about these cute elbow patches she made for a sweater of hers. As a mostly knitter, here’s what Kristin had to say in her post about the book: Perhaps the flexibility of the motifs is why I like Crochet Adorned so much. For example, I made elbow patches for an old sweater using a motif that was originally intended for a table mat. Overall, the book really encourages me to explore different uses for crochet that, as a knitter, I would not have otherwise realized were possible.

Jessica of Ayenforcraft converted an old pullover into a cardigan, then decorated it with bunches of blue flowers patterns she gathered  from the Garden Party Cardigan and Stitch Dictionary patterns. Very anthropologie! She even shares a tutorial for the sweater reconstruction right here–plus she was able to make all of the flowers from a skein leftover from another project.

Last but not least, Allison of Crafty Is Cool took the shoe embellishment idea to the next level and used daffodil pattern in the stitch dictionary to liven  up her flats. She says she absolutely loves them “and so do a few people that stopped me to ask about them when I was wearing them last night“.

Keep some refashioning ideas in mind as you unpack winter clothes that might not look as exciting this year as they did when you packed them away. A crocheted flower is the perfect way to hide a hole or stain, and a quick cut plus an edging can transform a too-snug sweater into a pretty cardigan. If you have a crochet project from my book that you’d like to share, pleaseadd it to the flickr group, post a link or email me to let me know!