But, I have been having some fun too. Yes, some crafty fun which I’ll have to get back to you on (I finished my first knitted sweater! But have not taken pictures yet!). But also just summer fun. Last week we took a couple days off to spend with my family at the Stonewall Valley Ranch outside of Fredericksburg, TX. We had a lot of fun just sitting on the porch, seeing the animals, and being worn down by a two year old. I am really enjoying being closer to my family, and I can’t believe it’s been almost a year since we moved back to Texas. It feels like home. It always has, so I’m glad to be back.

I also got to finally meet one of my fellow Texas crochet designers + yarn shop owner extraordinaire, Sheryl Means. Sheryl and I have been chatting online for a while now, and she was in town anyway so she stopped in the store. I was so excited, it’s great to meet someone as enthusiastic about crochet as I am. Now I need to swing by her shop sometime! Check out her blog and while you’re there, tell her she should publish the pattern for the tank she’s wearing!

In other news, I took a breather today to make some good food. I really suck at cooking when our schedules conflict (um, all the time), but I love homemade meals. This morning I whipped up a beer/orange/onion marinade from the latest issue of Sunset, and our steak is soaking in it so that Paul can grill it tonight. I never really knew about Sunset magazine until my friend Susan turned me on to it. I recently subscribed, and I’m really digging it as a lifestyle mag. They have a little bit of everything- travel/outdoors, cooking, gardening,  living green, etc. If you’re into that, check it out.

The other thing I just finished was making some pickles using this recipe. Our cucumber plants are doing great (so much so that I think they killed the beans…sign) so I wanted to try making pickles. I started with 8 cucumbers–I pick them when they are smallish so the plants keep producing, but it only took me a few days to get that many.

I ended up with two and a half quart-size jars full of pickles. These aren’t the typical labor-intensive preserve-forever pickles, but they will stay good for a few weeks to a couple of months in the fridge. Plus, you can make them in small batches as you go.  If they are any good, I’ll be making them again soon.

That’s what’s going on around here. I guess I should get back to work now….or go drink the beer left over from the marinade.

Start with the Super Simple Pillow, which is worked all in single crochet–and fast! Chunky yarn makes it really quick, so quick that I was tempted to work up a few for my own sofa. I think it would look great with some surface embroidery or applique, or you could make each side a different color (or one side striped, one plain) to give yourself options. This is a good way to practice counting  your stitches and maintaining an even count from row to row.

Next, work the Perfect Granny Scarf . Many people learn on a granny, because working into chain-spaces is easier than working into stitches–but I do think that knowing basic stitches first is helpful. Here I made the scarf all in one color for a modern look, but of course you can work with scraps, too. It’s a great way to start working in the round,  practice double crochet stitches, and learn to join and edge squares.

And lastly, my favorite– the Beginner’s Beret. This one will teach you to work in the round, increase, and practice your half double crochet stitches. In the interest of keeping it simple, there are no decreases in this pattern!  I really liked the style of this hat (which can also be worn more as a slouchy hat instead of a beret) and I may need to make one for myself. Of course, I can’t even think about needing a hat in the heat of a Texas summer, but thinking of Fall will get me through it. Again, you can check out all of these projects plus a load of cute 9 to 5 office wear and Halloween costumes in the Sept/Oct 2010 Crochet Today.

***

Locals, I also wanted to mention that I added my August Classes to the Yarnivore Calendar. I’m most excited about the Baby Sweater (or Blanket) class on Monday nights. We’ll be working from my Layette pattern in Knit Simple, and I’ve even arranged to borrow the sample so y’all can see it up close. If you take on the sweater, you’ll learn how to wrangle yarn during colorwork, simple shaping, increases and ribbing, and how to seam garments. All of which can be applied to adult garments, of course. Call ahead to reserve a spot!  Also in August: Learn to Crochet, Crocheted Sun Hat, Broomstick Lace and Crochet Fix (the fix it and share group). And there’s still room in Intermediate Crochet in July (Saturdays, the 24th and 31st).

I’m off to a few relaxing days with my family this week, but I’ll be back soon with a giveaway!

When I was living in New York, I only went to a couple of LYSs. I didn’t get cheerful service when I said that I was a crocheter, so after a few tries I stuck to the plentiful scrap boxes we had at Soho publishing. Then I moved to Montana and began to write my first book. Initially I visited the two shops there as a means to research yarns, but what I found on the way was a great community. Barb at the Bozeman Yarn Shop asked me if I wanted to teach crochet, and a few months later asked if I wanted part  time work in the store. I was hesitant at first, but once I started I realized that just being in the store helped generate a lot more interest in my classes and in crochet. It was also totally inspiring for me to see what other people were doing with the yarn we carried. Sometimes I inspired customers, sometimes they inspired me! On a personal level, it also helped me to get out of the house during a very stressful time in my life. Working from  home can be lonely, especially when you are new in town, and living in a basement very far away from my hurting family was making me crazy!!  Having somewhere to go a few days a week was so important for me. To be honest, I think that’s also important for our customers –they come in regularly for yarn, lessons and classes.

So I knew when I moved back to San Antonio that I needed to march right on in to one of the LYSs and beg for a job, which is exactly what I did.  It wasn’t  hard, and I didn’t end up having to beg because Tammy at Yarnivore snapped me right up! One of the things I love about working there is connecting with crocheters. I have no idea what it was like before I got there, but there are a ton of crocheters in the greater San Antonio area. Now that they know I’m there to answer questions, they keep coming in to see what’s new.  I was completely thrilled last weekend when Jeannie (above) walked in wearing the Pretty Petals Tank Top she made  from Crochet Adorned. I hadn’t met her before (she lives in another city), but she bought the  book on an earlier visit and just happened to be wearing the top. Her version was so well made and I was honored to see it in action.  I know leisure time is limited and I often tell my students that I get paid in appreciation, it’s really exciting when someone takes the time to work one of my patterns.

I also get  the opportunity to teach*, which keeps me in touch with what counts as easy or difficult in crochet.  Crocheting is not hard, but reading patterns can be– and teaching crocheters makes me really think about what makes a pattern easy to understand, and what I can do to motivate crocheters to explore the possibilities of creating beautiful fabric. I get to be a show-off –not only of my work, but of other skilled crochet designers (like Robyn Chachula, Doris Chan and Dora Ohrenstein). In my “spare time” (ha, ha) I make samples and teach classes based on their patterns. I love that we have so many crocheted samples in the store that are not just granny squares or double-crochet swatches (not that there’s anything wrong with those)– we have the same advanced samples that are abundant for knitters, to show crocheters what they can aspire to. I know I’ve done well when I hear knitters admiring crocheted pieces in the store. There are many, many needlecrafters who do both but haven’t thought about crochet in a while, and it’s only now working its way into the spotlight.

I think that as a craft, crochet is finally primed for its heyday, and that’s exciting. But without a community to share, it’s hard to get the fire going. So I’m writing this post to encouarage you, wherever you are, to seek out your local yarn shop. You don’t have to want to work there. But, bring samples of your best work. Show the owner what crochet can do. If you feel you are skilled enough and have the time, offer to teach or make samples for the store. I’m not saying that every yarn shop is friendly to crochet, but to be frank, some of them aren’t friendly to knitters either. It’s not you, it’s them, so it’s worth a shot to extend an offer.  And it really doesn’t need to be an us/them (knit/crochet) battle- we all love yarn, and most people do not actually look down on one craft or the other–they just know their craft, and they are having fun with it. So be a crochet ambassador and find your local community. Maybe it’s not in your shop, maybe it’s in a library or a CGOA guild. But the only way we can move crochet forward is by sharing and inspiring each other. It really is up to you!

And hey- if you already have a crochet friendly yarn shop, I’d like to hear about it! Please post in the comments and describe what it is about the shop that inspires you. And actually, I’d even like to hear what makes a good yarn shop in general, for any fiber artist–knitter, crocheter, tatter, spinner. It’s good fodder for an article I’m putting together, so I may even email you to learn more.

*Ps. The photo above is of my Broomstick Lace Workshop. Yes, we’re wearing pipe cleaners on our heads. We know how to have a good time!

The first mag was Inside Crochet, a UK crochet magazine that has a good mix of garments, home decor and other stuff to crochet (I like a good mix!). My design is the Summer Picnic Wrap, an airy wrap worked with join-as-you-go motifs. My inspiration for this motif started with a granny square, but I wanted to make it lacy and modern, so what I came up with is the very-simple-to-work  hybrid of geometry and lace. The sample is worked in a DK weight organic cotton yarn (a light one at that) but I also think this would be gorgeous in a worsted weight yarn with nice drape and tonal color variations, so I can’t wait to see if people make it. This is my first contribution to the mag and there are more on the way!

The second envelope I opened contained Knit Simple’s Fall 2010 issue. Y’all –I can say that, now that I’m back in Texas– this is a really great magazine. Although I admit they don’t have a ton of crochet designs–mine is the only one in this issue–the designs on these pages have a truly classic and simple style. I think I may even knit one of them! And I know their editor does try to include crochet designs, so the more we speak up the more we might see them.  My contribution was this layette set–pullover, hat, booties and blanket. I worked each piece with slightly different stripe widths, because I wanted them to go together without being overwhelmingly matchy. Handy tutorials on working bobbles, decreases, and changing colors seamlessly are included. I think any little boy–or girl–would look cute in this, and of course you can change the colors to your liking. I worked the sample  in Paton’s Grace (DK weight), so you can even size it up for older kids by using a worsted weight yarn and a larger hook, if you like. There’s a great article on the Lion Brand  Notebook about just how to do that, if you’re interested.

In other crochet news, I was on Mary Beth Temple’s Getting Loopy podcast last night. We talked about Crochet Adorned, how hot it is in New Jersey, and other fun stuff. Go have a listen, and during the podcast we’ll reavel the top secret information you need to know to enter to win a copy of the book  for yourself.

Also, I can’t remember if I mentioned it here, but I started a group on Ravelry for my designs called Happy Crocheting with Linda Permann,  so please join and introduce yourself. And for the last time, join Ravelry already!

I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend. I know my feet were happy to rest, but it’s back to the Yarnivore trenches tomorrow. First, to tackle the box of yarn the UPS man just brought me. Happy crocheting!

I hope you all have as much fun for the Fourth of July as this cute little lady seems to be having.  My twitter friend Carrie (also of  This Mama Makes Stuff) sent me this photo to of her daughter wearing an adorable dress she made using the trim pattern from the Seaside Dress in Crochet Adorned.  It affirms my belief that crochet doesn’t have to hit you over the head to be beautiful. And it also doesn’t have to be time consuming–she’s working on another dress for her older daughter to wear on the 4th, too.   I can’t wait to see what she comes up with!

Do you have any special plans (or project plans) for the holiday weekend?

Coming up in July I’m offering  Learn to Crochet, Intermediate Crochet (Creating Texture), Crochet Embellished Flip Flops (fun, easy, great gifts & no experience necessary), a Broomstick Lace Workshop and Crocheted Socks.

I’m also trying something new called Crochet Fix. This is going to be a 2-hour session each Saturday where you can come to crochet and chat and get help on the project you are working on. You can get your “crochet fix” and  you can get your crochet fixed. The price is very reasonable, so if you need a place to work with no distractions, an on-hand expert (me) to help you & provide tips and tricks, plus the camraderie of other crocheters, stop by and see what’s happening. One of the things that I think crocheters are missing out on is community.  There is so much that we can all learn from each other–so I hope you’ll consider stopping in for a nice crochet ‘n’ chat session. Not to toot my own horn, but even my students who have been crocheting for years pick up skills in my classes- whether it’s clarifying those pesky turning chains once and for all, talking about blocking, or helpful tricks including how to use stitch markers, how to make  linked stitches, & how to know just where to work into an edge.

In other news, I’ve just released my Breezy Hat Pattern for sale, as originally seen in the Summer 2009 issue of Interweave Crochet.  Click here if you’d like to purchase it, no ravelry account needed. This was actually the first pattern I had published by Interweave, hopefully there will be more in the future. I love that they are good to their designers and let us sell the patterns once it has been a year from the publish date. This pattern has been tech edited (by Interweave) and re-edited and re-tested (by me,  yesterday) with updates on making the hat in a solid color, if you prefer. That’s what I did for the  above sample, since I was too stressed to even think about taking a photograph of the original hat at the time I sent it in. I love it in a solid color, too, and if you are an experienced crocheter, you can make this in a matter of hours. Throw a flower on it (might I suggest my free tutorial?) and it’s a great gift. Hey, it’s never to early to start thinking about the holidays.

Happy Crocheting!

1. Doily Earrings / On Ravelry

When I was writing Crochet Adorned, my goal was to show people how modern and beautiful (and instantly gratifying) crochet can be, and ultimately, to lure people to crochet. For me to learn a new craft, there has to be something I want to make with it. So I wanted to make the book that would make people want to crochet. The whole idea of Crochet Adorned is that you can use the crocheted touches on knitwear, crochet wear, sewing, quilting, scrapbooking or whatever your heart desires. There’s even a stitch dictionary in the back with more trims and motifs, and 30 solid stitch patterns in case you also want to make a foundation piece, such as a scarf or bag. If you don’t like a particular color or design, that’s cool, cause I tell you all about how to make it yours!

2. Tank Top/ On Ravelry

And just so nothing gets automatically dismissed, I want to show you how very NOW these designs are. I found examples of readymade clothing that are pretty darn close to the techniques I outline in the book. So, here we go. The items on the left are available for purchase on websites right now. The items on the right are patterns in Crochet Adorned.  Links to purchase-able items below each picture (photos are from the listed websites, please don’t sue me!), links to ravelry page of projects for inspiration are on the right. (Please, please, upload your pics to Ravelry if you’ve made projects. I started a group for the book, so join us over there, too!)

3. Crochet Back Tank / On Ravelry (Yes, I realize that’s machine-knit lace, but you get the idea)

4. Inset Sleeve Trim Tee / On Ravelry (same deal about the lace)

5. Floral Cardigan / On Ravelry

6. Flower Trimmed Tank/Dress / On Ravelry

7. Trimmed Dress / On Ravelry

8. Two Pair of shoes / On Ravelry

There you have it. Crochet is fashionable, and if you tell me otherwise, I’m sending you to bed without your dinner!

Early on I met with Ellen Gormley, aka GoCrochet. Ellen’s crochet designs are in all of the crochet magazines and she even has a top-secret book project coming up. Unfortunately she’d have to kill me if she told me what it was, so I have no further information for you. She writes a great blog about the day-to-day life of a crochet designer, which I like to read just to make sure I’m doing things in a halfway-normal fashion.  Ellen sent me this and the next photo because I took a grand total of about 10 pictures during the four days I was there.

In the Bijou Basin Ranch booth, we bumped into Kristin Omdahl, Marly Bird and Simona Merchant-Dest. You might know Kristin as the crochet expert on Knitting Daily TV, or maybe you’ve seen her books: Wrapped in Crochet
and the upcoming Crochet So Fine: Exquisite Designs with Fine Yarns (I’m very excited about this one!). Earlier I had introduced myself to her on the escalator and nearly caused her to slip (too much coffee/excitement for me) but then by the time we got around to the designer dinner we were laughing so hard that our cheeks hurt (thanks in part to the antics of Shannon Mullet-Bowlsby– ahem, Shannon, those pics got eaten by my camera which is probably best for us all!). I really enjoyed getting to meet Kristin.  Marly is the reason I finally went to TNNA- she hosts her own Podcast (called Yarn Thing) and she had me on the show recently and then encouraged me to go. She’s also the design director for Bijou Basin Ranch and the much-loved coordinator of a dinner for all of the knit and crochet designers (thank you Marly!). Last but not least, Simona creates both knit and crochet designs for several publications. I have admired her designs for their wearability for a long time–I felt a kismet with her right off the bat and later we got a chance to chat about the business & viability of being a designer. Writing this paragraph makes me miss these ladies already!

Here’s another fun photo of  Doris Chan teaching Ellen to crochet broomstick lac. If you look closely you’ll see she’s using a makeup tube instead of a broomstick–clever!  Wasn’t Ellen lucky to get a lesson from the master herself?  If you’re interested in unique lace-making techniques, you should definitely check out Doris’ new book, Crochet Lace Innovations.  These ladies were at the Stitch Coop Party along with lots of  other designers. There I had the chance  to talk to Teva Durham about our shared experience of “working backwards” –ie writing the book, then working at the yarn shop (instead of the other way around), I think she is pretty awesome. Not to go crazy with book suggestions, but have  you seen Teva’s crochet book, Loop-d-Loop Crochet? It was a breath of fresh air for me when it came out in 2007, and frankly, it still is!

Oh, and how could I forget Robyn Chachula? By far one of my favorite designers–she was signing advance copies of her new  book, Baby Blueprint Crochet, so I had to run over to see the samples and show her my Paige Cardigan (from her first book, Blueprint Crochet).  She told me that she had all of the back issues of Adorn magazine…awww, that makes me happy.

And just for the heck of it, here’s Bob-solda. Also known as Ysolda Teague wearing a Bob (ravelry’s doggie mascot) mask. Her colorful, whimsical designs are all the rage in knitting right now. She momentarily donned the mask for the Ravelry Ice Cream Social, and was very sweet in person. I wasn’t shy about introducing myself to anyone…and even though I’m sure many of them had  no idea who I was, they all feigned interest. Heh. Good thing I didn’t think too much, because looking back I think it’s pretty amazing that I got to meet so many people and blatantly promote my book–this post doesn’t even begin to cover the name-dropping that could occur! It really only covers the photos, so be thankful there’s such a small number of them.

Now for the last thing I was introduced to. No, it was not a designer. not even a person, but important nonetheless: Jeni’s Ice Cream. All that I’d read was true, she makes some super delicious unique ice creams. I think it’s safe to say that it was the the best ice cream I’ve ever eaten. Ever. Including Gelato. In Italy. Yum. I waited in line for about 2 hours to get my scoop at the Ice Cream Social and I would even call that worth it! I was talking to passionate yarnies the whole time, so really, how could I complain?

I’ll try to pop in again with some yarn and tool roundups soon. But first to catch up on sleeping and eating.

What is a yarn bowl,  you ask? It’s a bowl made especially for holding yarn. Most of them have a hole that you can thread the yarn through, so that if your yarn ball gets to rolling around, it can do so like a graceful ballerina in the bowl, instead of like a tasmanian yarn dust devil on your floor. Good bowls also have a hook shaped groove that you can thread the yarn through, so that should you want to leave the house with your project (but not the bowl)–or should you want to switch projects–you can easily remove the yarn. I have been wanting to own a yarn bowl for a while, but what can I say, I’m particular. Because I’ve made pottery and because I know so  many potters, I want what I want how I want it, and I’m willing to wait. But when I stumbled upon this yarn bowl, I knew that resistance was futile.


Look at the lovely wavy edge! And the gorgeous icy mint/turquoise glaze! And the cute white birdies at the top! I watched it for a week or so, trying to be good, but I couldn’t help myself. In person, it’s even better than I imagined. I’ve thrown some pots in my day, so I know what goes into a finely crafted specimen (personally, I’m not there yet!). The sides are thin and smooth (not clunky) and the smoothness of the cut yarn groove and hole are equal to anything mass-produced.  I also love the contrast of the hand-formed porcelain birds, which are not as polished as the rest of the bowl–they remind me that someone made this with their two hands. As a person who tries to make my living creatively, I feel it’s important to support other creative businesses, so there was no guilt with this purchase!

Once I received the bowl,  my Garden Path Shawl jumped right into it. The yarn that I am using,  Mountain Colors Winter Lace –made just a few hours away from where I once lived– got a little crazy while I was winding it, so I couldn’t pull it from the center. (One day I will write a book entitled “Zen and the Art of Yarn Winding”.) I know this bowl will be just the thing to tame it.

If you’re in the market for a yarn bowl, or even just some pretty pottery, I highly recommend Darielle’s Clay Art. I am not receiving any compensation to say so, just trying to help another creative person.  And now, I guess I have to get back to my writing!

She sent us strips of solids and asked for quarter log cabin blocks. I took the liberty (no pun intended) of adding a sliver of my liberty print to one of the blocks because it just looked so good in there. Hopefully she won’t mind. I forgot how peaceful sewing could be, if only I could get past the initial getting everything cleaned up and ready stage. That’s one thing I like about yarn– all I have to do to prepare is sit down. I can knit or crochet with a veritable rats nest of string and pillows and discarded laundry, mail and shopping bags around me. (I’ve tried this with sewing with some success…but I don’t recommend it).

Before I started the blocks I had to allow myself some more squishy fun time with the Blue Sky Alpacas cotton that was leftover from my blanket (yes, I finished. No, I haven’t washed it or blocked it). There are teensy amounts, so I figured I would knit a little baby hat. Right now I’m thinking it’ll be a long, striped stocking cap, but we’ll see how far the yarn gets me. There’s something about this yarn that makes me love to *knit* it– does that ever happen to you? Certain yarns lending themselves to certain crafts? I feel like that’s as good a reason as any to learn to do both crocheting and knitting.

I also started another sock yesterday. The same sock pattern from Crocheted Socks: 16 Fun-To-Stitch Patterns, this will be pair #4. We just got some yummy Malabrigo in at Yarnivore and I was asked to show off the crocheted sock (you wouldn’t believe how many people have said that they didn’t know you even COULD crochet socks!). I started this yesterday and I’m almost ready to start closing up the toe- how’s that for speed? Needless to say, the Malabrigo is super dreamy to work with and definitely one of my favorite sock yarns. It’s incredibly soft, and comes in such pretty colors. And you know, it’s kind of nice to work the same pattern several times. I hardly have to pay attention anymore, and I know where the tricky parts are and how to modify certain parts so that it fits me better. I probably don’t even need to make a second one since it’s a store sample, but I’m hoping that they will follow me home eventually.