Y’all, I absolutely love this design. It’s worked from the center out in two identical pieces, and you are always (or almost always) looking at the right side of the bag, so you can let the raised design lead you through all of the post stitch madness. I finished it with the most perfect bird fabric lining (which hopefully you’ll be able to see if you purchase the e-book) and leather handles. I was really kind of sad when it got cut from the winter magazine due to space constrictions, but it will be interesting to see how this e-book does. I haven’t seen it myself, yet, but I’m told it has full diagrams which will make this a breeze to work! Crochet cables are so much fun to me, and I especially love working them in the round, so I was glad to have the opportunity to use the technique on something other than a hat. (I love my Petal Beret, but I think the lace weight yarn has kept more people from making it).

In addition to my Thundersnow Bag, the E-book contains three other projects: Wintergreen Cowl (made in Bruges Lace) by Ellen Gormley, Snowflake Beret by Doris Chan, and Crystalline Earrings by Natasha Robarge. You can read more about it here (hint: click the Table of Contents tab), be sure to check it out!

Photo by Tracy Harris for KnitCircus.

And while I have you here, I’ve also just released a PDF of my Cherry Cordial Scarf, originally published in KnitCircus Gifts. You can read more about it in my first blog post–it’s just a fun, fast, squishy scarf that adds a lot of texture to your look. It’s lovely worked in the Akpana yarn, which is quite lofty, but any worsted weight yarn will do (check out these projects on Ravelry). The pattern is $5 on Ravelry, and also on Craftsy, where I am now selling crochet patterns as well! More to be added soon. And for those of you who have emailed me about PDFs of designs I had published in Inside Crochet, don’t worry, they’re coming as fast as I can re-edit and re-format them.

Hope you have a nice weekend full of stitching, and that maybe it actually feels wintery where you are!

First up is the Jeanne Lois Bandit, a triangular shawlette that I like to wear ‘granny bandit’ style. (No, I didn’t design the yarn bomb in the photo! But yes, that confused a lot of people.)  I wanted to create a triangular shawl that got wider faster than it got tall, in order to create a good length so I could wrap it around my neck without a huge triangle of fabric hanging in front. The stitch pattern is really easy to memorize, and there are little lace diamonds worked along the border to give it a little something.  They’re tough to see in the photo and yarn selected, but here is a photo I took of the sample before I sent it off. This has more contrast so you can make out the design.

I’ve made this one about four times now (here are two examples), and it’s a fun intro to lace for those of you who might be scared by the tiny yarn. Why? Because you’re pretty much only working into chain spaces (no long foundation chain), and you can make the shawl as large or small as you want, the pattern gives tips on how to do this.

My second pattern in this issue is an any-size slipper pattern, called Mary Janes, Little Slippers and Loafers. For all its simplicity, I struggled with this one a bit because I really wanted to write a pattern that would work for any size foot. I get a lot of emails requesting more slipper patterns, so here’s my answer.

Each of the slippers is embellished in a different way, so I also contributed an article on ways to personalize yours. I got to showcase one of my favorite techniques–surface slip stitch (which was used to make the stripes on the blue slippers), and also talked about edgings, flowers, and stars. These work up quickly from worsted weight yarn, and if you don’t have the recipient’s foot handy, you can just ask them to have someone trace it (while they are standing up) and send the outline to you, then work from those measurements.

Be sure to check out this issue when you have a chance–it should be on newsstands and in LYSes by now.

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Last week, I released the PDF (in US Terms)  of my Artichoke Hat, which was originally published in Inside Crochet. I love this hat, and unfortunately a lot of errors slid through to the original publication, which probably turned off more than one crocheter. So, I put it through rigorous testing and re-edited it, (and turned it back to US terms)–and now that six different people have made it and reported back to me (thank you!!!), I am confident that all of the kinks have been worked out. They happen, I hate when they happen, and I try to correct it when I can. This is a great pattern for a intermediate/advanced crocheter, and I hope you’ll give it a whirl if you’re into bobbles and cables. It’s engaging, so save it for time when other people won’t be distracting you. The good thing is you’ll always be looking at the cable side when you do the post stitches, so you don’t have to confuse yourself with any back post stitches or uncertainty about where they end up.

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I also re-released my Lace Slouch Hat which originally appeared in Knit Circus. I love, love, love this hat. It is so soft and light and I can actually wear it in Texas. I’m looking forward to that. I kind of want to make it again in yellow, like this raveler did, and I’m also eager to try it in a lightweight sock yarn, because I think that would work too. One day! This one is worked bottom up in an easy to memorize pattern, and you can make it a beanie or a slouch hat, depending on your preference. Slouch is shown above.

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And just in case you’re on the other side of the world…. I also re-released my Summer Sun Hat. This was one of my first PDFs and needed some re-working, but thing that motivated me to do  it was we actually got tons of new paper (!) yarn in at Yarnivore.  So Tammy agreed to stitch it and I agreed to tighten up the pattern. It’s so nice to have a paper yarn source where I can actually see the colors in person– I’m itching to try a purse with it, when it gets hot again. Which, around here, won’t be too far away.

So what about you, dear readers? Just out of curiosity, what’s your favorite thing to crochet?

I contributed the Cherry Cordial Scarf (it’s on page 34), which is a quick and squishy delight to hook. Bobbles and trebles combine to make a fabric that’s both lacy and textured, lightweight yet cozy.  The pattern is a simple repeat and includes diagrams (hooray!) to keep you on track.

There is another stunning crochet pattern in this issue by Allison Harding–Cranberry Delight. It’s a hat and fingerless glove set with cables and beads and ooh, I might have to make it. Definitely check it out (it’s just one page after mine in the ‘zine).

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In other news, I picked a winner for Granny Square Love, the Sarah London book. The winner is Domestica411, who said: Fist, I am a long-time Sarah London fan, been following her since she first posted pics to Flickr. Colors come from magazine pages, catalog layouts (Anthropologie’s a fav), just about anything I Pin on Pinterst. I pretty much only make granny blankets and once did one using the cover of Martha Stewart. Yay! Thx so much for the oppoprtunity to win. An email is on the way to you!

I really enjoyed reading your comments on picking colors–you had some clever ideas on color inspiration! Thanks for sharing.

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Also, Stacey at KnitPicks is giving away some crochet goodies, including two copies of my book, Little Crochet. Head over and leave a comment by October 17th for your chance to win!

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Cardigan (and photo)  by Angela Tong.

And in case you’re curious about my online classes, check out this review of Beyond Rectangles by Angela Tong. She was actually one of my first students and stopped me in the aisles at TNNA to say she enjoyed the class, which was about the coolest thing ever (I love enthusiastic people!).  She took Beyond Rectangles and made a super cute cardigan, above, with her own flower embellishment. Check it out if you want to freshen up your skills. Angela is a designer herself, so knitters,  be sure to check out her sweet patterns on Ravelry.

Happy Crocheting!

Photo copyright Interweave Crochet.

First up is the Atomic Hat, which is in Interweave Crochet’s stunning Fall Issue. (Did you see Betty’s Tunisian Tee in there? Wow!) I’ve been really interested in crochet cables lately, and this is my take on a knit cable cap. What might not be apparent from the picture is that the pattern is written for three sizes–child/teen, women and men–so you can make it for the whole family. It’s worked from the bottom up, and between each row of post stitches, you get a “breather row” of solid dc, which makes for a nice mental balance, of paying attention vs. relaxing,  in my opinion. Choose a sturdy sock yarn with a tight twist for this one–I swatched it in some super soft sock yarns before submitting and they didn’t quite do justice to the cables.

Photo copyright Crochet Today.

Crochet Today published my Men’s Ski Hat, which uses mock fairisle to create colorful patterning. Why is it mock? Because you won’t need to switch colors within the same round–each round uses only one color of yarn. This hat actually got lost in the mail on the way to Crochet Today, so Marina (the Craft Editor) was nice enough to re-stitch it for me. She did a great job, and I don’t know that I could have completed it in time otherwise. Thanks Marina! The rest of the issue is full of cute gifty patterns, plus a slew of granny-square inspired projects. Check it out.

Tune in tomorrow for another pattern release. If I can get it together, there will be more to follow this week.  Or I may just sleep on the couch while Freddie tries to sneak-attack me with dog kisses. That sounds pretty good to me, too.

My pattern, the Lace Slouch Hat, is on page 86-87. It’s worked with one skein of Malabrigo Lace (hmm, can you tell I love this yarn? I have designed two other hats with it so far!) and the pattern gives you information to make it slouchy or  beanie-like. I used a combination of puff stitches, skipped stitches and double crochets to get a wonderfully soft drape. I love how lightweight the hat is and can’t wait to wear it this winter.

One of the neat things about Knitcircus is that the designs are sold together as a collection for as long as the issue is the current–so for $8.49 you get a crazy amount of patterns (26, to be precise).  And, you can read some great articles, yarn and book reviews absolutely free on the site.  The other crochet pattern in this issue is a pretty broomstick lace shawl (with tutorial!) and, there are lots of knitting  patterns for those of you who are double agents.

I may have more of a watermelon head than the model….

I’m giving the pattern collection away to 3 lucky Lindamade readers. To enter, answer the question below by Monday, August 29th at 12 midnight CST.  Due to some issues with my last giveaways, you must include your e-mail address in order to win (no one else can see it if you fill it out as directed when you comment), and if I don’t hear back from you within 2 days of emailing you, I’ll give the collection to someone else.

What pattern would you most like to make from the Fall 2011 Issue of Knitcircus? (No need to suck up in order to win! ).

Once I blocked it and sewed up all the pieces, I tried it on again BEFORE weaving in the ends. I really suggest you do this too, with any garment you make that allows it. I found that I needed to lose about 6 rows in each shoulder for it to fit me as desired –otherwise the armholes were a bit too deep and neckline a little low (this might have been because I was going between sizes with my altered gauge).  Taking those rows out raised the neckline (and I’d already made it a bit higher for my version), so if I wanted to go crazy I could have ripped out all of the straps and re-crocheted that part too, but I chose not to.

I’m really happy with how it came out and I think it’s a totally wearable piece. Ok, maybe when it gets a little cooler than 105 and I can bring myself to wear two layers. The Hempathy is really breathable and gets softer and softer each time I wash it, and I just LOVE this color. The first time I worked with Hempathy I really didn’t like how it felt in my hands, for whatever reason (maybe because I was alternating it with soft mohair, and the contrast was just too much?). But this time around I liked it much better. Although it’s a little bit harder on my hands than a springy merino wool, I would use it again in a heartbeat.

All told, I used 7 skeins (really, 6.5 skeins, or just under 1000 yards).  I’m wearing it with about 1″ of ease  and I love the fit. There are a few shells popping up on Ravelry, and so far they all look great!

***Just an FYI,  While I was crocheting this, I noticed that the shell was photographed inside-out in Interweave Crochet. It’s not a big deal, but it’s a bit more textured on the inside than the outside. I’m not sure how that happened, but in case you thought yours didn’t look quite like the picture, this would explain it. Hey, now it’s reversible!

Each piece is worked in sport weight wool, which was a pleasure as I just love the way thinner yarn drapes. The cardigan is made with mock bobbles that are easy to do, and the mini peter pan collar and heart buttons make it extra sweet. The bag and headband can really be made for any age (and if you want a larger bag, just use thicker yarn, although I can’t predict how big it will turn out, it will be fun!).

This issue is a fun one, with some of my favorite projects being the Amigurimi of NY and the Annie Hall Cardigan. Be sure to look for it on a newsstand near you.

First is the Zipline Shell, an easy to work tank that has minimal shaping. I made the sample with Tahki Stacy Charles Cotton Classic Lite, which is a great sport weight mercerized cotton. As I’ve said before, thinner yarn= prettier garments when it comes to crochet, especially for the summer time. This one would be easy to modify if you wanted to add more shaping, because solid sections of stitches are worked between each lace column–but I find that I always have to adjust the shaping for my body anyway, so I kept this one simple. I’d like to make one for myself just as soon as I have the time, maybe in Cascade Ultra Pima.

Here’s a picture of my friend Flor wearing it before I sent it off–funny to see the difference on two bodies, no? Also note the seasonal change of the photos. Wink.

My second design is set of sculptural lace Azaelea Bowls. This is the same pattern worked in two different yarn weights, then stiffened with sugar and water. I’m thrilled that Interweave has started including more stitch diagrams, and this bowl has both written and diagrammed instructions–yeah! These bowls always amaze people when they pick them up and feel how sturdy they are, and they’re a quick and inexpensive gift, too!

The issue is full of gorgeous designs, so be sure not to miss it! I’m particularly fond of Anastazia Cruz’s Pine Cone Top, Sharon Falkner’s Riverwalk Wrap (I want to make this one!)  and Natasha Robarge’s Swannanoa Skirt.

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I’m off to TNNA (The National NeedleArts Association trade show) this weekend, for more inspiration + fun with my fellow yarnie folks. I can’t wait! I’ll be signing copies of Little Crochet at the Unicorn booth on Sunday at 2PM, if you’ll be there, please stop by and say hello!

This issue contains my very first adult garment pattern, Peanut Butter (ravelry link). PB is worked side to side in sport weight yarn (which gives grrrreat drape) with feminine smock stitch detailing on the bodice. There’s also a knit version, Jelly, if that’s more your persuasion. Here are both together:

Adorable! We worked very hard to make this pattern, and I am super proud of it. I don’t do a lot of garment patterns (yet) and there are many reasons, but the most important is that I want each one to be a special design that has a long-lasting appeal, and it’s also tricky to find a pub that allows me the space to include the detailed instructions that make it easier on you, the crocheter.  Tracy St. John (whose name you might recognize from the pages of Interweave Crochet) really helped me go over this one with a fine-toothed comb. I think and hope this cardigan satisfies my goals, and I want to make one for myself soon! It comes in six sizes ranging from a 32″ to 52″ bust, and includes a diagram of the smocking pattern. You can purchase the pattern on Tangled for $6.50 (just click “add to cart”). I would love to see your version if you make one! And the yarn I used–Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine, was perfect for this sweater–it’s soft, affordable, has a generous yardage per skein, and comes in great colors. I’d use this yarn again in a heartbeat. Thanks to Berroco for the yarn support.

My second, FREE pattern is a little combination of crochet and weaving, called Shimmer (ravelry link). Shimmer is a scarf that’s crocheted in a worsted wool-silk blend (Louisa Harding Grace Wool+Silk), then the sparkling ribbon yarn (also Louisa, Sari Ribbon)  is added by weaving it through the stitch pattern, which creates little windows on the front that let the sparkle shine through. I designed this scarf specifically because I’d been drooling over both yarns at Yarnivore, and I wanted to find an enjoyable way to crochet the ribbon. KFI was generous enough to donate the skeins so I could design this free pattern.

The scarf looks cool from either side, but the ribbon is much more visible on what is the “back” to me (what you see in the photos in the mag). If you look at it from the front, it’s a much more understated,  subtle shimmer, which is what my original vision was. I like them both, but wanted to show you what my vision of the front looked like.

There are plenty of other awesome patterns in this issue, including Radicowl!, a brioche-stitch uspired crochet cowl (knit version here!), Helleborus, stunning flowering mitts by Shelby Allaho and a lovely Jane Austen inspired knit, Elinor Dashwood (crochet version here!). Please check it out and tell all of your friends. Cause see, we can all get along! Happy hooking and sticking!