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Crochetscene 2015: Crossed Arrow Vest

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Photo Credit: Interweave/Harper Point Photography

This week I’m focusing on my three patterns released in Crochetscene 2015!  I had the honor of getting all three of my design submissions accepted – and it was so exciting to work on these three designs.  Today I’m focusing on Crossed Arrow, a Hunger-Games inspired vest that’s accessible to beginning crocheters.  With minimal seams and simple shaping, the most challenging part is the edging – and broomstick is an easy skill to learn!

My Sketch for Crossed Arrow

I had the concept of how the vest was put together from the start; although my drawn picture here only gives you a little bit of an idea.  I had been immersed in the future/punk look of a few different shows, and I had just come off of a bunch of fine work in both knitting and crochet – I was ready for a bulky vest that worked up quickly and looked a lot more complicated than it was.  Crossed Arrow was the result.

I’d also been wanting to create a couple of pieces featuring things like broomstick – things that would introduce crocheters to the skill without making the whole project about the skill.

I love that Crossed Arrow is simple – the vast majority of the project is single crochets through the back loop.  Occasionally you crochet to create an armhole, and in the beginning and the end you work increases or decreases for the neckline.  But mostly?  It’s just using one of the foundation stitches of crochet to a really great effect.

Hairpin lace edging on Crossed Arrow

Hairpin lace edging on Crossed Arrow

For me, it’s the details of the piece that make it – specifically, the broomstick lace edging.  Look at the picots!  Look how the rest over the edges!

Crossed Arrow is currently available in print or online in Crochetscene 2015.  You can also read my more personal notes about the pattern on Ravelry.

On the Stands Now: My Interview with Inside Crochet

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Inside Crochet Cover
Just a quick note from me this Friday afternoon, as I attempt to beat back my email inbox.

CaptureIf you live in the UK, or happen to get Inside Crochet Magazine, you should go take a gander at the issue.  I’ve got an interview with the Deputy Editor, Rhian Drinkwater, in a feature titled “Crochet Entrepreneurs!

We talk about a number of my upcoming patterns, a few of my role models, and how I got my start!

I also talk about something that really made me feel vulnerable, but I think talking about it is important: making mistakes.

You can pick up an online copy here, or buy it wherever the magazine is sold.  And if you’re in the UK, take a picture of it if you come across it and send it to me!  It’s my first international publication I’ve been in!

New Classes Posted to the Calendar!

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As I’m getting my schedule firmed up for the fall, I’m starting to slot dates in for my new classes!  I thought I’d highlight my classes at Fibre Space, this Fall.

Fibre Space

I love teaching at Fibre Space (which is located in Old Town Alexandria, VA), and I’ve got a few really great classes I’ll be teaching this fall.  Highlights include: Stained Glass Rug

Darn Those Knits
Stranded Crochet Cowl
Finishing Essentials
Intarsia Wrap
Ooops! Fixing Mistakes
Padded Crochet Rug

Sockupied Fall 2015: Electrostatic Lines Knee Socks

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As I mentioned yesterday, I’ve got a bunch of patterns that have come out in the last four weeks.  If you’ve been paying attention to my design page on Ravelry (you know you can follow the page on Ravelry, right?), my published patterns page jumped from 35 patterns to 45 – a full ten (TEN!) patterns released this last week.  It’s also part of the reason I was sooo busy the beginning of this year.  Today I want to take the time to highlight Electrostatic Lines, featured in Sockupied’s Fall 2015 issue.  Electrostatic Lines is a pair of stranded knit knee socks with a fun twist to make the calf fit you perfectly!

I’ve loved designing for Sockupied.  They’re one of the smaller magazines out of Interweave, but I love the focus on quality patterns, and the editor’s commitment to bringing really great sock articles forward.

Sockupied Fall 2015

Credit: Interweave/Harper Point Photography

In this issue, Electrostatic Lines are on the cover (my fourth pair on a Sockupied Cover!) – and I think these are one of my favorite pairs of socks I’ve ever designed.

Credit: Interweave/Harper Point Photography

I was working on these socks nearly a year ago today.  I knew these were going to be a particularly difficult pair of socks – not only did I have to finish them and Karner Butterfly in about 4 weeks, but knee socks are a haul.  When you get past the heel, you’re barely halfway done.  But I loved sitting on the front porch of our house in the mornings and afternoons and just steadily churning through the rows.  I love how there’s a bit of interest at the toe, the mini-gusset followed by the short row heel, and then the fun joy of working stranded knitting up the leg.  Knee socks are a commitment – but they’re worth it.

Steadily working up the leg

This was one of my first projects using ChiaoGoo’s Red Lace Needles, and I was in the process of falling in love, leaving my Addi’s in the dust.

Trying socks on as you go – toe up all the way!

There are so many things I’m proud of in this pattern.  I love that you can try these socks on as you go, to make sure that the calf fits just as it should.  The stranded knitting for the leg is written in such a way that increases can be added or subtracted as needed, so the pattern will fit perfectly for your calf.

And quite simply, I fell in love with this color combination: nearly a perfect, yet counter-intuitive combo for fall.  Hedgehog Fiber’s Rusty Nail and Graphite work lovely together.  They just seam to glow, especially in the sunlight.

You can check out more details about my sample pair of Electrostatic Lines on Ravelry, which includes the time information for this particular pair of socks.

Rusty Nail seems to glow

Electrostatic Lines is available from Sockupied, along with a bunch of other quality patterns.  Buy your copy here!

Fun Times at the Farm

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Fun Times at the Farm

Fun Times at the Farm

On Friday I wrapped up the last of my camps with Montgomery College, hastily packed up my belongings, said goodbye to my lovely hosts, and swung around the beltway in DC to pick up Sweetness and Light.

For those of you who have begun following me in the last year, the monikers Sweetness and Light have little meaning, as I haven’t written about them recently.  Sweetness and Light are the name of two girls that I was a nanny to for four years – from mid 2010 until mid 2014, when Mr. Turtle and I moved to Richmond.  I began working for the family when I moved to DC – underemployed and still with the shine of college.  Sweetness was three, Light, just over 10 months.

Now, Sweetness is a precocious eight and Light is going to be six at the end of this month.  In the time in between, their parents have become more than friends, their family has increased by one (a 20 month old boy, now), and my employment has deepened into a friendship.  About once every four months, Sweetness and Light come for a sleepover, and since I was “in town” anyway, it made sense to “borrow” the girls, and bring them home for a few days.

Light rocking a ball-cap.

So what might have been a relaxing weekend unpacking and decompressing from camp became a joyful visit (perhaps relaxing might not be the word I’d use, but invigorating might fit).

Well, perhaps it was relaxing for Sweetness.

This was a particularly special trip, as we got to take Sweetness and Light to the farm.  Sweetness got to drive the riding lawnmower, we took rides in the antique jeep (without seatbelts!), and went to the James River to “ride the rapids,” fish and swim.

On Monday we returned to Ashland, and I dug out the camp materials for one last reprise, and we did needle felting to make pillows in honor of Mr. Turtle’s birthday, in a week.

Now the girls are gone, and it’s time to get back to the grindstone.  There’s updates to the website, design subs to create, patterns in a backlog that need to be written and edited, and camp stuff to unpack and find homes for.

Come next week, I’ll be trying to get back into the grove of blog-posts that are more informative that update-ish.  I’ve also got a bunch of patterns that have come out in the last four weeks, so I’ll spend some time highlighting those!

Update From the Camp Front

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The last week has been a flurry of busy – I’ve been running camps in the morning and the afternoon, and totally been immersed in fiberarts.

I wanted to share some of the highlights from this past week.

Working on Pikachu in Punch Rugwork

Working on Pikachu

One of my students in Knockout Punch Rug Needlework created an absolutely stunning Pikachu.  Working in Punch Rug Work (like rug hooking, except you’re looking at the wrong side right now), he blasted through the piece displaying both creativity and problem solving, expecially considering the limited palette I had available.

Fingerless Glove - in knititng!

Working on a Fingerless Glove

I had a young eight year old who was ABSOLUTELY DETERMINED that she would finish her fingerless glove, no matter what.  Everything else was secondary, every second we had “free work” time, (and some times we did not), she was pulling out her knitting to work “just another row.”

Needle felting, Punch Rug Hooking, Dyed Yarn

Needle felting, Punch Rug Hooking, Dyed Yarn

I had another camper who fell in love with needle felting, creating a lovely bag, a pillow out of her punch rug work, and took home a gorgeous hand-dyed ball of yarn.  She couldn’t have been happier with her projects!

This week marks the last week of the camps, with another round of String Theory, and then Next Step Needlework.  I’m so excited to see what students create!

Resources for Teaching Children Fiberarts

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child learning to knit

Learning Fiberarts!

This marks the end of the first weeks of the camps I’m running with Montgomery College, and I’m wrapping up one of my cornerstone camps, String Theory.  String Theory is a sampler camp: giving the children a taste of spinning, weaving, sewing and knitting.  The hope is, at the end of the camp, students will have found something they’re interested in, and pursue it further.  I thought it’d be helpful to have a reference post of resources for children – and ongoing fiberarts learning.

Sewing

Knitting

Weaving

learning to weave

Learning to Weave

  • Kid’s Weaving is where it’s at.  It’s one of the only book that is weaving and geared toward children, and it’s solid.
  • You Can Weave is older, and harder to find, but a good resource.

 

Show Notes from the Last Few Weeks

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Aboard a cruise ship, sailing with Mr. Turtle, my parents and his parents.  It’ll be our second (third? – depends on how you count it) vacation together.  It’s all part of Mr. Turtle’s and my project to integrate our families.  You see, Michael’s grandparents didn’t get along, and he can’t remember a time when they were both in the same room.  In contrast, my grandparents were good friends, and I can remember many holidays, visits and trips where my family and grandparents were all in tow.

It was a perfect arrangement, really.  With 4 Crowley grandchildren and 4 grandparents, it was glorious to get some really good one-on-one grandparent love.  I want that for my family, so Mr. Turtle and I have been trying to create situations where our parents, who live pretty far away, can spend time together.

 

Which actually wasn’t what I was planning on writing about.

I was planning on writing about my missing sock.  You see, about a month ago I finished a pair of socks, for myself, that I’ve been wanting to finish for a while.

This is a really poor picture of the sock, but I didn't even get to take a picture of them!

This is a really poor picture of the sock, but I didn’t even get to take a picture of them!

I was pretty excited about them, so I wore them nearly for three days straight, washed them, and wore them once more.

And now one of the socks are missing.

The kicker is, the sock is somewhere in my house.  I figured, when we had company over this 4th of July, and were cleaning things, it’d turn up.  I wasn’t really concerned.

But now it’s after the 4th, the sock still hasn’t shown up, and I’m disappointed: I wanted to take them on the cruise with me.  No such luck.  I can’t find them anywhere, darn-it!

Have you ever lost a knitting or crochet item?  Did you find it again? After how long?  I’m really starting to get bummed about this missing sock.

3 Essential Rules to Work on Granny Square Crochet Blankets

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Tomorrow morning I’ll be winging off our a week long vacation with my family in Alaska, and then I’ll return to quickly packing up for three weeks of summer camps in Rockville, MD.  So I’ve been trying to wrap up a few long-term finishing projects.

Sometime soon I’m going to write a post on how to properly finish off a granny-square blanket so it doesn’t fall apart in 30 years. (Or really, any blanket for that matter.)  Still, it seems like all I’ve been doing lately is repairing granny squares.

It’s meditative work at the best of times, and dead boring at the worst.  I normally like to put on a book-tape or podcast and crank out the repairs.  This time around I took a few photos to share, and decided to add my 3 rules of working on granny square blankets.

Granny Square blanket with split seams

The first blanket, featured above, had two major places it was broken: the last row of the square didn’t have its ends woven in, and I needed to rework the last row and reattach.

Rule #1: Properly weaving in ends is essential in a blanket that you want to last.  Crocheting over them doesn’t cut it.

Repairing hole in Granny Square Blanket

Repairing hole in Granny Square Blanket

As a corollary to Rule #1, the closer an end is to the center, the more stress it takes.  REALLY weave in the ends at the center of a blanket.

Which brings me to my next rule.

Rule #2: include care instructions when you give a blanket to someone.  Don’t expect them to know how to care for the blanket and the fibers!

Let me show you some examples:

Center of granny square lost of love

Center of granny square lost of love

Slowly adding back the center of the Granny Square

Slowly adding back the center of the Granny Square

Granny square center replaced!

Granny square center replaced!

All the black that's not a

All the black that’s not a “frame” for the granny square is replaced & repaired.

The blanket above is one that’s been well loved, but also subjected to light and heat damage.  The fibers are very very delicate, and I’m working to repair the largest holes so this can be gently loved again. Still, proper care of textiles can extend their life a hundredfold.

Finally, my last rule.

Rule #3: REALLY, REALLY weave in your ends.  Seriously.  Nearly 80% of the granny square repairs I do is in places where they ends have come unraveled, instead of the fibers degrading.  Weave in the ends.  Use a sharp needle.  Skim them in.

Are there things you can think of to extend the life of your afghans?  What are they?

Now available: Make a Crochet Rug Using Piping Cord and Crochet Motifs!

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Matryoshka Baskets from Crochet World

I’ve been really enjoying playing with padded crochet lately, if you haven’t noticed.  Last year with Crochet World I published the Matryoshka Baskets, and this past week my Rag-ety Rug came out.  Now, this week I have another wonderful piece of news to share with you!

Remember how a couple of months ago I talked about filming classes with Interweave?  Well, the first of them are out, and I couldn’t be more excited!

Let me tell you about the class.

Titled Make a Crochet Rug Using Piping Cord and Crochet Motifs with Jennifer Raymond, this class covers all you’d need to know in order to make Stained Glass Rug.  While the pattern by itself stands alone, you do need a basic understanding of padded crochet to make the project work.

With my online class, not only do I show you the basics of padded crochet, but I also show you all my tricks I developed and learned while making the rug.  You’ll learn the best ways of finishing off your cord, the easiest ways to join the motifs, and how to adapt the pattern for other purposes.

Make a Crochet Rug Using Piping Cord and Crochet Motifs

Make a Crochet Rug Using Piping Cord and Crochet Motifs

As I mentioned before, this class focuses around Stained Glass Rug, which was featured on KDTV’s episode 1409. I love this pattern.  It’s infinitely customizable, as you can make the rug as large or small as you want it.  The padded crochet makes the rug both cushy under the feet, durable, and the project works up really fast!  There’s plenty of room for color play, in the form of using up scraps, creating color blocks, or making magic balls to use.  And I love how, just worked in the yarn I used for the original project, each piece looks a little bit like the stained glass you see in churches.

Make a Crochet Rug Using Piping Cord and Crochet Motifs with Jennifer Raymond is available for pre-ordering as a DVD, or you can download it right now onto your computer.

You should checkout the preview:

Have you ever worked padded crochet? What do you think of the preview?

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