Category Archives: Encouragement

Working On “Special” with Some Nice Results

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ScannedImageSo I am one of those people that will eat dessert last. If I eat it first, it means that I am skipping dinner. Even as a kid with T.V. dinners, I would save that little two bit dessert of fruit cobbler until the very end. I still do this today; I eat my most favorite part of any meal last.

So now what does this have to do with crochet? Well not a whole lot, except that if I find a “special” yarn or accessory I have a difficult time getting around to using it. I want to “save” special until I find the right fit.

This is true with a couple of things I have received over the last year, but I am forcing myself to bring them to use. After all how can I truly enjoy them if they are tucked away somewhere “special”. So I begin this process by making my own necklace.

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My “Special” Creation with Mini Masterpiece Pendant and Kreinik Twist Yarn

Those that see me often know I do not where all that much jewelry, just a simple necklace of a single pearl, a pair of earrings and a handmade bracelet. All things that have some sentimental value to me, and bring back memories, so receiving a Mini Masterpiece Pendant this last summer from one of its creator Shelby Allaho, immediately placed it in a “special” category.

I will admit the pendant is a little bigger then I am use to wearing, at least daily, but I think that I would put it to use on “special” occasions. So the Mini Masterpiece Pendant is actually a small wooden frame, it is light weight and has a simple, yet decorative design. It is meant to frame a piece of stitching, (or anything your imagination can conceive of), but this also became a “special” hang up for me. What is “special” enough to be placed in the frame…( I possibility might have a problem here)….

A few months ago I also received some Kreinik Twist Carry-Along Yarn color #339 Teal. So this carry along yarn is a lace weight, and has a lot of sparkle. So it got me thinking….these are two things that I might be able to combine. I played around with many possible small motifs created out of Twist, and found that the yarn is very soft, has a nice elastic quality in the stitches, and as I stated earlier, has a nice sparkle. This yarn is intended to be used with a heavier yarn, to add a little something extra to your overall fabric, but I decided to use it by itself. I was quite happy with the result.

I made a simple 2 round motif (if you want to make one too, here are my notes on the pattern:Rnd 1: Ch 10, sc in first ch, *ch 9, sc in same ch as sc; rep from *2 more times. (4 ch=9 loops)Rnd 2: Sl st in each of the next 3 ch of ch-9 loop, ch 4, 4 tr in ch-9 sp, ch 5, *5 tr in next ch-9 loop, ch 5; rep from * 2 more times, sl st to top of beg ch 4. Finish off. ) Then stitched it to the frame, I then added a single pearl bead to the center. It is airy, light, and I enjoy the shape created in both the positive and negative space.

This is a very creative concept to “frame” your stitch work and it does give you something to think about…What would you frame? I have always felt that crochet is an art; I guess I may need to get some more frames.

When Enjoying Your Work To Much….

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ScannedImageYou need to review your work. Seems like a simple statement, yet one that I have sometimes overlooked. Sometimes I get so involved in a pattern, enjoying the process; they way the stitches work together, the way the yarn feels, the rhythm of the movement. Then when I finally sit back and look at my work, I realize that I made a mistake way back at the beginning. So the re-work process begins again.

IMG_6740.1Here is my most recent “why didn’t I pay more attention” project. I was working up a shawl in a miter triangle, but have not been working my decreases correctly and thus have something more like a miter square (or trapezoid, it is all up for matter of personal preference). I really enjoy the stitch pattern (and hope to have it available very soon), and love the yarn (Lisa Souza Baby Alpaca/Silk, what is not to love), so it easily puts me into a trance.

So now it is time to pay a little more attention, and work my math a little more.

Realizing I Have Something, That Has Probably Always Been There

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ScannedImageThis time of year has always been a time of reflection and re-connection, almost a little melancholy for me, and this year is no different.

I had an epiphany recently about my designing. In the past I would have probably laughed if you would have considered me a “designer”. I would never consider myself as “fashion forward” or anything like that. My personal style is pretty simple and definitely reflective of northern California, meaning my wardrobe primarily consists of jeans, T-shirts and flip flops. However undertaking another home improvement project really helped me to focus and realize that I do have a style, I may not have a word to define it, but it is there.

Paintbrush with Blue PaintFor the last decade, my husband and I have taken on various projects of home improvement on our 1920’s farm house. Last week, I tore everything out of the kitchen (yes, a little ambitious just before having people over for the holidays, no one ever accused me of being sane). While getting my “kitchen vision” on track I realized that I approach my crochet designs in much the same way…I need a starting point. I need something to expand from, my ideas do not come from a void, and they need to grow around an inspiration. In the case of my kitchen it is my new sink. I was unable to refinish the sink that I already had, and after some hunting found a great deal on a copper one, and everything else has expanded from that…the counters, the colors, the style, everything from the sink. In past projects the most difficult undertaking I had was re-installing a bathroom, it was a blank slate and I remember how I felt completely overwhelmed with the project, until I finally found a small piece of tile that became my “jumping off point”.

In comparison to my crochet designs, the same thing is true. I need a point of inspiration. Some of those are as simple as a challenge. Such as “What can I create with just this single skein?” or randomly reaching into a bag of yarn and then having to create something with what I pull out. Some inspirations come from architectural designs (believe it or not, I find a lot of ideas from The Old House), or even hotel carpets. The common point that they all have is a point to begin.

I guess I have been designing for much longer then I might have realized, it is just my style seems so everyday to me that I just take it for granted. It is simple, and clean, I attempt for balanced visually not necessarily symmetrically. It is, I hope, a little classic, and not trendy and date-able. It is warm and not afraid of color. I may not have a name for it, but one thing at a time, I only just realized I had one.

Thankful Crochet…Not What You Might Expect

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ScannedImageThanksgiving is the time of year that Americans take a moment and ponder what they are thankful for, families and friends come together over a hearty meal and various traditions are followed. Some gatherings are small, some are large, but all are focused on those we love.

I wish that we took time more often to ponder our thankfulness, and personally try to do this at least once a week (okay, sometimes this actually becomes once a month, but at least I try). Over some of this ponder I have realized how thankful I am for crochet, and it may not be in a manner that you have thought about. I am thankful for crochet being my social lubricant. Don’t misunderstand, I am quite a talker and can get into conversations that are no longer counted in minutes but hours and days, I can usually find some comfort in a room full of people that I have never met before, however crochet allows me to engage with some new people in a very different way.DSCF0849.1

By crocheting while sitting and enjoying the family get-togethers of the holidays, I can actually think before I speak (a trait that I always need to work on). I can crochet at my husband’s work holiday parties and it becomes an icebreaker within a group of other spouses that may only see each other during these events.

Not only can crochet help me within situations I know, it opens dialogs in places I don’t, such as the park, the coffee shop, the grocery store, the doctor office, actually just about anywhere. By working on some stitches it helps engage with others; people feel like you are approachable and want to understand more about what you are doing. It might bring back fond memories for them, or questions of how they could try and create for themselves.

DSCF0848.1By wearing my hook in my hair (yes, I do actually use a hook to hold my hair up) people might identify me as the “crochet lady”, and that is alright, I wear it as a badge of honor, and have for years, because it opens different doors and helps me to connect with the larger world around me. So thank you crochet, for being my longtime hobby, and current career, that allows me to engage with the rest of mankind.

My Ravelry Crochetalong- Join Me

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ScannedImageGetting together with other fiber artists and sharing your work can be a very fun experience. However it is not always easy to find this group of people just down the street, fortunately there is a social media outlet dedicated to those that love to play with yarn, Ravelry.com.

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Waves Hat- Photo courtesy of Annie’s

Ravelry has been around for a while and has users from around the world, where people share their current projects, their stash of yarn, as well as check out or purchase patterns and are able to chat with other people about them. There are also forums, like chat rooms, on various topics that occur within different groups, which allow for a wide range of discussion topics.

Currently I have a Crochetalong within one of these forums, Crochet! Magazine. A Crochetalong is an event in which people are encouraged to work the same pattern and share their experiences within the group. They are able to ask questions, get feed back, and find new insight in the design of the pattern they are working. My Crochetalong is the Waves Hat that is in the current issue of Crochet! Magazine. So if you have never attempted such an event, or you want encouragement to finish up this hat for a holiday gift (or just for fun), please consider joining me. This is a new thing for me too and I would love get your feedback as well.