Tag Archives: motif

Flower Trellis Afghan, Where You Place the Stitches Makes the Difference

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ScannedImageThe unique thing about crochet is that it all depends upon where you place your hook. Basically there are only a couple of stitches, but a very look happens when the stitches are placed in different places.0001830918_small2

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One side of Flower Trellis Afghan “Flowers” Photo courtesy of Annie’s

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Opposite side of Flower Trellis Afghan, “Snowflake” Photo courtesy of Annie’s

My Flower Trellis Afghan, on the cover of the current special issue of Crochet! Magazine From Scraps to Sensational, really shows how stitch placement can create a completely different effect, allowing this afghan to have two different but equally beautiful sides.

This afghan is comprised of motifs, which are only 3 round each. The first 2 rounds are the pops of color! Only a little yarn is needed for these rounds, so it really puts the scraps in your stash to work, the more interesting the color, or variegation, or hue of the yarn, the more interest to the overall effect.

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Flower Trellis Afghan Photo courtesy of Annie’s

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Flower Trellis Afghan Photo courtesy of Annie’s

The really magic occurs in the third round. The stitch placement of working in round 1 behind round 2, allows for the petals of the “flowers” to become distinguished, while creating the “snowflake” appearances on the opposite side. Or at least that is what I envision when I see them.

The other great feature about this afghan is that it is joining as you go; all is worked in the third round. So working the color of the motifs can be completely portable, and then join them all together when working the last round. This is a rewarding project, as it really helps clean up the left over bits of yarn you have been holding onto for the “special” project, and by placing your stitches in a different location you find that you have a project that has a personality, and differing effect on either side

Pattern with a Purpose!- Fighting Cancer!

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ScannedImageI am really excited about my latest design! Not only is it fun to work up with a great drape and fit over the shoulders but it helps fight cancer!

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Twinkle Hope Diamonds Shawl

The Twinkle Hope Diamonds Shawl (find it here on Raverly) is a join as you go motif design that high lights a large motif in the back, and since it is V shaped it stays in place over the shoulders. I will admit the name has a little of a double meaning to me. Yes, they are diamond shaped motifs that have a twinkle effect of the stars I see at night with the slight taper in the edges; but I also see it as also a symbol of hope.

I have had several people close to my heart be affected by various cancers. Some are no longer with us; some are living a life forever changed. I know that I am not alone by having had cancer enter the realm of life, so I am happy that all the proceeds from the sales of this design (as well as any other of my design patterns) goes directly to benefit cancer research through the organization Cast Off Chemo.FINAL-LOGO-FOR-JPEGS-01-cropped All designs created for this program have done with hours of volunteering. The pattern writers, sample stitchers, technical editors, photographers, publishers, designers; everyone, has donated their skills to create an avenue to raise funds for this worthy cause.

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Twinkle Hope Diamonds Shawl

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Center back of Twinkle Hope Diamonds Shawl

So, if you feel so inclined, please check out my latest designs, the other designers featured by Cast Off Chemo, or donate to the organization directly. It is always the small steps that can make the biggest difference.

Blossom Spins and Flowers on the Beach Thoughts

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ScannedImageThis is a busy time of year. All the work that filled my days at the end of summer is now making its way onto the newsstands to be enjoyed!

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Photo courtesy of Annie’s

The special issue of Crochet! Magazine, Quick & Easy Crochet Accessories features two of my new designs (one if actually featured on the issue cover!), and I thought that I would share some of what went into creating them.

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Blossom Spins Wrap Photo courtesy of Annie’s

The first one, the Blossom Spins Wrap, grew out of some playing I was doing with the picot stitch. The picot is usually noticed in edges and is created from a set of chains that are slip stitched back to the same base stitch. This creates a little nub, or dot, along the stitch pattern. I was attempting to see what other secrets this little decorative stitch might hold. In doing so I made the chains a little longer and now created a loop that could become the foundation for other stitches! In the case of the wrap these picots hold a shell stitch that allows for a subtle wave, making these square motifs appear more like diamonds.

The other real charm of this design, the color work, is all done by the yarn. Both of these designs I am discussing are created with Deborah Norville Serenity Garden Yarn, it is a light weight yarn that is silky and soft. It comes in a wide array of color ways and creates lovely striping, and in the result of the motifs, creates a beautiful speckling of color highlights.

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Flowers on the Beach Photo courtesy of Annie’s

The other design, the Flowers on the Beach Bag, came into being from the flowers. The flowers are a design that I have played with, creating the petals large and wide in just a single row, and then basically outlining the edge of the flower by working a round of single crochet directly on top. I have found that I really enjoy these flowers, and they, like the motifs in the wrap, offer a great way for the color of the yarn to create a fun dimension. The mesh bag that the flowers are worked onto is quite simple and easily collapses, not taking up much room when being stored, but then can readily carry all the necessities for a day at the farmer’s market or a picnic at the beach.

In retrospect these designs really sing due to the color of the yarn, the structure of the designs themselves hold a good positive and negative space, but the color is what catches your eye and draws you in more. I might have to play with some more color changes and see how that can affect the outcomes of designs that I feel are missing something….you’ll never know when the right combination will come together.

Where Designs Grow- The Bharat Star Table Runner

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ScannedImageThe New Year seems like it has been a bit of a whirl wind, especially since I have several designs coming out in various publications over the next several weeks. I enjoy sharing my thoughts of where these designs grew from, and the latest of these is the Bharat Star Table Runner, that is now available in the special issue of Crochet World Magazine, Blue Ribbon Crochet (available on newsstands and for download now).

871501_BlueRibbon_COVERThis table runner created with #10 cotton thread (Nazli Gelin Garden, color #700-09), was a design that grew out my approach to seeing in uses for the picot stitch. The picot stitch is a crochet classic, which is often used in an edging, sometimes within lace stitches, and is essentially working a chain-3 loop among a row or round of stitches. This creates a little, for lack of a better term, “nub” to rise above the other stitches and create a visual interest.

In playing with this classic technique, I have used the picot, instead of an embellishment as a location of additional stitch work. I have found that increasing the picot to a chain-4 loops, this becomes an excellent place to put shell or fan stitches, that creates a nice rounded arch.

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photo courtesy of Annie’s

So while sitting in grass at my old high school, waiting for my kids to finish their parks & recreation tennis lessons last summer, I was playing with motifs. I was originally attempting to create large lace motif, but after working my fourth round by working a shelled arch in a picots I could not find a way to continue it further. I loved the shape that it made. I knew I was really on to something with it when the other parents waiting for their kids commented on how much they liked what I was making (once again crochet is an ice breaker).

I added the small motif squares to the mix, as a way to assist in a smooth join to the fabric, and believe that the square shape is a nice compliment to the star shape. I actually enjoy this stitch pattern enough that I have considered, several times, adding more motifs to make a wrap, or even a full table cloth.

If you do not feel comfortable using thread, this pattern can use yarn, and offer beautiful results as well.

I enjoy many of my designs, but this one is up among my favorites.

Joining Right Along

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Since crochet has always been a point of relaxation for me, I never have fully appreciated joining work together. Actually I have avoided it like the plague, granny squares looked lovely, but then I’d have to put them all together! That afghan made in strips is attractive, but then I have to find a tapestry needle and sew it together. Well that takes the relaxation out of my work with hooks. So I left them alone for a long time, then the world of join as you go opened up to me. This is the process of working a motif and on the last row you work through to edge of the ones already created and thus work them together, joining with my hook as I create the final row. Genius!! This has brought a new world of crochet to my hook.  Without this technique I would have never used some scraps to make the pillow see in the photo.Join as you go motif, pillow.

To get this to work for you here are the things to keep in mind. Where do the stitches come in contact with each other? Do you want an open join (kind of like lace) or a solid join? Are your motifs the same size? What shape are you joining together? The simplest to work out is putting together a square motif, or at least one with straight sides. If you are already using a motif based pattern then the attachment of the motifs has already been thought out, so you just have to modify it to allow you to work the last row with the ones already created. If there are spaces in that last row, it much easier to connecting point, but you can work around regular stitches or in between them.

You never know what interesting designs you find in bring two pieces together, and that applies to much more then crochet, and joining as you go is a good metaphor for the path of my life. I use to treat my life as chapters of a book, which I have closed one chapter to move on to another, but really I find myself reflecting on past “chapters”.  So using the metaphor of a “join as you go afghan” might be more appropriate, since they build on one another and are forever connected.

This has opened my thoughts and given a new direction with my hook to enjoy the classic crochet works of motifs, without the hassle. I hope you will investigate this option for yourself as well.