New Designs for the Beach!

ScannedImageIt seems like it has been a while….but I have a couple of new patterns released! These have a “beachy” theme and were inspired from a conversation.

By friend Vashti Braha, of Designing Vashti, was pulling together everything it takes to do a booth at the annual conference for the Crochet Guild of America, the Knit & Crochet Show, in San Diego, California. She began her own yarn line Designing Vashti Lotus Yarn just about a year ago, and was eager to take on this new challenge.(If you want my thoughts on this yarn, you can find it here.) While we were chatting about the booth Vashti expressed how she would love to have some beach like items available in the booth, it sparked some ideas and now here they are!

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Sun Twirl Cover Up

The Sun Twirl Cover Up is worked up as a simple square of filet crochet and has minimal seaming, creating a fast and fun cover up for a day at the beach or time beside the pool. It is written for sizes S-2XL, and the Lotus yarn is great with it. The color is bold and the yarn has just the right amount of cotton to make it comfortable, while the rayon adds some drape and shine. The swirl pattern is one that I have played with for a long time. This top has actually been in my mind, finding a way to be created, and fortunately the opportunity was presented. I like the swish of the lines as it helps to flatter many body types and shapes. This pattern is currently available on Ravelry for $3.00.

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Quick Outing Bag

What beach ware is complete without a bag? This Quick Outing Bag is another fast work up that has nice stretch, but not too much. It has a slight color play with some spike stitches, and it really lightweight. It can squish down to a small ball, yet can hold a couple of beach towels. So, in other words, it stores away well when not in use. It is also available on Ravelry for $3.00. 

So while summer still has a grip on the weather, whip up one for yourself.

Sharing Free Pattern- Cented Flowers

ScannedImageSo with the craziness of the end of summer and the beginning of fall weather, I have been able to do a little regrouping. In the process, I realized that I had not shared a pattern I was intending to release after the Knit & Crochet Show at the end of July.

I was honored to be included in the Crochet Guide of America’s Make & Take projects that were available this year’s conference (its 20th Anniversary), in Manchester, NH. I designed and donated the pattern, Marty Miller shared her time and knowledge doing the technical editing of it, and Designing Vashti was generous enough to supply the Lotus Yarn for the sample as well as the projects at the conference.

IMG_6177.1I admit I over thought the pattern, and probably over symbolized it. Since it was for the Anniversary conference, and the theme colors were Emerald, White and Platinum, I made sure to include them in the project. Then for 20 year anniversaries some websites indicated that the Aster flower was the recognized flower for the event, so I created a daisy like flower. Then I added dimes in the center, made sure there were 2, so that there was 20 cents, 1 for every year. So I had two white flowers with green leaves, and “platinum” color centers. Yes, I probably did over think this.

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A few of the attendees of my Make & Take

The Make & Take was scheduled for Saturday during lunch and I had a total of 18 people participate (people did not have to stay the entire time, but drop in and go as they liked). Many people learned some new skills, as the pattern included foundation double crochet, surface crochet, and extended stitches. The project is mounted to a snap hair clip, but can easily be used to embellish many things, and created in many beautiful colors.

So, I wanted to share the free pattern “Cented Flowers” (yes, it is a little puny) with those that may not have been able to attend the conference in New Hampshire, I hope you enjoy it. Please feel free to down load it here. Cented Flowers