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A Month of Crochet- A Focus on Color

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ScannedImageWow, a whole month focused on crochet! It has been fun following all the blogs featured on the Crochetville blog tour, and thank you Amy & Donna for all your hard work in pulling this together.National Crochet Month 2014

 

This year the blog tour is featuring the charitable organization of Halos of Hope. Please consider making a hat for the cause or make a financial contribution to this organization that helps many with cancer. Find more information at Halos of Hope. Halos of Hope

 

So spring is in the air, it always brings about the thoughts of color for me, which is always an inspiration. Granted I have not been living in a world of winter white, but seeing all the flowers open up and the trees beginning to bloom looks like a painters palette to me. So I grab some yarn and begin to play, but not all yarns are created equal.

 

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Notice the difference between the lines of color in the bottom of the swatch, double crochet clusters, and the band toward the top worked as single crochet. Different stitches, different color pooling.

Lately I have pulled toward variegated yarns, ones that have a mixture and change of color within the skein. However the length of each color run can make a real difference in how my finished fabric looks, so I have to take it into consideration.  I pulled some variegated yarn off the shelf the other day, with the inspiration of spring, but found that my fabric just looked like a bunch of speckled dots, and there was no “color pooling” that happens when colors stack up upon themselves.

 

Why did my work look like little specks? The stitches I was using. Most yarns are not created with crocheters as the primary user in mind, so as a result the color repeats are usually shorter then would best highlight the art of crochet stitches. Often each stitch will include more than one color resulting in speckling. However, with a little playing, stitches can be found that act a little differently. A good example of this is Tunisian crochet, that gives pooling more like that of knitting, but even changing from double crochet to single crochet can create a difference in the appearance of the fabric, and one that might be more what I am looking for.

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Left and Right same yarn, different stitch. Left in Tunisian, Right in single crochet cluster.

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I was playing with some hanks (the twisted up rounds of yarn that need to be unwound into a ball for easier using), that were dyed by an Independent dyer , these are businesses that are usually small in size and create beautifully colored yarns in small batches, some even painted by hand. I found the color runs of each hank to have been about a foot long, and created just a couple of stitches in each color. I asked the dyer about this, and was enlightened to learn about the process she used. She explained that to create longer color runs she would have to have a way to work with the hank either in a much longer format, or have it unwound then rewound into the hanks standard size, to be dyed/painted. Both approaches are more labor intensive and cost prohibitive. Since the yarn is so beautiful though, I think I can find a stitch that will work in complimenting it.

 

Basically, if you find a yarn that you love, be mindful that it may not be the best match for every pattern you find. So do a little of that dreaded word….swatching, and see how the color comes together. It really can help you find some beauty. Your crochet is your therapy, your art, your history, so help your vision come to life, use the yarns you love and work the patterns you enjoy. Do not be limited by want the photo shows or the materials listed, make each crochet moment your own.

 

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Free Garden Flower Head Band

Now if you have any scarps left give my newest free pattern a try! It is a head band, which has an attached flower (worked as you go, no sewing!), so check it out Garden Flower Head Band, and find my self-published designs at Crochetville, Ravelry and Craftsy.

Designs that Will Ring in Spring

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ScannedImageSpring is in the air; the ground is beginning to warm and release the blooms of daffodils. The days are getting longer and spending time outside is a greater joy. So it has made it a nice time to release 2 of my latest designs, they help take a little chill out of the air and dress up a casual look.

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Summer Rays Drop Stitch Wrap

The first is the Summer Rays Drop Stitch Wrap; it is created with a simple 3 row repeat, and 1 skein of Lisa Souza Sylvie 100% Bombyx Silk yarn. The highlight of this wrap is a unique stitch that is created free hand, of long loops, a technique that was originally featured in my article in the Summer 2012 issue of Crochet! Magazine, with the Drop Stitch Short Scarf. I really enjoy this technique as it gives the appearance of hairpin lace without the loom, or the joining of strips. It is worked as one continuous piece, and when you finish, you only have 2 ends to weave in.

This pattern includes the details on how to complete this technique, and I have to say that the silk gives it such a great drape that it adds IMG_6150 - Copyelegance to the work.

What inspired me to put this design together was actually the yarn. I had a skein, and I made it a personal challenge to see what I could create with it, and the Drop Stitch lends itself to this non-stretch yarn very well. The openness of the stitch with the smooth surface of the yarn, allows both to be featured in a positive way with this design, creating a classic style.

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Fiji Flowers on Flowers Shrug/Wrap

The second design I am releasing is the Honorable Mention Winner of the 2013 Crochet Guild of America Design Contest, Accessories category; the Fiji Flowers on Flowers Shrug/Wrap. This is a uniquely constructed piece that is comprised of 3 large pentagon motifs created with Tunisian Crochet. These motifs create a negative space design that is enhanced with additional motifs, thus creating flowers inside of flowers. All motifs are joined as you go, requiring no sewing.

One of the original features of this design is the “floral buttons” these are added embellishments that allow the fabric to be secured together to create air sleeves of a shrug, or left unsecured for an interesting wrap. This versatile piece is also worked in Lisa Souza Sylvie 100% Bombyx Silk yarn, which has beautiful color and gives great drape to this piece. This is a fun shrug that can be paired with jeans or a simple black dress, can be a nice compliment for a day at the beach, or a night on the town. It fills a very unique niche in any wardrobe, and trust me, it is fun.

#My inspiration for this design was born out of a watermark I saw in a magazine advertisement. It was a flower that was actually featured in a negative space (the space that is not the color, but the blank background), and I began daydreaming of how to create this in crochet, thus the large motifs were created. However they lacked structure and did not allow for a stable fabric, until the addition of contrasting motifs within them. This the negative space flower grow to have an addition of flowers within its petals. 

Both of these designs are available for sale on Ravelry.com or Crochetville.com for the simple price of $5. Check them out and let me know what you think of them.

Summer Rays Drop Stitch Wrap (Ravelry – Crochetville)

Fiji Flowers on Flowers Shrug/Wrap (Ravelry – Crochetville)

Inspiration is Outside my Crochet….but not my Expression

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ScannedImageI was asked a question recently, about what my “design inspiration” is. This actually made me think, as my inspiration is not usually crochet, although that is how I express it. My “inspirations” come from some unlikely places.

I actually put together the idea of an afghan while practicing dance steps. My mind would envision visual patterns to help me remember the points in the music and what steps I was to execute.  Things like “the rodeo move”, where the dance would rotate around with an “in & out” movement of the arms….it became a crocheted flower. MB900441798

Other times it is from seeing shapes in nature or art work. Sometimes just a piece of something visually piques my interest and I can see it as something else, like the simple stack of triangles that became a beret.

Conversations lead to many ideas, talking with people, not necessarily crocheters or even crafters for that matter. Usually they ask questions and help me to look at the craft from an angle that I have never thought about before. Like when someone that has never tasted chocolate before (okay, I know this has to be a fictitious person), and asks you if it always has a little salty after taste. It is something that you have taken for granted, and not until someone that doesn’t experience daily asks you a question do you reflect upon it.

I cannot even count how many pictures I have taken of motel/hotel lobby carpets, or brick work of old buildings. There is always something about these repetitions that give me ideas.  Not to mention I love catching the sewing/quilting shows on my local PBS station, it helps open up different ways I can put things together.

MR900441790These ideas only cover the basic stitch; it does not even delve into my color inspiration that can come from even more interesting areas.  But mostly what “inspires” me, takes a little practice, it is being open to accepting inspiration. I find that days when I can smile and the world feels like sunshine, that I can see inspiration everywhere, compared to the more typical day when the kids are fighting, the dog is barking, and dinner is burn. I have to keep that little note book to jot down those times of inspiration, so I can remember those days of “sunshine”.

Glove and Hat Set from 1 Skein! -Rice Paper Weave Thoughts

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ScannedImageSpring is on its way, but winter is still holding on….

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Rice Paper Weave Gloves
-I made the hand-to cuff a little longer to keep a little warmer-

I was thinking of family that I have that moved to the Chicago area this year, and how they may need to find ways to keep warm, so for the holidays I made them some gloves. They came out well enough I decided to share them in a pattern.

The stitch pattern is worked in a spiral, upon a base of ribbing that makes up the cuff. Instead of making the new popular option of fingerless gloves, I went ahead and added fingers. I admit fingers seem tedious and intimidating, but I found them much easier then I first thought. They worked up quickly in the same stitch pattern and add the practicality of warmth to the project. I also left the option of having a texting glove, by not completing the thumb, but having it long enough to cover the tip.

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Rice Paper Weave Hat
-Matches to gloves, and are available in the same pattern-

Then the most amazing part…I still had enough yarn left in the skein to make a matching hat! I worked this design up on an alpaca yarn from Lisa Souza Dyeworks, so it feels yummy and  makes a very nice cold weather glove and hat set (at least for Chicago weather, it might be fall and spring).

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Optional “Texting Thumb”

This design is sized for both men and women, in the gloves and the hat, ensuring that with 1 skein you can get an entire set of matching gloves and a hat!

So far it appears that my family members are enjoying them and keeping warm. If you would like to check out this pattern it is available for sale on Ravelry and Crochetville for $5. I call the “Rice Paper Weave Glove & Hat Set”, the name comes to me from the stitch pattern, and to me it reminds me of the placemats I have found at some Asian restaurants, which are woven but have great texture. The mats are probably made with bamboo but my mind keeps thinking of rice…for some reason it just seems a little more fluid.

Anyway, I hope you want to attempt to keep your fingers warm and will check out my latest design.

Understanding Where I Need to Grow

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I think that just about everyone I have spoken to has never really given themselves credit for what they really can do. Is that people are really that modest, or is that we are not really sure how to evaluate our work.

Okay, it is a given, most everyone never considers themselves a “Master” at the crafts they follow. I think this is because the more you know, the more you realize that you don’t know. That classic learning process that when you think that after you accomplish this next skill there is nothing left to learn, but you get there and realize that there is a completely new level that you have yet to understand. It is almost like mountain climbing, you get to one peak thinking that it is the top, but then you see a higher peak. But at least with mountain climbing there really is a “highest” peak, which is not really true in the crafts. So you may have reached the peak of one skill, just to be a beginner starting on a new one. I believe that this is why many people, who may be very skilled in the craft, might only consider themselves an Intermediate or maybe advanced, but never an expert. It is also a reason I believe others always feel like a beginner, even though their work shows hours of practice.

So how do you assess your work? Mountain in Himalayas

First I should preface this by stating that I do not think that you should place a label of yourself of your skill. I believe that people tend to live up to a label, and not their potential. However sometimes it is necessary to reflect on what we already know in order to understand what we have yet to grasp. With that in mind there are some ways to “self-assess” by asking some questions of ourselves.

·         What are my goals?

·         Have I accomplished the goals I had when I started this process or technique?

·         Is my work even and consistent?

·         Do I understand the concepts for the project?

·         Can I expand upon the process or technique and “play” with it?

·         Do I feel comfortable with the concentration level I use to complete the technique?

·         Can I explain the process, if only to myself, without reference to outside materials?

·         Are you happy with what you are doing?

The answers to the questions above will vary from person to person, just as a skill assessment is not a definitive answer, but self reflection reveals more to yourself then others- just as it should. Do not be overly critical when addressing your answers, but sit back and attempt to be as open minded and objective as possible.

This self assessment does not translate readily to a pattern that you may pick up, with their skill level indicators. These “skill” levels are defined by the publication, but some use the guidelines of the Craft Yarn Council of America. They are designed to help gauge a patterns difficulty and have some outline has to how they qualify. Basically it outlines a “Beginner” level as a project for first-time crocheters using basic stitches and minimal shaping. An “Easy” level are projects that use basic stitches and repetitive patterns, have simple color changes and shaping as well as simple finishing.  The level of “Intermediate” indicates that a project uses a variety of techniques, such as basic lace or color work patterns, which has mid-level shaping and finishing. Finally “Experienced” level is reserved for projects that have intricate stitch patterns, techniques and dimension, such as non-repeating patterns, multi-color techniques, fine threads, small hooks, and detailed shaping and refined finishing.

Close-up mid section of woman holding seedlingYou can not accurately define your abilities by the skills assessed to a pattern, as your world of crochet, or any craft for that matter, is not so narrowly or neatly packaged. By reflecting on how we have grown, and where we would like to grow to, we can really expand our skills and give ourselves the credit we really do deserve. We are often our own worst critic, and do not see that we have grown and expanded our craft, not just for ourselves but for all of those that are touched by the work of our hands.

Remember to continue to GROW.