Tag Archives: Annie’s

Crisscross Mesh- The Easy Top

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I have long found that using a fine weight yarn and a large crochet hook can create some stunning effects, and my latest design is no exception. The Crisscross Mess Top can be found in the Spring 2018 Special issue of Crochet! Magazine Boutique Style Crochet and I think that you will really enjoy it.

photo courtesy Annie’s

The yarn used for this design, Juniper Moon Farm Zooey DK, is a cotton/linen blend at 60%/40% respectively. It has a slightly uneven texture, being that it is a bit thinner/thicker in some places then others, but not drastically. It is not necessarily the first yarn I would have thought to design with, but I am very happy with the results. Find a more in depth review and thoughts of this yarn from my post in June 2017, here.

The design for this top is really pretty simple. It is rates as easy, and honestly….it is. Basically the large hook and fine yarn do all the work. You simply work 2 different size rectangles, and sew them together, then add sleeves. It only utilizes one crochet stitch, so it is pretty straight forward, yet has a really nice effect. There is no need to worry about shaping, or anything of such, the sleeves use what is referred to as short rows. Short rows are basically the act of not finishing a row, leaving stitches unworked, then when returning to work a row in the same direction you then work the unstitched stitches. Basically if you have 10 stitches in row 1, you work 5 stitches in row 2, as a result there are 5 stitches in row 3, then in row 4 you work the 5 stitches of row 3, and the 5 unworked stitches in row 1, resulting in 10 stitches. Really this is the only technique in this design that is not “repeat Row 2”.

To help the fabric open up, I actually hung it up when I blocked it. The weight of the wet fiber helped pull the stitches open even more than the stitches themselves. This helps give it a casual chic look. However it is definitely not a “wear it alone” type of top. You want to have something underneath, so that effectively makes this a statement type piece.

So if you are looking for a bit of a current fashion statement, give this design a try.

Creating Some Fun Memories for Summer!

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ScannedImageSo with June finally upon us, dreams of warm weather and vacations dance within our minds, at least for the most part.

 

My design and article in the Summer 2015 issue of Crochet! Magazine, about Yarn Dyeing with Kool-Aid will definitely foster new summer memories!

 

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Easy & Bright Market Bag Photo Courtesy of Annie’s

With simply water, wool yarn, Kool-Aid packets, vinegar, and a little heat, you can create fun moments with children and custom yarn to create your own projects. Speaking of projects, my Easy & Bright Market Bag is designed for beginners, and allows you to highlight the yarn that you created in the article! If you choose to forgo the dyeing, this bag can be created with any yarn and then accompany you to the farmers market, the beach, and the kids’ sports games.

 

If you want to take a look at Dyeing Yarn with Easter Egg Dyes, check out the post I did a while back, it makes for some fun too!

 

 

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.

Waves Hat

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.

Memory Lane with Some New Patterns

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photo courtesy of Annie’s

ScannedImageI have to admit, I really enjoy these designs. They can be found in the current issue of Crochet! Magazine (Winter 2015).

Waves Hat

Wavy Hat Photo courtesy of Annie’s

The Wavy Hat was actually one of my first patterns, at least one of the first patterns that I worked out and actually wrote down. I wrote it up for a friend of mine that wanted a hat that had a chevron appearance, so I play around and came up with my interpretation, and inspiration of that idea with this hat. I have made some changes to the original pattern, making it more streamlined and easier to understand, but I am still happy with the results.

All-Round Rug

All Round Rug photo courtesy of Annie’s

The All Round Rug was inspired by bubble in the bath. I was watching the bubbles in a bath (a bubble bath is a rare thing in my home, so enjoying them as long as possible means the water is usually going cold), and while relaxing my mind began to drift and looking at the shapes that were being created. The way they stacked upon each other made me wonder if I could recreate the pattern in yarn. So a little playing around and this rug was born.

These two designs are one that I have found memories of, and I hope that you enjoy working them up for yourself.

Thoughts on Grace in the Garden Sun Hat

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ScannedImageI enjoyed this project, Grace in the Garden Sun Hat (found in the new special issue of Crochet! Magazine Crochet in a Snap, currently available on newsstands); I had fun putting it together. It has a classic sun hat feel, but a not so classic crochet approach.

Grace in the Garden Sun Hat 1

photo courtesy of Annie’s

I usually always have a crochet hook close at hand, heck usually I have one holding up my hair, but that does not mean I always have yarn flowing through my fingers; this is a project that highlights that.

Originally I was looking to create this hat out of jute, I liked the natural woody color and stiff feels, but after some discussion with the editor it was decided to use household twine (as the jute has an abrasive quality, it was probably a good choice). As chaining and joining can be a bit more obvious with this material, it is worked as a continuous spiral, so it has a very clean look. I was really please with how it came out.

The scarf woven through it is just a simple silk scarf that I found at my local Kmart. As it was near the end of the summer season when I was working this up, I found it on a discount rack, and for only a couple of dollars it really dresses up the hat.

Grace in the Garden Sun Hat 2

photo courtesy of Annie’s

However the twine does lend itself to be a little flimsier in the brim, it likes to bend and fold more than the stiffer material of jute, but this can easily be corrected with some spray starch or other stiffening techniques. But sometimes the floppy looker can be charming as well.

This hat reminds me of ladies lounging poolside, wearing large sunglasses and reading magazines, like some old Hollywood movie, maybe I will have to give that a try with this hat…but I’ll let the weather warm up just a little first.

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photo courtesy of Annie’s….check out newsstands for the latest special issue!