Announcing the Winner...

And the winner of my new favorite things for knitting and crochet is: GildersHooked! I will contact you via Ravelry to get your mailing address.

Thank you to all who visited my blog and entered the contest!

It is the weekend here in Kuwait, and I have plans to finish up an extra special crochet project. I hope you all have stitching plans as well!

A Giveaway: My New Favorite Things For Crochet!

One thing I love about living in Kuwait, is that you can find such unique things in the market. My local supermarket has a stationery store that never disappoints! When shopping for back to school items for my daughter, I found these amazing mesh bags. Of course the colors caught my eye first, then I got the idea to use them as project bags. I was in a hurry that day, and I couldn't decide what color to buy, so I left without one. For the next few days, they were on my mind. When I had the chance to go back for one, they were gone! Of course that made me want one even more! I asked the manager if they were going to get them in again and I guess I was lucky, because he had a few left that were in the back. I bought all 4 of them! They are great for carting small projects around with you. I love that it zips, (no fear of losing my precious Etimo hooks or scissors), and that you can see what is inside. I used to put my projects in regular bags, and I would forget what was in them, and not want to dig through, because often there would be small pieces in them that I didn't want to lose or mix up. I would end up starting a new bag. It was getting out of control! This new bag is helping me to be more organized. It is light-weight and can easily be made more compact to fit into a purse if needed. I usually carry it by the little rope loop on the zipper. I keep it packed at all times, so it is ready anytime I will be going out. You never know when you might have even 5 minutes to crochet when you are waiting somewhere!

I bought one extra, large red bag, and since I love them so much, I want to give one away to one of my dear readers! Along with a handy counter, (my other new favorite thing) that can be worn on your finger like a ring, to keep count of your rows and repeats when you are crocheting. I will announce the randomly chosen winner here, in next Thursday's blog post. All you have to do is leave a comment on this post. If you are on Ravelry/ Twitter, you can leave your username so I can contact you there as well, if you are the winner!

This is how I use the bag,  a few balls of yarn, hook, and a tape measure, and I  am all set!

Digital counter for keeping track of rows and repeats.

Happy Birthday to Me, a New Domain For the Blog!

Well, yesterday was my birthday and I couldn't think of a thing that I wanted or needed. Then, it hit me. I need yarn storage and I want a proper blog domain! I found a place in my studio that I could put wooden cubby holes for yarn, and my lovely husband said he could build them. When that project is complete, I will post about it, and hopefully my yarn will be organized and easy to access!

Today's news is about the blog domain. I have thought about getting a customized domain for a long time, but I always thought it would be complicated since I have had the blog for a while. It turns out, it is as simple as paying $10.00 a year. Blogger takes care of the rest! I read many posts this morning about how important it is, for a professional blog, to lose the blogspot.com from your web address. I decided to listen, and the above is my new address!  It is like moving into a new home and getting married all in one day! The good thing is that Blogger packs and moves all your blog posts, but still keeps them available at their old addresses as well! My biggest fear was that my old blog posts and new blog posts would be divided. I have been having fun changing my name all over the web. It reminded me of changing my name when I got married. This turned out to be a great job for me, as it is my 15th wedding anniversary today!

Here's to hoping this new address will be easy to remember, and bring even more readers to follow my crochet adventures!

Natalie Cowl for Interweave Crochet Accessories 2012

I have been on the edge of my seat, waiting for the Natalie Cowl to be published in the latest issue of Interweave Crochet Accessories. I very proud of this design, and am glad I finally get to talk about it! It is the type of accessory that could really transform a simple sweater into an entirely new garment! I originally named it the "Portrait Cowl", because the neckbands reminded me of an antique picture frame my parents have, and I thought they framed the motif so nicely.

It is interesting how this design came to be. My original idea was to have 3 ribbed bands in steps. I cut the bands out of fabric, and played around with them on my dress form to see how they would look and to determine the best width for each band. I took the middle band off to make it smaller, and I noticed that I liked the look of two bands even better! I just needed to figure out a way to fill the space inbetween. After much thought, I decided that a motif would look the best. I made a paper pattern for the shape of the opening and then set to work to design a motif to fit the pattern. It was a bit of trial and error, but it came together much quicker than I expected it to. One of those meant to be moments!

The construction of this cowl is unique because the motif is crocheted into the opening as you join the upper and lower neckbands together.

The top photo, is one that I took of the cowl before sending it off to Interweave. In the magazine photos they pulled the second neckband down flat, so here is another way to wear it. You can also turn the band up at the back of the neck, as shown in the photo below of the original cowl that I submitted. The original cowl has a dark motif with lighter color neckbands. I thought I would show you both light and dark combinations, so you can choose which you like best, if you decide to make the cowl...and I hope you will!

This pattern is now available for download from the Interweave Store for $5.50.

More About the Monarch Necklace

Pictured above, is the original version of the Monarch Necklace. I submitted this version to Tangled Magazine, and when they accepted the design, they asked that I remake the necklace in colors that went with the theme of that particular issue. They wanted it to be in pink, green, and orange. When I tried making the necklace in those colors, I found it completely changed the personality of the necklace. We came to a compromise, and I ended up making bright orange motifs with a black background. For me, the black background is a key element in this necklace. I experimented with many lighter background colors (I have a whole bag of samples to prove it!), and I kept going back to the black.

The color scheme of the original is still my favorite. I think it has an Asian feel, and the green links remind me of jade. The other element that I feel is important for this necklace to be a success, is the variegated thread used for the motifs. I think it adds interest and depth.

The moral of this story, is that color tells the story and color can change the story very quickly!

Combining Different Crochet Pattern Elements

As well as finding other uses for single crochet patterns, I also like to combine my patterns.

This brooch is a combination of my Rosette Belt, and Vine Lasso Necklace patterns. I used the flower from the belt pattern and the vines and berries from the necklace. The only thing I added was the embroidery embellished leaves.

This is an example of how versatile crochet can be. Your favorite pattern elements can be combined to make something new and exciting!

Tendril Wrap Pattern Now For Sale

Photo By Harper Point

Interweave has just made the Tendril Wrap pattern available for individual sale. It can now be purchased from their website. It is an interesting project to crochet, and it works up quickly in chunky weight yarn. 

I made a child's version of this wrap for my daughter, and she loves that she and I have the same wrap. She is waiting for the cold weather to return, so we can wear them again this year.

I would also like to experiment making a scarf by using a DK weight yarn, and doing just one repeat of the pattern. I just need a few more hours added to the day, to make all my ideas come to life!

Photo By Harper Point