Revealing the Modern Waves Necklace from the "Runway Crochet" Book

Runway Crochet by the legendary designer Margaret Hubert, also includes designs by the talented: Doris Chan, Ellen Gormley, Shannon Mullett-Bowlsby, Sharon Valencia, and Tatyana Mirer.

When Margaret told me the fashion forward theme of the book, I was instantly on board with the idea, and I had a lot of fun brainstorming ideas! I was keen to submit a necklace, because I thought this book would be a great place to showcase a statement piece.

This necklace components are simple to crochet, but the way it is put together makes it eye-catching and unusual. I think what really makes this piece, is the pearl cotton edging, it gives it a delicate feel and softens the look. It is a fun project which requires very little time or yarn. I have 2 more designs in this book that I will be revealing soon, so please stay tuned! 

Modern Waves Necklace

Close-up to show detail

How to Make a Cowl with the Ruffles Scarf Pattern

Remember the Ruffles Scarf I designed for Interweave Crochet's Fall Issue? Interweave has recently made the pattern available for individual download on their website. Since I always like to create multiple uses for my patterns, I have added some new details to transform it into a cowl! By using lighter weight yarn, a smaller hook, weaving in some contrasting "ribbons", and making buttons and button loops, you get a different look and use for the pattern. I decided to weave in the Ribbons, because the main purpose of a cowl is to keep your neck warm, and the openwork through the middle would defeat the purpose. You could wear it with the top ruffle standing up, or with it folded over to let the tops of the ribbons peek out, for a little show of color.

Top Ruffle Folded Over

Back of Cowl

To make a cowl from the Ruffles Scarf pattern:

1. Use a worsted weight yarn. For this sample, I used Cascade 220 superwash.

2. Use hook size E/4 (3.50mm)

3. Work 38 rows of the scarf pattern as written.

4. In the 39th row, you will make three button loops in the center section. Work the top ruffle sts, then make the first hdc in the center section, *ch 8, sl st in first ch to make a loop**, hdc in next 5 sts*. Rep from * to * once. Rep from * to ** once, hdc in next st, then complete the bottom ruffle sts.

5. Work the edging as written, but stop at the top corner and do not make any edging on the last short side. (The one with the button loops).

6. To make the Ribbons, using a second color and hook size E/4 (3.50mm), ch 18, then, beginning in the second ch from the hook, sl st in the back loop only of each ch, then work the unworked front loops of the ch. Invisible Fasten Off. Repeat these instructions to make 18 more Ribbons. Weave each Ribbon through the ch spaces in the middle section as pictured. Neatly stitch each Ribbon at the top and bottom to secure them to the cowl. Weave in all loose ends with a tapestry needle.

7. To make the buttons, use hook size E/4 (3.50mm). Wrap the yarn twice around your finger to form a magic ring. Insert hook into ring, yo and pull up a loop, ch 2, then make 10 hdc into ring. Pull on the tail end of the yarn to tighten the magic ring. Sl st in every other st around to close up the button. Fasten off. Repeat these instructions to make 2 more buttons. Stitch these buttons to the third row of the cowl, to match up with the spacing of the button loops.

Version 2:

If you want to add another element, you can do surface crochet between every other row, beginning between rows 2 and 3. I used a complementary, variegated worsted weight from my stash and a hook size F/5 (3.75mm). Beginning at the bottom of the cowl and keeping the yarn underneath the work, insert hook in between the front and back loop of the stitches you worked into to create row 3, yo and pull up a loop, then pull this new loop through the loop that was already on the hook. Rep these instructions to the top of the cowl. Fasten Off. *Skip a row and surface crochet between the next 2 rows, in the same manner*. Rep from * to * across the entire cowl. Weave in all loose ends with a yarn needle.

Depending on the weight and type of yarn you use, you may need to adjust the number of rows you work to make it fit you, just try it on as you work to decide how many rows you need. Make sure you end with an odd numbered row.

The woven Ribbons and surface crochet details could also be added to the original Ruffles Scarf as well.  For additional inspiration, check out all of the Ruffles Scarf projects made by crocheters on Ravelry!

Giving Old Crochet a New Purpose!

I wanted to make a card to enclose with last week's giveaway prizes, and I decided it should include crochet. I love making cards out of sample pieces. I guess you could say it is an exercise in "upcyling". Sometimes I make a brooch and pin it onto the card so it serves 2 purposes; to decorate the card, and as a little surprise gift. It depends on what pieces of crochet inspire me. I have a large bag filled with leftover scrumbles, samples, and swatches. They are just waiting for the perfect project! I needed this bag twice on the day I made this card. My daughter needed some cord to hang a pinata she had made, and I found the perfect piece of bright orange crocheted cord in my bag. It was leftover from a tutorial I had done. We are starting to call it the magic bag, as it always seems to have just what we need in it!

For this card, I used 4 different samples. The vine with the berries, the two gold flowers, and the light yellow center that I stitched on top of a gold flower. When I am in America, I like to go to Michaels to buy card blanks. They have a nice assortment of colors, and they come with envelopes. Since they are plain, you can customize them for any occasion. I chose a beige card but it seemed too plain, so I sponge painted it lightly with a dark gold color first. Then, I stitched all 4 pieces together and glued them to the card. I decided to cut around the crochet and glue it on a dark background to give it some depth. After I did that, I was really happy with it. Happy with the look, and happy that I had made something new and exciting out of pieces I thought I might never use!

What do you make with your scraps and leftovers? I would love to hear about your ideas!

Announcing the Winner!

Thank you to all who visited my blog and entered the giveaway in honor of National Crochet Month! Today, my daughter drew the winning name: Mary/May. Congratulations! I will contact you through Ravelry to get your mailing address.

I hope you all enjoy the last few days of this special month. Happy crocheting!

A Fun Giveaway for National Crochet Month!

In honor of National Crochet Month, I have put together some of my favorite things to giveaway today to a lucky visitor. I am giving away a digital row counter that is so handy, it even has a memory. If you are finished working for the day, it will be right where you left off when you turn it on again! I am also giving away a Russian Stitch dictionary that features textured stitches in diagrams, similar to those in Japanese Stitch Dictionaries. Two fun and unique items that I hope you will enjoy. To enter, please leave a comment on this post, and a place to contact you Your Ravelry or Twitter usernames would be fine, if you don't want to leave an email address. A winner will be randomly selected on March 28th, and I will announce the winner in a blog post on that day.

Please don't forget the Crochet Designer's Blog Tour Charity, Project Night Night. If you buy any of the patterns from my Craftsy store before the end of this month, I will donate 100% of the purchase price to the charity.

Also, please see the special coupon code from Interweave on my sidebar, to get 30% off your purchase until the end of this month. Now is a great time to buy any patterns, magazines, books, or dvd's you might be interested in!

(Russian crochet stitch dictionary)

(Digital row counter)

More Beautiful Turkish Crochet!

My sister-in-law traveled to Turkey again this year, and brought back another crochet treasure! She graciously allowed me to photograph it so I could show it to all of you. She said she found it in a little shop in Istanbul that was filled with amazing crochet pieces that have been made by women in villages. I can only imagine what a wonderful sight that all must have been!

The fabric of the scarf is a light weight cotton and all the crochet is done with a fine silky thread. It is the same thread that was used in the necklace and trim she bought for me on previous trips. It is like an infinity scarf, as it is in one loop that you wrap around twice. What I found most interesting about the piece, is that all of the flowers are heavily starched to hold their shape.

Turkish crochet edgings are an art form, and the edging on this piece is akin to the crown jewels! I really need to plan a visit to Turkey. There is no doubt that the crochet inspiration there would be incredible!

Crochet Designers Blog Tour, Day 1: A Fun Way to Add Color to Crochet!

First let me say, Happy National Crochet Month! I am so excited to be participating in the Crochet Designer's Blog Tour, organized by Amy Shelton and Donna Hulka of Crocheville. It is the first day of the tour, and the wonderful designer Jenny King and I are the hosts today! I

I decided that my special post to kick off National Crochet Month, should be about a new technique I have been experimenting with. Actually my daughter gave me the idea, when she asked if she could use some of my swatches for an art project. She said they weren't the right color, and she needed to paint them to match her color scheme. She used acrylic paint, so when the pieces were dry, they were rigid, but she was pleased with the results. I loved the idea of being able to place color exactly where I want it, after a piece has been crocheted. A neat alternative to changing colors in yarn, and having multiple ends to weave in!

To try out this technique, I crocheted a length of ornate trim in Cascade Ultra Pima cotton yarn.  I decided to use a set of 36 watercolors I purchased at Michaels. The color range and quality is excellent.  I thought that watercolors would give more subtle color and be easier to blend, and when dry, the crochet would have the same texture and feel as it did before painting. Next, I blocked the trim, so it would lay flat while painting. Then, it was time to paint! I approached the lace as if it was a blank coloring page. At first, I was worried that I would ruin the trim if I tried a color and then found it I didn't like it. I soon found out that if I pressed a paper towel on it right away, I could absorb most of the color. After that, I became more confident and really enjoyed the process! I found that I could layer the colors and get different effects, depending on how much water I used. Some helpful tips: crochet a small swatch so you can test the colors before painting them on the trim, keep a paper towel near you for blending colors or absorbing mistakes, and change your brush rinsing water often so your colors will stay true. Keep in mind that the colors look quite a bit lighter when dry, so don't be shy about the amount of color you use. You can also wait until after it dries to evaluate the level of color, and if you want more, paint the piece again. After trying this technique, I will never look at plain white cotton yarn  the same way again...oh the possibilities!

(Trim, before it was painted)

(Supplies needed: a watercolor paint set, paint brush, small bowl for water, and a paper towel)

(Adding a little more color after the paint had dried)

(Finished trim)

 Another fun thing you can do with painted crochet, is paint the piece generously and then make prints with it on paper. I am planning to make some of my own prints on greeting cards. I can see lots of uses for this technique in my future. My daughter enjoyed the painting as much as I did. If you happen to have some swatches crocheted in cotton, let your child try their hand at creating a painted crochet masterpiece!

(My daughter's painted crochet print)

The designers that are participating in the blog tour have selected a charity to promote and support this month, Project Night Night. This charity provides childhood essentials for homeless children from newborns to preteens. You can support this them by: donating money, crocheting blankets for them to give out to the children, or purchasing my patterns. I will donate 100% of the profit from all of the patterns sold in my Craftsy store, during the month of March, to the charity. I will also organize a Crochet Along (CAL) for the best selling pattern of the month, please check out my Ravelry group for details in April! I hope you will consider donating to this very worthy cause, whether you donate money or your crochet time, anything would be greatly appreciated!

The next hosts for the blog tour are the talented designers, Ellen Gormley and Nancy Nehring. Please visit their blogs tomorrow to see what they have in store for us!

I hope you all will become regular visitors to my blog. I post here about once a week, and at the end of March I will be giving away a fun prize package: a Russian crochet stitch dictionary and a digital row counter. Stay tuned for more details!