A Crochet Celebration in Kuwait!

Yesterday was International Crochet Day, and the new Crochet group "Khayt"(which means yarn or thread in Arabic) in Kuwait, hosted a crochet event to celebrate! Their members exhibited their work in the beautiful surroundings of the Sadu House, a cultural center that exists to promote Kuwait's traditional textile arts. Al Sadu is the name of the traditional style of weaving traditionally produced by Bedouin women. I love the photo above of the crocheted afghan next to the pillow covered in Al Sadu weaving. The two crafts side by side!

Although I had never met any of the group members previously, I was familiar with many of them through Instagram, which is the most popular form of social media in Kuwait. I think it is fueling the growing craft community here, and many people are selling their crochet and crochet supplies on Instagram.

The group members were so welcoming, and gave me and my daughter a tour and information on their group. They meet 2-3 times a month and they choose a crochet project to work on together. This project is started at the meeting, and finished off at home. Usually one of the members is familiar with the pattern and leads the crochet-a-long. A great way to share their skills!

It was really nice to talk with local crocheters about their passion for crochet. They were surprised when I told them that in the USA crochet is less popular than knitting. They told me they love crochet because of its possibilities, its beauty, and also the fact that crochet can only be done by hand. I asked them why they think Crochet is more popular than knitting in this part of the world, and they said they thought it could be because of the hot weather. People don't have as much need to make things for warmth here, so they gravitate to the laciness of crochet and use a lot of cotton thread and yarn.

Below are some of the photos taken by my daughter, who kindly took the photos for me so I could chat. So many gorgeous pieces were exhibited, and the members were happy to discuss how they were made. It was wonderful to be in a room with so much creative energy. I hope this will become an annual event and that the membership of the Khayt group will grow and grow!

Bella Necklace Trio for Inside Crochet

You know when you wait for something for months and you wish you could tell the world about it? That is how I felt about these necklace patterns! I am excited to have this mini jewelry collection in Inside crochet's Autumn issue #45. 

I didn't originally intend for one design to become three, but I was having so much fun with the concept of making continuous links, the ideas for variations came easily.

The first version, with the graduated links, came about because I was trying recreate a necklace I designed several years ago. I didn't write down the pattern for it, so I was playing with the hook and yarn trying to remember how I made it. In the process, I came up with something very different from what I was trying to copy! 

Next, I experimented with changing the sequence and sizes of the links. I liked how it looked with small and large alternating links. I then decided to weave a cord through the links, which really changes the look of the necklace and makes a bolder statement. 

My final idea, was to make two larger links in the middle to emulate loops of a bow, then I added a cord to make the tails of the bow. 

After I finished the third version, I was tempted to go on making more, but I stopped myself there, since I couldn't choose which one I would submit out of those I had already designed. I took a chance and submitted them as a trio, and I am beyond thrilled to have all three published together!

They are really fun and quick to make, take very little yarn, and would make lovely gifts as well. You might find you want to make your own version with a different configuration of link sizes.

A big thank you to Berroco yarn company for the Ultra Alpaca yarn used to make the necklaces!

Version 1

Version 2

Version 3

Helleborus Gloves CAL

The Fingerless Glove Fanatics group on Ravelry, recently voted on which knit and crochet pattern they would feature for September's CAL (crochet-a-long). I discovered this morning that the Helleborus gloves, a free pattern I designed for Tangled magazine, won the crochet pattern vote!

So, if you have ever thought about making these gloves, now might be the perfect time! Cool weather is on the way, and it really would be fun making them with a group of people. There are so many possibilities for color choice. A few of the crocheters who have made them, have altered them by making them shorter, one color, or without the flowers and vines. They are carefully shaped to fit the arms well, and I think any variation would be successful. I can't wait to see the results of the CAL, I hope there will be lots of pictures posted so I can follow everyone's progress!

The Evolution of a Design

I had a chance to review the sales in my online patterns stores, and found that the Crawford Necklace pattern has been my overall best selling design. This makes me quite happy, especially since this design evolved over many, many, trial samples. Each time I made a sample, I altered the scallops and chain loops a little, and every time I began making a new sample I was convinced that it would be the last! I had to take a break from it and come back again to look at it with fresh eyes, to be able to decide that it was actually done! This is something I struggle with, I have a hard time letting go of designs. I always feel there is something more I can do to try to make the design perfect. Sometimes I even block things more than once to get them take to the exact shape I want. Jewelry pieces may be small designs, but that doesn't mean they take less time or thought than something larger! The evolution of a design is an interesting process, full of trials and tribulations, and when the design is finally completed, you have the most amazing sense of accomplishment. The ultimate reward is when crocheters like your pattern enough to purchase it! 

Crochet Inspiration, Styling, and Perception

I had to laugh today when my Fire Whirl Hat was featured on Crochet Me's Facebook page. I read the comments, and found that everyone thought the hat reminded them of the hats that the band Devo wore in 80's. Honestly in all of the time I spent designing this hat, and in the time since the Winter Issue of Interweave Crochet came out, that reference never crossed my mind. I was a child in the 80's and I remember loving those hats in Devo's "Whip It" video. Now I am wondering if somehow they did influence the design! When I was designing the hat, I remember loving the idea of a flat top, and I wanted each layer to have a flat top. 

I think the styling of the hat and the fact that one of the hats had red in it, may have evoked more of a Devo feeling than I originally intended. Actually, the hat sample that the man is wearing was made to be a child's sized hat. They decided use it on the male model at the photo shoot instead. That shows how well the hat stretches and how versatile the pattern can be! 

When I submitted the design to Interweave, I showed it worn slightly to the side, which I thought made it more elegant. I also suggested using the same winter white color for the magazine sample. It is amazing how a small shift in the way something is worn, as well as the color choice, can give it a very different vibe.

I love that the style of this hat can go in a another direction, and I hope one day soon I will see some photos on Ravelry of this hat crocheted in all red for a Devo fan!

Original Styling of Submission Sample

Unintentional Inspiration Reference: Devo circa 1980

My Book is Now Available for Pre-order!

Recently I revealed "Crocheting Clothes Kids Love", the book I co-authored with designer Ellen Gormley. It has been on Amazon for a while, but the cover and description have just been updated and are now accurate. We are counting down to February, when the book will be available to ship! Soon we will begin blogging some details about the book. I am in the process of making a few samples to show variations of things you can make from my patterns in the book. The book was originally to have 25 patterns in it, and it ended up being 28. I am hoping I can make the book even more useful by showing you more ways to use the patterns! For more details, check the book out on Amazon.

Enter to Win a Free Craftsy Class!

Recently, Craftsy contacted me about participating in a fun giveaway they are doing. They have picked a handful of bloggers who are Craftsy members, to promote the contest. The entries from all of the blogs will be combined, and 5 winners will be randomly chosen and given a Craftsy Class of their choice!

I personally love Craftsy classes because they have a great range of classes, you can watch them as many times as you want, whenever you want, and the instructor will answer questions you may have. Anyone in the world who has internet service can take classes! I seem to collect classes, and have a few saved for  days when I am between projects. If you have never taken a Craftsy class, try one of their interesting FREE Mini-Classes. They also have a You Tube Series with some quick projects and free patterns. You can also give the classes as gifts. The recipient gets to choose any class they want!

Click on this link to register to win a free Craftsy class between August 1-14. If you would like to know what classes Craftsy offers, see this list on their website. Good Luck!