Timeless Tea Party Mixed Media Necklace

I have never been able to attend a Chain Link Conference, but a part of me is always there.  Every year I enter the design competition, and this necklace is what I entered this year.  Unfortunately, it didn't win a prize, but I love this piece and I wanted to show it to you.  

When I lived in England, I used to frequent second hand shops.  I was into making mini mosaics at the time, so I collected bits and pieces of china to use.  This plate was bought in Newcastle, and it reminds me of my time there.  I am not into buying traditional souvenirs, so this how I remember northern England!

I embellished the necklace with beads and embroidery to create a unique, one of a kind piece.  I just need to find the right outfit to wear it with, so I can host a fabulous tea party!

The Beseme Crochet Scarf, Belarusian Style!

It is always so flattering when someone likes your pattern enough to invest the time and money into making it.  What tops that, is when someone wants to make it multiple times!  Marina from Belarus, known as "Dimarina" on Ravelry, has made some very lovely scarves from the Beseme scarf pattern I designed for the Berroco yarn company.  I love how she put her own spin on it by making a 2 color version.  I also love that she had a photo session for her collection of scarves.  She put together this beautiful collage, and has so generously allowed me to show the photos on my blog.  Thank you, Marina!  If you would like to see each of her photos individually, she has posted them here.

The Beseme scarf is my most popular pattern to date, it has been favorited 675 times and has 76 projects listed on Ravelry.  I am hoping to seeing many more Beseme's in the future!

Revealing the Modern Jabot!

Fall is my favorite season, and I am so thrilled to have my Modern Jabot pattern featured as the "Fast and Fabulous" project in the new issue of Interweave Crochet!

When searching for inspiration for Interweave's call for submissions, I discovered a few jabot patterns in my vintage sewing pattern collection.  I loved the idea of something as ornate as jewelry, with the warmth of a scarf.  So I set to work to make my own modern version of a crocheted jabot.  This scarf is quick to make and fun to wear!  It takes less than one skein of sock yarn, so it is the perfect project for a beautiful skein of yarn you have been saving or coveting.  It can look quite different, depending on the yarn used and the way it is tied.  I tied it a little looser than Interweave did in their photo shoot, so you see only the loops and not where they meet the neckband.  In the photo below of my original submission sample, I also arranged the loops more deliberately for a stronger look.  I used Artyarns Ultra Merino 4 for that sample, and it is slightly thicker than the Franklin Valley Hand Dyed sock yarn that I used for the magazine sample, so I think it helps the loops to stay separated.  I had to go down a hook size when using the Franklin Valley yarn, so the resulting scarf is a little more dainty.  I love this pattern because it is so versatile depending on the yarn you use and the way you tie it.  The jabot is a wonderful way to dress up a simple outfit.  It will become my new "go to" crochet gift!

This pattern is now available for individual purchase as a pdf download, for $5.50 from Interweave's Store.

The Original Sample I Submitted to Interweave

At the time I was working on this design, I was on vacation in Dubai, UAE. We were staying at the beautiful Raffles hotel.  It turned out to be a very inspirational stay.  It was a wonderful coincidence that the Artyarns yarn I had brought with me to work with, was the same color scheme as the decor in the hotel.  Somehow it made me feel like I was on the right track with the design, and the decor inspired the loopy fringe that I think gives the jabot its modern edge.

Beautiful hanging Lamps in the Hotel Corridor

Hallway Carpet

Velvet Pillows

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Interweave Sale!

Piper's Chain Scarf (photo by Joe Coca)

Genevieve's Belt (photo by Joe Coca)

Starting today through September 16th, Interweave is having a "Stash Buster Sale" on their website!  Two of my patterns; Piper's Chain Scarf, and Genevieve's Belt from the special Accessories Issue, are on sale for $3.85 each.  If you buy Genevieve's Belt pattern, you can also make a child's version by following these instructions to alter the pattern.  I also give instructions here for using the pattern to make a bracelet.

Now is a great time to stock up on books, DVD's and patterns!

Little Genevieve's Belt

Genevieve's Bracelet

And the Winner is...

Today my daughter drew Rebecca's name out of her favorite purse, as the winner of the tape measure. Congratulations, Rebecca!  Please send me a message via Ravelry, where I am known as Stitchstory, with your mailing address and I will send you the tape measure.  Thank you to all who visited my blog and entered!

A Fun Little Giveaway!

I discovered this little treasure at my local craft store, Barakat, and loved it so much, I decided to get another one to give away here on my blog!  I just love the black, white and red color combo and the design looks so chic. The little red button retracts the tape back into the case.  I always seem to need a tape measure when I am out, so the little clip is perfect to hook on a keychain.  A European sewing accessory at its finest! 

To enter to win this little gem, just leave a comment to this post.  A winner will be randomly chosen next Thursday, September 1st, and be announced here in my next post.  Good luck and thank you for visiting my blog!

A Festive New Use for an Everyday Crochet Item

As part of a Kuwaiti tradition, there is a mid-Ramadan Celebration called "Gergiaan".  Children dress up in traditional costumes, go door to door and sing a special Gergiaan song, and then are given candy in return.  It has also become customary for families with small children, to give candy to friends and family.  The trick is to come up with a creative way of presenting the candy.  In previous years, we have put candy in:  teapots, mock oversized candy and walnuts, in bundles to look like dates hanging from a palm tree we fashioned out of wood and cardboard, and last year we filled a big treasure chest with candy and toys.

This year I really wanted to do something with crochet, and was inspired by Linda Permann's Azalea bowls from the Summer 2011 issue of Interweave Crochet.  I thought about crocheting bowls and stiffening them, but my problem was time.  I needed to make 30 of them in a week.  Luckily, I had a flash of inspiration from something my husband wears every day in Kuwait.  It is called a "gaffiyah" and it is worn as part of the traditional headgear, under a white "guttrah" or red and white checked "shumag".  They are the right size and come in a variety of interesting designs.  I was planning to buy them and stiffen them in to bowls, when my husband suggested that I use them as is and place them on actual bowls to save even more time.  I loved that idea because I had been wondering how I was going to stiffen so many at one time.  Next, we went out searching for the perfect bowl.  I had a gaffiyah in my purse and kept pulling it out to try on bowls in the shop.  I noticed the confused looks of the people who worked in the shop, but we carried on until we found the best fit.  Then we bought an assortment gaffiyahs, and took the whole lot home to work on.  

The first thing I noticed, was that each gaffiyah was a little different size.  Some fit on the bowls easily and some kept popping off.  So I sprayed the difficult ones with water first, and used clamps to hold one side to the top edge while I stretched the other side to fit.  Amazingly, with a lot of patience, I got all but two of them to fit the bowls.  One was just too big, and the other one I was able to use, but I wasn't able to stretch it over the rim of the bowl.  I decided not to glue the gaffiyahs to the bowls in case anyone wanted to use the bowl in the kitchen and wear the gaffiyah later (I like things to be reusable!).  Instead, I used a little double-stick tape to secure them to the bowls.  I love how they look stretched over the bowls, I think it really showcases the beauty of the crochet work.

When people first saw them wrapped up in cellophane, they thought we had just bought baskets.  They were pleasantly surprised to discover another way a gaffiyah could be used!

Filled with Candy and Ready for the Party!