Month: May 2011

For the Birds

Categories Art Projects, CreativityLeave a Comment on For the Birds

This is a bird house, though I doubt it was ever intended for actual birds.

My mission is to turn this bird house into a work of art.  I and other local artists involved with the Jamestown Artists and Musicians are decorating bird houses for an auction. This is a fundraising auction to raise money for the re-building of the Band Stage at our big park.

I always love this stage of an art project. The beginning, dreaming, scheming bit.  I’m thinking first step of this project will be to do some judicious sanding. Then I’ll be having a good ramble thru my art supplies for the best bits for a mixed media masterpiece.

Right now my favorite part of this project is that I can blog about it without worries.  The hardest aspect of being a crochet designer is all the “top-secret” stuff that I’m excited about but can’t share.  Stay tuned for more photos of this art project as it progresses.

Friendship Shawls

Categories Book Reviews, Celebrating, Crochet Design3 Comments on Friendship Shawls

I received some exciting mail recently.  My designer copy of the new Go Crafty booklet from SoHo Publishing “Friendship Shawls”.  The booklet will be available at JoAnn Fabric and Craft stores.

The book contains patterns for 10 different wraps to crochet.  I designed the “Spice Island Lace Drop Shawl” on page 18. It is always so fun to see how one of my finished pieces will be styled for professional photography.

These are photographs I took of the shawl on my dress form before sending it off to Caron Yarns. It is worked in their “Spa” yarn, which is a favorite of  mine for shawls and transitional weather scarves.

Right-Angle Wrap

Categories Celebrating, Crochet, Crochet Design10 Comments on Right-Angle Wrap
DRG - Crochet! Magazine Photo

Hurray! My latest published design is available on newsstands soon.  You can find the pattern for the “Right-Angle Wrap” in the July 2011 Issue of Crochet! Magazine.

I love how this design came out. It is made in a silky Bamboo blend sock yarn – Panda Silk from Crystal Palace Yarns.  So it provides a touch of warmth when you are dealing with air-conditioning everywhere, yet it is lightweight enough to fit in a pocket when you are back outside in the heat of summer.

It was super quick to stitch up with a larger than usual hook for the yarn weight and a simple 2 row lace repeat.  It could be a great gift project, prayer shawl or special treat for yourself.

In the Wilds of Designland

Categories Creativity, Crochet Design, HumorLeave a Comment on In the Wilds of Designland

Funny, when I first decided to pursue crochet design work I thought it would be a long while before I would be really busy. I was wrong.

I’m certainly not complaining about being wrong, in fact it has been a delightful discovery that I can be as busy as I would want to be.  But it does mean life is a bit of a juggling act.

I just finished up a very large project that will be coming out in Fall of 2012, and I am currently working feverishly on 3 more design projects that are all due within the next 3 weeks for Fall and Winter publication.

The bad part of this is the poor blog gets a bit lonely. Time to write is one part of the issue, but having projects that I can share progress reports and pictures of is the other part.  Everything is Top-Secret until publication. 

So the photo today shows some of the tools of my design work, minus the yarn and swatches.