I haven't posted lately 'cause I've been too busy knitting. My New Year's Resolution was to finally get that book together that I've been wanting to do. Making samples and writing patterns is huge when you are working alone but I think the results will be worth it. Even if I have to self publish on the web I have all these designs I NEED to do and finally they're getting done!
Of course that doesn't mean I don't play in Ravelry from time to time! E-mail me there!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Wear your stuff!
As a designer of knit and crochet patterns, I try very hard to always be wearing something of my own design whenever I leave the house. (Quite to challenge in summer!) If something I’m wearing gets comments from strangers I know it’s gonna be a hit. In fact, two total strangers complimented me on my hat the first day I wore the Lana Puras Cloche. (Pattern posted earlier)
I work part-time at Starbuck’s in order to get health insurance. Whenever I see someone wearing a hand-knit or crochet item I try to compliment them and ask if they made it themselves. If they did make it themselves, they always smile and often launch into a detailed description of the yarns used and the creative process involved. How far we have come in the knitting world! I remember when people would not admit that an item was homemade. To wear such a thing implied that you didn’t have a lot of money. Now, it costs far more the make a ‘homemade’ item with a quality yarn than to purchase the same item from a store! I’m still waiting to randomly come across someone wearing an item I designed and had published. Guess that’s my current career goal!
I work part-time at Starbuck’s in order to get health insurance. Whenever I see someone wearing a hand-knit or crochet item I try to compliment them and ask if they made it themselves. If they did make it themselves, they always smile and often launch into a detailed description of the yarns used and the creative process involved. How far we have come in the knitting world! I remember when people would not admit that an item was homemade. To wear such a thing implied that you didn’t have a lot of money. Now, it costs far more the make a ‘homemade’ item with a quality yarn than to purchase the same item from a store! I’m still waiting to randomly come across someone wearing an item I designed and had published. Guess that’s my current career goal!
Saturday, December 1, 2007
December is here!
Ah, here in Michigan winter has finally hit us smack between the eyes with icy mornings and bone chilling winds! I, for one, always fight back by hunkering down and knitting or crocheting on a nice warm blanket. Actually, I cast on two blankets in October when the first stirring of winter started. Now the thicker of the two is long enough to reach down over my frostbitten toes as I work on it. Sadly, it's almost done. I hate to give it away and start another. Maybe just a few more rows...
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Free Crochet Cloche Pattern featuring Lana Puras yarn
Free Crochet Cloche Pattern featuring Lana Puras yarn
I designed and stitched up two shawls for One Planet Yarn and Fiber using the fabulous Lana Puras yarn. One shawl was knit and the other crochet. I took the leftover yarn from doing the two shawls (and there wasn’t all that much) and made the colorful cloche-style hat seen here. Unfelted version is on the left, felted on the right. Thought I’d share the pattern since it’s so quick and easy.
Crochet Felted Cloche
Size: one size fits all. Felt to the perfect fit.
Materials: Lana Puras (100% merino wool, 215 yds / 198 m)
1 hank each of Peaches and Cream (A), Deep Raspberry (B), Prickly Pear (C), and Desert Bloom (D)
Crochet hook sizes J / 6 mm
Instructions:
With A ch 3, sl st to join into round
Rnd 1: sc 6 inside center of round, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 2: sc 2 in each sc around, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 3: *sc 1, sc 2 in next sc* repeat around, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 4: *sc 1, sc 2 in next sc* repeat around, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 5: *sc 2, sc 2 in next sc* repeat around, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 6: *sc 3, sc 2 in next sc* repeat around, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 7: *sc 4, sc 2 in next sc* repeat around, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 8: *sc 5, sc 2 in next sc* repeat around, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 9: *sc 5, sc 2 in next sc* repeat around, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 10 to 13: sc around, sl st to join, ch 1
Change to B
Rnd 1: sc around, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 2 sc 1 10 times, skip 1 sc (65 st) , sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 3 to 6: sc around, sl st to join, ch 1
Change to C
Work 4 rounds sc
Change to D
Work 6 rounds sc
Change back to A
Rnd 1: sc around, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 2: *sc 10, sc 2 in next sc*, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 3 and 4: *sc 6, sc 2 in next sc*, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 5 *sc 2, sc 2 in next sc*, sl st to join, pull yarn through to end
Weave in ends.
Felt hat until correct size is achieved.
I designed and stitched up two shawls for One Planet Yarn and Fiber using the fabulous Lana Puras yarn. One shawl was knit and the other crochet. I took the leftover yarn from doing the two shawls (and there wasn’t all that much) and made the colorful cloche-style hat seen here. Unfelted version is on the left, felted on the right. Thought I’d share the pattern since it’s so quick and easy.
Crochet Felted Cloche
Size: one size fits all. Felt to the perfect fit.
Materials: Lana Puras (100% merino wool, 215 yds / 198 m)
1 hank each of Peaches and Cream (A), Deep Raspberry (B), Prickly Pear (C), and Desert Bloom (D)
Crochet hook sizes J / 6 mm
Instructions:
With A ch 3, sl st to join into round
Rnd 1: sc 6 inside center of round, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 2: sc 2 in each sc around, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 3: *sc 1, sc 2 in next sc* repeat around, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 4: *sc 1, sc 2 in next sc* repeat around, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 5: *sc 2, sc 2 in next sc* repeat around, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 6: *sc 3, sc 2 in next sc* repeat around, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 7: *sc 4, sc 2 in next sc* repeat around, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 8: *sc 5, sc 2 in next sc* repeat around, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 9: *sc 5, sc 2 in next sc* repeat around, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 10 to 13: sc around, sl st to join, ch 1
Change to B
Rnd 1: sc around, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 2 sc 1 10 times, skip 1 sc (65 st) , sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 3 to 6: sc around, sl st to join, ch 1
Change to C
Work 4 rounds sc
Change to D
Work 6 rounds sc
Change back to A
Rnd 1: sc around, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 2: *sc 10, sc 2 in next sc*, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 3 and 4: *sc 6, sc 2 in next sc*, sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 5 *sc 2, sc 2 in next sc*, sl st to join, pull yarn through to end
Weave in ends.
Felt hat until correct size is achieved.
Full Page Ad!
Soften His Dreams Baby Blanket
Hey! Lift the front cover of November’s Creative Knitting and there is a full page ad for Caron Yarns featuring my baby afghan. What a surprise when I opened the magazine!
Hey! Lift the front cover of November’s Creative Knitting and there is a full page ad for Caron Yarns featuring my baby afghan. What a surprise when I opened the magazine!
Saturday, September 22, 2007
The return to true fiber art
Ol’ fiberartlady has been pretty busy (as usual). In addition to being featured on the Caron Website http://www.caron.com/projects/ss/soften_his_world.html and getting a sweater pattern ready for Creative Knitting and getting shawl patterns ready for One Planet , I took on a true art project.
The Girl Scouts of South/Central Michigan have built a new Service Center. Girls were involved in all aspects of designing the new building. It’s quite an amazing place!
They received a grant to decorate the new building with art and they really wanted to get the girls involved in creating the art. Well, this is right up my alley! I was a Girl Scout as a young person and a leader for many years.
After several Saturdays working with girls on crochet and sewing, we came up with this:
The Heart of the Forest
An ongoing fiberart project by the girls of
Glowing Embers Girl Scout Council
And Pamela Covert
Begun September 2007
The idea for this project came from the tree theme used in the building; roots, stems, leaves, and blossoms. The work contains tree trunks, branches, leaves, vines, roots, and flowers created by the girls from various fibers.
The actual creation of the work was done by the girls (including deciding on the name). Included with the work is a master book of techniques and a box of supplies to allow the girls to continue to explore various new fiber techniques and add to the fiber forest.
Hopefully, this work will continue to grow and evolve. Younger girls will be adding to the bottom of the work. Older girls can add to the upper portions. Dried grasses and flowers from the surrounding property can be added late each summer. There is room for so much creative expression here!
There’s still more to do here but it’s been a great experience and a great chance to dust off the old sewing machine!
The Girl Scouts of South/Central Michigan have built a new Service Center. Girls were involved in all aspects of designing the new building. It’s quite an amazing place!
They received a grant to decorate the new building with art and they really wanted to get the girls involved in creating the art. Well, this is right up my alley! I was a Girl Scout as a young person and a leader for many years.
After several Saturdays working with girls on crochet and sewing, we came up with this:
The Heart of the Forest
An ongoing fiberart project by the girls of
Glowing Embers Girl Scout Council
And Pamela Covert
Begun September 2007
The idea for this project came from the tree theme used in the building; roots, stems, leaves, and blossoms. The work contains tree trunks, branches, leaves, vines, roots, and flowers created by the girls from various fibers.
The actual creation of the work was done by the girls (including deciding on the name). Included with the work is a master book of techniques and a box of supplies to allow the girls to continue to explore various new fiber techniques and add to the fiber forest.
Hopefully, this work will continue to grow and evolve. Younger girls will be adding to the bottom of the work. Older girls can add to the upper portions. Dried grasses and flowers from the surrounding property can be added late each summer. There is room for so much creative expression here!
There’s still more to do here but it’s been a great experience and a great chance to dust off the old sewing machine!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Ruminations on Swatching
But anyway, this week I received the yarn for a new design project from One Planet. I’m working on a shawl in Lanas Puras with both knit and crochet versions. Strangely, the step I find the most joyous in the design process is swatching to try out stitches for a new design. The challenges of finding a stitch that drapes nicely and that brings out the colors of the yarn never bores me. Finding knit and crochet stitches that will create the same visual effect add to the challenge. Surprisingly, swatching for a design doesn’t usually take as long as you would think. I’ve usually been planning in my head while waiting for the yarn to arrive. Most of the time, the stitches I try first turn out to be the ones I end up using in the final design. Just like test taking, I guess. Your first instinct is usually the right one.
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