Perfect Timing

Some times things come at the exact right time.

I was going to tell you about my latest design out at Crochet Today and remind you about classes I will be teaching in Columbus in a few weeks. The two go so well together it is perfect.

I am teaching Baby Crochet 101 and Crochet Like a Pro in Columbus, OH June 12-13.

Baby Crochet 101 goes through everything you need to become your own designer. We will focus on baby and kid sweaters. It is a great class for anyone who loves to make baby clothes but wants to break out from patterns, or anyone who wants to learn more about crochet design.

Crochet Like a Pro teaches you how to make your handmade garment look anything but handmade. We learn about stitches that make your fabric drape, blocking that can transform your life, and finishing processes that can turn heads.

Both classes are a great for anyone from an advanced beginner and beyond. They also are great classes for local yarn store employees to pick up some tips to use with their crochet customers.

How does this go with the Stargazing Sweater from Crochet Today? Well, I used the style we talk about in Baby Crochet 101 mixed with the embroidery finishing and lightweight fabric we talk about in Crochet Like a Pro. Honestly, I even thought to myself as I was making it that this sweater would make a great tool in these exact classes.

Livin in the Crazy

So you guys know by now, that my life is SO glamorous.

Well, it only got more so with us getting the house ready to list. Normal people just need to clean up and take some of their things to storage, and they are good to go. We've never been normal. Every room needs some major work done to it, since we evidently have project ADD. Like we started the kitchen remodel 4 years ago, put in the new cabinets and countertop; but did not lay the hardwood floor or trim. Or in the dining room (aka my studio) we painted one wall and installed the shelving unit, but didn't paint the ceiling or install the new light fixture. And the list goes on and on. We get something half done and then hop on to something else. Sure sounds harmless when you live in your house, not so much when you are getting it ready to sell.

Why am I telling you this?

Because I am pretty darn proud that I am still functioning let alone getting my deadlines out the door. This one I sent off last week (granted it feels like a month ago in my time). It is a really cute garment that went pretty fast in the worsted weight yarn. As you can see in the sneak preview shot, I got fancy with the raglan seams. I just thought they deserved some special treatment. There are so many great knit designs with lace or cables at the raglan seams, and I thought why don't we do this more often in crochet?

Time to get back at it. I have 3 more deadlines this week, plus some rooms to paint, and babe has another ear infection. Never a dull moment. Or really dull if you have been listening to me whine on twitter!

Try a Project for Free!

Did you see the latest blog post over at Crochet Me? You do subscribe right?

No?

Crochet Me is Interweave Crochet's online home. There are free projects, blog posts, articles, and forums. It has a crazy amount of crochet goodness over there.

And they have 2 (yes, not 1 but 2) projects from my new book, Baby Blueprint, for free! Yes, Free!

All you need to do is sign up for the mailing list, and you can download Anna Cardigan and Mari Nursing Wrap.


Anna is one of my favorites in the book. It is a top down project in a pretty simple shell pattern. I love top down for kids. It much fun to make them a part of the process by letting them try it on as you go. It is sized for 6, 12, 18, and 24 mths. I think the sample is a 12 mth size. I forget now. I crocheted it pre-CJ and everything before her has completely been wiped out.

If you are looking for a really great gift for a new mom, then check out Mari. I can't tell you how much I use my nursing shawl. Mari is made from a linen blend from Classic Elite. Perfect to throw in the wash over and over again, plus very light weight so your little sweetie doesn't get too hot under it. If you don't need a nursing shawl, it would be just as cute as a baby blanket.

The patterns are not completely how they will be laid out in the book. They needed to change them slightly for the E-book. But you will still get all the diagrams and directions you need.

Hope you enjoy!

Swatch Artwork

Got some swatches that you don't know what to do with?



Why not turn them into some artwork?



I have had these planned for CJ's room from before she was born. Of course, it took me months to get to it. I think they came out great for her room, even though they will only be hanging for 2 months before we leave.


They are really simple too. Here's how I did it in case you were wondering:


Gather: canvases, spray paint, translucent paper or fabric, spray mount adhesive, stapler, scissors, swatches



Step 1: Paint canvases with bright bold color. Let dry. If you use spray paint it dries really quickly and you can go to step 2 all in one afternoon.








Step 2: Spray adhesive to canvas. Place paper or fabric on canvas. Fold around all edges. Staple corner edges down to back of canvas to secure.








Step 3: Pick out which swatches you want to use. Spray canvas with adhesive and mount swatch.

Hang and enjoy!

Easy right. And they are really cute when they are done. Can't beat that!

Summer Sneak Peeks

So in the middle of our huge life changes, I was working on two big projects- big surprise.

These are for summer and fall publications. The tan one is made with Rowan Purelife, the recycled cotton/silk yarn, that I really enjoyed. The stitch definition was great for a tweed yarn. The border at the collar and bottom band are wide and really look great. They took forever to crochet compared to the lacy shell pattern on the body. I really love the final look of the project, it is really polished and not one bit homemade-ish.

The white one is made from yak. It was really fun getting to work with yak. The final project turned out great. It is a combination project, that I can't discuss much until it is published. I can say that it came out beautiful. I got amazing help from Diane. She came to my rescue crocheting the body of the project in a week. She is amazing!

I finally got these projects out the door and written last week, so now I am concentrating the next projects on the to do list. I have, of course, scheduled 5 projects for this month before we decided to move. I will be working fulltime to the end of the month then not taking on any new work til we get to Pittsburgh. That is just crazy to think in a few short weeks we all will be living in a different city and state.

Little Reminder

Just a little reminder for two events coming up, and if you need a last minute Mother's Day gift they might be the ticket....

Creative Connection
Sept 16-18
Minneapolis, MN

Stitch Coop Classes at TNNA
June 10-13
Columbus, OH

New Chapter

I don't know if you have noticed, but I have been pretty quiet lately. Well, in the last week our world got turned upside down again. I mean, when we make BIG changes, we like to make a ton of them at once.

What changes?

Well, the most obvious one is that we are moving. Can you guess where? Probably only yunz'rs recognize the church to the right.

We're headed to Pittsburgh, PA.

We are really excited about the move. Mr CBF got a fantastic new job working with a friend, and we will be now just minutes (instead of hours) from a lot of our family. It will be a huge change to be so close to family, but I really think it will be great for both girls. (Yes, both CJ and Faye get spoiled by their grandparents).

But that's just half of the news.

The other major development is that I just got an opportunity which will allow me to work full-time as a designer. Which means, I will officially go into retirement for the near future in engineering. It also means that CJ will be able to be home with me at least until next June. Just that change, in only doing one job (crocheting) instead of two is huge.

But no, let's add moving to the mix too.

Needless to say, I will be stretched a bit thin for the next few weeks. Oh, yeah. I forgot the funny part. We are moving in July. Seriously, we like to do everything at once.

So, all you Pittsburghers here we come. We are looking at lots of different areas close to downtown to live, if anyone has a suggestion we would love to here it.

More on that big "opportunity" once I have signed on the dotted line as it were.

Now back to figuring out how to finish my current workload and get the house ready to sell.