Vote for the Sunny Day Skirt!

I had some exciting news this morning! My Sunny Day skirt from Crocheting Clothes Kids Love, has been nominated for a Flamie in the Skirts category! The voting is now open on the Crochet Awards Website. Go and vote now for all of your favorites in each of the apparel categories!

There is just something about wearing the color yellow that makes you feel cheerful and optimistic.  I designed this skirt with that feeling in mind. When I ordered the yarn for the skirt, I wasn't sure what it would look like. It was one of those projects that really started with the yarn and then developed from there. 

The next thing I decided on was the shape. I loved the idea of an a-line wrap skirt. Easy to wear and forgiving if you are in between sizes. I love lacy crocheted skirts, but often the problem with many lacy skirts is that you need to wear something underneath, and it can be difficult to find a suitable undergarment. This skirt was designed to have the lacy side panel in front, but the full front panel is not see through. So you get the best of both worlds, a somewhat lacy skirt that can be worn on its own.

By making the front in 2 colors, it created the perfect canvas for crocheted appliqués. It was a little nod to the work I used do as an embroidery designer. You could even take it a step further and use the pale yellow to make more flowers and dots to be stitched to the darker yellow part of the skirt, or make the flowers and dots in all different colors.

This skirt has many interesting small details such as the decorative edging on the top edge of the skirt, the belt loops at the back to keep the tie in place, and the filet mesh edging, complete with surface crochet detail, that carries the look of the side front panel all the way around the skirt. The icing on the cake is the embroidery embellishment on the buttons and dot appliqués. If Appliqués aren't for you, I think the full front panel done in multi-colored stripes would look wonderful as well.

It is fun to have a special occasion to tell you a little more about the Sunny Day Skirt, one of my favorite patterns from the book!

Sunny Day Skirt as seen in Crocheting Clothes Kids Love

Front View

Close-up to show button and bow 

Close-up to show appliqué details

Close-up to show belt loop and decorative top edging

Close up to show surface crochet detail on the bottom edging

Back View

So Many possibilities for the Woven Placemat!

Remember the Woven Placemats I designed for the Interweave Crochet Home issue?  I believe you can never have too many placemats, so I wanted to show you a few fun things you can do with this pattern...

Below is a close-up of the original version of the placemats. One color for the background with 2 different colored cords woven through.

You could also add a little more color by adding another color cord:

If you like monochromatic, try making the cords out of the same color as the background:

Or how about changing the texture of the mat, simply by changing the yarn to a heavier weight, and increasing your hook size accordingly:

If you want to make the mats in a shorter amount of time, or if weaving the cords through doesn't appeal to you, I think the stitch pattern of the background of the mat is lovely on its own:

You could also weave ready made cords or rick rack through for an interesting effect. Or vary the pattern of the colors of the cords when weaving them in, to give you the look of a plaid.

Try out different ways of making the mats in small square swatches, which can become coasters! So many possibilities! How would you make yours?

Free Valentine Crochet Ring Pattern!

There is just something about heart shaped jewelry that I love. You may have guessed that from my previous post!

Just in time for Valentines Day, I have designed a pattern that can be crocheted in minutes with a snip of yarn. They would be fun to make as friendship rings or party favors. Try metallic yarn for a bit of glitz, or you could even stitch small beads or pearls between the rounds instead of doing the surface crochet detailing. It is a pattern you can really have fun with. I would love to see photos of the rings you make, if you choose to use the pattern! The pattern is available on Ravelry as a FREE download!

Back of Ring

Crocheting Modern Mixed Media Pendants

For the eWoodStory line, we want to offer kits as well as ready to wear pieces. I have been experimenting with new shapes for pendants, and I am really excited about these new Modern Pendant necklaces. The shape is unusual and eye-catching, and including a bit of crochet adds just the right amount of texture and color to the piece. 

I have made a limited number of these to be sold at the Sadu House in Kuwait, and plan to add some to our Etsy shop in the future. Each pendant is a one of a kind due to the variations in wood grain and color changes in the yarn. The unpredictable color transitions in the yarn emulate natural stone, which is why we feel it works so well with the exotic wood.