Crocheted Gifts, Publication & Twitter Event

Crocheted Gifts

Crocheted Gifts, Interweave Press 2009

Crocheted Gifts is out! I have been eagerly awaiting this publication! There are so many fabulous projects to choose from in this book! And of course, one of them, is mine – a collection of washcloths.

Simple, yet sleek… while both practical and heartwarming. Washcloths, not something you necessarily think about, but definitely something you use each day!

I wanted an all-way gift. The first thing that came to me was baskets…

The baby Basket.. filled with baby powder, a rubber ducky, safety pins, and pnk and blue handmade washcloths.

Crocheted Gifts, Organic Indulgence

Crocheted Gifts, Organic Indulgence

The Zen Basket… Think spa.. So in, so modern, trendy.. zen. Basket of essential oils, naturals soaps and organic oh-so-soft washcloths gathered with strands of twine.

The Country Basket – apple and pear scented soap bars, mixed in with washcloths tied with big bows laid upon a gingham pattern cloth.

Crocheted Gifts, Organic Indulgence

Crocheted Gifts, Organic Indulgence

The Teen Basket – Nail polish, loofahs… big colorful fruit-scented bath beads, emery boards, star and heart-shaped glycerin soaps and bright crocheted washcloths rolled up.

Her Basket – Her favorite moisturizer, a sleep mask, a CD of relaxing seascape melodies, and soothing soft handmade washcloths..

So many possibilities.. so many occasions to give, and so many reasons to just say hey, I am thinking of you. I really, really enjoyed designing these. Please let me know if you work them up!

There are other fabulous patterns in this book!! I also wanted to let you know about a Twitter Event for Crocheted Gifts, hosted by Kim Werker tomorrow August 25th, 1Pm to 2PM pacific time. Many designers will be there discussing the book, their inspirations for their designs.. You can ask any questions you have about the book too.

Unfortunately, I will be unable to attend :( But if you can make it, it will be a memorable time!

Bustier Top – Published

Bustier Top - Interweave Crochet, Summer 2009

Bustier Top - Interweave Crochet, Summer 2009

Weeeeee! So much in this current issue of Interweave Crochet, Summer 2009! First, we have the Bustier Top. I know it sounds cliche’ but man, I really loved designing this.

Here are a few helpful links to start us off: Bustier Top On Ravelry, Bustier Top available at Interweave Crochet.

How often do I design women’s garments? Not often enough after this. When I started designing crochet patterns, I mostly created baby items, due to fire child being an infant. I did long to create garments for the adult, but at that time, baby and tot items reigned.

It is now coming to be that she is growing older, and while I can still make things for her, I am feeling myself wanting to transition, or well not transition, but broaden my garment designing area.

So alas, we have the Bustier Top!

Bustier Top, back/side view

Bustier Top, back/side view

I wanted something feminine, but not something that screams I am a girl and then some! I wanted something that would be classy, but still be sexy. I wanted something to hide bra straps. Perhaps that is from me being your larger than the run of the mill bust sizes…But either way, for this my inclination was – no bra straps showing. They do have their place,  with the layering of camisoles and tanks that are abundant these days, (oh how I wish I could get away with that look), but for some reason, this one just said, “cover me, if just a little…”

Just like all of my baby tot wear, this garment works from the top down. It really, really is highly customizable too. And I think that can be a problem in the industry. Seeing a striking outfit, fitted on an hourglass model, and an apple shape works it up, only to be disappointed.

Busttier Top, back view

Bustier Top, back view

Some garments are only meant to be for a pear shape, or an hourglass shape. That may be due to the nature of the style of the outfit, or the way the instructions are written not allowing much room for customization, if any at all.

With the Bustier Top, I designed in such a way that all important that all of our shapely parts can be accodomated, from a small A cup, to a DD cup, from that slim straight hip figure to the curvacious Monroes out there.

Even more, there is really no increasing and decreasing. There is, in a sense, but not in the traditional way. The traditional way of working increases does occur when working from the should along the armhole. But for the busy, hip and waist shaping, there is no change in the number of sts, only in the size of the sts!

Busttier Top, on dress form

Bustier Top, on dress form

And since this piece works from the top down, it is easy to just try as you go. Basically, the sts change in size for shaping. Using more smaller sts (instead of the bigger sts) result in a smaller area. Just as a simple example, let’s say we have 50 sts all the way around (this is just figuratively here).

When shaping around the waist, someone with a small waist may work 20 small sts and 30 large sts, and someone with little curvature may work 5 small sts and 45 large sts. Someone with your average curves may work 10 small sts and 40 large sts. And then the distance one works the amount of large sts and small sts over can be cutomized as well – and this is very important when it comes to the bust. A larger bust will need more area to be covered.

Bustier Top, edging

Bustier Top, edging

The pattern of course gives guides as a baseline, but when it comes to customization – the floor is yours!

My favorite part, aside from the customization, is the edging. Oh, how you really will see how beautiful it is when you work it up. Without closeups in the magazine, it is hard for one to really see how it brings together the whole top to a final grand finale. I call it my closed floral lace stitching. I had a lot of testers work this top up and will see about getting some of their photos posted here! If you work this top up, please let me know how it goes!

I will write in later blog  posts about the other items of interest in this issue  – Rainbow Rolls and an article!