I have the entire year to make good on my new resolution this year of blogging regularly!
I apologize.. bad bad me. Ok, enough apologizing.. We shall begin anew! April is the new New Year.
So what has been going on?
Well first, if you are on Twitter, you can find me on there as “CrochetGarden.” Seems I have been having more luck with the tweets than the blog, so we now have the tweets showing here on the blog 
Second, I would like to announce my latest publications in the Spring issue of Interweave Crochet! I have 2 patterns in this issue. First, is Simply Bibs.
Isn’t this baby just a little ham?? They could not have picked a happier baby! These bibs were a blast to design, especially since I was working them up in Mission Falls 1824 Cotton. I had never worked with that yarn before, and lately I have been on a huge cotton kick.
MISSION FALLS 1824 COTTON
What really makes this yarn suitable for the bibs – machine washable and machine dry on gentle cycle. Although I did not wash and dry the bibs, I do plan to order myself some and experiment with it. Gotta love a new cotton to play wit as I please!
Before embroidery
I did not see any shedding while working with this yarn, nor any pilling. I have had some cottons begin to pill almost immediately after working with them, and some even a few days down the line. This cotton yarn passed the pill test for at least a few weeks while it was in my hands. And did I mention soft? Some cottons tend to have some “stiffness.” Not Missions Falls 1824. Definitely worthy of being next to a baby’s skin.
What really makes or breaks a yarn for me is the colors. If the colors are not appealing, forget it, I am uninspired. That does not mean that I need the perfect color to come out with a great design! Nor does it mean I have to be inspired by yarn and thus color before I can design! What this means is that I am basically just as it says, uninspired. Non-passionate. Bored. I can make something out of drab, but it is so much more fun to make something from fun! Yes, a little redundant.
Look at the colors used in these bibs. Who would have thought the colors Chili (main color of bib) and Fog (Edging)
would go together or even remotely complement one another? They rock. When I was given these colors, I was told to play and go with whatever worked. The Mission Falls colors are made to work with one another… sometimes in a logical-expected way, and other times in a completely non-expected, off the beaten path way… The first instance I saw the colors, it was a mad dash into 2 piles and voila, color scheme developed.
I have to say I am very pleased with my introduction to the Mission Falls 1824 cotton. Rich, classy colors that alone one would think like to be separate, but once together seem to have a natural affinity for one another.
ABC 123 ABC 123
Would I design with this yarn for the Crochet Garden website? Yes. What would you like to see? Drop me a line anytime..
I am thinking, wouldn’t overalls with big oversized pockets be perfect? Maybe with a bucket hat to match? Make sure you are signed up to get the Crochet Garden newsletter to keep up with developments and new patterns. I will keep you all updated as well once I experiment more, and wash and dry the yarn.
SNUGGLY HOODIE
Baby > Hoodie
There’s that darling little babe again, modeling my hoodie! Now mind you, the hoodie shown is sized to fit 18 mos.. But this little guy was too good to pass up modeling the hoodie as well. That smile more than makes up for the room left over
It seems hoodies are in, from tots to teens, to adults… I thought it would be so stylish, and perfect for spring and fall.. and maybe even summer evenings.
Two pockets make it perfect for tot to stash little toy cars in, or little crayons. This hoodie is unisex. While the pattern is written for boy, just make the buttonholes along the other panel for a girl
The yarn chosen for this project could not have been any better:
LORNA’S LACES SHEPHERD SOCK
Soft. I could definitely make oodles of socks out of this yarn and my toes would be bathing in luxury – never deprived again.. Heck, I would use for every extremity – mittens, hats, the whole works.
For the hoodie, I used 2 strands of this held together throughout. I could have gone with single strand, but that would increase the time factor, and I felt a hoodie would be better suited with 2 strands of a sock weight (fingering) weight yarn.
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock
Lorna’s Laces are all hand-dyed yarns. Luxurious yarns, with a great price, especially for the quality. Isn’t this blue mezmerizing? I mean, it has a wee bit of turquoise to it, bold but not bright, tropical-feel but you would not feel like a peacock in it…
Colors can be bold, striking, some leave you wanting to gaze longer. I think I spent a whole morning, just browsing at all of the colors. I think my favorite is “Edgewater.” Take look at Edgewater at Jimmy Beans Wool. Oh what to make with it? The contrast is perfect, right on. Enough to catch your eye, and the perfect tones to keep you looking.
I am thinking of a new lace shawl in some of these laces. Maybe a really nice sophisticated hat. Maybe one of those Canadian hats the teens are all going crazy for (they are here at least). Will need to ponder and browse more…
The yarn does have a bit of spring to it.. A tad bit of stretch, which I am sure is due to the 20% nylon content- making it very sock-happy… I like these types of yarn that have a bit of give to them. Now to add Lorna’s Laces yarns to my notebook for possible patterns to design in!
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Well, time for me to get some work done… More on that soon. Other announcements to be made and other updates. Maybe even a couple sneak peaks… Soon, soon!
