Inside Crochet - new designs

I'm very pleased with the latest edition of Inside Crochet which is featuring the pattern for my mesh dress and their back page column of some of my crochet musings!! My friend and collaborator in makedomend, Claire Montgomerie, has taken over the editorial helm so I'm expecting some super new designs to start appearing between the pages!!!

The mesh dress was actually a project for myself but Claire saw it and whisked it away to the IC studios for featuring in their revamp edition. I had been inspired by the sport wear on the catwalks this season and particularly the shift tunics of the Y-3 collection.

Magazines are often a great way to pick up on good patterns, tips and interviews and coming from the Yarn Forward stable, I'm sure Inside Crochet will become a 'must have' for any ardent crocheter.

wood and wool stool

As you know, I love to bring you little precious gems from the world of crochet and this is a particularly lovely one that I discovered - well, I just don't know how - it was like discovering treasure. Ingrid Jansen is a designer from the Netherlands and she is a very modest person! Her blog profile is so understated but I'll let you draw your own conclusions! I love the inspiring images on both the blog and her website and she has many fans worldwide for her 'little company'! Hope you like it too! And you who love granny squares, it's summertime, so be inspired by Ingrid's bunting garland. The wonderful colours are one of the particular attractions of Ingrid's work and her images perfectly capture this. I really loved the colour punch of the Ionie hanger, you can almost hear the Mediterranean at your open window!!Hej, I'm Ingrid Jansen and I run a little company called WOOD & WOOL STOOL in the Netherlands. A few years ago I designed my first (recycled) wooden stool with a crocheted cover for my home. Since then I've made a lot of stools and other interior objects.'

Loop Knitting Lounge

Some excellent news for all yarn crazy folk is breaking!! Stop the press - Loop Knitting is moving!!
As many of you already know, Loop is a mecca for all knitters and crocheters both in the UK and from very (we're talking global) far afield. Susan Cropper, who owns this wonder of the London craft scene, has created a unique destination shop for everything you could possibly want to create your own beautiful piece of knitwear. From classes to 4-ply, haberdashery to silken thread, it's all there and now it's expanding and moving lock, stock up the road to 15 Camden Passage, conveniently located a mere stone's throw from Angel tube station and any number of buses to whisk you there and back again barely lifting your groaning bag of goodies.
In addition to all of this there is now more ways than one to get into the Loop vibe from Twitter, Facebook and Loop's very own blog, LoopKnitLounge! Chaincreative welcomes Loop to the world of blogging and will definitely be rushing hot-foot to the new store, opening on Saturday 12 June.

Jo Hamilton - artist and crocheter

Well, I must have been dozing on duty because I missed this Portland, Oregon-based artist. Although trained in Fine Art at Glasgow School of Art, Jo Hamilton has branched out into using crochet as a medium of expression. I'm going to link you to some of the bloggers who have already featured her as her work has been noticed by more observant people than me!!!I'm going to just say that her cityscapes are what attracted me and I'm going to use this introduction to Jo Hamilton's work as a springboard for featuring some other 'landscape' crochet in the future. So - watch this space...crocheted of course.

The BibliophileWeblog

Dangerous Minds

Emma Lamb

Simple samples

When life is a bit too busy to even draw breath it's even more important to have my crochet with me. Lots of train journeys give me plenty of time to get to grips with the project mountain. My latest was using some of my favourite yarns in some simple mesh scarflettes. I had some Habu yarn on a cone which was more beautiful in it's raw state than worked up so I left it. Then I couldn't stand it any longer and out came the 1.75mm hook and away I went with a really simple mesh pattern. I was so pleased with the result that I made another muffler out of Berroco Alpaca Light in the divinest shade of marine blue. I love both of them and was so pleased with the pattern. It's drawn comments but is so basic that it taught me a lesson. Keep it simple for maximum impact.

I like these other examples too.There are still a couple of places left on the Intermediate Crochet at Kingly Court, W1 on Sunday for anyone interested. Contact makedomend@live.co.uk for details.

Lace and crochet

Ooo, lace is sooo crochet. Or crochet can be soo lace(y). We do tend to neglect the lovely laceyness of crochet. I'm up to my eyes in work but can just see the wood for the crochet hooks and wanted to just say that I've been mostly thinking - lace and fashion.

Maybe it's La Gaga or just the passing of the fantastic(al) Lee McQueen but I just can't wait to get my finest crochet hooks out and get cracking on something lacey. Maybe similar to my Nico dress in Vintage Crochet.
Inspiration have come from the fashion shows in Milan and latterly London and it will be a feature of the catwalks for evermore I'm sure. Crochet gets a peek in there too. The lovely striped Missoni top is fresh, trendy and crochet!!! Hurrah.


How crochet is this handbag from Zagliani.

Waste not!! - 'Handemadeness is an antidepressant'

I love yarn. Texture, weight (or lack of it as I love fine yarns more than chunky), colour and all it's wonderful variety. I've got a confession though. I've never really been attracted to the possibilities of undoing long-lost garments. Well-worn and well-loved jumpers and sweaters just get more well-worn until they're a rather threadbare wisp of a garment. There are alternatives and I stumbled on them thanks to a new friend on Twitter (I know, it's got it's critics but there are little gems there), Joyce Crochets, and she passes on some great little crochet links and I've followed many a tip-off from her tweets.This week's trail was to the methods of undoing woollen fabric and I never realised what an art there was to it. There are two really informative resources from two favourites of chaincreative, crafty stylish and craftzine. Different seams pose different problems and then there's prepping involved before you can wind up and get working. It's all worth it in the name of wasting not a precious resource and that's a big deal right now. While you're feeling virtuous hanging your freshly laundered yarn on the line (hmm) just think what a saving you've made. Enough to maybe treat yourself with some gorgeous little gem from Loop!
Once you've finished all the processes to turn that sad sack to crochet gold then you need some inspiration and I followed some more trails to a recycling diva called Cecile whose philosophy is very much of the moment and is the quote in the title of this post. Calling her business Recycled by Hyena and quoting her from her Etsy profile, 'My work is infused with my ethic and each of my creations is the result of passion and dedication. My clothes are made from scratch but not from new materials. They are made with fabric from clothes I purchased in Goodwill stores and non-profit thrift stores.

I "believe" in the craft revolution and I think it is our future. The handmade and eco-friendly life is the only alternative to the consumerism destroying our planet and the living beings surrounding us.'I must say I love her designs and the twist she puts on them. Of course, the fact that they're made from the sad, lost and forgotten makes them even more precious. Above is an example of how she encorporates crochet into many of her designs called Empire and below is the patchwork of fine fabrics that she combines in her work which she calls Comie.

As a little postscript, I've been frantically preparing for makedomend's first outing to Stoke Newington's Tea Rooms for our granny squares workshop. I've been making up samples and patterns for the event and I'm very excited with Sarah London's Wooleater Blanket which is worked as a square and which uses as much scrips and scraps of yarn as you would wish to see the back of!!! It's not quite recycling but is certainly not waste!!!
Here's my humble offering of the pattern but I would suggest you go to Sarah's blog for the definitive example.

More of a good thing

You know I'm a huge fan of Japanese crochet and knit books and I know many of you are too!! This fires up my research antennae and I'm always on the look-out for new suppliers and sources for our obsession.

Yesterday, while browsing the lovely French crochet blogs that I have listed on the right side of the blog, I came across these lovely bags. I particularly loved the zing of citrus colours that these were made up with. The patterns were, of course, Japanese and that got me thinking that I needed to feed the addiction and see if I could track down some more supplies.

There are certainly plenty of shops on Etsy who have lovely selections. All you have to do is pop Japanese craft books in the Search window and away you go. I wanted to see what else was out there and Bingo! up came Select Yarn and how pleased I was. As well as patterns Norie (the founder) also stocks Japanese yarns and many are the selections for the patterns. I love the way you can 'look' in the books to see the patterns. It all helps with the choice.

At the moment, I'm enjoying crocheting a vintage 30's sweater but as soon as that's finished I'm going Japanese!!!

Day for your diary

Sunday 26th July is a date for your diary if you're in London town. Down on the South Bank, the Queen's Walk to be more precise, just by the London Assembly Building. This is the venue for a wonderful creative opportunity for designers in Kioskiosk established for the summer months by Wayne Hemingway and the Design Museum. Claire Montgomerie is basing herself there on Sunday, running mini-workshops and knit fun and I'm joining in on the vibe with crochet and sewing workshops and selling a few accessories in crochet and fabric. It should be a terrific amount of fun if our days at Loop are anything to go by and we'ld love to see some friendly creative faces looming up out of the London smog. Ach, don't talk rubbish, it's going to be a fabulous day with heaps of sun and laughter.

If you're around please join us and maybe pick up a new crafty skill!

Designer interview - Sarah London

I think it's time for another visit with a crochet icon. I know from my travels over the networld that Sarah London really does generate alot of respect and interest from crocheters for the shots of colour she injects into her work. On another level she also turns the 'granny' into something joyous and bold. For all you square dancers here's the interview. I have to thank Sarah who is very busy person and kindly answered the questions amidst much other work.

Chain Creative Interview
Questions of creativity and inspiration Your name
Sarah London

Where you’re from
I live in the country with my husband and three children in Australia.

Blog address (if you have one)
http://www.sarahlondon.wordpress.com/ Describe your various creative skills.
I love working with colour in various applications, whether it be crochet, knitting or patchwork.

When did you start to crochet and who taught you?
My grandmother taught me to crochet at an early age, and I immediately became hooked, drawn to the colourful wool and I was amazed that a ball of wool could be transformed into many things.

What was the inspiration behind developing your interest in crochet?
To crochet, is just part of my make up I’m sure of that.

What influences your style and output? What are your inspirations?
Women from past generations who amazingly made something from nothing as such. Transforming scraps of wool into unique items of necessity, resulting in unusual combinations of colour and composition. What are the most important aspects of your work to you?
Exploring different colour combinations is important to me, inspiring others to experiment with colour. I love it when colours just click.

Which project or piece of work are you most proud of?
Most often or not it’s usually the latest piece to come off my hook.

Describe your favourite working space.
Surrounded by many balls of colourful wool, sitting on the sofa is were I usually do most of my crochet.

Thank you for chatting!

Love Bee
The last picture is a free pattern from Sarah called Wool-Eater Afghan.

It keeps on giving

They said you could get a bit obsessed!! Wire crochet, bead crochet. Not everyone has given them a try for various reasons. Many think only in yarn and are happy to stay there. Following the Jewellery Workshop, however, I have discovered my inner bead!!! The task was to start and, hopefully, finish a beaded rope bracelet. Made using slip stitch crochet, on paper it all looks so easy!!! The reality is less rosy. The experts work in 11/0 or 8/0 beads which are the delicate seed beads you see in many beaded projects. Sadly they proved too tiny for me so I upgraded to 6/0 which are approximately 3.5-4 mm. I actually prefer their relative chunkiness. Thread is a problem too. Beading thread is fine and that spells problems for beginners. With the size of beads I used I sized up to viscose twisted floss from Texere yarns. Called Prism, it comes in loads of lovely shades so should suit any project.

It seems that the first 3 rounds are the trickiest and that is definitely true. The circle can quickly end up in a funny beady ball very quickly. To keep your head, you string however many beads that the circle calls for in a larger contrast bead and start crocheting with a firm view of the sequence. After much trial and error (that's quite a few times, in other words) you realise where you're going and then you're off and running. Then the obsession kicks in and you want a whole bunch of bracelets. I'm on my fourth and still planning!!!

The sites I found most helpful and where I bought patterns and advice pdf were -

Need for Beads - patterns and handy guides

McKenzie Designs - a primer with wonderfully clear illustrations

GJ Beads - supplies in UK

The Bead Shop - in Tower Street, Covent Garden, London town

To be honest there's lots of sites on the net that help so don't give up if you want to try this challenging skill.

Talking of challenges and skills may I introduce the production of another brilliant student. Me Ling came to the Workshop and went away and came back with this!!! How fabulous is that!

Crochet Jewellery Workshop 2009

About to begin.

The first of the workshops for 2009 kicked off on Saturday. The students that came were the bravest of guinea pigs for this new class and they certainly had quite a work schedule to face. Whether to sit in the garden room or out in the rose-filled garden!! Whether to keep the sunglasses on or if the sweater was redundant!

Where's that stitch? Preparing the motif prior to starching.

Then it was down to the real deal of the start of the journey of enlightenment with some good old crochet. A simple motif in crochet thread and fine hook. Alot of crochet students are unfamiliar with this more rarified medium so it's an exercise in itself to get your eyes focused on the tiny stitches. How did people cope before the days of chunky and aran crochet!?
Is it time for lunch yet?!!

Motifs completed, we starched and left them to dry before breaking for lunch. I'm a pretty hard task-master and hate to see people enjoying themselves so after about, ooo, well, an hour we turned our attention to bead crochet. The temperature began to rise and that wasn't because we were sitting in the garden. This did test the skills and needs to have the patience to do and then re-do those opening rows. The results are there for all those who persevere and then you're off! I used patterns from Need for Beads with the Bead Crochet Primer produced by Leopold McKenzie. Lots of super design ideas sprang from this part and I hope to post the outcome later.

Keep your yarn from twisting! Beading tips for you!

The last part of the puzzle (and I use that word with a reason!!) was the wire crochet project courtesy of Yael Falk of Yoola Designs. We used her patterns for the Glamorous Bracelet and the Sunflower Earrings. The method is more like knitting with a crochet hook so did give my crochet gals something to think about.

A break for cupcakes courtesy of Me Ling. They were YUMMY!

The day was drawing to a close and there was some tired folk who scrambled onto the train. But these people are crochet heroes and the hooks continued to work after the sun set and results of their work continue to flow in.

Wire crochet tube from Me Ling

I hope they would agree with me that it was very successful launch of our year of workshops.

I think this testimonial from Kate might sum it up:

"I always love coming to the crochet days, it's such an oasis of calm and so nice to be with other obsessive crocheters/knitters. "

Alive and kicking

Dig deep!

I've often wondered what bloggers get up to when they 'disappear' for a bit. Work, illness, lack of material, all of the above and more. I know that I'm always thinking of what I'll post but when there's hundreds of Very Important Projects all shouting for attention then I'm afraid that the blog has to take a backseat. Summer does seem to take people out and away from the computer - I wonder why. The northern bloggers particularly are passionate about the 'outdoors' (I know, we all are) but as I visit many blogs from Scandanavia, the number of posts dwindle as the summer months start. I don't mind. I'm out there too and that's with English weather.


My lovely salad garden -yum!

So while the blog suffers, rest assured I am working on it's behalf. Loop in London gives me loads of inspiration, so when I'm in the shop Claire and I are often to be found up to our arms in lovely, lovely yarn speculating what to sample next. And how do you teach left-handers when you're right-handed. Important stuff!!!

Jewellery-making never ends!!!

The rest of my week is taken up with many of the projects I've set up for the summer. The Jewellery Workshop is appearing on the horizon swiftly followed by two sewing events and the Felt Workshop. I'm also struggling to finish many of the projects I'd started of making up a series of vintage patterns that I can gather in 'book' form and publish.

1950's capelet in Frog Tree Alpaca Sport Melange

Whilst that's all going on, I've got the outdoors to contend with!!! Mind you, with the gorgeous weather (yes, we do have divine weather in England so don't believe the myths!!!) we've been experiencing there's tons of things to do in the garden.

A girl's gotta have a rest some time!!!!

Then there's the family. My son's moving and my lovely L is starting an internship at Vivienne Westwood. Yelp!!!!!!!