Thread Bear's Picnic - www.aoibheni.com

Dublin Bay extended

2011-10-23T13:29:00.000+01:00

Having finally added the longer version of Dublin Bay shawl to the pattern, I'm celebrating with a few photos of the ACTual Bay of Dublin from a few days ago in the biting October winds.

I love that this is a sight I am greeted with often, and I count myself very lucky that I have such beauty within a short distance from the new Yarn Towers site. It really makes me pause for thought to think that people have been sailing in and out of this stretch of water for millennia, and that it was the gateway for the establishment of Dyflin, the Viking word for Dublin over 2000 years ago. It really humbles me to think of the sheer volume of lives that have been affected by this bite out of the land.

The first photo is looking north from Booterstown, on the lower end of the bay. The edge of Dublin City is visible in the lights to the left.

The second photo is again, from Booterstown, but looking south, towards Dún Laoghaire and Bray's pier beyond as the watery, winter sun slowly crawls into the sky over low tide.

Dublin Bay is my first pattern to feature what I am calling Tunisian Lace techniques. If you can do basic tunisian stitches, or if you are familiar with crochet linked stitches, then it, and my other shawls, will be a piece of cake to you. If not, I've gone and added links to video tutorials on how to read my charts, and how to work the stitches, to be sure.

A life of testing...

2011-10-10T17:54:00.001+01:00

...appears to be ahead of me as a designer, but as frustrating as it can be at times, it is clearly the better choice for me.

I have spent the last year and a half on and off looking for an editor with which to start a meaningful relationship. Someone I can turn to, give money to, and in return be confident that the pattern text I get back is safe to publish, and clear enough that customers can read through it and understand what I meant to say without confusion.

It seems to me that this shouldn't be too difficult to do on the surface, but, as many before me have undoubtedly found, a good editor (especially in crochet) is as hard to find as hen's teeth.

So! I have decided after several heartbreaks, to go down another road. I'm relying on the generosity and sharp eyes of a wonderful group of testers. What brilliant people! In exchange for a free preview copy of a pattern (and the eventual fully-edited version), these goddesses are happy to work out the kinks in tandem, to ask pertinent questions, suggest re-wordings, and generally check spelling, stitch numbers and garment fit.

Now, naturally, there's a lot more work for me to do; I'm not just flinging text at a bunch of people and expecting them to "fix" it. I'm far more involved in the process, checking up daily if possible on everyone's progress, answering questions and explaining myself further, but they're so patient! I've been swallowed up in my own mathematics a few times in the course of the last few tests, but my testers have been so helpful in detangling me.

I'm in love with my regular core group of testers at this stage, after they worked me through Ruadh, Dublin Bay, Solas and lately, Lop and Honeymeade. Now, a group of 9 are embarking on my newest pattern set: Liffey Swim: A hat, fingerless glove and mitten set, just in time for the weather to turn.

The bonus of this for me, oddly enough, is that I gain a much better understanding of the pattern in question, too. No longer do I find myself writing out instructions, only to have them fall out my ear while I sleep. Now, when a customer asks me why I did something the way I did, or if a pattern could be modified in a certain way, I'm much quicker off the mark. This pleases me, and I hope it pleases the questioner, too.

So, fellow budding designers, I cannot highly enough recommend the Testing Pool in Ravelry's groups. For us minnows in a sea of giants, it's the only way to go!

2011-09-14T16:52:00.002+01:00

Do you remember that dude, in the movie "Almost Famous", the guy who seemed to be everywhere along the tour, jumping occasionally in and out of shot. Always up to ninety, babbling on and on about catching a glimpse of "Mr. John Paul Jones" or "Mr. Bonham" or proclaiming that "It's all happening", like he was having a near-religious experience?

I used to think he was a reflection of the over-enthusiastic fans all bands have to deal with; a mix between reverence and obsession, but while I'm not as intense about it, I find myself waking up these days with that very thought on my lips; "It's all happening".

I've met, shook hands with, and in some cases had lunch with Carol Feller, Laura Hogan, Kate Davies, Debbie Bliss, Kieran Foley, and they have all, to a person, been very kind, cool and amazingly calm. I hope someday to inspire the excitement in others that they inspire in me, (Debbie gave me a hug when I told her I hadn't slept a wink the night before 'cause I was excited to meet her) but when that day comes, I seeeriously doubt I'll be as collected and groovy about it as they are.

Announcing; AoibheNi.com

2011-05-14T12:53:00.005+01:00

Well, haven't I been a bit quiet lately!
Yes, yes, I have.

But it has been with good reason, 'because I have managed, through no small effort, to design, code and launch a spangly new website! I'm delighted with how it has turned out.

Watch as it spangles!

It has info on all my patterns so far, with payment methods right there on the site; it also has this blog encorporated right into its very matrix, and a list of all the events and classes I'll be giving over the next few months.

It took a lot of work, a lot of coffee, and a lot of ignoring my poor blog, but I think it was worth it! I hope you think so too.

The Queen's Visit

2011-05-03T19:15:00.000+01:00

There was no fan fare, no security, no carriages, entourage or flags. Just the Queen, sitting on my balcony. I could even have missed her visit, so unremarkable was her arrival.

But I'm glad I looked out and spotted her, sitting on the trellis, warming herself in the late morning sunshine.

Is that a goose in your pen, or are you just quacky to see me?

2011-04-18T12:36:00.001+01:00

Yesterday was a day as idylic as they get for me.

I took the day off crocheting (mostly) and went home to see my family on what is slowly but surely becoming a farmyard. I spent a very happy hour and a half, weeding the flowerbeds (Which, at home is called "herding the spiders" as there are so many among the stones, it seems most of your time is spent watching spiders flee, and very little time is spent actually pulling up the intermittant weedlings).

My Mam came out and helped a bit, and my cousin dropped in to say Hi to her Dad, who was helping my Dad put a stairs into the shed's loft, and she helped a bit with the weeding, too. I know, sometimes, it really feels like we're Amish or something!

But! The big surprise at home was the arrival of 6 new siblings. I am now the eldest of 9 children, with the addition of 6 fuzzy, fluffy, tweeping little goslings.

Introducing Dave, Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick and Titch:

They are farmyard geese, which, apparently means that they won't grow normally huge wings, but will be naturally small-of-wingspan, ensuring they won't fly away and get hurt on the road or anything. They currently occupy a section of the wooded copse beside my parent's house, have lots of lovely grass to run around in:

A small bath to splash in:

And a Mom, Nell, to look out for them. She's actually been very good so far. She barks at them occasionally, has had her inquisitive nose nipped a few times through the wire, but I reckon they'll all get on like a house on fire when they get the run of the whole copse:

They love, LOVE to be fed by hand. This is my gloved hand, having picked some grass at my feet. It's amazing how instantly interesting it becomes, just 'cause it's being offered. And just look at those fuzzy wuzzy little heads!

And they are as interested in EVERYTHING:

I wasn't inside the pen two seconds when they started to peck at the buckle on the side of my wellies, when I bent down, I had a goose attached to each sleeve, and a third trying its hardest to get at my hair.

So, yea, this is fair warning. I will be all about the geese for the next few months.

Ode to some lost Malabrigo

2011-04-11T17:38:00.000+01:00

I know you're in here somewhere, inside this messy flat,
I'm bound to find you someday; you're not as lost as that.

But where you are eludes me, it's come as quite a shock,
I put you down, and now you're gone, my Malabrigo Sock!

You're meant to be a shawl, you know, purple, big and smart,
It's half-done and already it's quite the work of art.

I can't get any more of you; the shop is all sold out,
The loss of you has made me blue, I have to scream and shout!

If you want to tell me where you are, that would be so much betta',
I miss my lovely colourway: Africana Violetta!

How To Make - Hill of Tara Shawl Pin

2011-04-07T14:14:00.001+01:00

I got my copy of Inside Crochet 17 this morning, and, sitting down, in my dressing gown, with a cup of coffee, I whiled away a lovely hour or two reading it, and occasionally feigning surprise when I came across one of my patterns therein.

But, I did notice that the magazine hadn't had enough room to include the photo tutorial I had sent in on how to make the willow shawl pin I had used to pin Hill of Tara in place.

So, to save everyone from frustration, I have decided to add it here.
I hope it helps.

The best wood to use for a simple brooch like this is willow. I have used weeping willow for this tutorial, but any willow will work, if you learn to handle it correctly.

An important thing to remember before you begin, is that willow grows wild in many areas. Please don't harvest wild willow. As with many trees, it is very easy to introduce diseases to a tree if it's pruned incorrectly.

The best time to select and cut your willow withy would be after the leaves have all dropped, and before the buds begin to appear again. This is when the sap has retreated back into the heart of the tree and the branches will be less brittle, but this is not essential.

Select a withy no shorter than 1.5 meters, and no thicker than a pencil at the top. The tip should not be dead wood, either. With a sharp seceters, cut the withy diagonally across. If you can, cut a few withys in case your willow cracks.

Making the brooch:
Starting at the thicker end, create a simple knot, taking care not to over-stress the wood. You may find it easier to gently bend the withy gently several times in the direction you will be knotting it before you attempt the knot.

Thread the tip through the knot, twisting it around the ring formed by the knot. Continue to do this until one round is completed. This should take about 3 wraps.

From here, it's just a case of following the wrap around again, and again until you are left with approx. 6 inches of thin wood at the tip.

Holding the live wood with your thumb, wrap the tip gently but tightly in a ring over all the wraps. Secure the tip in place by threading it under the ring and ensuring it's tightened. Pull gently but firmly to ensure a tight knot. The willow will dry out and contract over time, so a tight knot now will ensure it doesn't become loose later on.

This can be used straight away, but it is recommended that it be left to dry out and “set” before the tip and top are neatened up with a seceters.

How to use the brooch:
To hold brooch in place, take a wooden hair stick, push through the centre of the brooch, into the fabric of the shawl.

Thread the stick out the fabric of the shawl and across the opposite side of the brooch. The weight of the shawl should hold the stick and shawl together.

Name the Shawl

2011-04-06T17:16:00.002+01:00

I have had my nose stuck in the first sample of a new pattern for the last few days. I'm designing it with the express purpose of ensuring I look classy as all hell at a wedding I'm attending this year, and what, I ask you, is more glam than a dove-grey shoulder shawl, designed and crocheted by the wearer?

I trust this will help "dress up" whatever slightly barmy and colourful dress I end up buying for the occasion. (My mother is always so polite about my choices, but I can tell she'd rather I just found a little black dress and stuck to it!)

I'm really pleased with this so far, actually. The lace trim is coming out nicely in a fan shape, the picots are looking plentiful and cheerful, and the main body, once blocked will be full of holes (intentional) and will look impressive with the right shawl pin added at the shoulder. I can't wait until I get it finished and blocked. The lace just unfolds to nicely!

But, what I don't have, yet, is a name. Usually at this stage, I have it pinned down (pun, unindented, but welcome), but this is e-luuuu-ding me something awful. I'm therefore hoping that you guys have more luck with the inspiration.

As a guide; references to poetry, places and people are all welcome. Something kinda grown-up without sounding boring, is what I'm in the market for. And, of course, the winner will recieve a copy of the finished pattern, including lots of gloriously clear charts, and a pick of one of my other patterns, too*.

Competition will be open for one week, so tell all your friends!

*excluding those recently published in magazine-form. I don't have the rights to them back, yet...

Note: Enter as often as you like. Entries must be posted in reply to this blog post, so I can keep them all together.

What a Day!

2011-04-01T13:07:00.000+01:00

As you may, or may not have noticed, it has been an exceptional few days here at Yarn Towers.

Firstly, my free crochet top pattern Happy Monday was picked up by Crochet Pattern Central, resulting in a HUGE influx of visitors. I mean, seriously enormous.

Secondly, I discovered that I am now the proud author of not one, but two patterns in Issue 17 of Inside Crochet

There is Tessera, a motif-based cami which oddly enough, was originally inspired by my watching way, way too much Legend of the Seeker in a short space of time...

And Hill of Tara, which is a simple pattern, perfect for beginners looking for their first big project and which actually works up very fast.

I had a great time designing both of these, and I'm so immensly pleased to see them side-by-side in the magazine.

Flowers

2011-03-27T14:53:00.001+01:00

A week or two ago, the world seemed to slow down for a few moments as word went around the small crafting community in Dublin that one of our good friend's husbands had been diagnosed with a serious illness. He was to be in and out of hospital for the foreseeable future, fighting a formidable disease.

As you would expect, we all reached out with messages of love and support, but there is little else you can do when you don't live nearby and can't just drop over food and be available to dispense liberal hugs and offers of lifts. In all honesty, I felt useless. I could only imagine how they both felt.

A little while after hearing the news, we were all asked not to send Get Well flowers, as they weren't allowed in the ward room. That's when it hit me. We can't send REAL flowers, but boy, could we MAKE a bunch to liven up the room and to remind them both how much support they had behind them.

I put out the call (in secret, of course!) and was soon being inundated by blooms. There were tiny knit ones, big crochet ones, leaves, stems, roses, daffodils, carnations, a spider... The list went on and on. I even discovered that a long-time knitter had learnt to crochet just so she could add more to the bouquet. How great is that?

In the end, I gathered them all together, bunched them up in some tissue and cellophane, added the card with many messages of support and love, and handed them over to another friend who was to see it safely to a FFF meet-up which was especially planned around our friend's now super-busy schedule.

It really warms my heart to see how many people answered the call, the effort everyone put into making their flowers anatomically correct (seriously... calyxes, stamens and everything!), and to know the flowers were appreciated.

I have been told they now grace the windowsill in the hospital room and are being commented on by many.

In light of Daffodil Day being only a few days ago, I'd like anyone who has means, to please click and to give whatever they can to the Irish Cancer Society. Their work is truly invaluable.

Join the Yarn Party!

2011-03-26T13:05:00.002Z

Oh, yes! I'm now available for Crochet and Knitting Parties in your own home!

For a few bob, you can spend 2 gloriously fun hours with your friends, some free yarn, hooks or needles, lots of class notes and my undivided attention!

And the best bit? The hostess crafts for FREE!

Free materials,
Free tuition,
and Free notes!

See below for more info. : )

A day for butterflies

2011-03-24T15:53:00.002Z

As I pottered around on my plant-crammed balcony today, I spotted several, beautiful, vibrantly-coloured Red Admiral butterflies fluttering around on my hanging baskets.

Photo Credit: www.irishbutterflies.com

They must have been attracted by the last flush of petals on my mini-daffodils and they were a welcome visitor, I'll tell you.

In celebration of these tiny, pretty little visitors, I have finally gotten around to putting my Etain Shrug up on Ravelry for sale. It featured in a long-past issue of Inside Crochet, but as it's well and truly mine again, I thought now would be the opportune time to make it available.

So, if you fancy a pretty little butterfly of your own, you now can!

Happy Monday - Free Crochet Pattern

2011-03-23T17:20:00.002Z

Happy Monday
A free crochet pattern from Aoibhe Ni.
Find it on Ravelry here.

Materials:
3.5mm hook, or size required to achieve tension,
1 ball Noro Silk Garden Sock (Yarn 1)
4-6 balls Debbie Bliss Rialto 4-ply (Yarn 2)
darning needle (for weaving in ends)

Tension:
28 tr sts = 4in/10cm
9 tr rows & 9 dc rows = 4in/10cm

Notions:
2 cute buttons, approx 1.5cm in diameter.

Pattern written for bust sizes: 32" (34"/36"/38"/40"/42"), and is written in UK stitch language. For a handy translation sheet for US stitch names, please click here.

Abreviation Key:
ch = chain
dc = double crochet
dc-blo = double crochet backloop only
tr = treble crochet
st(s) = stitch(es)

Note: Turning chains (1ch) and instances of ch1 within pattern, do not count as sts
Turning chains (2ch) counts as 1st tr st.

With Yarn 1:
Make 155 (158/161/164/170/173) chain.

Row 1. 1dc into 2nd ch from hook, 154 (157/160/163/169/172) dc-blo, ch1, turn - 154/157/160/163/169/172 sts

Note on buttonholes:
Follow the pattern as written to add buttonholes.
If you'd rather “cheat”, just work Row 2 as Rows 3-5, ignoring buttonhole chains and work Row 14 as follows: Row 14. 26 (27/28/29/31/32) dc-blo, ch2, 2dc, 2ch, 39 (40/41/42/44/45) dc-blo, ch2, 2dc, 2ch, 48 (49/50/51/53/54) dc-blo, ch2, 2dc, 2ch, 39 (40/41/42/44/45) dc-blo, ch2, 2dc, 2ch, 26 (27/28/29/31/32) dc-blo, ch1 & turn - 186/189/19/195/201/204 sts

Once you are ready to add buttons to top, just sew them through both layers of collar fabric as if there was a buttonhole. You won't be a ble to “unbutton”, but it's a handy way of avoiding frogging what you've made if you do forget to add holes along the way!

Adding 1st buttonhole:
Row 2. 1dc, ch2, 51 (52/53/54/56/57) dc-blo, ch1 & turn

Rows 3-5. 154 (157/160/163/169/172) dc-blo, ch1 & turn

Row 6. 22 (23/24/25/27/28) dc-blo, ch1, 2dc, 1ch, 31 (32/33/34/36/37) dc-blo, ch1, 2dc, 1ch, 40 (41/42/43/45/46) dc-blo, ch1, 2dc, 1ch, 31 (32/33/34/36/37) dc-blo, ch1, 2dc, 1ch, 22 (23/24/25/27/28) dc-blo, ch1 & turn

Row 7. dc-blo 162 (165/168/171/177/180), ch1 & turn. Note: add 1 dc-blo to each st along, including over chain sts encountered to end of row. - 162/165/168/171/177/180 sts

Row 8. 23 (24/25/26/28/29) dc-blo, ch1, 2dc, 1ch, 33 (34/35/36/38/39) dc-blo, ch1, 2dc, 1ch, 42 (43/44/45/47/48) dc-blo, ch1, 2dc, 1ch, 33 (34/35/36/38/39) dc-blo, ch1, 2dc, 1ch, 23 (24/25/26/28/29) dc-blo, ch1 & turn - 162/165/168/171/177/180 sts

Row 9. dc-blo 170 (173/176/179/185/188), ch1 & turn. Note: add 1 dc-blo to each st along, including over chain sts. - 170/173/176/179/185/188 sts

Row 10. 24 (25/26/27/29/30) dc-blo, ch2, 2dc, 2ch, 35 (36/37/38/40/41) dc-blo, ch2, 2dc, 2ch, 44 (45/46/47/49/50) dc-blo, ch2, 2dc, 2ch, 35 (36/37/38/40/41) dc-blo, ch2, 2dc, 2ch, 24 (25/26/27/29/30) dc-blo, ch1 & turn - 170/173/176/179/185/188 sts

Row 11. dc-blo 178 (181/184/187/193/196), ch1 & turn. Note: add 1 dc-blo to each st along, including over chain sts. -178/181/184/187/193/196 sts

Row 12. 25 (26/27/28/30/31) dc-blo, ch2, 2dc, 2ch, 37 (38/39/40/42/43) dc-blo, ch2, 2dc, 2ch, 46 (47/48/49/51/52) dc-blo, ch2, 2dc, 2ch, 37 (38/39/40/42/43) dc-blo, ch2, 2dc, 2ch, 25 (26/27/28/30/31) dc-blo, ch1 & turn - 178/181/184/187/193/196 sts

Row 13. dc-blo 186 (189/19/195/201/204), ch1 & turn. Note: add 1 dc-blo to each st along, including over chain sts. - 186/189/19/195/201/204 sts

Adding 2nd buttonhole:

Row 14. 1dc, 2ch, 23 (24/25/26/28/29) dc-blo, ch2, 2dc, 2ch, 39 (40/41/42/44/45) dc-blo, ch2, 2dc, 2ch, 48 (49/50/51/53/54) dc-blo, ch2, 2dc, 2ch, 39 (40/41/42/44/45) dc-blo, ch2, 2dc, 2ch, 26 (27/28/29/31/32) dc-blo, ch1 & turn - 186/189/19/195/201/204 sts

Row 15. dc-blo 194 (197/200/203/209/212), ch1 & turn. Note: add 1 dc-blo to each st along, including over chain sts.- (194/197/200/203/209/212 sts

Row 16. 27 (28/29/30/32/33) dc-blo, ch2, 2dc, 2ch, 41 (42/43/44/46/47) dc-blo, ch2, 2dc, 2ch, 50 (51/52/53/55/56) dc-blo, ch2, 2dc, 2ch, 41 (42/43/44/46/47) dc-blo, ch2, 2dc, 2ch, 27 (28/29/30/32/33) dc-blo, ch1 & turn - 194/197/200/203/209/212 sts

Row 17. dc-blo 202 (205/208/211/217/220), ch1 & turn Note: add 1 dc-blo to each st along, including over chain sts. - 202/205/208/211/217/220 sts

With Yarn 2.
Remember: Turning chains (1ch) and instances of ch1 within pattern, do not count as sts
Turning chains (2ch) counts as 1st tr st.

Row 18. ch2 & turn, tr29 (30/31/32/34/35), ch1, tr45 (46/47/48/50/51), ch1, tr54 (55/56/57/59/60), ch1, tr45 (46/47/48/50/51), ch1, tr29 (30/31/32/34/35), ch1 & turn - 202/205/208/211/217/220 sts

Row 19. dc206 (209/212/215/221/224), ch2, turn. Note: add 1 dc to each st along, including over chain sts. - 206/209/212/215/221/224 sts

Row 20. tr29 (30/31/32/34/35) [3tr], tr45 (46/47/48/50/51), [3tr], tr 54 (55/56/57/59/60), [3tr], tr 45 (46/47/48/50/51), [3tr], tr29 (30/31/32/34/35), ch1 & turn - 214/217/220/223/229/232 sts

Row 21. dc30 (31/32/33/35/36), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc47 48/49/50/52/53), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc 56 (57/58/59/61/62), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc47 (48/49/50/52/53), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc30 (31/32/33/35/36), ch2 & turn - 218/221/224/227/233/236 sts

Row 22. tr31 (32/33/34/36/37), [3tr], tr49 (50/51/52/54/55), [3tr], tr 58 (59/60/61/63/64), [3tr], tr 49 (50/51/52/54/55), [3tr], tr31, ch1 & turn - 230/233/236/239/245/248 sts

Row 23. dc230 (233/236/239/245/248), ch2 & turn.

Row 24. tr32 (33/34/35/37/38), [3tr], tr51 (52/53/54/56/67), [3tr], tr 60 (61/62/63/65/66), [3tr], tr 51 (52/53/54/56/57), [3tr], tr32 (33/34/35/37/38), ch1 & turn - 238/241/244/247/253/256 sts

Row 25. dc33 (34/35/36/38/39), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc53 (54/55/56/58/59), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc 62 (63/64/65/67/68), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc53 (54/55/56/58/59), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc33 (34/35/36/38/39), ch2 & turn - 242/245/248/251/257/260 sts
Row 26. tr34 (35/36/34/39/40), [3tr], tr55 (56/57/58/60/61), [3tr], tr 64 (65/66/67/69/70), [3tr], tr 55 (56/57/58/60/61), [3tr], tr34 (35/36/34/39/40), ch1 & turn - 254/257/260/263/269/272 sts

Row 27. dc254 (257/260/263/269/272), ch2 & turn.

Row 28. tr35 (36/37/38/40/41), [3tr], tr57 (58/59/60/62/63), [3tr], tr 66 (67/68/69/71/72), [3tr], tr 57 (58/59/60/62/63), [3tr], tr35 (36/37/38/40/41), ch1 & turn - 262/265/268/277/280 sts

Row 29. dc36 (37/38/39/41/42), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc59 (60/61/62/64/65), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc 68 (69/70/71/73/74), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc59 (60/61/62/64/65), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc36 (37/38/39/41/42), ch2 & turn - 266/269/272/275/281/284

Row 30. tr37 (38/39/40/42/43), [3tr], tr61 (62/63/64/66/67), [3tr], tr70 (71/72/73/75/76), [3tr], tr61 (62/63/64/66/67), [3tr], tr37 (38/39/40/42/43), ch1 & turn - 278/281/284/287/293/296 sts

Row 31. dc278 (281/284/287/293/296), ch2 & turn.

Row 32. tr38 (39/40/41/43/44), [3tr], tr63 (64/65/66/68/69), [3tr], tr72 (73/74/75/77/78), [3tr], tr63 (64/65/66/68/69), [3tr], tr38 (39/40/41/43/44), ch1 & turn - 286/289/292/295/301/304 sts

Row 33. dc39 (40/41/42/44/45), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc65 (66/67/68/70/71), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc 74 (75/76/77/79/80), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc65 (66/67/68/70/71), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc39 (40/41/42/44/45), ch2 & turn - 290/293/296/299/305/308 sts

Row 34. tr40 (41/42/43/45/46), [3tr], tr67 (68/69/70/72/73), [3tr], tr76 (77/78/79/81/82), [3tr], tr67 (68/69/70/72/73), [3tr], tr40 (41/42/43/45/46), ch1 & turn - 302/305/308/311/320 sts

Row 35. dc302 (305/308/311320), ch2 & turn.

Row 36. tr41 (42/43/44/46/47), [3tr], tr69 (70/71/72/74/75), [3tr], tr78 (79/80/81/83/84), [3tr], tr69 (70/71/72/74/75), [3tr], tr41 (42/43/44/46/47), ch1 & turn - 310/313/316/319/325/328 sts

Row 37. dc42 (43/44/45/47/48), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc71 (72/73/74/76/77), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc80 (81/82/83/85/86), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc71 (72/73/74/76/77), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc42 (43/44/45/47/48), ch2 & turn - 314/317/320/323329/332 sts

Row 38. tr43 (44/45/46/48/49), [3tr], tr73 (74/75/76/78/79), [3tr], tr82 (83/84/85/87/88), [3tr], tr73 (74/75/76/78/79), [3tr], tr43 (44/45/46/48/49), ch1 & turn - 326/329/332/335/341/344 sts

Row 39. dc326 (329/332/335/341/344), ch2 & turn.

Row 40. tr44 (45/46/47/49/50), [3tr], tr75 (76/77/78/80/81), [3tr], tr84 (85/86/87/89/90), [3tr], tr75 (76/77/78/80/81), [3tr], tr44 (45/46/47/49/50), ch1 & turn – 334/337/340/343/349/352 sts

Row 41. dc45 (46/47/48/50/51), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc77 (78/79/80/82/83), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc86 (87/88/89/91/92), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc77 (78/79/80/82/83), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc45 (46/47/48/50/51), ch2 & turn – 338/341/344/347/353/256 sts

Row 42. tr46 (47/48/49/51/52), [3tr], tr79 (80/81/82/84/85), [3tr], tr88 (89/90/91/93/94), [3tr], tr79 (80/81/82/84/85), [3tr], tr46 (47/48/49/51/52), ch1 & turn – 350/353/356/359/365/368 sts

Row 43. dc350 (353/356/359/365/368), ch2 & turn.

Row 44. tr47 (48/49/50/52/53), [3tr], tr81 (82/83/84/86/87), [3tr], tr90 (91/92/93/95/96), [3tr], tr81 (82/83/84/86/87), [3tr], tr47 (48/49/50/52/53), ch1 & turn – 358/361/364/367/373/376 sts

Row 45. dc48 (49/50/51/53/54), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc83 (84/85/86/88/89), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc92 (93/94/95/97/98), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc83 (84/85/86/88/89), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc48 (49/50/51/53/54), ch2 & turn - 362/365/368/371/377/380)

Row 46. tr49 (50/51/52/54/55), [3tr], tr85 (86/87/88/90/91), [3tr], tr94 (95/96/97/99/100), [3tr], tr85 (86/87/88/90/91), [3tr], tr49 (50/51/52/54/55), ch1 & turn – 374/377/380/383/389/392 sts

Row 47. dc374 (377/380/383/389/392), ch2 & turn.

Row 48. tr50 (51/52/53/55/56), [3tr], tr87 (88/89/90/92/93), [3tr], tr96 (97/98/99/101/102), [3tr], tr87 (88/89/90/92/93), [3tr], tr50 (51/52/53/55/56), ch1 & turn – 382/385/388/391/397/400 sts

Row 49. dc51 (52/53/54/56/57), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc89 (90/91/92/94/95), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc98 (99/100/101/103/104), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc89 (90/91/92/94/95), [1dc, 1ch, 1dc], dc51 (52/53/54/56/57), ch2 & turn – 386/389/392/395/401/404 sts

Row 50. tr52 (53/54/55/57/58), [3tr], tr91 (92/93/94/96/97), [3tr], tr100 (101/102/103/105/106), [3tr], tr91 (92/93/94/96/97), [3tr], tr52 (53/54/55/57/58), ch1 & turn - 398/401/404/407/413/416 sts

Connecting sleeves:

Row 51. dc54 (55/56/57/59/60), sk 93 (94/95/96/98/99) sts, dc 104 (105/106/107/109/110), sk 93 (94/95/96/98/99) sts, dc 54 (55/56/57/59/60), ch2 & turn – 212/215/218/221/227/230 sts

Row 52. tr211 (214/217/220/226/229), ch1 & turn

Row 53. dc212 (215/218/221/227/230), ch2, turn

Rows 54-91. Rep Rows 52-53, ending on a tr row.

Sizes 36 – 42 only:

Row 92-93. rep Rows 52-53, ending on a tr row.

Sizes 40 & 42 only:

Row 94-95. rep Rows 52-53, ending on a tr row.

Bind off, weave in ends and block gently.

How to block:
Blocking is the process whereby yarn used in a project is made to relax and better take the shape of the project. It will often greatly improve the drape and fit of a garment, and enhance the appearance of lacy pieces.

This can be completed in a few different ways. For this project I choce to block using the submersion technique.

1. Fill a sink with cold water and gently easy garment into the water. Do not scrub, wring or stretch your crochet; just push down on it to get all the air bubbles out and to make sure the yarn is thoroughly saturated.

2. Holding onto the crochet, pull the plug and allow water to drain.
3. Carefully squeeze excess watre out of crochet, being careful not to wring or stretch. It needn't be totally water-free after thsi step.
4. Lay a towel out and place crochet on top of it. Roll crochet up into towel, like a giant swiss roll (nom nom).
5. Stand on towel to press water out of crochet.
6. Unroll towel and lie crochet out on a flat surface to dry.

This may seem superfluous, but it will cure crochet's annoying tendency to curl at the corners, and will make sure the sleeves and body drape better.

Thanks for reading my pattern. I hope you enjoy it!

Happy Monday Update

2011-03-22T17:32:00.001Z

OK, OK, so the photo is terrible, but it's an upadte nonetheless.

Wanna see when Happy Monday barely had sleeves?

Yarn Post

2011-03-22T12:49:00.000Z

A delivery of yarn sends Yarn Towers into a frenzy of excitement.

Yesterday, as I sat drinking some coffee on a well-deserved crochet break, I heard the bell go downstairs. "Package delivery!", the man on the other end of the intercom called. Excitedly, I let him in. "OOoh, great! This will be my yarn!" I squealed to myself as I skipped out to the gate. But alas, dear reader, t'was but a box containing some diabetes equipment I had registered for months previously.

Disheartened, I sighed, thanked the nice delivery man and trudged back upstairs to my coffee cup.

Then, this morning, at about 7 (apparently)... the bell went again. Now, I'm a heavy sleeper. I never hear the bell when I'm all snuggled up in bed, so the boyfriend was pulled from his slumber instead, toddled sleepily downstairs, thinking "oooh! Great! The comics I ordered!", only to be as disappointed by the package as I had been the previous day.

Still, there is little in this world which starts a day better than the words "You have new yarn" whispered by the man you love.

Breaking the Mould

2011-03-15T16:59:00.001Z

This is a piece I wrote for an issue of The Crochet Insider, a great online crochet magazine that is well worth checking out for its variety of articles on crochet-related topics.

I thought it was worth re-producing here:

Breaking the Mould.

When I was a young, impressionable girl of about 13 or so, I remember reading an article that aimed to explain why most of the geniuses of the past were men, with a very few notable exceptions. Leonardo, not Leonarda; Alexander Graham Bell, not Alexandria; Isaac Newton, not Isla.

The now long-forgotten author took pains to explain that the male mind was more likely to take risks, to dedicate a life to the pursuit of something which may, or may not become important. They were far less likely to have dependents who required their attention (a fair point), were better suited to innovation through a mixture of determination and bravery, and that women were more likely to take the safe option, to stay at home, make do with the status quo, and muddle through with a completely different set of skills. The author imagined that women were better suited to repetitious work, artistic or scientific reproduction, following after the trail had been blazed. This article has stuck with me in the intervening years, and every time I pick up a hook I wonder if it was a man or a woman who first knotted a piece of yarn, string, hair, into the first crochet stitch.

Unfortunately, crochet's history is shrouded in almost as much mystery as crochet itself is to some knitters. So, we may never know. But it recently struck me that it doesn't matter one damn bit.

What matters is what is going on NOW, and it's very exciting. All over the world women are taking up hooks, and needles. They're not just following patterns, they're not only repeating what they have seen done before. Many new designers are cropping up like a field of mushrooms, producing new ways of crocheting, coming up with new ideas, and showing the world that the fibre arts are not what they used to be. These designers are innovative, creative and most importantly of all, brave. They're willing to show the product of their work, make it available for evaluation and are proud of their abilities. They're starting up magazines, writing books, teaching others, making a living in their chosen field of expertise. They're standing up, and breaking the mould.

As a rookie designer, I had no idea what to expect from my peers. I had tested the waters with one or two simple patterns, just to see how it felt to design and be recognised as a designer of crochet clothing.

My reception was tepid - no queues of crafters formed at my door, demanding more! better! faster! - but no-one emerges fully-formed so that didn't bother me at all. Then, I received a message asking if I'd be interested in submitting ideas for a new magazine that was hitting the UK. I was flattered, and a little blinded by my good fortune; I immediately said "Yes!". And so, I went diving face-first into the world of professional design where I have learnt two very important things:

Firstly, crochet designers, the ones who have been at it for years are so supportive of new talent. They'll give honest, and sometimes brutal, opinions, but they'll always be helpful. They're welcoming, will go out of their way to include unknowns in their own efforts and will give advise when asked. It's an atmosphere that inspires, encourages and teaches, and to me that's the best form of feminism. Competition is healthy and strong but refuses to be mean. There is little or no loud, raucous Girl Power here, just women helping women to be better. Now, that isn't to say that the men aren't well represented. Far from it! With talent like Drew Emborsky and David Burchall it's clear that not only are female designers all-inclusive, they're delighted to see the view from the other side, to embrace new ideas, to completely include our artistic brothers.

Secondly, the image that is projected by these designers in their patterns is inspiring. Many of us Indy designers don't hire professional models. We become jacks-of-all-trades by necessity. Designer/Photographer/Set Designer/Model, and it's the latter that I celebrate the most. All shapes, sizes, colours, and ages are represented. All feminine, all real. That, to me, is the epitome of the feminist ideal and what a great impression it makes on girls and younger women! Instead of stick-insects, they'll be seeing women with hips, thighs, and stomachs that are far from concave. They'll be meeting people who can not only design and model, but who can also string coherent sentences together. It's a legacy I hope will live on to inspire future designers and generations of women.

The most successful revolutions happen gradually, bit by bit over time. I'm confident that our bit is coming along very nicely.

These are my hands.

2011-03-10T11:12:00.001Z

They are the hands of a crafter. They work repetitive stitches for hours every day, they dig earth, knead bread, slice meat and mix wine. They are useful hands; always working.

They have stubby little fingers, are covered in scars from years of slipped scissors, sharp blades and hot ovens. They have had their nails stabbed through, and fingertips sliced off. They've been strained, sprained, bruised and caught in things more times than they care to remember. They are rarely without a band-aid. They are dry and lined, with cracked cuticles and perpetually uneven fingernails.

They don't apologise for their appearance, though, and neither do I. They are my greatest asset, and my favourite tool.

These are no model's hands. These are the hands of a crafter.

Happy Monday has sleeves

2011-03-08T17:16:00.001Z

Happy Monday, the soon-to-be-free crochet pattern takes on a new look

So, I have been experimenting with the top portion of Happy Monday, and I have it just the way I want it now! I had originally decided this should be a black top, with buttons all down the front, but then it dawned on me that black, while stylish, isn't a very happy colour, so out came the PINK! I had stashed away for just this kind of situation.

After ripping back the 30-or-so rows of black, I started to work up the same section in pink, got bored working so many fl-dcs and figured "If I'm bored, so will anyone who wants to make this". As crochet should not be an endurance sport, I switched tactics and introduced some trebles to the mix.

Now, I'm usually wary about making things in just treble stitch. It's lovely when it's being worked up, but the spaces between the stitches have a tendency to streeeeetch out after a bit of wear. They also stretch over the wider parts of the body, and most of the time, this is un-flatter-ing. So, I have used a neat trick to minimize this problem. (It is wonderfully easy, too)

So, right now, Happy Monday stands, almost half done, with pretty, slightly poofy sleeves, lots of fushia yarn, and two button holes.

And look at the buttons I found yesterday!!

Aren't they just perfect? Little, pretty mother-of-pearl heart-shaped buttons totally set off the stripey Noro yarn, and compliment the bright pink of the Debbie Bliss Rialto 4-ply, too. I was worried I'd not find something that matched both so well. And the best thing? Rubenesque in the Powerscourt Centre sells them in packs of 4, so I have 2 more to play with! One down-side, a pack of 4 comes to about €6.

Wanna see where this all started?

I am an awful girlfriend

2011-03-04T14:22:00.002Z

This story starts in October 2009.

I was on a plane, going to a cousin's wedding in New York, and decided "I know what I'll make the boyfriend for Christmas! A scarf to go with that hat I've just finished making. Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino is a lovely yarn, and it's perfect to keep my lovely man warm in the depths of our Irish winters!". Good plan, nay?

Brilliant plan. So! I brought maybe... 5 or 6 balls of Baby Cash with me, along with a 4.5mm hook, and started into a scarf, working row after row of front-loop dcs, on the bias. The scarf had to match the hat, and it had been worked in the same stitch. Clever me. I was embarking on my first ever hat and scarf set!

By the end of the plane trip, my little sister (who was very cold during the flight), was wearing half a scarf wrapped around her head, as I worked on and on and on. Then, I put it away. I had a wedding to focus on. It was only October, and sure, it's not every day I get to spend quality time with all my American cousins!

By December, through means of a lot of stealthy crochet (hiding in the bathroom, sneaky bus journey crochet, working on it during home visits), and a lo-o-ot of pushing myself to continue an ever-increasingly boring stitch, I got it done in time for Christmas. And, he was delighted! I was finished the scarf, so I was delighted too!

But, it appears, fate had other things in store for me. It seems, the twist in Baby Cash, combined with the bias nature of the stitches meant the scarf was soon not a scarf anymore, but had turned, rather dramatically into a tube, curling in on itself like a worm. And, we all know worms are not warm and cozy.

"Don't worry!" I cried, with gusto I didn't feel in my heart, "I'll fix it!"

It is at this point in the tale that I will distract you with cookies:

So! A year and a bit later, I get a random text from the boyfriend saying "It was so cold this morning going to work. If only I had a scarf! Poor me!" which prompted me to new heights of guilt. After a bit of flailing, and a phonecall from said boyfriend to reitterate his point, I finally finished Scarf MkII.

He'll come home this evening, to a warm, soft, 6 foot 5 crocheted scarf, which doesn't curl... just in time for summer.

Happy Monday!

2011-02-28T16:43:00.000Z

So, I'm sensing a lot of "ugh! Monday..." vibes out there today, so I have decided to try and cheer you all up by letting you in on a lovely plan I have come up with. Thanks, in no small part, to the indirect influence of a friend with a surpirse gift of yarn, I have started into a pretty little pattern, using pretty little stitches, which I think will grow up to be an awesome button-down t-shirt design.

So far, I am super-excited about it, and I want to share it with everyone for free.

Once it's finished, I will be adding Happy Monday as a free pattern to my Ravelry page, but only if it gets some love on here! So, tell me what you think so far? I'll be keeping everyone up-to-date on Happy Monday's progress as it appears off my hook.

What have I been up to?

2011-02-22T15:52:00.000Z

Oh my God, I love Hedgehog Fibres!
Look at this! It's made out of their truly gorgeous Cashmere lace-weight. I'm just moss stitching it, nothing fancy, and it is coming out like a dream. I honestly don't even care what it's going to become, it's that nice.

If you don't have any, I suggest you remedy that situation, pronto. The world should know Hedgehog!

A few days ago, I was blessed with a trip to Donegal with the boyfriend and a few friends. We had a great few days of feeding goats, being almost blown off mountains, and drinking too much home-made wine. It rained; sleeted; snowed a bit; and was so beautifully sunny that this was almost the only cloud in the sky at one stage.

I absolutely fell in love with the whole county. It's rugged and out of the way, and the locals still think that driving down the middle of a two-way road is perfectly fine.

How To: Make Pretty Daisy Drop Earrings

2011-02-08T13:56:00.008Z

In which I give a free tutorial on making pretty wire crochet earrings in the shape of a daisy chain.

Happy Spring, everyone!
Yes, it is Spring.
-
Yes it is.
-
Yes it is!!!

And I have a gift for you lovely people. Your very own pretty bitty daisy earring How-To!

This time of year always has me impatient for things to start growing, for the weather to brighten just enough for me to play in my balcony garden and to enjoy seeing everywhere slowly get greener. Today, in fact, I got a call from my little sister, to let me now the daffodils were starting to appear around her work. I haven't seen any out this way, yet, but it's just a matter of time.

In the mean time, I'm going to enjoy wearing my Daisy Drops, and I hope you do, too.

The key to crocheting with wire is to use a metal hook. Plastic and wooden ones just won't stand up to the pressure and may get marked and scratched.

What you will need to make these pretty litle diasy drop earrings is:
3mm hook
2 earring fixtures
some #28 wire. Anything thinner is liable to break.

Note: The fllowing is written in UK stitch names.
For translation, check out this post.

1. First, loop the wire around the body of the hook, and twist ends together three times. This will be the loop you'll work all subsequent stitches into. Chain twice.

2. Now, working into the loop you created, dc12, working a few of these sts over the tail to secure it inside the earring. 1sl-st into 1st dc to close round.

3. ch 3. Trim tail so that it's hidden inside earring body. Trim working end, leaving about 5 cms free.

4. Thread working end through the last loop and pull gently.

5. To create the petals around the edge, use your hook to gently lengthen the front loop of each dc. This will pull the back loop closer to the centre. Reshape petals with body of hook.

6. Take earring fitting, and, using the 5cm end, fix securely to last chain. Ensure you don't pull this knot too tight; earring must swing freely.

7. Trim end, and wear with pride!

Baby, it's cold outside...

2011-02-01T17:22:00.001Z

This may be the first day of Spring, but that's certainly not stopping it from being bloody freezing! I'm sitting here, writing out a pattern for a future issue of the lovely Inside Crochet, and I'm literally covered in crochet projects, trying to keep warm. Right now, I'm almost regretting my decision to send this latest published pattern in to the magazine at all. It'd be so good to have it around right now!

Still, these are the sacrifices we make for the greater good (i.e., you lot!). This way, I'm freezing, but you all have the potential to be super cozy, thanks to Some Like it Hottie, a hot-water bottle cover pattern, with some lovely cabeling and some gorgeous ribbon.

You're welcome, cold people. : )

In other news

2011-01-31T12:04:00.000Z

I have found out where nominations for your favourite crafty blogs should go.

Apparently, all us fibre-bloggers are to be included in the "LIfestyle" category. So! Now you know.

On another awards front, the Crochet Liberation Front Award nominations are also open, over on Ravelry. Have you seen a lovely pattern this year that just blew your mind? This is where you go to make designers super happy.

Oooh, Awards Season!

2011-01-27T20:38:00.003Z

So, Awards Season has come around again, and I for one am excited!

Irish Blog Awards 2011 Nominations are open. Last year I was among a host of great crafting blogs who were lucky enough to be nominated, and I urged everyone who read my blog to take the time to go to the Awards site, look through the categories and get all their nominations in.

I read a lot of Irish blogs, and I'm already looking through my bloglist to see who deserves my nominations. It's gonna be difficult, though... With so many active, Irish blogs to choose from, narrowing it down may be more difficult than you think!

Now, I'm actually not sure where crafting blogs should go. A friend has asked the guys in charge where we should put our choices, so stay tuned for more info!

Cats with good taste.

2011-01-25T13:26:00.002Z

There are few things in life that I love more than animals and crochet, but, combining them has always seemed like a bad idea.

In past experiments, the animals usually come out ok; the crochet usually emerges worse for wear.

Until now.

Cat + Crochet = Cute as hell.

This is Lily, the chatty cat. She mews to get in, she mews to get out, she mews for food, mews for a rub, mews 'cause she likes the sound of her own mew, and mews (it appears) to let me know she's settled down, very happily on my crochet.

The crochet in question is my Etain shrug. Personally, I think it looks better on her than on me.

January Joy

2011-01-24T13:18:00.002Z

It is almost impossible to believe, with the dark nights, and even darker days, that Spring is almost upon us.

But, the end of January, and the dawning of February is, indeed, the start of Spring here in Ireland. The good times are just around the corner, and I'm glad to say, I'm seeing signs of it already.

It's one of the many things I love about my little island, the westernmost outcrop of the European Union (Or, the European Onion, as I've been calling it, as it seems to be making most people cry!), and arguably its most troublesome member these days. We currently seem to have no money, no government and no idea how to lift ourselves out of the funk into which we have descended.

Still, I for one am taking my queue from nature.

On a walk today, with the doggies, I spotted sign after sign of renewal, growth and tentative colour returning to the drab beauty of the Irish winter. Even though the leaves on the ground seem only to have fallen in the last few days:

Buds are appearing on trees:

Veg is beginning to grow:
mmm, rhubarb

Grass is getting greener:

and the light shining on everything is starting to take on more of a glow. The world may appear to be tumbling down around us, but as long as there's growth somewhere, we'll be OK.

You can't keep a good thing down

2011-01-20T14:42:00.000Z

And so, I have decided it's high time this little gem of a scarf saw the light of day. This is my Friendship Scarf, a pattern which has been long in the making.

It'd be perfect, I think, as a thank you gift to a special person, or as a token of affection to a far-away friend. We all have one of those these days. It's made with ONE skein of deliciously soft Mirasol Miski, and only takes about an hour to complete... just don't tell your friend that!

43rd Best Crochet Blog?

2011-01-19T23:36:00.002Z

You betcha!

Sometimes, I like to look at who has been visiting my blog, and where they were linked from. Often this just tells me which of my patterns on Ravelry are the most popular week by week, but sometimes, like today, I spot something which makes me go "Squeee!"

According to this lovely site, I am crochet blog, Numero 43. And you know what? I'm flippin' delighted!

Who knows? Today, 43...
Tomorrow...42?

Opinion Tuesday: free-pattern websites

2011-01-11T18:09:00.000Z

I recently made my feelings known on the topic of free-pattern sites.
I know this is quite a contentious issue, and one that needs to be tread upon lightly, but I just can't accept the perception difference between crochet and knitting which is bolstered by these sites.

For me, crochet is a growing, vibrant and flexible art. It's worth just as much as knitting, and sites which do nothing but promote "free crochet" do so much damage to the image of crochet:

Firstly, they lead the public to assume crochet isn't worth paying for. Good design, whether it be knitting, crochet, tatting, or whatever is ALWAYS worth a few bob. The time, thought, talent and experience which goes into a good pattern is huge. To lead people to believe it's "just" a pattern is, to me, terrible.

Secondly, the patterns usually available on these free sites are going to be of a less than fantastic quality. So, people browsing them will only see the lower end of the creative spectrum. This, in turn, I believe, strengthens the argument that crochet is all cheap yarn, ponchos and place mats.

And that is so sad!

Talent should be recognised, in every field, and I for one promise not to undermine my fellow designers' time, effort and skills by submitting to free-pattern sites.

But, how about you? Have you found anything worthwhile on free sites? Do you submit to one yourself? Do you agree or disagree?

Happy Christmas to me!

2011-01-10T17:45:00.006Z

Time for a present.

So, what with 4 patterns confirmed to be published this year, I thought I deserved a little present to make my life as a perpetual crocheter a bit easier. So, today, on a trip in to my LYS This Is Knit, I bought myself a swift!

Isn't it lovely?
It goes round and round and round, and the yarn doesn't tangle. Genius! So, so much better than the bockety, rickety, half-broken clothes horse I've been using up until now.

New Year, same 'ole stash

2011-01-09T21:28:00.000Z

Well, I dunno about you, but I'm a bit burned out after Christmas.

I made most of my presents (including two, very lovely tea cozies I completely forgot to take photos of!), was working on a few patterns which will crop up in magazines in the coming year, have been searching for an editor for my very own, have featured in a magazine, and now on The Dublin Knit Collective website as one of the designers in a series on socks.

Between that, all the turkey (sandwiches, soup, curry, more sandwiches...), and all the snow we were blessed with, I think I can be forgiven for hiding away for the first week of 2011.

I have few resolutions this year, apart from the usual (lose weight, crochet from stash, teach my aunts to crochet...), mostly because I end up not keeping them, and then feel bad. I fail because i can't say no to chocolate, or new yarn, and my aunts just do NOT want to learn the art of the hook. So, what's a girl to do?

Stay in, eat everything, order yarn online and relax, that's what!

Still, Happy New Year, everyone!

Let me know how you have faired so far in 2011. Any resolutions?

Last second gifts.

2010-12-13T12:14:00.003Z

Last night, as the boyfriend settled down on the couch to watch some telly, and recover from a party the night before, and I satisfied an over-whelming urge to bake double-chocolate cookies, he suddenly gasped "It's the 12th!"

"Yea?" I replied, unsure what important date I had forgotten this time, as I sneakily ate some chocolate chips.
"It's 2 weeks to Christmas!" he exclaimed, "I need to sort presents out!"

This revelation for a normal person will produce a large amount of stress, but for a crafter, it's positively DEFCON1. 2 WEEKS?! I'll never get presents made!

Oh, yes you will, poppet. Just look below for a few simple, fast ideas which will see you right. : )

Pot Holders:

Who doesn't need something to kitch up their kitchen a bit? This pot-holder is made from Donegal Studio's Aran Tweed, using Tunisian Simple Stitch, and Tunisian Purl Stitch. If you're determined, it takes about an hour to do, and can be impressively embellished with stars, flowers or a person's name. I have put daisies on this example, using petal stitch, french knot, and captured thread stitch. Why not make a set of three, in different colours?

Personalised wrapping paper:

Ok, so you have a gift, but it just doesn't seem to be special enough? Why not wrap it in your own hand-designed wrapping paper? I have done this for years, now. Not for MY gifts that horrible, thin paper that cheapens the look of a pretty tree. Brown paper, for me is instantly classic and romantic, and decorating it a bit by hand adds a wonderful, unique touch. Wrapped in twine, with a hand-written card and you're bound to be on to a winner.

The photo shows a potato-stamp I created with a Celtic/LaTene trinity spiral.
Last year I used christmas trees, and the year before, stars. A potato, a sharp knife or scalpel (careful!) and an ink pad are all you really need. I recommend drying the potato off with some tissue once you're done carving. The potato juice can dilute the ink a bit.

Christmas Decorations:

This cheerful little star would make the perfect gift for someone who you exchange small gifts with. It's lightly stuffed, so it's 3-D and uses only the smplest of stitches. In fact, three, in a string makes a very cheerful wall hanging, too.

Toffee:
Oh, yes. Toffee. I have recently discovered I can do this successfully.

All you need to be sure about is that you have a thick-bottomed pot to cook it in. Thin-bottomed pots transmit temperature variations too efficiently and will instantly ruin your toffee-plans. Try this recipe. It's my favourite. With, or without the chocolate on top, this is a winner every time.

Teddy Bear:

This bear is cute, adorable, and a day's work at most. Use thread and a tiny hook to make a mini-bear, or aran weight yarn and a larger hook, to make one suitable for a child. Remember, don't give this to a baby. Small parts may be swallowed.

More to follow over the next few days.

What plans are you making for last-minute gift? Let me know! I could use the help, too...

I Luv Gloves!

2010-12-07T15:00:00.002Z

And 25% off is even better!

So, it has been quite the busy time here at Yarn Towers.

Between minding a total of 5 family animals, getting the book written, the editing delays and now Christmas upon us, there just seems not to be enough time to do anything lately.

So, I am resorting to making small, cute presents for friends and family. You guessed it, everyone is getting gloves!

And, since I assume you have crocheted yourself into an equally difficult corner this year, I've decided to slash 25% off the price of all my glove patterns on Ravelry until the 14th. All you need do is use the voucher code: ILUVGLOVES at check out in my Rav Shop and you'll get my glove patterns with a whopping 25% off! That's a whole quarter! Add that to the fact that gloves are always welcome this time of year and that they are small, but impressive as a gift, you'll be sorted in no time!

No stress, more savings.

My week

2010-12-01T15:04:00.001Z

Or: What happens when everything is up in the air

So, the last week or so has been pretty hectic here at Yarn Towers.

I have been interviewed and then photoshooted with my FFF partner in crime, E, for an article in Image Magazine. It's the intelligent read for Ireland's smartest women, apparently. That made me feel very clever. It was a lot of fun, chatting away as normal, but with a photographer in our mugs, flashes going off and stitches being dropped left, right and centre.

I'm pretty sure we got at least one good photo, though, so I'm really looking forward to seeing the finished article, which will be out over here in Ireland on the 17th of this month.

On top of that, I have had to screech somewhat to a halt (a difficult thing to do with all the ice around here) on the book because my lovely editor has come upon a few completely unavoidable delays. This, for me, is very sad. I was so looking forward to getting the full 10 pattern ebook, with extra goodies, out before Christmas! It looks like that just won't be happening now, I have have had to take stock, and will be releasing individual patterns as they become available for publication.

So, today, I managed to finish off two patterns. Cozy Cuffs and Boleyn.

OOoh, I hate the sound of my own voice.

2010-11-11T16:16:00.001Z

I sound so strange when I record How-Tos!
Coming soon, a Video How-To explaining how I created the linked-treble/tunisian-simple-stitch part of my free sock pattern, Tullow.

The video is not very professional-looking, though that is as much my fault as my equipment. I mean, look what I have to work with!?

Only the best masking-tape for my readers!

The Vitruvian Scarf.

2010-11-09T16:32:00.004Z

"The Arts" and Crafts combine

Last Christmas, I gave the boyfriend a scarf made out of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino, which exacty matched the stitch-pattern I had used to make him a hat a few months previously. He was delighted, and proudly wore it to out work... for about a week. Then, it started to curl in on itself, curl, curl, curl into a tube which owed more to a shoelace than a sharf. It was not cozy, it was not long and wide, it was not a scarf anymore, so I took it back and started on it again, with a different, but complimentary stitch pattern. Instead of using front-loop doubles, I used linked double-trebles. This preserved the line across it and it was going great! But, scarves are not easy, and having finished the first one, my brain was ill-prepared to start into a second, using the same yarn, for the same person, producing practically the same look. No, not prepared at all, and so, it languished, ignored, unloved, forgotten. Until Now.

Having taken it out of the WIP chest, dusted it off and examined my work so far, I got to thinking just how long an "average" scarf was. I mentioned this to a friend, who gave me a wonderfully elegant and succinct answer. A scarf should be as long as the wearer's armspan, or put another way, as long as they are tall.

That got me thinking a bit. Leonardo's famous sketch of The Vitruvian Man could have been an artistic comment of just this principle. Armspan = Height = scarf-length.

And, when you think on it further, who in the world could possibly do with a scarf more than that poor guy...

So, have you started into your winter scarves yet? Do you have a favourite pattern?

FFFFirst Birthday Party

2010-11-06T13:12:00.007Z

Well, last night was fantastic, and once again thank you to EVERYONE who came along, donated prizes and brought baked goods, tasty sweets and cake. Thanks also should go to the staff of The Tea Gardens who put up with our noise and demands for fancy tea every fortnight.

What started out as a dreary trip into town, with lashing rain, bad traffic, and a cold bus, transformed my mood as I neared the Tea Garden entrance.

In I went, one of the first to arrive, but before I knew it, the room was filling up fast with regulars and new people. The prize mound grew as lovely yarns were added. Even Lisa in This Is Knit dropped in on a flying visit to wish us a good night and to present a raffle prize. (the big, squooshy blue one in the middle)

There was a lot of tea:

A load of laughing and shouting:

And even some actual making of things between mouthfuls of delicious rice-crispie buns, brownies and cookies:

Sorry about the strange blurry quality. The lighting is enough to work comfortably by in there, but photos are hard to get...

And, we were even tweeted about by The Electric Sheep!, here.

Once Karen made her appearance, the prize giving began. I was very, very happy to discover that I was a competition winner and came away with some Malabrigo Lace, thanks to Dave Grohl and some Malabrigo Sock, thanks to a very, very nasty looking sun-suit. There were actually so many prizes on the night that almost everyone came away with something! That's a real birthday party...

So now, we're into our second year of Fibre Funning every Fortnight and I for one, can't wait to see what brilliant madness this year brings.

Fibre Fun Friday Celebrates its 1st Birthday!

2010-11-04T18:45:00.000Z

With cake, and fancy tea and a mountain of prizes!

So, this time last year, my friend E and I were sitting in a relatively new establishment on the Quays in Dublin. It was a Tea Garden, an idea hitherto unknown to us in Ireland but, which, apparently is a well-established concept around Eastern Europe. Basically, it's a cozy, calmly-lit space in which to drink fancy teas from around the world, relax and chat.

At one point in the evening, we agreed that it'd be an ideal place for a fibre group to meet, and so, Fibre Fun Friday was born. It's hard to believe at this stage that a whole year has past since the thought presented itself, but it is so.

Of course, it wasn't as easy as all that. It took us a while to settle on a name:

Friday Fibrey Fun and Frolics, was mentioned
Friday Tea
Knit-Tee
Friday Fun Fibre Frolicking For Freedom From ... we gave up on the mass of alliteration soon after this!

But! Whatever it be called, it's an awesome group, populated by awesome people who are loud, funny as hell, wonderfully brazen, knowledgeable and kind.

Now, if all this is news to you, I suggest you check out the two competitions currently being run in the FFF Ravelry Group (Join us, too! We love new people!), and gawp over the delicious mountain of yarn on offer in the raffle. All three bunches of prizes will be given out on the night, so if you want a chance to win something delicious to fondle with your tea, then join in fun!

I look forward to see everyone there tomorrow night, from 6.30 until we're kicked out around 12-ish.

What to do?

2010-11-03T11:30:00.003Z

Have yarn, will crochet

I bought these at the Knitting and Stitching Show last week, with the encouragement of fellow Irish blogger, Laura.

Aren't they gorgeous?
The colours are muted but still so rich, they compliment each other well enough that I think my self-imposed ban on most types of crochet colourwork may have to be broken, but I'm having a problem and it is this:

I don't know what to make out of them. I have been carrying these two skeins around for the last few days, moving them from room-to-room as I work, settling them down beside me on the couch in the evenings, resting them on the bedside locker at night, petting them, smelling them and generally doting over them. This may seem like odd behaviour, but it's not. This stuff is gorgeous. 50% Silk, 50% Alpaca, DK (thanks, R for pointing out it's not 4-ply as I thought!). I honestly believe the only way Blue Sky could have made their Alpaca Silk yarn nicer is if they somehow, mathematically, managed to get 60% Silk and 60% Alpaca into it.

So, what would you do?
Big items, small items, quantity isn't a huge issue; I can always get more down the line. Help me use this lovely yarn!

Christmas Crackers

2010-11-02T15:28:00.002Z

Out with the old, in with the new

Hallowe'en is over (sadly), so we're on to the Christmas Season, now.

It may seem early for most people to be thinking seriously about Christmas, but for us crafters, planning is all important. Starting early means that come Christmas Eve, we're not knee-deep in sock yarn, trying to remember who you're making what for and when you'll see them ("I won't see Uncle Mick until Stephen's Day, so I'll finish his gloves later, but Mary will be there first thing in the morning, so I should start her hat first...") Sound familiar?

So, to help with the Stress of Christmas, I suggest the following:
Start Now! (I may even take my own advise)

There are a few things in my pattern collection which may help. Some are free, and some are quite inexpensive, all are relatively easy to make, don't take up too much time, and if started now, should leave you with plenty of time to enjoy giving the pudding a stir, mulling the wine and bickering over whose turn it is to put the angel on top of the tree...

First in my Gift Suggestion Series is Malin, a simple coaster which looks great with company.

Tied up in a big bow, these little coasters will brighten up any coffee table and 5 of them only take 70 metres of yarn. Bargain!

I'd love to know what you think, how you're planning for Christmas, and what you are going to make, so comment below!

Yarn Balm

2010-10-31T12:24:00.002Z

Last night, for me, was Hallowe'en Party time, and today, as you can imagine, I'm suffering from lack of sleep, too much junk food and a wee over-indulgence in wine, so, today I am going to spend relaxing, eating toast and making more of this, cabled-project-without-a-name.

I find crochet cabling so soothing when my brain just won't co-operate. It's the perfect combination of simple rules and detail that help ease my way towards being an alert, productive person again.

I hope you all are having an awesome Hallowe'en weekend!
Still looking for a costume idea? Why not try whipping up a pair of these for a Harry Potter themed night?

The Knitting & Stitching Show 2010

2010-10-29T19:15:00.006+01:00

When I woke up this morning, it was to the sound of a repetitive, electronic, high-pitched noise. For a moment or two, I thought it was part of my dream, before I realised it was the real world intruding on my sleep. Having scrambled my way to the sitting room, and pawing frantically towards the noise, it stopped. Then, another, very similar noise started, in the bedroom.

Brrr brrrr... brrr brrr!

It was then that it dawned on me; My phone! (I don't wake up fast...)

On the other end, a very cheery mother wanting to make arrangements for meeting to go to the Knitting and Stitching Show in the RDS, Dublin. We had decided last week to make a day of it on Friday, but at half nine on a Friday morning, I was still asleep.

Really, on gazing out the window, still bleary-eyed, caffeine only just starting to wake my brain up, I marvelled how nothing in this world could enduce me to leave the apartment and step into the lashing rain EXCEPT the prospect of a huge, vast room full of yarn. And, boy was there a lot of yarn!

I found some Hedgehog Fibres:

Some Delicious Dublin Dye in lots of new colourways:

Saw some spectacular quilting:

Bumped into the lovely Laura Hogan up on the balcony:

Saw lots of Schoppelwolle:

And managed to come away with only two skeins of Blue Sky Alpaca Silk. I'm very proud of my self restraint. See how pleased I look? That's half smugness, half yarn drunkedness you see in my eyes.

At the show, I also found fellow bloggers, Playing with fi(b)re, She Knit Up That Ball, Aran Brew, Jewelan'darlin', and the lovely ladies in This Is Knit. Phew!

All in all, it was a great few hours spent flitting around like a happy little elf. If you're planning on going, the show is on until Sunday and tickets are in the region of €15. Well worth the trip.

...and yes. I did wear my winter boots.

Boot Weather

2010-10-28T15:24:00.004+01:00

The fastest project ever

This leaf was just waiting to be photographed

So, as the days draw in and the leaves fall all around, it's time, methinks to take out the winter boots. But alas and horror! I forgot that at the end of last winter, the laces on my thigh-high Docs had snapped, leaving me to fix them in an emergency with knots, making the laces virtually impossible to work up at speed. So, what's a girl to do?

It's windy

Using my awesome chaining powers and a healthy stash of Noro Kureyon, I chained and lightly felted two, 3-meter-long strands, and voila!

Yea, I'm just standin' here...

Totally bespoke laces!

These babies will hopefully see me through the winter. I love the rusty, orangey, yellowy colours in them. They feel right at home among all the fallen leaves.

Laces, blending riiight in

They're a little stretchy, so I'm hoping they won't snap too soon. But, sure, if they do, I'll let you know.

Food for the ragged brain

2010-10-23T17:58:00.002+01:00

And what better than warm, home-made comfort food?

It's six o'clock in the evening here and already it's twilight outside. Today is the first day that I have felt the coming-on of winter. It was cold today. Actually shivery cold. I put on a pair of socks hand-knit for me by a wonderful friend, I worked on some more glove pattern stuff (mostly the mathematics behind sizing) and I gazed outside at the puffy but wet-looking clouds.

Cozy Toes

We technically have another half a month of autumn in Ireland, but already the bite of those winter months is starting to show itself.

And with the cold comes the nesting instinct.
I should clean the apartment.
I should sort out my yarn stash.
I should do a big food shop (like I live in Northern Canada, and might get snowed in at ANY second!!!).
I should trim back the plants on the balcony which have been very neglected while I write this book.
I should BAKE!

And so, I baked. The smell of freshly baked bread, or scones, or buns always chases bad weather away. Baking smells make a place feel welcoming, cozy, friendly. Why is that? The simple act of mixing a few ingredients together and bunging it into a hot box for a while brings so much comfort to a room. Especially when it's winter baking. Spiced cakes, pies filled with blackberries and apple, barm bracks. So good for the soul.

I've been a fan of this blog for some time. It doesn't get posted in as much these days, but it's a great reference for those of us no longer gifted with a neighbourhood of fields, the smell of cattle, and the sounds of sheep. I go there sometimes for a breath of fresh air. For me, if I can't muck around in vegetable beds all day, it's at least nice to know that someone is.

So, when this post went up a while ago, I thought "Hey! I can do that!", and so, Berta was born.

She's very friendly

Berta is my sourdough "starter". Her yeasts are completely natural, Baldoyle yeasts that happened to float past when she was being made. I've had her for about a month, feeding her with flour, keeping her nice and luke-warm, making sure she doesn't dry out, and yesterday was the first time I tried to make bread using her. I followed the directions, added a cup of flour and a cup of warm water to Berta, stirred well, and let her floth up. This took all day.

Then, I mixed 2 cups of her (the rest went back into her jar, was fed and watered for next time) with more flour, some oil, salt and a scattering of sugar, kneaded it all up, oiled it on the outside and went to bed.

When I woke up this morning, lo-and-behold, but hadn't the bread more than doubled its size! Well done natural yeasts! I punched (my favourite bit of bread-baking), kneaded a second time, set in a pan, crossed (to let the fairies out) and set in a slightly warm oven to rise again.

Once that was done, I popped the oven on at a temperature of 170-ish C (350-ish F) and after 30-ish minutes, this is what I got!

I tried to take a shot of the full loaf...

...but by the time I'd found the camera, we'd eaten this much...

I'm very proud of Berta. She did so well!

Hello, Kitty!

2010-10-21T18:01:00.002+01:00

Things with ears are cuter. They just are

So, while I hardly have a lot of spare time these days, it does seem I'm getting a fair few projects done in between the work on gloves. I'm determined not to see this as procrastination, but that it is, in fact, merely my brain taking a much needed rest between busy days.

Today's little break came in the form of these cute little kitty ears! I'm such a sucker for things with ears on, as this avatar a friend made in college for me can attest...

aaah, so many years ago

Back then, the ears went onto hats, now, they go onto hairbands.

aren't they just so dinky?

A Proper Autumn Day

2010-10-20T13:29:00.004+01:00

Perfect for a bit of pattern browsing...

This is, literally, a snap-shot view from my window of the beautiful autumnal sunshine crisping up the leaves and warming up the air just enough to take the edge off. It's a day for a walk along the coast, for time spent outside before the wintery months arrive and take the gold away.

I know I've said it countless times before, but I love Irish weather. I love how just as you start to get bored of one set of meteorological conditions, another comes along to give your tired eyes something new to marvel at.

Right now, it's the colour of the leaves, in a few short weeks, it'll be the bareness of the trees and the sense that everything is settling down for a long sleep, then, before you know it, spots of green appear here and there, followed by splashes of colour as petals begin to unfurl, and soon enough the sky is full of migratory birds return to their summer nests and the whole country warms up by a few precious degrees.

And for a fibre fiend such as myself, all this means even more because for every season, there's the perfect project.

I've decided today's post should be about some of the lovely patterns my friends have created over the last while. I know some very talented people!

The first is a very cozy knit cowl by R. It features chunky garter stitch, and really pretty autumnal leaves for good measure. I may even try to make this one, myself, despite it being knit and not crochet...
Leafing on the Edge is available here

The second is a very fun tea cozy, perfect for keeping your brew nice and hot during these cold months ahead. It even features a colourwork teacup, in case you forget what's under it! D thinks of everything.
Irish Breakfast is available here

And thirdly, now that you have your neck, and your insides nice and toasty, is a classic red hat by A. I love the look of this chapeau and think it'd top off any winter look very nicely.
Zissou is available here

Totally Winging it

2010-10-19T18:25:00.007+01:00

A project just sort of starts to happen

Work on the ebook is proceeding at a slow and steady pace and I'm delighted that, despite all the things I'm having to keep track of, I'm not a fuzzy ball of stress yet. It's nice to know, even on this new level of activity, that crochet is relaxing, calming and enjoyable.

so soft!

And it's for that last reason that I'm being bold, taking a short break now and then to create a completely unplanned project. I'm at the stage with the gloves that I have to work on them in front of the computer, but in the evenings, I still want to settle down on the couch, feet up, shoes off and relax with the boyfriend. And at those times, there's nothing better than an easy-to-remember, repeating pattern to keep my twitchy fingers happy and fulfilled.

60% merino, 40% baby suri alpaca, 100% delicious

Hopefully, it'll grow up to be a warm shrug for cool summer nights, but might also come in handy indoors during the winter. I'm using some gorgeous, gorgeous Louisa Harding Thistle in Colour 8 (That's Blood Red to you and me), on a 4.5mm hook and I'm just working a very traditional pattern over and back, over and back for a few rows. With any luck, I'll be able to fold this strip one way or another to create a 3-dimensional garment, but if not, no worries! It'll grow up to be a pixie scarf instead.

Yarn Towers gets a tidy

2010-10-18T15:51:00.005+01:00

I can see the carpet now

My nose is running a marathon, my eyes are streaming, I can't finish a single thought without - aaa-choo! - but I don't have a cold or 'flu.

Ah, it can only be one thing! I've tidied the study and the dust bunnies are out to get me with a vengence. This morning, the study reached an epic level of messiness when I couldn't lay eyes on my crochet stitch bible. Not on the bookshelf, no-where to be seen on the floor. This could only mean that it had been lifted up with a pile of other things, put down somewhere else and forgotten about.

tidy!

Really, the detritus on the study floor sort of follows the same rules as sedimentary rock layers. Leave it there long enough and it'll find its own level, will become part of the landscape and won't move an inch without some outside force.

So! Out came the feather duster, open went the windows, up came all the ribbons, lost buttons, comics, half-filled notebooks with reminders to self like "dc2, not 3. NB: repeat not equal!!!" which no longer make sense, and now, finally, I have a tidy(-er) study.

where the ribbons, hooks and buttons now live

I have also retrieved not only my stitch book, but also a half-finished knitted sock, several half-concieved projects (they'll be handy later if I'm short of an idea...) and have all my yarn back, where it belongs in Yarn Towers...

yarn towers, no vacancies

And now, it's time to pull out the tea set I got for my birthday and enjoy a well-deserved cup of tea, with some chocolate biscuits. Nom nom nom.

pot o'tea, well deserved

...and chocolate shortcake biscuits

Of course, everything would be even prettier if I didn't have to share study space with a boy, but he does insist on having space to put all of his stuff, too. It's such a bother!

Baz Luhrmann and the art of not crocheting...

2010-10-16T16:26:00.006+01:00

OR
How to crochet without yarn

So, last night I had the pleasure of driving over to a friend's house for wine (lots, red), chocolate treats (many and various) and Baz Luhrmann movies (three... not "Australia").

Now, I was told time and again as I grew up that crocheting in company is "rude", and in some cases it is. Like now. I've been invited over for a party. It'd be rude if I gave half my attention to my hook and the other half to my friends, so I left the house without (gasp?!) any yarn at all and without a single hook secreted about my person. If I were to be totally honest, and I think you, my readers deserve at least that, I'd say that on stepping out my door I felt a wave of nerves. Seriously, I was worried what might happen if I was THAT far away from my stash overnight. I took a deep breath and continued on my way, but I felt the pang, I'll tell you, of seperation from Yarn Towers.

But, I had a great night, and am a little worse for wear today which is no bad thing.

We watched Strictly Ballroom, and afterwards I wanted to crochet flowy skirts.

Then we watched happily as Romeo & Juliet made their way along their tragic path, and afterwards I wanted to make angel wings;

And finally we watched the visual extravaganza that is Moulin Rouge; and afterwards, depspite being very sleepy, I had a tonne of ideas for different corsetty tops and boleros...

So, really, despite having no yarn in my hands, I still had loads in my head, and it was so distracting! As the heroine on the screen was delivering a heart-felt speech about dancing, or love, or being an actress, I was thinking "Poor her! Life is tough when you're a - ooh! I like her top. Turn around, turn around, come on, I wanna see the back!..." etc.

Does this happen to us all?
Has not having crochet on hand ever distracted you this much?

I just don't know!

2010-10-15T16:21:00.005+01:00

It's only words, after all

Just a quick question...

You know when you get to one of those words that you've read, you understand, but have never heard aloud before? Yea, it happens more when you're little, like the time my little sister said "Oooh, look at that tiny little cha-hooa-hooa", meaning chihauhua.

Or the day I told everyone chattering loudly in a room that I couldn't stand the "kak-a-phoney" they were making.

But, right, this is one I SHOULD know. I'm a crochet nut, so... Filet Crochet.

Do you say "Fillay", or "Fill-it"?

Yarny Happy Person.

2010-10-11T18:00:00.003+01:00

Monday is the day of the week most of us could do with a bit of cheering up. And what better way to get that glowy feeling back after a lovely weekend than to think about yarn!

Anything will do. The smell of it, the feel of it, the million things we can do with it!

My Yarny Happy Moment this week happened when I finally got my first ever published pattern... framed. Looking at the top (that I had struggled over for aaaages) on the front cover always makes me smile.

What was your Yarny Happy Moment?
I wanna hear 'em!

ISO Tech-Editor for pattern fixing, walks in the park... and maybe more!

2010-10-11T14:08:00.005+01:00

So, the search for a tech editor continues.
I don't exactly blame myself for waiting this long in the game to think about finding someone to "fix" my patterns. I mean, this is my first foray into the world of collection publishing, so it's a steep learning curve and to be honest, I'm finding it difficult to get much useful advice from other, more experienced designers, with one huge exception.

It's nice to know someone out there is willing me to succeed at this. You know who you are, and I'm very grateful. : )

But, yea. I have discovered two places which may be the key to my finding a good, experience techie who is willing to start a beautiful relationship with little 'ole me. The first is a ravelry group, Indy Pattern Designers Resources. There are pages and pages of Tech Editors on there. Far more for knitting than crochet, but they're in there if you look for them.

The second is a Yahoogroup. Not sure if it's still up and running, but I emailed it anyway. I said nice things about editors in my email all true), so I hope to get some replies to my call for an editor. Really, these people, these human calculators, do something that I will never be able to do. Numbers are mysteries to me, really. I'm not a maths person, never have been, so I have huge respect for anyone touched by this gift.
YarnTechs-owner@yahoogroups.com

So, we'll see what happens next.

In the meantime, writing and sample-making continues...

Girl can't help herself.

2010-10-09T21:01:00.005+01:00

So, last night, at a very fun Fibre Fun Friday, I brought along ONE ball of yarn and ONE hook, to ensure I got the glove I was working on for the book...done. Which, I did.

But, then, I got bored, and having exceptionally limited resources and unwilling to start begging off my fellow fibre fiends, I began wondering what I could do with the last of the yarn and the one hook. This is the result of a very productive 24 hours.

Tullow, named after the coldest spot in Ireland this year is a crochet sock which uses a handy bit of tunisian crochet to ensure a good fit early on in the sock-making process.

I have no idea if this is a technique which I have just invented, or if it's one that's already done the rounds in the crochet sock world, but one way or another, it's new to me, and I'm very pleased. My toes are pleased, too. I am totally converted to crochet socks.

Devoted!
Besotted!

They're warm, not nearly as bulky as I'd have imagined, stretchy and so... so fast. Super fast! 24 hrs fast! Surely that's the perfect cure for 2nd-sock-syndrome...

Tullow, as with all my patterns, is available on Ravelry here.

2010-10-07T15:15:00.002+01:00

Y'know? I bet. I BET the boyfriend had hidden it on me.
I bet there is a small, tiny, half-finished pink glove hidden, on purpose, in this apartment, and my only recourse now is to tidy until I find it.

Ooooh, he's devious!

The needle, the haystack, and the very small project...

2010-10-07T14:26:00.003+01:00

It'd be a lie to say my apartment is the cleanest. It'd be a lie to say it's tidy. Infact, it'd almost be a lie to say that I can tell you, by looking, what colour my carpet is.

There is yarn everywhere at the moment.

That's what "working on a book" seems to do to my mind. All writing, no vacuuming; and up until this moment, the boyfriend's complaints that he couldn't find any of his stuiff under all of my stuff and the fact that not a single room could be crossed in a straight line without the possibility of walking on a crochet hook hasn't bothered me that much.

Love me, love my yarn-splosion.

But now, I can't find any of my stuff under all of my stuff!
I have a small, pink, lace-weight, half-finished glove... somewhere in here and I can't find it!

Harvest

2010-10-02T16:29:00.003+01:00

Growing up, as I did, in the countryside, I knew that nothing came easy. The "local" shop was a mile or so down a busy road, friends were a car-ride away, every winter storm brought the very real possibility of a power cut, but I'd not have changed it for the world. Even now, as I live in an apartment in a Dublin suburb it actually annoys me that the shop is just outside our gate (too convenient!), and that I don't have to jump into ditches to avoid getting run over when I go for a stroll (my wits will dull!).

But right now, I find myself once more in the depths of farmland Ireland with two dogs and two cats. And, joy of joys! It's harvest time! I'm surrounded on all sides by blackberry bushes and elder trees. Fantastic!

I ventured out today and yesterday to pick berries, something I have done since I was old enough to own my own pair of wellies. Out I went, jeans tucked inside green Hunter wellies, sleeves rolled up, hair in a scarf and with a small and big plastic bucket in hand.

Picking blackberries is not easy. In fact, sometimes, it's downright dangerous, so, yep, you have to have your wits about you which, I think is why I prize it so much. It's as close to being a hunter/gatherer as I will ever likely get. I twist and pull; twist and pull; twist and pull; each berry unwilling to give up too easily, making it all the more precious. The thorns tangle in my jeans as I lean forward, pulling me in; hands get scratched; arms suffer the occasional splinter which has to be removed by hand despite the juice staining everything. Wind might whip up suddenly, causing a thorny truss to swing at my head; lean in too far and I could end up in the bush; cold fingers will fumble the odd berry, losing it forever in the undergrowth.

But, despite the discomfort and danger, I find it so relaxing and rewarding. I works the same for me as crochet. A lot of effort for a small thing, but boy is it worth it! You have to concentrate but at the same time it's just monotonous enough to let your mind wander. Perfectly cathartic.

And I have learnt three important lessons:
1. A blackberry with eight legs is not a blackberry.
2. Keep your mouth closed or you'll end up swallowing flies.
3. If you insist on jumping in surprise, do it slowly!

And in the end, all I have to do is wash the 2 kilos I collected, remove the spiders and bugs gently, and hand them over, clean, fresh and delicious, to my Dad who will proceed to preserve them for winter as jam.

A great new resource for Ireland

2010-09-23T16:23:00.003+01:00

When fibre-fiends the world over think of Ireland and yarn, we have found they imagine this:
.

Or this:

source

And that, it has to be said, is partly true.

I grew up in Co. Meath. Good grass in Meath. Nice rolling hills, soft rain and a decent bit of sunshine (as far as "decent sunshine" in Ireland goes...). Perfect for sheep. It was a reasonably seasonal occurance, in fact, to get a call from about a mile down the back road from our local sheep farmer asking us to step out onto the road and scare any sheep back down it who might venture onto the "main road" beyond our house. We'd all pile out with our wellies on, with sticks or bells or anything to wave and watch a flock of sheep undulating towards us before spotting us, and doing almost balletic twirls and trotting back the way they came.

So, when foreigners express dismay that the country isn't covered in about three metres of fluffy sheep, I can see why. Some parts are, and they're usually the parts that get photographed for postcards.

But, that's not the point I want to make, here.

There is a lot more to Irish fibre arts than our wooly friends and a Fibre Fun Friday regular and friend of mine realised recently that there are few, if any real resources for people wanting to get a comprehensive view of fibre arts in Ireland. In response to this, she's started putting together a blog, documenting all the yarny wanderings of us Irish craft bloggers; covering what we're all doing, blogging about, news of events and resources.

So far, I have to say I'm well impressed. It's still a work in progress, and already it's brimming with links to blogs, etsy shops and information on groups in both Dublin and Galway.

If you have a minute or two, or a million, I'd recommend a looksee and a bookmarking. Find her awesome gateway to Irish Fibre Arts here: Irish knitting and Crochet

We're all giddy at Yarn Towers...

2010-09-21T17:13:00.007+01:00

I just found out yesterday that a lady, who made an Etain Shrug got a 1st place blue ribbon at her county fair. So very happy for her, and, by extension for me!

I think this is my first ever vicarious ribbon-win.

Pay It Forward

2010-09-15T15:27:00.005+01:00

It was my birthday last week.
Hold the cheers; I'm not looking for attention!

I mention it only because my lovely boyfriend got me some very delicious Hedgehog Fibre in two beautiful colourways. Silk and Merino.

Yum.

Double Yum.

Spins like a cloud and stays so soft when plied. It was placed in my fibre-hungry paws with the express understanding that anything I made out of it should be for me. No giving it away. Mine. Like I'd give luxury like that away! Ha!

He was serious about this, though. No gifting of Finished-Objects. He knows this is a thing, you see. He's witnessed me coming home from Fibre Fun Friday squealing about surprise hand-knit socks that were only my stash yarn a few weeks previously.

The practice of gifting a craft supply, having it be enjoyed, and the finished object handed on to a worthy third party, or back to the giver, is fairly common in yarny circles. Usually, it's just a token. Like, you get roving, spin it up, make something small for the gifter and keep the rest for yourself, but it's a very honourable tradition, I think.

What better way to ensure someone knows you love their present than to show them you've used it, enjoyed it and spent time making them something out of it?

It's the pay-it-forward of the fibre world and I think it shows us all for the lovely, kind-hearted souls we are! Or, is it that we're all so devious we know that giving presents to present-givers is one of the best ways to ensure future fluff gifts?

Perhaps it's a little of both...

Size matters.

2010-09-15T13:13:00.007+01:00

As the saying goes, there are only two things in life that can be counted upon; death and taxes. I have to add a corollary for all yarn-lovers out there. Death, Taxes, and an inability to find a measuring tape when you need it.

I've just spent about 20 minutes rooting around the apartment, pecking into corners like a hungry chicken, up-ending couch cushions and disturbing the boyfriend's peace and tranquility to find one of about seven measuring tapes I KNOW are in here somewhere. They have to be here. I had one yesterday, but it's now nowhere to be found.

I'm becoming convinced that there is a blackhole somewhere in my home which tape measures and darnings needles trot towards in the dead of night.

So, I got to thinking how else one could go about doing a quick measure calculation of length in the perpetual absence of a measuring tape. For me, I have always measured a metre as being from the tip of my fingers, along my outstretched arm, stopping at my other shoulder. I test this regularly, and I'm always around 99 to 101 cm. That's grand for me if I have to leave a long tail on a project. Also, my wrist to my elbow is as close to a foot as makes no odds, so there, too, I'm sorted.

But if, like now, I need a fairly accurate reading of, say... 4 inches/10cm for tension purposes, what do I do? I have no tape to make this easy, so I have to go rooting aound for anything that is easily converted to 10cm without being able to check.

1 A4 size page, folded along its short edge is 10.5 cm.

The length of a USB key pluggy-in-bit is 1.2cm. Multiply that by 8 and you get 9.6cm.

The tip of your thumb to the middle of your first knuckle is approx 1 inch.

The short side of a credit card is 5.5cm, but if you ignore the slight curve on the edge and measure only the straight line, it's 5cm.

a European 5 cent piece is 2 cm in diameter.

a bohemian blade if 2cm tall.

The radius of a DVD, from the outer edge to the edge of the hole in the middle is 5cm

But, possibly my favourite measurement is the truly archaic "barleycorn".
Not only is this the measurement used for shoe sizes - so a size 4 is one barleycorn smaller than a size 5 - it's also one of the roots of the inch measurement. The Anglo-Saxons said the going size of an inch was three barleycorns. This was later written down with more accuracy by Edward II of England in 1324, when he announced once and for all that "three grains of barley, dry and round, placed end to end, lengthwise" constituted an inch. So, if you have a field of barley close at hand, you can go back to basics.

Colour-changing in crochet.

2010-09-05T16:36:00.005+01:00

These days, when I've no access to my computer, I'm working on more portable projects. I found myself, almost by accident, working on a long-considered hoodie pattern the other day. As it stands, I now have a sleeve, half of the button-up front and 70% of the back panel done. It's stripey. So, that's a lot of stripes.

I figured, while I'm working on it, why not take a few photos and make a How To about colour-changing in crochet. I know I for one was making a mess of any stripey project I came across before I figured this out, and haven't looked back since.

Stripes are awesome when done right. When done wrong, they're a mess. You want a smooth transition, no colour-hopping, no half-green, half-red stitches and this is easy to achieve when you follow a few simple steps.

Changing colour begins with the last stitch of the row, not the first stitch. Using double crochets (US single crochet), start your last stitch.

Hook into work as usual:

Yarn over and pull through with red:

You're now ready to embark on the last yarn-over and pull through to complete the stitch. This is where you loop the green over the hook instead of the red.
Second yarn over:

...and pull through:

This leaves you with your new colour on the hook, ready to chain and turn to start your new row.

The same technique can be used for any stitch in crochet. Just ensure that the colour change happens on the LAST yarn-over and pull through of the stitch.

One, Two, Three, Elevator Music...

2010-09-01T19:00:00.005+01:00

If you're anything like me, then you're a reasonably intelligent person ordinarily capable of counting your way well towards infinity...unless you have yarn in your hands. Then, anything after the number 4 - or 5 on a good day - is a struggle. Ask me to keep account of 23 rows of crochet, and I turn into a bit of a sieve-headed cheese brain.

I have a few ways of sorting this problem out. I will wear lots and lots of hair bobbins on one hand, transferring them one by one, row by row onto the other hand. Assuming I have 23 bobbins, a free hand means all the rows are done. But 23 bobbins can sometimes cut off the blood circulation, leading to numb fingers and an inability to crochet.
Not Cool.

So, I've made myself a row counter. Basically, a mini, portable abacus. With butterflies!

What I did:

I took a bit of string, folded it in half and tied a knot close to the fold, making a small loop.

Secondly, I threaded one end of the string with 10 red buttons. In one hole, out the opposite one to make sure they will slide back and forth, but not too loose that they'd move freely.

To the second string, I added 5 white buttons, with these pretty little butterfly beads on top.

Finally, I threaded both strings through another butterfly, knotted the ends together and slipped this butterfly through the loop to make a bracelet! I've left a long strand free to hold the bracelet in place while you move the buttons back and forth to count rows.

1 red button = 1 row.
1 butterfly = 10 rows.

23 rows! Easy!

Isolation + Inspiration = Inundation

2010-09-01T11:53:00.004+01:00

So, as I have mentioned, I'm on my second doggy-minding adventure. This one has come about because a family member's a little under the weather, and the dominoes have fallen in such a way that I get to mind Nell for the week or so.

And therefore, I find myself once again, in the country, with a dog!

Until this morning, though I was devoid of internet access, and boy, was it tough. Still, as my brain slowly went stir-crazy, relying on crochet - to keep me from getting bored or frustrated with Nell's manic love of playing "fetch" - was essential. Vital, even! Honestly, without my hooks and yarn, I'm sure my teeth would have got itchy, and I'd be in a tinfoil hat right now.

To look at the kitchen here, and all the half-finished projects scattered around, one would believe I've been here longer than 4 days!

There's the test patch for a crochet heirloom blanket. Winter project, maybe? The individual motifs are at least interesting, and while this WILL get boring towards the end, it's a project that can be put away and pulled out when I feel like it over the years. No stress. No deadline. No worries.

Secondly, there's a hooded jumper I've had in my head for a while, and "discovered" myself making two days ago. Right now, I have one half of the front and a sleeve done, with a lovely raglan line up the side. It's drapey too, which is awesome. Well done, yarn!

Aaaand, I have this:

Recognise it? Yea. It's one of those projects that just has to skip the line to the front of the WIP queue. It just sailed on past the gloves, and the long-suffering projects standing, shivering in the cold outside the club. There's the pair of socks for my sister which has been waiting a... year and a half to be finished. And the scarf for the boyfriend which was part of last year's Christmas stash, and that er, OWLS jumper. Remember that? I suspect that last one will be waiting some time before it gets to boogie on down with the other FOs.

And this got me thinking. What makes a project into a queue-skipping, go-faster-stripe wearing, turbo-powered project with warp drive? For me? The conditions have to be right. I have to be just engaged and just bored enough to focus on one thing instead of the usual three or four. The yarn has to be special; Either hugely luxurious, deeply coloured or home-made somehow.

What about you? What criteria do you have to push a project to Mach 1?

Hello, brick wall.

2010-08-26T12:36:00.005+01:00

There is little in this world that I love more than walking into a yarn shop. I'm sure you feel the same. The smell of the fibres, the intelligent, friendly, knowledgeable staff wearing their own creations. It's like stepping into an Aladdin's cave and finding you're not the only Aladdin in there.

But sometimes, there's a catch. I have no doubt that any crocheter reading this has witnessed the chink in the sales assistant's smile when you mention the C-word. Honestly, I don't get it. Crocheters use more yarn than knitters per project and we tend (in general) to churn projects out faster, so why are we under-valued?

At the beginning of the summer, I started to think of doing some lovely, summery cloche-type hats in 4-ply for myself. Something nice and cheery, in bright solid colours to compliment my blonde hair, something easy to wash and that would wear well. Sock yarn would be perfect. So, I went to the nearest yarn shop to my bus stop, on the Quays in Dublin. I knew, months before that they had a whole range of solid-coloured sock yarns, but now, they were nowhere in sight.

I skipped up to a shop-lady and asked when they were expecting a new order in. "Oh, not 'til winter. No-one uses sock yarn in the summer" I was told, flat out.

"I do" I hazarded, not really wanting to turn this into a pitched battle. "I crochet using lighter weight yarns during the summer, you see and..."

Her face dropped, and as curtly as you please, she announced "Knitters only knit socks in winter"

Well, what's a girl to say to that, eh?

Note to self:

2010-08-25T17:56:00.001+01:00

Tension squares won't make themselves.
Get a move on, me!

New Pages

2010-08-24T14:41:00.003+01:00

I don't know how long this service has been available on Blogger, but now, I have a few stand-alone pages. See? Just up on top, there. And it wasn't until I sat down to add pattern information to these pages that I realised how long I have been designing for.

I mean, my first published design, Rapunzel, was in May 2009. A year-and-a-half ago! And my first pattern on Ravelry was uploaded in October 2008!!!

I hope this doesn't mean I can't call myself a newbie anymore...

How I spent my weekend, by Aoibhe - Age 10 3/4

2010-08-23T14:42:00.004+01:00

I was house-sitting, in the country. I may have mentioned this already, but it was just too awesome not to bore you all about.

I had 4 house-mates.
Pheobe (left) and Ben (right):

Gully:

And Lily:

I got to walk by a little lake:

Crochet outside with a glass of wine:

And generally take advantage of the gorgeous weather by sitting and rolling around in this:

Yea, it was a great weekend.

Naturally Dyeing, Nice and Easy

2010-08-21T21:23:00.011+01:00

Natural dyeing is easier than you think. I swear.
The only thing you really need to be aware of is that it can smell a bit. This is not to be attempted around someone who is sensitive to strong smells, doesn't like their kitchen stinking of vinegar or who dislikes having large quentities of onion skins knocking around the place.

Today, in the kitchen, we're going to be making nice, white merino lace-weight into nice, russet merino lace-weight. We'll be using:

Ingredients:
100g Merino Lace-weight (gently washed in cold water and left damp)
100g Onion Skins
1 part white wine vinegar, to 4 parts water (cold)
and a bit of luck.

A few points before we start.
In general with natural dyeing, the same quantity of yarn and dyestuff (in this case, onion skins) are required. There are a few exceptions, but it's a good rule to go with.

100g onion skins does seem like a lot of curries and Italian food preempted it, but taking a few extra minutes in the supermarket vegetable aisle, rooting around the onions will soon have you stocked up on skins. They weight next to nothing, but if you feel weird buying 3 cent worth of onions just ask the manager if they mind you popping in now and then to collect skins. Yea, you'll seem a bit mad, but the most interesting people in the world are mad.

Using less dyestuff will result in a lighter shade.

Method

1. Gently wash the yarn in cold water to get off any manufacturing residue and set to one side.

2. Mix vinegar and water in a large pot and gently add yarn. Only now will you put it over heat. Bring slowly to a boil. It's essential that the yarn doesn't experience any sudden changes in temperature during its time wet. Cold to hot is as bad for felting as hot to cold, so remember that at the other end, too.

3. Allow to boil for 1 hr, topping up with hot water if necessary. Try not to disturb the yarn at all. Again, moving it will only result in its felting.

4. Once it's been well mordanted, allow to cool in the water before gently removing and rinsing in running water in a collander or sieve. Set to one side.

4b. Alternatively, transfer carefully to the sieve or collander and rinse well in a sink of boiling-hot water. DON'T BURN YOURSELF!

5. Put the dyestuff into a pot of hot water and boil.

Once colour has leeced out, remove spent dyestuff. Allow dyebath to cool.

5b. Alternatively, have dyebath prepared as you mordant, and transfer hot yarn directly into dyebath after spent dyestuff has been removed.

6. Add mordanted yarn to dyebath and bring slowly to the boil.

The dye has taken when the water runs all but clear. You'll notice the yarn starting to take colour after only a few minutes.

If this doesn't happen and you've used a dyestuff that you know should work, it's likely that the mordanting wasn't done for long enough. Again, allow to cool. Leave yarn overnight in the dyebath for a deeper shade.

7. Remove from dyebath, wring gently and allow to drip-dry.

8. Marvel at the gorgeous colour yarn you have just made for yourself, and how it doesn't smell of vinegar or onions at all!

Well done!

Other fun dyestuffs to try include Dandelion Petals which give a gorgeous sunny yellow; Blackberries with give a deep purple; and fresh beetroot, which gives a lovely warm burgundy.

Remember all naturally dyed yarns and fabric must be hand-washed cold and with great care.

Terms:

Mordant: In this case, we're using vinegar. It will open the yarn and allow it to accept the colour. There are very few dyestuffs that will stick to yarn without some kind of mordant.

Dyestuff: Onion Skins in this case. Whatever you're extracting colour from to use as a dye. Not all colourful plants make good dyestuffs, but it's worth experimenting.

Yarny, Happy People

2010-08-21T21:06:00.003+01:00

I am one.
I'm here, house-sitting for a family member. Not only that, I'm dog sitting (two, big and cute) and cat-sitting (two, friendly), in the country, surrounded by fields and trees and cows and sheep!

I'll have photos when I remember to get a computer, my camera and a connecting chord in the same place at the same time.

I'm playing with naturally dying some lace-weight merino as I type, and have it bubbling away on the last stage, now. I'm deliriously happy as I take a break to check things on line. This IS the life. THIS is the life. This is the LIFE! Anyway you look it it, I'm in my element.

So, I'm curious, what's turned you into a yarny, happy person this week?

Calculating Meterage

2010-08-18T18:55:00.007+01:00

They say in school that calculus "is something you'll use every day of your life", that it's "super-important for your development as a functioning, sentient being". Yea, we all heard our Maths teachers try to grapple our interest away from copy-book doodles or note-passing on a rainy Monday afternoon, but you know they may have had a point.

I haven't thought about what value x has for quite some time, and suddenly, as I sit here, calculating out the meterage for all these lovely glove patterns, I realise it's very handy, nay! ESSENTIAL! I'm all about the x-values now. I'm multiplying this by that, taking numbers across the equals and changing their positives to negatives. I am... in a phrase "rocking maths".

There are many ways to calculate the meterage of a project - and all have built-in flaws - but as this is my favourite way, I figured I'd share it.

Put on your nerd hats people, we're going in!

Ok, so say a glove, individually weights 28 grammes without buttons, ribbons or any extra stuff. The band on the ball of yarn says that 50 grammes = 181 m. We need to calculate how many meters are in that glove.

Easy peasy.

28 / 50 = .56
.56 x 181 = x
x = 101.36 m

This I round up a bit. Always better to expect a bit more yarn than a bit less to be used (plus, you'll have to account for any ends that you may have trimmed off), so 110m.

There are two gloves (usually) in a pair, so, 110 x 2 = 220 m in the project.

Now all that's left is to sit back, feel smug and get on with any other bits of crochet you need to do.

UFO to the rescue!

2010-08-16T00:46:00.000+01:00

It's not often that an un-finished project (or a UFO), can be put to good use. After all, what can you do with just the front of a jumper, or the top of a hat? But occasionally, like here, that bit of mis-shapen, abandoned crochet is exactly what you need, at exactly the right moment. So it was yesterday for me.

I have taken up an interest in fermenting my own wine. It's exciting (in a very slow way), not too expensive, and in the end you get a simultaneous sense of accomplishment and intoxication. What more could you ask from a hobby?

So, I have two, 5 litre demijons on the go at the moment. One has Rhubarb Wine in the last stages before bottling, and the other has Mead, still bubbling and fermenting away. One important point in the wine-making process is to limit its exposure to light. That said, I still need to keep an eye on it all, to check progress. With this in mind, both demijons have been gifted with that half-finished, totally abandonned, oddly-shaped bit of granny-square blanket that has been shoved around the apartment for the last three years.

Suddenly, another UFO has become an FO!

Yarn Bombing, taken to a whole new level

2010-08-15T19:47:00.006+01:00

We've all seen the gate-cozies, Lamp-posts covered in stripey scarves, and bobble hats on Lenin statues, but these people take the biscuit. They take more than the biscuit, actually. I'd give them the whole pack.

Now, while my feelings about yarn bombing are mixed: "Oh wow, how much WORK did YOU put IN?! AMAZING", mixed with ample quantities of "Such a waste of yarn... should've just given it to me...", I still have to stand in awe of this:

I mean, don't you just LOVE the bobble on the end of the turret?

Prize Time!

2010-08-15T13:29:00.002+01:00

Well, as I watched my hit-counter slowly eek upward, I had an idea "oooh, almost 10,000 visitors!" I squeaked, "I must celebrate!" But it was not for me to celebrate alone. After all, I didn't sit there, hitting refresh 10,000 times. Time to share the joy!

As it turns out, my 10,000th visitor didn't reply to the prize post, so I have no way to signalling them out, but my 10,001st visitor did. Mayogirl! Congratulations! Please email me (my contact details are on the right, there, and let me know what two patterns you would like from my list on Ravelry. I'll send them directly to you.

Etain is the only one I can't. I don't own the rights to that again, yet.

10,000!

2010-08-13T23:17:00.001+01:00

The next visitor to this blog will be my 10,000th!
Say Hi 10,000th visitor!

I wanna give you a prize.

I'm a total wing-nut

2010-08-13T00:35:00.001+01:00

Yep, forgot to click to activate the free Ravelry download.
It's all fixed, now.

For the fun of it.

2010-08-12T19:32:00.002+01:00

Possibly the fastest turn-around of my pattern-writing career, I have made the star I was working on this morning available as a free Ravelry download.

Enjoy!

And why not Follow Me, to be the first to find out about new, and free patterns coming soon from your friendly, neighbourhood Thread Bear.

A wee break

2010-08-12T17:25:00.004+01:00

I took a small break today from all the glove-making I've been busy with the last while, to play with some very non-glove-shaped things. This is the result.

Three pretty, squidgy stars which will now hang on the wall in the bathroom, to cheer the place up a bit. The beads, by the way, I have had in my posession since I was about 6 and have been integral to many crafty projects over the years. I love them dearly.

Say Hi! to your stash.

2010-08-11T19:08:00.004+01:00

Have you ever found yourself completely stuck on a pattern, unable to wrestle any sense from a yarn tangle, or unable to find that one ball of yarn you need in your stash? Have you, under circumstances like this, ever spoken, aloud to your yarn?

If the answer is "...yes", worry not. We've all done it at some stage.
But, I ask you, has your yarn ever spoken back?

No, I'm not fit to be tied up and left in a nice, squidgey room, I'm talking about your colour preferences. Is your stash telling you more about your personality than you thought it was? Have a good look at your stash bag, box, closet, room (depending on your ability to hoard) and see what colour pops out at you the most. Then, check below to see what that says about your own personality.

White: The purist. Especially when it comes to yarn. Undyed, sheepy goodness, with no extra complications. This indicates a person who hates clutter. White is also the colour of youth - be it physical or mental - and may indicate a certain innocence of personality.

Red:
Grrrrr, Firey! Red people are an energetic bundle of springs. Out-going, fun and a bit of a handful when they get going, Red is the colour of passion. It may also be the subconscious choice of a person who wants to exhibit these traits but may need a bit of encouragement.

Wine:
Wine people are well-rounded individuals, so they are. Wine-loving people (not that kind of wine...)are likely to be Red-lovers who have experienced a few harsh lessons in life and learnt well from them. They are kind, forgiving people still posessed of a lot of life. If you know a Wine person, hang on to them. They'll be a good friend.

Pink:
A very gentle colour, people who gravitate towards pink tend to need a lot of love and kindness and may react badly to harsh words. There is little passion in Pink, but a lot of love more than makes up for it.

Orange:
Aren't you a dramatic imp? Life and soul of the party, Orange people have a tendancy to over-exagerate for dramatic effect. They're also unlikely to sit still for very long, always coming up with new plans and ideas. If you know an Orange person, hold on to you hats, you're in for a hell of a ride.

Yellow:
Wise and Intellectual, Yellow people have a good head on their shoulders and a kindly way. Ask their opinion on any subject, and they will give you a well-rounded answer, softening any harsh criticism with a plentiful sense of humour.

Green:
As you'd expect, Green people are a peace-loving bunch. They are often too kind of spirit, preferring to let someone take advantage of them before they'd think of raising their voice. Modest and trusting, Green people usually don't know how great they are.

Blue:
The true grown-up of the bunch, Blue people tend to be patient, persevering, conscientious, sensitive and self-controlled. To Reds and Oranges, this may seem dull, but Blues often think through problems before they become too overwhelming, making them great advisors.

Turquoise:
Very particular, choosey and steadfast in their opinions, Turquoise people are a mix of the best bits of Blues and Greens. They have good manners, good taste and can be very good company if you're lucky enough to pass their tests. Their sense of independence means they have few friends, but those they have will be very close, indeed.

Purple:
Individuality comes naturally to the Purple person, as do a sense of wit and empathy.
Always on the look-out for that which is strange and beautiful, a Purple person may find it difficult to communicate their off-kilter ideas to some of the more grounded people around them, leading to frustration. A true artist, a Purple person is likely to reach a position of leadership.

Brown:
Earthy, occasionally tactless, often struggling to get words in the correct order, Brown people are nonetheless reliable and understanding. If you ask one of these people a question, be prepared for the unvarnished truth. If your bum looks big in that dress, they'll describe how big in blunt detail! But wouldn't you rather know than not?

Grey:
Grey people load on the pressure, work hard - often without notice - and will continue until the work is done. They like life to be calm and uneventful. Young grey-lovers may be super-shy and may find they can't project their personalities as well as many of the brighter colours. But still, greys get on well with most people, so if you find your stash has a lot of grey in it, why not brighten it up a bit by introducing it to some more vibrant tones?

Black:
We all have some of this in our stashes, don't we? Black hates extravagance, but manages to make a statement without all the bells and whistles. Often, Black-lovers are trying to bring some mystery to their lives. You may find, once you get to know a Black person better, that shades of other colours start showing through.

So, which are you?

Spooky.

2010-08-09T15:16:00.004+01:00

So, I have been aware of Elizabeth Zimmerman for a while, now.

As a crocheter, I have never worked up any of her patterns, but I know, from sitting around chatting during a few Fibre Fun Friday sessions, that a lot of knitters whose opinion I respect, love her. To me, she seems sassy, intelligent, and above all else, immaginative, which is why I'm writing this short post.

It's her 100th birthday today, folks. I didn't know this until a few minutes ago, which makes something that happened last night seem veeeery spooky to me.

I had a dream and in it, I was mooching around a 2nd-hand shop full of musty old jumpers and thread bear skirts. Then, I saw in the window a beautiful, lacy, cream-coloured shawl/blouse thing. Really amazing work, and I asked why it was there. "Oh, that's our Elizabeth Zimmerman original. We don't sell that" came the reply.

I can't blame them. It was a treasure.

Happy Birthday, you awesome lady. And thanks for freaking me out.

How about you? How are you celebrating the First Lady of Knitting's birthday?

Fingers on gloves.

2010-08-08T20:44:00.002+01:00

Do you have an opinion on this?

'Cause I'm finding it mighty difficult to justify adding fingers to a lot of my designs. I don't want to have a book full of things I wouldn't wear, and I don't wear gloves with fingers. I mean, who wants to be incapable of crocheting on a cold day?

Every winter, I make gloves, and I wear them on busses, during walks, down to the shop, and none of these activities are made any easier by making my hands clumsy with fluff.

Do you agree?
Are fingers on gloves important?

Mission Central

2010-08-06T18:30:00.003+01:00

It has begun!
Step One in Operation Crochet-As-A-Job has commenced!

I've contacted all my lovely testers, who will be slaving over a pattern each, to highlight the lumps and bumps in my first, ever crochet collection. They'll be getting a written pattern, charts where I think they're needed, and a short list of questions that will help me identify what needs changing, if anything.

I have fire in my belly, now. This is happening, people! From hereon in, I will have a "Collection" to my name. This is achingly groovy to me!

And for those of you wondering if "ooooh, is that the cover?" It may be, it may not be. The problem with being both crochet designer AND graphic designer is that all the ideas keep shifting, and not a night goes by when I don't sit up in bed, wondering if this change, or that change would make it all the more awesome a project.

The goal posts may move several times before this is all in the can, as it were.

A call went out yesterday...

2010-07-28T20:29:00.002+01:00

...for 7 volunteers who would be lovely and who wouldn't mind slaving over a pattern to test it out for me. I reckoned I'd give myself loads of time to find 7 willing guinea pigs and started looking way before all the patterns had been finished for a new e-book, my first, that I'm planning on publishing soon (it's going to be lovely).

Anyway, within the first 24 hours I have got 12. How awesome are my friends? Very.

Day... uh, not sure

2010-07-15T17:32:00.006+01:00

So, if one is sharp of wit and clear of mind one may have noticed a sudden lack of spinning posts, and despite what they say about giving more than one reason showing that you're lying, I do, in fact have two very good ones. Three, actually, now that I think about it.

1. I went on holidays, with three other girls. In one car. With all our bags. No room for Daisy at all. Honestly, I wasn't even going to suggest it. I imagine my friends, who I have known ever since I could still reasonably claim to have a "-teen" suffix on my age, might get a bit offended that I was busy spinning when I should have been busy bonding.

2. The Tour de Fleece people were forced to change the rules! Now, this is something that seems to have made a lot of people happy, but it's disappointed me terribly. When I found out, I rushed in here and drafted up a few grumpy-sounding posts on the subject, then realised they sounded, well...grumpy, so I gave up. Now, with at least a week of sober reflection I can confidently say that I'm still disappointed.

You see, last year, my first year as a competitor, was great. You spun, you took the best photos you could, you posted them and got completely trampled under the weight of talent. God, I squealed and cried as I looked at page after page of yarn that was spun and photograhed so expertly that it made me feel like I'd never get anywhere. I spun and photographed my best, though; it's the only way to learn.

So, when this year's competition dawned, I was comfortable in the fact that I had more-or-less spent the last year improving with both wheel and camera. I was ready for action. I was going to spin my pants off. Did I expect all this effort to win me a prize, course not! I'm good, but I'm not that good, and besides, it's not about the prizes. But I did expect my efforts to be worth a shot, and I expected to get a thrill from watching those love clicks getting totted up.

So, when all the new people this year started clicking loves before voting had been opened, like they were going out of fashion, I despaired. The moderators were going to have a huge job ahead of them cleaning up the mess. Glad was I that I was not in their shoes, but it really bothered me. All those love clicks were going to go to waste for all those spinners out there.

And, as a result, the voting has been altered from a peer-vote to a random one. Personally, I can see no other way the moderators could have solved the problem of people just... not... reading... the ...rules. Far as I'm concerned, it's rude not to read all you can on a thing before you participate. So, all those people saying "I'm new, I didn't know what to do" were just being a little bit lazy. This makes me sad because last year, I read, I made sure I understood, and I voted at the right time.

After that, I'm sorry to say the sense of competition has totally gone out of it for me, and I can see that the quality of the photos, and to some extent, the quality of the spinning has gone down a bit too. It no longer matters what you put up if you're randomly chosen.

With Ravelry set up the way it is, I really don't see any viable way of keeping the voting going in the face of so many people getting the system muddled, so I have no solutions to suggest. If I did, I'd contact a mod. So, there you go.

Instead, I used some of my homespun to make this shrug in the style of Etain, but without the ribbing. I have to say, I'm really pleased.

3. Daisy developed a wobble, that then turned into a dangerous swaying, which lead to the flyer coming undone several times and zooming off in the direction of the boyfriend. No-one was injured, though we both got a surprise.

Day 2

2010-07-04T20:58:00.002+01:00

And today's mass of yarn, I hear you ask? Well, far be it from me to disappoint!
Presenting a lovely mess of Laura Hogan Merino, spun lovingly into lace-weight/4-ply.

Laura Hogan's Etsy shop is giving 15% off to TdF participants, so get in there and get something lovely now!

Spinning, Day 1

2010-07-03T18:28:00.005+01:00

I'll be needing all your "agrees" very soon.
Like every single other spinner with a penchant for competition, a camera on hand, and an over-inflated sense of confidence, I have entered the Tour de Fleece; a great, Ravelry-wide spinning competition which, oddly enough, coincides perfectly with the Tour de France (though which got its name from which is open to debate!)

The competition is judged this year by agree clicks, largest number of agrees wins a prize at the end of each day. This is Day 1 for me: 130m of gorgeous Merino/Silk blend from our friends at Ashford. It weights 10g, and is 2-ply, so you can image how microscopic the singles were. I even scared myself a bit while working on it, it looked so fragile.

If you like, feel free to agree click me here, if you hate it, well... whisht.

A quick question.

2010-06-25T15:09:00.002+01:00

Why is it soooo easy to dance your way through an improvised pattern, to know how many of what needs to go where so that the shape you imagine so clearly in your head, actually comes out as expected, but when it comes to writing the blasted thing down, it takes longer than the actual crocheting itself?

I really need to start furnishing my life with notebooks and little yellow pencils so I can't deftly avoid writing as I work on a piece.

Silly me. I have lots to learn!

Sometimes, it's hard not to be rude.

2010-06-24T14:07:00.005+01:00

So, while I was happily engrosed in the business of teaching a lovely, attentive class the concept of Irish Crochet Lace last Sunday in This Is Knit, I happened to overhear a mother pointing us out to her little girl at the door to the shop. "Ah..." I thought. "Any moment now, that little lady will be hooked. She'll be interested, ask questions, her Mom will have to teach her a fibre art, and a new generatioon of creative crafters will be ensured." I felt a little smug, I don't mind telling you, that my little class should be the focus of such a monumental moment.

Then, as you'd expect, it all came crashing down horribly.

"Look..." the Mom uttered "They're knitting".

It got me thinking about Muggles' perception of fibre arts, and I have come to the conclusion, that, as a crocheter, as a lover of the hook, as a woman who can knit, but doesn't, I have been left in a position where I have two choices only and that both lead to uncomfortableness.

In this instance, I chose Option One. Ignore it. I was teaching a class. I had people ready to sponge my knowledge. To interrupt would be to let them down, so I continued explaining the awesome power of the double crochet. But it bothered me. I left two people ignorant of the differences between these two very different crafts.

But under normal circumstances, I tend to go for Option Two. Be Rude.
"Ah, knitting"
"No. Crochet. Knitting uses two or more needles. I use one hook." Now, I seem like an asshole.

"Ah, knitting. I used to do that"
"So, then you know it's actually crochet" Now, I'm a smartass.

"Ah, knitting. My Mom used to do that"
"Actually, it's crochet. Do you not knit then?" Yea, now I sound superior AND judgemental.

And my all-time favourite:
"Knitting? I didn't think people DID that anymore"
"Well, I don't. I crochet" If they're going to be rude, I have no problem returning the favour.

"knitting",apparently...

Bear in mind, these are all interactions I have had. Mostly at the bus stop. Mostly while trying to count stitches. But how about you? Have you ever found a way out of one of these conversations without sounding like a total arse? I'd love to know how you did it...

Rose Rock

2010-06-21T20:46:00.005+01:00

Just a quick one for today.
I have a newly published pattern, for lovers of Irish Crochet Lace on Ravelry. Check it out, if you fancy trying something new. It's completely free and looks very cheerful when finished.

Veering off track

2010-05-31T22:27:00.003+01:00

So, I'm glad to say life's insanity is slowly easing as I get used to the hectic life I now lead as a wage-earning, tax-paying, productive member of society, but I can't help but look back wistfully at my year of productive unemployment. Sitting on the couch; watching Fraiser, House, The Tudors (don't you just LOVE the costumes?.), How I Met Your Mother; a cup of cooling tea by my side and no pressure but the pressure I pile on myself. Ah! to make a career out of crocheting, designing and teaching! I know for a start that no matter how much I love a thing, my mind wouldn't be able to focus on just it, and it seems that I'm a mule when it comes to deadlines. How do I know this? Evidence! Lots and lots of recent evidence!

So, I think I have decided, among much else, to design in my own time from now on. Supply my own materiels, publish my own work and generally use my skill as a cottage industry. This way I can ensure my patterns are written in my own time, and I can work on them 'til I'm happy with them, safe in the knowledge that I have all the time in the world to get them juuust right.

2010-05-03T18:03:00.003+01:00

You may have notice a sudden and complete lack of chatter from me these last few weeks (or possibly months? God, has it been that long?), but I'm happy to report that it was a necessary, and all-together sudden, self-imposed ban.

You see, I got a job. Hurray!
After a year or so scrabbling about in the unemployed ether, I got myself a graphic design job in the city centre. It's a very tough slog, very busy from start to finish, so by the end of the day I have about enough energy to hug my boyfriend and snuggle in for an hour or two of dozing before I go off to bed.

(Between you and me, the laundry really started to pile up in those early days, and I'm pretty sure most of my family forgot what I looked like.)

I'm hoping this madness will start to ease as I get used to the manic pace in work, but it does mean that all extracirricular activities had to be pushed aside and trust me, after a year of having the luxury to work at my own pace on any number of live crochet projects, suddenly being confined to working on them on the busride home, was a bit of a shock.

I swear, at the start, I was actually thinking of quitting my job since it got in the way of my past-times!

But at least, as ever, crochet has kept me sane, and seeing my fibrey friends on the very occasional time I make it for a decent stretch to FFF has been lovely, and with a bit of luck I'll be able to post here, see them more, water the balcony garden, design at my own snail's pace, and still make it into work on time from here on in.

Phew!

Meet Surrey

2010-03-28T19:18:00.005+01:00

Isn't he just so darn cute?
Don't you just wanna snuggle him up and keep him safe?

I think he ate all my cake...

No? Just me then?

Well, either way, he's my newest creation, a little pattern available on Ravelry for a fiddly dollar.

I made this one out of some lovely roving, given to me a few months ago by E, who is now getting it back, in the shape of this little, bitty mouse. I know he'll find a good home with her, and will probably end up all snuggled up in her stash.

Happy Mothers' Day!

2010-03-14T13:06:00.003Z

Mums are some of the best people around. I know mine is.
I'm sure yours is, too. As a species, Mums are more selfless, loving, infinitely strong and huggable than any other. Sometimes, they can even seem like saints, so it's only fitting that they get a day all of their own.

My little gft to Mums today is to have an impromptu competition. If you'd like a chance to win all of the patterns I have for sale on my website, for your Mum, or you (if you are a Mum), or your Dad (if he crochets), or your sister, brother, cat... just leave me a comment below.

After 24 hours, I'll pick a winner out of a hat, and announce it here.

Good luck!

Homespun Goodness

2010-03-02T17:43:00.006Z

what a suitable bowl!

This is my spinning from Sunday Spin-In in the Powerscourt Centre, (you my have guessed...) last Sunday.

It's Dublin Dye Company, woolen roving. It was smooth, super easy to spin up and has come out super-warm and airy. I'm very pleased!

I got about 250 yards out of it, 4-ply/DK weight. Suggestions welcome (crochet or knit...) for what it should grow up to be.

2010-03-02T12:36:00.004Z

When working a band of either front- or back-loop stitches, make sure you work both loops into the last stitch on every row. This won't effect your ribbing all that much, but it will strengthen your edge considerably.

Down to Earth

2010-03-02T00:27:00.007Z

I just got a bit of lovely, kinda secret crochet-related news.

Feeling chuffed with myself, I told the boyfriend. "Oh, you're becoming a bit of a celebrity" he said with a bit of a grin. "Hah, like a super-minor one, if anything" I reply, with tasteful humility.
"You're not a miner, you're a crocheter"...

Nothing like a boyfriend to keep your feet on the ground!

Puppy Party - Good For The Soul

2010-02-26T13:25:00.005Z

Today, I was lucky enough to be invited by my Mam to an Irish Guide Dog's Coffee Morning to raise funds for the Puppy Walker programme. We had the lovely Ozzy in tow. We had a hell of a time finding St. Gabriel's Community Centre, mostly because the address we'd been given was way off, but eventually, we made it, stepped in and, literally, were confronted with a (...and I can't emphasise this enough...) a wall of puppies! Wagging tails, wet noses, floppy ears, all sizes, all mixed breeds, all straining to say Hi to each other. The noise was tremendous, but it put an instant, and I suspect reasonably permament, smile on my face. My God, they looked so happy. Into the middle went Ozzy, barking away, sniffing every bit of fur he could get his nose at and licking every hand in range.

Really, you could tell he was the country puppy in the mix, a little dazzled by the sheer volume of "dog" around him!

He met his sister, Ojo, who was a fair bit smaller than he was. He's the one with the lively red bow on his collar, she's the one with Ozzy in her ear. They got on great.

Here he is, modelling the latest in Guide Puppy fashion, with his little friend (who's name began with a T... "Tango" or something like that):

Then off he went, tangling himself up in countless other mirror-images.
Here he is, getting to know two other pups around his age, Tango in tow:

I'd have tried to get puppy names, but for the most part, the dogs were done with each other before the owners got to say Hi, so it was all a bit mad.

After fifteen minutes, he'd had enough, and was more than happy for me to kneel down between him and the puppy meleé in the centre of the room. So, the three of us crossed the road, and had lunch. Look how good he was while we ate our food.

He really is going to make someone an amazing guide dog some day.

This Puppy Walking scheme is a great idea, giving all the pups involved a happy, family start in life and allowing the general public to help out in what would otherwise be a very specialist area. It's well worth passing a few bob on to if you have it to hand.

For the craic of it...

2010-02-24T16:29:00.005Z

As I was fiddling around with the look of the blog yesterday, I got to playing with a few crochet-related puns, and thought they'd make funny, slightly eyebrow-raisy avatars for ravelry and the like, so for your use, comments, or disgust, I present them below.

If you fancy using them, go for it. Just right click on the one you like, select "properties", copy the full url and paste it where you want it to be.

Sorry!

2010-02-23T18:28:00.002Z

If you're looking at this in anything other than Firefox, sorry!
I'll have it fixed tomorrow, with luck.

Edit. I finally found someone online who was using html as I remember it from college. We should be sasty, now. If anyone's getting weird stuff happening, please let me know. I can only check on Firefox and IE...