A Crochet-A-Long for Space

To celebrate the launch of the Space collection I decided to host a Crochet-A-Long (CAL) For the uninitiated, a CAL is a where everyone works at the same pattern or group of patterns at the same time and meet up on-line to help each other, chat and have fun. There is a lot to be gained from a CAL whether you are an experienced crocheter or just starting to make patterns.

Oberon

The CAL will be hosted in my Ravelry Group. A merry little band of CALers is already congregating and getting to know one another.

To add to the fun I have lined up some fantastic prizes. I have lots of lovely skeins of Malabrigo Yarns to give away and the star prize is the shawl pin that features in the shoot, very kindly donated by NovaSteel.

Neptune

So far I have thought of the following prize categories:


Best photo of the FO
Best modification of a pattern
and Most Valuable Participant (for the funnest, chattiest CALer)
but I'm hoping we can think up some more prize categories on the way!


To join in the fun:

1. Head over to my Ravelry Group (if you aren't a member of Ravelry you will need to create an account but it is free and utterly wonderful)
2. Grab the special pattern discount code that I am offering for the CAL in my group.
3. Choose which pattern you’d like to make. You can choose to make any of the four patterns in the collection: Galactica, Neptune, Nebulous or Oberon and purchase it.
4. Buy your yarn or go stash diving (you don’t have to use the suggested yarn)



Nebulous

5. Get ready to go from March 1st. (but we welcome late comers to the party too!)

The CAL will run from March 1st through to April 30th and winners will be drawn from those who have posted a finished object to their Ravelry projects by May 1st.

Galactica

Oh, and I nearly forgot - everyone who finishes a pattern will get a prize! An exclusive accessories pattern - A crochet pattern for a hat, scarf or mitts that will be exclusive to the CAL for at least 2 months.

So who’s in?


PS: If some of this doesn't make sense because you are new to Ravelry or crocheting or buying patterns on-line then just do step one and ask for some help in the group. We are a helpful and friendly bunch!

The Space Collection

I am over the moon (pun utterly intended) to present to you my very first collection.

This collection is part of the Malabrigo Freelance Pattern Project and I was asked to come up with a small collection of designs with the theme "Space" I really enjoyed working to a theme and choosing designs that were very different yet had common elements and a colour palette that runs through all of them.

Taking planets, stars and nebulae as inspiration with a colour palette of black, grey, turquoise and purple.

The collection includes four designs:

Oberon 

A fitted, long-line chunky weight cardigan with a raglan sleeve. The body grows so quickly in Malabrigo Chunky. Moon craters inspired the unusual edging worked in Malabrigo Worsted.

Nebulous

A scoop necked top with set in sleeves and a pretty ripple pattern inspired by nebulae worked in the luxurious Malabrigo Silky Merino. Gentle waist shaping gives a very feminine top.

Galactica 

A slim triangular scarf inspired by the milky way made in alternating color rows of a starburst stitch pattern in Malabrigo Lace. This yarn is so soft and light against your neck.

Neptune 

A warm and cosy shawl fronted cardigan with gently sloped shoulders made in Malabrigo Twist. The bright random striping is inspired by the planet it is named for. There are just so many great ways to wear this cardigan.

(although I won't be wearing it at all. :-( My photographer fell in love with this sample and it is going to a loving new home as part payment!)

All the designs are top-down and seamless. Each of the cardigans has a different top down construction method - its almost a primer in seamless crochet!

Each of the cardigans are available in a wide range of sizes from XS to 3X (chest sizes: 71-137cm/ 28"-54")

I loved working with the Malabrigo yarns, the colours are so beautiful and all the yarns were an absolute joy to crochet with. If I had to pick one favourite favourite it would probably be the worsted I used to edge Oberon - it is so soft and plump."

The ebook with all four designs is available to buy now.

For more details visit the ebook page on Ravelry

Or just go ahead and buy it here:

just £6 for the pdf of all four patterns.










The patterns are also available individually:

Galactica is £2.00

Nebulous is £3.50

Oberon is £3.50

Neptune is £2.00

Behind the scenes on a shoot

I am just about to launch my first crochet collection as part of the Malabrigo Freelance Pattern Program. I have loved thinking in terms of a collection: making 4 very different designs but with a common theme and a cohesive colour palette.

I expect to launch in the next week or so but in the mean time I thought you might like a sneak peak behind the scenes at the very fun shoot for the collection.

Some pretty samples waiting for their moment in the spotlight

Coffee and croissants for sustenance - a model needs to eat you know! (actually they probably don't but I do!) 

a clue as to the theme. (shhh!)

my lovely photographer Kath and me doing a little bit of larking around (we are professionals at least 95% of the time)

All photographs are copyright Lightbook Photography.

Crafts and Computing.

Sometimes you find things to interest and inspire the crafter in you in the most unlikely places.

Today we took a family trip to Bletchley Park, the home of the WWII code breakers. My husband has been keen to visit and it is his birthday tomorrow so, while I wasn't sure it would have much to entertain me or the children we set off. (of course, the fact that we could stop at a nearby ikea had nothing to do with my apparent generosity of spirit)

There was a surprising amount of knitting on display. In a room devoted to showing how people lived in the war room

Then a fantastic exhibit on Make Do and Mend showed jumpers knitted in the wartime. This one has a different colour yarn on the sleeves where the knitter presumably ran out.

It pointed out that fair isle was so popular in the war because they could use lots of small amounts of yarn to good effect. Obvious really, but I hadn't thought about it before. I do love those 40s vintage fair isles.

Sadly both the wartime home and the make do and mend exhibit will be removed before the year is out as the management want to make everything more directly related to the code breakers. (and the fact that they probably all wore jumpers is a bit too tenuous I guess)

I think I was the only visitor who stopped to notice this wonderful quilt hanging in the mansion.

It was made by a girl that lived on the site in the war years. Spot the dots and dashes on the path ways? Yep you guessed, it she stitched Morse code into the quilt.

Then thinking about computers and crafting got me thinking. The wires in Colossus look rather like bad stranding on the back of a fair isle sweater.

And don't the punch tapes look like lace trim

 
Inspiring. I would love to do what the quilter did and encode some meaning into my craft. Perhaps a fillet crochet trim in code would work? What do you think?

Pancakes

Pancake Day is my favourite day of the year. You can keep your Mardi Gras carnivals, just give me a day where it is acceptable to eat nothing but pancakes all day*.

In my early 20s I would throw parties on Shrove Tuesday and serve everyone pancakes and beer, now I enjoy cooking them for my children. My children also adore pancakes but there is work to be done as two of the three are nutella spreading philistines. Yes it is always lemon and sugar. And, in case you were wondering, I am a turner not a tosser.

How do you celebrate Shrove Tuesday?


*I actually did this once or twice and it isn't wholly advisable.

Busy Busy

Today I will be desperately trying to finish my two designs for The Crochet Project first collection ready for the shoot. If you haven't already pop over to The Crochet Project to find out what we are all about. There are some fantastic crochet skills blog posts planned so its worth marking the blog in your readers.

I also need to write my next pattern for Simply Crochet so that I can get it made in any spare minute that may occur over half-term. Half-term = no child care = less time to do anything. Unfortunately my work schedule doesn't really allow for this (again) I will keep the Easter holidays free! 

The first design I did for Simply Crochet is in Issue 2 which is in the shops now. Its a lacy poncho that looks impressive but is actually quick and easy to make.

photo from Simply Crochet

Yesterday I spent another fun morning with the ladies of the Cam City WI at the Cambridge University Botanic Gardens working on our crochet arts project for the Festival of Ideas - yesterday was all about lichen! (yes, it is a strange job at times but lots of fun and a nice challenge) Here is a blog post about our first meeting that explains the project a little.

I am also getting ready to launch my very first (mini) collection as part of the Malabrigo Freelance Pattern Project. Look out for a post soon on the behind the scenes at the shoot and more details of the patterns.

Until then I shall be head down and crocheting at any chance I get....