Line Sprints

If writing a book is a marathon, then this week I'm doing line sprints.  I have 4 small projects and 1 bigger one that all need to be overnighted on Thursday.  The projects are: green, raspberry, purple, gray, and black & white. Oh, and did I mention that I only have supplies for one of the projects?  Keep your fingers crossed that I get a shipment of yarn TODAY. :)  The crochet design business is not for the faint of heart.

I do have the supplies for the green project, so let's see if I can get it done before the shipments arrive?

 These beautiful tigers have nothing to do with my projects this week. Maybe I should play the song, 'Eye of the tiger' to motivate me to conquer the week?  Aren't they gorgeous?

Photo Friday

Tulips at the Cincinnati Zoo, which is also a world class botanical garden.

Stitch Craft Create Blog

Rachel at Stitch Craft Create interviewed me for National Craft Month in March, but the month was so full of crafty goodness that it spilled into April!  Here's the link to my interview, which went live today.  See it here: Stitch Craft Create 

Thank you Rachel and the Stitch Craft Create Team!

Photo Friday (monkeys)

SALE!

My Interweave Patterns are all on SALE for only $3.85 at the Interweave Store... HERE  I don't know how long the sale will last, but there are more than 10 patterns at the sale price!

Swatch Pile

Hopefully these will keep me in business until I have time for another design binge.  :) 

The Eleven

The eleven grandkids on the Gormley side, from 2 to 22.  Chickee and Chief are the 6th and 8th grandchildren counting from the oldest.  (They are sitting in order). This was Easter.  Happy Friday everyone!  Let's see how many designs I can dream up today! (No pressure... maniacal laugh)

Hip Hip Beret!

In the new Caron Connections newsletter is my new Sheep(ish) Beret "Hip Hip Beret!"  It's a free pattern! 

BIG things

BIG things are happening. BIG. HUGE even. Stay tuned.  Hang in there. It's going to be crazy busy for the foreseeable future. I'll do my best to keep you posted. Tonight, live chat on Ravelry, maybe I'll drop a hint. 9 PM EST.  I have a fun photo-Friday planned for Friday.

Off to go start a new binder...

Baby Jospeh Ray is here! 

Baby Joseph

I thought I had already shown you this, but no, I forgot. My sister, Amber, and her husband are having their 4th boy any day now.  She found this adorable baby set on Etsy and asked if I could make her one.  So I did!  (So, don't ask for the pattern, I reverse engineered it and didn't write it down, since it's not my idea). I did make the tail very different. Amber wanted it in time for Easter since she thinks Joseph will arrive any minute.  She's a labor and delivery nurse having her 4th baby, so if anyone would know, it would be her!  I can't wait to see a photo of the baby wearing the hat and diaper cover set.  I hope it fits!  Newborns can vary in size so dramatically!

Half Motifs

This weekend I worked on unraveling the mysteries of "half motifs".  That is, to take a motif, and make only a fraction of it. The smaller fraction pieces are then used to "fill-in" generally around the edges of a project.  For example the irregular shape of a hexagon blanket can be 'squared off' by filling in the edge gaps with half motifs. Also, fraction motifs can be used in garments to help make a neckline into a "V-neck".

Here are two from my book. The one on the left is half of the Rose Octagon. The one on the right is half of the Wrought Iron Hexagon.  Of course this can also be done with squares. Squares can be made in half or cut on the diagonal to make triangles. Have half and partial motifs mystified you? Have you shied away from them?

To clarify,  this book doesn't teach half motifs (would you like to learn?) But I took full motifs from my book and played around with the halves.