Photo Friday

Our neighbors like to ride their horses on Full moon nights and they stopped by our house because we had a fire going. So, I got to jump up on Elvis for a few minutes. 

Convertible Crochet by Doris Chan

I really should thoroughly digest Doris Chan's new book, Convertible Crochet, before I post about it, but there is just too much you need to know RIGHT NOW.

:)  I got my gorgeous copy yesterday in the mail. On Doris' blog TODAY is a post where you can enter to win a copy. She also gives you much insight into the madness behind the method that is multi-dimensional garments from motifs.

Also TODAY, Doris is doing a live chat on Ravelry at 10:00pm tonight on her group. So, that's immediately after my live chat in my group from 9pm (EST)-10:00 Where we will talk about anything random.

She takes motifs to the Ninja level and converts them into draping 3-D garments. Everything from the humble squares to octagons and pentagons, and don't forget my favorite... hexagons.

I'll be seeing Doris at TNNA where she will be doing a book signing in June. I've already put in my request to try on her lovely Phoebe Shrug:

And also from the new book... The Titan Top

And now, you are up to date on what you need to know TODAY. :)

WINNER! 50 Sunflowers to Knit, Crochet & Felt

And the Winner of the copy of 50 Sunflowers to Knit, Crochet & Felt is.....

chosen by random number generator....

Savannagal!  

Congratulations Savannagal!  Please email me with your mailing address and I'll pass it along to the fine folks at St. Martin's Press.

Thanks everyone for entering!

If you didn't win, please go have a look-see at all Kristin Nicholas's beautiful and inspiring products. 

Just this weekend, I began working with Kristin's yarn, Color By Kristin. I really, really love it and hope to felt it today.

Giveaway Tip

Dear Friends,

Leaving a comment with your first name only is not enough.  What if there are more than one entry by people with the same first name? I need something else, anything else, to help me identify you.  A city, a Ravelry name, a nickname, a number....

Read yesterday's post for ALL the information to enter the giveaway.

Thank you

Book Review & Giveaway: 50 Sunflowers to knit, crochet & felt

50 Sunflowers to knit, crochet & felt by Kristin Nicholas is a book that I have looked forward to with much anticipation. I just couldn't wait to see what Kristin would come up with next.

Kristin has already authored several really beautiful books like: 
Color by Kristin: How to Design your own Beautiful Knits
Kristin Knits
Knitting for Baby
Kids Knitting
Kids Embroidery
Colorful Stitchery
Knitting Today's Classics
Knitting the New Classics

All of her books are rich with her signature color talent. All her books can be found here. She even has her own line of yarn that can help you get that same saturated color style. Her yarn line is called Color by Kristin and is distributed by Classic Elite.

 And now....

Sunflowers is a natural subject matter for Kristin. She and her family have a sheep farm with a popular blog following. On the blog she photographs all the elements of farm and home life including the sheep, her whimsical interior decor and the landscape that encompasses it all.... including the iconic sunflowers.  All of it can be found on her blog, Getting Stitched on the Farm and in products: photos, knitting and crochet patterns, notecards, and wall coverings. 

There are crochet stitch diagrams for the crochet projects. There are actually many more than 50 items in the book because she throws in as a bonus: creatures (butterfly, Robin, bumble bee, etc) and 15 projects that include a pillow, market bag, summer hat, brooch, grapevine wreath, wall art, a lampshade, a cardigan and more.  ANY of the 50+ flowers and embellishments can be used on the projects. The projects can be made exactly as she described or you can mix and match the elements from the first part of the book in any configuration on the projects.

The crochet ladybug is especially adorable. Some of the flowers are full 3-D with a stem and everything. Really awesome for "real" bouquet feel.   There are several petals for the flowers (and each are NOT counted individually... so MORE bonus items).  I'm partial to the Bi-color gem flower on page 89, and Autumn Beauty (#52 on page 90).

It's 128 pages of soft-bound bliss by St. Martin's Press. To win a free copy of 50 Sunflowers leave a comment on THIS post by Monday night, May 27 at 11:59pm. Please consider visiting her shop HERE and posting a comment on this post about something that impresses you about Kristin and her products. A winner will be drawn at random from the comment entries on this blog post and the winner announced on Tuesday May 28 on this blog.  The giveaway is limited to US residents. Please leave a post with your First name, Ravelry name if you have it or a city to help me identify you.  If you are the winner, email me at ellen@gocrochet.com or Ravelry message me at GoCrochet with your mailing address by Friday May 31.

Purchasing ANY of Kristin's products including books, patterns, notecards, etc, directly from her shop supports her family farm even more than purchasing her items elsewhere. Shop small business even on the internet :)

Of course, you know that Kristin is one of co-cast members on the PBS Show, Knit and Crochet Now!

Little Prince Hat Crochet Pattern Revealed

It's the little sibling crochet crown!  The Little Prince Hat Crochet Pattern.

Do you remember my Princesses & Heroes Booklet for Red Heart?

 Well now there is a crown sized down for even smaller wee ones! 

The Little Prince Hat is a Free pattern offered by Red Heart Yarn.  Thanks Red Heart!

Crocheting Clothes Kids Love

Here's the OFFICIAL cover....  of Crocheting Clothes Kids Love by Shelby Allaho and Ellen Gormley, coming in February, 2014.

What was I thinking? Mystic Fog Scarf

 The Mystic Fog Beaded Scarf is one of the 6 Crochet projects in my Annie's Online class, Crocheting with Beads.

What was I thinking?  I was thinking about the fog we get here on the River in Southern Ohio. Universal Swiss Mohair was the perfect yarn for this project. Warm and weightless both substantial and airy at the same time.  For this scarf, you will pre-string the beads and they will hang on the yarn like droplets of moisture on the curtain of fog.

In my online classes, I always want to teach as much as I can. So in addition to learning  how to crochet the beads on to double crochets (for this project), this scarf also teaches how to read a symbol diagram.  I'm thinking, after learning the technique, you might also know how to put a keyhole in other row projects.  

 I was thinking with this scarf, that I wanted an easy to memorize stitch pattern.  I wanted a pattern that you could customize and place the keyhole wherever and whenever you want it.  It would be very easy to make the scarf longer.  I love the ascot length though.  It's very instant gratification. Also, beads do add weight to a project. When you have a light (not heavy) yarn, you don't want to pull it down too much and take away it's lofty nature.

That's 6 projects and all the techniques you can use over and over in all your crochet projects for $24.95. In other projects, beads are added to single crochet to hang on both the wrong side and right side of the crocheted fabric.  I also teach "hitched on" beading when you add beads to the crochet as you go instead of pre-stringing them. I like that technique too and liken it to "painting" with beads.

Would you like a few more details about the project? See the Ravelry project page for the Mystic Fog Scarf.  For more details on my two online classes, Crocheting with Beads and Learn to Crochet ($19.95) go to AnniesCatalog.com and click on "online classes".  Photos of all the projects and a preview of the classes are there.

Crochet Couch Office

Back hard at work...

Last week, Chief and I ran in the Flying Pig 5k race....

 As it turns out... Chief is super fast.  :)

Knit and Crochet Now TV

Thanks for being patient. I've been away taping more new episodes of Knit and Crochet Now. I'm so confused which season we are on... and probably you are too!

First the show was called 'Knit and Crochet Today'.  Later, for sponsor-ship reasons, the show was re-named Knit and Crochet Now.

There are NEW episodes now airing on PBS Create channels across the country. Check your local listings. I know that a few of you are starting to actually see the episodes, so I know it's true. Some markets will begin airing episodes May 13.

There are also new posts on the Knit and Crochet Blog and the website has been updated.

My first appearances on Knit & Crochet Now are now available at AnniesCatalog. 
The past season DVDs are also available. The DVD's also include all the patterns from that season on a CD-Rom. (OH! As I am looking this up on Annie's website, if you put "DVD" in the search box, my online classes are also AVAILABLE as a DVD! I didn't know that! cool).

I JUST got home from taping.  We tape in "shifts", so Kristin Nicholas and I were there together with Brett Bara and Candi Jensen and the team for the first two days, then Robyn Chachula and Maggie Pace come in to do their turn with the production team. The good news is that we all usually "overlap" for dinner in the middle. :)

 Here I am with Brett in the Wardrobe/make-up room. (I made her take a self-photo with me in the mirror, she was the smart one who looked at the camera!)

Here I am with Maggie Pace in the Production room.  That's the "back stage" room where we work in between taping and we have a monitor so we can watch each other as taping is going on... looks like the hands of Kristin Nicholas.

I was freezing, so I kept putting my jacket on between each shot. Thank goodness goose-bumps don't show up on camera (or so they assured me...)

You may find it interesting that we have the same camera crew/production team each time we tape. I get confused with their official titles, (I wish I knew them, because they are impressive) but we have Fred (who manages the "floor"), Cathy, Eric and two more camera people, then there is a "control room" where the Director, Alex, Carlotta (with an impressive title that escapes me) and a bunch of other technicians monitor the lighting and "choreograph" which camera and angle is being used each moment.  Also, Amanie, our Make-up and Hair Artist extraordinaire sits in the control room too (when she is not making someone up).  She likes to see how the hair and make-up are looking on camera under the lights so she can come to the floor and help us when we get "smudge-y" :)  It's not unusual for the "Head Honchos" of the tv station to make their rounds while we are taping, asking questions, getting ideas, and brainstorming.

Do you have any questions about how this stuff all works?  I'm still the newest member of the team, but I'd be glad to answer questions.

Crochet Waves

The Crochet business is such an ebb and flow business!  January and February always seem slower. Then business gets more busy.  I'm happily swamped right now.  I just shipped a package of projects off for a book deadline. Not the final deadline for this book, there are still to come, but every package shipped is a significant step closer.

Also, it's hair, nails, and prep season.  I'm deep in show preparations for Knit and Crochet Now.

The May GoCrochet Monthly Newsletter went out this morning. I'm so proud that I got it out on time.

And all of this while I had the flu for a few days a couple of weeks ago. I'm co-coaching Chief's volleyball team, training with him and the school for this weekend's 5K race, and doubling my volunteer hours at school because they had a sudden need.

But, I do not know a single person who isn't just as busy as I am. Better to be busy than bored :)

 Gotta love this photo of the Captain and our Niece as he shows her a photo on his phone at Easter. I named the 'Blushing Erin Neckwarmer' after her :)