Ceramic Yarn Bowl by Pawley Studios

Did you see these yarn bowls by Pawley Studios? They are not only very functional, but also an art piece for any office or home. Just take a look. I have this design in red and black because it fits with colors in my office. At first I did not see that there is another hole for an additional thread. Love it!
I am demonstrating here that I have two colors of yarn inside cream and blue and each of them is coming out through its own opening. Genius! No tangling anymore! The edges are very smooth, so no snagging either.

Here is a quote from their website Pawley Studios: "Our yarn bowls have become a favorite of anyone who loves to knit or crochet. The bowl nestles your yarn while you work, preventing it from rolling away and keeping the yarn clean as well.

We have created a yarn bowl that is quite generous in size, measuring 6” across the top, and 4.5” tall. The bowl has a "Y" hook channel design, making it easy to remove your yarn. And a permanent hole if you don't wish to change colors in your project."

When you go to that website you see that there are many different styles and color schemes for these bowls. I took some examples from that website, so these are not my photos. 

Aren't they irresistible? While I am in between projects, I use it for pens and keeping little office gadgets.

I was lucky to meet Amanda Pawley, an artist from Russellville, KY at TNNA in Long Beach, CA where she had her booth with so many different styles of yarn bowls. I am sure many of your local stores have them by now.

Here she is with her display.

  

Go get yours! 

SHORT STORY

As we all know, Cathy Carron designs chic and wearable pieces that range from cute to sexy. You can read her interview for The Designer's Studio here to learn more about Cathy and her work. Her new book Short Story, published by Sixth&Springs Books, is a collection of cropped tops.

There are some cowls. gaiters, and infinity scarves. None of them are boring. There is always a twist in a construction that makes us take a closer look to understand how it is done. The collection of 35 designs made me think that anyone who wants to learn different constructions of sweaters such as raglan, yoke, dropped sleeve, and kimono plus many shapes of necklines and collars has an opportunity to do so using this book. The projects are not as involved as a whole sweater, but are very rich with details.

So, take a first glance with me what's in this book.

There 4 tops are made in Berroco yarns Bonzai, Ultra alpaca, Vintage chunky, and Metallic FX




In Lush by Classic Elite yarns

In Luna by S. Charles Collezione

In Summer Tweed by Rowan

And it goes on ...
The photography is superb and the styling of garments want you to imitate the look. It is a beautiful book that is also a very useful resource of stylish and innovative patterns. Very inspiring and well done. 

My New Favorite

I know that I am not the first person to talk about ChiaoGoo needles. Many people already tried them and fell in love with these sleek circular needles. I am a bit fussy, to say the least,  about my tools. I knit continental style and am pretty fast at it, so I need my needles to not be on a way of my flying stitches. That means: great points, flawless joint at the transition from needle to the cord, not coiling cord, and affordable. Too much to ask?
Well, at the market during the last Interweave Knit Lab I have met Amy Dzula, the owner of Mimi's Needle Basket. After chatting with her about this and that, I bought from her 3 sizes of ChiaoGoo needles to try. They looked like a perfect tool.
When I came home and started to knit, I confirmed to myself that these are the needles I want to use for my work. Here is the overview:

A perfect point

A flawless joint

The cord is not coiling

And the price is right

As a matter of fact, I am thinking of buying the interchangeable set of needles, so I can take it with me when I travel. 

If you are a fan of bamboo needles, they have them too. If you are a crocheter, they have crochet hooks as well. 

Check it out for yourself and let me know what do you think about it.

Book Review: Sugar and Spice: Six Bakery-Inspired Crochet Fashions

Linda Permann is a wonderful crochet designer who is also an author, teacher, and a full-time employee at Craftsy.com. Her books are very popular and her beautiful and whimsical designs range in difficulty to accommodate any crocheter.

This time Linda published an e-book. It is so great to have it on a computer or iPad and take it with you anywhere you go. Now, if you are not that much into using computers for your patterns, you have an option to print it out and use it as a regular book.

All projects are made with Malabrigo Yarns and it is one of MFPP booklets in collaboration with Malabrigo yarn company.  MFPP stands for Malabrigo Freelance Pattern Project.

Here is what Linda says in her introduction to explain the title of her book:

" The six designs in Sugar and Spice were inspired by my love of crocheted texture—and desserts, ranging from simple to ornate. Bubbling cherries swim a cobbler crust, embossed designs adorn an Italian cookie, and glowing beads of sugar dance along the edge of a freshly baked pie. Just like a delicious dessert, a beautiful hat, shawl or sweater will leave you feeling warm and content."

So, let's look what's inside of this lovely book. It has 6 patterns:one is better than another. 

This is a snapshot from Ravelry page. It is just published and each pattern has many hearts already. You can download it right there on Ravelry.

As you see there are 2 delicious hats, a cowl, a shawl, and 2 tops.

What strikes me the most in these patterns is the similarity with knitting texture. Talking about taking crochet to a new level! Who said it has to be granny square all over again? 

These designs are innovative, delicate, stylish and very wearable. 

This beret is worked in a way that it looks like a traveling knitting technique. Just gorgeous!

My favorite piece is the cardigan. I love everything about it. The fit, the color, the stitch, and  the length. It looks terrific on Linda herself, don't you think?

The shawl is my next favorite. It is long and narrow to wrap around your neck in a beautiful swirl still showing its beautiful and airy border.

I love all the projects and think that they are not pretentious or complicated, but with just enough interest to make them irresistible. 

You can find this book on Ravelry or Cratfsy and download it as a book or you can purchase each pattern individually on Ravelry. Have fun with this delicious book! 

START TO FINISH BEFORE YOU START

 I can't tell you how thrilled I am about this book. In summary, it is an awesome book from an awesome designer Faina Letoutchaia.

 

This is something that so many of us were waiting for: a step-by-step video accompanied by the text on how to make a perfect sweater. There are two DVD's and the book that has 14 chapters that coordinate with videos.

Faina is a perfectionist when it comes to finishing and she wants you to be one. She is very generously sharing with us all the tips and tricks on how to do increases and decreases in a correct way, how to do a button band, collars, flattering shapes and impeccable sleeves. Her videos are very clear and mindful of a knitter who is watching them.

To give you an idea of the content here is the list of chapters that takes you through planning and executing a project.

Chapter 1: Planning before you start

Chapter 2: The very beginning-Cast-On

Chapter 3:  Planning your bottomband and cuffs

Chapter 4: Planning your buttonband

Chapter 5: Increases and Decreases

Chapter 6: Armhole, Neck, Sleeve cap shaping

Chapter 7: Shoulder shaping and 3-needle BO

Chapter 8: Buttonbands and Buttonholes

Chapter 9: Picking up sts around Neckline

Chapter 10: Binding off

Chapter 11: Kitchener Stitch and invisible BO

Chapter 12: Collar Obedience School

Chapter 13: Putting it all together

Chapter 14:Cleaning up

Just to show you what to expect in the video:

Working with collar to make it look good and lay nicely

 

 

 

And later you learn how to treat the seams using towel and tailor's tools. This is a very valuable lessons and you do not see it any books.

 

Faina takes us through her process on seaming showing every detail of that work. 

Learning about common mistakes like this one when you sew using Kitchener stitch.

Or marking with the contrasting yarn, so you are always in the right spot.

 

Such details as button holes and buttonbands can spoil the look of otherwise nicely knitted garment. Faina is teaching you how to do it right that it becomes a point of attention in a good way. People will ask:"How did you do it?"

Working with shaping and perfecting it.

 

 

 

 

 And the basics.

 There is so much more to this book and it is all illustrated and on the video.
 Everything you need as a tool is out and discussed in a friendly and very clear way. Going through this book and doing along with Faina all the swatches you feel that you have a knowledge that no class anywhere offered in the past. This is the most comprehensive guide I have ever seen And I took tons of classes in my life and own tremendous number of books on finishing.

Faina is a great teacher and a great designer. Just look at her new sweater.

 

I am dying to see the pattern for it. Do you see how precise every detail is? If you appreciate this, you will treasure this book for ever.

For more information about the book and purchasing it please go to 2 Ply Productions website.
And when you get the book, please leave your comment here. I want to hear your opinions about this DVD-book combo.

Congratulations to the winner of Complements Collection by Kristin Omdahl

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WINNER

meppybn !!!

Please check the post on the review page.

Custom Crocheted Sweaters

I am looking through a fabulous book by Dora Ohrenstein called Custom Crochet Sweaters . This is her latest book published by Lark Crafts.

What can I say. The designs in this book take my breath away. I love that every single design is elegant, wearable and fits beautifully. The focus of this book is on providing the reader with certain tools and knowledge that he/she will be using to make the next garment fit.

Dora begins with an important and a lot of times underestimated stage of the custom design: taking correct measurements and understanding the fit for your body. For those who are new to making garments in crochet, there are lessons on reading a pattern and schematics, shaping and alterations, importance of gauge (if you ever thought it's o.k. not to make a gauge swatch, after reading this book you will change your mind. I guarantee that.), and finishing.

Each of the designs can be done as is, if the measurements fit you just as you like it, or you can modify it with the help of the author. At the end of each pattern there is a lesson that you can study and follow to alter that particular pattern. After reading through all the patterns and their lessons, you can also combine what you have learned and apply to other designs or, if you are that brave, design your own garment.

So, this book is not the type you look through, put on the shelf and never touch again. It is a reference book with the information on custom design and a perfect fit. It is a huge leap from what many people used to think when they heard the word "crochet".

Dora loves good and sophisticated clothes and loves to crochet. In this book she is sharing with us both the craft of designing in crochet and the fashion trends that she admires. Above are some of the designs from this book. The rest you will appreciate only after reading through it. I highly recommend this book.