What's New?

I had a wonderful summer ... the weather was so warm and sunny and my family took a vacation to Europe. So much to see in Italy, I can't wait to go back and spend more time in Rome. It's now November and reality is setting in that Thanksgiving (here in the USA) is next week and Christmas will follow quickly on it's heals. 

I've been busy creating new designs for you to knit and crochet over the last few months.

Yorkshire Throw is a crocheted blanket available from I Like Crochet, an online magazine with many wonderful designs available every 2 months. There's a yearly subscription fee, but you get so many patterns and articles for that small price.

Yorkshire Throw from I Like Crochet

 This blanket is worked with Cascade 220 100% wool yarn in colors Yakima Heather (11 balls) and Antiqued Heather (3 balls) using hook size 7 (4.5mm).

Pattypan is part of a collaboration of talented designers and available exclusively on Ravelry through Stranded Magazine. 

©Andi Satterlund -  Pattypan

The asymmetrical pattern of Pattypan is inspired by the spokes of a ferris wheel. The intricate stitch pattern is balanced by stockinette stitch making this sport-weight cardigan the ideal combination of simple and complex knitting.


Finally, just released this week, is Grand Forks Pullover. Available in Interweave Knits Winter 2018 magazine on the Interweave website or through your local yarn store.

©Harper Point Photography - Grand Forks Pullover

This stranded colorwork pullover is worked with 3 colors of Green Mountain Spinnery Mountain Mohair and US8 (5.0mm) needles, top down and in the round. 

And one last note .... the 5th annual Indie Design Gift-A-Long starts on November 21st at 8pm EST. I'm participating again this year and I hope you will join all the very talented designers for heaps of friendly chatter, hundreds of prizes, and beautiful projects. Find out more on Ravelry.

Happy Knitting and Crocheting!

5 Tips for Choosing Yarn Colours

If you are planning on knitting/crocheting a garment or accessory that uses more than one colour of yarn, how do you go about choosing which colours go together? I find it much easier to choose if there are only two colurs in my project. Complicated fair-isle or stranded colourwork patterns can seem very daunting unless you work with the exact colours used in the sample.

Here are some tips to help you choose yarn for your next stranded colourwork project.

1. Use a colour wheel

One way to choose colours is to use a colour wheel. On the wheel you can choose whether you want bright, paste., or a more grey colour palette (shade, tint, tone).

Use a colour wheel

Once you've decided on shade, tint, or tone, choose the colour combination you would like. Often technical words like complementary, split-complementary, analogous, and triadic are used when choosing colours. You can use these methods for color choice (and I think it's good to know what they mean), but there's an easier way to choose.


2. Use your favourite shirt

I really like to use fabrics to choose colours. Someone has already done the hard work for me and I can choose fabrics that appeal to me.

Use fabric to choose yarn colours

Take a look at your clothing. I'm sure you have a favourite patterned shirt or skirt. What colours are in it? Can you seehow they work together?

The next time you are out shopping, be sure to look at the patterns and colours of the clothes you like. Maybe even take a few photos to analyze later when you are stuck on which colours of yarn to combine.

Use photos from pinterest

Alternately, look online (specifically pinterest) for those colour charts where the colours are taken out of a picture and combined for you. Harrisville yarn company does a fantastic job at this.


3. Add some drama

Colours on opposite sides of the wheel are complimentary and often cause drama or tension in you project. Choosing two colours that have one colour separating them (like green and blue) and then adding in their compliment (red-orange) makes for an exciting knitting garment. This is called split-complimentary. 

Add a pop of colour

This fair isle sweater is a good example with green, blue and white as the main colours and peachy/pink which is opposite on the colour wheel from the green and blue. Adds just a bit of pop to the design.


4. Vary the values

Vary the values of the colours you choose. If you use all dark colours they just blend together and the pattern doesn't stand out. By choosing a light, medium, and dark colour you are really able to see the 3 colours of yarn work together to make a pattern. You can also add white and/or black to the colour mix.

Vary the values

5. Take a black and white photo

Finally, to see if you have enough contrast between your yarns, take a photo and convert it to black and white. If all the yarns are a similar shade of grey you know that the yarn choice needs to be altered a bit. Try adding a darker or lighter yarn and retake the photo.

Use a black and white photo

In the photo to the right, the teal and peach yarns are similar in shade (as seen in the black and white photo). They work in this design though because they are opposite in colour. That is, they are complimentary or opposite on the colour wheel.

If you are looking for a small knit project to try out these tips you can check out my Stranded Flower Hat knitting pattern.

Stranded Flower Hat knit pattern

Or a crochet pattern to try could be Falling Leaves Baby Blanket which uses 4 colours of yarn.

Falling Leaves Baby Blanket

Happy Knitting and Crocheting!

5 Reasons to Join I Like Crochet

Have you looked at the I Like Crochet online magazine? It's packed full of crochet patterns for everything under the sun. 

© Prime Publishing LLC

Here are five reasons why you should go check them out ...

1. Six issues are published every year. Approximately 190 projects and 42 tutorials yearly. That's a lot of content for one magazine. 

2. Each issue has at least 30 projects and 7 tutorials. From beginner to advanced, home, baby, garments, accessories, there's something for everyone in each issue. The latest issue is February 2016.

3. Back issues are available once you have a subscription. This magazine started in April 2014 and you have access to all those patterns too. 

4. Famous designers have published patterns that are available to you. You can find patterns by Dora Ohrenstein, Roseanna Beck, Amy Gunderson, Darleen Hopkins, and so many more.

5. My designs are available there. 

© Prime Publishing LLC

What's holding you back? Head over the I Like Crochet and check them out. I know you won't be disappointed!

Happy Crocheting!

New Crochet Designs

I'm so excited to let you know that I have 2 new crochet designs published in the October Issue of I Like Crochet.

© I Like Crochet

Japanese Maple Pillow is worked with 4 colours of Cascade 220 yarn using Spike Stitch to create the "leaves". Buttons on the back flap allow the pillow form to be removed for washing. By combining any 4 colours of yarn, this pillow could be made for any season.

© I Like Crochet

This pillow finished to 18" square.

© I Like Crochet

Falling Leaves Baby Blanket is my second pattern available at I Like Crochet. Also worked with 4 colours of yarn, I used Berroco Vintage wool/acrylic yarn. Machine washable which is a bonus for baby stuff. 

Use red, pink, purple and white for a more feminine blanket or blues, purple and white for the little boys in your life.

© I Like Crochet

This blanket finishes at 36" square but can be easily made larger or smaller.

Find the entire October Issue on the I Like Crochet website!

Happy Crocheting!

Cascade Yarns Anthem

I have another design accepted into the I Like Crochet online magazine for February 2017. Yeah!! It's a throw/lap blanket worked with 3 colors of worsted weight yarn. This time around I chose Cascade Yarns newer offering, Anthem. It's 100% acrylic so perfect for baby and kids stuff. 

Nature has the best colour palettes 

Cascade Yarns Anthem; 100% Acrylic; 186 yards [170 meters]/100 grams

Comes in 33 beautiful colours and it's soft and definitely not acrylic like. No squeaking on the hook when I use it.

Size I/9 (5.5mm) hook makes a nice drapy fabric. I'm getting 13 double crochets in 4 inches.

Cascade Yarns Anthem

Colours are Emerald 032, Cockatoo 033, and Apricot Blush 001.

I'll let you know how it washes up, but I'm thinking it will look just like it does before washing.

Don't forget to sign up for your subscription to I Like Crochet which is on sale from August 29th through September 4th for $19.97. 

I Like Crochet

For that price you get 6 issues (one year) with at least 30 patterns per issue and all the back issues (16 of them). That's a lot of patterns for $19.97.

Happy Crocheting!