A couple of days ago I mentioned that, amongst the other CALs keeping me busy this month, I am a participating designer in the Ravelry Indie Designer Gift-a-long (or GAL). The GAL has become an annual event on Ravelry and I have never participated before because I am always busy when the call is made and I never spot it.  But this year I was determined to participate and I was searching Ravelry for details on a daily basis – and I spotted it whilst on holiday (mmm…..perhaps that is why I never spot it as I do tend to holiday at the same time each year!). So this is a first for me and already, less than 2 days into the GAL, I know it will not be the last.

So what is the GAL all about? Well it is a massive KAL (knit-a-long) and CAL (crochet-a-long), but also it is much more than that.

This year there are a record 349 participating designers all of whom have between 10 and 20 of their patterns on sale (at 25% discount) until 11.59pm EST on Thursday 29th November 2018 (in summary there are 6118 patterns in this sale).  This is a great boost to people who want to make their seasonal gifts as there are a huge variety of quality patterns in the sale.  However, it doesn’t stop there.  The KAL/CAL includes all patterns that the participating designers sell on Ravelry and there are over 20,000 of those. Anyone starting one of those 20,000 patterns during the GAL and completing by the end of the year can enter the GAL to win prizes.  Each designer has supplied gift codes for a pattern of the winner’s choice – that makes over 2000 prizes to start with, plus other prizes have been donated such as yarn, books, stitch markers, project bags.  So there’s a whole host of prizes up for grabs.

It also includes lots of fun, and so much chat on Ravelry that it is proving difficult to keep up!  There are random prizes and a couple of really fun games – the Designer Hunt Game and the Designer Alphabet Soup Game, also with prizes.  And a lovely thread showing all the finished objects (FOs) made in the GAL.  I was thrilled to bits when one of my patterns was given as a random prize and even more thrilled when someone shared one of my snowflake designs on the FOs thread!

It also gives me a fabulous chance to have a look at the bundle of sale patterns, discover designers who are new to me and buy some of their lovely patterns. One of the things I like to do is buy from small independent businesses and Ravelry is a great source of them, so the opportunity to see so many independent designers in one place is a bonus to me.  I have already popped a few patterns in my cart, but I’m only one third of the way through them!

If you want to join the GAL you can find more details on Ravelry here and if you want to look at the bundle of sale patterns look here, I am sure you will be inspired.

Will I see you in the GAL?

Happy crocheting xxx

Today the Advent CAL 2018 commences!   The first 3 patterns are released:

From left to right we have:

Stripow Scarf – a long striped scarf with little bows along the length.  This takes approx. 400m of DK yarn, 200m in each colour – or you could use 4 colours if you like!

Lacy lines  –  a shorter gently textured scarf.  This takes from 230m of DK yarn (you can make it longer than the sample).

Warmest Neck – a close fitting thick warm cowl, using from 225m of DK yarn and in 3 sizes.  This is my favourite – I love the texture and thickness of the pattern.

All these patterns require a 4mm hook – they are all written in UK and US crochet terms.

These 3 patterns have been added to the ebook The 12 Gifts of Christmas which is available to buy on Ravelry here.  It normally costs £12 and will eventually have 12 patterns.   Until midnight tomorrow (Sunday 25th November midnight GMT)  the ebook costs just £3 (a massive £9 reduction!), no coupon code needed.  From midnight tomorrow until midnight on Saturday 1st December GMT it will cost £5, again no coupon code needed.  Thereafter it reverts to full price.  Each week for the next 3 weeks extra patterns will be added until all 12 patterns are in the ebook.

The Advent CAL is hosted on my Ravely group, and there are prizes for those who share photos of their finished items from the ebook:

Every entry is in a prize draw of a pattern of your choice from my selection

Those completing 3 or more items in the CAL will be in a prize draw for one of 3 prizes:

1. an ebook of your choice from my selection
2. 4 balls of Debbie Bliss Party Angel in midnight blue (15504) and a set of 4 pretty stitch markers
3. 1 ball of Debbie Bliss Angel in bright turquoise (15047) plus a pack of size 6/0 beads in silver lined turquoise and a pretty stitch marker

The prize draw takes place early on 1st January, so you need to complete your item and post a photo in the Ravelry group before midnight GMT on 31st December.  Please see my Ravelry group for full details of entry requirements.

I can’t wait to see you in the CAL!

Happy crocheting xxx

PS the next 3 patterns are released at 2pm GMT next Saturday.

 

 

 

 

In the last week I have been blown away by the many Noughts squares which have been shared on the CAL – Crochet A Long Facebook page.   Seeing so many different colour combos has been fabulous!

This is week 2 of the CAL and you can’t have Noughts without Crosses can you?  So I am once again delighted to publish the next square in the CAL called Crosses:

For those who may be a bit puzzled – in the UK we have a game called noughts and crosses, which is called Tic-Tac-Toe in other parts of the world, so for me it is fun to have a square that creates the matching element in the game.  One of the great things about Noughts and Crosses is that you can combine them into one square if you like, giving you even more variety of squares – 2 Os and 2 Xs, or 1 O and 3 Xs, or 3 Os and 1 X!

The pattern for Crosses can be found on Ravelry here – it is available in UK or US crochet terms, just make sure you download the correct one.

A reminder on how to join the CAL: The CAL is being hosted by the CAL – Crochet A Long Facebook group . You must join the Facebook group first and then join the event so you won’t miss a thing. It’s always fun to share your photos as you progress through the CAL. You may do so on both the event page and the group wall.

Important note:  once you have completed Crosses (which includes 3 rounds of border that I designed) you must then add the extra 3 rounds of border from the Friends Around the World Blog post.

Please join me in giving HUGE thanks to the team who have worked tirelessly testing the squares and doing so much admin behind the scenes.  The CAL would not exist without all their hard work.

Now the race is  on…..who will post the first Crosses square?  I am looking forward to seeing more colourful combos in the next week – but I am also excited to see the next square which will be revealed next Friday so keep an eye on the blog and event page for the CAL where the designer and square will be revealed!

Happy crocheting xxx

I’ve said before that November is a busy month and there’s a lot happening in the next 48 hours!  Here’s a quick heads up:

Tomorrow (Friday 23rd November) square 2 of the Friends Around the World 3rd Anniversary CAL 2018 is published – at 4pm UK time.  More info here.

Tomorrow the Ravelry-hosted Indie Design 2018 Gift-a-long kicks off with a sale of over 6000 Ravelry patterns – at 8pm US EST.  The Gift-a-long sale runs until 11.59 US EST on 29th November.  The KAL/CALs run until 11.59pm on 31st December.  I’m pleased to say that I am a participating designer.   More info here.

On Saturday (24th November) the Advent CAL 2018 starts with the publication of the first 3 patterns in the CAL – at 2pm UK time.  More info here.

Stay tuned…………..

Do you remember the Friends Around the World CAL from 2 years ago?  I was so pleased to be part of it, it was an amazing collaboration of designers organised by the CAL –  crochet-a-long group on Facebook.  If you need any help remembering here are 2 blog posts:  Octoghan and Flower Compass.

If you are reading this you may already know that there is a new Friends Around the World CAL  and I am absolutely delighted to announce that I have designed 2 squares for it.  Once again this is a collaboration of designers from around the globe and promises to be another showstopping CAL that any keen CAL crocheter will want to join.  I predict it will be bigger and, dare I say, better than the first Friends Around the World CAL.    You would not believe the amount of effort that has gone into making this CAL happen – I think the designers have an easy job compared to all the admin and volunteers who have worked tirelessly to ensure this is a great CAL.   I want to give them my heartfelt thanks.

This week the first square is published and I am blown away that mine is the first one again!  I am sure you’re impatient to see it so here it is:

This is called Noughts and it is a square of squares – 4 make up the centre which are joined and then edged with a border to make the complete square.  You can find the pattern on Ravelry here.  It can be made in one, two or more colours.  Like all squares in the CAL it is designed to be made in aran weight yarn on a 5mm hook which makes it about 12″ square.  But you can make it DK if you like – it will just be smaller, and here’s one I made in DK with a 4mm hook:

A reminder on how to join the CAL: The CAL will be hosted by the CAL – Crochet A Long Facebook group . You must join the Facebook group first and then join the event so you won’t miss a thing. It’s always fun to share your photos as you progress through the CAL. You may do so on both the event page and the group wall.

I’m so excited – I can’t wait to see the first Noughts square!   Come on get hooking !

Happy crocheting xxx

 

 

 

This is definitely the season for crochet and knitting, there are CAL/KALs aplenty out there!   Here is one starting very soon, and one I am so honoured to be involved in :

The Friends Around the World 3rd Anniversary CAL 2018 (lovingly referred to as FATW3) starts on Friday, November 16th. The CAL is a collaboration of crochet designers from around the world and will be hosted by the CAL – Crochet A Long Facebook group . There will also be videos for the CAL. A few of the designers have created their own, the rest will be by made Stephanie Shelton.

Be sure to join the Facebook group first (link above) and then join the event  so you won’t miss a thing. It’s always fun to share your photos as you progress through the CAL. You may do so on both the event page and the group wall.  And feel free to share your colour choices prior to the CAL starting.

Want a sneak peek?

The afghan is made up of 30cm (12″) squares using Aran/Worsted weight yarn, (25cm/10″ squares if you use DK weight yarn). There are 33 squares in all, designed by 29 designers. The links to the patterns will be shared weekly on the CAL – Crochet A Long Blog, at 16.00 UK time on Fridays.  And I’ll share mine here on my blog upon release as well.

The CAL will run through early June, 2019.  This one is sure to be fun!

Happy crocheting xxx

It’s time to announce the Advent CAL 2018!  This is my third Advent CAL and is bigger than ever before.  It is called the 12 Gifts of Christmas and includes 12 patterns for items that can be made as gifts.   Advent starts on 2^nd December this year and normally that is when I commence the annual Advent CAL.  However, if anyone decides to attempt all 12 patterns a start date of 2^nd December does not give much time.  So I have decided to start the Advent CAL a little before Advent – on Saturday 24^th November 2018.

On each Saturday from 24^th November to 15^th December I will release 3 patterns for the CAL.  Each week will be a different theme with the more time (and yarn) consuming being released first, as follows:

Week 1 Accessories – comprises 2 scarves and a neck warmer, all in double knit yarn and requiring between 225m and 400m, that’s from 100g to 200g of yarn.   You can use one colour or more, and there is some interesting texture:

Week 2 Homeware – comprises a cushion and 2 tableware items. The cushion requires chunky yarn (over 225m and several colours could be used) and the tableware items double knit (preferably cotton).

Week 3  Pretty and personal items – comprising a pin cushion, something for the shower and a gift bag.  The shower item is best in linen yarn – anything from fine to double knit, the other items need small amounts of double knit yarn and maybe a few beads!

Week 4 Quickies – 3 little things for decoration or tiny presents, these would work well in double knit yarn but anything will do, and they need very little yarn.

The 12 Gifts CAL will be provided in an ebook of 12 individual patterns – 3 being added each week.  It will be available on Ravelry only.  The price of the 12 Gifts of Christmas will be £12 but with a discount for early birds.   Only £3 (that’s a massive £9 discount!) for the first 24 hours (I’ll make this a little longer to accommodate those on different time zones), £5 for the following week and full price thereafter.  In due course most, but not all, patterns will be available as individual patterns at prices ranging from £1 to £4.

The CAL will be hosted in my Ravelry group. There will be prizes; anyone completing just one gift by the end of the year (and posting a photo on the FO thread in the Ravelry group) will be in the prize draw for patterns and those completing 3 or more different gifts will be in an additional prize draw with prizes including yarn and an ebook.  To be included in the prize draw you must buy or be gifted the 12 Gifts of Christmas ebook and be a member of the Ravelry group.  More details can be found on the Ravelry discussion thread which is where you can post any questions and chat about the CAL.

I do hope you join us – it will be fun 🙂

Happy crocheting xxx

November is proving to be a very busy month and I have so much to tell you, so be prepared for a flurry of blog posts!

First some exciting news about Festiwool.   Festiwool is a one day yarn show on Saturday 10th November – that’s only a few days away.  I won’t be attending, as you know I’m trying to avoid as many yarn shows as possible at the moment in an effort to control my stash!   Even though I won’t be there, you will be able to see some of my designs there.  I am so pleased to tell you that I have a brand new design for a lovely silk scarf called Silk Sorbet, this is available as part of a kit on WIllow Knits’ stand.

Anne at Willow Knits hand dyes the most gorgeous silk yarns.   The Silk Sorbet Scarf is a lovely airy 2 colour lengthways design and uses 2 x 25g skeins of beautifully soft 4ply silk yarn.  It is included in a kit with the yarn and a pretty stitch marker, for £10.   There are 4 lovely colourways to choose from as shown in the photo above.  This is a lovely kit which would make a fabulous present.

As well as the Silk Sorbet Scarf kit, Willow Knits also patterns and kits for the Queen of May Wrap and Ruby Lace Scarf, as well as copies of my book Cowling Around.

 

But that isn’t all!   You will also find some kits on Yarns From The Plain’s stand –  including the ever popular Sigrun’s Scarf for which Nic has just dyed up a new batch:

If you visit Festiwool please pop and see Anne and Nic, as well as the kits they have some fabulous squidgy yarn 🙂

Happy crocheting xxxx