Christmas is almost here……

On December 21, 2014 By agrarianartisan3 Comments

…..and I haven’t written a full blog in almost 2 weeks! So first I must apologise to my readers for being so quiet.

As well as being busy preparing for Christmas, I have also been thinking hard about my designs and how I sell them from next year. This is all due to a change in legislation relating to EU VAT. Aimed at making large tax-avoiding companies pay VAT, it has hit also a huge number of small businesses who sell digital downloads, whether crochet patterns, music or a multitude of other digital downloads or PDFs. The legislation has been in the wind for 6 years but hasn’t been widely marketed because the legislators did not realise just how many micro businesses there are that operate in the digital world. And yes, that includes me! I will not bore you with the details, but from 1^st January 2015 I will be limiting my pattern sales to a few websites – definitely Ravelry and also Loveknitting.

Meanwhile the good things that have happened in the last few weeks:

I published my last crochet scarf design of 2014 on 1^st December, the culmination of a year of scarf designs. I called this one The Starflower Scarf for obvious reasons:

I used lots of oddments of gorgeous silk yarns from Willow Knits.

Also, I compiled all 12 designs from my monthly challenge into one ebook – My Year of Scarves.

I can’t express just how good it felt when I pushed the button to publish this. I never expected I would last the whole year on this personal challenge but I did!

Remember the beaded crochet pouch that featured at the Buxton Knitaway? Well that has been published also.

So I am ready for a relaxing Christmas season, but if course it will always feature some making. I have a design I need to finish but it requires concentration, which may not be readily available during the holiday season! So I have decided to make a straightforward lap blanket, something that will flow quickly and easily off the hook, and doesn’t need too much concentration. This is designed (in my head) and will be started soon…..do you fancy joining me in a seasonal CAL? Some easy quick crochet, perfectly suitable for the holidaytime, great as a stash buster…….if you are up for it, then I will publish the pattern in parts on this blog over the festive season, starting on Christmas Eve. The pattern will be written as the design comes out of my head, so you will be crocheting along with me. It should be fun 🙂

With all good wishes for the Christmas season xxx

Happy Sunday

On July 13, 2014 By agrarianartisanLeave a comment

Happy Sunday to my readers!

How is your summer going? Here in the UK it is warm, probably the warmest summer we have had for a few years. So evenings have been balmy, wine has been quaffed and a gentle calm fills the air (inbetween the hayfever sneezes!).

My knitting and crochet normally slows in warm weather, warm hands and wool do not mix well. But this July has been different, maybe because one of my long term projects has been in cotton – the Jane Crowfoot mystery blanket CAL. The last clue for this was published a few days ago – I had one large flower motif to make, then a lot of joining and edging. The flower motif is blocking and I have a plan to slowly sew the pieces together rather than get bogged down in too much sewing – I will share the finished project in due course..

I have also completed the July clue of Amanda Perkins’ Kaleidoscope mystery blanket CAL – I’ve told you before that I love this pattern and the yarn, it seems to flow off the hook easily. Here is July:

My plans for my own mystery CAL are well advanced. I have made a sample and started pattern writing. Just as well, because the first clue will be released on 24th July. The CAL will be hosted on my Ravelry forum here: http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/agrarian-artisan-designs/2967692/26-50#33

Anyone joining the forum and signing up for the MCAL before 1st August will receive all clues free. It is motif based, and can be a scarf, wide scarf/wrap or even a blanket. Suggestions for yarn quantities for 4 ply/fingering and double knit will be provided. It is all about colour, which I am sure everyone will love, and the motif basis is slightly different to normal, which I love but I await response to the final design!

Also I have published my July Scarf which is made in silk. Following the June theme, this scarf is a row of granny squares made in one long piece:

Pattern can be found here: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/july-crochet-scarf-continuous-grannies
It is on sale at half price until the end of July using the coupon code JULY

Happy summer knitting and crochet xxxxx

I’m sorry!

On June 25, 2014 By agrarianartisanLeave a comment

You should have told me off – yes, you should! It has been more than 2 weeks since my last blog, so I have neglected you. I am so sorry. Next time please shout at me to remind me!!!!!

What can I share with you today? Well, first is my new bag – I LOVE it! It was a kit, a present from Karen and Ruth, I can’t thank them enough. I was addicted to it as soon as I put the first stitch on my hook. Yes, I changed it a bit (I always do, I am either perfectionist or personalisationalist, if that is a word!!!). I absolutely loved making it and decided it needed a good finish. So my sewing machine was dusted off and I lined it, PROPERLY. I even put some good strong cotton tape in the handle. And now it is my everyday bag to carry beloved crochet and knitting projects to knitgroup or anywhere!! It is made from rug yarn – very strong and capable of outliving most other yarns, I want more of this yarn!

If you want something similar, then it came from http://www.hookedbydesign.co.uk . Lots of gorgeousness on her website.

Also, I published my June scarf. I am rather surprised that I have managed to keep up with this personal challenge – halfway through the year already and 6 designs complete. Here it is:

The colours were inspired by the colours in my garden at the time I designed it – blue of gernanium and lime green/yellow of alchemilla mollis.

I already have plans for July. And August is my Ravelry forum anniversary – so the August scarf will be a mystery CAL. I am looking forward to that – A LOT!

Finally, I have to share another photo with you. I love my little Anniversary Flowers, I see them every day jostled together in a little basket. But yesterday I decided they needed a real purpose in life. So I turned them into mini bunting which now adorns the headboard of the spare bed. I think they look very happy there. What do you think?

Happy knitting and crochet xxxx

An anniversary gift…

On May 31, 2014March 29, 2017 By agrarianartisan5 Comments

To celebrate my first blog birthday, I thought I should give all my readers a little gift. So I sat down a couple of days ago with my hook and designed a little flower. I got carried away, I couldn’t just make one…….I became a little addicted.

Here it is:

I have written the pattern below, but I have also charted it. If you want the chart you can find it as a free download on Ravelry here. It is also available on LoveCrochet here.

So here is the pattern:

ANNIVERSARY CROCHET FLOWER

This is written in English crochet terms and uses standard abbreviations.
It is made in the round, like a little motif. It is written as if the same colour of yarn is used throughout, so if you want to use a different colour, just break the yarn at the end of the round, fasten off and start with new yarn at the start of the next round.

Abbreviations used:
MR = magic ring – hold thread in hand and wrap working yarn around forefinger twice to create ring, slip ring off your finger and insert hook to pick up first st, 1 ch, then work the necessary sts for round 1 and close the ring tightly by pulling the loose end.
st = stitch
ss = slip stitch
sp = space
ch = chain
dc = double crochet
tr = treble
htr = half treble

I used a 4mm hook (US G/6) and some DK weight yarn, but you can use any yarn as long as you use a suitable hook.

Round 1 – make a MR, 1 ch (does not count as a st), 6 dc in ring, pull end tight, ss to 1st dc to join. (NOTE: sometimes this ss wants to be a st! And you may find when you do round 2 that you have one st too many, to remedy this just do 5 dc not 6 dc)
Round 2 – 1 ch (does not count as a st), [1 dc, 3 ch] in each st around, join to 1st dc with a ss (you have 6 3ch sps)
Round 3 – 1 ch (does not count as a st), [1 dc, 1 htr, 3 tr, 1 htr, 1 dc] in each 3ch sp around, join to 1st dc 1ith a ss. Break yarn and fasten off.

Sew in all ends, then enjoy!

You can get a different look depending on how many colours of yarn you use. For some flowers I used one colour for rounds 1 and 2 and a second colour for round 3. On others I used a different colour each round.

What to make with these flowers? Well, lots of things – brooches, hair clips, embellishments, string up as bunting………….just use your imagination. And please let me know what you make.

Happy anniversary xx

Now for the legal stuff – I designed this, it’s all my own work and is copyright. Please feel free to make as many as you like, but do not copy the pattern and please credit me with the design. Thank you!

Almost a year!

On May 28, 2014 By agrarianartisan2 Comments

I’ve been blogging for almost a year now, I know because I’ve just paid a renewal fee on my domain name! I can’t believe how quickly this last year has gone. I guess I must be enjoying life because I haven’t stopped to review or consider the year, I’ve just ploughed on and enjoyed!

Today I took another big step – I started a facebook page. Just search for Agrarian Artisan on Facebook and you should find me!

In the next few days I will publish the next hexagon in The Hexagon Project 2014 and self publish the Molly Shawlette. And that will bring me to 101 designs (at least that is what Ravelry tells me!). Wow! I need a drink!

Here’s the prototype of Molly:

And a glimpse of motif no 4 of The Hexagon Project 2014:

Happy knitting and crochet xxx

A good week

On November 30, 2013 By agrarianartisan4 Comments

This has been a good week for me, lots of really lovely things have happened and it had made me very cheery! So I thought I would share a couple of them with you.

First the lovely Amanda Perkins wrote a blog about me – yes all about me! It was a huge surprise and she said some lovely things, which left me blushing. If you don’t already know about Amanda you should find out now. She, her husband Phil and daughter Daisy are the family team behind The Natural Dye Studio. They hand dye the most gorgeous luxury yarns in North Devon using historical dyes and environmentally friendly methods. Find the website here: http://www.thenaturaldyestudio.com/
Amanda is also a very talented crochet designer and I have had the privilege to work with her for a few years now – she is a joy to work with. She crochets like the wind and produces the most exquisite blankets in next to no time (ok maybe a bit of an exaggeration, but she certainly crochets them a lot faster than anyone else I know). You can find her pattern and books on the website or on Ravelry here: http://www.ravelry.com/designers/amanda-perkins
And her blog here: http://amandascrochetblog.blogspot.co.uk/

The second good thing I want to share is a publication I received yesterday. It is my ‘contributor’ copy of a new bookazine by Tailor Made Publications (the publishing house of Inside Crochet). It is called ’The Knitting Collection’ and comprises 47 different designs, from small home projects to beautiful fashion items. My contribution is a one-skein shawlette, yes a new knitting design from me:

Co-incidentally (or maybe not) it is made with a skein of The Natural Dye Studio’s Angelus 4 ply yarn, which fabulous to work with and so soft.

I really enjoyed reading The Knitting Collection yesterday evening. It has a lovely array of designs in it, the layout and photography is good and there are very few adverts. Altogether, in my opinion, a quality publication and well worth the £9.99 cover price. I don’t submit my designs to magazines often, as I prefer to work to my own timetable, but I am proud to part of this one.

Finally, today I am starting block 16 of my Bohemian Rhapsody wrap. It has 18 blocks, so I am getting close to finishing…. my excitement level is growing, so much that I am thinking of bringing the completion deadline forward. I’ll just see how the hooking goes this weekend……………………

Happy Knitting and Crocheting xxx

Progress

On June 28, 2013June 28, 2013 By agrarianartisan4 Comments

Today I have been reading up about blogs, and taken some sound advice.

The first is from a blogger that my friend Jenny recommended today –

http://didyoumakethat.wordpress.com/ – she says – and I quote from her (I do hope you don’t mind!) – “ I’d encourage anyone to blog. It is a fantastic way of making friends, both online and in real life. My world has become richer, brighter and much more fun because people like you read, comment – and maybe have your own blogs or are thinking of setting one up. Do it! I promise, you’ll never look back…”

Such wonderful words of advice – they have spurred me on, thank you. Please read her blog, I loved reading it!

The second is about comments. You have no idea how scary it can be imagining what comments may emerge. Some people may hate what I write and may criticise me for my photography or my words. But some wise bloggers have said that certain comments are like seagulls – they dive in, shit on you, and then dive out – so just ignore those! I haven’t had any seagulls visit yet, but when they do I will remember that advice and maybe I won’t be so scared.

Apart from advice I’ve read, I thought you may like to see a bit about what I am up to. I did consider taking everything out of my work baskets (yes, I have more than one, in fact I dare not confess just how many I have!) place it in the middle of the floor and photograph it. But I know if I tried this I would miss a basket….or 2…or 3………! So instead I just pulled out things that are most active and took a photograph. This includes things I am making for myself and some designs I am working on, but it is a small sample of what is on my hooks and needles, and in my head. I do wish I had a few more pairs of hands to help my ideas materialise. If you want to ask about things in this photograph, just leave a comment.

Happy knitting and crocheting

	Friends Around the W… on Friends Around the World Anniv…
	Friends Around the W… on “Friends Around the World”…