Pastel Cowl

On June 27, 2015 By agrarianartisan6 Comments

I’ve just been shopping, I don’t normally go on a Saturday as I can go any day of the week and prefer to avoid the crowds. But today I had to go because I was desperate to buy a copy of the latest Mollie Makes, issue number 55. I should have received a contributor copy but it hasn’t arrived yet and I just wanted to see it to check it was absolutely true that one of my designs is in it! And it is:

I have worked as the crochet tech editor for Mollie Makes for a few years now, and it’s a great magazine to work for, not least because all the people I work with there are truly lovely. However, I have never submitted any designs before; you see I don’t submit designs to any magazine often as I like to work at my own pace and don’t want the stress of deadlines. In this instance I was partway through making the cowl and just sent a photo of it to the Deputy Editor (yes, partially made with lots of loose ends – in fact the photo didn’t look at all good!). So I was very happily surprised to find they wanted it!

Having the evidence of the publication before my eyes, I settled down to a cuppa and enjoyed reading it. I can’t help lingering over my design though – the photography and layout is wonderful, they have done me proud. The cowl was a dream to make, because the motif is straightforward, quick to learn and easy to join….and the yarn I used was Drops Baby Alpaca Silk which is sooooo soft (and great value for luxury fibres at less than £4 per ball).

I would love to see any cowls made to this design, so if you are tempted to make one please do share a photo with me.

Happy crocheting xxx

Doodling mandalas….

On June 22, 2015 By agrarianartisan3 Comments

As you know, I have a new addiction to mandalas. And I may have mentioned that I am a constant crochet ‘doodler’, never far from my hook and yarn and playing with all sorts of designs all the time. I have found that mandalas and doodling go very well together and this weekend I ‘doodled’ a new design.

It needs more work because it doesn’t fulfil all I need from a mandala. So the next stage in the design process is to write the pattern as I made it, but adjusting where I think it needs improving. And then I will make another one – using only the pattern. A few people will be invited to test the pattern. Eventually it will become a full fledged design and the pattern will become available. For now it is just one of my latest favourite ‘doodles’.

Happy crocheting xx

The stashbuster

On June 19, 2015 By agrarianartisanLeave a comment

My rainbow stashbuster cowl has been published here and here.

Whilst designed as a cowl, the motif can be used in anything and would be great in a blanket. It is a little addictive and very easy to join as you go. I used my leftover stash to make this – lots of colours of DK. But it would be perfect in any yarn.

Pop over to my Ravelry forum for a little offer for the first 10 purchasers 😉

Happy crocheting xx

Coming soon…….

On June 15, 2015 By agrarianartisan2 Comments

I have been working on a new design, a stash busting cowl. Or rather an all round stash buster 🙂

I had a lot of double knit in a variety of rainbow colours so I designed a square motif which I put into a lovely colourful cowl. I love the motif and I think it is a little addictive. It would be perfect in a blanket.

The pattern is currently in test but should be published by the end of the week, meanwhile here’s a sneaky peek:

Do you have any ideas to share for stash busting?

Happy crocheting xxx

The Magic of Mandalas

On June 6, 2015 By agrarianartisan4 Comments

I think it is fair to say that the 4 lovely crocheters who came to my mandala workshop this afternoon had already fallen under the spell of magical mandalas. I hope they went away having learned more about the maths and the ways to make them easier and neater. And I know they went away having already made mandalas to their own designs.

There was plenty of yarn to choose from (22 shades of Stylecraft Cotton Classique DK), copious notes and patterns (I do like to write notes!) and a whole host of mandalas that I have made (some to my own design, some not) which I hope provided the right inspiration.

The four mandalas they made were all different, not just in colour but also in the techniques they chose to practice – definition, petals and maths were all being practiced.

I hope they don’t mind me sharing their designs with you:

Between them, they used almost all 22 shades of yarn!

It was a happy crochet afternoon, and I’m looking forward to the next one!

Happy crocheting xxx

So sorry…..

On May 30, 2015 By agrarianartisan4 Comments

I’ve been a bit quiet on my blog recently. I didn’t mean to neglect it, I’ve just been a little busy doing some tech editing and a few commissions for some of my favourite magazines – all secret but all enjoyable.

Did I ever mention how I love tech editing? Sometimes it is frustrating when designers do not follow the style guides of the magazines and I end up styling as well as editing, but most of the time it is very enjoyable. I get to see some beautiful designs and make new acquaintances whilst querying the technicalities of the designs. I find everything that is new is also very inspiring.

Also, I’ve been preparing for my ‘Magic of mandalas’ workshop next weekend – a 3 hour workshop on crochet mandalas; how to make them, the maths, tips and tricks and how to design your own! Still a few places left…….

And this new mandala design (the second ‘born in Buxton’ design) will feature:

And, as always, I have been busy making things – so here’s something I made last week as a present.

This is gorgeous bunting which I found on this blog. A joy to make and very pretty.

What have you been up to these last few weeks? Please share your crochet journeys 🙂

Happy crocheting xxx

A new mandala

On May 9, 2015 By agrarianartisanLeave a comment

Do you remember this post when I promised to share more of my mandala designs when they had progressed further?

Here is the Buxton Mandala which I have just published.

This is the ‘prototype’ I made in Buxton. It is made in Drops Muskat which is a mercerised cotton dk with a lovely sheen. I didn’t have many colours of this yarn with me at the time so I used only 5 colours.

When I reworked the design I used Stylecraft Classique Cotton DK of which I had a much wider range of colours. I loved the original design so much that the only thing I changed as I reworked it was the colours and I added one more colour.

There is quite a difference in the yarns – Stylecraft being softer with less of a sheen and giving less stitch definition. This photo shows the difference a little more clearly:

Which do I like? Well both – I love the colours of the Stylcecraft version and I love the sharp stitch definition of the Drops version.

Which do you like?

The pattern it is on special sale on Ravelry until midnight GMT Sunday 10^th May 2015 – 50% off the original price if you use coupon code BUXTON at checkout (with apologies to EU purchasers where the coupon code will not work as EU sales are currently diverted to LoveKnitting – something that will be remedied in future).

Happy crocheting xxx

It’s arrived!

On May 7, 2015 By agrarianartisanLeave a comment

Mr Postie delivered something very special this morning – my yarn from the sheep I have rented from The Meadow Farm Wool Project.

Two weights of yarn had been spun – the cream (which has lovely grey speckles in it) is a double knit and the dark brown is a thinner weight called 2ply but makes up like 4ply/fingering/sock yarn. They both smell deliciously of newly spun fleece 🙂

So I wasted no time – my hook came out and I made a couple of motifs:

This motif is the one I designed especially for the project and is available to sheep renters only. The cream one came out just the right size for a 9 motif square cushion – so that is what I am making. The brown motif is a bit smaller but I will make a large granny square backing to the cushion using the brown, I may just add a few interesting stitches to it.

Here’s a photo of the cream motif which shows the design well.

There is still time for you to rent a sheep for this year and choose your selection of yarn – I opted for half and half. In due course, once all renters have their yarn, you will be able to buy the yarn at £6.50 per ball. And all rentals and purchases help go towards 2 fabulous charities – Teenage Cancer Trust and Headway. This is quite a new project and one I hope will grow, so please support it if you can.

Meanwhile, I know which project I will be working on at knitgroup tomorrow!

Happy crocheting xxx

A colourful obsession

On April 30, 2015 By agrarianartisanLeave a comment

Yesterday I posted this photo on facebook:

It is a selection of mandalas. This is a new obsession for me. But I didn’t realise just how many people are also obsessed or at least love mandalas; that is until I saw my facebook hits – they rocketed off the scale!

So I thought I should at least tell you more about the mandalas in the photo (and yes, test how far my blog hits go!).

In no particular order – there is the Sunshine Mandala which I published the pattern for a few weeks ago, the two I designed on my Knitaway holiday, one which was a bit of a test (or what I call a crochet doodle!) and a couple I designed very recently that will feature in a new workshop (design your own mandala). You see I love designing these so much that I thought I should share how I do it 🙂

Happy crocheting xxx

Supporting the Meadow Farm Wool Project

On April 29, 2015 By agrarianartisanLeave a comment

Towards the end of February this year something interesting popped into my twitter feed – rent a sheep through the Meadow Farm Wool Project. It grabbed my interest straightaway and I popped over to the website. Within minutes I was renting a sheep!

In due course I will receive yarn spun from the fleece of the sheep (well maybe not the exact one I am renting, but from the same flock). I am not an expert on fleece but I know Jacob will be strong and probably good for hardwearing items. This is a great project, with excellent provenance for the wool – grown in Somerset and spun in Yorkshire – British through and through, and by renting a sheep I am also supporting 2 excellent charities – The Teenage Cancer Trust and Headway.

The project will have ideas on patterns for the yarn in due course. But I am impatient! So I decided I should design a crochet motif for the yarn, and not just for me. I think Jane and Annie (who established the project) would appreciate some pattern support, and I think their project is extremely worthwhile – so the design is for them. They will be sending out the motif to all sheep renters.

Here’s a sneaky peek:

I can’t wait to receive my yarn, I think I will be making some lovely cushion covers with my motif.

Happy crocheting xxx

Agrarian Artisan

Tag: Crochet

Pastel Cowl

Doodling mandalas….

The stashbuster

Coming soon…….

The Magic of Mandalas

So sorry…..

A new mandala

It’s arrived!

A colourful obsession

Supporting the Meadow Farm Wool Project

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