A round up!

On August 9, 2015 By agrarianartisan5 Comments

The last few posts on this blog have been about the Anniversary CAL, but I have been doing a lot more than just finalising the pattern for the CAL. Patterns are generally written well ahead of publication, then tested and refined – the publication hasn’t taken much of my time at all.

So today I will share a round-up of activity from the last few weeks.

First I was happy to have 2 designs published in different magazines both of which were released on the same day! What a very happy co-incidence! Again these were prepared and written months ago, but the excitement of receiving the magazines and seeing the designs in print (and beautifully styled) is immense. And, of course, I give myself plenty of time to read the magazines over a cup or 2 of coffee!

The first item is the Lariat Belt I designed for Inside Crochet, issue 68.

This one is a flexible design – it can be a skinny scarf, a lariat necklace or a belt – the perfect item to pack for holiday. It is made in some of my favourite yarn, WillowKnits handdyed worsted silk, and it is relatively quick to make, so even if you are off on holiday next week I am sure you can make this in time.

The second design is a retro Boho Top for Mollie Makes, issue 56.

I had such fun making this! It comes in 2 sizes and I designed it so it is made in one piece and requires very little sewing up. I know that finishing a crocheted or knitted garment is generally one of the most disliked tasks, and I know of many pieces that languish in cupboards and drawers awaiting sewing up. For the boho top the motifs are joined as you go and the bodice is made upwards from the motif section, the edging is incorporated into the bodice as you make it and there are probably less than a dozen sewing stitches required to join the shoulders. So once you finish hooking it takes minutes to finish the garment!

You may recall I mentioned a while ago that I treated myself on the spur of the moment to a set of Hamanaka crochet hooks from Janie Crow. I had my eye on these for a while, they looked small and neat, and being double ended meant that I could carry a large range of hooks in a small bag. They haven’t disappointed me at all. I haven’t used anything else since I bought them!

I bought a set of 5 regular sizes, a set of 3 small sizes and a small case for them. The hooks are lovely to handle and, for my small hands, a perfect size. I added a small pair of scissors, some tapestry needles and stitch markers to the front pocket in the case and I now have a perfect little crochet kit.

Hamanaka - heaven in a hook! — Hamanaka – heaven in a hook!

I have been working on a simple granny square cushion in lovely handdyed 4 ply silk, and you can tell from this photo that I have used the hook a lot (evidenced by the dye accumulating on the handle near the hook shank – don’t worry, I know from experience that this will wash off easily).

Another thing I like about these hooks is that the 3mm and 4mm sizes are on the same hook, and these are the sizes I use the most – so if I want to travel light with crochet, that is the only hook I need carry.

I’ve also been indulging in some more mandala designing, this is a special mandala which is just in the pattern writing stage:

And I have been making some ‘mini bunting’ from a pattern by Emma Lamb published in Mollie Makes Crochet, another great selection of crochet patterns. This now adorns the headboard of the spare bed. Previously my Anniversary Crochet Flower mini bunting adorned the bedhead but I felt it was in need of a refresh and a narrower colour palette – 2 of Emma’s flowers from the book were perfect for this.

So what has been keeping you busy this last month?

Happy crocheting xx

Part 2…

On August 7, 2015 By agrarianartisan2 Comments

Today part 2 of the Anniversary CAL is published. You can find it on Ravelry and LoveCrochet.

Part 2 has a new motif – a large one! And it is included in this mini cushion I made:

As you can see the 2 motifs work together well, I designed the sizes so that they did! Part 2 of the pattern includes a suggested layout if you’d like to make a blanket or throw with just these 2 styles of motif, but there are plenty of other options available – just use your imagination (and maybe a little maths!).

If you haven’t already joined in the CAL, please do – I love seeing what everyone makes with the motifs.

Happy crocheting xxx

And we’re off!

On July 31, 2015 By agrarianartisan1 Comment

I have just pressed the publish button on Ravelry and the 3rd Anniversary CAL is launched!

The pattern is now available at a discount for a week – part 1 is included now, parts 2 and 3 will follow. You can find it on Ravelry and on LoveCrochet.

As usual this ia a scary moment for me – will you like the design? Will anyone want to join in the CAL? These and other questions are flooding my mind!

To tempt you here’s a sneaky peek at part 1:

Please do join in the CAL on the Agrarian Artisan Designs’ forum on Ravelry – you can chat about progress, ask questions and generally have great fun. And post finished projects on the thread to be eligible for the prize draw.

As well as all the excitement of the CAL I’ve had another couple of designs published – Lariat Belt in Inside Crochet and Boho Top in Mollie Makes – what a week!!? I’ll post more on these in another blog post, meanwhile……

Happy crocheting xxx

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

A big decision….a little late

On June 13, 2015 By agrarianartisan5 Comments

I made a decision last week that I really should share with you.

First, let me show you what I published last weekend:

Julie's mini mandala — Julie’s mini mandala

It is a simple design, a great stash buster, quick and easy to make. It’s a gift tag, an ornament, or even a string of bunting, but most of all it’s a fun make.

I was just about to push the ‘free’ button when I halted…….this just isn’t fair to other designers. And so my decision was to not publish it as a free pattern, nor will I publish any future new patterns as free patterns.

The reason I started selling my patterns many years ago was to be fair to all designers and operate on what I call ‘a level playing field’. You see I recognised that there are a lot of designers who work extremely hard to make a living out of designing and selling patterns; if I made my patterns free then human nature is such that, even if my patterns were only half as good as some of the paid-for patterns, people would take my free patterns rather than buy those paid-for patterns. Indirectly, I would be stealing the income of those designers if all my patterns were free. But I couldn’t do that, I believe the designing world works best with lots of designers sharing their ideas and publishing their patterns. The discerning knitters and crocheters deserve variety and quality, and the hard working designers deserve rewarding for all their efforts.

Even though that was my reason for starting to sell patterns, I was guilty of publishing some patterns free, because they were simple or small or used techniques that are very common. But I have had this constant guilty feeling about it, it just isn’t fair to others. Also, I do put a lot of work into my pattern writing, after all I am a tech editor and strive for high quality, and giving those free patterns is totally undervaluing my own work. And really ANY free pattern is undervaluing the work of all designers.

So I will not be publishing free patterns again, no matter how simple or small they are. But from time to time I will offer discounts. If you are a regular reader you will know that I have a forum on Ravelry. Members of that forum (or people who like to read the forum) will find any discount codes there. There’s a discount code lurking in there right now for the pattern I published last week, but it expires soon 😉

So what are your views – have I made a good decision?

Happy knitting and crocheting xxxx

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

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