The patterns for my latest designs for Caron and their Simply Soft ad, are now available on their website! Get ‘em for free, by clicking on the text links below.
The Whirlwind Wrap is perfect for the gal-on-the-go. It’s crocheted using the Bullion Stitch (see how-to video below) and has a buckle embellishment that adds both a little funk, and practicality. Nab the yarn for this project here!
The Tuxita tunic is a versatile layering piece for baby, that’s sized for 6 mos-6 years. It’s adorable worn as a tank with sandals, over jeans and boots, or with tights and an undershirt. Nab the yarn for this project here!
I received an interesting e-mail from a reporter in Sweden, asking why the Sundsvall throw was named for that Swedish town. (All Country projects are named for cities around the world.) Here’s what Kristina wrote:
Just a coincidence? Must be a lucky one…
I come from the north of Sweden where Sundsvall is and the colours match perfectly. The town lies by the sea and the in the north whe have fantastic autumn colours. The plum and red look just like Sundsvall by autumn, purple cold sea water and red leaves and moss.
Hi everyone! For those who don’t know me, I am the Fashion & Design Coordinator here at Caron. I work with Cari Clement. (Yeah, the Cari and Carrie thing can get a bit confusing to folks! )
Those of you who are Caron facebook fans know that I just got the Ultimate Sweater Machine. I have never used it before and am not a knitter. My experience with knitting machines is limited to seeing my mother use some super huge industrial looking machine when I was a kid. It had these punchcards for making the designs some how. That thing was scary!
So anyway, in order to prepare for setting up and using the Ultimate Sweater Machine, I watched a bunch of the YouTube videos on it. I managed to get it set up pretty easily! The hardest part was figuring out how the weight went on. Well, actually it was finding the volume control on my computer (lol), but figuring out the weight took me a minute or two!
I got the Ultimate Sweater Machine set up!
I set it up at my kitchen table and used the non-slip pad that comes with it. I couldn’t clamp it to the table because my table has a lip around the edge. But the non-slip pad seems to hold it just fine.
The YouTube videos were extremely helpful. Now on to the next step – using it! I will let you know how it goes!
Julliane Moore and Colin Firth in the same movie? Go on; I’m interested. Directed by fashion designer/icon, Tom Ford? Even better. Set design and costumes to feed my obsession with 60′s fashion? Sign me up! A Single Manhas all of those things and, as a special gift to us knitters, a flirty male character in a fitted mohair sweater!
Nicholas Hoult as “Kenny”, wearing a Stockinette Stitch, Mohair Pullover
Caron International has just launched their e-commerce site, Buy.Caron.com! Now you can one-stop shop for every yarn, in every color that they offer. In addition, they’re carrying loads of knitting & crochet books and oodles of stitch-related tools. Shop now and get 20% off your order, plus free shipping!
The CHA Summer Supershow that was held in Rosemont, IL, just outside of Chicago on July 30 and 31, was upon us and the Craft Yarn Council had a front-and-center booth, showing everyone how to use yarn for all kinds of crafts. But the most important were the volunteers from the Northern Illinois Crochet Guild! Shout-out to you guys! Check out Gwen teaching the next passionate generation for crochet.
Gwen Blakley-Kinsler shows how it's done.
And there was Svetlana from Spinrite showing how to make pompons – to the delight of a whole family…
Others included Susan Sullivan from Leisure Arts dying yarn with Kool-Aid, Kathleen Sams from Coats showing how to do Tunisian (aka afghan) crochet, and Claire from Lion Brand demo’ing how to wrap a clothes hangar….
The pompon family.
and me doing, what else, demonstrating the Ultimate Sweater Machine.
Yup, 1,200 stitches a minute.
A crazy, exhausting – but good time was had by all! Watch for the next Supershow to be held in Anaheim CA this coming January.
The few days we all had together went WAY too fast! Saturday nite’s event, sponsored by Caron, started with Tammy and crew helping to “set” the tables with goodies: a ball of Country yarn, an H Etimo hook and a pattern for Vickie Howell’s Country scarf. First, the pre-dinner photos:
A perfect place setting.
Elegant dining at its best - with Country, Etimo and Vickie!A perfect place setting.
Bradley and KJ Hay - with tie Bradley knit and top that KJ crocheted.
Amy Shelton of Crochetville in a Doris Chan dress in Spa.
Mentor Susan Lowman and mentee Kara Lyon.
And now for the fashion show!
Doris – with attitude – in Tesoro shawl – in new Spa colors!
Diane Moyer wearing her Tulsa Jacket design.
First-prize, special occasion-winning entry designed by Patricia Williams - and aptly worn by Kang Hyo Min from Tulip.
Willena's People's Choice Award-winning City Lights dress modeled by Kazue Ohara of Tulip
This week’s Movie Monday selection was a reader request, 1948′s Johnny Belinda. This is both a sweet and scandalous story that (if you can get past the across-the-board unfortunate attempts at Irish accents) that still holds cinematic weight even 60+ years after its release. Here’s a glimpse at the role that knit and crochet wear played in this classic film.
Jane Wyman as “Belinda” wearing a matronly, Crochet Vest
Stockinette Stitch Coat
Agnes Moorehead as “Maggie” wearing a Crochet Wrap Vest
While it may not be the 80′s (or 50′s 0r 60′s or….) anymore, DJ Doris had something for everyone at Club Caron, a first-time event for Chain Link. Caron sponsored the Friday nite dance party so crocheters would have a place to socialize – and let off some steam – after a day of serious crochet classes. And let off steam they did! Starting with Jacque and her husband, Irv doing a bit of two-step, foxtrot and tango to Sinatra and ending (or leading into) some Village People (yeah, that’s an “A”), some Macarena, a bit of the slide and a chicken dance thrown in, among others. Kimberly McAlindin even got everyone dancing to her aerobic routine! And others preferred to keept their dancing shoes at home (that will change next year, guys) and had fun just sittin’ and chattin’. Goin’ strong from 7 til midnite!
Jackie and Irv cuttin' the rug...
Carol, Ellen and Margaret - Dance Floor Divas!
Y-M-C-A – I think that’s the A…..
Line dance led by Kimberly, says she learned it in aerobics class....??
Ellen Gormley, Kimberly McAlindin and Kristin Omdahl in front of Design Competition Display
What an event! The online praises are everywhere about Chain Link 2010, held in Manchester NH the first week of July. We hope you’ll be there next year - Minneapolis, July 27-31. There’s nothing wrong with planning ahead! You could never have more fun than be surrounded by non-stop crocheters everywhere – and knitters too, since this was a joint show with TKGA. But since I’m on the board of CGOA, my focus was on the CGOA events.
I have a few blog entries because we had way too much fun – and too many photos – to put in one post. So let me start from the first event: the Design Competition, chaired by none other than our bud – and designer extraordinaire – Doris Chan. My shots of Doris were way too blurry to show here – wonder why?? That girl never stops moving!
Doris was everywhere, almost as if there were triplets: Design Competition, Club Caron and Banquet Fashion Show, one right after the other.
The first event was the judging of the Design Competition entries, aptly handled by Jean Leinhauser, Edie Eckman and Bobbie Matella.
Jean, Edie and Bobbie pausing from Judging - except Jean
Then all the entries were mounted to show them at their best.
Kimberly and Bertha (the mannequin, not the dress) with her contest entry - crocheted in Simply Soft!
CGOA had a wonderful volunteer professional photographer, so check out the photos on the Flicker pool on www.crochet.org.
The Whirlwind Wrap is perfect for the gal-on-the-go. It’s crocheted using the Bullion Stitch (see how-to video below) and has a buckle embellishment that adds both a little funk, and practicality. Nab the yarn for this project here!
