Easy to crochet… the hardest part is adding the zipper!

The yarn is Emmy Grande Herbs

and you only need 2 balls of it!

. . . . . . . . . . click here to download the pattern . . . . . . .

or see it on ravelry

super simple!!

Materials:
MC: 1 skein Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca Silk in black
CC: 1 skein Blue Sky Alpacas Alpaca Silk in white

crochet hook: size I (5.5mm)

Gauge: 5.5 sts per inch

Size: 2.75” x 80”

. . . . . . . . . . . click here to download the pdf . . . . . . . . .

also available in the kpixie free pattern archive

   . . . . . . . . . . click here to download the pattern . . . . . . .

or view the pattern page on ravelry

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SPEAKING OF CROCHET

Here is my original carrot pattern!

EASTER CROCHET CARROT

size H crochet hook

orange yarn: Bernat Softee Chunky yarn

green yarn: worsted weight

* to * means repeat

-ch 2
-4 sc in first ch
(from now on, work sc in back loop only)

working in a spiral, not turning work:
-1 sc in first sc, 2 sc in each of next 5 sc, turn inside out
-work *1 sc in next, 2 sc in next* 5 times, work 20 sc around,
2 sc in next
-work *10 sc around, 2 sc in next* 3 times, work 50 sc around,
2 sc in next
-work *12 sc around, 2 sc in next* 3 times, work 120 sc around
-work *skip 1, 1 sc in each of next 2* 8 times
-join green yarn
-1 sc in next, skip 1, 1 sc in each of next 2, skip 1, 1 sc in each of next 3, skip 1, 1 sc in each of next 3, skip 1, 1 sc in each of next 3

-close top by sl st crochet in every other st until closed,
do not cut yarn
-make greens by chaining 20 sts then working 5 dc, 3 hdc, then all sc along ch back to beginning, join to top of carrot, repeat until you have the desired amount of greens

HAPPY EASTER

And speaking of, if you’re close to Webs, go there today at 2pm for the US launch party for the book!   Wish I could be there to support Kim, not that she needs any help, shes a firecracker.

One request: crochetme.com armband pattern
print it and make one, post a photo to flickr, show your crochet love.

I added myself to the crochetme.com group of crocheters, added a couple patterns too.   I really want to write a “tips” section…
and I started an octupus neck charm in Karabella Lace Mohair

one of them is my designer profile!!   eek!
click here to see the preview

(see below about the 100 photos i had to take to choose a photo, hehe haha)

there is also a cool animated preview that goes through MORE pages of the book.

i thought i would share some of my process sketches and photos

1.     here is my first sketch of the sweater pattern

2. this is the first “swatch” with a yarn i did not use for the pattern… i was looking for a yarn that had a nice drape horizontally… the pattern is  crocheted from side-to-side, so instead of the normal “stripes” that go horizontal, the work is rotated so that the lines are vertical…

3. i ended up getting great stretch in the fabric  with RYC Cashsoft DK … a surprisingly affordable merino, microfiber  and cashmere blend

4. here’s the part where i ripped and ripped and ripped, trying to find the perfect stitch for the pattern… it was more fun than it sounds!

5. time goes by
-crochet pieces get finished
-assembly is taking place
-math is being done
-and countless hours of double checking

6. voila!   perfect stitch found, assembly done

these are the photos i sent for pre-approval, along with some schematics i had to draw out

7. i then had to send the sweater (oh god, this is where i was in total panic, my hard work was going out the door, never to be touched again…   but i DID get to touch it at the TNNA show where it was on display at the Interweave Press booth!) with all the sizes mapped out… i think i double checked my work about 20 times, sweating the whole time.

8. then a sigh of relief as my sweater was well received and going to photography

9. oh yeah, then sit and wait for the book to come out!

it really is the BEST crochet pattern book, i saw many at the tradeshow and the Crochet Me one out-shined them all… totally wearable designs, trendy, GORGEOUS photography… anthropologie style

Kim Werker of crochetme.com is the one who put this all together… she not only contacted all the designers and made the book happen, she was there along the way to help out, she made sure the book lived up to her standards… i can’t say enough… she rocks!

but!   we did get back from our yearly vacation to Maine a couple weeks ago… it was a blast as usual, and I taught my brothers girlfriend to crochet!

and did lots of fishing!

 brown trout that i caught!

wanted to drop in to my blog and show you the two things I completed in Maine.

 
a tee in Alpaca Silk!   just some random skeins from the shop that were either shop-worn or messed up in some way (label missing, dropped on the floor, etc)
I have a photo somewhere of me wearing it, but I cant find it!

 also made this cute neck piece
i was inspired by the Choto Crochet book
it was great for teaching someone how to crochet, Kay made hers in one afternoon!

and here are a couple photos of my new place!

 office

 goldfish in the office

 kitchen

 hallway of doorways   ;-)

my goal to “maintain” this blog is getting shoved under paperwork and knitting and running the store and web design and the band and the dog and house cleaning and . . . . .
BUT! it doesnt mean i dont care, here i am! with an update! ;-)

I know that if I treated blog updates more carelessly i could update more often, but i have that nuisance voice in my head that says “little is never enough”… help me, haha
The Lace Nightie is DONE!

i do need to block it… and it came out shorter than I expected, but i think it is because the drape of the yarn used for the pattern is much more than the Alpaca Silk… but i TOTALLY love this top, it feels great on the skin, a nice warmth, and it was a real blast to knit.

(jeez, “get any sun girl??!”   haha)

and I made a dk weight sock to match my sneaks…
where is the other sock??? hmmmm

-i also finished another sock
-i’m working on a top in laceweight Tilli Tomas silk
-i finished that baby hat in Vickie Howell Craft yarn
-lots of swatches done in the car
here is a test knit, random cables done in Karabella Boise

and a little pouch in Olympus herbs yarn!

you can get the pattern for it right here (a pdf file)
and the yarn for it here

and eek! a shoulder warmer!! hehe

the yarn is Llamajama pure sheep’s wool
i will write up the pattern soon…
pattern now available!   CLICK HERE
I used basic math with a top-down raglan technique