Showing posts with label Last Dance on the Beach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Last Dance on the Beach. Show all posts
What can feel better than finishing a crochet wip on which you have been working for several months? I am not fond of large and epic projects as there are so many other ideas flying around. And my brain wants to catch each and everyone, and to develop it into a new design. But with a large project going on it’s not possible. So even though crochet blankets are very attractive I try to hold myself and reject them (always against my will). But there is one, very-very special, blanket I couldn’t resist. From the very beginning I knew I MUST make it. And this is Last Dance On The Beach CAL hosted by Scheepjes. Last week I finally finished it and today I am so very excited to share pictures with you.
This blanket has lots of meanings for me. I am very proud to be a part of this wonderful project as a designer. Together with my blogger friends we created square motifs for this blanket to bring into life CAL idea of Marinke Slump (aka Wink) from A Creative Being… Marinke tragically passed away last summer, and Scheepjes initiated Last Dance on the Beach CAL in a memory of this talented, kind, open hearted young lady. You can read more information about this CAL in my blog post HERE.
Unfortunately I didn’t have a chance to meet Marinke in person… To be honest at the moment I lack words to express my thoughts precise, and correctly … Many people in the world struggle with depression. It’s an invisible enemy crashing people’s lives. Last Dance on the Beach CAL united literally thousands of people who were making blankets in different parts of the world. Who were sharing their love, and who were trying to show that everyone’s life matters.
After this CAL started I read many thankful comments over different social media channels. Everyone of us feels damaged, and frustrated, and broken, and deeply sad from time to time. Someone lives with this through entire life… and then it’s very important to know you are not alone. That together we can make each other’s life a lit bit better. I know Last Dance on the Beach CAL brought light to many homes, and families and lives. And these are not just the words...
There were kits in three different colourways available for Last Dance on The Beach CAL: Dance in the Sea, Dance in the Rain and Dance under the Stars. Kits are no more available for purchase but if you visit Wool Warehouse HERE* and click each of the kit, you will see exact shades and yardages used for each blanket. There were basic kits with premium acrylic yarn Colour Crafter and luxury kits with Merino Soft. You can also create your own colour combination. In THIS blog post about the kits you will see how many skeins of each colour are needed to finish the blanket. And all patterns are available on Scheepjes website HERE.
Scheepjes donated small amout of money on every sold kit in Marinke Slump’s name. And after CAL was finished a cheque of 18.100 euros was handed to organization Mind. And it means many more people will get help in their struggles on the way to light.
I am very proud my own blanket is now finished! I wanted to make Last Dance in the Rain but in a slightly different colour combination. I left out whites and browns, and only used the shades of grey and blue. I forgot to weight each square before joining, so yardages are not exact…
I used the following shades of Merino Soft (and Amour Clover crochet hook 4.5mm*):
603 (11 skeins) – squares 2 and 8, joining and border
604 (5 skeins) – squares 5 and 7
605 (5 skeins) – squares 1 and 12
610 (5 skeins) – squares 4 and 10
612 (5 skeins) – squares 3 and 9
613 (5 skeins) – squares 6 and 11
To say I LOVE my new blanket is to say nothing… I am just very happy and proud.
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* affiliate link
This blanket has lots of meanings for me. I am very proud to be a part of this wonderful project as a designer. Together with my blogger friends we created square motifs for this blanket to bring into life CAL idea of Marinke Slump (aka Wink) from A Creative Being… Marinke tragically passed away last summer, and Scheepjes initiated Last Dance on the Beach CAL in a memory of this talented, kind, open hearted young lady. You can read more information about this CAL in my blog post HERE.
Unfortunately I didn’t have a chance to meet Marinke in person… To be honest at the moment I lack words to express my thoughts precise, and correctly … Many people in the world struggle with depression. It’s an invisible enemy crashing people’s lives. Last Dance on the Beach CAL united literally thousands of people who were making blankets in different parts of the world. Who were sharing their love, and who were trying to show that everyone’s life matters.
After this CAL started I read many thankful comments over different social media channels. Everyone of us feels damaged, and frustrated, and broken, and deeply sad from time to time. Someone lives with this through entire life… and then it’s very important to know you are not alone. That together we can make each other’s life a lit bit better. I know Last Dance on the Beach CAL brought light to many homes, and families and lives. And these are not just the words...
There were kits in three different colourways available for Last Dance on The Beach CAL: Dance in the Sea, Dance in the Rain and Dance under the Stars. Kits are no more available for purchase but if you visit Wool Warehouse HERE* and click each of the kit, you will see exact shades and yardages used for each blanket. There were basic kits with premium acrylic yarn Colour Crafter and luxury kits with Merino Soft. You can also create your own colour combination. In THIS blog post about the kits you will see how many skeins of each colour are needed to finish the blanket. And all patterns are available on Scheepjes website HERE.
Scheepjes donated small amout of money on every sold kit in Marinke Slump’s name. And after CAL was finished a cheque of 18.100 euros was handed to organization Mind. And it means many more people will get help in their struggles on the way to light.
I am very proud my own blanket is now finished! I wanted to make Last Dance in the Rain but in a slightly different colour combination. I left out whites and browns, and only used the shades of grey and blue. I forgot to weight each square before joining, so yardages are not exact…
I used the following shades of Merino Soft (and Amour Clover crochet hook 4.5mm*):
603 (11 skeins) – squares 2 and 8, joining and border
604 (5 skeins) – squares 5 and 7
605 (5 skeins) – squares 1 and 12
610 (5 skeins) – squares 4 and 10
612 (5 skeins) – squares 3 and 9
613 (5 skeins) – squares 6 and 11
To say I LOVE my new blanket is to say nothing… I am just very happy and proud.
Subscribe to a newsletter not to miss a single post. You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
* affiliate link
Last Dance on the Beach by Scheepjes is still going on. And today Week 8 has already started! It seems like we are half way done. My pile of the squares is growing and I truly enjoy how the blanket is turning out. Can’t wait to finally join them together and add a border. But it seems like I will have to wait for a while. This week I tried a new crochet stitch again. And more then that, I used Eucalan concentrate for the first time. It was a nice experience, I studied information about it and decided to share it with you. Maybe you know already about Eucalan* and why it is used. But for me it was something new. And if it was new for me – maybe this information will also help you.
But before I jump to review, let me show you the squares I made last and this week. Last week design belongs to Maria from 50 shades of 4ply. She created a very tender square with a heart made of bobbles.
And today a new stitch pattern was introduced to me by Jellina from Jellina’s Creations. I have always wanted to learn how to do a Waffle crochet stitch. I couldn’t figure it out from the picture, and was very surprised that in fact it is much easier than it seems. As for the rest of the patterns you can find the videos for both designs on It’s All in a Nutshell website.
And here is how both squares look together. In two shades of grey. I like them a lot!
And now let’s talk about Eucalan. I’ve got a 100ml bottle with lavander aroma as a gift from Scheepjes together with Merino Soft yarn for my Last Dance on the Beach blanket. I have never used anything like this before and I thought it was probably the right time to try, as half of the CAL is done already. I blocked almost all my finished squares already, but it didn’t stop me at all, and I was happy to reblock them again.
Disclosure: This post is in no way sponsored by Eucalan and it was my idea to write it. This blog post contains affiliate links marked with *.
So what is Eucalan? At first I thought it is a kind of ingredient helping to fix the colors and prevent them from running in the future. But Eucalan has nothing to do with it, and it is used for absolutely different purpose – to lanolize (add Lanolin), or “re-oil” wool yarn.
What is Lanolin? Also called wool wax or wool grease (from Latin lāna, ‘wool’, and oleum, ‘oil’), it is a wax secreted by the sebaceous glands of wool-bearing animals.
"Lanolin is the natural oil that keeps the sheep’s coat dry in damp weather. It serves a similar function as the oil on the feathers of waterfowl. The oil keeps the feathers dry and maintains their insulation. In years past fisherman and other individuals working off shore would go so far as to increase the lanolin content of their wool clothing by dipping them in heated liquid lanolin. This made their clothing very water repellant; however, the down side is you smell like a herd of wet sheep."
So Lanolin is a natural component in all wool and blend wool yarns. But during the process of manufacturing (and in particular during cleaning and scouring stage) the wool is scoured in a series of alkaline baths containing water, soap, and soda ash or a similar alkali. And it “frees” wool of lanolin – its quantity is reduced very much. Lanolin is then saved and used in a number of household products. However, handspun fibers that haven't been heavily processed usually still have lanolin (that's why those yarns are often much more “greasier”).
Constant wearing and washing (and even walking under the rain) washes out lanolin from garments, shawls, blankets and other projects made with wool yarn. They become less water, dirt and dust repellent, the static comes back and then it’s good to refill them with lanolin again.
Of course, there are different ways to add oil to wool (or any other natural) yarn again. Crafters use different concentrates, and even several drops of oil while washing. But why Eacalan is a good choice (in my opinion), because it is specially created to lanolize wool, it is very easy to use, it is non-toxic and not harmful for kids, pets (you can even bath dogs and other animals with Eucalan, as fleas do not like it! :) and environment, and it comes in a range of aroma’s (lavender, eucalypt, grapefruit, jasmine and Natural - with no added chemicals to hide the natural scent of the product). And it has already been on the market for 25 years!
Before writing this blog post and trying Eucalan myself, I decided to ask my fellow designers, brilliant crocheters and bloggers: what do they think about it.
“I am a big Eucalan addict, – says Annelies Baes, a crochet mind behind Vicarno brand. - I block everything with it: wool, woolmix, cotton, linen, acrylic. I sometimes even use it to wash my luxe bras. I use Eucalan to take care of the yarn, to make the stitch work “even” (Eucalan does magic to your stitch definition), to make it soft, to wash it (after working several hours or even weeks or months I like the idea of a clean and fresh finished item. :) So much nicer for the publisher to receive a fresh clean item!”
Esther de Beer from Happy in Red uses Eucalan for most natural fibres, like tweeds, alpacas, wools: “I think that these fibres can sometimes be a little “prickly” for the sensitive skin. A rinse in Eucalan before locking really deals with fibres that are a little rough and tough. And I really like the smell, although that's a personal thing, of course”.
And Kirsten from Haak Maar Raak recommends using Eucalan every time while washing and before blocking. So even for freshly finished items: “I think it's necessary for each “machine processed” yarn”.
Eucalan is a “no rinse” product, it means you don’t need to rinse your knitted or crocheted fabric after soaking in water with Eucalan. I was wondering if washing with Eucalan and without rinsing will help the dirt go out, but Annelies assures that “it removes stains perfectly. When I have a sweater or shawl with a spot or a stain it just goes away. I use it to block all my new items and afterwards to wash all my woolen items by hand. It works great. (Although I can imagine if you go rolling in the mud with a sweater, you need to 'refresh' your Eucalan water a second time to get all the dirt gone :)" I think I (myself) would wash a very dirty item with a mild shampoo first and rinse it. And then wash it once again with the Eucalan water.
You can read interesting facts about Eucalan on the official product web-site HERE. And you can find Eucalan on Amazon*, Wool Warehouse*, Paradise Fibers* (US) and most likely in your own local craft and yarn shops.
After bathing my squares, it was still lots of water left and it was a pity to poor it out, so I used it to lanolize my Autumn Winds Cowl also made with Merino Soft yarn.
My squares are almost dry and I can feel a nice aroma. I am not fond of perfumes at all, and I don’t use them. But this one is very gentle, and not so bright. I would say it’s a smell of freshness! And after bathing in Eucalan water my hands were covered by a pleasant oily film. Not greasy but just naturally moistening.
What is my conclusion? I will definitely use Eucalan again. Again and again.
Don't forget to subscribe to my Newsletter not to miss a single post. And you can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
But before I jump to review, let me show you the squares I made last and this week. Last week design belongs to Maria from 50 shades of 4ply. She created a very tender square with a heart made of bobbles.
And today a new stitch pattern was introduced to me by Jellina from Jellina’s Creations. I have always wanted to learn how to do a Waffle crochet stitch. I couldn’t figure it out from the picture, and was very surprised that in fact it is much easier than it seems. As for the rest of the patterns you can find the videos for both designs on It’s All in a Nutshell website.
And here is how both squares look together. In two shades of grey. I like them a lot!
Review
And now let’s talk about Eucalan. I’ve got a 100ml bottle with lavander aroma as a gift from Scheepjes together with Merino Soft yarn for my Last Dance on the Beach blanket. I have never used anything like this before and I thought it was probably the right time to try, as half of the CAL is done already. I blocked almost all my finished squares already, but it didn’t stop me at all, and I was happy to reblock them again.
Disclosure: This post is in no way sponsored by Eucalan and it was my idea to write it. This blog post contains affiliate links marked with *.
So what is Eucalan? At first I thought it is a kind of ingredient helping to fix the colors and prevent them from running in the future. But Eucalan has nothing to do with it, and it is used for absolutely different purpose – to lanolize (add Lanolin), or “re-oil” wool yarn.
What is Lanolin? Also called wool wax or wool grease (from Latin lāna, ‘wool’, and oleum, ‘oil’), it is a wax secreted by the sebaceous glands of wool-bearing animals.
"Lanolin is the natural oil that keeps the sheep’s coat dry in damp weather. It serves a similar function as the oil on the feathers of waterfowl. The oil keeps the feathers dry and maintains their insulation. In years past fisherman and other individuals working off shore would go so far as to increase the lanolin content of their wool clothing by dipping them in heated liquid lanolin. This made their clothing very water repellant; however, the down side is you smell like a herd of wet sheep."
So Lanolin is a natural component in all wool and blend wool yarns. But during the process of manufacturing (and in particular during cleaning and scouring stage) the wool is scoured in a series of alkaline baths containing water, soap, and soda ash or a similar alkali. And it “frees” wool of lanolin – its quantity is reduced very much. Lanolin is then saved and used in a number of household products. However, handspun fibers that haven't been heavily processed usually still have lanolin (that's why those yarns are often much more “greasier”).
Constant wearing and washing (and even walking under the rain) washes out lanolin from garments, shawls, blankets and other projects made with wool yarn. They become less water, dirt and dust repellent, the static comes back and then it’s good to refill them with lanolin again.
Of course, there are different ways to add oil to wool (or any other natural) yarn again. Crafters use different concentrates, and even several drops of oil while washing. But why Eacalan is a good choice (in my opinion), because it is specially created to lanolize wool, it is very easy to use, it is non-toxic and not harmful for kids, pets (you can even bath dogs and other animals with Eucalan, as fleas do not like it! :) and environment, and it comes in a range of aroma’s (lavender, eucalypt, grapefruit, jasmine and Natural - with no added chemicals to hide the natural scent of the product). And it has already been on the market for 25 years!
Before writing this blog post and trying Eucalan myself, I decided to ask my fellow designers, brilliant crocheters and bloggers: what do they think about it.
“I am a big Eucalan addict, – says Annelies Baes, a crochet mind behind Vicarno brand. - I block everything with it: wool, woolmix, cotton, linen, acrylic. I sometimes even use it to wash my luxe bras. I use Eucalan to take care of the yarn, to make the stitch work “even” (Eucalan does magic to your stitch definition), to make it soft, to wash it (after working several hours or even weeks or months I like the idea of a clean and fresh finished item. :) So much nicer for the publisher to receive a fresh clean item!”
Esther de Beer from Happy in Red uses Eucalan for most natural fibres, like tweeds, alpacas, wools: “I think that these fibres can sometimes be a little “prickly” for the sensitive skin. A rinse in Eucalan before locking really deals with fibres that are a little rough and tough. And I really like the smell, although that's a personal thing, of course”.
And Kirsten from Haak Maar Raak recommends using Eucalan every time while washing and before blocking. So even for freshly finished items: “I think it's necessary for each “machine processed” yarn”.
Eucalan is a “no rinse” product, it means you don’t need to rinse your knitted or crocheted fabric after soaking in water with Eucalan. I was wondering if washing with Eucalan and without rinsing will help the dirt go out, but Annelies assures that “it removes stains perfectly. When I have a sweater or shawl with a spot or a stain it just goes away. I use it to block all my new items and afterwards to wash all my woolen items by hand. It works great. (Although I can imagine if you go rolling in the mud with a sweater, you need to 'refresh' your Eucalan water a second time to get all the dirt gone :)" I think I (myself) would wash a very dirty item with a mild shampoo first and rinse it. And then wash it once again with the Eucalan water.
You can read interesting facts about Eucalan on the official product web-site HERE. And you can find Eucalan on Amazon*, Wool Warehouse*, Paradise Fibers* (US) and most likely in your own local craft and yarn shops.
Instructions
And here is my own experience of using Eucalan:
- Fill basin with tepid water (it should be not hot and not cold, I tried to reach a room temperature).
- Add Eucalan. Instructions say to add 5ml/1tbsp for 4l/1 gallon of water. I filled my basin with 2l of water, so I thought 1/2tbsp should be enough. After a little bit of shaking a nice foam appeared on the surface of the water. And I used just a tiny amount of concentrate. So even a small 100ml bottle will be enough for a long time, or to wash lots and lots of items.
3. Soak your project for minimum 15 minutes. I forgot about my squares and left them for 30 minutes, probably.
4. After taking square out I carefully squeezed them a bit to get rid of huge amount of water, but still leaving them wet enough.
5. And I blocked them in a usual way, on blocking boards and with sewing pins. Instructions ask to leave the project dry naturally with no direct heat and sun.
After bathing my squares, it was still lots of water left and it was a pity to poor it out, so I used it to lanolize my Autumn Winds Cowl also made with Merino Soft yarn.
My squares are almost dry and I can feel a nice aroma. I am not fond of perfumes at all, and I don’t use them. But this one is very gentle, and not so bright. I would say it’s a smell of freshness! And after bathing in Eucalan water my hands were covered by a pleasant oily film. Not greasy but just naturally moistening.
What is my conclusion? I will definitely use Eucalan again. Again and again.
Don't forget to subscribe to my Newsletter not to miss a single post. And you can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
CAL’s (crochet-a-long) are extremely popular today. Almost every week I can see announcements about new CAL’s coming up. Some of them are quick and small, and some of them are very long, taking weeks. And even months. What is so special about the CAL phenomena? And why people like them? I was trying to think of possible reasons. From my own experience.
Disclosure: this blog post contains affiliate links (marked with *). I may be compensated with a very tiny amount for purchases made via these links – with no extra expenses for you. Thank you for support!
The first CAL I came across was Sophie Universe designed by Dedri Uys from Look At What I Made. It is about epic large blanket with lots of colors and structure. And later last year I run my own first ever CAL Circles of the Sun, which is about 9 small squares in overlay crochet technique joined together into a pillow cover. But I have never followed any CAL’s myself. Until recently, when Last Dance on the Beach was released by Scheepjes. And I am a part of it.
So what is CAL? As the definition "crochet-a-long" says, it’s an event connecting several (or many) people together who crochet one project at the same time.
CAL’s can be mystery and regular. In mystery CAL you don’t see the finished project till you come to the end: every week a new part is released and your wip is growing, but there is still a secret about the final look. And in regular CAL’s you can see the final product at once. Both variations have their advantages. Mystery CAL has a kind of secrecy and excitement. And in regular CAL there is more space for choosing right shades and thinking about possible color ways.
Some CAL’s make choosing yarns even easier, because there are ready kits available for purchase with exact amount of each shade you need. Sophie Universe and Last Dance on the Beach are very good examples, as both offer a variety of kits. You can check them on Wool Warehouse* (Sophie, Last Dance), Deramores* (Sophie) and Paradise Fibers* (US) – Last Dance.
By the way today a new square from Last Dance on the Beach was released, and it’s week 6 already!! It was designed by Carmen from Crafty Queens in corner-to-corner technique (you can download the pattern HERE, and video tutorial is available HERE). I am also following this CAL and here are my finished squares (blue):
This CAL is a kind of a challenge for me as I am learning new techniques and stitches every week. Last time I heard about seagull stitch, which was used by Nerissa from Miss Neriss in her design (here are the pattern and video). Isn’t this square filled with meaning and emotions? I LOVE it!
So what are the reasons to follow the CAL? I have created a list of 10 thoughts. The numbers don’t mean some of them are more or less important. But if you have never followed any CAL’s, I hope you will find a good enough reason for yourself.
Here are my reasons to join the CAL. What are yours?
And here is how my Last Dance on the Beach blanket looks so far:
You can subscribe to weekly newsletter not to miss a single post. You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
The first CAL I came across was Sophie Universe designed by Dedri Uys from Look At What I Made. It is about epic large blanket with lots of colors and structure. And later last year I run my own first ever CAL Circles of the Sun, which is about 9 small squares in overlay crochet technique joined together into a pillow cover. But I have never followed any CAL’s myself. Until recently, when Last Dance on the Beach was released by Scheepjes. And I am a part of it.
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| Last Dance on the Beach. Weeks 1 and 2. |
CAL’s can be mystery and regular. In mystery CAL you don’t see the finished project till you come to the end: every week a new part is released and your wip is growing, but there is still a secret about the final look. And in regular CAL’s you can see the final product at once. Both variations have their advantages. Mystery CAL has a kind of secrecy and excitement. And in regular CAL there is more space for choosing right shades and thinking about possible color ways.
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| Last Dance on the Beach. Week 1 and creative chaos. |
By the way today a new square from Last Dance on the Beach was released, and it’s week 6 already!! It was designed by Carmen from Crafty Queens in corner-to-corner technique (you can download the pattern HERE, and video tutorial is available HERE). I am also following this CAL and here are my finished squares (blue):
This CAL is a kind of a challenge for me as I am learning new techniques and stitches every week. Last time I heard about seagull stitch, which was used by Nerissa from Miss Neriss in her design (here are the pattern and video). Isn’t this square filled with meaning and emotions? I LOVE it!
So what are the reasons to follow the CAL? I have created a list of 10 thoughts. The numbers don’t mean some of them are more or less important. But if you have never followed any CAL’s, I hope you will find a good enough reason for yourself.
- New fresh design. Many CAL’s involve newly created designs which have never been published before. And joining the CAL gives you an opportunity to be on the top of the trend. But it’s also true that sometimes designers decide to run a CAL with already existing pattern. Just for fun.
- Designer’s support. Because CAL is run in real time, the designer is also available for answering questions and giving help and advice if needed. Many designers have their own groups on Facebook and Ravelry, and it is very easy to reach them. By the way you can have a look at my own Ravelry group HERE. I will be happy to hear from you and see your finished projects. Or you can also share your pictures with me on Facebook HERE.
- Support from other crafters. Very often CAL’s unite hundreds and of thousands people, all passionate and excited about crochet. They hang around in specially created groups and are happy to help each other when there are any problems with understanding the pattern.
- Making new friends. Online community is amazing. When I started to design I got many new people to know from all over the world. And surprisingly many of them became my friends (though I am a total introvert, yes).
- Learning new tricks and techniques. As mentioned about I learn a lot from following Last Dance on the Beach CAL. It is all about new techniques and stitches. Every week I am introduced to something I have never known before. And feel how my general crochet level is increasing.
- A chance to (finally) finish your WIP. Do you have the same problem as I? Lots of unfinished wips and new projects coming in all the time. And CAL is really great in this situation because it motivates to finish what you’ve started. Because of the huge energy coming from the craft community and wish to interact with other people. It’s a little bit sad to give up and abandon the project when others are going on and their projects are growing.
- Crochet therapy. During the CAL you are forced (in a way) to crochet regularly. And great healing power of crochet is well known. When you follow the CAL, you are never alone. You can talk to other people and share not only your projects, but also your feelings and concerns. And it helps you to stay in line when you mostly need it.
- Discovery of new resources, designers and blogs. Following the CAL opens a window to the whole new world of resources and ideas you haven’t probably heard about… When I see a new CAL coming up, first thing I do is checking designer’s page and blog. And often I make wonderful discoveries and start following inspiring blogs.
- Building self-confidence. Because of the permanent support from designers and other fellow crocheters during the CAL, the problems with reading and understanding the pattern are being resolved themselves. And I believe with this support you can very often cope with something you would not be able to do on your own. And this definitely helps to raise self-confidence.
- Giving birth to your own creative child. Working altogether with one and same pattern, people sometimes begin to think of their own tricks and variations. I believe that following the CAL can help develop the freedom of crochet, and give space to some self-designed elements. You should though be aware of the copyright issue! :)
Here are my reasons to join the CAL. What are yours?
And here is how my Last Dance on the Beach blanket looks so far:
You can subscribe to weekly newsletter not to miss a single post. You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
Today is week 4 of Scheepjes 2016 CAL – Last Dance on the Beach, featuring a wonderful square design by Atty from Atty’s. This square is one of my favourite – with two layers of crochet fabric and amazing structure. I was patiently waiting for its release and was so “hungry” to start making it at once, that it didn’t take long before all 4 squares were finished. Oh, and if you missed week 3 (with my Sunset in the Waves square) you can find it HERE.
You can download the pattern HERE and also check video tutorial by Esther from It’s All in a Nutshell HERE.
Atty is a wonderful designer with a very unique style (she is a lovely person, too. I was very lucky to get acquainted with her in person on Scheepjes Bloggers Day). If you haven’t heard of her before – make sure to check her blog with lots and lots of free patterns. I am not sure I would have the patience myself to make all those small colorful motifs and to weave all yarn tails in, and join them together. But if someone would make Atty’s flower scarf for me, with her colors – I would be the happiest in the world!
Today’s square has a very clear meaning. It represents the waves. But at the same time, as Atty mentions on her blog in a letter to Wink – the waves symbolize the life cycles, with their ups and downs. We all have different periods in our lives. Sometimes they are very tough, and difficult to come through. But when I look at Atty’s square, I imagine that after every deepest “down” there will be for sure the highest “up”. And we just need to find inner sources to cope with temporary problems.
As in the previous weeks I was a bit struggling with the gauge on the first square. I am a pretty tight crocheter, I always choose the smaller hook than recommended on the yarn label. So for me it is not very easy to obtain correct tension every week. The first square became a bit smaller than it should be. And even blocking didn’t help. But I didn’t give up and just started to crochet looser than usually. And ta-dah, my gauge is where it should be. I am not sure I will remake the first square… At least not now. :)
If you have never worked in back and front loops, this design might seem tricky, but don’t worry. It is not difficult at all. You can check THIS post about crocheting in back and front loops, with several progress pictures. And hopefully they will help you to understand the idea.
And here is my Dance in the Rain blanket so far! I chose custom colors (just excluded browns and whites from the kit) and still very happy with this decision.
I am using Merino Soft yarn and Amour Clover hook 4.5mm*. If you also would like to create your custom palette – you can have a look at color chart and pick your shades at Wool Warehouse*, Deramores* (both retailers ship orders internationally), Paradise Fibers* (US) or in local Scheepjes shop (NL and BE). There are also ready kits available for purchase (with Merino Soft and Colour Crafter yarns) – you can read more details about them HERE.
Don't forget to subscribe to my Newsletter not to miss a single post. And you can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
*This blog post contains affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
Atty is a wonderful designer with a very unique style (she is a lovely person, too. I was very lucky to get acquainted with her in person on Scheepjes Bloggers Day). If you haven’t heard of her before – make sure to check her blog with lots and lots of free patterns. I am not sure I would have the patience myself to make all those small colorful motifs and to weave all yarn tails in, and join them together. But if someone would make Atty’s flower scarf for me, with her colors – I would be the happiest in the world!
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| Photo credit: Atty's |
Today’s square has a very clear meaning. It represents the waves. But at the same time, as Atty mentions on her blog in a letter to Wink – the waves symbolize the life cycles, with their ups and downs. We all have different periods in our lives. Sometimes they are very tough, and difficult to come through. But when I look at Atty’s square, I imagine that after every deepest “down” there will be for sure the highest “up”. And we just need to find inner sources to cope with temporary problems.
If you have never worked in back and front loops, this design might seem tricky, but don’t worry. It is not difficult at all. You can check THIS post about crocheting in back and front loops, with several progress pictures. And hopefully they will help you to understand the idea.
And here is my Dance in the Rain blanket so far! I chose custom colors (just excluded browns and whites from the kit) and still very happy with this decision.
I am using Merino Soft yarn and Amour Clover hook 4.5mm*. If you also would like to create your custom palette – you can have a look at color chart and pick your shades at Wool Warehouse*, Deramores* (both retailers ship orders internationally), Paradise Fibers* (US) or in local Scheepjes shop (NL and BE). There are also ready kits available for purchase (with Merino Soft and Colour Crafter yarns) – you can read more details about them HERE.
Don't forget to subscribe to my Newsletter not to miss a single post. And you can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
*This blog post contains affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
Hello and welcome to my blog! Today I feel lots of responsibility as my blog is hosting Scheepjes CAL 2016 “Last Dance on the Beach”. We have already visited Esther from Happy in Red and Kirsten from Haak Maar Raak. And I can’t wait to introduce you Square 3 which I called “Sunset in the Waves”.
When I first was contacted with an offer to participate in this project I didn’t hesitate a single second. I just knew I want to be a part of it. This CAL is filled with many feelings. It’s about Marinke Slump (aka Wink from A Creative Being) and her creative life. It’s a celebration of her talent. During the last months of her life she had been working on a new design which was supposed to become a new CAL. Her idea was to create a solid blanket made of squares – each with a new crochet stitch used. Wink wanted to create a kind of space for educational adventure, to work with different structures and textures, and to teach different crochet techniques. I saw a picture of a sample Marinke left with some cabling involved. And I decided to develop this in my own design. You can download the pattern HERE.
If this is the first time you hear about Scheepjes CAL 2016 – please, check THIS post with all general information. And HERE you can find the description of the kits available for purchase (though, of course, you can create your own color combination!). All yarns are available via Wool Warehouse* and Deramores* (both ship orders internationally), Paradise Fibers* (US) and in local Scheepjes shops.
So here is what I’ve come up with. This square uses a lot of front post stitches. If you haven’t worked with them before, they might seem very tricky and maybe scary at the first glance. But in fact these are just “normal” crochet stitches, but attached in a bit different way. Instead of inserting the hook under two loops on the top of each stitch, you will work some of them around the post (vertical part).
Esther from It’s All In A Nutshell has made fantastic, very detailed and clear video's (check them HERE) which will guide you through each and every stitch made in this square. So please, take your time, grab a cup of coffee, tea or maybe wine, relax (try not to work late at night as Esther’s voice is soooo soothing and you can easily fall asleep) and just enjoy your adventure!
As mentioned above, I used front post stitches to design my square, and also clusters. As I imagined it, front post stitches would form textured waves, and clusters would be the “suns” slowly going down into the waves. For the first time in my life I saw a sunset by the sea last year, in Belgium. It was amazingly beautiful!..
I understand there is probably lots of information here, but please take your time to read it through.
When you make an edge, try to insert the hook “inside” the stitches, and not just under them. And try to avoid inserting the hook under one loop only, because in the process of blocking these single loops are pulling too much, and as the result you can get visible holes on the edges.
Seems like that’s all I wanted to share with you… This week’s square will require lots of your attention and concentration. Please, take your time and be patient. And I am sure you will like the result and will be proud of yourself! See you on Facebook in Scheepjes CAL and Shceepjes CAL – International groups.
Update: week 4 square by a talented Atty was already released and you can find it HERE.
Don't forget to subscribe to my Newsletter not to miss a single post. And you can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
*This blog post contains affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
When I first was contacted with an offer to participate in this project I didn’t hesitate a single second. I just knew I want to be a part of it. This CAL is filled with many feelings. It’s about Marinke Slump (aka Wink from A Creative Being) and her creative life. It’s a celebration of her talent. During the last months of her life she had been working on a new design which was supposed to become a new CAL. Her idea was to create a solid blanket made of squares – each with a new crochet stitch used. Wink wanted to create a kind of space for educational adventure, to work with different structures and textures, and to teach different crochet techniques. I saw a picture of a sample Marinke left with some cabling involved. And I decided to develop this in my own design. You can download the pattern HERE.
If this is the first time you hear about Scheepjes CAL 2016 – please, check THIS post with all general information. And HERE you can find the description of the kits available for purchase (though, of course, you can create your own color combination!). All yarns are available via Wool Warehouse* and Deramores* (both ship orders internationally), Paradise Fibers* (US) and in local Scheepjes shops.
Esther from It’s All In A Nutshell has made fantastic, very detailed and clear video's (check them HERE) which will guide you through each and every stitch made in this square. So please, take your time, grab a cup of coffee, tea or maybe wine, relax (try not to work late at night as Esther’s voice is soooo soothing and you can easily fall asleep) and just enjoy your adventure!
As mentioned above, I used front post stitches to design my square, and also clusters. As I imagined it, front post stitches would form textured waves, and clusters would be the “suns” slowly going down into the waves. For the first time in my life I saw a sunset by the sea last year, in Belgium. It was amazingly beautiful!..
So what is important to know about this square?
I understand there is probably lots of information here, but please take your time to read it through.
- For my blanket I use Merino Soft yarn in custom colors. I am "dancing in the rain" but without browns and whites. Because they don't really fit the interior of my living room. I also use Amour Clover hook 4.5mm*.
- The first row is made on the wrong side. This is important to know for understanding the chart. So all rows on right side are read from left to right.
- You will see “sdc” abbreviation in the pattern. It is just ordinary double crochet stitch (UK term), but the hook is inserted between two stitches of the previous row under all three loops (instead of two, as you usually work it). I chose this stitch on purpose, because it helps to avoid “ridge” on the right side. And your work will look neat.
- When you make front post stitches, please, try to make them to the height of the working row. They should not be too tight or too loose. Because it may lead to a deformation of the square shape. In the picture below you can see what is the difference between wrong and right tension. And please, remember about your gauge in general. It should fit the test swatch which you have probably made. If not, please also check THIS tips&tricks document.
- Front post stitches “overlay” the stitches of a previous row, that’s why stitches behind front post stitches must be skipped (!!). It is necessary for a correct stitch count. So every time you make 2 front post stitches – you should skip 2 stitches behind them. Esther did a great job explaining it in the video. Just follow her instructions carefully. And counting stitches after every row will help a lot. Then you will know for sure if you worked each row correctly or not.
- And the last important thing is that ch1/ch2 in the beginning of each row DON’T count as a stitch. I used them only as turning chains to make the edge straight and neat.
When you make an edge, try to insert the hook “inside” the stitches, and not just under them. And try to avoid inserting the hook under one loop only, because in the process of blocking these single loops are pulling too much, and as the result you can get visible holes on the edges.
Seems like that’s all I wanted to share with you… This week’s square will require lots of your attention and concentration. Please, take your time and be patient. And I am sure you will like the result and will be proud of yourself! See you on Facebook in Scheepjes CAL and Shceepjes CAL – International groups.
Update: week 4 square by a talented Atty was already released and you can find it HERE.
Don't forget to subscribe to my Newsletter not to miss a single post. And you can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
*This blog post contains affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
It is happening today! The kits for Scheepjes CAL 2016 “Last Dance on the Beach” are available for purchase! Will you join this CAL? Have you decided on your dance? Will it be in the sea, in the rain or under the stars? I don’t really remember when I was dancing for the last time. In my past life probably. So I would happily make all three blankets, if I only had time and patience.
As I mentioned in previous post (please, be sure to check it for all information about the CAL and kits), I have decided to go for Merino Soft yarn. It took me almost forever to choose colours. I am in love with Dance in the Rain, but unfortunately brown and white will not suite the colour palette of my living room very well. So I decided to leave them out, and pick a fewer shades than offered in the kit. I guess I will go for gray’s and blue’s.
But before I came up with this colour way, I was also thinking about making the whole blanket in one colour only. Its structure is very beautiful, and I am sure in will look just gorgeous in one neutral shade. And you don’t really need to calculate the number of skeins. Luxe kit (Merino Soft - review is HERE) contains 39 balls, and Basic kit (Colour Crafter - review HERE) is made up with 14 skeins. So this amount will be absolutely enough to make a blanket.
Update: in case you would like to compose your own color combination, here is exact amount of each shade you need (for both Merino Soft and Colour Crafter):
Well, as I will not order the kit, I will not get all the wonderful goodies (beach bag, stitch markers and other). But… you can't always get what you want, right? So I will silently be jealous for those who will get a heaven’s package full of treats.
Look what a fun picture Scheepjes posted in both groups on Facebook yesterday!! These are actually the kits, ready to be shipped to different parts of the world. I just love to look at this picture and imagine that one of the boxes is for me.
You can order your own kits via Deramores*, Wool Warehouse* (both ship internationally from UK), Paradise Fibers* (US) and in Scheepjes local shops (Benelux).
I still have several wip’s at the moment which need to be finished, but I will definitely finish them before 20th of April. So that my crochet hook, both my hands and my clear head are ready to start Last Dance on the Beach blanket.
Oh yes, since I will not purchase a kit, there will be no donation made from my order. But I will send 2 euros to Mind (in Marinke Slump's (Wink) name) myself. You can do the same if you wish :)
So... It's only left to make an order and wait for the yarn and for the beginning of the CAL. (I am sooooo excited and can't wait!). to be continued...
Don't forget to subscribe to my Newsletter not to miss a single post. And you can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
*This blog post contains affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
As I mentioned in previous post (please, be sure to check it for all information about the CAL and kits), I have decided to go for Merino Soft yarn. It took me almost forever to choose colours. I am in love with Dance in the Rain, but unfortunately brown and white will not suite the colour palette of my living room very well. So I decided to leave them out, and pick a fewer shades than offered in the kit. I guess I will go for gray’s and blue’s.
But before I came up with this colour way, I was also thinking about making the whole blanket in one colour only. Its structure is very beautiful, and I am sure in will look just gorgeous in one neutral shade. And you don’t really need to calculate the number of skeins. Luxe kit (Merino Soft - review is HERE) contains 39 balls, and Basic kit (Colour Crafter - review HERE) is made up with 14 skeins. So this amount will be absolutely enough to make a blanket.
Update: in case you would like to compose your own color combination, here is exact amount of each shade you need (for both Merino Soft and Colour Crafter):
Merino Soft :
*************
Main Colour x 9 balls
Colour A x 3 balls
Colour B x 5 balls
Colour C x 3 balls
Colour D x 5 balls
Colour E x 2 balls
Colour F x 3 balls
Colour G x 3 balls
Colour H x 3 balls
Colour I x 3 balls
*************
Main Colour x 9 balls
Colour A x 3 balls
Colour B x 5 balls
Colour C x 3 balls
Colour D x 5 balls
Colour E x 2 balls
Colour F x 3 balls
Colour G x 3 balls
Colour H x 3 balls
Colour I x 3 balls
Colour Crafter:
***************
Main Colour x 3 balls
Colour A x 1 ball
Colour B x 2 balls
Colour C x 1 ball
Colour D x 2 balls
Colour E x 1 ball
Colour F x 1 ball
Colour G x 1 ball
Colour H x 1 ball
Colour I x 1 ball
***************
Main Colour x 3 balls
Colour A x 1 ball
Colour B x 2 balls
Colour C x 1 ball
Colour D x 2 balls
Colour E x 1 ball
Colour F x 1 ball
Colour G x 1 ball
Colour H x 1 ball
Colour I x 1 ball
Well, as I will not order the kit, I will not get all the wonderful goodies (beach bag, stitch markers and other). But… you can't always get what you want, right? So I will silently be jealous for those who will get a heaven’s package full of treats.
Look what a fun picture Scheepjes posted in both groups on Facebook yesterday!! These are actually the kits, ready to be shipped to different parts of the world. I just love to look at this picture and imagine that one of the boxes is for me.
You can order your own kits via Deramores*, Wool Warehouse* (both ship internationally from UK), Paradise Fibers* (US) and in Scheepjes local shops (Benelux).
I still have several wip’s at the moment which need to be finished, but I will definitely finish them before 20th of April. So that my crochet hook, both my hands and my clear head are ready to start Last Dance on the Beach blanket.
Oh yes, since I will not purchase a kit, there will be no donation made from my order. But I will send 2 euros to Mind (in Marinke Slump's (Wink) name) myself. You can do the same if you wish :)
So... It's only left to make an order and wait for the yarn and for the beginning of the CAL. (I am sooooo excited and can't wait!). to be continued...
Don't forget to subscribe to my Newsletter not to miss a single post. And you can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
*This blog post contains affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
I am quite bad at keeping secrets… I mean I do keep them of course, but it takes me so much inner energy and concentration not to tell something I shouldn’t… And when it’s the time to finally break silence – I am always so excited and happy. Like today for example, as I can finally tell you about an upcoming Scheepjes CAL 2016. It was announced a week ago following with a few sneak peeks and a big reveal of a wonderful, gorgeous blanket. This CAL (crochet-a-long) is not just a very beautiful and fun project to make, but it also has a story behind…
This CAL is dedicated to memory of Marinke Slump (Wink) – a talented crochet designer behind A creative being, who tragically passed away last summer. Marinke had been suffering from depression and lost in this battle... Last summer she was working on a new design which was meant to be a new CAL, but it was not finished. Her death became a tragic news for her family, friends and lots and lots of fans who admired (and admire) her work.
With a permission of Marinke’s family Scheepjes decided to finish her design using Wink’s sketches, samples and colour mood boards. Being a part of a Scheepjes Bloggers Group I was also invited to take part in this sensitive project full of feelings, love and care. Each designer created one square block which were joined together in a blanket called Last Dance on the Beach. And this blanket is devoted to the memory of Wink and as a tribute to her creative work.
Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to get acquainted with Marinke in person. But I believe that joining this CAL will help me to connect with her in some way...
This CAL will begin on April 20th and will last for 14 week. Every week a new square will be introduced and each designer will provide help and support for her design in Facebook groups, created especially for the needs of the CAL. Thousands of people have already joined them and continue to join every day. If you would like to be a part of this CAL – please, also check them. There is international group (with English language - HERE) and a separate group for Dutch speaking crafters HERE.
Update: you can download the patterns for each week HERE.
There are three different themes (colorways) offered for Last Dance on the Beach Blanket – Dance in the Sea, Dance in the Rain and Dance Under the Stars. And all three colorways will be available in so called basic and lux kits.
Basic kit is made up of 14 skeins of premium acrylic yarn Colour Crafter and its price is £33.99 / €43,40.
Lux kit contains 39 balls of luxury Merino Soft yarn, Scheepjes olive wooden button, luxury beach bag, Knit Pro stitch markers, embroidery scissors, colour catcher and eucalon. Lux kits will cost £119.99 / €159,90.
Both kits include a €2 charitable donation to Mind in Wink's name. This donation will be paid for each sold kit. But if you would like to use other Shceepjes yarns for this CAL (for example, cotton or cotton blend) you can send donation yourself, if you wish.
Here are the dimensions of the blankets made with both kits. Maybe they will also help you to decide:
Basic kit: 115 cm x 150 cm
45.2 inches x 59.5 inches
3 ft 9 inches x 4ft 11 inches
Lux kit: 130cm x 160 cm
51.1 inches x 62.9 inches
4ft 3 inches x 5ft 2 inches
Kits will be available for purchase on 1st of April (this Friday) HERE on Deramores*, HERE on Wool Warehouse* (both retailers ship internationally), via all Scheepjes stockists, and on Paradise Fibers* (US). There are only 3 weeks left before the CAL begins, so it’s the right time to have a look at yarns, colour charts and decide which kit is right for you. So that you get your yarn on time.
I will also join this CAL and make my own blanket. I was hesitating if I should choose basic or lux kit, but finally decided to go for Merino Soft. If you haven’t tried any of these yarns, maybe my reviews can help you a bit. You can read about Colour Crafter HERE and my own opinion about Merino Soft is HERE.
I decided to use Merino Soft mostly because I already have one blanket (Birthday in Malmö) made with Colour Crafter. This is not ordinary acrylic yarn, it is very soft and if you are not fond of artificial fibres in general, maybe this yarn will help you to change your point of view. Colour Crafter has several advantages and one of them is lower price (in comparison with lux kit), but it doesn’t mean at all that your finished blanket will look cheap. I’ve made one for myself and I am very happy with it.
I still haven’t decided which exactly colours I want to use, as I am truly in love with all of them. This is not an easy choice, indeed. But Dance in the Rain seems to fit interior of my living room the best… But who knows, maybe I will change my mind.
Please, use hashtags #ScheepjesCAL2016, #LastDanceOnTheBeach and #LDOTB for marking your projects on social media. And if you have a Ravelry account, don’t forget to add this project to your Ravelry Queue.
I can’t wait to order yarn and start crocheting!! This will be my first CAL, can you imagine? I will post about my progress regularly, so see you soon!
You can subscribe to my Newsletter not to miss a single post, pattern and tutorial. And you can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
*This blog post contains affiliate links. Thanks for your support!
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