Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
Showing posts with label book review. Show all posts
An exciting mail landed in my mailbox in early March. Both my personal and creative lives were a bit busy last couple of weeks, and I didn’t have a chance to share a review of latest Scheepjes YARN book-a-zine with you. But I can’t wait anymore, as I am so very proud of my new design. And I want the whole world to know about it, haha.
The newest YARN book-a-zine is called “NOW Age”, and it’s already 9th edition. It contains 16 gorgeous crochet and knitting patterns and features work of two artists: Nathalie Wijker and Flora Bowley, and an interview with Job de Bondt (owner of Scheepjes) about sustainability.
As always, the quality of a book-a-zine (designs, pictures, paper, layout) are just magic. And I am happy to be a part of it.
My contribution was Free Flow Shawl designed for a chapter Spiritual. This design is knitting – very unusual for me. As you now, I mostly design crochet. I’ve learned many things, tips&tricks and techniques in past 5 years of professional designing. And I am still challenging myself.
I was asked to create a shawl which would resemble the texture of agate stone. The first time I saw an inspirational board, I thought about knitting short rows immediately. And because I have never tried them before, it seemed like a great chance to add another technique to my skills – both crafting and designing.
It took a while before I figured out the math for a half circle. I chose garter stitch for the short rows, because it makes wraps&turns invisible. Just perfect for beginners in knitting. And Secret Garden yarn* is very forgiving for knitting, because it has irregular texture and can easily hide all “uncertainties” of the gauge.
I should say I love each and every pattern from the latest YARN. And my personal favorites are Chakra Energy Flags by Nerissa of Miss Neriss,
Celestial Mandala by Dedri of Look At What I Made,
and Floral Eclipse Throw by Rachele of Cypress Textiles.
You can have a peek of all designs from NOW Age edition of Scheepjes YARN book-a-zine HERE on Ravelry. And grab your own copy via local Scheepjes stockiest, and international retailers:
Wool Warehouse*, Black Sheep Wools* (UK, international shipping)
Caro’s Atelier *(NL and Europe)
Taemombo (US and Canada)
And in a meanwhile, Scheepjes has launch a brand-new publication “Pretty Little Things”. I’ve got the copy of the first edition just today (luckily post is still working for us).
Maybe I should give a short introduction of what Pretty Little Things are and what they are about. It’s a small paper publication with three small patterns/projects inside. The first one is called Pets and features a Kitty Cat Doorstep (crochet pattern), Goldie the Fish Bag (sewing pattern) and Dog Tooth Jacket (knit pattern).
All three are relatively small and quick to make. And they can become great companions for travels (not actual at the moment, but let’s hope we will be able to travel again very soon!) or just small projects to give a break from current huge wips.
As you can see, Pretty Little Things is a multicraftual publication. In each themed issue which will come out monthly, you’ll discover one knit, one crochet and one craft project, plus the occasional bonus pattern, designed to appeal to crafters looking for a more beginner-friendly, quick or affordable make.
Every edition will also feature Scheepjes yarns (obviously), and both knit and crochet projects in the first one are using Chunky Monkey yarn.
I was intrigued by a mosaic pattern of the Dog Tooth Jacket and grabbed yarn and needles immediately to make a small swatch! It’s been long ago since I tried fair isle knitting last time. Now, looking at the picture, I am not sure what I was doing in the beginning and end of every row. :) Looks like tension is off... YouTube will probably be my best friend next weeks. And why not? Why not to use plenty of time we have right now to master a new technique?
By the way I must say, that Chunky Monkey* is perfect yarn for any kinds of experiments. It gives nice stitch definition, easy to knit and crochet with, and easy to frog!
Pretty Little Things are available from the same retailers as YARN book-a-zine (check links above).
I’ll get back to my knitting swatch, and see you soon!
Subscribe to a newsletter not to miss a single post. You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
The newest YARN book-a-zine is called “NOW Age”, and it’s already 9th edition. It contains 16 gorgeous crochet and knitting patterns and features work of two artists: Nathalie Wijker and Flora Bowley, and an interview with Job de Bondt (owner of Scheepjes) about sustainability.
As always, the quality of a book-a-zine (designs, pictures, paper, layout) are just magic. And I am happy to be a part of it.
My contribution was Free Flow Shawl designed for a chapter Spiritual. This design is knitting – very unusual for me. As you now, I mostly design crochet. I’ve learned many things, tips&tricks and techniques in past 5 years of professional designing. And I am still challenging myself.
I was asked to create a shawl which would resemble the texture of agate stone. The first time I saw an inspirational board, I thought about knitting short rows immediately. And because I have never tried them before, it seemed like a great chance to add another technique to my skills – both crafting and designing.
It took a while before I figured out the math for a half circle. I chose garter stitch for the short rows, because it makes wraps&turns invisible. Just perfect for beginners in knitting. And Secret Garden yarn* is very forgiving for knitting, because it has irregular texture and can easily hide all “uncertainties” of the gauge.
I should say I love each and every pattern from the latest YARN. And my personal favorites are Chakra Energy Flags by Nerissa of Miss Neriss,
Celestial Mandala by Dedri of Look At What I Made,
and Floral Eclipse Throw by Rachele of Cypress Textiles.
You can have a peek of all designs from NOW Age edition of Scheepjes YARN book-a-zine HERE on Ravelry. And grab your own copy via local Scheepjes stockiest, and international retailers:
Wool Warehouse*, Black Sheep Wools* (UK, international shipping)
Caro’s Atelier *(NL and Europe)
Taemombo (US and Canada)
…and Something about Pretty Little Things
And in a meanwhile, Scheepjes has launch a brand-new publication “Pretty Little Things”. I’ve got the copy of the first edition just today (luckily post is still working for us).
Maybe I should give a short introduction of what Pretty Little Things are and what they are about. It’s a small paper publication with three small patterns/projects inside. The first one is called Pets and features a Kitty Cat Doorstep (crochet pattern), Goldie the Fish Bag (sewing pattern) and Dog Tooth Jacket (knit pattern).
All three are relatively small and quick to make. And they can become great companions for travels (not actual at the moment, but let’s hope we will be able to travel again very soon!) or just small projects to give a break from current huge wips.
As you can see, Pretty Little Things is a multicraftual publication. In each themed issue which will come out monthly, you’ll discover one knit, one crochet and one craft project, plus the occasional bonus pattern, designed to appeal to crafters looking for a more beginner-friendly, quick or affordable make.
Every edition will also feature Scheepjes yarns (obviously), and both knit and crochet projects in the first one are using Chunky Monkey yarn.
I was intrigued by a mosaic pattern of the Dog Tooth Jacket and grabbed yarn and needles immediately to make a small swatch! It’s been long ago since I tried fair isle knitting last time. Now, looking at the picture, I am not sure what I was doing in the beginning and end of every row. :) Looks like tension is off... YouTube will probably be my best friend next weeks. And why not? Why not to use plenty of time we have right now to master a new technique?
By the way I must say, that Chunky Monkey* is perfect yarn for any kinds of experiments. It gives nice stitch definition, easy to knit and crochet with, and easy to frog!
Pretty Little Things are available from the same retailers as YARN book-a-zine (check links above).
I’ll get back to my knitting swatch, and see you soon!
Subscribe to a newsletter not to miss a single post. You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
Rachele Carmona, a designer and creative mind behind Cypress Textiles, is a very well known personality in the world of crochet. For her unique style, fusion of geometric shapes, and eye for color. I’ve been following Rachele’s crochet work for a few years now. But only last year I got the chance to meet her for real. That happened at Scheepjes Bloggers Days where Rachele flew all way for the USA to meet other bloggers.
Rachele is a very beautiful and charismatic lady. And so is her crochet art. I say “art” because her crochet blankets are unique and don’t remind anything else. When you talk to her, it feels like her brain is a never stopping machine of creativity. And that she can design a blanket out of the air.
When we met with Rachele, I was working on a new design (which will be revealed very soon, I hope). And I asked her to help me figure out a continuous join of motifs.
In the introduction to her brand new book “The Art of Crochet Blankets” Rachele defines three phases of a journey of an artist:
The book consists of six chapters, each inspired by a wonderful artist in digital art, paper cutting, weaving, fabric design and other. And each chapter presents three stunning crochet blankets inspired by works of these artists. So 18 (!) blankets in total.
You’ll find complete written instructions how to make every blanket, accompanied by detailed crochet charts and layout schematics. When I was browsing though this book I was thinking that these colorful charts look like small pieces of art themselves.
If you have a peak at Rachele’s website and YouTube channel, you’ll see that her crochet work is all about different shapes, asymmetric forms, borders, different kinds of textured motifs and endless ways of their joining.
And her book “The Art of Crochet Blankets” is not about making just particular blankets. It gives an introduction to several crochet techniques together with patterns for multiple motifs and layouts. And combining them in a different way you can create your own unique blankets. This book is one deep source of inspiration.
Inside this one-of-a-kind crochet blanket guide you'll find:
“The Art of Crochet Blankets” is available for purchase on Amazon HERE*.
Disclosure: this blog post contains affiliate links.
Subscribe to a newsletter not to miss a single post. You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
Rachele is a very beautiful and charismatic lady. And so is her crochet art. I say “art” because her crochet blankets are unique and don’t remind anything else. When you talk to her, it feels like her brain is a never stopping machine of creativity. And that she can design a blanket out of the air.
 |
| Boho Desert Blanket by Rachele Carmona. Image credit F+W Media |
When we met with Rachele, I was working on a new design (which will be revealed very soon, I hope). And I asked her to help me figure out a continuous join of motifs.
In the introduction to her brand new book “The Art of Crochet Blankets” Rachele defines three phases of a journey of an artist:
- Phase 1: An Imitation. When you are directly copying existing examples within your craft.
- Phase 2: Ambition. When you are trying to create your own pieces but still draw inspiration from other artists in your craft.
- And Phase 3: Ascension. When you start working completely independently, and your creativity is fused with other art media.
 |
| Sweet Spring blanket by Rachele Carmona. Image credit F+W Media |
The book consists of six chapters, each inspired by a wonderful artist in digital art, paper cutting, weaving, fabric design and other. And each chapter presents three stunning crochet blankets inspired by works of these artists. So 18 (!) blankets in total.
You’ll find complete written instructions how to make every blanket, accompanied by detailed crochet charts and layout schematics. When I was browsing though this book I was thinking that these colorful charts look like small pieces of art themselves.
If you have a peak at Rachele’s website and YouTube channel, you’ll see that her crochet work is all about different shapes, asymmetric forms, borders, different kinds of textured motifs and endless ways of their joining.
 |
| Color Garden crochet blanket. Image credit Rachele Carmona |
And her book “The Art of Crochet Blankets” is not about making just particular blankets. It gives an introduction to several crochet techniques together with patterns for multiple motifs and layouts. And combining them in a different way you can create your own unique blankets. This book is one deep source of inspiration.
Inside this one-of-a-kind crochet blanket guide you'll find:
- Details on how to translate art to hook with 18 bold and unique crochet afghan patterns influenced by the works of their feature artist.
- Modern quilts, fabric designs, tapestry weaving, digital art, and more become the source of one-of-a-kind projects for a more artful home.
- Biographies and beautiful photos profiling 6 inspiring modern makers-- Tula Pink, April Rhodes, Maryanne Moodie, Fransisco Valle, Maud Vantours, and Caitline Dowe-Sandes.
“The Art of Crochet Blankets” is available for purchase on Amazon HERE*.
Disclosure: this blog post contains affiliate links.
Subscribe to a newsletter not to miss a single post. You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
Everyone knows what a granny square is. Even people who are not quite familiar with crochet have seen the granny squares most likely. And granny squares are first thing that comes to our mind when we think of crochet. Our grandmothers and grand grandmothers made them. But as everything else, crochet is developing constantly, and new stitches are born every day. And today granny squares may look very different. Modern and fresh. Granny Square Flair book by Shelley Husband of Spincushions, which was published recently, collects of wonderful selection of such modern and fresh granny squares. And today I would like to share my thoughts about this book.
DISCLOSURE: My copy of Granny Square Flair book arrived on August 28th – just on the day of my birthday. And opening the package delivered from UK felt like a real birthday gift. Shelley Husband sent me a copy of her book for review, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
As already mentioned, Granny Square Flair book includes instructions for 50 modern granny squares. And all of them come in one size: approx. 15cm/6in when made with 8ply/DK/light worsted yarn and a 4mm (G) hook, if your tension is average. There are also suggestions given on how to adjust the size and make squares larger or smaller.
Before jumping to patterns’ instructions it might be helpful to study several chapters about different types of yarn and hooks, joining methods and pattern notes. I just love Shelley’s seamless tips – something new to learn and use in my own designing work.
Each pattern in placed on a separate page in the book together with written round-by-round instructions, a chart, a picture of a finished square (I love the idea of showing off all squares in one off-white color) and several colorful version with different shades.
Although I prefer to crochet with charts whenever possible, I found some of them to be difficult to read. Because of several layers being used at the same time. For these complex squares I would choose to follow written instructions (and they are easy to understand) with partial referral to the charts. In general I would say Flair book is perfect for both beginners and advanced crocheters, as everyone will find something for himself.
I couldn’t help myself and tried my hook on Iron Lace square. Isn’t its texture lovely?
Next chapter of Granny Square Flair book is not less exciting as it shows 11 crochet projects made with granny squares listed in the book. I honestly love all of them, but because recently I am all about gradient and variegated yarn, my absolute favourites are Melbourne Wrap and Dahlia Scarf.
Melbourne Wrap was made by Shelley with my own colorway of Our Tribe yarn by Scheepjes*.
And Dahlia Scarf uses two skeins of Our Tribe yarn in shade Haak Maar Raak.
Finally Shelley Husband suggests tips for how to design your own crochet projects using granny squares: how to choose yarn, patterns and layout. And how to estimate approx. yardages for a project.
In the very end of the Granny Square Flair book you will find a complete Glossary with all crochet stitches used in the patterns, their descriptions and explanation of symbols from the charts.
The book is available as a hardcopy ($29.99) and as E-book ($14.99). If you’re in Australia, you can purchase the book directly through Shelley’s website (if you want to support crochet designers, please consider buying from them directly!) If you’re located elsewhere, you can find the book through other retailers such as:
Amazon.com* (paperback)
Amazon.co.uk (paperback)
Barnes & Nobles (paperback)
Bookdepository (paperback)
You can purchase the PDF E-book from Shelley’s website, too (link is listed above, just scroll down a little bit), no matter where you are located.
Shelley has kindly gifted one hardcopy of Granny Square Flair book for a giveaway. If you would like to win it, please, comment below this post with an answer to a simple question:
Are you enjoying making granny squares? And why?
For an additional entry, please, follow lillabjorncrochet and Spincushions on Instagram, then come back to my blog and leave another comment here. The giveaway will run through September 24th, 2018, and a happy winner will be picked randomly and announced here on the same day. Good luck everyone!
________________________________________________________________________
UPDATE: the Giveaway is closed now! thank you very much for participation and lovely comments.
The winner was chosen randomly and it's Arja with comment: "I love making granny's and even the weaving ends when i finished one. You van make beautiful things with it als: pillows/blankets/bags/coasters/cardigans/sweaters and even à dress. It is endless, but in the end i just love à pile of granny's". Dear Arja, please, contact me for more details about your prize :)
________________________________________________________________________
Subscribe to a newsletter not to miss a single post. You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
“Making crochet squares is gratifying in so many ways. They give you a sense of achievement, since you can complete a square easily in one sitting. You get to do a little happy dance every time you finish one.” Shelley Husband
DISCLOSURE: My copy of Granny Square Flair book arrived on August 28th – just on the day of my birthday. And opening the package delivered from UK felt like a real birthday gift. Shelley Husband sent me a copy of her book for review, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.
What’s inside Granny Square FLAIR book?
As already mentioned, Granny Square Flair book includes instructions for 50 modern granny squares. And all of them come in one size: approx. 15cm/6in when made with 8ply/DK/light worsted yarn and a 4mm (G) hook, if your tension is average. There are also suggestions given on how to adjust the size and make squares larger or smaller.
Before jumping to patterns’ instructions it might be helpful to study several chapters about different types of yarn and hooks, joining methods and pattern notes. I just love Shelley’s seamless tips – something new to learn and use in my own designing work.
Each pattern in placed on a separate page in the book together with written round-by-round instructions, a chart, a picture of a finished square (I love the idea of showing off all squares in one off-white color) and several colorful version with different shades.
Although I prefer to crochet with charts whenever possible, I found some of them to be difficult to read. Because of several layers being used at the same time. For these complex squares I would choose to follow written instructions (and they are easy to understand) with partial referral to the charts. In general I would say Flair book is perfect for both beginners and advanced crocheters, as everyone will find something for himself.
I couldn’t help myself and tried my hook on Iron Lace square. Isn’t its texture lovely?
Next chapter of Granny Square Flair book is not less exciting as it shows 11 crochet projects made with granny squares listed in the book. I honestly love all of them, but because recently I am all about gradient and variegated yarn, my absolute favourites are Melbourne Wrap and Dahlia Scarf.
Melbourne Wrap was made by Shelley with my own colorway of Our Tribe yarn by Scheepjes*.
 |
| Photo by Jo O’Keefe |
And Dahlia Scarf uses two skeins of Our Tribe yarn in shade Haak Maar Raak.
 |
| Photo by Jo O’Keefe |
Finally Shelley Husband suggests tips for how to design your own crochet projects using granny squares: how to choose yarn, patterns and layout. And how to estimate approx. yardages for a project.
In the very end of the Granny Square Flair book you will find a complete Glossary with all crochet stitches used in the patterns, their descriptions and explanation of symbols from the charts.
Where to Buy
The book is available as a hardcopy ($29.99) and as E-book ($14.99). If you’re in Australia, you can purchase the book directly through Shelley’s website (if you want to support crochet designers, please consider buying from them directly!) If you’re located elsewhere, you can find the book through other retailers such as:
Amazon.com* (paperback)
Amazon.co.uk (paperback)
Barnes & Nobles (paperback)
Bookdepository (paperback)
You can purchase the PDF E-book from Shelley’s website, too (link is listed above, just scroll down a little bit), no matter where you are located.
GIVEAWAY
Shelley has kindly gifted one hardcopy of Granny Square Flair book for a giveaway. If you would like to win it, please, comment below this post with an answer to a simple question:
Are you enjoying making granny squares? And why?
For an additional entry, please, follow lillabjorncrochet and Spincushions on Instagram, then come back to my blog and leave another comment here. The giveaway will run through September 24th, 2018, and a happy winner will be picked randomly and announced here on the same day. Good luck everyone!
________________________________________________________________________
UPDATE: the Giveaway is closed now! thank you very much for participation and lovely comments.
The winner was chosen randomly and it's Arja with comment: "I love making granny's and even the weaving ends when i finished one. You van make beautiful things with it als: pillows/blankets/bags/coasters/cardigans/sweaters and even à dress. It is endless, but in the end i just love à pile of granny's". Dear Arja, please, contact me for more details about your prize :)
________________________________________________________________________
Subscribe to a newsletter not to miss a single post. You can also follow me on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram.
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