Book Review and Giveaway -- The Finer Edge by Kristin Omdahl

Interweave/F+ W Media ; $22.95

Kristin Omdahl is one of my favorite crochet designers!  When I first got going with designing, she was one of the first designers I'd heard of, so she holds a special place in my designing history!

She has a new book out! It is called "The Finer Edge: Crocheted Trims, Motifs & Borders".  It is full of great ideas for edgings, which can be a nice way to dress up your crochet projects.  However, you can also use them for other things!  Think towels, fabric blankets, tablecloths, curtains...  What can you think of to do with them?

My favorite edgings are Textured Waves (p. 13), Tiered Offset Shells in Rows (p. 19), and Superior Flower (p. 24), which you can see on the cover.  It is the darker blue edging closest to the right side of the picture, between the purple and light green ones.  It is also the edging used in the "Persepolis Top", one of my favorite projects from the book.

Interweave/F+W Media

Isn't that beautiful?!  I could definitely wear this -- and maybe even in the summer time!  I'd love to have more crochet to wear in the warm months.

I love that Kristin came up with all these spectacular edgings, but I also love that she gives us these great ideas of what to do with them.  Who'd have thought to use an edging to decorate the front of a top?!

Another of my favorites is the "Petra Skirt".  This one actually uses one of the edgings to make the entire skirt.  This is so lovely!  I'd love to wear this over a pair of leggings.

Interweave/F+W Media

There are edgings worked from the outside-in, from the inside-out, and from side-to-side, so that you can find one that meets your needs.  There are also some edgings that use motifs.  Every edging includes a symbol chart and written instructions.  All of the projects include written instructions and most include symbol charts.  Those that don't have charts are based so much on the edgings that you can go back to the chart for the edging to go from.  There are schematics for the garments as well.  All very nicely done.

I love this book and I am so happy to have it in my crochet library.  Thanks to the publishers, Interweave/F+W Media, one lucky reader will get to add it to his/her library as well, because they sent me two of them!

Please leave a comment below or tweet a link to this blog post @BananaMoonStdio to enter.  You can get an entry for a comment, and one for a tweet, so you could have 2 entries if you do both.  I'll draw a winner on the morning of Thurs. June 20th and announce it here, on my Facebook page, and on Twitter.

Happy stitching!
April

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
P.S.- I was told by a few folks that wanted to comment that they were not able to do so without a Google+ account.  I hadn't realized that I had things set up that way, but I think that I have managed to fix it.  However, in doing so it erased the comments already made, but please do not worry.  I have already made a note of the names of those that commented before I changed it, and you WILL be included in the drawing!

Tornado Crochet Hook

Photo by Jim Price, used with permission.

Jimbo Price of Washington state has made a beautiful and very special crochet hook that is up for bids now.  This hook was made from a piece of a pecan tree that fell victim to the disastrous tornado that swept through Moore, OK on May 20, just last month.  The proceeds of this and a few other sales will be donated 100% to benefit the victims of the tornadoes in Oklahoma.  The hook pictured above, which is an I, is up for bids on his blog now.  Bidding ends on Friday morning.  Please share this far and wide!

I have a set of Jimbo's hooks from F all the way up through K, including a hard-to-find size 7.  I LOVE his hooks!  They are by far my favorites.  They are beautiful and comfortable to work with.  I use them for every project!  Go check out his blog to read more about this hook!

Happy bidding!
April

Going in Circles

So, you've learned the very basics of crochet.  How to chain.  How to single crochet and double crochet.  You want to make hats, round potholders, rugs, round blankets, shawls, and dishcloths.  How do you do it?

There are four basic ways to begin a circle.

First - the chain loop.  The more you chain, the bigger the hole in the middle.  4 Chains is typical for a minimal hole in the middle.  If you actually want a hole in the middle, then the sky's the limit.

Begin by chaining 4.  Then, insert your hook in the first chain you made, yarn over, pull through the chain and the loop on your hook.

To work single crochet into your chain loop, ch 1 to start.  If you plan to work double crochet into your loop, you can chain 2 or 3.

Youtube Video Here  

Second - working into a slip knot.  Begin by making a slip knot and placing it on your hook.  Loosen it up a little, yarn over, pull that yarnover through the slip knot.  Chain 1 for single crochet, chain 2 or 3 for double crochet.  Then you insert your hook back into the slip knot to work your stitches.  

When you have finished working all the stitches of your first round, you can pull your beginning tail tight to close up the hole in the middle.  Technically you aren't supposed to tie knots in your crochet, but I always knot the beginning tail as close to the project as possible, so that the center doesn't loosen up.  (Shame on me!)

Youtube Video Here

Third - the adjustable ring.  This one is fairly popular lately.  Begin by wrapping your yarn around the first one or two fingers of your hook hand, leaving at least a 6 in./15cm tail.  holding the ring closed with your other hand, slide it off your fingers.

Insert the hook through the ring where the tail and ring overlap.  Wrap the yarn around your hook and pull up a loop through the adjustable ring.  Chain 1 for single crochet, chain 2 or 3 for double crochet.

Work stitches by inserting hook into ring so that you work each stitch over both the ring and the tail.  When you have finished all the stitches of your first round, pull the tail to close up the center.  Again, I tie a "forbidden" knot here to hold it closed.

Youtube Video Here

Fourth - working into your first chain.  You can chain 2 if you plan to work in single crochet, or chain 3 or 4 if you plan to work in double crochet.  Then insert your hook into the first chain you made and work your stitches all into that chain.  As with using a slip knot or an adjustable ring, you can pull your tail to tighten this up.  (I don't have a video or picture tutorial for this one yet.  I'll post here when it's available, but it will be at least a week).

If you want your circle to lay flat, as opposed to ruffling or making a cone shape, then work 6 single crochet or 12 double crochet in the first round, at the end you can insert your hook back into your first stitch, or your turning chain, and work a slip stitch to join them into a circle.  You can work in spirals without joining by just putting the next stitch directly into the top of your first stitch.  I recommend following a pattern on how many and how/if to join at the end of the round if you are not an intermediate to advanced crocheter.  Or if you just want to play around, experiment, or otherwise walk on the wild side with your crochet, do whatever your fiber-loving heart desires!

Enjoy going in circles!

April
http://ravelry.com/stores/Banana-Moon-Studio

Handmade Tornado

I live in Oklahoma.  Many of you have seen on the news the reports of last week's devastating tornadoes.  I have to drive about 25 miles or 30 minutes to get to Moore from my house -- not too far.  The day before the Moore tornado there was one that formed closer to our home, and did some damage just a little ways east of here.  We were hiding in our in-ground tornado shelter when the sirens went off here.  That shelter was a Christmas present from us, to us this past year.  As a result, this has been the most peaceful storm season EVER for me, and I've lived here for 25 years (however, my home has never been damaged by a tornado).

Tornadoes are a given here in Oklahoma.  They happen every Spring, and occasionally at other times of year as well.  Many people would wonder why we stay here, given that.  I would have to say that it's because of the people.  There are so many good, friendly, kind, generous people here in Oklahoma, and many conservative Christians, which we like because we are conservative Christians as well.  Everyone I know that moves here from out of state tells me that the people here in Oklahoma are the nicest they've met anywhere.  It also helps that this is home for me.  I've been in the Oklahoma City metro area since I was in the 3rd grade.  I love it here!

Our family was headed out of town the morning of the Moore tornado.  My husband was making a trip for work and for the first time, we took the whole family along.  We were driving to a very small town in Texas called Sonora.  We drove south on I-35 which took us through Moore and through Norman, the college town where Mr. AC and I met.  It was sunny, and everything looked just fine there.  It was later that afternoon that my Facebook newsfeed, which I was looking at on my husband's cell phone, started telling me that things were not right back at home.  I called my sister to have her explain to me what was happening.

It was a hard week to be away.  Our hearts were aching to be home so that we could be to help and to be a part of it all.  Not that we wanted to feel sad, exactly, but we were sad, and we knew that others here at home would be feeling what we were feeling.  Going home on Thursday we drove back through Moore and were amazed to see the change.

This past Sunday I was helping clean up in Moore, along with many other members of our church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and along with many other people from various organizations.  I was sent to a city park in Moore to help pile up debris so that the city can more easily clean it up with various loaders and tractors, and such.  I spent several hours that day cleaning debris out of a pond.

Photo by Suzanne Wolfe, my sister, who was also helping.

We were using metal rakes to pull the debris out of the water and then we would load it into these sled-like things and haul it up the hill to dump onto a pile of debris.  Then trudge back down the hill and start over again.  We were very blessed with a good enough wind to cool us off, and to help blow the debris to shore so that no one had to wade in to get it out.

While I was cleaning this debris I found two handmade items among the wood, broken plastic, dead fish, etc.  One of them was a crocheted potholder.  Strangely, the final end was not woven in.  Otherwise it was finished.  I wondered if it was nearly finished when the tornado came and the maker did not get to weave in the end.  I wondered if the tornado managed to rip the end out.  The other handmade item I found was the half-completed needlepoint snowflake in the top picture.

Finding these things got me thinking about what handmade treasures I would lose if a tornado tore my home and life apart.  It would be awful to lose the precious quilts made by my grandmother, mom, and mother-in-law.  What about all of the things I've made myself?  My wedding gown which my mom made?  Many things are replaceable, but those things are definitely not.  So sad.  I don't think it's likely that anyone reading this will know to whom this snowflake belongs, but if you do, please comment to let me know so that I can return it to its owner!

I am so proud to live in a great state of kind people.  The response has been huge!  So many people are helping with the effort to clean up and help.  Helpful, kind, loving people have also been pouring in from all over the country to help.  It is amazing how many ways people are finding to help, and how many people have traveled for hours to come lift spirits and clean up.  Well done, America!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

On a more cheerful note let's find out who won the free book, Free-Spirit Shawls, from last week's blog post!

The winner is....  Laura Wolfe!

Laura, please send an email with your address to bananamoonstudio @ gmail.com. I will give your address to the publisher and they will send you the book!  If you didn't win, you can find the book for sale on Amazon and at the Interweave Store.

Happy Stitching everyone!

April

Announcement!

Exciting announcement today!  I am working on an e-book.  I will be self-publishing this e-book that you won't want to miss!

A couple months ago I was listening to Marly Bird's Yarn Thing Podcast.  She was interviewing Rohn Strong.  He was talking about his publishing e-books and I thought, hmm, I could do that, I want to do that!  I got excited about the idea and started writing down my ideas about what to make, what to call it, what yarn to use, etc.

I had been in the process of evaluating where I was with my design career, where I wanted to go, and where I had time to go.  I of course would love to be the super-designer, but I am limited on how much time I can spend designing and stitching, because my 4 little girls take up so much of my time.  This idea of self-publishing an e-book really felt right.

Above is the only sneak peak I am giving.  I am sitting on the couch, crocheting in my jammies.

I will be so very happy to show and tell the designs when the e-book is ready!  For now I am very excited that the very good yarn companies I have asked to support my e-book have agreed, and that I have two tech editors in place to help me make sure this is a collection of high-quality crochet patterns.

Can't wait!

April

Book Review: Free-Spirit Shawls

Interweave/F+W Media; $24.95

I have the pleasure of telling you about a fantastic book by Lisa Shroyer, editor of Knitscene magazine. The book is Free-Spirit Shawls, a collection of knit shawls in various shapes and sizes.  I am so excited that Interweave sent me this book to review because I am in love with shawls, and I've been improving my knitting skills, and there are some beautiful projects in this book!

You should also be excited that they sent it to me, because I get to give away a FREE copy of it to one lucky reader!  Details on that in a minute.

Hands down my favorite project in the book is Rhoeas, by Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark.  I will make this shawl!

Photo by Joe Hancock

My other favorites are Cimarron by Alexis Winslow, Framework, which is also by Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark, Lindsay (the shawl on the cover) by Tabetha Hedrick, and Glen Lennox by Kate Gagnon Osborn.  I'm actually planning to cast-on Glen Lennox to take with me on a trip soon as my project to work on while travelling.  I'm using some very luscious Plymouth Baby Alpaca Worsted in #100 natural that Mr. AC got me for our anniversary this year.  It will be glorious to wear!  This will also be my first knit project with a cable.  Lets hope it goes well!

Have you seen the book?  Which projects are your favorites?  Have you started any?

There are so many great shawls in this book, but that isn't all that's great about it.  There is a section about how to wear your shawl, so that you can try out other ideas besides the traditional.  There are sections that discuss different shawl shapes and types of construction, which is great for me since I hope to get into knit design someday.  There is also a "Techniques" section in the back with some explanations about cast-ons and bind-offs that will be really helpful to me, being that I am still pretty new to knitting.

Really, if you love knitting and wearing shawls, you won't want to miss out on this fabulous book!  I am so glad that it is in my crafting library!

Now, for the chance to add it to your crafting library, for FREE, courtesy of Interweave/F+W Media.  You can enter the drawing by leaving a comment here on my blog or by tweeting a link to the blog post @BananaMoonStdio so that I can see it.  You can earn one entry for a blog comment and one for a tweet, for a total of up to 2 entries per person.  In one week I'll draw a random winner and announce it here, on Twitter, and on my Facebook page -- on Thurs. May 30th .  Good luck!

Happy Stitching!

April

Craftsy Free Class Day!

Saturday May 18th only, new members at Craftsy can get a FREE class!  If Craftsy succeeds in giving away 10,000 classes, they will donate $5,000 to Donors Choose, to help fund arts education in public schools throughout the US.  When you sign up you will get to choose a free class, up to a $39.99 value! Craftsy classes are awesome!  I've taken most of their free mini-classes, and started two of the longer classes, and they have all been great!  Today is the perfect day to try them out!

Happy learning!

April