Welcome to Entrepreneur of the Month, where I share, discuss, and generally brag on a crafter turned business-owner that has inspired me during my handmade business journey, and at the end, I pick their brain with a short Q&A. Are you also chasing this dream? If so, tune in!
Note: this pattern is now a Ravelry download, just $4! You guys!!! I have a super fun pattern published in the most recent (July 2017) issue of Simply Crochet Magazine. Scheepjes teamed up with the popular crochet magazine to create a Shawl Special, an insert with five beautiful shawl patterns by some of the talented Scheepjes bloggers. It is a total honor to be included with such talented ladies as Esther of Happy in Red, Carmen of Crafty Queens, Nerissa of Miss Neriss, and Esther of It’s All in a Nutshell. (Buy this issue here to see the shawl special and more!!) So here it is! My Coastal Garden shawl all laid out. It’s like a mix of a rectangle and a vortex shape. A couple of close-ups coming up. This was actually my first shawl ever (I had to convince myself it’s really just a small blanket lol!) and the first time I blocked anything also. Blocking was actually really fun! My husband bought me that foam puzzle piece flooring – 4 large squares that piece …
Who remembers that Sesame Street song??? I just knew it would be on YouTube, and yep! Go ahead… you know you wanna watch it 🙂 Today I’m getting into this spirit by turning some (111!) squares that I made last year into 2 blankets for my little cousins on their birthday. They’re 4 years apart, but born on the same day! Wowzers! Here are some old photos of the squares I’m using today. They are the extra pattern tester squares, photo model squares, etc.. from the Vibrant Vintage CAL that I hosted in 2016 using Stylecraft Special DK (affiliate) – All 33 square designs are represented here and I love these squares enough to frog all the edging and joining and give them new life as a pair of birthday blankets. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• Here is what my living room looks like at the moment: I’ve frogged most of the edging and joining of the squares that were previously joined up for tutorials and what-not. 48 of the squares have a DC round of edging already on them. …
Pattern is now available! On Ravelry, Craftsy, and LoveKnitting (coming soon!) See the blog post for this design for more info on the backstory of the name, and the recommended yarns. All yarns that I used for the sample are listed in the pattern. Enjoy making this 5ft mandala blanket and meditating in the center! Perfection! Oooh the issue of exercise and weight and food and body image and wrinkly tummy skin and junk in the proverbial trunk. We all go through these struggles in one way or another, and Namaste Chunky is my way of saying I accept and love my body and all its curves. It’s like “so are you doing yoga to lose weight?” – “Umm, Namaste Chunky – I just love yoga.” 😁 And I do love yoga! Doing Yoga with Adriene at night has been a life changer. If you really listen to what she says and balance, and actually “focus on your breathing” and lay on the floor when you’re done, just staring at the ceiling, I promise you …
Find my Hearthside crochet blanket pattern in an ad-free, easy to print PDF for a small fee on: Ravelry // Craftsy // Etsy Or scroll down for the free pattern! Hearthside is also featured on AllFreeCrochet.com AND on AllFreeCrochetAfghanPatterns.com. Sign up for their free newsletter to get free patterns sent to you daily! Kaelyn of iiirdwind (on Etsy, Instagram, Facebook) has graciously finished her eye-catching sample blanket to test my free Hearthside pattern, and what a beauty! She has also provided all of the breathtaking photos for this post. Thank you, Kaelyn! When Scheepjes added solid colors to their Secret Garden line, I positively had to have all of them. And what’re a bunch of solid colors missing? A bunch of variegated colors of course. More is more and less is a bore, right?!? (Shop Secret Garden: LoveKnitting (US), WoolWarehouse (UK), KnottyHouse (CA) ❤️)* You can read about my love for Secret Garden yourself, but I will say it’s like working with a special handspun yarn. Every stitch is a joy, and I cannot wait to release this free pattern to you lovely …
Find this pattern on Craftsy, Ravelry, and LoveKnitting (soon)! This magic flying carpet will brighten anyone’s day! And the pattern is interesting enough that you’ll be just as happy to make it as you will to gift it. Blanket measures 38x52in without tassels. Work in DK weight yarn and smaller hooks for a smaller blanket. Read more about this unique piece and the yarn you can use at the FO Reveal post ❤️ Enjoy this pattern you guys! I have made 35 of these during the 3-4 years that I did custom work, and each one was special. I know yours will be too! The Magic Carpet phenomenon This post is about an awkwardly constructed magic carpet that I made one time about four years ago, which would turn out to become one of my most requested custom items… If you guys have ever had a project that you didn’t think was that great but it got a lot of online attention, then you know what I mean. Here is the very first “magic carpet” …
When the famous Marianne Dekkers-Roos wants to send you a copy of her new book to review, you shout YES!! and wait patiently for it to arrive. Find “Colorful Crochet” at Amazon, Target, and read more on Google Books. I love it so much and am proud to share more about it! Marianne has created some adorable projects with a range of what I call the “TV Factor.” Some projects are perfect to work on in front of the TV, and some are better worked while listening to an audiobook… I know y’all get it!! Well these book’s projects definitely have a Netflix binge sesh in their future. Here’s my fave: the Puff Scarf ❤️❤️ If you’ve even seen one post on IG from @marretjeroos then you know color is going to play a huge part in this book – and you’d be right! The color is spectacular, but not tacky or over the top. My favorite solid color piece: the Hexagon Shawl “Ursula” – what a beauty! And my favorite colorful design: the “Merry-Go-Round” …
The Rebecca Mobius Scarf free pattern is finally here! Create this elegant striping by alternating from inside and outside of a Scheepjes Whirl cake in Blueberry Bambam, or use any of the gorgeous colorways for a totally different look. Check out my review of Scheepjes Whirl to see all the deets and where to cop. This is the perfect project if you’re trying to make something that will be appreciated by anyone. There is an alternate version without the beads to widen the wearability even more. The scarf uses about half of the cake, so grab one and make two! You might remember a while back I was playing around with a new cake of Scheepjes Whirl in BlueBerry Bambam, and decided to make a beaded scarf. Check out my review of Whirl for all the details! Well that scarf turned into the Rebecca Möbius Scarf, named after my 10 year-old because she ended up loving the blue colorway. I pre-strung the beads, and worked alternating from the inside and the outside of the cake. It was …
I recently received a shipment of yarn from Scheepjes Yarns, and I cannot stop brainstorming projects with this giant stash of Stone Washed and Stone Washed XL. Scheepjes was generous enough to provide one in every color. I made some yarn pegs to play palette mixer later, and then got to work designing. I truly love this yarn! Find Stonewashed and its XL buddy at LoveKnitting* (US), WoolWarehouse* (UK), and KnottyHouse* (CA), and other Scheepjes retailers. Trust me, you can put 10 random colors in your shopping cart and it’ll make a smashing palette. Obviously I’ve said this a hundred times, but this may be my favorite Scheepjes yarn… I’m swooning over my own photographs of it while putting together this post, and that’s saying something! If you’re wondering the difference between the original and XL versions, check out these two. They’re both the “Enstatite” color and it’s easy to see the thickness comparison. While the yarns look pretty much the same, the content is actually slightly different. Check out the ball bands on this …
When I got my hands on Scheepjes Spirit yarn, I knew it was something special. It has a beautiful “halo” about it like a wool yarn, but it is actually a cotton blend. And the subtle monochrome color changes are to die for. I love it so much I have to tell you all about it! Worked with these beauties this week and snapped a candid pic of them spilling out of my yarn bag ❤️❤️❤️ And then a posed shot: US shoppers can find Spirit at LoveKnitting* for free shipping on orders over $60, international shoppers can find it at WoolWarehouse* with free delivery to the UK on orders over £25, and as always, it is available at other Scheepjes retailers. Look at the gorgeous color range – and all of the yarns are named after animals (as in Spirit Animal!) I’m loving Grasshopper ❤️ The deets: Fiber Content: 56% Cotton, 46% Acrylic Needle size 1: 3.5 mm Needle size 2: 4 mm Ball weight: 50 gram Length: 210 meter Gauge: 22 stitches, 30 needles …
Scheepjes Yarns has come out with the third volume of their YARN Book-azine, the Tropical Issue. And I cannot wait to show you my contribution! I’m so proud to be included in a group of such talented designers. When I saw the first two YARN volumes, the Sea Issue and Midnight Garden, I knew I wanted to be a part of this incredible project. Flipping through these beautiful volumes never gets old. Check them out at WoolWarehouse.com*. First, the Sea Issue… Then, Midnight Garden… And now, the Tropical Issue! You can hop over to Ravelry and take a peek at all of the designs in the new Tropical Issue. I’ve chosen a couple of my favorites to show you here: the Piña Colada shawl by Nerissa Muijs, and the Cactus Puzzle Balls by Dedri Uys. The design I made for this issue is the “Amazon Blanket” seen on the cover above at the bottom-right corner, and here in the following fantastically styled photos: You can imagine my glowing pride for my piece to be included …
My Cottontail Blanket pattern calls for a super squishy bulky yarn – Scheepjes Roma Big* – which is worked up into a cute and simple piece featuring rows of plush bobbles that look like little bunny tails. Buy Scheepjes Roma Big at WoolWarehouse*! I’m not kidding when I say I’ve never worked with a yarn this chunky, but when I started drafting pattern designs for my upcoming book, I got a picture in my mind that a thick yarn would be perfect for this certain project. A quick search landed me on Scheepjes Roma Big. What a beauty!! I can describe it as a soft rope. It’s got great structure and beautiful stitch definition. Not too fuzzy, but not too smooth, and a fairly matte finish. Situated with some other Scheepjes yarns for scale: Catona 25g | Cotton 8 | Bloom | Softfun Denim | Stone Washed | Colour Crafter | Roma Big – Shop them at WoolWarehouse! Details Yarn Weight – Super Chunky Ball Weight – 220 grams Length – 132 metres Needle Size …
Hi, y’all! Since late 2012 when I began designing crochet blanket patterns, I have gotten oodles of feedback, but had little time to implement updates. So this year is all about designing new patterns and taking time to update old ones. I’m even having them tested to make them more “user-friendly” for you lovely crafters. The first pattern is Desert Bloom – one of my favorites! Here is the original Desert Bloom Blanket. The border still gives me heart eyes. Did you know that Desert Bloom was based on a dress belonging to my middle daughter? Take a look at the quick preliminary sketch and the inspiration dress: And check out some Desert Blooms that pop up in the #DesertBloomBlanket Instagram hashtag… Now these are some real beauties! The color alterations and craftsmanship – it is an honor to have such beautiful pieces made from my patterns. ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• There’s just something about those flowers, and mixing motifs in the design takes it to another level. I mentioned I’m having this pattern tested, and …
Bernaette Ambergen is a textile artist who designs and creates some absolutely beautiful wearable art. Find her as “Berniolie” on Facebook (profile pictured above) and Instagram, and shop her stunning patterns on Etsy and Ravelry. I just have to start this feature with a snapshot of my favorite WIP project of hers: a scrappy hexagon piece that caught my eye on Instagram. She is using Scheepjes Invicta Colour yarn, and I love how the color changes are shown off in the pattern. Of course a colorful scrappy hexagon would easily draw my attention! It speaks my language! Color + Geometry = LOVE Then, when I started to follow Bernadette on Instagram, I quickly noticed that she seems to churn our these breathtaking shawls and other wearables, with beautiful lace patterns, each one so unique. Lace has never been my strong suit, and I think that’s what really makes me admire her work. Just check out her Ravelry page. I had to take a screenshot of her designs… What a brilliant collection of shawls! So many patterns to …
(Featured photo by Simy Somer) Sing it with me now! Hygge chaka, hygge-hygge-hygge chaka! The #ScheepjesCAL2017 has begun! February 15 marked the day everyone dove hooks first into their BEAUTIFUL Scheepjes Hygge Kits*. It’s also my wedding anniversary, but I am completely disctracted looking through the Hygge Instagram posts… The abundance of showoff photos that I have for you today will really let the Hygge Kits and WIPs shine. Information So this is basically a Hygge photo drool-fest, but first: some info! Browse lush Hygge Kits internationally at WoolWarehouse.com*. (I’ve been told these are the most complete CAL Kits ever released!) Hygge CAL creator, Haak Maar Raak, has a blog post with all the important CAL info – including the answer to “what does Hygge mean???” It’s All in a Nutshell – CAL videos! Yessssssssss ❤ Hygge comes in 3 main color packs (see photo at top of post) and a special edition pack, “Danish Mermaid” – swoooooooon! Kit Palettes Full color palettes – yarns are Stone Washed* and Catona* Kit Pics There are some beautiful …
