Author: Rachele Carmona

Creative Clarity, Episode 5: Phase 3 of the Artist’s Journey and The Courage to Create Something New

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Hello, fellow crafter! Today I have the fourth episode of Creative Clarity ready for you. As a lifelong creative, I know there are a wide variety of barriers, blocks, and struggles in the life of an artist, and whether you are a hobbyist or a career artist, they can stop you from being your best creative self. Every month, the Creative Clarity series will share knowledge, tips, and know-how to help you overcome these obstacles and deepen your practice. Creative Clarity is not written specifically for crochet artists; rather, it will benefit any type of creator who is looking to cultivate a thriving creative practice. But, we all know that I’m a crochet blanket designer, so for my crochet peeps, each post in this series has a relevant free crochet pattern released in the same month, so you can channel the energy of the Creative Clarity series into a fresh project. I am super excited to share this with you, and my goal is for you to have at least one ah-ha moment in every …

Book Report No. 5: Keith Haring: The Political Line, by Dieter Buchhart and Others

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2698 words // 14min read time Before I begin – see what’s left in the blanket sale! Hello, fellow creative! Today, I’m going to share a book review/report with you. I look forward to sharing many titles in these reports and connecting them to my Creative Journey Series. I believe as creatives it is so important for us to study the works of others, and use the creative tools that other artists have provided. Seeing the field of art through many perspectives and lenses is crucial to growing ourselves as artists. Whether you purchase these books second-hand, or check them out from a library, I can say that I recommend perusing them, taking them in, and processing their contents. Sometimes I will review a book that is written by an author who means to help us with our art, and sometimes I will review a curated art book that has a few editors and focuses on the artworks of a certain artist. In both cases, there is something to be learned and inspiration to be …

Snag Some Cozy: Finished Blanket Sale Now Live!

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Hello, gorgeous crafter! Today I have for you some blankets from my Sample Sale! I have been a busy bee finishing up some of my prototype samples and have made them available for you to choose from. These are art blankets, but they are also easy care on cool gentle settings, so they can actually be used for snuggling under. Note: All pieces are blocked before shipping. So if you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind handmade blanket and zero wait time? I’m clearing out my collection of finished designs. This is the real deal, ready to ship. Each blanket is soft, stunning, and made with love. When they’re gone, they’re gone, so if something catches your eye, grab it before it gets cuddled away! To make a purchase, the PayPal buttons are underneath the pricing. If you would like to pay with another method, email me at cypresstextiles@gmail.com and I can chat with you about payment. I hope you enjoy browsing!

The Creative Journey, Part 8: The Power of Finding Your Unique Voice

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3097 words // 16min read time Hello, lovely crafter! Today, I’m releasing Part 8 of 12 of the Creative Journey Series. I am so proud of this series, as it’s a deep dive into the life cycle of the creative art experience. I hope you will read the tips and insights, and decide where you are in the journey, gleaning any help that you can to guide you through to the next step. Head to the main page if you’re just jumping in and you want to start from the top. Enjoy! – [Crochet Pattern Shown: The Colour Lab Blanket]

The Creative Journey, Part 7: Surviving the Burnout Phases

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3128 words // 17min read time Hello, lovely crafter! Today, I’m releasing Part 7 of 12 of the Creative Journey Series. I am so proud of this series, as it’s a deep dive into the life cycle of the creative art experience. I hope you will read the tips and insights, and decide where you are in the journey, gleaning any help that you can to guide you through to the next step. Head to the main page if you’re just jumping in and you want to start from the top. Enjoy! – [Crochet Pattern Shown: The Gumdrop Garden Blanket]

Book Report No. 4: Alma Thomas, by Ian Berry

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2378 words // 13min read time Hello, fellow creative! Today, I’m going to share a book review/report with you. I look forward to sharing many titles in these reports and connecting them to my Creative Journey Series. I believe as creatives it is so important for us to study the works of others, and use the creative tools that other artists have provided. Seeing the field of art through many perspectives and lenses is crucial to growing ourselves as artists. Whether you purchase these books second-hand, or check them out from a library, I can say that I recommend perusing them, taking them in, and processing their contents. I like to purchase them second hand and see the underlining, highlighting, and notes in the margin from the previous owner. Plus, reduce, reuse, and recycle! Sometimes I will review a book that is written by an author who means to help us with our art, and sometimes I will review a curated art book that has a few editors and focuses on the artworks of a …

The Creative Journey, Part 6: Experimentation and the Messy Middle

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2847 words // 15min read time Hello, lovely crafter! Today, I’m releasing Part 6 of 12 of the Creative Journey Series. Halfway! I am so proud of this series, as it’s a deep dive into the life cycle of the creative art experience. I hope you will read the tips and insights, and decide where you are in the journey, gleaning any help that you can to guide you through to the next step. Head to the main page if you’re just jumping in and you want to start from the top. Enjoy! – [Crochet Pattern Shown: The Geometric Lace Blanket]

Free Crochet Pattern: Chevron2.0 Blanket (US Terms)

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Hello, gorgeous crafter! I hope your week has been going well, and you’ve been able to get some hooky in. Working toward my efforts to make sure everyone has access to my crochet patterns, I am slowly making sure every single pattern of mine has a free version here on my website. Today, I want to offer my popular Chevron 2.0 Crochet Blanket Pattern now as a freebie! Scroll down for US Terms. PDF Version Find this pattern in a condensed ad-free PDF for a small fee in the CypressTextiles Shop, my Etsy Shop and on Ravelry. Pattern PDF for US Terms is included in the purchase. Help support my work by purchasing this convenient PDF if you like, but just being here on the website is plenty of support as well. There is no UK Terms pattern for this blanket, but the only sts used involve (US) sc and (US) dc, which are (UK) dc, and (UK) tr, respectively.

FO No. 5 of 19: Lacy Hexagon Blanket Blanket

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Hello, gorgeous crafter! Today, I have yet another WIP to FO reveal for you. I am so determined to finish these blankets and telling you about it is keeping me accountable. As I complete each blanket, I will be updating the WIP entry In the WIP pile reveal post. There isn’t really any order that I am finishing these in either, so expect them to be fairly random! I tried to organize them in a way that made sense, but after all was said and done, it just made the most sense to go with my creative gut and finish whichever one I wanted to work on next. So, here is my Lacy Hexagon Blanket, all finished! It’s so cozy and the colors are amazing. You can find these patterns here in my Ravelry Shop or in my Etsy Shop. I’ll be adding in FO pics and links to all of the WIP to FO blog posts on the WIP pile reveal post.

The Creative Journey, Part 5: What Style Really Means

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2847 words // 15min read time Hello, lovely crafter! Today, I’m releasing Part 5 of 12 of the Creative Journey Series. I am so proud of this series, as it’s a deep dive into the life cycle of the creative art experience. I hope you will read the tips and insights, and decide where you are in the journey, gleaning any help that you can to guide you through to the next step. Head to the main page if you’re just jumping in and you want to start from the top. Enjoy! – [Crochet Pattern Shown: The Lacy Hexagon Blanket]

Book Report No. 3: The Creative Habit, by Twyla Tharp

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2186 words // 12min read time Hello, fellow creative! Today, I’m going to share a book review/report with you. I look forward to sharing many titles in these reports and connecting them to my Creative Journey Series. I believe as creatives it is so important for us to study the works of others, and use the creative tools that other artists have provided. Seeing the field of art through many perspectives and lenses is crucial to growing ourselves as artists. Whether you purchase these books second-hand, or check them out from a library, I can say that I recommend perusing them, taking them in, and processing their contents. I like to purchase them second hand and see the underlining, highlighting, and notes in the margin from the previous owner. Plus, reduce, reuse, and recycle! Sometimes I will review a book that is written by an author who means to help us with our art, and sometimes I will review a curated art book that has a few editors and focuses on the artworks of a …

FO No. 3 of 19: “Shy Violet” Palette 2020 VVCAL Blanket

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Hello, gorgeous crafter! Today, I have another WIP to FO reveal for you. I am so determined to finish these blankets and telling you about it is keeping me accountable. As I complete each blanket, I will be updating the WIP entry In the WIP pile reveal post. There isn’t really any order that I am finishing these in either, so expect them to be fairly random! I tried to organize them in a way that made sense, but after all was said and done, it just made the most sense to go with my creative gut and finish whichever one I wanted to work on next. So, here is my 2020 VVCAL demo blanket using the Catona 50g balls in a Springy color palette that I called “Shy Violet”. I didn’t use all of the motifs, and this is a smaller blanket, like 40x54in. I’ll fill in more details along the way! You can find these patterns here in my Ravelry Shop, in my Etsy Shop, or in my own Online Store. I’ll be …

Spring Mix Blanket: Free Crochet Pattern (UK Terms) – FO No. 4!

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Hello, gorgeous crafter! Today I want to share with you my latest crochet pattern. I was playing with these blocks recently, and I made a blog post detailing the WIP on the way to making this pattern. This blanket was born from a bin of half-used Scheepjes Catona – cotton yarns in every color from sunbeam yellow to cloud pink to lilac dusk. As I sorted through the skeins, I wasn’t thinking of perfection or planning a palette. I just wanted to play. What emerged was a lively mix of brights and pastels that feels exactly like spring: soft, bold, unexpected, and full of movement. PS – This blanket is one of my 19 WIPs that I am working on finishing this year! So I will call this FO Number 4. You can check out the Main WIP -> FO Page to see all of my WIPs and FO updates. Happy crafting! PDF Format The PDF version of this pattern is available on Etsy, Ravelry, and in my online shop, and both US and UK …

Spring Mix Blanket: Free Crochet Pattern (US Terms) – FO No. 4!

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Hello, gorgeous crafter! Today I want to share with you my latest crochet pattern. I was playing with these blocks recently, and I made a blog post detailing the WIP on the way to making this pattern. This blanket was born from a bin of half-used Scheepjes Catona – cotton yarns in every color from sunbeam yellow to cloud pink to lilac dusk. As I sorted through the skeins, I wasn’t thinking of perfection or planning a palette. I just wanted to play. What emerged was a lively mix of brights and pastels that feels exactly like spring: soft, bold, unexpected, and full of movement. PS – This blanket is one of my 19 WIPs that I am working on finishing this year! So I will call this FO Number 4. You can check out the Main WIP -> FO Page to see all of my WIPs and FO updates. Happy crafting! PDF Format The PDF version of this pattern is available on Etsy, Ravelry, and in my online shop, and both US and UK …

The Creative Journey, Part 4 of 12: Signs You’re Ready for the Next Phase

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2395 words // 13min read time Hello, lovely crafter! Today, I’m releasing Part 4 of 12 of the Creative Journey Series. I am so proud of this series, as it’s a deep dive into the life cycle of the creative art experience. I hope you will read the tips and insights, and decide where you are in the journey, gleaning any help that you can to guide you through to the next step. Head to the main page if you’re just jumping in and you want to start from the top. Enjoy! – [Crochet Pattern Shown: The Zendoodle Blanket]