All posts filed under: Playing With Yarn

Crochet Book Review: Cutest Crochet Creations, by Alison North

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Hi, y’all! I am super honored today to be participating in Alison North’s (KornFlake Stew) book tour / blog hop, for her recent release of Cutest Crochet Creations. I’m sandwiched in between two of the greatest in the biz – taking the baton from the great Sarah Shrimpton of Annaboo’s House who gave a wonderful review yesterday – find it here, and handing it off to the talented amigurumist, Lauren Espy of A Menagerie of Stitches, who will be giving us her perspective tomorrow. Can’t wait to see! Even Alison’s banner for the blog and IG tour is adorable! I shamelessly lifted this image off of her gorgeous Instagram feed, because I just had to show you all. What a precious representation of her book! [Related: Find Cutest Crochet Creations on Amazon.com – affiliated but I love Alison’s work and highly recommend the book!] A Confession Okay, I must confess something: I have never amigurumi’d! I’ve never, not even once made a stuffie, because as you all know, I am blanket obsessed. This has made me intimidated …

Scheepjes Namaste Yarn – Plus free “Shavasana Hexagon Motif” crochet pattern!

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In case you haven’t seen the new beauty by Scheepjes Yarns, I wanted to show it off! I had the pleasure of testing out a ball of Namaste before it was released, and of course I could not resist creating a crochet hexagon motif right away. A mondo hexie crochet blanket has been on my list for a while now, and Namaste was the perfect yarn for it. So let’s check out the yarn, and then the free Shavasana Hexagon Motif crochet pattern is ready for you at the end of this post! Here’s the teaser image from Scheepjes for Namaste. Gorgeous! The tagline for Namaste is that “crafting is the new yoga,” and this resonated with me because my eldest daughter and I have been doing yoga together four days a week for the past two months. It’s such a sweet moment of connection for us when she gets home from school, and a great time for us to both work on our balance – mental, physical, and spiritual. Plus added bonus, we hold …

Crochet Book Review: Granny Square Flair by Shelley Husband

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Hi, y’all! So, it’s Granny Square Day 2018, and usually I design a new square for the occasion, but this year I was way too busy preparing for a huge project by checking a bunch of things off my to do list. With the VVCAL Reboot, the wrap-up of the Relaxghan Series, a complete restructuring of this website (peep the new main menu!), and planning the promotion schedule for my book, The Art of Crochet Blankets (Nov. 13) – let’s just say I have a lot of things to check off before my big project gets here. SO, since I don’t have a new square pattern to share, instead, I wanted to tell you about Shelley Husband’s book, Granny Square Flair! Yay! In her book, Shelley (from Spincushions.com) gives us 50 beautiful granny squares, which range from super simple to very intricate. If you are looking for some more squares to add to your blanket or cushion making sessions, then this is a fantastic book to pick up. [Related: Find Granny Square Flair on Amazon.com …

Scheepjes River Washed: New Shades Honoring 8 More Rivers

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When I got the news that one of my favorite Scheepjes lines – River Washed – was getting a fresh new set of eight colors, I got super excited and started dreaming of what the shades would be. Check them out in the photo below, and you’ll see why they well surpassed my expectation! I love how each shade fills in a gap in a different color family. They’re incredible! River Washed Information Find River Washed and its XL buddy at WoolWarehouse* (UK), and KnottyHouse (Colour Packs)* (CA), Deramores, and other Scheepjes retailers. Trust me, you can put 10 random colors in your shopping cart and it’ll make a smashing palette. The Core Color The “base” or “core” of these colors is yellow, and that’s why you see yellow peeking out from the colored halo. From the Scheepjes website: This unique Scheepjes quality is comparable to Stone Washed, though River Washed is made from a painted inner thread that is surrounded by a differently coloured net, resulting in a uniquely expressive yarn. River Washed gives all projects …

Crochet Pattern: Hundred Chain Scarf – Our Tribe Yarn

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Well, guys, what can I say? I’m a part of the neatest thing since sliced bread – grabbing the baton from Miss Neriss on this Scheepjes Blogger blog hop – (Thank you, Nerissa!!), and it’s now my turn to introduce Our Tribe yarn. [Related Link: Browse this yarn*!] Look at that pile of loveliness and tell me you don’t want to just reach out and squeeze a skein. A few months ago, Scheepjes reached out to me and asked me for six colors that I thought faded well with one another. I was quite puzzled but I replied with a set of colors which have always been in my heart and often make an appearance in my projects (Trellis and Chevron, Desert Bloom, Moon Landing, and many more). These salient shades included a nice turquoise, a mint green, and an olive green, among others. The navy blue, coral, and deeper teal colors I chose are all hinted at in my yarn skein, but the real superstar is the mint and olive combo. I was actually …

Cahlista in “Mermaid”

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Okay y’all, if you’re ready to see the results of my newest color palette playtime, then feast your eyes on “Mermaid” and keep reading to see my eensy WIP progress. ❤️ [Browse this yarn!] These scrumptious little eye-candies of joy are Scheepjes | Cahlista 15g balls. I’ve created this Mermaid palette after several iterations and shade groupings. If you’re looking for the Color Pack, it will be in Scheepjes retailers by Dec 1, and you can find the 50g Cahlista* at WoolWarehouse. This is an aran weight cotton yarn that is passed over a flame 2 times to make sure it’s not “fuzzy.” I’ve made a sample Trellis for an upcoming surprise project, and oh my goodness this yarn is lush. I’m not usually the biggest cotton person, but this is a beautiful matte yarn with a lovely hand. It’s not stiff either – my wrists will sometimes get sore working with cotton and I haven’t had that problem with the Cahlista. (Note: I used a size 5mm (H) hook and it works great for …

Amazon Blanket gets a chic pastel palette

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When I was asked to make another Amazon Blanket in a new color palette, I agreed on the spot.  When I found out the colors would come to be an airy pastel array, anchored to the ground with a seriously cobalt blue, I started to get giddy.  And when I cut into the first granny square of fifty-five, my heart melted and I fell in love instantly. [Related: Amazon Blanket blog post] Just look at this Scheepjes | Softfun* and Softfun Denim* chic pastel palette…  How did this color spread come about? Well the recipient wanted a blanket for her daughter that would provoke happiness instantly just by looking at it. (Yes, this is a custom order! No I don’t do custom orders anymore! Slowly backing away now..) So after three palette proposals, and a few color swaps, we came up with the above spread. Actually when I look at it, it reminds me of a top secret project that I worked on with my good friend Carol Janik – The Hoosier Crocheter – Tester …

Scheepjes Linen Soft Yarn

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Tired of the same-old, same-old? Yeah, me too! No more smooth acrylic yarn! We want to feel the hearty texture of the yarn between our fingers as we crochet! Long live linen!  Okay, well, maybe not. Certainly there’s a place for the powerhouse soft acrylics out there. For the Colour Crafters in life that we need for everyday pieces. Yeah we need those.  But! Variety is the spice of life, and the spicy yarn I want to show off today is Scheepjes | Linen Soft*. It really does have an amazing texture to it. Perfect for a throw pillow or a couch blanket.  Check out this expertly crafted fiber content. It’s like the Negroni of yarn – an indulgent 3-ingredient cocktail (equal parts gin, Campari, sweet vermouth – errr.. linen, cotton, acrylic).  My personal favorite color of Linen Soft! Hummingbird ❤️ – although that mustard pictured in the first photo is wonderful. I love how all of the colors in this range would work well together. And here is a snapshot of the full palette …

Colorful Crochet: Finally, a blanket for ME!

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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” …

Stone Washed & Stone Washed XL 

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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 …

Scheepjes Spirit

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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 Whirl

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Eeeep! Scheepjes adds another sugary-sweet yarn to their collections. I was just swatching with BonBon and Sugar Rush* the other day, and then I heard about the yummy Whirl upcoming release – well you know this girl has a sweet tooth! Check out this absolutely delicious sneak peek photo from Scheepjes: And drooooool over these ice cream-y names! Here are the scrumptious details for these sweet cakes: Made from a blend of 60% cotton/40% acrylic to produce projects that are lightweight and breathable.  Unlike other gradient yarns, Whirl has a generous twist to enable speed while working the yarn and to help prevent splitting. Whirl has a unique twisted plied section, which gives it a characteristic ‘flavour’ all of its own!  This Extra Large yarn cake holds an enormous 1000 meters of softly colour changing yarn, more than enough for a large shawl or wrap.  Each colour change is carefully tied in an optimum way to ensure the knot can be discretely hidden within your stitches.  Recommended hook / needle size: 3.5-4mm Whirl is available in all …

Scheepjes Secret Garden

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Try not to drool on your screen!! This yarn can definitely provoke a stare and drool effect. Shop: Deramores =  Buy it here*! || Wool Warehouse = Buy it here*! Details: Yarn Weight: DK Length: 93m Needle Size: 4mm Ball Weight: 50g Tension: 18 stitches, 23 rows to 10 cm on 4 mm needles Fibre: 20% Silk x 20% Cotton x 60% Polyester I wanted this next photo to be cat-free but let me zoom out to show you my cat Bootsie – lol.. She is very independent but has gotten extremely clingy since we took in a stray kitten a couple of weeks ago. The actual photo with the Secret Garden yarns I plan to use in my latest pattern brainstorm which will feature diamonds and bobbles ❤️❤️❤️ Peep all of the brand new Secret Garden “solids” – gorgeous tweeds – and notice the beautifully chosen colors for the little marly bits. I chose three of the multis for my project: Close up of Rambling Blooms because Heart Eyessss, I love this!! What kind of Aladdin …