All posts filed under: WIP

Work in Progress: Gloria Blanket

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Hello, you! A couple of weeks ago I told you about a blanket that did not yet have a name, that I was working up using the Scheepjes Metropolis cutie pie colour pack. Well the blanket now has a name – and a few progress pics too. I’m super excited to show you, so read on! Also you should know I am sat in an airport for the next three hours (more on that later!), so this will be an excessively chatty post.. you’ve been warned lol Gloria Blanket I mentioned it in the yarn arrival post, but it bears repeating that this design has been knocking around in my mind for a few years now, and it is also one of my most requested patterns – that is, many many folks have messaged me asking when I will get a move on with this one! Side note: Another very heavily requested pattern is my upcoming Botanica Blanket CAL (#botanicablanket), and I will make an official info post on Tuesday, November 26 – or maybe …

Virtual Blankets and Granny Square Day Highlights

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Hello, there! Whew! What an exhausting day yesterday, releasing a fresh new crochet motif pattern, promoting a giveaway, and all the while wanting to just scroll endlessly through all the beautiful Granny Square Day posts on Instagram. #vvcalGSD2019 Highlights In case you missed it, I ran a giveaway on IG to celebrate Granny Square Day 2019 – all of the entries are under hashtag #vvcalgsd2019, and I’ve pulled some highlights! Check them out: Magnolia Square Birch Square Plumeria Square Crystal Square Ponderosa Square Beautiful squares by beautiful folks Virtual Blankets I pulled together a bunch of cool GSD-related stuffs to load into this post, so hope you’re enjoying this whole handful of gorgeous pics! All of the squares that you’ll see here are made from the free square patterns in my 2016 and 2018 VVCALs. I made a few Virtual Blankets with some color palettes – all pulled from the #vvcalGSD2019 hashtag, and keep in mind these are made by folks worldwide. Talk about SYNERGY! Love our community! Neutrals + Mustard Blue + Green Red …

Crochet Tip: Hold Cotton Thread Triple to Add Elegant Texture (Simple Trick) – Feat. VVCAL Squares

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Helloooo, gorgeous crafter! Today I want to share a small WIP that I have been working on here and there over the past month. And, I also include a super nice tip that I learned from two crafters years ago to make three strands of yarn from one skein/ball. Very useful!! So here we go! I have an entire shelf of beautiful cotton thread Scheepjes || Maxi Sweet Treat – I have a full set of them, which is a total of 109 colors. Definitely swoon-worthy, but also kind of sad – they are very pretty to look at, but I don’t much work with thread very often, and I am not one to let yarn fester in a stash.. I like to USE it!! Sweet VVCAL Blanket in Progress So with a tip that I remembered in the back files somewhere in the recesses of my brain, I made the decision to create a cute little VVCAL blanket, just making a square here and there over time. Eep, just posting these photos is making …

New Crochet WIP: Downtown Scarf in Scheepjes Metropolis Yarn

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Sometimes an idea knocks around my head for years and the right yarn has to come around for it to resurface and develop. When I received my surprise Metropolis Yarn, I knew it would be perfect for a scarf, and it was just the right amount of yarn, too. This scarf is flying off my hook, and I’ll have an FO reveal and a free pattern before you know it! With just four 50g balls of Metropolis, you can make the chic and wearable Downtown Scarf. Keep scrolling for some alternate color combo recommendations. This pattern is now published! Social Media: #downtownscarf #cypresstextiles Scheepjes Metropolis This yarn is a dream. It’s slightly heathered – which I love – and is soft, squooshy, and luxurious. Browse the links below to get some for yourself – as always, these (*) are affiliate links, so shopping through them helps support CypressTextiles and all my yarny endeavors, and it doesn’t cost you any extra! Wool Warehouse* Deramores* Or find a Scheepjes Retailer near you! The colors I am using in my …

Free Crochet Pattern: Large DIY Mandala Crochet Wall Hanging Decor

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Hey, you! Hope you’re doing well and making sure to squeeze some hooky into your busy days. I haven’t had much crochet time lately, so I decided to start on a great project that can be completed quickly. The Trinity Mandala MAL is a free pattern by Esther of It’s All in a Nutshell, and it’s perfect to finish in those stolen crochet moments. Trinity Mandalas Isn’t it beautiful? The Trinity Mandala Make-Along is now over, but the free crochet pattern is still available on Esther’s blog, It’s All in a Nutshell. Check out the materials needed for the original Trinity Mandalas. The colors are so bright and pretty! Materials To make the original mandalas, use Scheepjes | Catona in 10 colors (see below) x 1 ball each. Shopping through these affiliate links is a great way to support CypressTextiles, and it doesn’t cost you any extra! WoolWarehouse KnottyHouse Deramores Black Sheep Wools Or find other Scheepjes retailers near you! You will need 10 colors of Scheepjes Catona (50g/125m) yarn to make the Trinity Mandalas. Here are the colors in the original pattern: …

2019 Goal Planning Free Printable: What’s in store for CypressTextiles?

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Hey, y’all! So I’m finally getting around to finishing up my 2019 planning post. I have some very specific goals this year, both personal and business-related. What better way to kick off the year than by sharing my goals with you all! I’ve formatted three personal goals into a bullet list without a super rigid time frame, and then my four main business goals are split into one for each quarter. Check it out below, and keep reading to find the free printable I’ve put together for you all. Here are my 2019 business goals, and what you can plan to see, big-picture-wise for CypressTextiles this year! Of course, I’ll be doing plenty of other projects in my daily business, but these four goals are my main biggies that I want to accomplish in order to move my business forward this year. 2019 Business Goals Q1: Update my website – spend time creating content with other fiber arts Q2: Diversify my shop – got some funsies in store for this year! Q3: Local workshops – …

A Look Ahead at My Holiday Season of Crochet (plus everything I published in 2018!)

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Okay, you guys… it’s crunch time. ‘Tis the Season… for Xtreme crafting. Are you as behind as I am? It’s November and I have a zillion projects I wanted to complete in 2018 that aren’t done yet. I know many of y’all are in the same boat, and you are probably freaking out that the year is almost over as much as I am… Where does the time go?? Well, In order to help me feel like I have my life together, I’m going to make a list of everything I want to accomplish before 2018 is over. Yay! Before I let you guys into my check-list of non-stop crochet design, let me show off all the patterns I published in 2018 so far. This is going to be a long and comprehensive post that is more meant for my sanity than your viewing pleasure, I can already tell.. Bear with me. Jan-Oct 2018 ShadeTree, Issue 1 A collection of five crochet blanket patterns, all made with Scheepjes Yarns, inspired by the artwork and nature …

Scheepjes Bloggers go to Yarndale 2018!

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Hi, y’all! Today I’m going to share one of the most fun things I did in 2018 – when the Scheepjes Bloggers went to Yarndale for Bloggers’ Days! Every year, the blogger group meets for an event called Bloggers’ Days where we get pumped about what we do, and discuss yarny thangs. While being very helpful to us as designers to keep our creative juices flowing, it is also an event that fills our hearts because all of the bloggers (we are from around the globe!) get to see each other again. For me, this was super special because I haven’t made it out to a Bloggers’ Days yet, as the first year I was a blogger, my family was in Disney World, and the second year, my city was under water… So, I have a treat for you all today! I have about a zillion photos from the trip, but I want to share with you all just a few of them. Come along with me to see my trip from Texas, USA all …

Needle-Free Cross Stitch Over Crochet Tutorial for Beginners: Scholar Pillow

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Hey, y’all! My Scholar Pillow pattern is in full effect, but interrupted by a serious jonesin’ to make something for Valentine’s Day this year. So I’ve decided to make a quick Scholar Pillow, but with a heart stitched on, in the same style as my letterman alphabet. While the Scholar Pillow pattern (plus the letterman cross stitch alphabet charts!) won’t be released until March/April, I thought today I’d just go ahead and show you how I will cross stitch the design onto my pillow cover. So, welcome to my “Needle-Free Cross Stitch Over Your Crochet Tutorial for Beginners!” It’s such a fun way to add a design to your piece without the frustration of changing color all the time. If you’re like me, you’re never 100% satisfied with your color changes… Note: I recommend this method if you are going to use just one color for your design. This tutorial is meant to be a way to spice up your craft life by adding in some cross-stitch-esque funsies. If you want to make a more traditional multi-color …

You Can Now Order My Book! The Art of Crochet Blankets

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I wrote a crochet blanket pattern book, y’all! Squeeeeeeee! Order my book: Amazon – B&N – Interweave – Books-a-Million – IndieBound Check out the Ravelry page and add your project! Projects, favorites, queues, and comments really help more people find my book ❤️ Media Kit (PDF) Press Release + Media Tour Kit – Learn how you can help! (Social media and blog) The Art of Crochet Blankets: 18 Projects Inspired by Modern Makers Paperback, 144 pages, ISBN-13: 978-1632505736 Released Nov 13, 2018 Book description for media: Discover a new source of inspiration for your crochet hook…the beautiful work of today’s modern makers! Follow popular crochet blanket designer Rachele Carmona through her unique collection of crochet blankets inspired by the work of popular independent artists. The Art of Crochet Blankets will help you create your own colorful crochet blankets as unique works of art for your home! 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 …

2018 Destin, FL Vacation + New Crochet WIP

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Last week, my family had the great privilege and opportunity to take some time off and vacation in Destin, Florida. Along the way, we collected a ton of photos, and I thought I would share some of them with you all. While we were there, I snapped the photo below! Incredible. Although, you can’t escape ads anywhere can you? Even as you relax on the beach, a boat with a gigantic advertising TV screen floats in the distance… But that’s okay – the crystal blue water and white sands are still just as incredible. Of course, on my trip I had to bring yarn for my next WIP. I brought the new shades of River Washed (affiliate) (blog post coming!) and mixed them with my Dutch Rose blanket yarn pack colors of Stone Washed (affiliate) . What a gorgeous combination it made! With my yarn (and some other essentials haha) packed, we headed off. On the way, I decided to actively search for a great restaurant along I-10, instead of just pulling into a fast-food place for …

Can I re-learn how to knit?? Plus my new WIP..

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Before I jump into this fun story, go take a look at my new Yarn Shop page! That’s right, I’m working to open up my own yarn shop stocking Scheepjes Yarns for US customers. For now, you can get your hands on exclusive yarn&pattern kits – go check it out – I’ll wait here. ——————————— You back? Okay let’s settle in, where was I? Ah yes… once upon a time, I was a knitter. Surprised?? I actually started out my fiber arts journey as a knitter when I was in college. It wasn’t a whole lot different from now, as I was knitting every day with no end in sight, even sometimes cutting class to knit (sorry mom!). Knit and crochet were in the beginnings of making their comeback and us gals would meet at a cafe on campus and stitch the afternoon away. I made a ton of camis, sweaters, and cardigans, and I even made a blanket! Well, the beginnings of a blanket lol… These mitered squares were found at the bottom of …

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 …

Working on a NEW Desert Bloom!

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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 …