You may have noticed I stepped away for a bit on this blog. Last time I posted, it was a couple days before Mother's Day in the US, and I had just had to frog over 10 inches of scarf due to an error. Learn from me - count your stitches. I got too confident.
So I intentionally took a bit of a break, partly because I was about to go on a trip for vacation, and partly because I was on a milestone long-term vacation leave for four weeks and I was intentionally trying to make the time disconnected from work to decompress and relax. I tried not to put pressure on myself to post. But I did try to stay somewhat productive with my crafting. Frogging was an absolute bummer, so I managed ... eh, four rows on that thing.
I regrouped by starting some new WIPs, and one of them I actually finished.
I found myself at the local JOANN (craft store chain in the US) during my time off, and even though I just needed a size up in knitting needles, I had wanted to give their K+C brand cotton yarn a feel, a try if I liked it.
For a quick reference:
K+C Cotton - Category 3, 100% cotton, 180 yards, 3.5 oz.
I really like enjoy their labelling, which includes a knit stockinette image of what the yarn will look like worked up. It's a very nice touch, as yarns can evolve in their aesthetic from skein or hank, cake or ball, and in the final presentation of your piece.
As I was there, I was inspired by the colors to prepare a desert themed tote. My vacation in a few days would be to travel to a part of the country I've never visited including the Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce, and the deserts in Arizona and Nevada.
Since I am home now, here are a couple shots from my trip, and you can let me know how well I managed to match colors before ever seeing these places in person!
(note, all pictures taken by me - Canon Rebel T8i)
My JOANN had a selection of the colors, and Zion was not among them. But not all was lost. Though some of the names of the yarns are direct hits to the above, I chose four colorways for my desert colors.
For places I was going to visit - Canyon, Red Rocks
For complementary colors - Santa Fe, Golden Coast
We're going oranges, reds, yellows, a scattering of grey.
I used the recommended 3.75 mm crochet hook throughout.
I knew I wanted the Golden Coast yellow to be my border, so to start I just started cranking out granny squares. Canyon became the consistent color in each of the squares, and I used either Santa Fe or Red Rocks with the variegated stripes as the main color scheme.
The granny square itself is motif #113 in Beyond the Square: Crochet Motifs, by Edie Eckman, and I love it for that extra bit of variety and those beautiful circle centers that truly show off the variegated yarns.
The layout you see above is a common structure for creating a bag. There are a few different graphics you can use, and this is a 13-square version, and you'll find it in a number of patterns. There is one more Red Rocks square than the Santa Fe, and as you can see I did some rearranging throughout the layout before I decided on the final in the left hand picture. I did some winging it with connecting all the squares together, but I knew I wanted the yellow to pop. So I used a single crochet border to connect all the squares. Since it's the front of the squares, the actually granny sits a bit behind. Some good 3-D flair, in my opinion.
If you've made it this far, thank you so much! I know the exciting part is the final piece, so here ya go!
I know I should have gotten a photo of her out in the desert wilds, but I am afraid I used this bag to hold all of my crafting items throughout the trip, so she was less portable than my purse.
I loved working with this yarn - the variegation was a constant surprise, especially since I worked it up in crochet instead of knit, and the color options give you a lot to play with even with the solids. It was a soft cotton that felt good on my hands. The pattern worked up quickly, both in the granny construction and final assembly, but I did work on it exclusively and for a few days in a row.
Now I just need to choose where to go next, and whether to bring her along or start a new one!
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When two gods meet. WEEHHHH I'm finally done with this piece and SO IN LOVE how it has turned out! I am going to stock up on quill mop brushes, they're lovely to use.
This is a coordinate print from the Canyon Collection – it is the reverse print on pillows and duvet covers for the Craftsman Inspired Circles and Stripes pattern. I loved it so much, it’s also available in bath coordinates just by itself – or you know you can combine it with the other prints.
Geometric Circles and Stripes Shower Curtain
by SandandChi
This print reminds me of the craftsman-style movement.
The colors are neutral, but deep and rich. There are abstract circles, along with subtle stripes – think sunset over canyons and you’ve got the inspiration for this print. I wanted to keep the colors muted so it can go anywhere, and honestly when I design I keep in mind shared spaces because your home decor accents should meet everyone’s…
This was inspired by the colors of the canyons in the American Southwest and the reflections seen in the waterfalls there. This print has a light feel to it, with waves, multiple tones, and rippled texture. The colors are teal, burnt orange, cream, smoke blue, aqua, and peach.
I layered the image with a subtle texture to give it the sense of reflecting the light off the water. I love the way…
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‘Project Personify: Hesperia’ inspired by the desert.
First time using gold foil, think it went p. well, though it definitely takes longer for the glue to dry than I was expecting ;P also used Dr. Ph Martin’s Hydrus watercolors, love love love how they spread out in her hair and in the yellow areas.
