GALAXY!!!

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this yet: I put my first for-sale pattern up on Ravelry! It's called Galaxy (pictured above), and it started out as a dishcloth, then I decided to add a tawashi option... then five variations grew out of the original pattern... then I realized it would work well for blankets, afghan blocks, hats and bags. I really love how versatile it is. :) The pattern is pretty clever, too, if I do say so myself. :)

I've had a few sales, which is really exciting and gratifying for a new designer. I've had patterns up on Ralvery for a while, all of which are also listed on this blog, but this is the first pattern that I've put out there for sale. This has been a big year for me on the fiber arts front as I also had my first pattern accepted for publication in June. Sometimes, I can't believe it! Here's a pic of the Green Bean, the pattern that will be published in a book of original patterns next year:



You can find the link for Galaxy on Ravelry here.

You can also find the pattern for sale on my Etsy page.

I feel lucky to have great friends and people who inspire me in my life. Friends like Donna, a fellow fiber artist, who always has a kind word of encouragement. Inspiring people like Jennifer who moved me to share my designs with her unabashed and generous nature. Of course, I also love and thank my husband and kids for putting up with my obsessive stitching, my talking about things they don't really get (crochet, knitting, yarn), and all the yarn laying around that you CANNOT TOUCH BECAUSE I'M DESIGNING WITH THAT! lol

YAY!! :D:D:D

Virtue: A Cabled Bookmark

Hey there! I hope everyone had a great weekend. I had a wonderful Mother's Day and I got some knitting/crocheting done, too! Rock! More on that tomorrow...

I want to share the bookmark design (my first design ever) that I mentioned in a previous post. It was being featured in the Monthly Bookmark Knit-Along Yahoo! group, and I didn't want to give it away before everyone there got first dibs t it. :) A million thanks to Briley for allowing such a new designer to offer her design, then testing it and actually using it for the group. That boosted my confidence more than you know!

I called this bookmark Virtue because I made about three of them as gifts before I ever wrote it down, just keeping the pattern in my head. So, I had to be very disciplined with counting stitches and rows. You can also make it's cousin, Vice, by merely removing the cables. So much easier!

Here is the pattern!

Virtue Bookmark

(I'll get a picture of Vice up soon, too.)

This pattern is a great introduction to cabling. While it looks pretty impressive, and the cables are big and obvious, there are only six cabling rows in the entire piece. Such is the power of cabling! It just goes to show that one simple technique can really revolutionize a piece.

Materials:

Crochet thread, size 3 (or something similar)

Size 3 needles

Cable needle

Scissors

Special stitch:
Cable 6 in front: slip three onto the cable needle, hold in front, purl 3, and purl 3 from cable needle.

Abbreviations:
k-knit
p-purl

Cast on 18

Rows 1-3 (and every even row throughout) knit across.

Row 5 k3, p2, k1, p6, k1, p2, k3

Row 7 k3, p2, k1, p6, k1, p2, k3

Row 9 k3, p2, k1, cable 6 in front, k1, p2, k3

Row 11 k3, p2, k1, p6, k1, p2, k3

Row 13 k3, p2, k1, p6, k1, p2, k3

Row 15 k3, p2, k1, cable 6 in front, k1, p2, k3

Row 17 k3, p2, k1, p6, k1, p2, k3

Row 19 k3, p2, k1, p6, k1, p2, k3

Row 21 k3, p2, k1, p6, k1, p2, k3

Row 23 k3, p2, k1, p6, k1, p2, k3

Row 25 k3, p2, k1, p6, k1, p2, k3

Row 27 k3, p2, k1, cable 6 in front, k1, p2, k3

Row 29 k3, p2, k1, p6, k1, p2, k3

Row 31 k3, p2, k1, p6, k1, p2, k3

Row 33 k3, p2, k1, cable 6 in front, k1, p2, k3

Row 35 k3, p2, k1, p6, k1, p2, k3

Row 37 k3, p2, k1, p6, k1, p2, k3

Row 39 k3, p2, k1, p6, k1, p2, k3

Row 41 k3, p2, k1, p6, k1, p2, k3

Row 43 k3, p2, k1, p6, k1, p2, k3

Row 45 k3, p2, k1, cable 6 in front, k1, p2, k3

Row 47 k3, p2, k1, p6, k1, p2, k3

Row 49 k3, p2, k1, p6, k1, p2, k3

Row 51 k3, p2, k1, cable 6 in front, k1, p2, k3

Row 53 k3, p2, k1, p6, k1, p2, k3

Row 55 k3, p2, k1, p6, k1, p2, k3

Row 57-59 knit across

Block.

Please feel free to use this pattern for your own personal use and link others to this pattern. I also give permission to use this pattern to make items to sell at school craft fairs, church bizarres, or other non-profit charitable fundraisers. Please do not sell this pattern or reproduce it for distribution without my express permission.

Because she did such a great job, I asked Jody, a member of the KAL, if I could use a picture of her bookmark in my blog to show how she worked it up. Please note, she cabled to the back and she used sport weight yarn. I just wanted to show you that you don't have to follow my, or anyone else's, directions exactly. You can make something beautiful when you break the "rules!" I want to thank all the members of the KAL for trying my little pattern. Thanks!!

My very creative Mom suggested after receiving the first Virtue I ever made, that it would make a great headband if it were longer and attached to some wide elastic. Great idea, Mom!! To do that, repeat rows 15 through 26 one more time before moving on to rows 27 to the end. Block it, back it if you need to with fabric, sew some elastic on, and you have a cute headband.

I hope you enjoy it!

BB!

~Jeannie

Are you addicted to lip balm? I am!

And, I'm addicted to making these cute little crocheted lip balm holders! Seriously, ever since I saw these beauties on Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/projects/KAshmore/chapstick---lip-balm-holders I was determined to come up with my own design. And, since then, I've made six of the plain, and I just finished the flower. I'm so happy with how they've turned out and how fun they are to make, I thought I'd share the pattern with you! So, I proudly present:

Crocheted Lip Balm Holder

If you love lip balm like I do (my current obsession is Burt's Bees with Peppermint Oil... Yay!), you keep it everywhere: in your purse, on your desk, in both bathrooms, next to your bed, a few more in your purse. You never want to be without some instant moisture for your lips. The only place I can't keep it is in the car as I live in the South and already it's so hot that lip balm will melt in my pocket on the way to the car, let alone in the console! So, something I could attach to my keychain is just what the dermatologist ordered! Also great for attaching to a back pack, gym bag, water bottle holder, just about anywhere you need a little lip-aid. You could even lengthen the tube and use it for those purse-sized hand sanitizers: http://www.germattack.net/. As always, I encourage you to experiment: use beads or other embellishments, use a crazy yarn, make it bigger or smaller to fit what you need, make it in camo colors for your little boy, make ten and have glove-less fingers instead of fingerless gloves! :D I'm thinking of using this for finger puppets, too.

Materials:

See the following link for the yarn I used. I love their yarns! http://www.peaches-creme.com/

4-ply Worsted Weight cotton yarn in your choice of colors. The plain holder looks great in ombres. For the examples pictured, I used 95 Red for the plain holder, and 51 Apple Green (color A) and 165 Daisy Ombre (color B) for the flower design.

Boye crochet hook USG 6/4.00MM

Scissors

A keyring, lanyard clip, or other findings for attaching your holder to your keys.

Abbreviations:
ch-chain
sl st-slip stitch
dc-double crochet
sc-single crochet

Base row: Ch 4, join with sl st in the first ch to form a ring. for the flowered version, this is done in color A.

2nd row: Sc nine times into the ring, join last st to the first with sl st. I usually pull the tail of thread through the center at this point and trim so it lays on the inside.

3rd row: Sc in the back loop of each st. At this point, you will not join the last to the first st, but just keep spiraling around. Be sure to crochet into the back loop if you want it to look like mine; this places the ridges on the inside and provides grip. Otherwise, have fun with it! Crochet until the length of the tube is about 2 and 3/4 inches long, or it fits the tube you are trying to carry.

Now you can decide which version you want: plain or the flowered.

Plain: all that's left is to finish. When the tube has reached the desired length, ch 5, sc into the next st in the body, then sl st in the next st and fasten off. Weave in the ends and attach the key ring or clip you choose to the five ch sts. Good job! You did it! Add your favorite lip balm and off you go!

Flowered: When the tube has reached the desired length, ch 5, sc into the next st on the body, then join color B and sc in each st around once. Now you are going to form the petals: ch 6, dc in the 3rd st from the hook, then dc in the next 2 sts, sc in the last st. At this point you are back to the base of the chain, so use a sl st in the next st on the body to stablize the petal. Repeat 8 more times, for 9 petals. Fasten off, weave in ends, and attach the keyring to the five ch sts in color A. Viola! You now have a cute, silly, fun holder for your lip balm! I hope you love it!

Please feel free to use this pattern for your own personal use and link others to this pattern. I also give permission to use this pattern to make items to sell at school craft fairs (wouldn't they look great in YOUR school's colors?), church bizarres, or other non-profit charitable fundraisers. Please do not sell this pattern or reproduce it for distribution without my express permission.

I'm an Avon Representative, and I love giving their seasonal lip balms with gifts, and I'm looking forward to making some of these to go with them. I may even stitch the recipient's name on them, and use these as the gift tag! This would also be a fun party favor, shower giveaway, teacher's gift, or Secret Santa gift.

Have fun and enjoy it!

One little disclaimer before I go: I probably won't be writing here every day. Lately, I've been excited about learning new thigns and creating my own patterns. I'm sure it will taper off, so please don't be disappointed with me if I miss a few days here and there! :)

BB!
~Jeannie