Spring has come to the Northern Adirondacks sort of at least the April (snow) showers came today. It is still cool outside, in the 40 to 50 degree (F.) range. (except for today... it's currently 32 degrees F. outdoors) Chilly enough to need something to keep my shoulders warm. Perfect weather for those pretty shawls I love to make. (the shawl I'm wearing in the photo is one of my favorite lace shawls) These aren't the shawls some of you may have seen in old movies, these shawls are fresh new creations by indie designers from every corner of the planet! I used to spend hours searching websites like Etsy looking for the perfect pattern but after having purchased a few crochet bundles, signed up for newsletters, and learned about the design process from indie designers, I now look to my email inbox for inspiration. Every day I eagerly open my gmail knowing there's going to be one new design that I can't wait to check out for myself. Whether its the latest from Shehnaaz designer at Crochet Dreamz or Hortense, designer at Knitting with Chopsticks there are a lot of projects to choose from as well as teasers about new designs on the horizon. Because it is shawl season the newsletters that come to my inbox are filled with shawl patterns.
Not every shawl pattern looks like the Dowager Duchess would wear this across the ballroom floor on some television saga. Many of the modern shawls are both attractive AND practical. The patterns are designed so that one can easily wrap up for an evening walk or to watch the dying embers of a firepit. These shawls would be equally attractive with a Spring dress or fashion jacket at work. Here are just a few of the more casual shawl patterns from my hoard: Shehnaaz created this “Brighter Days Shawl” A colorful triangle shawl The Simone Wrap by Bernadine Graham A lacy look rectangle wrap The Winter Saffron Shawl by Cirsium Crochet An open look triangle shape crochet. For knitters: Marly Bird's Super Simple Two Ball Shawl I love the yellow and gray colors Marly chose for her shawl. The Pantone Colors of the year! Asymmetrical Knit Scarf by Stitches n Scraps This design may look challenging, but if you know how to do the knit stitch you will be able to knit this scarf/shawl. It is the perfect size for Spring. Simple Lace Triangle Shawl by Red Heart I made one of my first shawls in this style. Shawl patterns vary greatly in length and width. A shawl may be designed wide enough to double as a blanket or narrow enough to be a scarf. It really does run the gambit! “Blanket Shawls” are “kind of perfect”, as the cool kids say. Imagine having a fabulous accessory to wear to a late evening beach party or to carry along when the weather is uncertain! Here are a few great blanket wrap patterns: Sigoni Macaroni's Cozy Hygge Blanket Wrap Beautiful! It’s made with chunky weight The Country Willows "Milan Wrap" I know not everyone finds it easy to make their shawls lengthwise. Chaining/stitching a hundred or so chains can be difficult if you are new to crocheting or you are trying to make a shawl while on the go. Here is a good crochet pattern: Mama in a Stitch: Easy Granny Triangle I like this shawl! The stitch may have a vintage feel however, the choice of yarn can bring this shawl right into the 21st century. For instance check out Red Heart Heat Wave Yarn This yarn uses sunlight to create added warmth. A real bonus! Narrow width scarf/shawls in crochet include: Red Heart Glamorous Wrap Red Heart Relax and Unwind Shawl I like both of these shawls very much. The interest lies in the shape or stitch of the pattern. Knitters you’ll find that the wide shawl patterns aren’t so difficult to find for free online. Caron Simply Soft Glitter Girl Shawl This shawl has a lovely texture and the yarn will add a lovely drape. Perfect, in fact. The Simply Stripy Shawl by Knitting Bee Here’s a shawl pattern that will keep you busy while binge watching your favorite TV shows. This pattern is made with Premier Sweet Roll yarn on size 10 knitting needles. Quick, easy and attractive. Narrow shaped shawl knitting pattern: Nobel Knits Asymmetrical Shawl I love this little beauty. Although it is small enough to stash in your coat pocket or purse at work, it’s also oh so graceful. Looking for a pattern that is just a little fancy? There are so many outstanding free patterns for shawls with a little lacey touches to give flair to an outfit. Never hurts to have one of these shawls on hand for a wedding or a christening. Especially when you are unsure of the dress code. Shehnaaz' Head Turner Lacy Crochet Shawl This mixture of stitches is lovely. One could certainly use a gradient yarn or one color to accent an outfit. Two Brothers Blankets Cherry Blossom Shawl This delicate scarf/shawl is a classic design. I love the mix of the basic stitches with hints of lace. When lace is the subject Knitters have a plethora of choices. Melissa Leapman's Crescent Shawl This is a beauty of a shawl to decorate your shoulders. Small frost flower like pattern graces the edges of this pattern. Tracey Withanee's Garden View Shawlette The gentle sloping leaves at the edge of this shawl make a statement without drawing attention away from the wearer. My job today has been to introduce you to some fine designs and fine designers. I hope you see the ubiquitous shawl in a whole new light. You may want to check out these designer websites if you have the time. You’ve seen how ingenious they can be with knitting needles or a hook and yarn in just these few designs. Their websites are a feast for the eyes! (even if you don’t knit or crochet) Designers love it if you leave a complimentary remark about their work! I thank you in advance.
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In the past I have avoided getting involved with “blog hops” or pattern bundles offered by various crochet or knit webpages. My excuse has always been that I’m not one to join in these type of events, nor did I like the idea of a ton of emails overflowing my inbox. Now I realize how much I missed! I did not realize how much I could learn or how many wonderful indie designers I could interact with through “blog hops” or pattern bundles. What changed my mind you ask? It all started with Pinterest.
I was searching my Pinterest business page for a particular baby blanket pattern that I wanted to purchase when I happened to notice a pin for The Spring Crochet Bundle 2021. It was such a wonderful opportunity to support indie artists, get some fantastic patterns, and best of all… the price was excellent!! (44 patterns for one low price.) Was this too good to be true? Maybe not! I recognized many of the names associated with this particular pattern bundle. Indie artists like The Friendly Red Fox, Maria’s Blue Crayon, Two Brothers Blankets, Meladora’s Creations to name a few. Of course, I considered whether I’d use all these patterns. However, even if I used just 5 or 6 of the patterns the bundle would be worth the price. After purchasing the bundle I began to follow some “new to me” crochet designers either through their email newsletters, on Pinterest, or on Facebook. I learned about a few blog hops that had been organized to feature Spring/Summer fashions. Currently, there are two of interest to myself and my daughter T.k.. High Desert Yarn is curating the “At Home Crochet Blog Hop” and the “Spring Exclusives Blog Hop”, curated by Cosy Rosy UK. I’ve never been involved with blog hops to the extent I have been this Spring. I’ve truly enjoyed getting to know some of my fellow crocheters through Facebook Groups and reading the emails from various designers (I’ve learned to organize my inbox LOL) I’ve discovered some great crochet designers who really do seem to enjoy interacting with their followers. I was curious to know how these hardworking artists choose which bundle project or blog hop they will participate in. Most of the designers with which I interact are women. They have jobs that aren’t crochet related, they have a home life and families, not to mention other interests. What draws them to a particular blog hop or bundle project? I asked a couple of designers this very question: Hortense is the proprietress of a fantastic webpage entitled “Knitting with Chopsticks”. She’s a prolific knit and crochet designer. I’ve had the privilege of exchanging emails with Hortense when I’ve had questions. Therefore, I sent her a query about how she chose which blog hops and bundles with which to become involved. Here is her answer: “Blog hops are amazing when you're a new designer starting out. It helps your patterns get in front of new people and you meet new designers to collaborate with. But you're also giving a pattern away for free. I always look at the host: are they organized? How big is their audience? If it's not going to run smoothly (which I can usually estimate by the signup process) I don't participate, I can't do everything and I don't have time for endless discussion and no results/decision. I also look to the size of their audience. Aiming for my size range or bigger to make the most out of the event. I can't do all of them, there's way too many so I have to select. For bundles, it's actually similar. Organization is the biggest criteria. Here I'm not too concerned about audience size as I rely on my promotion efforts only. But it's always good to have someone big tag you etc for social media. I also look at the style and type of knit/crochet of the other participants, will it be a good fit for me. It doesn't make sense for me to participate in an amigurumi bundle for example And the craft, there are a lot more crochet events and bundles than knitting ones. But mostly I try to be the host myself. Then I control all of that Cheers, Hortense” Likewise, I asked Bernadine Graham, proprietress of Me ‘n’ My Hook about her involvement with blog hops and pattern bundles. Bernadine is an innovative crochet designer from Pwlheli, Whales, UK. As a designer she is newer to the crochet scene therefore I wanted her perspective on the process of choosing a blog hop or pattern bundle project. Here’s what she had to say on the subject: “For me it has been a mixture of things - a couple of times people have reached out to me, some are public calls so you sign yourself up, others have been an application process. I am also part of a couple of business groups, one of which is crochet related so there are opportunities to take part in things there as well. I try to stick to things where the host’s audience is similar to mine or they make things that I design as a way to introduce myself, it's also a great way to meet other designers and get tips. For the guest posts on my blog this year, I had a theme idea and I asked people to submit an idea around that theme, I have selected about half the designs now and some of those designers are newer like me. I hope this helps... B x” As with many things in the business world, timing and organization are two of the keys to success in the blog hops and bundle projects. Technical glitches, at times, plague the designers who have organized these events. In today’s techie world glitches can’t always be avoided however, in my experience the bloggers seem to adapt and overcome very nicely. I do want to discuss one important topic. As most of you who read this blog with any regularity are already aware of how passionate I am about attribution. My daughter has written about this very thing recently. Therefore, a note of caution please. Copyright laws are in effect worldwide. Using photographs without properly attributing them to the designer is not only unfair but against the law (at least here in the USA). These designers work very hard to design and test patterns for the use of all crocheters. It’s only fair to give credit where credit is due. My daughter and I have found the blog hops and bundles to be an excellent source of inspiration for upcoming projects. We’ve also begun to build a library of indie artist patterns for our own use, so that inspiration will stay with us into the future. My readers may feel I am exaggerating a bit, but I honestly believe that I’m seeing the work of some future top crochet and knit designers. The motto for this year: “beatitudinem obtinebit momenta” or seize the moments of happiness. In that spirit I want to say thank both Hortense and Bernadine for answering my emails and for the beauty they’ve brought to my Spring season crocheting/knitting.
Looking to get in on the blog hop or the pattern bundles? Check out Pinterest, Instagram, Facebook or join your favorite designer’s newsletter. Not a knitter or crocheter who joins in? I didn’t think I was one to join in either. Give it a try, I’m sure you won’t be sorry! |
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