Currier Museum of Art and Yarn Bomb at Art Fest

Who says that museums and crochet are just for grandmas?

Well, hopefully no one who came to
the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, NH this weekend for their annual
ART FEST.  All ages had a great time connecting with art and crochet.

It was a pleasure to watch families have a good time together and children searching around the museum courtyard to find our yarn art highlights.

There were artists demonstrating their craft and selling their beautiful creations.
Teachers from the Art Center were leading family art-making activities for all ages.
Abigail Newbold was on hand to talk about her new exhibit - Crafting Settlement.

And I was leading a fun Scavenger Hunt throughout the courtyard getting visitors an up-close look at all of the wonderful pieces our NH knitters and crocheters made for our fantastic Yarn Bomb.








Here are some children enjoying the Scavenger Hunt.

 

A big THANK YOU goes to the Red Heart yarn company who generously donated knitting needles, crochet hooks and yarn for our "Community Art Tent". 

Throughout the weekend we invited guests to sit down with us and crochet or knit for a while.
Some learned the basics of crochet by finger crocheting with Red Heart's Vivid yarn - the bright colors make it perfect for outdoor yarn art and the soft chunkiness of it make it perfect for a beginner.

Some visited with friends and worked up a small square that we
added to our yarn art right near the tent covering  a large lamp post.

More photos to come of all the designs!
To see more photos of the weekend fun, click on this link:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/curriermuseum/8745030346/in/set-72157633494954555/

Currier Museum of Art - Art Fest

This weekend is Art Fest at the Currier Museum of Art in Manchester, NH.

It is going to be a great event full of fun for all ages - face painting, family art-making, artist demonstrations, food and craft markets and a new exhibit in the museum by Abby Newbold.

But what I am most excited about is the realization of several months of work.  Back in October I designed a "yarn bomb" (yarn storm, yarn graffiti) for the museum's courtyard.  In January we sent out the plans to several knitting, crocheting and weaving groups across the state.  Today we installed all of the beautiful pieces that were handcrafted by them.

Here are just a few photos of what will be up all weekend.  And then in about a week we will be installing selected projects inside the museum.  All of the artwork will be on display in the Community Gallery for about 4 weeks.

Over the next few months I will be posting the various designs I created for this project, including a free pattern (that I am giving out this weekend) called, "Yarn Bomb Blossoms".

If you are in the area, please come and visit - the courtyard looks wonderful!

Celtic Necklace

 

This Celtic Necklace design is now in the Spring issue of

Interweave Crochet.

 

I designed this necklace while sitting next to a sparkling river in the mountains of NH while on vacation last summer.

 

The necklace is crocheted with an Egyptian cotton crochet thread, size 10.

 

 

There are many beautiful designs in this issue of Interweave and I am honored to be published in the same magazine as so many talented designers.

 

Please see the page to the left called, "Celtic Necklace - Tips and Photos" if you need some help weaving the Celtic Knot pendant.

Kerry Shrug - from Prize-winning Glendalough Shrug (Celtic Knot Shrug)

Many people have asked on this blog and Facebook if the pattern for my Glendalough Shrug (that won 2nd prize in the Fashion Category of the CGOA 2012 Design Competition) is available.

Well, the knot in this shrug is very intricate and challenging to weave.

 

 

 

So, when Carol Alexander (Editor of Crochet! magazine) asked me if I would publish my design in Crochet!, I decided to create a shrug with a less-complicated Celtic Knot but a similar style.

Here it is:  The "Kerry Shrug"

 

 

(Photo courtesy of Annie's)


I have posted some tips and photos of how to weave this knot on a page you'll see listed on the LEFT of this blog.

The yarn I used for this design is :
Sassy Skein Key West Karibbean Kotton Kollection - #107 Kiwi
available at www.sassyskein.com

It is wonderful yarn - They have many beautiful and vibrant colors in 2 different weights.  I love that it is a perfect weight and sheen for spring and summer.  Plus, the company has been great to work with.

I made one of these shrugs for myself and when I wore it last week in honor of St. Patrick's Day, I received many compliments - mostly from strangers!  I hope you enjoy making and wearing (or giving as a gift) this unique and eye-catching garment. :)

Crochet! Magazine - Spring 2013 - can be found in stores and newsstands everywhere on 4/2 or can be purchased on-line (now) at - www.crochetmagazine.com. 

By visiting the above website you can watch a short video preview of all of the other great designs in this issue.

 

 

Tour through Crochet Country - March 14th

Celtic Knot Pin

Welcome travelers on the Tour through Crochet Country led by Crochetville!
(Thank you to Amy and Donna who have done such a great job with the tour.)

So glad you have taken the time to stop by.  Please browse this blog to see all the photos in the posts below, along the right side and in the pages on the left side.  I hope that some of my design work and posts inspire you to crochet more and create your own masterpieces.

I am a Crochet Associate Professional and proud member of the Crochet Guild of America (CGOA).
I thoroughly enjoy attending their conferences where I have met many wonderful women - many of them crochet designers who share advice and their love of crochet generously.

In honor of this tour and National Crochet Month, I would like to offer you this FREE pattern - Celtic Knot Pin- as pictured above.  It is available here :
 http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/celtic-knot-pin
as a free Ravelry download.

As you may have noticed, I love to combine Celtic Knots with my crochet projects to achieve unique and eye-catching designs.  If you have any questions about the patterns mentioned here, feel free to email me.  And if you complete one of the projects, I would love to see your photos : celticknotcrochet@gmail.com.

You might find one of my pages (on the left) titled, "Tips for Celtic Knot Scarf and Pin" helpful in completing the pin project. 

Speaking of the Celtic Knot Scarf (which first appeared in Crochet Today! March/April 2012 issue), it is now available here:   http://www.crochettoday.com/crochet-patterns/free-celtic-knot-pattern
for free!


Now you are all set to crochet a project to help you celebrate St. Patrick's Day this Sunday!

We love St. Patrick's Day in our house. It gives us an excuse to celebrate our Irish heritage by listening to Irish music, wearing the green, enjoying Celtic Knots, dancing a jig and eating corned beef and cabbage!  One of my daughters studies Irish step dancing and loves to make up a special dance for the day.  And my youngest daughter loves the day because it is also her birthday!

Have fun celebrating (even if you aren't Irish) and thanks again for visiting.

Tomorrow we get to visit with : Andee Graves and Kimberly McAlindin.

March - National Crochet Month!

What a great month to celebrate crochet!
(It's also National Craft Month - so exciting! . . . like I needed an excuse to craft and crochet! Ha!)

First, make sure you stop by here on March 14th for a free Celtic Knot pattern to be featured on www.crochetville.com's "Tour through Crochet Country".  It's a great blog tour of about 50 crochet designers. Each designer is offering something special for the tour. (In fact, go check that out now!)

Now here are some sneak peeks of what I'll be posting over the next 6 weeks or so:

Parent/Child Crochet Workshop

This Saturday I will be teaching a Parent/Child Crochet Workshop at our local art center.

The Art Center is a great place to learn how to do all kinds of artsy things: create a painting, make a sculpture, fashion metal jewelry, weave a wall-hanging, and even have a birthday party full of art fun!

I love yarn graffiti (yarn bombs) and enjoyed putting up some on the first floor to generate interest in the upcoming workshop.

 

This is my Butterfly Wrap (www.redheart.com) on a statue near the front door.

 

 

This is a cup holder in one of the bathrooms. :)

 

 

Spring has still not arrived here so even the statue needs a shawl to keep out the winter chillies. Snow is coming again!

 

 

Who doesn't love crocheted art?

I plan to hide more around the building on the day of the workshop.

 

Thank you to the Art Center directors who support and encourage art in its many forms - even yarn graffiti!

 

 

Rainbow Bike Basket

 

(Photos courtesy of Annie's)

 



Crochet! magazine just published a special issue called :"Gifts to Go"
It has several great projects inside to take with you when you "crochet on the go".

Here is my design from Page 55 - Rainbow Bike Basket:

I designed this while on vacation last summer.  I love the colors of the rainbow and thought it would be fun to have a project that not only can be "made on the go" but also then "taken on the road"!

My daughters love to ride their bikes when the weather is warm.  I enjoy taking a peek in their bike baskets to see what kind of treasures they store inside.  One day last summer my youngest had proudly toted cherries from a neighbor's tree, her drink cup of juice and a play camera. :)

Perhaps if you get a chance to stitch up this cute project, the little girl who uses it will have many hours of fun toting her "stuffed friends" and more.

Lilac Shrug with Celtic Knot

One of my daughters also loves Celtic Knots like I do. So, for her birthday a couple of months ago I made her this shrug.

I used Caron's Simply Soft in the color Blackberry.
It is a beautiful color and looks great on my daughter.

I first made the knot and then worked around it with a mesh stitch.
My daughter loved wearing it to her birthday party.

Crocheted Cupcake

My sister, Alice, is a wonderful cook and baker.

She is passionate about recipes and making new twists on old favorites.  (She makes a delicious Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese from scratch - just thinking about it makes my mouth water! :) )

I love it when she makes me something from her kitchen - it is such a treat.  Not only does it taste great but it blesses me with another treat - not needing to cook!
(which I am not so passionate about. :) )

(She has her own blog about her cooking adventures and successes. Check it out at: www.geekamuffins.blogspot.com or www.alicerichessnow.blogspot.com.  Once there you'll see her photographs are excellent so you'll need to check out her photography website, too! www.alicerichessnow.com)

Alice makes all sorts of yummy cupcakes as well. She is known at work and around her church family as the "Cupcake Wizard".  So, every time I see a cupcake, I think of her.

I saw these cupcakes on the cover of Crochet World! (April 2012) last year and made her one for her kitchen.  They are potholders and made out of 2 strands of cotton yarn - Lily Sugar 'n Cream.

Here is my version:

 

I used the Chocolate color for the base as suggested by the pattern but I used Rose Petal for the frosting.  It is a beautiful color and the yarn has a perfumey smell.  Then I used Country Red for the cherry on top.  I made a simple ruffley flower-like cherry - unlike the original pattern.

I love how it turned out and Alice says she uses it everyday.  It's great when a project turns out pretty and practical!

Homecoming Shrug

With every issue of Crochet Today! I enjoy looking through the magazine to see what all of the designers came up with.  I would love to make many of the designs but I have discovered that it is difficult to find the time to crochet "for fun" when I am busy working on designs to be published.

Well, I really really liked the Homecoming Shrug (designed by Kristin Omdahl) in the Sept/Oct (2012) issue of Crochet Today! and I had never used the Red Heart yarn, Stardust, before.  It is very fine (like sock yarn) and has a classy strand of metallic yarn woven into the hand-dyed-looking main strand.

It took me a couple of months to finish this since I worked at it a little bit at a time between my other projects. I loved working with the yarn and like the results.

 

 

A few notes about the pattern: 

The armholes turned out very big and loose so I gathered them quite a bit before adding the same edging that the pattern called for along the body of the shrug

I did not do as many rows as the pattern called for but I went through almost 4 balls of Stardust - if I followed the pattern exactly I would have needed 5 balls of yarn (the pattern only called for 4)

 

A few notes about the designer:

I met Kristin at a CGOA conference when she was the keynote speaker.  She shared her "crochet/designing" journey and gave the audience (of crochet professionals) many practical career tips.  She was very generous with her time and ideas.  I learned a lot from listening to her.

She has many beautiful designs in books, on her website and on Ravelry.

Kristin is also part of the PBS show, Knit and Crochet Now! and also is a designer for knitting.

Check out her work here:

www.styledbykristin.com

 

 

Fan Set - Crochet Today!

The next issue of Crochet Today! is out in stores.  It is the March/April issue - full of fun and colorful spring projects.

I have two designs in this issue - the Fan Finger and the Bleacher Cushion- photographed together in the "Fan Set."

The Fan Finger was fun to create.  I enjoyed the challenge of adding all of the details and of making it sturdy enough to hold its unique shape.

I liked the effect of the self-striping Team Spirit Yarn by Red Heart for the Bleacher Cushion.
I think this project would be great for anyone to keep in their car and use whenever they need to sit on a hard seat for a prolonged time, not just at a ballgame. In fact, my students have used something like it when they sit in the chairs for crochet class. :)