Update on my collaboration with an illustrator and a yarn dyer.

Hello! As promised I'm giving you an update on my collaboration with the illustrator and yarn dyer. Things have progressed and I now have the yarn and I've had a play around with some lettering. If you've just started following me, I'm working with illustrator Katie (https://www.instagram.com/katiebirdiedoes/) and a yarn dyer to bring you a CAL (crochet a-long)! If you missed it, you can read my first installment in this blog post.

So, I can now update you with news of the yarn dyer! I'm collaborating with Liv at The Wool Shed (https://www.instagram.com/the_wool_shed/) and she has brought her creative energy to the drawing which Katie made for me. Initially she dyed up 3 skeins of yarn, each with varying degrees of colour and I selected the middle one in the range. I was super excited when the yarn arrived at the start of this week, eeeeek!

Can you see the gorgeous colours? Can you see the speckling? Do you agree that it represents the drawing absolutely beautifully? I'm certainly happy and Katie is really pleased with the outcome too, which is great!

What now? I'm going to wind the yarn up into a lovely ball and then begin designing for the CAL. I can reveal that I'll be taking inspiration from the drawing and the yarn to crochet socks, my 8th pair! Once the designing stage is complete, I'll pass the pattern on to be tech edited before it's crocheted up by my lovely team of testers.

I'm not going to make this a mystery CAL so I shall be posting photos as I progress (sign up to my mailing list to receive first peeks there!). Before I get stuck in I've 2 designs I'm working on that need to get to the tech editing stage before I begin anything new (a baby cardigan and my 7th sock design), so I'll leave it here and go crack on with them!

Catch you next week,

Marta xx

PS. I uploaded a new video to YouTube this week, it's a step-by-step tutorial for my free Scrappy Blanket II, go take a look! My latest podcast episode is up on YouTube too - you can find my channel here.

My latest pattern release: Tweed with a Twist Scarf

Hello! I'm pleased to bring you news of my latest pattern release and offer you an early bird discount of 20% off the pattern!

Here are the details of this super squishy design ...

• A textured scarf in aran weight (10ply) yarn.
• It’s worked up in crossed double trebles to create texture & squishiness!
• The pattern repeat is really easy to remember which makes it a good choice for a mindful crochet project.
• I used 3x 50g balls of debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed Aran.
• This is an INTERMEDIATE level pattern, written in UK & US terms.
• I’ve made a captioned YouTube video, showing you exactly how to work these crossed stitches.
• There is no right and wrong side to this scarf, simply throw it on and wear it!
• The pattern is available on LoveCrafts, Ravelry and on my website.

15% off Tweed with a Twist Scarf pattern from now until 23:59, Wednesday 15th, 2022.

Use code TWEED at the checkout on Ravelry and on my website.

Don't forget that I'm here should you have any questions both now and during your project. Simply reply to this email or send me a DM on Instagram.

Happy crocheting,

Marta xx

New crochet pattern coming soon!

 

Hello! Yesterday I took the dog, Jazz, on the train for the first time and she loved it - I think she thought it was just like a big car and she LOVES the car! The purpose of the trip? We were headed into the nearby town of Broughty Ferry which is half way betweeen my house and my eldest son's flat and we were meeting up for a long overdue photo shoot! There were 2 items which I wanted photographed; my customised denim jacket with the flower panel and my next pattern release - Tweed with a Twist scarf. The weather was in our favour - dry, overcast but bright - perfect for the seaside backdrop I was hoping for! Jazz really enjoyed sniffing along the beach and exploring a new town too.

So, once the photos are edited and sent to me I'll slot them into the pattern, add the video tutorial which I made in the morning before I went out, and upload the pattern to the usual places! Sign up to my mailing list to be first know when it's live and give you the biggest discount code - look out for an email next week!

Until then, happy crocheting,

Marta xx

Pattern of the month for June

Hello! Introducing my Pattern of the month for June ... Air Balloon Beanie! I know, I know, it's not really hat weather (well not here in the northern hemisphere anyway!) but it's never too early to be prepared, right? Also, unlike blankets or jumpers which drape over you adding extra warmth as you work, small items like hats are perfect for the summer months because the air can still circulate.

Here are the details about the hat you need to know ...

• It's an intermediate level pattern designed to be crocheted in 2 colours.
• 4 sizes are available; child, teen, adult M, adult L.
• The pattern is very easy to adapt to suit any size of head.
• It's written in UK and US terms.
• The pattern gives instructions for 2 colours but you could be as creative as you like with the number of colours!
• I used Rico Essentials Merino DK for this design. 2 balls are enough to crochet each size.
• It's available on my website, on Ravelry and on LoveCrafts.
• There are charts and video tutorials to guide you.
• This project has that "one more row" quality I know so many of you love!

You can save 15% on my Air Balloon Beanie pattern throughout the month of June. It's usually £4.50 - use the code JUNE22 on my website or on Ravelry and it's yours for just £3.82. 

Don't forget to tag me on social media or send me a photo if you make one because I'd love to see!

Marta xx

Are you joining in with The Crochet Project's MCAL?

 © Joanne Scrace

Hello! I'm here this week to tell you about The Crochet Project's upcoming MCAL! Now I think about it ... CAL and MCAL are not terms I covered in my crochet acronyms post the other week ... so, if you haven't come across the terms before; CAL is short for crochet a-long and an MCAL is a mystery crochet a-long. But what's a crochet along some of you might still be asking? It's when people work on a project at the same time as each other, posting photos on social media and cheering each other on in the process. Usually it's timed for the release of a new pattern but sometimes there can be themed CALs, for example I saw a Christmas in July one advertised yesterday!

Back to the The Crochet Project ... there is a new MCAL this summer, beginning with the first clue on July 8th. Because it's a mystery, we only have a few details including the name, Aestival Shawl (aestival means belonging to, or appearing in, summer), the type & quantity of yarn required and there has been a hint dropped that delicate lace sections are included.

I've taken part in this annual MCAL in the past but one significant change this year is that it's going to be exclusive to The Crochet Project's brand new Hub. The Hub is a monthly membership which gives you access to crochet patterns, tutorials, articles, stitch dictionaries and a forum. I thought it sounded like a great place for all things crochet, joined straight away and have become an affiliate member! At the moment membership is just £2 per month with the code HUBINTRO and you can of course cancel any time.

Back to the shawl ... Joanne Scrace has designed the Aestival Shawl and she has teamed up with one of my favourite indie yarn dyers, Vicki Brown Designs, to create limited edition yarn kits for the MCAL. Each kit contains 2 skeins of Kid Silk Fluff (69% silk/ 22% Kid Mohair/ 9% polyamide per 100g/ 350m) and there are 3 colours to choose from!

I've ordered mine, but I'll keep my colour choice secret for now! Kits cost £46 (plus shipping) but you can use code AESTIVALMCAL to get 10% off. You can access The Crochet Project's page with more info on the MCAL and a link to the yarn kits here. Of course, you can crochet the shawl in whichever yarn you choose - perhaps there's something in your stash?

I hope this post has been of interest and I look forward to some of you joining me in The Hub!

Happy crocheting,

Marta xx 

PS. Sign up to my mailing list to receive these blog posts straight to your inbox! 

My rebranded Colour & Crochet Course

Hello! Today I'd like to chat to you a bit about my rebranded Colour & Crochet Course. You may remember, I launched at the end of March this year and called it Pattern Plus: Colour and I have to say that sales have been very disappointing. However, I've not taken it to heart, instead I've used this as an opportunity to have a bit of a rethink, ask a few followers for their opinions and tapped into fellow crochet biz owners knowledge.

You see, for some reason I had been self-sabbotaging it by not calling it a course when it clearly is a course! It's way more than a pattern bundle, there are video tutorials, written tutorials and practical exercises to help crocheters make the most of colour in their projects. Pattern bundles are generally just a group of patterns based around a theme. The reason I don't think I was calling it a course was because I wasn't believing in myself and my authority on the subject. But hey, I have a degree in Fine Art, I've been crocheting colour patterns for 12 years and designing for 8 years ... I do know what I'm talking about here!

So, it was time for a name change! I've kept it simple and called it 'Colour & Crochet Course' because it keeps things simple and tells people exactly what it is. I'm hoping it clears things up for you too if you were unsure and that you'll go check it out on my website (it's only available here).

To give you an idea of what to expect, here's what's included ...

Patterns:

• Air Balloon Beanie
• Banjo Socks
• Printer Ink scarf
• In The Groove cushion cover (exclusive to this course!)

I've chosen patterns which use multiple colours for you to go and have fun using your new knowledge of colour!

The patterns are all in UK terms and they include either videos, charts or both to help you succeed.

Tutorials:

• Choosing colours (written)
• Playing with colour (written)
• Introduction to colour theory (video)
• Working with a colour mood board (video)
• Choosing colours for crochet projects (video)
• Case study (video)

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to ask! You can leave me a comment or you can send me a DM on Instagram.

Good news! At the moment the course is ONLY £15! It's at this crazy low pricewhile I wait to receive feedback from customers who have bought it so I can look into any changes that need to be made and get some reviews too. I've valued the course at £43.00, so this is a huge saving for you!

Like I say, any questions, please get in touch! Happy crocheting,

Marta xx

Introducing Nicole Riley's new crochet eBook; Crochet Anything With Squares

photo © Nicole Riley

Hello! I'd like to introduce you to a crochet friend of mine, Nicole Riley (above), who has released an eBook on the theme of turning crochet sample squares into something useful! I should say right away that this blog post contains affiliate links to Nicki's eBook and that all photos are copyright Nicole Riley.

Have you got a collection of sample squares or guage swatches languishing in a basket or drawer somewhere? You've kept them because they might come in useful for something? Then, Crochet Anything With Squares is the book for you! There are 84 pages in the eBook with 30 patterns to choose from, all re-purposing something you've already made! There are a large variety of patterns (as you can see below) and, like me, Nicki makes video tutorials to support her patterns.

photo © Nicole Riley

I really like the look of the slippers (middle of the bottom row), they look super easy to make! 

Nicki has chosen to release this eBook for a very short time, cart closes at 7am, Wednesday 25th May, BST, so there's only a small window to take advantage of this opportunity!

Take a look at Crochet Anything With Squares and see if it's the eBook for you. Personally, I think that if you like quick projects and working from your laptop or print outs it will be perfect for you. If you prefer long term projects and the smell of printed books then it's maybe not for you. Take a look for yourself and decide.

I'll be back here at the end of the week, until then happy crocheting,

Marta xx