My latest published design on Interweave Crochet

Have you seen the projects on Interweave Crochet Summer 2013? Its packed with lots of lace designs and one of it is my own creation, yay! :)

I started to work on this design about two years ago...using size 8 cotton thread, and I wasn't able to finish the sample since it was a bit big and I realized I had to change some design features. I saved it for submission to Interweave.

I guess it really had to be in the summer issue, not just because its lacy, and lightweight...but also because its pretty and relatively simple to make. Only a bit more patience is needed compared to making a lace shawl ;)
Initially I was going to make the sample using Bamboo thread size 10...but I couldn't work as fast with the softer material so I was sent the cotton thread. They chose a nice peach color for the model.

Interweave Crochet Summer 2013

This beach cover-up or tunic is made from Aunt Lydia's classic cotton thread, size 10. This can also be made using any brand of size 10 thread (or our local Monaco or Cannon size 8 thread), or any similar thread.

For those who are used to making shawls and a bit intimidated with bigger projects or those with shaping - this might just be the project for you to start making wearables. This is worked straight (with no shaping), and the resulting design includes horizontal mesh bands and vertical rows of small flowers. This is worked continuously from bottom going up, and is split evenly to form the neck opening, then it is joined again at the back and worked straight to the bottom. Only the sides are seamed, and there's no need to crochet edgings, since it is built-in on the main pattern.

Summer Crochet

Have you seen the latest crochet patterns for Summer 2013? I browsed the patterns on Ravelry and saw several interesting new designs. I can't wait to see the rest of it ;)

Summer crochet for me is mostly beachwear and accessories. I'm still on the lookout for patterns that I'd like to work on, or designs that I can create myself. There just isn't enough time to do this...but someday I'll come up with my own ultimate summer crochet collection :)
Meanwhile, here are some of my own designs from not so long ago, suitable for summer crochet. As usual, these are made from cotton thread.

Summer Crochet

1. Jellyfish Earrings - If you like using beads with crochet, this will be a fun project to make and wear. These earrings can be made as delicate or as funky as you like. Free pattern here on Facebook.

2. Knotted Chain Cowl or Headband - The soft fabric allows for it to be knotted, without being too bulky. The knot can be tightened or loosened to adjust fit. Pattern can be purchased here on Ravelry.

3. Pineapple Motif Earrings - This pineapple motif earring is pretty, lightweight, and about the right size at 4 inches high; though you can come up with any size you like with your choice of yarn and hook. More details here.

4. Tropical Shawl with Fringe - A simple mesh pattern make up this shawl, which requires only two balls of cotton thread. Pattern can be found here.

5. Going Around in Circles Scarf - A stylish and lightweight scarf made from one ball of Aunt Lydia's Classic Crochet thread size 10. Pattern can be seen here.

6. Blooming Flower Motif Shrug - A motif shrug for the more adventurous crocheter. Pattern can be purchased here.

7. Simply Striped Shrug - A simple pattern design with unique cap-sleeves, makes this shrug a fashionable and practical summer wear. This shrug is crocheted from one sleeve end to the other. No sewing is required. More details here.

8. Stylish Chain Scarf - A unique way of using chain loops to build a soft crochet fabric. A bit tricky at first, but you’ll be surprised at how this design works wonderfully. Pattern can be purchased here.

9. Breezy Shrug - This is a simple but nice little project. Crocheted from one sleeve edge to the other and finished off with two rounds of edging on the body. More details here.

More of my designs can be seen on Ravelry. Thank you!

Crochet Pattern Updates

Good news for Etsy sellers who sell tutorials and patterns, and for buyers who prefer instant downloads! Sellers can now upload their pdfs to their listings, so customers can download it immediately after purchase.  Wish they had this sooner...but still its wonderful they have it now!

Btw, I'm still working on the pattern for the dress in my previous post...some of you are familiar with the pattern (some already have finished projects), since it became available in print a few years back. I'll be improving the pattern and correct some minor errors... I've changed the neckline for the back part, since a V- neck looks better and is more suitable for warm weather. The finished length is a few inches above the knee, though it can be easily modified by adding/subtracting repeat rows. Stay tuned to my blog for more updates ;)

A Ravelry meetup, a wedding and my crochet dress :)

Ravelry meet-up at Glorietta mall, Makati

This was supposed to be a summer outing in Manila with our crochet group, since gerykho was visiting from Cebu. But since our schedules didn't permit, we just had an afternoon gathering at a coffeeshop in Glorietta mall. We also went to Dreams yarnshop to have a look and to buy some yarns ;)

This time we didn't have much yarny activities to do compared with our previous meetup with Fats (when she visited from Bohol)...Most of us were able to bring only a few projects to share, but still we enjoyed chatting about knitting and crochet. It was a fun gathering, thank you ladies and to the one guy from our group too! Yes, we have a Pinoy crochet dude ;)

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The Wedding

Their adventure in love took a lot of turns and detours, which at last came to this time and place.

Shrine of Our Lady of Namacpacan, Luna, La Union

I wish them a long and happy marriage :)

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My Crochet Dress


About 3 weeks before, I wasn't sure I could finish a dress in time for the wedding. I also wasn't sure I could wear it with confidence...but the thought of having to spend time and money to shop for a dress seemed more difficult to me. I just went ahead and made the dress. I felt good wearing it, and got some compliments too ;) The wedding was simple but memorable. We had fun since it was also a family reunion.


I don't have the official wedding pics yet, so here are some modeled shots I took at home:

more details on my project page on Ravelry

Upcoming meet-up and an urgent project...

Sometimes when there's something crochet-related to post about, I can't find the time to sit down and actually type...then its usually a belated post. So now I try to be up-to-date ;)
We'll be having a meet-up again with some members of our crochet group on Ravelry. Some of us have met before, but now its our first time to meet a long-time member from Cebu. Since April 9 is a holiday, its convenient for some members who don't have work on that day. I'm sure it will be as memorable as our meetup last November:

As to what I'm hooking...

I have an urgent project which is a dress for myself. I really have to finish this crochet dress soon or else I would have to go to the store at the last minute to buy one, to wear to my brother's wedding...happening this weekend!
I need to finish this in 3 days, and I've calculated about one ball of thread per day. I've gotten this far, so I really have to finish!

Hope I can show some modeled pics soon ;)

Interweave Crochet 2013

I was delighted to receive the digital edition of Interweave Crochet Spring 2013 in my Zinio library! This issue is full of lovely designs that I could see myself wearing. I have yet to pick one to actually work on. The motif top on the cover is one of my favorites, though its a big project... I'll most probably be able to make a jewelry piece or use the patterns for inspiration.
These are just some of the lovely projects I wish I could make:

On another note, my Lauren sweater (2012) design was shown again in the Crochet Me blog in the topic of crochet ribbing. I just would like to mention that the ribbing I used was half-double crochet ribbing and not single crochet ribbing. The uses of hdc ribbing are much the same as sc ribbing (though in this design the sc cannot substitute for the hdc). For practice, just use hdc in place of the sc in the instructions provided in the post :)

Going Around in Circles Scarf - free crochet pattern

Are you looking for projects made from just one ball of thread? Here's one you might like to make for yourself or for gifts. Made from cotton thread, this is a stylish and lightweight scarf. It is fairly easy to make since the circles are crocheted continuously in a row. The subsequent rows are joined together as-you-go.

Going Around in Circles Scarf

by Mimi Alelis 

Materials

Crochet thread size 10 (model made with Aunt Lydia's Classic Crochet Cotton size 10, 350 yds, 1 ball)

Crochet hook size 2.5mm (4/0)

Finished size: approximately 60 x 3.5 inches

Notes

Ch 3 counts as dc. There are 16 dcs in each circle. Circles are crocheted continuously in a row. Join new row on wrong side of previous row, so that rows will be alternate right and wrong side of dcs.

Circles tend to curl up, but will be flat when blocked. 

First row of circles

Rnd 1: Ch 7, 7 dc in 4th ch from hook, sl st on the first ch of this round, 7 dc in the same ch as the first 7 dc, sl st on top of beg ch 3. (1st circle made)

Rnd 2: Ch 7, 7 dc in 4th ch from hook, sl st on the first ch of this rnd, turn the working end of the thread halfway around from right to left (or counterclockwise), then continue crocheting the other half of this round - 7 dc in the same ch as the first 7 dc, sl st on top of beg ch 3.

Rnds 3 to 64: repeat rnd 2. Fasten off at the end of last rnd.

Second row of circles

Rnd 1: Ch 7, 7 dc in 4th ch from hook, sl st on the first ch of this rnd, 3 dc in same ch as the 7 dc , attach to the previous row by sl st on the 4th dc on the opposite side of adjacent circle, then finish this rnd with 4 dc on the same ch, sl st on top of beg ch 3.
Rnd 2: Ch 7, 7 dc in 4th ch from hook, sl st on the first ch of this rnd, turn the working end of the thread halfway around from right to left (or counterclockwise), then continue crocheting the other half of this round - 3 dc in same ch as the 7 dc, attach to the previous row by sl st on the 4th dc on the opposite side of adjacent circle, then finish this rnd with 4 dc on the same ch, sl st on top of beg ch 3.

Rnds 3 to 64: repeat rnd 2. Fasten off at the end of last rnd.

Third and subsequent rows

Repeat second row, for a total of 5 rows.

Finishing
Weave in ends. Wet-block the finished scarf, and iron on medium heat.

Chinese New Year - crochet projects

Last November our crochet group came up with another crochet-along (CAL) - lucky cats for 2013. We agreed its a good year to further enjoy crochet with more projects, more sharing, more sales and everything else for a better crochet hobby and business. The lucky cat best symbolizes this thought...(at least according to the Japanese and Chinese traditions). Thanks to Fatima for bringing the lucky cat to our group ;)
Here are some of the lucky cats we made:

Thanks to Fatima and Edwina for their cat photos. More project details on their blogs.


Another challenge that we took up to promote crochet is the Year of the Snake Swatch Contest. Its a nationwide contest open to all forms of fashionable art with a snake theme. Most of the previewed entries were made by established fashion designers. At first I wasn't sure I could come up with anything worth submitting, given the limited time. Another member of our crochet group made a snake scarf, and she actually made and submitted 2! I made a snake necklace, I submitted the 2nd one I made, since the first one was pale in color.
Here's a sneak peek at our entries.

We'll know the result of the contest by the end of this week....

Crochet and Other Stuff in 2012

Goodbye 2012! I look back and am thankful for all the good things that happened, and though there were bad things too, it just leaves so much room for improvement :)

So now crochet lives on to 2013!...talking about my kind of crochet, alive in this blog ;)
Hopefully I will have many more to offer in terms of new designs, for sale and free patterns, and projects to share.
But first here's a rundown of what came in 2012.

Yarns!
- came from different sources and some were surprises :)

In January, I received Manos del Uruguay Serena yarns for my design submission to Interweave Crochet Summer 2012.

I ordered more Cannon threads this year to stock-up on threads, mostly blue shades for my consignment projects...though the project went well, I didn't have time to make items on a regular basis...I'd rather focus on my designs and creating personal accessories to use instead of buying at stores.

Some of the cotton and bamboo threads I bought from Crochetgal on Etsy. I want to have more of these threads since its the practical choice for wearables for our tropical climate.

Southmaid Cotton 8, a sportweight cotton yarn from HandmadebyBheng. I've bought some of these to try, then I also swapped some of my Anchor size 10 threads for some more ;)

These yarns and more, I got from crochet buddies when we met up last Nov. 23. More details here.

A surprise yarn package from my son when he came home from Baguio. These are simply called Baguio yarns by our crochet group, since these are unlabled, unbranded, and made of assorted materials.

These luxurious silk/cotton/bamboo yarns are my first order from Fe (The Pinklady's Closet) in Singapore. I'm surely tempted to buy more high quality yarns from her.

Projects!
- I started the year with 458 projects in my Rav notebook and ended with 524. Here are some of my favorites:

Cotton thread scrunchies made from Moira's pattern...interesting stitch pattern.

 Puppy Cellphone cases...hope to be able to finish the pattern.

Coin Purse made from my cellphone purse pattern...planning to make more in assorted colors and sizes :p

 This custom-made tunic took a while to finish...is also my size so I got to try it on ;)

Experimented with a crochet insert...would like to practice more and improve on this technique.

 My best bag project so far! Just had to whip up this celebrity style bag...inspired also by our crochet group's crochet-along. (more details here)

This top, and more projects in my Nov. 2012 post.

This and more in my Dec. 2012 post.

Patterns!

- 10 patterns were added to my designer's page on Ravelry:

Teeny Tiny Heart - free pattern

Striped Shells Glass Cozy - free pattern

Jar topper/doily - free pattern

T-shirt shrug with crochet insert - free instruction

Lauren Sweater - published in Interweave Crochet Summer 2012

Oval Basket - published in Crochet Calendar 2013

Pineapple Motif Earring - free crochet chart

Going Around in Circles Bracelet - published in Crochet Calendar 2013

Flower doily/jar topper - free pattern

Jellyfish Earrings - free pattern

Crochet Buddies!

- a  much-anticipated meetup of crochet friends...

 This year we've experienced more interaction and support for each other, thanks to Ravelry and Facebook.

Year-end Stats

Lastly, some end of year comparisons...though no dramatic changes occurred, I'm so thankful for the positive feedback from sales, increased income from Ads, and increased followers in my blog and Facebook page.

Thank you family, friends and followers, for helping me continue to do what I love to do :)

Thank you Google, Inc.and Interweave Crochet!

Crochet Stuff Update

I have more than the usual crochet stuff to update ;)

First of all, thanks to all who joined the Zinio blog promo in my previous post! I guess you're now enjoying your free digital magazine subscription :) I chose Interweave Crochet and I was delighted as I flipped through the pages of the latest issue - IC Winter 2012. I already picked my favorite projects from the magazine, most of all Dora Ohrenstein's  Quartz Lace Top...will talk about this issue again on another post :)

Now I'd like to share my latest projects ;)

Jellyfish Earrings - this pair of earrings is a quick and easy project...if you love working with beads :)
Free instructions are on my Facebook page here. (You don't have to log-in to view the page.)

Abaca Shoes - These shoes really look nice, abaca material is comfortable and durable. But this pair is a bit loose-fitting, since the soles I used are size 39 and I'm a size 38 or 37. I might try wearing foot socks, so these shoes won't slip off my feet. I have yet to write up the modifications I made on my Basic Slippers pattern...

Christmas Dress - this is my project for our Christmas crochet-along in our Ravelry group. I found a Christmas-y skirt, and I thought to recycle the fabric into this dress. The crocheted bodice is made from Cannon size 8 thread.






For Christmas projects its not too late to make Santa Hats and Christmas ornaments...
Here are some recent projects I found on Ravelry, made from my designs:

Santa Hats - my friend Tina made several hats based on the pattern Playful Santa Hat :)

Christmas stars - lovely stars by Ravelers, made from my Christmas Star Ornament pattern.



Lastly, I got a surprise from my son this weekend. He came home from Baguio with yummy breads and food treats and these yarns - 2 kilos of assorted yarns, yay!!!

Crochet buddies meetup

Our meet-up here in Quezon City was a success, thanks to all who joined :)
It is rather difficult to schedule a meeting for several people with different job commitments. Also, not everyone lives near this city...one is from Makati, and one even had to commute from her home in Olongapo. Some other group members also wanted to attend, but unfortunately couldn't make it on the scheduled date.
The good thing is that there were 9 of us present :)

I met Fatima for the first time. (She used to live in this city too...but she now lives in Bohol.). Some of the members I have already met before, like Catyanna and Bheng. 

Of course when crocheters meetup there's lots of talk about yarns, projects, crochet tips, selling tips and other crafty stuff. We also exchanged gifts (mostly books and yarns)....
Here are the yarns that I brought home that day:

Wool...which can be used for felting projects. That's my WIP garter-stitch scarf worked by "knooking" technique...which Catyanna introduced to us.

More wool and a mystery yarn in black ...

Cotton yarns which I got in exchange for my Anchor size 10 threads...

Sunset, 70% merino wool 30% soybean yarn, from Lotus yarns - a gift from Fatima :)

Abaca yarn from Bheng...I immediately made shoes from this yarn, since I had a pair of torn shoes where I got a usable inner sole and outer sole.

More projects coming soon!

Magazine & iPad Giveaway - plus Big Savings!

Hi everyone! I have news about an exciting giveaway happening at Zinio, and a blog giveaway happening here. (please read through the end of this post for the blog giveaway)

If  you aren't familiar with Zinio, they offer thousands of top magazine subscriptions from around the world. You can browse and purchase subscriptions or single issues instantly from  your computer or mobile device to read wherever and whenever you like. You can preview articles on their site even without a subscription.

The good news: they're giving away 3 iPad Minis in the next couple weeks and everyone who enters to win will get $5 towards a magazine subscription of their choice. They've also launched their Black Friday deals early. There are 230 magazine titles available at up to 50% off the already-discounted prices.
Sample titles include: Craft, Quilting Arts, HGTV, and Crochet Today!
You can view more details and join the sweepstakes on their Facebook page here.

How about a subscription to a crochet magazine? or other craft magazines?
There are hundreds of other magazines on all topics you may be interested in!

And here's how you can join my Blog Giveaway! (this offer valid till Nov.30), leave a comment here and let us know if you are interested to win a free subscription. I'll be giving away some free magazine subscriptions and announce here the winners on Dec. 1. Have fun browsing on Zinio! Disclosure: I'll be getting a free magazine subscription myself for hosting this blog giveaway.

Recent FOs - Crochet Wearables!

Hello, I'm back! Not that I left, just lost my mojo or something...

Now that I picked up my hooks again, I can't stop crocheting ;)

I'm eager to share some of my recently finished projects:

This is a child's mesh cover-up top. I omitted the hood in the pattern (Splash n Fun Cover-up by Jenny King) and also had to make it shorter since I ran out of thread ;)

This turned out smaller than the small size in the pattern, but hopefully would fit a two-year old girl.

A child's shrug I made from my own design. Pattern will be published here soon :)

A mystery shawl/shrug that I made from a friend's pattern. This will be published soon in a magazine :)

Lastly, here's a famous design from a famous designer from several years ago.

Pattern was published in 2004 by Interweave. 

A lace top that was supposed to be a dress. I used up 6 balls of Cannon thread...didn't have enough of that color so I had to finish at row 44 of the skirt. 

More details on these projects can be viewed at my projects pages on Ravelry. Thanks for looking :)