Interweave Crochet Summer 2012...

It has taken me a while to come up with another wearable design since I got published in Interweave Crochet Summer 2010 issue....so I thought of taking a shot at it again. When I saw their call for submission for Spring 2012 issue last year, I prepared and submitted the proposal for a tunic I was working on. They got it middle of June last year. After a couple of months waiting, I didn't get any response from the editor. I waited some more, and after four months I had to ask! They said it was for consideration for the Summer issue. So there, I needed to wait some more. Towards the end of November I got a letter from the editor with an offer to include my design in the Summer issue. Yay!
Then I had to wait for the yarns....I received it only in the middle of January 2012 (probably got delayed because of the holiday season).
I had to work on the sample right away. I also didn't have time to make changes on my original design and pattern since there wasn't much time. I was fairly confident, but I almost didn't make it to the deadline. By the time I finished, it only had 3 days to fly and arrive to its destination in the U.S. I mailed it via Express Mail Service at the Post Office. (I trust Philpost more than Fedex, and its less expensive too..)

Now I present here my latest published design, but before that some behind the scenes pics and some notes.
Last February 2011, I blogged about crochet ribbing.in this post. I showed a project using a hdc ribbing. That project was to become a tunic. I don't know exactly how yet, but I started with a bottom edge of hdc ribbing. The inspiration for the design came from this knitted tunic (my son suggested this while he was looking for design ideas for me):

After I decided to use the hdc ribbing, I thought the main stitch should be a bit interesting, but easy. I recalled the stitch pattern in my old project...so I based the main stitch pattern on it:

After repeating the sleeve edging twice and collar three times to get it right, I was finally happy with the design. This is the first sample I made using Cannon cotton threads:

I was excited to make the sample for Interweave, but unfortunately the yarns arrived a bit late...

Got the yarns on january 17, 2012

Soft, cuddly yarn

Winding the yarn....

When I began crocheting, I didn't have time to take progress pics as I was already running after the deadline. But when I finished it, I still have a bit of time left to try it on and have my son take pics ;)

Finally, here is the professional model on the magazine :)

Btw, while you were not looking the Lauren Sweater was on the Top 5 patterns on Ravelry...hehe

Interweave Crochet Summer 2012 details can be seen here on Crochet Me.
My design was also mentioned on Fairmount Fibers Blog here. They are the distributors of Manos del Uruguay yarns. (More details here.)

No Turning-chain Dc (photo tutorial)

Have you been using the technique to make a double crochet (dc) at the beginning of the row, instead of the usual chain 3? I just recently found out about it, when I stumbled upon this video...and I thought, how clever! I could really use it, mostly because its easier to do a stitch on top of a dc than on the turning ch.
I made my sample swatch starting on the first row.

Ch 12, pull the loop on the hook up to the height of a dc,

with the middle finger hold the loop in place while you yarn over on the same loop, (now you have two loops on the hook),

then yo and pull through the bottom loop on the hook (you have two loops remaining on hook),

yo and pull through two loops (dc made).

Dc in the remaining 11 chains across.  (12 dc)

Turn, and use the technique again to begin the next row. When you get to the last stitch, you'll find that it is easier to make a dc on top of the 1st dc of the previous row, than a dc on a beginning chain 3.
After several rows, you will see that the edges look better than when using a turning ch-3.