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We're less than 60 days from Thanksgiving and less than 90 days until Christmas and if you're like me you start thinking about these holiday crochet projects in August and now it's October, time is speeding by like crazy. Recently I spent an afternoon thinking about and listing all of the things I want to make for gift giving while taking into consideration the things I enjoy stitching the most (i.e. stitches that I can "fly with" - like double crochet-shells, half double crochet combinations, and ornamental stitching like the Star Stitch.). This helps me choose projects I can stay focused on and not get frustrated during the process; and do quickly and well. For me, that's a lot of crochet and it's a lot to do in a very small amount of time with a full time job. My crochet time is very limited and has to be managed. I'm currently working on some fall decorations, 3 pocket shawls, a hairpin lace vest, and of course my favorite Christmas project, thread ornaments. Please feel free to post comments here about how you manage your holiday crochet projects and make sure to let everyone know what you do that helps make you productive. I know we all could use outside perspectives to help us get the most out of our time and projects. Here are a few of my projects are shown below: Pumpkins! I've actually been using these as decorations at work on our Maison Berger display. I love how festive they look. Pocket Shawls are extremely popular right now and are so snuggly and comfy. They make a wonderful gifts. Making a few of these for your gift giving trunk is a great way to get started.  Hairpin Lace! this has been a creative challenge! This vest features strips of hairpin lace. Some strips will be joined together in a straight line while other strips will be a decorative wavy design. I still haven't quite figured out the stitching between the strips. This piece will feature a lot of double crochet shells, along with half double crochet, and possibly some slip stitches used on borders. I'm a little obsessed with the star stitch and may incorporate it somewhere, but still working on that idea. Christmas Ornaments! I started making these thread ornaments in 2018. I love incorporating beads into the design. Add fillers to the bulb when its complete for sparkle and fun. (links to patterns for the ornaments go to my Ravelry shop)
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Repair-Restoration -a labor of crochet love |
Puffy Stuffed Pumpkins | Soft Puffy Ornaments (yarn) | Thread Crochet Ornament Covers |
I've made several pumpkins over the past few weeks and now I'm getting ready to embark on the ornaments. I'll post a couple of FREEBIE patterns on the website and in my stores on Ravelry and Love Crochet. The Soft Puffy Ornament shown above will be one of those Free Patterns. (It will be available by the end of October.)
SUMMER'S END IN SIGHT...
Although we're still feeling the heat here in the south, thoughts of fall and winter stitching have begun dancing in my head. I just stitched up a couple of small stuffed pumpkins. I never got on the bandwagon last year when the pumpkin thing was 'A THING'. It may or may not be a thing this year, but I'm investigating ways to create something a bit more unique if possible.
Then there is the whole winter holiday thing too - Christmas! I created some really cool ornaments last year and have been writing them up for release in October in my stores on Ravelry and at LoveCrochet.com. [See links below for both stores.]
What are you gearing up for? Tell me on Instagram and Facebook - post your pictures, tell me what you LOVE to make, what your faves are or what the deal breakers are for your stitching. Let's chat!
HAPPY STITCHING
Then there is the whole winter holiday thing too - Christmas! I created some really cool ornaments last year and have been writing them up for release in October in my stores on Ravelry and at LoveCrochet.com. [See links below for both stores.]
What are you gearing up for? Tell me on Instagram and Facebook - post your pictures, tell me what you LOVE to make, what your faves are or what the deal breakers are for your stitching. Let's chat!
HAPPY STITCHING
Designing-Writing & Editing
The world of 'I just got an idea and have to make it' has gone to a whole new level.
When I was first introduced to the publishing concept, I couldn't believe it was right in front of me for so long.
In all of the magazines and books I'd collected over a couple of decades, I had often wondered, 'where do all of those patterns come from?'
After joining a Guild Group in 2010, I was encouraged to send in a simple scarf design to submissions call. To my surprise -
It was accepted and I was forever changed. I had been bitten by the 'designing bug'. Considering all of the things I'd made up over the years, most of which I had never written down. They were just one and done projects for whom or what-ever. Had I just written them down - WOW!
Now that I've gone through this time warp - the notebooks and binders and pieces of paper are truly force to be reckoned with in my craft-room. I am always looking at designs - on walls, on floors, in nature; texture and color. They swirl around in my brain at a pace I can hardly control sometimes. I can never seem to get it all on paper. But the ideas I have captured, whether drawn or written, well, they are stacking up. Now that I have taken the next step to open an on-line store (on Ravelry) I hope to work them up and humbly present them to the stitching world.
Whether approved, loved or sought after or not - it doesn't really matter.... I just need to nurture these ideas and send them out there. I DO hope they sprout as much happiness and fun in stitching - as they were fun for me to cultivate & grow.
--- Thanks for reading and letting me share! :-)
[Any time you make any of the CoziCrafts designs - please comment and share. I'd love to see your work!]
When I was first introduced to the publishing concept, I couldn't believe it was right in front of me for so long.
In all of the magazines and books I'd collected over a couple of decades, I had often wondered, 'where do all of those patterns come from?'
After joining a Guild Group in 2010, I was encouraged to send in a simple scarf design to submissions call. To my surprise -
It was accepted and I was forever changed. I had been bitten by the 'designing bug'. Considering all of the things I'd made up over the years, most of which I had never written down. They were just one and done projects for whom or what-ever. Had I just written them down - WOW!
Now that I've gone through this time warp - the notebooks and binders and pieces of paper are truly force to be reckoned with in my craft-room. I am always looking at designs - on walls, on floors, in nature; texture and color. They swirl around in my brain at a pace I can hardly control sometimes. I can never seem to get it all on paper. But the ideas I have captured, whether drawn or written, well, they are stacking up. Now that I have taken the next step to open an on-line store (on Ravelry) I hope to work them up and humbly present them to the stitching world.
Whether approved, loved or sought after or not - it doesn't really matter.... I just need to nurture these ideas and send them out there. I DO hope they sprout as much happiness and fun in stitching - as they were fun for me to cultivate & grow.
--- Thanks for reading and letting me share! :-)
[Any time you make any of the CoziCrafts designs - please comment and share. I'd love to see your work!]
Well I finally got all of the pieces together and was able to open my Ravelry store this weekend. After (literally) years of contemplation, reservation and interference - the planets have aligned, I got my act together and .... TA DA!
I have uploaded a few of my original designs to the store (a preview on the home page of the website), and still have a notebook full of scribbles to type up and pattern test (again).
I hope you will stop by and browse. Perhaps you'll see the thing you want to make next. :-)
I have notebooks full of ideas and previously made or started projects. Now I have a reason to finish and share them.
I'll be getting the ornaments up and available by summer. There are over 8 designs already done and a few more in progress. There are also a couple of unique snowflakes.
Thanks for all of the support. Please stop by and **LIKE** Cozicrafts on Facebook.
I have uploaded a few of my original designs to the store (a preview on the home page of the website), and still have a notebook full of scribbles to type up and pattern test (again).
I hope you will stop by and browse. Perhaps you'll see the thing you want to make next. :-)
I have notebooks full of ideas and previously made or started projects. Now I have a reason to finish and share them.
I'll be getting the ornaments up and available by summer. There are over 8 designs already done and a few more in progress. There are also a couple of unique snowflakes.
Thanks for all of the support. Please stop by and **LIKE** Cozicrafts on Facebook.
Just got an email today announcing the local Triangle Yarn Crawl in April.
Below are a couple of links if you want to check it out.
Start planning now! Gather your friends together, set your schedules and plan your day,
days or weekend traveling around the triangle visiting our local yarn shops.
Plan a great brunch or lunch, find great coffee stops along the way.
If you've got a favorite place - please share it here so we can all check it out.
Thanks for stopping by CoziCrafts. I appreciate your support.
Below are a couple of links if you want to check it out.
Start planning now! Gather your friends together, set your schedules and plan your day,
days or weekend traveling around the triangle visiting our local yarn shops.
Plan a great brunch or lunch, find great coffee stops along the way.
If you've got a favorite place - please share it here so we can all check it out.
Thanks for stopping by CoziCrafts. I appreciate your support.
Creating beautiful things with crochet has been a part of me since learning to crochet as a little girl.
I’ve ‘made things up’ over the years but didn’t realize until about a decade ago – I was really DESIGNING!
I just didn’t have the mechanics or understanding about all of things that go with true designing early on.
I started writing out (in long hand) some of my ideas as a teenager and into my adult life but was not fully aware
of all the technical aspects of writing a pattern.
Crochet inventing took a back seat during a 15-year period when my children were small, and I was working – just not enough time and not enough energy to be creative. I did make things but followed patterns. However, in
the last 10-12 years my creativity has blossomed. I’ve learned more about how to write patterns technically correct. I’ve learned to draw the schematics for those patterns, and I’ve enjoyed the thrill of getting a few of those ideas published. Now my goal is to write and publish a booklet of my own.
With all the advantages of the internet 😊, a website of my own and the ability to have a ‘virtual store’ in
places like Ravelry, Etsy even Amazon and Etsy – the only obstacle is me getting it done. There in lies the rub – ME making the time, having the focus and getting it done.
If anyone out there has gone through this process and has helpful advice- please email me or post a comment below.
Here’s to a new adventure. Stayed tuned…
(BELOW: schematics and blocks I've used in some of my classes)
I’ve ‘made things up’ over the years but didn’t realize until about a decade ago – I was really DESIGNING!
I just didn’t have the mechanics or understanding about all of things that go with true designing early on.
I started writing out (in long hand) some of my ideas as a teenager and into my adult life but was not fully aware
of all the technical aspects of writing a pattern.
Crochet inventing took a back seat during a 15-year period when my children were small, and I was working – just not enough time and not enough energy to be creative. I did make things but followed patterns. However, in
the last 10-12 years my creativity has blossomed. I’ve learned more about how to write patterns technically correct. I’ve learned to draw the schematics for those patterns, and I’ve enjoyed the thrill of getting a few of those ideas published. Now my goal is to write and publish a booklet of my own.
With all the advantages of the internet 😊, a website of my own and the ability to have a ‘virtual store’ in
places like Ravelry, Etsy even Amazon and Etsy – the only obstacle is me getting it done. There in lies the rub – ME making the time, having the focus and getting it done.
If anyone out there has gone through this process and has helpful advice- please email me or post a comment below.
Here’s to a new adventure. Stayed tuned…
(BELOW: schematics and blocks I've used in some of my classes)
Almost all of us have that health thing (I won't use the 'D' word), but yes, taking care of my well-being is more in the front of my brain as my body is telling me more loudly when it isn't happy. Growing older hasn't been a thing, in fact, I love that I now can claim I have 'life experience', LOL! Enough of that though, on to the fun stuff.
If you've been following me and visited my page in late December, you saw the ornaments I created during the holidays. I had rushes of ideas and couldn't create the designs quick enough. (And still more creative designs are flooding my brain.) So - I am in hopes, and WISH, to be able to write the patterns and publish later this year. I haven't worked out all of the details yet, but I will work toward having designs available - individually and perhaps even create a booklet.
There are so many details to work out until then: writing the patterns, tech editing, pattern testing, and schematic drawings to go along with the written patterns. I am very excited about this venture and will try to post updates along the way culminating with the introduction and launch of this project. I hope you will follow me. If you're really interested in this project - EMAIL ME!
I am thinking about doing a GIVE AWAY when I launch the project - are you interested?
If you've been following me and visited my page in late December, you saw the ornaments I created during the holidays. I had rushes of ideas and couldn't create the designs quick enough. (And still more creative designs are flooding my brain.) So - I am in hopes, and WISH, to be able to write the patterns and publish later this year. I haven't worked out all of the details yet, but I will work toward having designs available - individually and perhaps even create a booklet.
There are so many details to work out until then: writing the patterns, tech editing, pattern testing, and schematic drawings to go along with the written patterns. I am very excited about this venture and will try to post updates along the way culminating with the introduction and launch of this project. I hope you will follow me. If you're really interested in this project - EMAIL ME!
I am thinking about doing a GIVE AWAY when I launch the project - are you interested?
Wing & A Prayer Farm - Shaftsbury, VT
Sept 21-24 - Vermont Colored Wool Retreat
Sept 21-24 - Vermont Colored Wool Retreat
New Hampshire Wool Arts -
Oct 7 & 8 - www.woolartstournh.com/
Oct 7 & 8 - www.woolartstournh.com/
Fiber Infusion Northwest - Monroe, WA
Oct 21 & 22 http://www.fiberfusion.net/
Oct 21 & 22 http://www.fiberfusion.net/
Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair - Fletcher, NC
Oct 27 - 29 https://www.saffsite.org/
Oct 27 - 29 https://www.saffsite.org/
North Carolina State Fair Oct 12-21
http://www.ncstatefair.org/2017/Visitor/index.htm
http://www.ncstatefair.org/2017/Visitor/index.htm
Author
Jody Witt - crochet enthusiast; newby designer; yarn-aholic.
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