Book Review: Free-Spirit Shawls

Interweave/F+W Media; $24.95

I have the pleasure of telling you about a fantastic book by Lisa Shroyer, editor of Knitscene magazine. The book is Free-Spirit Shawls, a collection of knit shawls in various shapes and sizes.  I am so excited that Interweave sent me this book to review because I am in love with shawls, and I've been improving my knitting skills, and there are some beautiful projects in this book!

You should also be excited that they sent it to me, because I get to give away a FREE copy of it to one lucky reader!  Details on that in a minute.

Hands down my favorite project in the book is Rhoeas, by Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark.  I will make this shawl!

Photo by Joe Hancock

My other favorites are Cimarron by Alexis Winslow, Framework, which is also by Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark, Lindsay (the shawl on the cover) by Tabetha Hedrick, and Glen Lennox by Kate Gagnon Osborn.  I'm actually planning to cast-on Glen Lennox to take with me on a trip soon as my project to work on while travelling.  I'm using some very luscious Plymouth Baby Alpaca Worsted in #100 natural that Mr. AC got me for our anniversary this year.  It will be glorious to wear!  This will also be my first knit project with a cable.  Lets hope it goes well!

Have you seen the book?  Which projects are your favorites?  Have you started any?

There are so many great shawls in this book, but that isn't all that's great about it.  There is a section about how to wear your shawl, so that you can try out other ideas besides the traditional.  There are sections that discuss different shawl shapes and types of construction, which is great for me since I hope to get into knit design someday.  There is also a "Techniques" section in the back with some explanations about cast-ons and bind-offs that will be really helpful to me, being that I am still pretty new to knitting.

Really, if you love knitting and wearing shawls, you won't want to miss out on this fabulous book!  I am so glad that it is in my crafting library!

Now, for the chance to add it to your crafting library, for FREE, courtesy of Interweave/F+W Media.  You can enter the drawing by leaving a comment here on my blog or by tweeting a link to the blog post @BananaMoonStdio so that I can see it.  You can earn one entry for a blog comment and one for a tweet, for a total of up to 2 entries per person.  In one week I'll draw a random winner and announce it here, on Twitter, and on my Facebook page -- on Thurs. May 30th .  Good luck!

Happy Stitching!

April

Craftsy Free Class Day!

Saturday May 18th only, new members at Craftsy can get a FREE class!  If Craftsy succeeds in giving away 10,000 classes, they will donate $5,000 to Donors Choose, to help fund arts education in public schools throughout the US.  When you sign up you will get to choose a free class, up to a $39.99 value! Craftsy classes are awesome!  I've taken most of their free mini-classes, and started two of the longer classes, and they have all been great!  Today is the perfect day to try them out!

Happy learning!

April

Finishing the Job

Lately I have helped a number of beginners learn to crochet.  I have noticed a tendency that I had rather forgotten about, but which I remember having when I too was a beginner.  What tendency?

To cut off ends really short after tying a knot.

So, I would like today to address the issue of finishing the job.

When you have gotten to the end of your pattern or project, what do you do next?

Going back towards the skein, at least 6 inches (15 cm) away from where you are working, cut your yarn.

Wrap the yarn around your hook and pull it through the loop just as if you were making a chain.

Now, keep pulling it through, making the loop bigger, until you pull it all the way through.

Pull that end tight.

You don't need to tie any other knots in it.  Thread your end onto a blunt yarn needle.

Turn your project wrong side out and run your yarn needle under the threads and loops along the back, taking care not to take your needle to the right side of your fabric.  You don't want the end you're "weaving in" to show up on that side.

It is best to weave in the end in multiple directions.

I have seen others suggest running your needle back through the yarn end to help secure it.  This is done by poking the needle between the plies of the yarn that you've already woven in.

If those ends are really slippery, and they won't stay put, then you can use a dab of fabric glue (non-washable) to hold them in place.

Why is this the way to do it?  If you tie a knot and cut your end off short, chances are it is going to come undone in the wash or when undergoing the stresses of being worn, and then unravel.  In addition, it is also unsightly, and there is no way to hide it (see below).

Long ends are much better than short ends!  This is also true for your beginning end, which needs to be at least 6 inches (15 cm) long as well.

Hopefully I have helped someone finish a project well.  I know that I did not understand this as a beginner.  Hopefully, you will learn it quicker than I did.

Happy Stitching!

April

Growing in Your Shade

A mother tree drops her seeds

In the fertile ground beneath her leaves.

Her seedling grows well in her shade

As time goes on and seasons fade.

Protected from the harsh Summer sun

As her mother tree gives her ample love.

Shielded from the strong Fall winds

By her mother -- her dearest friend.

Blessed by her mother who stands nearby

She survives snowy winters, cold as ice.

When Spring arrives, the mother tree

Sprinkles rain gently through her leaves.

With protection in her mother's grace

She grows in stature, height, and strength.

Until her roots, intertwined with mother's

And branches strong and tall as other's

Live side by side with her as friends

Helping each other through the wind.

Mother you have loved me all my life through

And cared and sheltered as I grew.

Just as that tree who cared for her seed

You have protected and watched over me.

Now we are friends and I am here

To love, bless, and help you through the years.

-- April Garwood, Mother's Day May 12, 2013

I love my wonderful mother!  She has taken care of me and taught me so that I could become a happy and fulfilled woman and mother.  She is a gift to me, and I am proud to be her daughter.  She also taught me to love needle-crafting, which we all know is a fantastic gift!

Below are some examples of my mom's crafty handiwork.

Back of my wedding gown, which she made.

Edging detail on my wedding gown.

Knit socks that she made for me.

Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there!  I hope you have a wonderful day and that it involves lots of relaxing stitching!

April

Socks!

I finished!  The biggest motivator for me to learn to knit was to make socks.  I have a pair of crocheted socks, so yes, I know they can be crocheted, but they are wearing out very fast because they get tugged on so much in the getting on and off process -- they are not very stretchy.  Knit just works better for socks in my experience.

These are made in Premier Yarns Deborah Norville Collection Serenity Sock Weight with 2.5mm Addi circular needles (using the Magic Loop Method).  I used the free pattern "Simple Socks" by Suzy Vitale, which I found on Ravelry.  I did find that the heel turn portion of the pattern contained errors, so I had to improvise with another pattern on the first sock, but on the second sock I understood the principle well enough to base it on the original pattern more.  These are just simple stockinette stitch socks, and for the most part, the pattern was very good.  You can maybe see that the ribbing on the left sock is loose.  That was the first one I made, and it is not quite as well-done as the second sock, but I think I've got it down now.

This picture and the next two, are just for fun, to show you the beautiful roses that have bloomed in our front yard this week.  I love these roses!  They are all a little different, but all blends of pale pink and yellow.

Close up!

Do you garden?  Knit socks?  Share your pics on my Facebook page!  I'd love to see them!

Happy stitching!

April

Franklin Habit, Marly Bird, and Craftsy

Today I actually got to listen live to the Yarn Thing podcast by Marly Bird!  I am usually busy teaching my girls when it is on, since we homeschool.  However, we are enjoying a break this week before our last 4 week push to the end of the school year.

So, I was listening to the wonderful podcast, getting to know all about Franklin Habit, knit designer, cartoonist, and teacher extraordinaire!  I learned that he was taught how to knit when he was a student at Harvard University.  I learned that he once knitted a REALLY long scarf because he hadn't learned how to bind off yet.  There was a lot of great stuff in the podcast that I enjoyed.  You should go over to the Yarn Thing site on blog talk radio and listen.

Marly loves giving away prizes.  I've listened to several episodes now, and she always gives away something, usually multiple somethings.  So, I was listening live and chatting in the chat room with Ellen Gormley and Laurinda Reddig (both of them fantastic crochet designers).  It was almost time for the prizes and they both said something along the lines of, "I won just a few weeks ago, April, so it's your turn."  I had my cell phone ready to call in.  And I won!  I get to take Franklin's Craftsy class, Heirloom Lace Edgings for free!  Not only that, but I got to talk to two awesome and famous knit designers!  If you go listen to the podcast you'll get to hear your's truly talking about how much I need help with knit lace edgings.  The close-up above the shawl I mentioned as I talked with them.  I am still very much a novice when it comes to knitting.  I'm so excited!

I told Mr. AC my good news when he came home to have lunch with us and his response was, "Where do you have to go to take the class???"  He's thinking I'm taking a trip somewhere to redeem this free class.  I wish!  I'd love to visit one of the Stitches events to attend a class live.  I can tell you though from our brief visit on the phone and from listening to the podcast, that Franklin is a very nice person.

Well, once I've done the class I'll come back and tell you how it went.  Have you ever taken a Craftsy class?  Did you listen to the podcast?  What did you think?

Happy Stitching!
April

Daffodil Bag

I made the Daffodil Bag, by Marty Miller, from the March/April 2013 issue of Crochet Today!  I love it!  Such a beautiful design!  I took it's picture with our daffodils in the front yard.  I made mine with the yarn I had leftover from the Ring Around the Rosy Cozy from the same issue.

Here is Lady Hops-a-lot modeling it for me.  She's so cute!

Here is the lining job I did on the inside.  I'm glad that it won't get stretched out of shape.

And, just because I LOVE daffodils, and the way they signal the beginning of spring, here is one of our beautiful yellow-on-white varieties.

Happy Spring!

April