Grace Akhrem

Not Your Granny’s Square

Remember when I made 2012 new year goals and I decided that I wanted to knit another blanket?  Well this weekend I was bit by the inspiration bug.  I started a blanket, although it isn’t knit, its crochet!  I read the most recent blog post on the Kelbourne Woolens site and it inspired me to crochet a blanket.  But I decided to do something a little different, I am using all leftover lace, fingering, and sport weight yarns.  I am able to use all those gauges by going all the way up to a size E crochet hook.  I double the lace weight and some of my squares are more dense than others, but I am loving every second of it.

 

I didn’t want to use all my leftover yarns, just ones that fit the color palate I had in mind.  I knew I wanted to use yellow, greys, browns, and certain shades of blue.  I think I will have to supplement my leftovers with some other yarns.  I have Koigu on the brain.  I can’t believe I don’t have any left over Koigu in the colors for my blanket!  Don’t worry…. I’ll get some this week.  Here is a picture of my yarns I have so far and my color palate:

 

Up at the top we have Quine & Co Tern then from top left we have: Kollage Hope, Debbie Bliss Rialto 4ply, Louet Gems Sport, Madelinetosh Prairie, Louet Gems Sport, Swans Island Fingering. Bottom from left to right: Madelinetosh Sock, Malabrigo Sock, Habu Textiles Tsumugi Silk, Debbie Bliss Rialto 4ply, Pagewood Farm Glacier Bay, Shalimar Yarns Zoe Sock.

 

I am thinking about adding a deep dark purple… but I just can’t decide.  I think my yellow (which I love) is a little out there, so I don’t know if the purple might be out of place or not, I’ll see where the color palate takes me.  I will definitely be adding more shades of tan, beige, white, brown, grey and taupe…. as for more colors I’m on the fence.

 

I started off by making a few single colored squares for less finishing work, here is one in the Habu Textiles Tsumugi Silk doubled.

 

About three squares in I lost interest in the single colored squares and graduated to three colored squares.  In this one I used Madelinetosh Prairie doubled for the first tier in the center, Louet Gems Sport for the second tier, and Kollage Hope for the third outer tier.  Yes, there are more ends to weave in, but it’s totally worth it and looks fantastic.  Plus it’s way more fun!

 

 

In this square I used Swan’s Island Fingering doubled for the first center square, then for the second square I held the Swan’s Island Fingering with the Malabrigo Sock, and for the third outer square I used Malabrigo Sock doubled.  This was definitely a fun square to make.

 

I think the thing that is most fun for me about this project is since most of the yarns are leftovers they remind me of the projects I used them for in the past. So fun!  Over the next few months or so I will work on these squares on the days I can’t think about what I am doing.  Hopefully by the time fall comes around I will have a new blanket to crawl under.  I will definitely post pictures as I make progress and finish my blanket.  So far I have 22 traditional three tiered granny squares that I made yesterday and two mini single tiered granny squares that have yet to find a place in this project, but they are just too cute to add onto.

 

 

I hope this post has given you a bit of inspiration to start a blanket of your own.  Use leftovers… you will find that you tend to use a lot of the same colors. For a good basic granny square tutorial, visit The Purl Bee blog here.  If you are having a hard time choosing a color palate a site I have always found to be inspirational is the Color Collective Blog.  Please feel free to share your pictures of yarn choices and color combos here!  Happy crocheting!

 

Grace Akhrem

Please welcome Clotheshorse to the Scene & Give-Away!

The knitting/cyber world had buzzing about the new Clotheshorse online knitting and crochet magazine.  I know what you’re thinking, “Oh no, not another knitting magazine.”  But this one is different.  I had the pleasure of seeing what was going into the magazine before it was published when I met up with Heather Dixon and Mindy Brown, co-founders of Clotheshorse magazine at TNNA in January.  What makes this magazine different?  Clotheshorse is a fashion forward and season appropriate magazine.  The pieces in the magazine are inspired by current runway fashions.  The selection of patterns are wonderful, they have everything from dresses to jewelry and knitting to macrame.  Clotheshorse is fashionable and wearable, there is something for everyone!

 

 

The Spring/Summer 2012 Issue has 25 fashion forward patterns.  Two of my favorite patterns are:

 

Peekamoose by Heather Dixon

 

Cobalt by Mindy Brown

 

The great thing about Clotheshorse Magazine is that you don’t have to buy the entire magazine if you like just one pattern.  The patterns are all sold individually so you can pick and choose what you would like to make.  If you like one pattern in the whole magazine, just buy the one.  If you like ten, then buy ten.  That’s the beauty of it!  Every issue offers a free pattern.  In this issue the free pattern is Morea a macrame necklace  that is done beautifully by Mindy Brown.

Not only does this new magazine have knitting, crochet and macrame patterns but they also have a great product review page where they reviewed products like Lavishea Lotion Bars, Soak, Knitter’s Tool Tin by the Sexy Knitter and more.  What I enjoyed most about this issue was the Interview with Amy Small of Knit Collage.  I love to read about how yarn companies were started and the inspiration and drive behind the yarns.  Amy in particular has a fun and interesting story about how she got started and her production, make sure you read the interview with Amy Small!  Another fun read was the “Shop Report.”  We all know that Purl Soho is a wonderful place- but in the “Shop Report” Jennifer Wendell wrote about Purl Soho and about the texture and color to the point where it transports you there.

 

I hope you enjoy this issue and all the future issues of Clotheshorse Magazine.  Mindy and Heather have been very generous as to sponsor two give-aways. Each winner will receive a free PDF of the pattern of their choice.  To enter for a chance to win all you have to do is post a comment in this blog post by Sunday March 4, 2012 by 11:59pm Pacific Time. Good luck to all who enter!

Cadmium by Jennifer Lori, Mercury by Heather Dixon & Palladium by Gyorgyi Suta

Grace Akhrem

The Renegade Craft Fair comes to LA part I of II

Yesterday was the last day of the Renegade Craft Fair here in Los Angeles.  Last minute I decided to go because I had heard good things and I really wanted to see what it was all about.  So I got in my little peanut of a car and headed over to Chinatown, what an adventure!

When I got there I was starving, so I met up with friends Hanna, Danielle & Jill and we headed for the line-up of food trucks.  Yesterday was my first time eating from a food-truck.  We went for the truck with the longest line because that meant it was the best truck, right?!  We ate from the Crispy Waffle & Frite Truck.  Here is a photo of Hanna & Danielle waiting in line for some fooooood!

 

Hanna & Danielle

I ended up getting the “Tripple B” – Bacon, Brie & Basil waffle with the medium fires with Lemon & Dill Aioli.  Carbs on carbs on fat on fat.  It was AMAZING!  And there was a surprise, the waffle had maple syrup under all the toppings.  I love food trucks!  Here is a close-up of my breakfast for the day.  Hungry yet???

 

The “Tripple B”

 

Frite with Lemon Dill Aioli – yummy!

 

Our bellies were full of a good hearty and healthy (lol) breakfast/lunch and we were ready to make our way through the aisles of the Renegade Craft Fair.  We didn’t have to walk very far to find some really cool things.  I found the awesome vendor LittleBirds.  She specializes in small bags and pouches…. hmmm…. kinda like knitting or crochet project bags and accessory pouches.  Of course I showed no restraint and bought two pouches.  One mini and one larger, one for my dpns and one for small crap like stitch markers.  You can find more of her lovely pouches and “project bags” on her etsy site.

 

Littlebirds products

 

 

Next I stumbled upon a local fiber artist, Miryha Runnerstorm of Blarney Yarn.  She had a wonderful selection of beautiful hand-dyed roving.  My favorite was the Polwarth.  I had never seen Polwarth before, I only read about it in The Book of Wool by Clara Parkes of Knitter’s Review.  Polwarth reminds me a lot of merino, but it has a bit more of the lanolin feel (which I love) and a little bit of a sheen – not as much as Bluefaced Leicester, but more subtle.  I purchased two bundles of this roving, one in the colorway “Evergreen” and the other in “Autumn II”.  I’m not sure when I will have time time to spin this yummy Polwarth into yarn. Maybe when I retire I’ll have more time.  To find more products by Blarney Yarn visit her Etsy site.

 

 

I had made it about half way through the fair when I came across a really fun booth.  The booth belonged to fellow designer/blogger Leah Coccari-Swift of Ruby Submarine.  Leah had a really great and fun selection of crochet sea creatures, including squid, starfish & octopuses (yes octopuses, I looked it up).  They were bright and colorful and make great gifts.  Here is a photo of Leah in action and some of her pieces for sale.

 

 

 

Then a couple of booths over was the vendor Cookie and the Dude. I think that’s a very cute name, I wish I knew the story behind it.  I did not get a chance to meet the owner (I think she was getting lunch- maybe the Waffle truck) but I still got a few of her products.  She had these adorable fabric covered buttons that she turned into little hair pins and earrings.  I got two sets of hair pins and Danielle got a pair of earrings.

 

       

 

There were a few more vendors that I passed by that are definitely worth mentioning.  Rachel Pepper of Kingfly handbags & accessories.  I really fell in love with her handbags.  You can see their unique design and fun colors on her site.

The Bocket Store was another really great vendor.  Unfortunately I forgot to take a photo of the great bowl I bought (maybe on part II I’ll show you).  Sarah has a very unique product, she takes discarded wooden objects and rehabilitates them by paining teeny tiny dots on them with a very fine paintbrush. I imagine this takes a tremendous amount of patience and love for the work.  Please make sure you visit Sarah’s Etsy store to see what she is all about.

One of Hanna’s favorite vendors was Yellow Wallpaper Handmade.  It is a one woman handbag factory.  Every piece that she makes is made to order. Here is a picture of Hanna with her brand new bag, Nom Nom!

 

 

Another designer & vendor that was definitely worth mentioning, JFish Designs.  Wow!  I love ceramics – I but I was never too good at it, which is why I stick to my needles & yarn.  Jennifer Fisher’s pieces have a very modern yet adorable look.  They are very simple but very fun.  I fell in love with these little eggs…. I photographed them with a small safety pin so that you can get an idea of how tiny and adorable these little guys are.

 

Yellow & grey, my two favorite colors together!

 

Danielle fell in love with this little tiny potted succulent and I don’t blame her.  Now I wish I bought one for myself.  Boohoo! I am thinking about all the places where I can hang a tiny plant.  I think I might need like three of these cute little things.  Please make sure you check out Jennifer Fisher’s Etsy shop she has many really great products with functionality!

       

All in all I am really glad I got my butt out of bed for this event.  I found some really great local vendors and got lots of really great stuff!  Plus I got to eat from a food truck for the first time, woohoo and yum!  I can’t wait for this craft fair to come back to LA… maybe I’ll go to San Francisco next week so I can experience the fair all over again.  Haha!

There is still one more vendor that I didn’t mention in this blog post.  I love her concept so much that I thought she deserves her own post.  I don’t want to mention too much about this vendor (because I want it to be a surprise) but I won’t be able to blog about it for a while.  It’s kind of like a custom order thing…. but not really…. hard to explain.  You will just have to keep checking in to find out.  Eeek…. I’m so excited!!!

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