Redfin's article about incorporating textiles in your decor

Recently I was one of 15 designers/interiors experts invited by the team at Redfin to submit a tip for their article about using textiles in the home. I love that their real estate and marketing experts recognize the beauty and versatility of crochet, macrame, quilts, rugs, etc. Chosen and placed wisely, those items can reinforce the aesthetic you’re going for.

The Redfin article came out today. Here’s how they introduce the idea:

“Incorporating textiles into your home is an easy way to add a touch of elegance to your interior design. More so, unique pieces can introduce color in a way that your home has never seen before and serve as a focal point that guests are sure to ask about. There are many methods of creating textiles from knitting to weaving. However, one thing remains true: textiles are sure to bring beauty to any space.

“If you are looking to add textiles to your home, we’re here to help. Redfin reached out to experts across North America, from West Chester, PA to Fernie, BC, including us, to give you our best tips. From decorating your walls with a nordic rya rug to having a custom piece created, keep reading to see what we had to say. Check out From Crochet to Macrame: Experts Share the Best Ways to Incorporate Textile Into Your Home.”

Cheeck out my tip, #15: “Use the `Opposites’ Rule!”

The photos above show a variety of textiles you can use in your home. The first wall hanging is mine; the rug, macrame, and quilt were created by other makers. Hope the tips and the pictures inspire you to get crafting!

Online classes available through Annie's Creative Studio

We all remember the “good old days”—you know, 2019—when traveling was relatively safe and carefree. I always enjoyed going to Indiana to work with the team at Annie’s Crafts to produce video classes. However, when it became too dangerous to get everyone together in one place, the company responded with creativity and professionalism. They sent top-quality equipment out to their instructors and gave us instructions about lighting, sound, and studio set-up. (Also guidance on clothing, hair, and nails.) It took a little practice, but so far nine of my classes are offered, five are going through the editing process, and I’ll be shooting two more in early fall. They are all for Annie’s Creative Studio.

Here are the classes you can sign up for as of today:

Crisscross Diamondback Crochet Blanket

Center-to-Corner Afghan

Shades of the Ocean Kitchen Trio

Artist’s Palette Rug

Linen Stitch Rug

Mosaic Tiles Place Mat

Flower Fiesta Fringed Afghan

Ashford Basket

I Love Scraps Afghan

In other news, Schatzi, the golden retriever puppy that I raised for Canine Partners for Life, an organization that trains and places service dogs, was ultimately released from the program due to “resource guarding.” She was fabulous with people, and she enjoyed other dogs—except when they wanted something she considered hers. She has been adopted by a family with no other dogs. We were able to have her with us for the 2020-2021 winter holidays, and again for a goodbye visit in February. When Schatzi saw us, she did what I can only describe as the dog’s version of crying tears of joy. I had wondered if she would remember us, but she sure did. I know she will be happy and loved in her forever home. Meanwhile, I continue to serve as a temporary home for other puppies going through the program. It’s fun to see their personalities and interests during their short stay.

I will always love you, Schatzi!

A sale, a giveaway, and a new puppy!

Happy November! The air turned cold here right on schedule, and thoughts are turning to gift-giving. To assist you, I’m having a book sale on Etsy! I’m CrochetSharon there, if you have any trouble with the link. All of my crochet titles are under $10 each, way less than the cover price (and also less than the cost on you-know-where). But wait, there’s more! Everyone who purchases a copy of Beyond Basic Crocheting, Crochet Cowls, Tunisian Crochet for Baby, Delicate Crochet, Crochet Pillows, or Crochet Scarves from now until 11:59 p.m. on 11/30/19 will be entered into a contest to win a ChiaoGoo T-SPIN Tunisian Interchangeable Set (domestic sales only)! The winner will be announced on 12/1/19.

As you know, I am a huge fan of ChiaoGoo bamboo crochet hooks. They are light, durable, and have the perfect PQ—that’s “pointiness quotient.” The set includes eleven 5.7" bamboo hooks (sizes E - N, including size 7), 4 red TWIST cables, 4 stoppers, 2 cable connectors, 4 adapters, keys, case and needle gauge. That’s a retail value of $135. It’s incredibly generous of ChiaoGoo to partner with me on this giveaway. (Even if you don’t win, I highly recommend that you check out ChiaoGoo’s Tunisian hooks and other products. You can connect with them on Instagram (officialchiaogoo), Facebook (chiaogoo), and Ravelry (ChiaoGoo Fans).

The ChiaoGoo T-Spin Tunisian Crochet Interchangeable Set

I’m glad to get the sale and the contest up and running because I expect to be a bit preoccupied for a while, thanks to a little fluffball named Schatzi who joined our household yesterday. Schatzi is an 8-week-old golden retriever from Canine Partners for Life, an organization that trains and places service dogs. We will have Schatzi for 3-4 months and then she will move to the next phase of her training. There is a lot for her to learn—the puppy-raisers’ manual is 160 pages!—and I am eager to take this journey with her.

Schatzi! Her name means “sweetheart” in German.

I hope you are all doing well and are enjoying the autumn. If you have any questions about the Etsy book sale or the ChiaoGoo giveaway, don’t hesitate to contact me.

Winter organizing, interior design, and the July CGOA Chain Link Conference

Have you been caught up in the purging/organizing mania that’s sweeping (so to speak) the country? I’m all for it! Many of us have too much stuff, which makes it hard to know exactly what we do have and where to find it when we need it. I’m pretty tidy, and I like my environment uncluttered, but there is always room for improvement. Usually I’m motivated to reorganize a category or area when something frustrates me. For example, I have a few similar tablecloths and couldn’t tell what the dimensions were, which cloth would fit which table, and how many table leaves they would cover without unfolding them and trying them in place. Not very efficient. Recently I measured them all and pinned tags on with that information. Now I can find the right one easily. I don’t know why it took me so long to figure out such a simple solution, but better late than never. I did the semi-annual yarn purge recently (my stash goes to the Kennett Area Senior Center) and am very happy to have a few empty bins!

Yesterday I was at Longwood Gardens. It’s their orchid festival, and the Conservatory is filled with orchids of every shape, size, and color. I particularly liked the display that looks like pansies at first but turned out to be mass quantities of orchids. The hanging baskets are also stunning.

The photo doesn’t do justice to these hanging baskets of orchids

It was a chilly day but nice to walk around outside as well as in the warm Conservatory. When the weekend crowds are oohing and aahing indoors, the rest of Longwood is delightfully empty.

I’m not currently working on a crochet pattern book, which gives me the opportunity to branch out a bit with my crafting. I hope to partner with some interior designers to create custom pieces for their clients. I’m starting by getting in touch with top local decorators, but I would certainly consider commissions from designers at other locations. I made a short (1:30) video to acquaint them with my work. All inquiries welcome!

Big news: three of my classes were accepted by the Crochet Guild of America for the July Chain Link Conference in Manchester, NH. I’m thrilled! I’ll be teaching “Designing Crochet Patterns for Fun and Publication,” “Mosaic Crochet Magic, Including Cowl Pattern,” and “Lilytopia Shawl: Lightweight, Round, and Fabulous!” If things work out, I’ll also have the opportunity for a Delicate Crochet book-signing sometime during the conference. I’ll share the details with you as soon as I know them.

Conference registration starts soon. You can find the details on the CGOA website. It’s the 25th anniversary celebration, which should be very special. I’m most excited about connecting with other designers and crocheters. I would love to meet you—let me know if you plan to attend.

We are getting ready for some colder weather here in Pennsylvania, but nothing like the polar vortex descending up north. The forecast isn’t just for character-building cold but for dangerous, seriously frigid temperatures, the kind of cold that makes you feel like your eyelids are going to freeze shut and your teeth might crack. I hope all of who are affected by that stay safe and warm. If there were ever a time to have plenty of yarn on hand, this is it.

Travel, inspiration, classes, and book-signings

I hope all of you had a good Thanksgiving! The holiday season begins for us when Longwood Gardens’ Christmas display opens. This year the theme in the Music Room is “books.” There are some incredible books with the ends of the pages folded in such a way to make words and pictures. What artistry! Truly inspiring. The wreaths and some of the poinsettias are also made of paper.

Backing up a bit, our family was fortunate to spend two weeks in Italy in October. We stayed one week in Rome, with excursions to Pompeii and Monte Cassino, and one week in the Tuscan countryside from where we also explored Florence, Siena, San Gimignano, Montepulciano, and Lago Trasimeno. (I did pop into a yarn shop in Siena and of course forgot to take a picture!) It was the perfect balance of city and countryside, and museums and more active pursuits. We ate very well—it’s impossible not to in Italy!—and walked miles and miles every day.

St. Peter’s at sunset

A couple of weeks after getting home, I was on the road again, this time to the Crochet Guild of Prince William County, VA. I taught four classes over the weekend (beaded crochet, tapestry crochet, more techniques in Tunisian crochet, and crochet patterns demystified). Guild chair Rhonda Reese deserves a huge thank-you for arranging everything. We had the perfect size room and table space, plenty of snacks and lunch foods, etc. I really enjoyed meeting the group and seeing their progress. A couple of people who took classes the first day worked on their projects in the evening and brought them in the next day! Since then, I’ve received several photos of completed items. It was a great experience! (If your guild or group is interested in having me come teach, please send me a message and we’ll see what we can work out.)

Speaking of teaching, I submitted some class proposals to be considered for the Crochet Guild of America conference next summer. They are supposed to report back the first week in January. I hope they say yes!

Meanwhile, the exciting news is that DELICATE CROCHET HAS BEEN PUBLISHED! I wish this blog had smell-o-vision so you could inhale that sweet “new book” smell that greeted me when I opened the box of my author copies. The photos, the way the symbol diagrams and schematics look, the projects from the other contributors…I’m thrilled to see how the book came out!

Upcoming signings:

12/4/18, 7-8 p.m., West Chester Public Library, West Chester, PA

12/6/18, 6-7 p.m., Lion Brand Yarn Studio, NYC

12/9/18, 1:30-3 p.m., Luv2Knit&More, Jenkintown, PA.

More information is on the “Classes and Events” blog page. There is no snow in the forecast—with the blast we got the week before Thanksgiving, that’s a relief. Hope to see some of you at the events! (Mrs. Costco will be providing snacks for the Pennsylvania signings.)

My Etsy shop here has been up for a couple of months. If you’re looking for any holiday gifts, take a look. (And if you want to say you made them yourself, my lips are sealed!)

On a totally unrelated topic, we have a lot of wildlife in this area. However, even for us it was a treat to spot a beaver in a pond in a Wilmington, DE park. We saw one a couple of years ago in the Brandywine at Hagley Museum, but this one was a surprise. It had made a huge lodge at the other end of the pond. A good reminder that winter is coming. Wishing you wonderful days enjoying brisk weather outdoors, and a place to come inside that’s snug and warm.

A beaver at Talley-Day Park!

Delicate Crochet weeks away for publication! Plus fall events and classes

With the return of cooler temperatures, things in my crochet world are heating up! The most exciting bit of news is that Delicate Crochet will be out next month. Here is a sampling of pre-publication comments from librarians and other qualified reviewers:

“This is an extremely well-planned and organized book. The patterns are delightful…”

“As expected, there are wrap/shawl/scarf designs and several tops/sweaters/cardigans, but also a pretty skirt (with directions for optional lining), a beaded necklace and a very fun cowl done in Tunisian crochet.”

“This is a lovely book that does a lot to show just how versatile and beautiful crochet can be..”

The book, with 23 original patterns including written instructions and charts, came in at 176 pages. Besides my own designs, there are patterns from Kristin Omdahl, Vicky Chan, Karen McKenna, Vashti Braha, Rhonda Davis, Robyn Chachula, Amy Solovay, Katya Novikova, Jude Butterworth, and Marty Miller. With two Canadians and a Russian in that group, it truly is an international cast. I’m honored that the contributors agreed to be part of this project. Thanks also to photographers Daniel Shanken and Alan Wycheck, and the models who showed off the garments to stellar advantage: Alexis Lebo, Nina Magnani, Aron Rook, and Shay Strawser. Not to mention Candice Derr, Emily Cable, Caroline Stover, Tessa Sweigert, Judith Schnell, and Kristen Mellitt from Stackpole Books.

For a sneak peek at the projects, click here. If you’re interested in purchasing a copy, you can do so here.

Meanwhile, the Wall Hangings book from Leisure Arts is getting some good press. Here is today’s review courtesy of Ambassador Crochet. I really had fun designing and crochet those projects. You can see all of the designs here and purchase the book here.

Add a little color to your decor!

I’m really looking forward to a weekend in Virginia, teaching for the Crochet Guild of Prince William County. Four classes are on the schedule for November 10-11: Beaded Crochet, Tapestry Crochet and Basket, Crochet Patterns Demystified!, and More Techniques in Tunisian Crochet. If you’re in the area, the workshops are open to non-members as well. Here are registration details.

The first week in December I have two Delicate Crochet book-signings and fashion shows set up (I’ll have all 23 items with me): Tuesday, December 4th, 7 p.m. at my home library, the West Chester Public Library in West Chester, PA, and Thursday, December 6th (don’t know the exact time yet) at the Lion Brand Yarn Studio in NYC! More information about both of those events will be coming early next month.

I hope your autumn has gotten off to a warm and cozy start!