At long last, Crochet Cowls has been published! It is my 22nd book overall, and my 13th crochet title, but it is still just as exciting to open the box as it was the first time. I am especially pleased with the photography of the finished pieces on the models--those were taken by Daniel Shanken of Shanken Photography Inc. The styling, makeup, locations, etc. are all top-notch! The models themselves did a fabulous job showing off the cowls. If you're interested in a copy, they are available here.
The back cover. Thanks to Susan White Sullivan for such a nice endorsement!
I'm slowly starting to add the patterns to Ravelry, then Pinterest. As we head toward autumn, the timing is good for doing some events. I'm already scheduled for the official book launch at the Lion Brand Yarn Studio in NYC the evening of October 27th, followed by a Firelight Turtleneck class at the Studio the next day at lunchtime. (If your local yarn shop might be interested in hosting a book-signing/trunk show and/or a class, please put them in touch with me!)
Speaking of Lion Brand, I had the privilege of designing a summer picnic set for them: placemats, napkin rings, a wine bottle cover, and a lidded round container. Here are some photos:
The link to the Lion Brand blog post and patterns is here.
This time of year the flowers are in full bloom. Birds and butterflies come by regularly to enjoy them. I don't put out bird feeders--I know I'm not the kind of person who will keep them filled and clean--but the flowers and the little stream to our pond attract all sorts of birds and other critters. I spotted a hummingbird on the zinnias last week but it didn't stay still long enough for me to get a picture. There have been some other flashy birds including an oriole and a goldfinch. Plenty of frogs and toads. Today I collected seeds from the lettuce and cilantro. I'll plant some of the lettuce this week for a late-season crop, and will save the rest of the seeds for next year.
Butterflies are very cooperative posers!
I hope you are enjoying the beginning of August and are taking full advantage of these beautiful summer days!