Marly Bird's Blog, page 178

Black Friday Cyber Monday Deals Yarn Books Patterns 2016

The annual Black Friday Cyber Monday Deals Yarn Books Patterns 2016 blog post is here and will be updated periodically until 11:59pm MT Nov. 28, 2017. 

*This Post Contains Affiliate Links*Every year, I ask yarn companies, publisher, and designers if they would like me to share their Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals with my followers, and each year I get some of the BEST participants and what YOU GET is a THANKSGIVING DAY AD that is just for YOU!

When does it start?

There are many that are happening RIGHT NOW! But most of these sales/discounts/deals don’t start until Nov. 25th.  I encourage you to click, look, plan your attack for Thursday or buy what you like NOW!

How does the image work?

Things are a little different this year in that you can see an actual ad for each sale and click on the image to be directed to the sale.

The grid is responsive, as you hover the mouse over the image it will expand and show you the image in more detail. To scroll to the next page of images, simple click on the image and swipe left :-), or click on the dot below the grid 

10 Secrets to Perfect Planned Pooling in Crochet

Well, I’ve jumped in the deep end of planned pooling and I LOVE IT! Today I am going to share with you my 10 Secrets to Perfect Planned Pooling in Crochet.

As many of you know, I published the BEST Crochet Tutorial Planned Pooling Video about  the technique a couple weeks ago. And since then I’ve perfected a few things. So, of course that means I have to do a new video and call it,

10 Secrets to Perfect Planned Pooling Crochet!

Below you will find the 10 Secrets listed out and the video to watch them in action. I think you are going to love secret number 5! My video will show you all that you need to know to be successful in planned pooling argyle.

You can read more about my journey with planned pooling on my blog. Don’t forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel. I have more planned pooling videos coming out soon, you don’t want to miss them.

 

 

10 Secrets to Perfect Planned Pooling in Crochet:



Chain through a full color sequence of the yarn. If you are having a hard time knowing where the sequence ends, go past the point at which you think it ends then you will be able to see where the colors begin to repeat themselves.
You can choose color placement from the start. Once you have the full sequence chained, you can then plan where you want what color to begin.
On row 1, first sc in the chain, the rest AROUND the foundation chain. note: in the video I accidentally forgot to do the ch 1…that is what happens when I talk and try to crochet. You want to do the ch 1 after each sc. There is more about this in the video description. 
Count the number of stitches in each color, then maintain that number throughout the project. Remember that the first ch 3 turning chain and the remaining ch 2 turning chains count as a stitch. That is why you work into the space created by them. So include the color of your tch in your stitch count.
The color of the stitch is MORE IMPORTANT than the gauge or tension or even the actual stitches used. This is where a lot of crocheters get mixed up because we are so used to maintaining gauge/tension to complete a project. For planned pooling argyle you are more concerned with the color of the stitch rather than the gauge/tension/stitch used. If you get the color to shift every other row you are on the right track. note: the stitch color will shift one to the left every other row if you’re right handed, or shift one to the right every other row if you are left handed. 
To get the correct color of the stitch you might need to change hook sizes…even mid row! Yes, this is contrary to almost everything you have been taught in crochet but TRUST ME!
To get the correct color of the stitch you might have to change the turning chain amount or the actual stitch used. Again, this is contrary to almost everything you have been taught in crochet but TRUST ME!
Using the same dye lot on a project is a MUST and how to match colors to join a new ball of yarn. There will come a time that you will need to add a new ball of yarn, whether to make your project longer or because you got the dreaded knot in your yarn. It is not hard to do as long as you match up the color sequence.
To make a project larger than one color sequence wide simply chain more than one sequence, then work multiple sequences across the row maintaining the same number of stitches in each color. REMEMBER to count the turning chain stitches as 1 stitch in that color.
Planned pooling is HIGHLY ADDICTIVE! Planned pulling is also FRUSTRATING! It doesn’t care how long you’ve been crocheting, it will try to defeat you. Take control of it. I know you can do it.

Looking for more PLANNED POOLING ARGYLE PROJECTS? 

Of course you are, you are ready to jump into the pool too! The best place to start is right here. 

The Best Crochet Tutorial Planned Pooling Argyle

One of the top trends right now in the crochet world is Planned Pooling in an Argyle pattern. I have know about planned pooling for a while in regards to knitting. When this trend came to the crochet world I knew I had to be involved in making some great designs and helping you all to learn the technique. Red Heart has so many great variegated yarns that lend well to this technique and each color variation will make a different pattern. Today I want to share with you the new video I released, The Best Crochet Tutorial Planned Pooling Argyle. Let me show you how to make the magic happen.

I first learned how to do the crochet planned pooling through a blog post on the Red Heart website. After learning the basics I sat down and swatched. I did a lot of swatches to figure out the best way to do the technique and how it worked for the different colors and to get the look I wanted for each project. Yes, you may have to adjust things depending on the color variation that you are using. Depending on the length of each color in the ball your pattern will look different and you may have to alter your technique slightly.

Along with the many blog posts and videos out there I have found great support and fellow planned pooling lovers in the Planned Pooling with Crochet Facebook group. The admins in the group are fantastic and the members post so many wonderful projects that they have completed.

Grab a hook, your favorite color of variegated yarn and watch the video below to join me in the craze taking the crochet world by storm.

 

 

–Planned Pooling with RH is a trend (variegated yarn)

–As RH spokesperson is only makes sense that I learn how to do it for crochet.

–While I was teaching myself how, with the help of a blog post from RH, and my knowledge about knitted planned pooling, I found that I was obsessed with the process.

–I knew how to do the math version of planned pooling, but as many of you know I am not a fan of math. So finding another way to accomplish the same effect through color placement was key to my success.

–Joining the Planned Pooling Crochet Group has been great for me. the admin are wonderful and allow me to be a part of the group. Watching and helping others succeed has helped me in own knowledge of the topic.

–I did the video in a way that I felt was more explanitory than other videos I had seen.

–since then, I’ve learned even more and perfected my process and share those in a second video called 10 secrets.

The Best Crochet Tutorial Planned Pooling Argyle is a new video I did that teaches you how to do this really fun technique called planned pooling.

I am seriously hooked on it and I can’t stop!

I’ve joined a facebook group that is FANTASTIC! I love the moderators and all the wonderful members.

Link to Video.

Mikey from The Crochet Crowd

Mikey from The Crochet Crowd made this a special episode of the Yarn Thing podcast. 

The Crochet Crowd started in 2008 under just a quick hobby YouTube Channel, for a fun hobby that quickly developed into a go-to resource for Crocheters. Mikey continued to see how far it would go. In October 2010, Diva Dan and Mikey decided to rename the company as The Crochet Crowd®. It was then we realized we were not just a crochet page, we were a true community. Our mission is to dish out inspiration all day, everyday and we do it all on The Crochet Crowd Facebook, Website and YouTube channel. 

The Crochet Crowd can be followed through their website: TheCrochetCrowd.com, also found Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and make sure you subscribe to their YouTube channel.

If you missed getting to hear this visit LIVE on the Yarn Thing podcast, you can listen to the episode, it’s still where it aired originally as an archived episode: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yarnthing/2016/11/17/mikey-from-the-crochet-crowd or with your favorite podcast catcher like iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

 

Corner-to-Corner Blanket in Half Double Crochet

Corner-to-Corner (C2C) blankets are a hot trend right now. I recently posted about my Snowflake C2C Blanket (a FREE pattern on Red Heart Yarn’s website) and today I am sharing with you the basics on how to make a corner-to-corner blanket in half double crochet.

If you read the post about my Snowflake blanket you will know that the two C2C blankets that I designed are in half double crochet stitches vs. the common double crochet stitches. I chose to use half double crochet stitches because I thought that they looked better with the design and my gauge. You can change either of these patterns to use double crochet stitches but this will require you to use more yarn and will look slightly different, so make sure you swatch first.

In my corner-to-corner basics tutorial video you will learn the technique for a square pattern. I break down how to read a C2C chart and where to place your stitches. The video will show you how to increase and decrease squares to adjust the size. I will be releasing a video soon to show you how to work this in a rectangle. Check out my YouTube channel for other tutorials and subscribe so you know when this new video is available.

After you watch the video you can try some of the FREE patterns on Red Heart’s website including my Snowflake Corner-to-Corner Afghan (the pattern also has a video tutorial) and my Heart Throb Blanket. Don’t forget to add your finished projects to their Ravelry page. If you need more help beyond my tutorial you can view Sarah Zimmerman’s Corner-to-Corner class on Annie’s.

 

 

Holiday Snowflake Corner-to-Corner Blanket

When you look around at the current trends in crochet you will see two that are popping up all over. One is the Planned Pooling Argyle obsession and the other is Corner-to-Corner (C2C) Blankets. I had already designed a C2C blanket for Valentine’s Day, my Heart Throb blanket which is a FREE pattern from Red Heart Yarns, and knew I wanted to make something beautiful for Christmas. I have always been drawn to patterns that use charts and that is where my Snowflake Afghan started.

After drawling the chart on my computer I printed out multiple sections in a large size to make the full blanket. Then I sent it out to one of my wonderful contractors, Mildred, to create the sample for me. The chart that you see pictured here is included in the FREE pattern. You will notice that the colors are opposite from what you see in the finished project. I created the chart this way because it was easier to read the chart with more white space. You can choose whichever two colors you like to complete the blanket so just make a note for yourself on what the colors mean before starting the project.

When planning out this pattern I decided to use half double crochet stitches vs. the traditional double crochet stitches found in C2C patterns. I did this because I felt it looked more appealing in this particular pattern and it worked better with my gauge. You can change any C2C pattern to use half double crochet stitches but remember this will cause you to use more yarn, make sure you swatch first!

The Snowflake Afghan is a true labor of love and is designed to be an heirloom piece to share for generations in your family. In full disclosure, there are a LOT of ends to be worked in for this pattern. We are talking looking like a shag carpet by the time you are finished amount of ends to weave in. My tip is to work them in as you go, this will take away the daunting task of weaving in the ends at the end of your project. The reason that there are so many ends is that the pattern is not conducive to carrying the yarn as you go. If you wanted to carry the yarn you could, but I feel the results are more streamline if you break the yarn at the different color changes.

I chose to use Red Heart Super Saver because it is an affordable yarn, which you will need a good amount for this project (7 skeins of your main color and 6 of the secondary color). The pattern calls for red and white but this could be made in any color combination that fits your style. That was another plus to using Red Heart Super Saver as it is available is 132 colors, the possibilities are endless. You could also add more than two colors to really change the look of the finished piece.

For those of you who have fallen in love with this afghan but are hesitant about trying out the C2C construction, have no fear I have put together a step-by-step video tutorial to help you along the way. You can watch the video below about this blanket and you can view a C2C basics tutorial video on my YouTube channel. I hope that you love this project as much as I did while designing it. You can get the FREE C2C Snowflake Afghan pattern, including the chart, at Red Heart’s website. If you make the afghan please be sure to add it to the Snowflake Blanket Ravelry page.

 

 

Drop Dead Easy Knits with Gale Zucker, Mary Lou Egan and Kirsten Kapur

Drop Dead Easy Knits with Gale Zucker, Mary Lou Egan and Kirsten Kapur made for lots of fun on today’s Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird, like we can have a knit night, exploring fun together.

Gale Zucker

Finally, a knitting book featuring fantastic projects that don’t require you to study a patter n for hours–a sure recipe for blissful, carefree knitting. A book of great potential gifts and keepsakes, this collection of 30 dynamic projects–from blankets to simple sweaters to wraps–is designed so you can easily pick up your needles during moments of free time, whether binge-watching a show, waiting for your plane to board, or having a “wine and 

knitting” night with friends. For key moments–such as joining an arm to a sweater or casting on additional rows–patterns are coded with

Kirsten Kapur

“concentration zones” and “cruise control” segments for when you can go into a mindful state and let the knitting  take a back seat. Thin enough to slip in your bag, with charming four-color photography throughout, Drop-Dead Easy Knits (link to Ravelry page) is the answer to all your laid-back knitting needs.

 

 

 

 

Gale Zucker’s website is SheShootsSheep.com, Kirsten Kapur’s is ThroughTheLoops.com and Mary Lou Egan’s can be found at Yarnerinas.com.

If you missed getting to hear this LIVE it is still available where it aired originally as an

Mary Lou Egan

archived episode http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yarnthing/2016/11/15/drop-dead-easy-knits-with-gale-zucke

r-mary-lou-egan-kirsten-kapur or with your favorite podcast catcher like iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Watch Marly’s Facebook page or YouTube for behind the scenes video from her Birds of a Feather studio.

 

Amy Herzog says You Can Knit That

Amy Herzog says You Can Knit That, and goes to prove it with a new book by that name, sharing it with us today on the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird.

Amy Herzog says she can’t remember a time she didn’t knit, it may have been in Kindergarten or a little before. She says the story goes that she was very active when she was little was taught as a way to slow down. As a kid, she did sweaters, hats, blankets, mittens and gave up all her making hobbies as a ‘cool’ teenager. She does say her family was a maker family, sewing with grandma, including her prom dress …. a Maker Centric Community. In her early twenties, she picked it back up again. She says she has a couple of knit challenges that make it more fun to create clothes than buy. Modifying patterns to fit herself was a short bridge to designing. Of course, with a technical and computer science background (good at math) it may have also contributed to her making that leap. Amy says she was a fan of Rowan Knits, she often found that she had to size things there to fit herself from those collections.

Amy’s desire when designing is to make it more accessible to more sizes of people. It began with a Rowan design that was a wrap, Tulip, by Marie Wallen, that she loved but certain elements needed fixed (‘I am not a capped-sleeved person’) so she drafted set-in sleeves. This incorporated the sewing education she received from her grandmother, and her techie smarts to accomplish.  Her first design from scratch was for ‘Knitting It Old School’ who needed someone to design for their Sci-Fi chapter, so she created Apocalypta. (There is another sweater attributed to her, Lady Speedway, in that book.) She felt she knew at that point, she knew what she wanted to knit/create/design.

At about that time, there were lots of bloggers discussing Process Knitting vs Product Knitting, many sharing that they were knitting to create something they weren’t going to wear. Amy acknowledged that was not who she was, her upbringing created in her a need to be useful, to make things to be used. Wanting to wear the garments we create means that they need to fit. Knit to Flatter came from that, not so much about making things fit because there were many resources that did that at the time, but to think about why we like what we do. She wanted to share, not so much size, but shape and what might make you happiest. In fact, the pieces were photographed on ‘Real People’ not models! She also created a Custom Fit Sweater Pattern Generator, which may have been a natural project for the techie person who can show each of us what makes for successful sweater patterns. It begins with a free membership, compiles your measurements, gauge and type of fit then offers to write the pattern for a small charge. There is also the option to create your own which allows you to capture whatever pattern is floating in your head.

The next big project was her Make. Wear. Love. Retreats to focus on being sweater inspired, with craft demonstrations and vendors geared toward clothing. The registration has just opened for the West retreat happening in April 2017. It has been so popular both West and East coast, so it won’t be long before it’s filled.

Now, we have You Can Knit That (I want to type CAN, in all caps! To view the patterns click this Ravelry Link) To answer questions students had about how to change things to follow the trends. Different ways to change how to attach the sleeves, what kind of yarn creates a fabric that does what, how to choose a size correctly, where it will constrict, how to add a stitch pattern, how to read a pattern…. She feels her early books went really deep into the tailored clothing, and this goes back to making clothes we like to wear.

Marly loves the way Amy’s brain works, and suggested that Amy should write a book on how to design, which Amy says she’s currently working on…. We’ll have to have her back when that happens!

Amy Herzog can be followed in many places, first her website is AmyHerzog.com, complete with a blog, Ravelry Designer page and Fan Group. She also has a Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest. Amy also has Craftsy classes, but Marly’s links are unavailable today, as soon as we have access I will get back to share those…. Also we love sharing them on Facebook, so that’s a good place to watch for those links and other things that support the podcast.

If you missed getting to hear this live it is still available as an archived episode where it aired originally http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yarnthing/2016/11/01/amy-herzog-says-you-can-knit-that  or you can listen with your favorite podcast catcher like iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Also Marly has been creating behind-the-scenes video in her Facebook page and sharing them in YouTube as well.

Self Striping Yarn Studio by Carol Sulcoski

Self Striping Yarn Studio by Carol Sulcoski, celebrates another beautiful book in Carol’s Yarn Studio Series and keeps us caught up with Carol at the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird.

Carol Sulcoski is a former attorney who left the practice of law when her oldest child was born. She learned to knit as a child, and returned to the craft as an adult. Today she juggles several roles in the knitting industry as designer, writer, handdyer and teacher.

Carol’s foray into knit design began when she started modifying patterns as she knit them. She then began creating her own designs. Today, you can find her original designs in print magazines like Vogue Knitting, KnitSimple, Interweave Knits, KnitScene, and Noro Magazine, and books, including Knit Noro & Big Girl Knits. She frequently designs for yarn companies like Koigu, Universal Yarns and St-Denis Yarns. In 2009, she began her own pattern line, Black Bunny Fibers, available on Ravelry and Patternfish. She is particularly interested in designing with fine-gauge yarns (including sock yarns) and handdyed yarns.Carol’s first book, Knit So Fine, was published by Interweave Press in 2008; she and her co-authors presented a collection of sweaters and accessories knit in fine-gauge yarns. Her second book, Knitting Socks With Handpainted Yarns (Interweave Press 2009), focused on the unique challenges presented by handdyed yarns, along with a curated selection of sock patterns especially designed for tricky handpaints. Her third book, Sock Yarn Studio, was just released by Lark Crafts in fall 2012, and features a curated selection of patterns using sock yarn — for items other than socks. All three books were praised for their introductory chapters as well as their designs, giving knitters tips and techniques to help the knitter succeed.

Occasional experiments in Kool-Aid dyeing led to Carol’s fascination with handdyed yarns and fibers. She now creates unique handdyed yarns and fibers as Black Bunny Fibers. Unlike most other dyers, Carol does not have set colorways, but prefers instead to dye in small batches to ensure top quality and truly one-of-a-kind color combinations. You can find her yarns and fibers on her ArtFire Studio. Because Carol dyes all her products herself, in very small batches, she is not able to wholesale yarns on a traditional basis. Her yarns and fibers can be found at Loop, Philadelphia.

Carol lives outside Philadelphia with her husband, their three children and a pet bunny rabbit, Charcoal — the real-life bunny in Black Bunny Fibers. We can continue to follow her at her website: BlackBunnyFibers.com, she also has a Ravelry Designer Page, a fan Group there too, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

There are three previous visits that Carol has made to the Yarn Thing podcast that we have access too. Here they are: October 2012, April 2015 and February 2016 when she shared Knitting Ephemera with us.

If you missed getting to hear this visit LIVE it is still available where it aired originally as an archived episode http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yarnthing/2016/10/13/self-striping-yarn-studio-by-carol-sulcoski or with your favorite podcast catcher, like iTunes or Stitcher Radio. Also, you may find behind-the-scenes video available at Marly’s Facebook page.

Shannon Dunbabin shares 60 Quick Knits for Little Kids

Shannon Dunbabin shares 60 Quick Knits for Little Kids, a brand new book published by Sixth & Spring books with all projects featuring Cascade Yarns on the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird.

Shannon says: I have been working at Cascade Yarns for 13 years when I came out to Seattle to marry Rob Dunbabin. Soon after starting at Cascade I realized that it seemed a bit weird to work for a yarn wholesaler and not knit so I taught myself to knit. I started creating simple patterns several years ago with a focus on smaller projects – hats, scarves, cowls, blankets and shawls. I have 2 boys – a 10 year old and a 10 month old.

Shannon Dunbabin can be followed through her work at Cascade Yarns, they have a website, CascadeYarns.com, check out their blog, too, they also have a Facebook page, a Ravelry Designer page and Ravelry Group, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest. 

If you missed getting to hear this visit live, it’s still available as an archived episode where it aired originally: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yarnthing/2016/10/25/shannon-dunbabin-shares-60-quick-knits-for-little-kids or with your favorite podcast catcher like iTunes or Stitcher Radio.