Marly Bird's Blog, page 182

Customize Your Knitting by Margaret Hubert

Customize Your Knitting by Margaret Hubert was what today’s sweet visit on the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird was all about. But then, it’s always sweet to hear from Margaret Hubert.

Margaret says people generally associate her with crochet so to hear that she put together a knitting book for us is wonderful. In fact in the last year she’s had four books out, two of them about crochet granny squares. She laughed telling us that she was named ‘bi-stitchural’ by a young lady at a conference.

Margaret is a very busy teacher. Often she finds that her students DON’T knit or crochet for themselves, confining themselves to baby things or afghans, because they don’t like the fit of the garments they have tried to make. She says the ideas for the books came from classes where she shows that it’s not always just adding stitches. These are her most popular classes, and says ‘the books are based on the classes not the other way around’ which for us means she has compiled the discoveries the students in her classes have made. 

This book Customize Your Knitting is a complement to the book that Margaret shared with us on her last visit, Customize Your Crochet. The books are for women’s sizes 2 to 52. In both, Margaret takes four basic patterns and shows you the ways you can adjust. And the variety of suggestions is mind-boggling, as you can create a perfect fit for YOUR body shape, she shows you how to change the fastening, the neckline, add a collar, add a pocket, changing fastenings, embellishments…… Margaret uses for herself a garment that she likes the fit of when she’s wearing it and compares it with the garment she’s making. This has been a helpful suggestion she gives in her classes, and it reveals things we did not understand when just going by our measurements.

Making custom-fit garments has been such a difficult topic to finally get information on. Marly tells that when she created her Craftsy classes on this topic, it was very hard to find information to share. (Marly’s Custom Crochet and Custom Knit class links.) She agrees that having Margaret’s book would be great additions to our libraries.

Another factor that both Margaret and Marly emphasize here is checking your gauge with every project. Every yarn is different, every brand of needle, every unknowable factor can change our gauge, so it must be checked prior to starting every new project. Margaret advises not counting the end stitches on the swatch either, because the end stitches can be a bit off from turning the row.

In future she hopes to offer us the top down custom-fit ideas, but for now she’s given us a wealth of ideas. She says she is constantly is thinking of new book ideas and the publishers she’s working with have been treating her really well, her teaching schedule is now within a driving distance from her home, so we are assured to learn more from her, and see new books from her.

Here is the link to listen to Margaret on the last visit when she shared Customize Your Crochet. Also, here is the link from her January 2014 visit.

If you missed getting to hear this LIVE today, it’s still available as an archived episode where it aired originally: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yarnthing/2016/06/30/customize-your-knitting-by-margaret-hubert or with your favorite podcast catcher like iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

Let’s Get to Coloring with Franklin Habit

Let’s Get to Coloring with Franklin Habit on the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird! Why, yes, let’s do…

Franklin Habit

Franklin has been on Yarn Thing before, and we love getting caught up with him each time he can make room for us in his schedule. This time we get to hear first about Miss Rosamund Adelaide (aka Roz) who was rescued by It’s a Pittie, a 19-month old Blue Nose Pit Bull. Her history was that she came from an irresponsible breeding program, then picked up from a domestic violence situation. If you follow Franklin’s posts in social media, Roz is obviously in her forever home and well-loved. There has been lots of pictures in the short two months since she has been part of the household.

Busy as Franklin’s life at the moment. He’s doing a lot of traveling to teach. For instance, in mid-July, he will be at Yarn-a-Rama (Texas) and then Stitches Midwest August 4-7th. (PLEASE look at that link, aside from class opportunities with Franklin, there is also a presentation on Thursday night at the event called ‘B is for Purl: A Brief History of the Knitting Pattern‘ which is FREE to registered attendees.) Life can feel like you only come home to get clean laundry, when you’re that busy. In addition to his teaching schedule, Franklin writes for Lion Brand Yarn’s Notebook (link to most recent post) where he’s written for them for a few years, with an essay and a cartoon. Also, most recently for Skacel ‘Friday’s with Franklin’ which has already been moved from their website to the Maker’s Mercantile website. He’s written about what he’s playing with, weaving, knitting techniques, experiences in crochet (adventures in creating a Granny Square!). He loves that he has no limits but to play with yarn or fiber, which generates inspiration. It wasn’t mentioned by Franklin also writes articles elsewhere such as for Knitty.com 

Franklin has been doing a lot with Soho publishing (of Vogue Knitting) and sent them a note suggesting a book of illustrations of knitting and crochet for people to color. They liked the idea so much they fast-tracked it, so Franklin’s packet of ideas very quickly joined the currently popular market of adult coloring books as I Dream of Color, with images of familiar elements with of what we love about knitting and crochet with fantastical ideas of astronauts knitting, or hedgehogs or unicorns…. Clearly a wander through the places where Franklin’s mind wanders.

There is a family story that Franklin’s mother (who just passed away in January) found her little boy coloring on a wall. Initially upset, but on closer look seeing that he’d drawn a bunch of cats on a fence in a field, realizing her

pre-toddler (not quite two) could convey an idea, and grow to attend Harvard, become the knitter, photographer, cartoonist we know was probably never lost on her.

NOTE FROM TAMMY: The first time I’d ever heard mention of Franklin Habit, was with his book of cartoons, It Itches. I actually saw him present a copy to Mo Rocca in a video…. but that’s another story. The reason I point this out is Franklin has been drawing things to make knitters and, really, all yarn lovers smile for quite some time.

Franklin Habit can be followed through his website: www.the-panopticon.com, but he’s most active in Facebook or his Artist page, in addition to the other things we’ve mentioned. (That’s where I stole the charming picture of Roz from.) Here is the links to his previous visits to Yarn Thing with Marly Bird in 2013, and about a year ago.

If you missed getting to hear this visit live, it is available as an archived episode where it aired originally: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yarnthing/2016/06/28/lets-get-to-coloring-with-franklin-habit or in your favorite podcast catcher like iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

It’s a Brand-New STITCHES United

It’s a Brand-New Stitches United and Benjamin Levisay is here to share with us on the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird.

We really didn’t talk much about his background, perhaps because he may believe his story is so well-known. Here is the bio he sent: Benjamin Levisay, CEO of XRX, Inc., publishers of Knitter’s Magazine and XRX Books as well as promoters of STITCHES Expos, is a second-generation partner in this 30-year-old company originally started by his uncle, Alexis Xenakis, his father, David Xenakis, and their partner Elaine Rowley. Benjamin has been a part of the fiber industry since his family opened a yarn shop in Sioux Falls, SD when he was a small boy, an enterprise that later evolved into XRX. After a career in the software industry, Benjamin rejoined the company ten years ago as CEO and Director of Marketing & Sales. He is more commonly known as one of the hosts of STITCHES and board member of Halos of Hope. It is his intention to carry on the legacy of passion and commitment that characterized his family’s contributions to the fiber world.

Benjamin is just home from TNNA. TNNA is the The National Needlearts Association and their event is a gathering for Yarn Shop owners to visit and see what’s new that crafters will love and benefit from finding in their LYS. It’s a bit lighter responsibility for him there, as it’s not HIS event, so he gets to walk around and visit with folks in the industry, yarn companies, those that create the tools books and other products we appreciate as well as designers, teachers, indie yarn dyers. As CEO of XRX, which is a very small group of folks that are publishing Knitters (also known as Knitting Universe) Magazine (website: www.KnittingUniverse.com), also books like the recent Knit My Skirt by Candace Eisner Strick (Click HERE to listen to Candace’s recent visit on Yarn Thing) and the Stitches Events, Benjamin has been a VERY BUSY guy. His enthusiasm for all the wonderful and amazing parts of the Yarn or CRAFT community really has been highly contagious and we appreciate when we can hear him share what’s happening in South Dakota at the offices of XRX. 

XRX is announcing a BRAND-NEW event, which a little bit different from recent but not far off the path for XRX historically. Beginning as a little yarn shop in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, called The Golden Fleece, that offered knitting, weaving, bobbin lace, spinning, offering a publication called Prairie Wool Companion. Benjamin himself as a child helped teach weaving! Elaine Rowley (Benjamin introduces her as the “R” in XRX) and Rick Mondragon (Editor of Knitters Magazine) are avid quilters these days, so it’s natural that the discussion around the offices would turn to creating an event that offers MANY different types of fiber/textile type handcrafts. At Stitches South during the Student Banquet and Fashion show, Benjamin announced their plan for STITCHES United happening April 2017 to include Knitting, Crocheting, Dyeing, Felting, Quilting, Weaving, Sewing and CRAFT! Their hope is to give more of us an opportunity to try our hands at some of these as many of us do have have more than one craft we’re interested in! The excitement about going back to Hartford, Connecticut, where STITCHES East used to happen, is also exciting because vendors, teachers and students miss the venue and seeing each other, many who couldn’t travel to the other locations. They will be adding shorter classes, 90 minutes as well as the three-hour classes, which will give us more learning opportunities and still allow for time in the marketplace.

IN THE MEANTIME, What’s happening with events between now and then?

STITCHES Midwest, happening August 4 thru 8, will get to have their Erin.Lane COMMEMORATIVE bags for the first time this year. (We cannot recommend enough that if you need this treat, PLEASE use the pre-order. As folks at STITCHES South will tell you, it was so disappointing to get to the desk and find they were SOLD OUT.)  There will also be a celebration with Halos of Hope with Steven Be, featuring a lot of color and sparkle. Much of what we would like to know we will have to wait to hear, because Halos founder, Pam Haschke (wh0 was on recently as well) is away from the phone with a GOOD family emergency, so will hear more of this at a later date.
STITCHES Texas, happening September 22 thru 25, Recognizing the 25th Anniversary of the STITCHES events, our focus, too, will be on Knitted Knockers. Barbara was on the program in January, and at Stitches West there was a great deal of fun collecting, stuffing, showcasing and just getting the word out about this wonderful organization. Benjamin says they are working on a ‘Branding’ event (that sounds like a TEXAN thing, doesn’t it?) and continuing to get the word out even more.

A couple of years ago, Benjamin stepped out of the social media spotlight, so showing where you can follow him as we usually do at this point. We miss him, but this has been to our benefit, because we can see that he is really making wheels spin, setting things in motion for us to enjoy. We can give you additional links to the ones we shared earlier in this post. XRX has a lot of news that will be coming out soon about Halos of Hope & STITCHES Midwest, Knitted Knockers & STITCHES Texas and STITCHES United. PLEASE sign up for their newsletter too so you don’t miss the news: KnittingUniverse.com/Newsletter

If you missed getting to hear this live, you may listen to it as an archived episode where it aired originally: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yarnthing/2016/06/16/its-a-brand-new-stitches-united or in your favorite podcast catcher like iTunes or Stitcher Radio. There is also behind-the-scenes video of Marly available at her Facebook page, just for fun!

Vickie Howell

Vickie Howell returned to the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird, so we have an opportunity to get caught up with her. So much has happened in the last two and half years!

Vickie was taught to crochet by her mother, as they watched tv together. At a very young age, about 20, Vickie became the hostess of Knitty Gritty. She has also been on Knitting Daily, yarn lines, patterns, books (and booklets!). Marly commented that Vickie has had a lot of ‘lives’ and Vickie agrees, because creative people have ideas as ebb and flow. She feels that she has been an communicator, introducer, recruiter, encourager, which builds an openness with others you may not have anything in common with.

Primarily she’s been an encourager of crochet, not that she hasn’t knit, but feels they are both wonderful for different reasons. Vickie says you have to be willing to fail, and to ask for what you want, taking the risk that you can show things they may not be aware they want to learn. Wee Garter Stitch (link to Ravelry so you can peek at the different pieces) is a collection of knits, both classic and trendy. Vickie says she learned to knit when her second child was born (who is now a teenager). For instance, the cover piece is the Honey Baby pullover features the classic honey-comb done in a bit unusual garter stitch pattern, with popular stripes. Vickie says she loved the Best Dressed which is vintage styled with modern comfy fit, minus seaming. The Coyote Kid is the vintage Cowichan Cardigan (remember The Big Lebowski?) with lots of colorplay to attract a little one’s eye. (Vickie created that to work up quickly in a bulky weight yarn!) Fox Lovie combines the texture of garter stitch, the classic feather and fan waves, and the modern love of fox knits, to create the dragged around companion of a little hands. Look for Zebras, Leopard prints, bows, ruffles and all the elements that become beloved children’s garments.

A very recent addition with Vickie Howell’s world media is a new podcast, Craftish. She describes it as conversations of creative-types.  At this moment the 12 episodes include author Rachel Herron, Star Wars director Rian Johnson, Moogly’s Tamara Kelly, podcaster and magazine editor Kara Gott Warner, food and lifestyle photographer Jody Horton…. such a wide variety of stories, how they remain creative. Vickie finds that one type of creativity flows into other kinds, she hopes that by sprinkling fiber artists like knitters and crocheters that it will also change what people perceive about homecrafts, to elevate it and increasing its value.

She has quite a bit happening and we hope she will come back to share what she couldn’t mention today. We can watch for CrochetScene magazine edition that she took over…. It’s a non-stop life!

You can follow Vickie Howell through her website: www.VickieHowell.com, her Facebook page, Ravelry Designer page, YouTube, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.  There is also a wonderful selection of online classes at CreativeLive.com.  CLICK HERE if you would like to hear Vickie’s earlier visit to Yarn Thing from 2014.

If you missed getting to hear this live, you can still listen to the episode as it is archived where it aired originally http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yarnthing/2016/06/14/vickie-howell or in your favorite podcast catcher like iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

Rohn Strong has a NEW Craftsy Class

Rohn Strong has a new Craftsy Class and has returned to the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird to tell us All About It! We love when Rohn comes to visit because there is always lots of laughter when we are together.

Rohn shared that his North Carolina house is a busy place. First there is the dog, Chase, who appears in lots of Rohn’s social media posts. He’s very handsome and very much loved. About a year ago, Rohn’s mother-in-law passed away suddenly. As can happen when we’ve had such a shock, he began re-evaluating what he really wants to be doing.  As he loves crochet and knitting, but it’s not everything he loves. He also (you’ll know this if you’ve been following him) cooks and he looks for fun and healthy recipes and shares them. Rohn’s demonstrated he has a talent for drawing, lately botanical illustration. With this in mind, Rohn shared that he is working on a new self-published lifestyle magazine and his husband, Harrison, has been doing all the photography. The magazine, named Hyacinth, will focus on everything Rohn’s focused on (makes sense!) like crocheting, cooking, the artwork.  It’s first issue in July will have four crochet shawl patterns, recipes for the current season’s produce and demonstrating his techniques for the botanical artwork. Future issues will be about his Crocheted Socks, Rare Breed Yarns and other things that he’s concerned about and hopes others have these interests, too.

One of the people that Rohn admires is Martha Stewart. Learning that she wakes at 4am inspired him to get up a little earlier, so while he works from home, he gets up at 6am, starts to work at 7, working until 7 at night on crochet. Then he cooks until some of his favorite tv programs (like ‘The Bachelor’) when he must have a crochet hook in his hand. He realizes he’s blessed to be doing what he loves to do.

Here is Marly’s link to Rohn Strong’s Crochet Sock, Essential Techniques Class. Marly brought up that it’s really hard to imagine a benefit to crocheted socks. Of course, as crocheted sock advocate, Rohn can give us wonderful tips: first being open-minded is important. They are never going to be like knit socks, the fabric created is different from knitted. He believes they are quicker ~ he can do a crochet sock in about 5 hours where knitted takes 8. It fills that need that crocheters have to do anything that knitters can complete. The yarn matters, he recommends acclimating to crocheted socks by wearing a dress sock underneath for the first few times. He speaks of Linked Stitches, extended crochet stitches (discussed single vs double crochet) which can give the stretch, elasticity in both directions, that socks need.

Rohn also is an online instructor with Annie’s which produces Knit & Crochet Now that Rohn has been involved with the last couple of seasons. Learn Tunisian Crochet Colorwork, Learn to Crochet Easy Hats, Learn to Crochet Socks are the three classes available online. So far. The techniques he shows are wide and various, and hopefully gives us the method that works for us.

We can follow him at his website RohnStrong.com, which includes an active blog, Facebook page, Ravelry Designer page (spoiler alert: All his patterns are on sale right now to celebrate his 5th anniversary as a designer!), Instagram, and Twitter.

Rohn was able to share with us that he has a book coming out in 2017. Interweave contacted him with the idea of creating a crochet sock book, Step into Crochet. He tells us it has everything anyone needs to know about crocheting socks. He is appreciating working with a team on this, having done self-published books previously. A lot of the decisions are still left up to him, although often he is anxious about his first Publication, he is working with a successful publishers. His book will be beautiful and we will be watching for it!

If you missed getting to hear this live it is still available where it aired originally as an archived episode http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yarnthing/2016/06/09/rohn-strong-has-new-craftsy-class-crocheted-socks or with your favorite podcast catcher like iTunes or Stitcher Radio. The behind the scenes video is also available at Marly’s Facebook page.

Marly Bird Facebook Page

Go and follow along with Marly on the Marly Bird Facebook Page

Erin Lane Bags with Lindsey Martin

Erin.Lane Bags with Lindsey Martin is always a welcome topic on Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird. As a sponsor, as a personal friend… being together is always precious. Supporting each other is what yarn and handcraft is often what it’s all about. 

If you’ve heard Lindsey’s earlier visits, you may know, it was Lindsey’s need to keep her needles safely without getting lost that she and her mom began creating bags and needle keepers, forming a business using their two middle names to brand it with. Today Lindsey shared that her dad had gotten sick during that time and her parents lost their jobs so Mom felt extra committed to make this business work for all of them. Lindsey’s Mom passed away in 2012 and Lindsey felt compelled to keep the business going. In 2014, things came to a head with her teaching job and trying to run a business on her own. Erin.Lane Bags won out in that decision and Marly recounted that Lindsey’s dad was supportive, too, attending trade shows with Lindsey and trying to sell Marly EVEN MORE product. His health has deteriorated, though, and he passed away this last week.

It may seem incredible that Lindsey would choose to carry-out her commitment to guest today on the Yarn Thing podcast, but Lindsey says her folks would be most disappointed with her in not doing this visit today. If you heard the show today, you probably understood that better than we can explain, so we will continue with what’s new with Erin.Lane Bags. Some of us also have a need to stay busy, so…

Erin.Lane Bags, Sheeple West

A year ago, a successful crowd-funding gave Erin.Lane Bags the opportunity to have more choice in fabrics to create bags with. Being able to offer what customers want is always a smart thing in business and what they are finding is that customers love COLLECTING. Bags that commemorate the events or various fandoms have become a hot product for Erin.Lane Bags. The Sheeple bags have become a particular hit, which resulted from Lindsey working

with a designer to create themed Sheeple. For the California Sheeple bags, cartoon sheep surf, go hiking, or the tourist stuff. The Stitches South Sheeple do Nashville things, impersonate Elvis, visiting the Grand Ole’ Opry, sipping iced tea in a rocking chair….

The other idea was to let customers vote on what kind of bags they’d like to see. Just recently voting closed on what genres would be most welcome in a bag. Of course top posts went to the stitching crafts, knitting and crocheting. After that, Harry Potter, Stitch-tionary (sheep in intarsia, cables, etc), Star Wars and Dr Who tied, so Lindsey made the executive decision to not break the tie, but to do both. Which means we all win!

Erin.Lane Bags, Sheeple South

Really, hope you heard today’s episode, because you can hear how excited Lindsey is, now that the wheels here have started turning. There is talk about a Bob Ross Sheeple (think Happy Trees!), every SuperHero, SciFi, and other cos-play fun. In fact, there is plans for later this week an opportunity to watch her artist draw things live.

Not that everything with Erin.Lane Bags has been peachy. Lindsey says that Spoonflower changed their fabric printing process which puts a different chemical on the fabric and Lindsey is allergic to that chemical. The UPS Guy has taken to just throwing her fabric deliveries at the front door. But the excitement for her bags must be what is keeping her motivated. The Stitches bags at Stitches South SOLD OUT (it is a sock bag available only through the XRX booth and where you check in to get your badge in front of the market) Lindsey says she doesn’t even have one. The Stitches Midwest Bag goes on sale today, both Marly and Lindsey say to pre-order even if you are going so to make sure you’ll get one.

Please follow Erin.Lane Bags at their website: www.erinlanebags.com, make sure you are following them at their FACEBOOK PAGE (please, if you are on Facebook, DO FOLLOW for all the hot, hot, hot Erin.Lane Bag news), Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and there is a Ravelry group.

Here are the links to previous visits to Yarn Thing podcast, from 2013, from Jan 2015,  October 2015. I also found the link to Fiber Hooligans which is where I first heard of Erin.Lane Bags and Lindsey Martin.

If you missed getting to hear this live, it is available where it aired originally as an archived episode: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yarnthing/2016/06/07/erinlane-bags-with-lindsey-martin or with your favorite podcast catcher like iTunes or Stitcher Radio. The behind the scenes video is also available at Marly’s Facebook page.

Modern Baby Crochet by Sharon Zientara

Modern Baby Crochet by Sharon Zientara was what today’s subject on the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird.

It may seem like just yesterday, but it was actually last August that Sharon was our guest sharing her earlier book, Quick Crocheted Accessories. (Here is the link to the patterns in Ravelry.)

Sharon may be feeling very inspired lately, as she shared that she went on a trip to Shetland Islands, England, Scotland (in fact, she was editing the patterns for this new book while she was there) traveling with June Hemmons Hiatt. She met the World’s Fastest Knitter Hazel Tindall (who says she’s NOT the fastest), visited the Jamison Woolen Mills being now run by their son, Gary. 

Modern Baby Crochet is a collection of many designers patterns. The book includes pieces from many designers and quite a few of Sharon’s ideas. Sharon says this is the second in a series about three skeins, the first was Quick Crocheted Accessories, and has complementary series for knitters by Tanis Gray, all published by Interweave. Sharon named the designs after her own nieces and nephews and says when selecting yarns for projects for kids, she thinks about the care ‘is it machine washable?’ With her Parker Pants, she thought out how little ones love to move as she says in the description “the yarn has just the right amount of stretch to allow baby to be active and agile”.

How hard it must have been to choose this collection, the cuteness factor must have been completely overwhelming! For instance, Brenda KB Anderson’s Spike the Hedgehog hat is something many adults would wish for because it is SUCH FUN! Brenda also created the cover piece, Ladybug the Dachshund sweater.  We also spotted the fun cabled Dylan hoodie by Anastasia Popova and say, Don’t Be Afraid of Zippers! So many of these are enticing, Sharon says she’s considering a pair of Zoe the Cat slippers for her own niece.

We can continue to follow Sharon’s design adventures in Ravelry. She told us she’s going back to school to study veterinary medicine, so we look forward to what she will have time to share with us.

If you missed getting to hear this episode live, you are still able to listen to it as an archived episode where it aired originally: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yarnthing/2016/06/02/modern-baby-crochet-by-sharon-zientara or in your favorite podcast catcher like iTunes or Stitcher Radio.

Lena Skvagerson, Lead Designer of Annies Signature Designs

Lena Skvagerson, Lead Designer of Annie’s Signature Designs, was our guest today on the Yarn Thing podcast. It was a wonderful visit to close out May with!

Lena grew up in Sweden, she was not taught to knit or crochet by her mom, but in school, everyone is taught sewing, knitting, crocheting as well as woodworking. At a point, when she was a teenager, there was mohair sweater trend and Lena says her mother wouldn’t knit the sweater, so she went with friends, got the yarn and made it herself.  After that she was ‘just knitting’, without thought that this would be a career. She was working in a construction company’s office, taking pattern writing classes at night. A job was posted at DROPS that everyone told her she should apply for, and she was part of their team for 25 years!

Lena says she learned so much while she was there. Watching the company grow and step into internet and website, being contacted by Ravelry and stores all over Europe and then spreading into the US, first into California. This was especially exciting for Lena personally, as her father lives in California. As she continued to work for Drops, getting patterns published in magazines for them, developing relationships with publishers in the US, Annies asked her become the Lead Designer at Annie’s. She finds it exciting to work on the entire design, working with tech editors, playing with new yarns… She works with them remotely from her home in California (moved there ten years ago) as Annie’s is in Indiana.

A recent new thing for most of us is the Annie’s Signature Designs Lookbook, A Knit version or Crochet, that you can look through on your computer or other device, perhaps you find something you’d like to make, you can purchase the kit directly through the website, or just get the pattern, even through Ravelry so you have it in your library forever.

One of the designs that’s become a hit, is the Circle Vest. (Links to Ravelry) It’s crocheted with Red Heart Yarns Unforgettable, so it’s obtainable for everyone! Perfectly photographed at the beach in the Lookbook… Another beautiful garment is the Wanderlust Cardigan, knitted with a hoodie in Beroco Weekend, an Aran weight, so you can see that Annie’s works with many different yarn companies, and Lena says she appreciates the ‘work horse’ yarns that will be around for a long time and at lower prices, making it available to more crafters.

Lena has also been an expert on the Knit and Crochet Now show (have we heard so many wonderful stories from those folks lately?) for the seasons 6 & 7.

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/2016/05/31/lena-skvagerson-lead-designer-of-annies-signature-designs or with your favorite podcast catcher like iTunes or Stitcher Radio. There is also behind the scenes video on Marly’s Facebook page.

Candi Jensen

Candi Jensen was our guest on the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird. Candi and Marly have been friends for a while, in fact Marly things of Candi as her ‘Crochet Godmother’. Candi recalls that after her first crochet books with Vogue Knitting, Marly wrote to her and they’ve been friends ever since.

One of the things that has been admired about Candi is that her work is not the dated crochet projects that it seems everyone imagines it to be. Designing since 1983, she’s learned crochet can be beautiful and following it, seeing it featured on the runways was something she wanted to spread the word about, sharing the astounding growth. She loves seeing the designers like Tommy Hilfiger and Chanel feature crochet. Amazing when you remember this can’t be done by machine!

Candi recalls a babysitter taught her to knit as a way to channel her energy, but it became a thing she always did, keeping her hands busy and loving the colors of the yarn. Moving to San Francisco in 1967 when knitting, crochet and macrame were the crafts to do, she embraced it all, creating things for her children. By 1980, she went to work with Crystal Palace yarns. At that time, Lola Ehrlich was the editor of Vogue Knitting, and Candi was able to get her attention and help by sending her yarns wrapped in eclair wrappers, in a box. She got a lot of help with writing patterns and began a path of designing as a profession.

Another turn in her career, was working in television, producing the Knit & Crochet today, which later became Knit & Crochet Now. Starting without any knowledge of HOW TO produce a television but being told she could do this by those who did know how, believing in herself, making mistakes and learning from them, she has worked at that project for ten years and was actually nominated for an Emmy.

Attitude has been the biggest area of change that Candi has noticed. Yarns have changed, a project’s popularity comes and go, but the attitude of people who are embracing it and then designing with crochet has become an interesting path to follow. Mentoring and influencing new creators is a direction she hopes to follow, especially through television.

Candi Jensen can be followed in Ravelry (designer page) and Facebook, also Pinterest. This is the not the first visit Candi has made to the Yarn Thing podcast, listen to that visit at this link. If you missed hearing THIS visit live, it’s still available as an archived episode where it aired originally, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yarnthing/2016/05/19/candi-jensen or with your favorite podcast catcher, like iTunes or Stitcher Radio.