Episode 61
About a 4 minute read
INTRO
My name is Fay and this is my audio and video podcast for those that love fibre crafts, particularly crochet. This podcast is sponsored by my online crafting company, Provenance Craft Co.
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In this episode, I cover: Final Destination, En Route, Feeding the Habit, Designs in Progress, Quick News Beats, Big Up and J’adore.
FINAL DESTINATION
I have finished my Color Pop Sweater by Julme Conradie who is on Instagram as @mysquarehat.
The reworked version is in Erika Knight BB100 in shade Regent’s Park with a contrast sleeve detail in Kambgarn shade 1212 Honey, an Icelandic yarn.
I wonder if designers hate me working on their patterns because I always fiddle with them? The concept of my Color Pop is the same as Julme’s and most of the construction elements are the same, but I made some changes to the numbers to get a fit that would look good on me and added some knitted elements.
I have added all the details to project notes in Evernote (which is now working properly) but these will only make sense if you have bought Julme’s pattern and have it in front of you.
Four of my shawl designs are in a covermount extra in this month's Inside Crochet, Issue 131. I'm really proud of this piece of work, especially as it was all delivered within a really high-pressure point in my life.
I do plan to sell this as a standalone pattern when I get the rights back for it, but it’s on the list with a few others…
EN ROUTE
FEEDING THE HABIT
I thought I would show off my Christmas presents. There’s a real theme of crafting, relaxing and UK sourced.
Part of my new set-up at the new house will be to use essential oils in an oil burner as part of my weekly routine. I found a gorgeous mountain-themed burner from a pottery in Scotland called Last Winter Ceramics. I love the way that the mountain peaks light up!
I was also given a tapestry kit that is created by Hannah Bass and uses Appleton’s British 4 ply wool. The tapestry is based on a street map of Glasgow and is really colourful. Hannah does these types of cushions for cities all over the world but it had to be Glasgow for me, my favourite city in Scotland!
Some wool appeared under the tree too. Matthew gave me two skeins of RiverKnits 4ply yarn on their new Nene base which is 100% wool and now non-superwash. It smells so sheepy and the colours are amazing. The shade is Sommerlicher Nachtimmel (link) and has soft variations of mid to deep teals.
DESIGNS IN PROGRESS
I don’t have an actual design to share with you but more of a what’s to come.
Just before Christmas, I was approached by a publishing house to put forward some crochet designs for a book. I submitted four designs and they wanted all four. However, when I looked at what they were proposing to pay me for my creativity, time working up the samples, patterns and buying the yarn and handles, it just wasn’t worth my time, especially given that I wouldn’t get he rights back until the book went out of publication!
Part of my approach to 2021 is around valuing my creative worth and making more of what I do. This publishing contract did not tick those boxes.
Instead, my plan is to talk about the design process here with you. To show you how I choose wools to work with. To share how ideas come to my head and to be really transparent about the design process, how long it takes and what the actual costs are.
So, to give you a quick introduction to the four designs, I want to share the sketches I did of them and the way I see each of them working up. Next month, I’ll share the next stage of the process.
Unusually, these designs all came to me in a ten-minute burst of creativity during the last full moon. The full moon is my most creative time for designs and if I try to push a design out during a new moon it takes much longer and I don’t enjoy it.
I quickly sketched up the ideas in my notebook so that they were down on paper and I could come back to them a couple of days later when I had completed my other deadlines.
Generally a submission for a magazine or publication means working up swatches, drawing sketches, providing details of the right yarn for the project. It took me a full working day to do that for these four bags and to pull it together into a PDF presentation that I could submit. So, we are already 7 hours in for four bag designs.
Let me introduce you to the bags.
Swell – an ombre shopper type bag that will most likely be felted to give additional structure and durability
Strata – A chunky linear stitch pattern with an unusual construction. Designed to carry tech or everyday essentials.
Morse – Small shoulder bag that will house a tablet, purse and a few odds and ends. Two colours that will clash gloriously with each other!
Hive – A cross-body messenger bag with a honeycomb design in relief on the body of the bag and as a defining feature in the flap of the bag too. This is the most difficult of the four bags to design.
Next month, I will take you through yarn choices and what makes a good yarn for crocheted bags. If I can, I’ll show you some of the swatches, but they are currently in storage.
QUICK NEWS BEATS
1 - Global Hook Up – The January hook ups are scheduled for: Saturday 23rd at 8pm GMT and Sunday 24th at 9am GMT. The meeting ID number is 475-047-5819 and you will need to join via Zoom which you can do here: https://www.zoom.us/join if a password is required, it is WOOL. If you are joining on your phone or tablet you will likely need to download the software in advance. If you are joining from a PC or Mac, you can join via the link above. Everyone needs to use the same ID number to get into the session.
J'ADORE
Yes, we are in temporary accommodation and 99.9% of our lives are in storage. However, we have had an enforced holiday and have had no choice but to down tools and relax. We needed it. As with so many people, the last 12 months has been incredibly hard going.
Being able to sell our house and have some time off before we start doing the next one up has been a tonic. I have decided that my word for 2021 is "WORTH".
This is my guiding principle for the year ahead and it's there to remind me to value my creative worth, to ensure that I get my worth back for the work that I do and that I continue to value other people's worth.
I’ll be back on the 5th of February!
Fay x
KEEP IN TOUCH
Instagram: Crochet_Circle_Podcast
YouTube: The Crochet Circle Podcast
Instagram: provenance.craft.co
Newsletter: Provenance Craft Co.
Instagram: FayDHDesigns
Newsletter: Fay DH Designs
Instagram: @livingatno87
Newsletter: Living at no. 87
Crochet Clan on Mighty Network: Invite
ABOUT THE PODCAST
My name is Fay and this is my audio and video podcast for those that love fibre crafts, particularly crochet. It’s a community for people that like to support their fellow humans regardless of race, gender, sexuality, ability, size or age. I hope you feel the welcome embrace and love of the Crochet Clan.
Come on in and stay awhile.
