Seeing Shades of Red This August

Hello my making friends - yes, here we are in the dog days of August.  While it has been relatively cool in the Pacific Northwest, it's about to heat up, and not only in terms of temperature.

I have been absolutely loving the Rio Olympics, and of course I am working up a few things while cheering the U.S. athletes in both the pool and the gym. Get a load (to the left) of my progress on a Nichols Cardigan in Neighborhood Fiber Co. Studio Worsted in the most awesome Station North colorway. I'll be sending this one to NFC headquarters, and I cannot be more pleased with how this looks so far.

However, I am all kinds of thrilled to show you what I did with the Berroco Ultra Alpaca Fine in the mixed grapefruit colorway I initially posted to my blog way back in January. Crochet! Magazine has published a special fall issue, Stress-free Seamless Crochet, and I can finally show off my included shawl design. The Paisley Lace Shawl is featured in the "Clever Construction" section of the magazine, since the main body of the shawl is worked first and the intricately beautiful lace edging is worked after and attached with a series of chain stitches. With a 70" wingspan, this stunning shawl can be worn in myriad ways - loose around the shoulders for an elegant, formal look (can anyone say little black dress?); pinned asymmetrically in the front with a lovely shawl pin (as shown in the one of the magazine's photos), or worn bandit-like around the neck with the lace edging prominently displayed in the front. This lace edging is one of the most beautiful things I've ever designed, and I am so pleased to see it finally out there in the maker wild!

One more thing about this special fall Crochet! Magazine issue: I would urge you to pick up a copy. It has to be, hands down, one of the best special issues Annie's has published. If I didn't have so many other personal design projects in the mix, I could easily envision making no less than eight - yes, eight! - projects from this magazine, for both myself and my living space. I know design aesthetics are, in large part, a function of personal taste, but there is just a whole lot to love in this magazine's pages that extends far beyond my own one included (albeit awesome!) shawl design. Kudos to Annie's for such a strong addition to the fall making line-up. 

Warm up your hooks, everyone.