Feeling the Seams This Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday

Isn't this colorway just divine????

 Hello everyone - yes, it's another Friday in the wonderful world of fiber arts. While I'm working away on projects, it has recently dawned on me that one should never underestimate the design power of a well-placed seam. 

The trend in knitting and crochet over the last several years has been to eliminate seams whenever possible because crafters would rather knit and crochet than seam. I admit, I have absolutely been one of those crafters in the past.

However, I've got several designs in the fire, as well as previously published designs, that incorporate some well-placed seams. I can state unequivocally they enhance the design tremendously (and for a really large dose of seam love, definitely check out my La Peinture Blanket - the seams make the blanket, literally and figuratively). 

There are ways to take some of the sting away from seaming - most notably how one seams. I'm curious (and your answers will in no way affect any designs in the hopper) - what kinds of seaming techniques are your favorites? Which ones do you avoid like the plague?

Alright, everyone - do make certain you head on over to Andrea's - you know, that Wonder Why Gal - to see all the final write-ups for the spinning awesomeness that was the Tour de Fleece.

We had some rain at the end of last week,
and the flowers just loved it.

And have a great weekend, one and all!

5KCBWDAY1: My Projects Are Talking to Me, and They Have a Request

Dear Denise:

It’s been a few years since we’ve written you a letter  but we’ve been busy, as have you been, we’re well aware.

La Peinture Blanket, from the
Summer 2013 issue of
Crochet! Magazine

Initially, we want to thank you for adding to our numbers! La Peinture Blanket is a wonderful shot of color – boy, we needed some sun glasses when she arrived on the scene. We were so thrilled to see how much time and care you took in picking the yarn colorways and then putting them together just so. You studied and studied that painting of yours every day, with no help from us (boo hoo). All we could do was lay there all neatly folded on the back of the futon. We were patient with you, and our patience was rewarded.

Additionally, you not only gifted one of us to a pregnant Ravelry friend, you then took a turn for the dark and green and added the Froggy Swap blanket to our ranks. As with the NYOBE Water Round blanket, we were pretty pleased with all the block swapping – the colors are coordinated not only within the blanket, but with different paintings you have. (We note the theme forming.) Since we’ve been overloaded with work, Froggy Swap blanket couldn’t get here any moment too soon (since you know La Peinture isn’t doing any work – she just sits there looking fantastic most of the time).

My Froggy Swap blanket, made with
blocks swapped with other
Ravelry crafters

Now, as we’ve written before, we know how much we keep you and George Bailey warm, and we’re incredibly happy to do so. We also appreciate the wonderful digs we have in which to do our work. But you know, we’ve got to tell you that while you make us look good, we make George Bailey look cray, cray adorbs. Our blues and light greens and pinks and creams do nothing but show off his assets to great effect – and don’t you think for one instant that cat doesn’t know it. We mean … like … really.

The handsome and talented George Bailey, looking
oh so fine thanks to us, your blankets extraordinaire

My Cotton Mod on Mod
Frenchtravaganza
in the making

We also provide some wonderful craft still life possibilities. Just look at all those stacks of color! Happiness is the truth, eh?

We end this latest letter with a request: for all we do for you, we hope you’ll get on the stick and finish the two blankets in the oven for us. They have been gestating now for almost the last two years, and that’s quite a long time, wouldn’t you say? It’s not like they’re alpacas or anything. Sheesh - get a move on! We want and need more worker blankets in the stable, ok?

Your trusty, stylish, hard working blankets:

Tunisia Bed Cover
Impressionistic Pinwheelie Blanket
NYOBE Water Round Blanket
Cotton Mod on Mod Frenchtravaganza
Froggy Blanket

                                                            
 And the two still in the oven:

A Friendly Reminder - With Baked Cookies!

Just another friendly reminder - if you'd like to win a complete yarn kit to make my La Peinture Blanket, check out Crochet! Magazine's Facebook page today, June 18, and tomorrow, June 19 for your chance to enter.

Additionally, as most of you who read my blog regularly know, I'm a tester for America's Test Kitchen. They'll be publishing a gluten-free cookbook next spring, and so they've been sending out gluten-free recipes for testers to run through their paces. I cannot, cannot, cannot say enough good things about these gluten-free sugar cookies:

 

 

I don't have any intolerance to gluten; I'm just an equal opportunity tester and eater. However, my neighbor eats gluten-free, and she loved these cookies too. In fact, she smelled them from the hallway and thought to herself "Well, someone's baking something that smells good that I can't eat." Ha! Pleasantly fooled was she when she received a plate of them. And not only do they taste great, they also whip up super quick-like, so the flavor gratification is just that much faster.

 

If all the recipes are as good as this one, I'd run, not walk, to my local bookstore in the spring and snag a copy of this cookbook.

All Things Blanket-like This Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. Friday

 

After the final push to publish Fleurs et L'eau, I spent a few days doing some deep spring cleaning/rearranging/remixing of my living space. It was waaaaay overdue.
 
One of the results: I had all of those swap blocks from last fall that needed to be joined into a blanket. Getting them worked up into the blanket would free up some needed yarn shelf space, and I'd have a new blanket to go with my newly rearranged living space. A fine plan, no?
 
Sooooo ... here it is - my Froggy Swap Blanket:

This used 16 of the 18 blocks received. The block joining was fairly straightforward and done as I went; I only had two ends to weave in from the joining. Sweet. 

The edging I basically created on the fly -three rows in all (although it looks like four because of the joining round), and I designed it to use up as much of the remaining stash yarn from the block swap as possible. I love the delicate touch of the final outer row, if I do say so myself.
 
However, I had two blocks left, and knew I wanted to use at least one of them ... to create a small pillow. I had some great flower-inspired fabric that coordinated well with the color scheme, so I cut an appropriately-sized block of it, seamed the edges, then added a crochet edging all around 

with some coordinating silk fingering weight yarn. I then edged the entrelac block in the same yarn, seamed the two together with a round of single crochet on the outside for decorative effect, and stuffed the pillow with some fiberfill I had on hand just before doing the final few single crochet stitches closing the pillow.

Now my feet are comfy and cushioned when I rest them on the coffee table.

 
And, finally, some post-scripts on La Peinture Blanket: it was published in Crochet! Magazine; Talking Crochet is a newsletter hosted on their sister publication's website (Crochet World Magazine) and it has an interview with me about it and the painting. It's still amazing to see the painting and the blanket side by side. If you read through to the end, you'll find a link to a Universal Yarn give-away - they've generously made a kit of all the colorways used in the blanket and will be giving it away to one winner from all those who enter on the Crochet! Magazine Facebook page June 18 and 19th (that's next week, everyone - yipes, June is half done already).




Now head on over to Wisdom Begins in Wonder and see Andrea's latest installment from the farm - will she be weaving, or knitting, or dealing with farm animals?

I Love This Friday's Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O.

A quick shot of the blocks during
the making of La Peinture

 I have been waiting ages to announce this latest
 project - and now I can, yippee, yippee, yippee
 (can you see me doing the happy dance?)!

 This design is a colorful blanket, and is based
 on one of my paintings:



Photo courtesy of Annie's

The La Peinture Blanket will be published in the summer issue of Crochet! Magazine, which should be available electronically sometime today, 5/10. The print magazine is scheduled to hit newsstands around June 4th.

I absolutely loved making this blanket. Choosing the yarn colorways took a little time - it was a treat, though, to be certain. (And, since it's been so long since I created the design and sample, one of original colorways has been discontinued and we've come up with a replacement. It's only one skein - a minor change that will not take anything away from the rest of the glorious color.)

I do really like how the magazine styled the blanket - a simple, neutral backdrop and little pops of color on the side to bring out the colors in the blanket. I also need to let everyone know that there's an actual article on the blanket in the magazine! I am beside myself. Really. I cannot wait to read it since I really have no idea what's written; additionally, I think there might be one or two other things up the magazine (and my) respective sleeves in connection with this design. You have no idea how excited I am.


Getting the pieces of
the blanket all together

 I hope this will be a project upon which
 crafters will put their own color stamp. I
 had a ready template - my own painting!
 But trust me, if you can single and double
 crochet, and love color, this is definitely
 the project for you.

 Now head on over to Andrea (the Wonder
 Why Gal) at Wisdom Begins in Wonder 
 and let everyone know what yarny colorful
 things you've been up to.

 And to all the moms out there - happy Mother's Day weekend (in the U.S.)!