When all you want is a bit of mindless knitting

Is it too much to ask?

All you want to do is get through the front door, take off your stodgy cubicle clothes and dreadful pantyhose and into your well-worn, well-loved, comfy lounge pants. All day you've been thinking about it, this moment; to get home and just put your feet up and binge watch a whole season of Big Bang Theory on Netflix and knit away on that top-down garter stitch shawl with the fun edging because you are fried from your day at work and can only focus on knitting back and forth at the moment. You have no brain space for a complicated pattern. That applied edging with the interesting detail will be there when you regain some gray brain cells and need a bit of a challenge.

So, it's Thursday evening, you walk through the front door and a voice from the kitchen immediately asks: "Good, you're home. What's for dinner?"

Yeah! This is my problem how?

From hubby's point of view, it might be your problem.
Now, your blood is boiling!
Your vision is clouded by your rage.

What do you do? Well, strangling him might seem like a good idea, but resist the urge because you do live in a state that still has the death penalty.

Take a deep breath and go back to your happy place of comfy pants, Netflix, and your knitting.

Calmly open the drawer. Remove and hand him the pile of take-out menus, and continue on your way to serenity.

Ok, I know many of you have had similar experiences? What do you think of that response? How have you or how would you have handled the situation? Leave a comment.

By the way, if you have had a few days like this with little brain space at the end of a hard work day and just need a simple project to knit while you binge watch your favorite series on Netflix, check out the Mashpee Shawl.

Side Note

In April, I will be writing on designing and tech editing.
Are you wanting to write up your own pattern? Have you written your own pattern but want to know how to make it more polished?
Do you have questions on the subject? No question is too big or small, I want to hear them. Just send an email and ask away.


Until next time...Stitch on!
Tian

New Design - Lenox Shawl

P.S. Did you see I have a new shawl pattern out? It's the Lenox Shawl in Knit Picks Aura: 2016 Spring Collection. Next week I will be running a giveaway exclusively for {The Weekly Yarn} subscribers for a chance to win a hardcopy of the entire collection - Aura: 2016 Spring Collection.















P.P.S. Don't forget Crochet Month ends this week. There are tons of great daily giveaways over on Crochetville. So, get on the train so you don't miss out!
All Aboard the Crochet Express Blog Tour: (bit.ly/1PVCqRT)
NACROMO 2016 Blog Tour Schedule: (http://ow.ly/Z9Nz7)

OTHER PATTERNS YOU MIGHT LIKE!

Go, check out KnitDesigns by Tian Pattern Page to get your copy here:



      

{Freeport Cardigan}

{Harwinton Easy Lace Boomerang}

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(Inter)National Crochet Month 2016 Blog Tour

Thanks for making the KnitDesigns by Tian stop on the NatCroMo 2016 blog tour.

If you are a regular reader of the KnitDesigns by Tian blog, welcome back. I am so glad to see you again. If you are new to KnitDesigns by Tian and found me through the blog tour, hey, glad you're here.

So, if you don't know me, I am Tian. I am a crochet and knitwear designers as well as a crochet and knit tech editor, working mostly with magazines and yarn companies.

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The language of crochet

If you are here, then you are a lot like me and crochet is a great love. You always have a skein and a hook close by. You can't go on a trip, long or short, heck, even to the grocery store without a project at hand. Does any of this sounds familiar?! 

For me, crochet has an added bonus. Crochet was my entrance into the fiber world, which I am so very grateful for because through this craft I have met so many wonderful people that I can share my passion with. Ever tried talking crochet to someone who doesn't crochet? Their eyes glaze over with that confused doe-eyed look. Yikes! I am so glad there are others like me out there to talk this crazy language to. Whether you like to work with 100% acrylics or 100% qiviut, with the hook in our hands, we are all the same because of our shared love of crochet, and because we speak the same language. 

The rights and wrongs of crochet

My motto with crochet and knitting is that there are no right or wrong way. There is only the way that works for you and achieve the end results you want.

I love creating designs that teaches a techniques and build confidence in the crocheter.  My Easy Boomerang is a perfect example of that love of teaching. This pattern is a simple, foundation building design from which you can adapt, modify, and make your own.

                                                                                                

Easy Boomerang   

To celebrate (Inter) National Crochet Month, I am giving a way a free copy of my Easy Boomerang pattern. Yay!

Get a free copy of my Easy Boomerang when you subscribe to {The Weekly Yarn}, a newsletter to get exclusive KnitDesigns by Tian content straight to your inbox, every week. 

Ok, you've already purchased a copy of the Easy Boomerang? No problem. I've got you covered. Subscribers to {The Weekly Yarn} will receive for an exclusive gift - for subscribers only.

Stitch On!
Tian

By the way, if you like the Easy Boomerang, the shape, and construction, you might also like Harwinton Easy Lace Boomerang and Candeo Shawl. Both are boomerang style shawls that are fun to make and wear, and are the next perfect progression if you have tried the Easy Boomerang and looking for a bigger shawl in a similar shape, with a bit more challenge.

Want to get both the Harwinton Easy Lace Boomerang and the Candeo Shawl? Join {The Weekly Yarn} for a subscriber-exclusive discount going out in the March 23rd email. So join today and keep an eye on your inbox!

OTHER PATTERNS YOU MIGHT LIKE!

Go, check out KnitDesigns by Tian Pattern Page to get your copy here:



Candeo Shawl

Harwinton Easy Lace Boomerang

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New Yarn Acquisition!

Photos by Knit Picks & Valley Yarns

This has been a fantastic yarn acquisition week. I don't get too many of those so I wanted to share with you. Since last we spoke, I've received packages from both Knit Picks and Webs. Score! 6 new skeins of yarn. (Side note: I am not sharing my new yarns to make you feel bad, but to share what I am doing and maybe introduce a new yarn you might not have tried before.)

Ok, so the yarns are not for personal knitting and crocheting, but they will be FUN. They won't be added to the stash. That's good thing, right?! Some of the yarns have already been wound into cakes and already on the needles. Just so you don't think that I am some sort of a yarn buying saint that uses the yarn as soon as they come in, theses yarns are for designs for publication with a deadline, so that helps to keep my stash down and production up.

But I will share a secret with you: Sometimes I like getting yarn simply to add to my stash. Sometimes, I just want to look at the pretty yarn and bought it with no intention of using it anytime soon for a project. Simple to put on the self and pet as I walk by. I know, it's weird. But don't tell my husband.

The first yarn that came in is:

Knit Picks Stroll Fingering

in color Poppy Field Tonal

75% Superwash Merino Wool, 25% Nylon

462 yards / 100 grams

Knit Picks Stroll Fingering is a yarn I've used on a number of occasions and I am completely hooked. The yarn is soft (great for shawls and projects worn close to the face) and sturdy (with 25% nylon is strong enough to handle the toughest feet). The colors are bright and vibrant. In a tonal, there is so much depth and play of the varying shades.

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The second yarn is:

Valley Yarns Hatfield (Lace)

in colors Rose Wine (2 skeins)

Winter Sky, Regatta Blue, and Denim (1 skein each)

100% Baby Alpaca

437 yards / 50 grams

This is a relatively new yarn for the Valley Yarns line. Hatfield is a 2ply yarn that is super soft with a great halo. If you typically use heavier weight yarns, lace weight yarns can be a bit scary and intimidating. But I found this yarn to be very approachable in its 50 grams skein. Though Hatfield is only 50 grams, it took a while to wind into a cake. Because I didn't want to snap the yarn or get it tangled, which would have been a major yarnie mess, it was wound slowly and with care.

These yarns are on their journey to be a published design, destined to grow up to be something special, or I think they will be. I guess it's like your kids, you think they are the bestest, no matter what.

So, leave a comment. What's your New Yarn Acquisition and is it stash or for a project?

Until next time...Stitch on!

Tian

Reminder: Don't forget, March is (Inter)National Crochet Month also known as NACROMO. The gals over at Crochetville has tons of fun activities going on, including daily prize drawings. Let on the train so you don't miss out!

All Aboard the Crochet Express Blog Tour: (bit.ly/1PVCqRT)

NACROMO 2016 Blog Tour Schedule: (http://ow.ly/Z9Nz7)

OTHER PATTERNS YOU MIGHT LIKE!

Go, check out KnitDesigns by Tian Pattern Page to get your copy here:



      

{Freeport Cardigan}

{Harwinton Easy Lace Boomerang}

Want a 20% OFF COUPON to my Ravelry Shop?  

Subscribe to

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What chickens can teach about knitting and crochet

So, stick with me here for a bit. There is a point to this story.

This past winter, my chickens didn't lay any eggs. 12 hens and not a single egg! This is only the second winter in 7-years of raising chickens that we had to buy eggs from the grocery store. Bummer, right! If you have had farm fresh eggs, you know how amazing they are and how saddened we were without them.

Anyway, the point... Nature provides a way for animals to rejuvenate - winter. Changing seasons and shortening day. Bears and many other animals hibernate. Some birds fly south in the winter for sun and warmth.

People. Humans. We're a different story. We just keep going. Rain or shine, summer or winter, whatever the season, we work. But aren't breaks essential for us as well?

I hear crocheters and knitters talking about losing their crafting mojo, and I think to myself how normal that it is or how normal we should see this. It is okay to get burned out.

So, what did I learn from my hens? Breaks are more than okay; they are essential to healthy production. We all need to take breaks to rejuvenate and rest up for the new season. It nothing to be ashamed about.

Burn-out happens to the best of us.

We all lose our mojo at some point!

So, what do you do when you lose your knitting and crochet mojo? Try something new and different. Explore other crafts and activities such as baking, sewing, or needlepoint on sites like Craftsy. Heck, try even maybe hiking or biking.

This post contain affiliate links

This past winter when I lost my knitting and crochet mojo, I didn't fight it because I knew that my drive and desire to knit and crochet would return, and return with a vengeance. The key in the meanwhile was to fill that space and void with other activities. Sure, there were some Netflixing (yeah, I think that is a word, a verb actually!).

So, don't force yourself to regain your mojo. Don't beat yourself up. Just remember it's natural to take breaks.

NEW DESIGN PREVIEW

My latest cowl design {Pi Plus Cowl} will be available for purchase March 12th in my Ravelry Shop at Bump Sale Pricing, starting at $2, increasing $1 each day until March 15th ($5).


Join {The Weekly Yarn} mailing list to get notified when the pattern goes live so you don't miss out on the lowest price.





Until next time...Stitch on!

Tian
Reminder: Don't forget, March is (Inter)National Crochet Month also known as NACROMO. The gals over at Crochetville has tons of fun activities going on, including daily prize drawings.
Get on the train so you don't miss out!

All Aboard the Crochet Express Blog Tour: (bit.ly/1PVCqRT)

NACROMO 2016 Blog Tour Schedule: (http://ow.ly/Z9Nz7)

OTHER PATTERNS YOU MIGHT LIKE!

Go, check out KnitDesigns by Tian Pattern Page to get your copy here:



      

{Freeport Cardigan}

{Harwinton Easy Lace Boomerang}

Want a 20% OFF COUPON to my Ravelry Shop?  

Subscribe to

{The Weekly Yarn} from KnitDesigns by Tian

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name

I am interested in Crochet and Knit...

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• Both

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Get you crochet on for NACROMO 2016

So, it is March, yay! And if you are not aware, March is (Inter)National Crochet Month also known as NACROMO, brought to you by Crochetville. All Aboard the Crochet Express Blog Tour (bit.ly/1PVCqRT)

This year, for the first time, I am participating in the blog tour and will be writing a blog post for the week of March 20th with a free crochet pattern giveaway. Curious which pattern I will be giving away? Of course, I will let The Weekly Yarn subscribers know exactly when the post is up and what the crochet pattern is! So, if you are not a subscriber yet, you might want to join NOW so you don't miss out. Just click here: http://eepurl.com/bmwT_P

Harwinton Easy Lace Boomerang

I am so pleased to be a part of this year's blog tour. There are a so many great crochet designers and yarn companies blogging throughout the month, with daily giveaways. Whether you are a capital "C" crocheter or a beginner just able to add a crochet trim to your knitting, there is something for you.

So, go check out the blog tour and show your support.

To learn more about NACROMO, visit the Crochetville Blog (http://crochetville.com)
 

Until next time...Stitch on!

Tian

Sign up here

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OTHER PATTERNS YOU MIGHT LIKE!

Go, check out KnitDesigns by Tian Pattern Page to get your copy here:



      

{Freeport Cardigan}

{Harwinton Easy Lace Boomerang}

Want a 20% OFF COUPON to my Ravelry Shop?  

Subscribe to

{The Weekly Yarn} from KnitDesigns by Tian

* indicates required

Email Address *

First Name

I am interested in Crochet and Knit...

• Patterns
• Designing
• Both

Email Format

• html
• text