Pattern Spotlight: Erba

Erba is a hat and cowl set that is super fun to knit and to wear. You get both in this pattern. The cowl is worked from the bottom up starting with the bottom ribbing, then transiting to the easy slip-stitch colorwork then back into ribbing. Button bands and buttonhole bands are worked last.

The bonnet shaped hat starts with an icord edge. Stitches are picked up for the slip-stitch edge worked flat, then transitions to the crown worked in the round. An applied icord is then worked along the bottom edge to finish things off.

You may not have worn a bonnet before but the advantages are plenty. These hats don’t mess up your hair like a traditional beanie. You won’t get the traditional “hat hair”. They also cover your ears, keeping them nice and toasty. Plus, they are super cute.

I added mini faux fur pom poms to the ends of each tie. You can make your own pom poms if you like, or use faux fur poms here too. I found my poms in the craft store as a key chain. I just removed the hardware and used the poms for my own purpose. The poms I found were on sale and cost $2.50, normal price was $5 for the pair.

The new Anzula yarn, Gerty was such a pleasure to use for this project. I was honored to get a chance to use this way back in January when it premeired at the Winter TNNA show. It’s a sproingy Targhee wool. The twist makes it bouncy and light and it takes Anzula’s vibrant color palette beautifully. I used Charcoal, Madam, and Paprika for my set, but with Anzula’s huge selection of colors, you have an unlimited palette of colors available to make this set your own.

You can find the Erba pattern on Ravelry here. 

Keep up on all things Heather:

Ravelry - www.ravelry.com/designers/heather-zoppetti
Blog - hzoppettidesigns.com/blog
Facebook - www.facebook.com/HeatherZoppettiDesigns
Stitch Sprouts - stitchsprouts.com

Gerty is available in the shops listed below, all of whom are happy to ship!

Baskets of Yarn - Charlotte, NC - (704) 733-9053
Wasatch and Wool - Park City, UT - (435) 575-0999
Yarn Refuge - Reno, NV - (775) 384-1600
Knit One Purl Two - Rockford, IL - (815) 904-6030
Harps & Thistles Yarn Emporium - Cuyahoga Falls, OH - (234) 208-9482
Avenue Yarns - Albany, NY - (510) 526-9276

Special orders only: Swatches - Fresno, CA - (559) 435-2813
Special orders are dyed to order and are typically ready in 3-5 weeks.You can place a special order for Gerty (or any of our yarns) at your favorite local shop. See a list of shops here and our map here. 

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Pattern Spotlight: Ecliptic

Hello everyone out there! I am very excited to be guest posting today about my pattern, Ecliptic, which happens to be the cover shawl on my new book, A Garden of Shawls!

Before I get started on the shawl itself, I thought it might be fun to give you an intro as to where this self-publishing thing came from.

When I first started as a designer in 1998, my goal was to eventually end up with my own company producing books. Little did I know the internet would be what it is now! :) At that same time I had met my favorite designer, Terry Kimbrough, who had been at that point designing for many years (she actually started in her teens). She and I had talked a lot about how self-publishing was the way to go. She already back in the late 1990s could see the way the industry was trending. And I did self publish patterns back then. I would publish patterns that weren’t picked up in magazines, and I actually self-published 3 books myself in 2002-2003 - which you can see here.

I got a little sidetracked in the early 2000s and started designing primarily for books and magazine companies, but what I discovered over the years is that I like to do what I want to do. I don't like to be given a theme, or colors of the season. I prefer to design what is coming out of me at the time. I guess you could say I like having control over the entire process! :) In the last 2 years, I determined that this was the time to refocus and go back to my dream. In September 2016, I launched to the world Occhi Blue Press - my new book imprint. The first book, A Garden of Shawls, started pre-sales March 1st, just in time for National Crochet Month. And you will notice I am releasing far more indie patterns starting this year. I am shooting for 2 a month!

I have so many ideas in my head and on paper that I will be busy for years to come!

Let’s talk a little bit about Ecliptic! If you know anything about me and my background, you already know that I learned to crochet from my Italian grandmother, who learned to crochet from her grandmother in Italy. I have a strong background in crocheted Italian laces and for this book I really wanted to go back to my roots and use lace in new and interesting ways.

Ecliptic crocheted in Anzula Breeze, colorway Persimmon.

If you are not a lace person, consider this - you don’t have to use tiny thread and hooks to create late. In fact, in my beginning lace classes, I recommend using worsted weight yarns and a J or K hook to get started so that you can get a feel for it.

Ecliptic is born out of that idea. Sure, Anzula’s Breeze yarn is considered lace weight but I used a 3.00 mm crochet hook (between a C and a D) which is considered a much larger hook that a standard lace hook - usually is a size 6 steel at 1.75 mm. So right there I have removed one of the biggest fears crocheters have with lace. The hook is almost double the size!

Ecliptic is worked from the top down as most triangular shawls are. You start with a shell in the middle of the top edge, and then you gradually increase as you go. The entire shawl consists of triple crochet and chain stitches. Triple crochets are heavily used in Italian lace, and I used a simple shell motif that is just a 4 row repeat - one you can memorize easily! And the best part? If you want to make the shawl smaller or larger all you have to do is reduce or increase, respectively, the number of repeats before you make the edging. And the beauty of the edging is that it mimics the shawl pattern, but it isn't the same. More openwork shells as in traditional Italian laces are used to finish the shawl off. And the edging is just one last row! Easy-peasy!

Eliptic Karen Whooley

If all that doesn’t convince you - there is a section in the book that explains how you can use heavier weight yarns for ANY of the patterns in the book. So is Squishy more your speed? You can make this shawl using Squishy. Or what about It Could Be Worsted? You can use that too! You have options!

Ecliptic is one of my favorite shawls in the book. Why? The yarn. Who wouldn't want a spring shawl in a linen/silk blend? Breeze is so smooth and easy to crochet with. The stitch definition is beautiful as you can see from all the photos. And the best part is that even with a shawl made out of a dense crochet stitch, the shawl weighs next to nothing! Ecliptic will be the perfect topper for a summer night. Persimmon was my color of choice for this shawl, but with Anzula’s line up of colors you can chose your perfect color.

A Garden of Shawls is now available on my website. You can also purchase the book on Amazon.com (print and Kindle) iBooks, Kobo, and Barnes and Noble.

I hope that I have inspired you to make your own Ecliptic shawl. And if you do, let me know about it! I would love to see your finished project on Ravelry or you can always contact me anytime over at at my website!

-Karen

 

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Pattern Spotlight: Emerald City Socks by Lisa Ross

This week I’m excited to introduce the third pattern in my Socks of Oz collection: Emerald City.

I was so excited to collaborate with Anzula on this design and the pattern is perfectly paired with their Squishy base. If you’ve never used Squishy, you’re in for a treat for both your knitting hands and your sock-wearing feet. It combines incredible softness with a silky smooth twist. It glides between your fingers as each stitch is made and the footwear created is *almost* too soft and pretty for shoes. The subtle variegation in the semi-solid Anzula colorways pair perfectly with the lace design that extends up the instep of this design.

Although the lace along the front of the sock is the main feature, there are little details along the way that both the knitter and the wearer will appreciate. The one that makes me ridiculously happy are the lines of twisted rib that extend from the base of the heel all the way up to the cuff. These simple stitches create clean lines up the back of the leg reminiscent of the seamed stockings that were popular at the time the Wizard of Oz was released in theaters. It’s a modern twist on classic style.

The pattern includes lace that is both charted and written, as well as a photo tutorial for working a sewn bind-off for a flexible cuff. Though seemingly complex, this sock is easier than it looks with no wrapped or picked-up stitches. Best of all, there is a knitalong happening in the Paper Daisy Creations group. If you complete ONE sock by the end of May, you could be eligible to win one of the amazing prizes, including your own skein of Anzula Squishy! For more details, click here.

Just for being awesome, Anzula fans can purchase Emerald City for just $2 with the code ANZULA. The entire collection of four patterns is being released on Ravelry throughout the month of April, and for a limited time, is only $5 with code SOCKSOFOZ.

Happy Knitting!

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