Shimmer Shawl stitch pattern

Tunisian crochet stitch patterns have a structure that's very different from regular crochet. I chose this stitch for the Shimmer Shawl in Tunisian Crochet. It's worked over two rows and creates an interesting crossed pattern. I alternated blocks of the pattern stitch with blocks of Tunisian double crochet, then trimmed both short ends with scallops worked in regular crochet stitches. The Blue Heron rayon metallic yarn has beautifully saturated colors.

I'm finally on Ravelry

It's time for me to take advantage of Ravelry, an online knit and crochet community. I signed up last summer but hadn't posted anything until today. For starters I will concentrate on the Tunisian crochet groups and forums, and will keep in touch with yarn suppliers and designers. So far I've uploaded photos of two designs (Tunisian crochet scarf and regular crochet bunny rabbit). Anyone who is on Ravelry can find me under CrochetSharon.

Back from TNNA

The winter TNNA show in San Diego was enjoyable and successful. It was helpful to connect with other designers. I met some nice folks during our joint volunteer shift checking items in for the fashion show. Fun to see what goes on behind the scenes! Marly Bird arranged for 18 of us to go out for dinner afterwards, a great chance to talk and unwind.

This year I felt well-prepared to keep track of who I met and what company they were with, and to share my designs with the reps. I showed a pre-press copy of Tunisian Crochet: The Look of Knitting with the Ease of Crocheting to the manufacturers whose yarns I used in the book. We are all eager to see the published copy in a month or two. Speaking of books, Kristin Omdahl signed a copy of her latest, Wrapped in Crochet, for me. It was nice to see her again – Kristin contributed several designs to my book, Beyond Basic Crocheting, and I always enjoy seeing her creative work.

I returned from TNNA with a bagful of samples, many design ideas, and lots of energy for new crochet projects.