I started out my fiber related career hating swatching, just wanting to get on to the “real” part of the project. Over time that attitude has completely changed. Now I love swatching. It gives me a sense of completion and satisfaction and it also ensures that my larger project will come out the right size and shape, with the right drape and texture. Important things all around. I like small things, part of the reason that I love working on Craft Leftovers so much, and swatches are small little projects. Over the past three years I have been attempting to improve my skills, especially as far as crochet goes, which I still feel I am less experienced at than knitting.

While working at the yarn shop I mostly came into “knitting” questions and troubleshooting so that increased my progress exponentially when compared to crochet. So I make little swatches. Sometimes from a stitch dictionary, sometimes from my head. Then I put a border around it. I try to do a different stitch and a different border each time. Or if I have a hard time with a particular technique, I do it again and again until I get it right. It has helped so much and I highly recommend this practice for anyone trying to get comfortable with new techniques. Mix and match crochet and knit borders to get an idea on how to work with the two techniques. My knit/crochet version of a sampler.

Download the Switchy Swatchy Swap Pattern Here (PDF).

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I just wanted to give you a heads up about three things:

1. September Craft Leftovers Monthly will be going on sale Sunday morning, August 10th and will be on sale until Wednesday, August 13 (I’ll take it out of the shop when I wake up on the 14th so international readers will get a good chance to sign up). If you are wondering what Craft Leftovers Monthly is, you can read about it here. I added an information page for it. I’ll add the story of how it all got started next month, but for now, it’s just the facts (what you get, what it is, price, when it goes on sale, when you get it, etc). I’m going to add some “subscriber testimonials” too. I get quite a few emails saying “i like it because such and such” so I thought it would be good if you could see that too and then you would know if it’s the thing for you.

2. I’m going on vacation, back to the chicago/dekalb area, for a week of crafty goodness which will include going to Stitches Midwest! I’m hoping to get at least 2 interviews with this lady as well as this lady and maybe this woman too. Anyway. I’ll be gone from the 16th to the 23rd. So there will not be a pattern the 22nd. I will try to post on Monday and Wednesday, but no guarantees. I think I need a vacation where I really just relax. Then I’ll be all recharged and ready to put some awesome plans into action starting in September.

3. Even though I’ll be on vacation, Jason has agreed to fill any orders that come in, so don’t hesitate to stop by the Craft Leftovers’ shop, Kro Postal, or Green Prairie Fibers. He will take good care of you! He can even wind yarn for you if you need to because he is also a great knitter/crocheter.

Keep it Crafty Folks!

++ Kristin Roach ++

I cannot remember how old I was exactly. Nineteen maybe eighteen. I remember I had graduated high school not too long before that. Before England, after graduation. So somewhere between 2000 and 2003. My friend and I were starting to look into crafts. We were determined to be artists, not craft ladies. Both our grandma’s had passed away though and both of us were looking for a connection to them. Craft. She wanted to learn how to knit, her grandma’s choice technique. I wanted to learn how to crochet, my grandma’s primary means of yarn usage as well as my mother’s when I was growing up.

We went to Borders and perused the latest art magazines, then the art books, then craft books. Knitting and crocheting were just starting to take off again in the mainstream, but still pre-Stitch N’ Bitch era. The selection was, well, not so great. Either really old looking patterns or teen books. A lot of sweaters that looked like they belonged in the 80’s. Yikes! I wanted a crochet book, my friend a knitting book, that had good diagrams for the beginner to learn from with some interesting projects that were not fun fur or over our heads completely. Where were the good books….?

Right there! Simple Crochet! It was perfect, and I feel it still is honestly. I know some people will feel it’s a beginner book only, but I still love it! Look at those dog eared pages and scuff marks:

I picked it up and just couldn’t put it down. I bought it that day. I tried to make this blanket so many times. Granny squares, they were supposed to be easy. I love this picture of the little dog on this blanket. I wanted one for my kitty to cuddle up in. They had great instructions, both for visual learners and reader learners. It still alluded me.

I still tried and tried to learn. Failure after failure. I bought another great book, Weekend Knitting and it was way over my head and I gazed longingly at that one too. I graduated with my associates. Moved to DeKalb. Jason taught me to knit. I started going to the yarn shop. Knit my first project from Weekend Knitting (I’ll tell that story another time) and returned to crochet. I so wanted to crochet. To fall in love with it like my grandma had… I think my hang up was so small, but such a big factor, where to put the hook, which loop! Haha. Such a little thing, but it had me stumped. I could not avoid the trapezoid effect. A woman at the yarn shop, Andrea, set me straight on that detail and I took off. I got it, it just clicked and everything made sense.

I picked Simple Crochet back up and made my first hat, haha. There is no hat pattern in this book! It was actually supposed to be this, a lovely tea pot cozy:

I didn’t read it all the way through, I didn’t have the right gauge, I tried to make it in one piece instead of two. Geesh. It’s still pretty cute though. It kind of looks like it has little cat ears.

It took another year before I started crocheting things that I liked having around. I’ve made the market bag, one of the afghans, and am hoping to make those cute Turkish slippers that are on the cover in time for cooler weather.

I have used this book time and time again to be inspired, by the patterns as well as the photography. They are beautiful. The instructions are well written in a friendly, clear, concise voice. There are these great Inspiration sections for some of the patterns:

There are so many patterns in this book I still want to make. This one being another. Such a lovely throw, maybe this winter I will get to it:

And since buying this book I have fallen in love with many of Erika Knight’s other books, of which there are many. Since Simple Crochet she has put together many books that I would love to add to my personal library, Classic Knits being one that I can think of off the top of my head and Cables & Arans being another. She is definitely one of my role models. In the beginning she inspired me to pick up my grandma’s hook. And now, I strive to her level of expertise with her presentation, continued creativity, and amazing collection of books.

This is the book that I recommend to anyone who wants to learn to crochet, anyone who wants ideas for home decor items, anyone who wants to be inspired. I know most intermediate to advanced crocheters may not need this book, but I still recommend it to them as well. It’s just beautiful to look at and to a pleasure to read.

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And with that I’m going to head out. Sorry this came so late. Jason and I ended up playing a long game of Scrabble at Borders and it was so fun. For me anyway, because I totally won! Hehe.

Have a good night! See you on Friday!

++ Kristin Roach ++

I collected up all the entries:

And picked a witness. Molly, being the chief safety officer, presided over the drawing to make sure there was no fooling around, foul play, or cheating:

Suspense! Who could it be?

Congratulations Nicole! I just sent you an email to get your mailing address, so go check for it!

Now, I posted about it on Monday, but CRAFTzine has a great deal going right now on their subscriptions, you pretty much get 4 for the price of 2! So go check that out and subscribe! It’s a great publication and I’m honored to be a part of it.

Thank you so much for all your kind words. It may not seem like much to write a sentence or two about Craft Leftovers, but it means a lot to me! After hearing what you all had to say, I not only have some great ideas, but I’m also a little less over whelmed. It was good to hear that I’m on the right track. Indeed it is. Thank you!

I’m going to take a lunch break and then I’ll be back for our regularly scheduled posting program :)

Have a good day!
Kristin Roach

Hey there folks! I have my issue in my hands and it is such a winner. Not only do I have my first ever published tutorial on page 58 (preview here), but all the other articles are amazing! They have a huge section on weaving, many articles from many artists, crafters, and writers. From the history of weaving, to how to’s, to an artist’s current project. I’m not going to spoil anything for you, but if you have ever felt weaving is too complicated and over your head, you really need to get this issue, it makes it accessible to everyone of all skill levels, just like weaving should be!

There are also the usual mix of great projects on a variety of topics, like how to make your own handwriting into a font (preview here) and cold brewed coffee, a great article on photography, and many other things that you will have to find out for yourself!

And here’s the give away! I love this issue so much, and it’s my first published in print work, so I’m giving an issue away! All you have to do is leave a comment by 9 am (central time) on August 6th. Let me know what you would like to see more of on Craft Leftovers, or what you do like about it. I’ll have a random drawing and post the winner around noon time. It’s that easy!

CRAFT: 08 will be out on the news stands August 5th, so make sure to go pick up a copy for yourself and enjoy the wonderful crafty goodness that is to be had!

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Updates: I wanted to point your attention to two things. One, the new Support & Contribute page it up. It’s all about different ideas on how you can help support Craft Leftovers, from donating money (through paypal, buying things in the shop, buying books off the CL amazon wish lists), to time (submitting guest articles, patterns, etc), to things (sending supplies that help to keep the craft leftovers studio going (sewing needles, thread, buttons, trim, rotary blades, etc). So make sure to go check that out.

The second thing is that, believe it or not, Craft Leftovers Monthly is getting close to going on sale! Where does the month go! The second Sunday of the month is fast approaching! The September subscription will be going on sale this Sunday, August 10th. After receiving much good feedback on the idea, I’m going to send out a reminder to those who have subscribed and their subscription has ended. A little reminder so your subscription won’t laps.

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I also wanted to thank Urban Threads for the mention, I love the embroidered reusable tea bag! What a cute variation on the reusable tea bag pattern! If you haven’t taken a look around Urban Threads, you really should, especially if you are of the thread minded. There are so many wonderful patterns as well as “how-to’s” for embroidery type stuff.

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See you all on Wednesday!
++ Kristin Roach ++

ps - today is the last day for a change to win some gorgeous roving! Your post card/letter has to be post marked by today! (contest details here). Oh and if you are a crocheter/knitter, don’t despair, I have some great hand dyed yarn set aside for you instead of roving if you win the drawing.

Hi ya folks! Success! Well, haha, kind of. No embroidery still, but some stitchy goodness all the same. This clutch was originally inspired by a few different sources. I wanted to create a light weight, thin, lovely gift to feature in Kro Postal for starters. I had a need to use of scraps of fabric that I had laying around. I wanted to try my hand at machine appliqué as well as using the sewing machine to draw. It was so fun to make and even better to give as a gift to a friend who is far away and could use a package of goodies.

Download the pattern here (pdf) , see more photos here.

So last night I swore I would take the night off and just chill. I ended up trying another embroidery thing, it was another “meh” and so I switched to knitting and watching tv, which was still craft leftovers related. I was going through the cherry chirp pattern. It seems to be okay to a certain point and then even I’m not sure what I meant for people to do. I think it’s more of a rephrasing issue than a math issue, but I’m crunching the numbers along the way to be sure. Have any of you tried out this pattern? Feedback would be great. Both readablity as well as technically. Any issues you encounter with any pattern I write, I really do want you to email me, leave a comment on the pattern post, or write me by letter (marked up print outs are a dream!).

And this brings up another issue, I stopped sending patterns off to my team of pattern testers because I fell behind and was having to write them up at the last minute (this past year of school was soooo demanding, I’m happy it’s finished and I have time to pay attention to details). I’m really trying to break this habit. I want to start sending off patterns for testing before they are published starting in September. I can’t pay, but you would get a kit for the pattern and you would see all the new patterns before they are released and I’m working on some ideas for thank you gifts for those who participate. Just send an email with the subject “pattern testing” to craftleftovers {at} gmail {dot} com if you are interested in learning more. Let me know what crafts you are interested in testing, all levels are welcome, seriously, beginners are the best, especially because most of my patterns tend to be on the easy to easy intermediate level. I really want everyone to be able to understand the patterns I write. If they aren’t, well, why write them in the first place :P

I’m sitting out on a cafe patio right now drinking chai tea and laptop bonding with Jason right now. What a pleasant evening. I wish you all the happiness and contentment I’m feeling right now.

Keep it Crafty folks!

++ Kristin Roach ++

ps - My contentment was totally boosted after I tore through my studio cleaning and then went nuts on the garage, nothing like good clean up to get the creative juices flowing. One of my professors once said that more so that just trying to hammering though a “writer’s block” (in this case creative block), you should clean your studio. Putting away and picking up puts you in contact with all your tools and it inspires new ways of looking at your problem (art/craft/creative). Not only that, when you are done, you have a clean work space, which always helps me feel inspired to mess it back up again :)