(eng text in colour)

Ik haakte een origineel vintage geïnspireerd dekentje, bestaande uit apart gehaakte motieven (met een leuk reliëfeffect in het midden !), die later aan elkaar vastgehaakt worden. Op het einde haak je een mooie, eenvoudige rand rond de ganse deken.

I designed a new vintage inspired blanket ! You start by making the motifs first (did you notice the lovely structured effect in these motifs ?), and next you join them all together. At the end a simple, yet beautiful border is worked around the entire blanket. 

Ik koos het prachtige Katia Basic Merino garen voor dit dekentje. Dit garen bevat 52 % merino en 48 % acryl, en is heerlijk zacht, en supermakkelijk in onderhoud.

I choose Katia Basic Merino to make this blanket. This beautiful yarn is made out of 52 % merino & 48 % acrylic, a supersoft fluffy yarn that can be washed in the washing machine. 

Je hebt volgende hoeveelheden  garen nodig voor een deken van 120cm lang en 76 cm breed :

Kleuren :

38 Grijs : 3 bollen
66 Koraal : 2 bollen
41 Mosterd : 3 bollen
30 Turquoise : 7 bollen

What do you need to make this blanket : (my blanket measures 120cm/47.25in long and 76cm/30in wide : 

Colours : 

38 Grey : 3 balls
66 Coral : 2 balls
41 Mustard : 3 balls
30 Turquoise : 7 balls

Haaknaald / Crochet hook : 4 mm.

De afmetingen van deze deken kan je uiteraard makkelijk zelf aanpassen, door meer motieven te haken.

You can easily adjust the size of the blanket by making more motifs. 

Caro’s Atelier heeft complete en handige kits samengesteld, zodat jij snel aan de slag kan om ook zo’n deken te haken. De kit bevat alle garen dat je nodig hebt, en het patroon. Je kan de kits hier vinden :

(er is wereldwijde verzending en supersnelle service)

Caro’s Atelier has made complete kits, making it super-easy for you ! All the yarn and the pattern are included in it. You can order a kit here : Harmony Blanket Kit

(worldwide shipping and fast service)

Het aparte patroon kan je ook hier vinden :

NL website : Harmony Deken

Ravelry : Harmony Blanket

If you want just the pattern, you can find it here : 

Ravelry : Harmony Blanket

Eng website : Harmony Blanket

‘Double A Design’ blanket is a design Atty en I made together ! We started it over a year ago, and we are ready to share the free pattern with you today !

If you want the pattern with the EXTRA charts for the joining and the border, you can find it here (and buy it for a small price) : Double A Design Blanket

I share my version of the blanket below, it is made with Stylecraft Classique Cotton dk yarn.

Atty made her stunning blanket using Stylecraft Batik dk, hop over to her blog for more pictures and info : Atty’s blog  (her post will soon be live ! )

Yarn : Stylecraft Classique Cotton dk, 100 % cotton, 1 ball = 50g = 92m/100.5yard

– Dove 3096 : 18 balls
– Black 3093 : 5 balls
– 1 ball of each of the following 18 shades :   Azure 3671, Busy Lizzie 3657, Fondant 3094, Greek Blue 3095, Hot Pink 3668, Ivory 3665, Lapis 3689, Lavender 3673, Leaf 3097, Mauve 3658, Nocturne 3669, Shrimp 3674, Peppermint 3691, Poppy 3672, Sky Blue 3667, Soft Lime 3663, Teal 3566, Tropical Jade 3676

There was about 20gr yarn of each of the 18 colours left, this means you can also make the entire blanket with LESS colours, if you prefer. (you will be needing at least 9 different colours)
(The quantities for shades Dove and Black remain the same. )

If you want to make our blanket too, you can find the yarns we used at Loveknitting, they ship worldwide :

Stylecraft Classique Cotton DK
Stylecraft Batik yarns 

My blanket measures : 145cm/57in long and 108cm/42.52in wide

Crochet hook : 4 mm (and 4,5 mm for joining the motifs)

Used stitches and abbreviations: US crochet terms

RS                              right side
WS                             wrong side
ch                               chain
ch-sp                          chain-space
dc                               double crochet
M                                stitch marker
PM                             place stitch marker
slst                             slipstitch
slstbl                          slipstitch worked in the back loops only
slstfl                           slipstitch worked in the front loops only
sc                               single crochet
scbl                            single crochet worked in the back loops only
st(s)                            stitch(es)
tr                                 treble crochet
magic ring
[]                                repeat the instructions between the braquets

Gauge : 1 finished motif measures about 11,5cm x 11,5cm / 4.5in x 4.5in

Other materials : scissors, ruler, tapestry needle to weave in ends, pins and mat for blocking, 4 stitch markers.

Crochet charts : a chart for the motif is included. If you want to get a full copy of the pattern with extra large charts for the joining and the border as well you can get it here : Double A Design Blanket

PATTERN : 

Motif :

Round 1 : RS : Using any shade (except for Dove and Black) : Form a magic ring and work in the ring : 3ch(=1dc throughout), 2dc, 1ch, [3dc, 1ch] x 3 , close round with slst in 3th ch.  – 4 sides with 3dc each, and 4 corners with 1ch-sps

Round 2 : RS : 3ch, 2 x (1dc in next dc), (2dc, 1ch, 2dc) in first 1ch-sp, [3 x (1dc in next dc), (2dc, 1ch, 2dc) in next 1ch-sp] x 3, close round with slst in 3th ch. – 4 sides with 7dc ach, 4 corners with 1ch-sps

Round 3 : RS : 3ch, 4 x (1dc in next dc), (1dc, 1tr, 1ch, 1tr, 1dc) in first 1ch-sp, [7 x (1dc in next dc), (1dc, 1tr, 1ch, 1tr, 1dc) in next 1ch-sp] x 3, end with 2 x (1dc in next dc), close round with slst in 3th ch, cut yarn and fasten off. – 4 sides with 9dc and 2tr each, 4 corners with 1ch-sps

Round 4 : RS : join shade Black with slst in 3rd st next to a corner from any side, work 3ch in this dc, 8 x (1dc in next st), (1dc, 1tr, 1ch, 1tr, 1dc) in first 1ch-sp, 9 x (1dc in next st), change to shade Dove (and cut shade Black) and continue : 2 x (1dc in next dc), (1dc, 1tr, 1ch, 1tr, 1dc) in next 1ch-sp, [11 x (1dc in next st), (1dc, 1tr, 1ch, 1tr, 1dc) in next 1ch-sp]  x 2, end with 2 x (1dc in next st), close round with slst in 3th ch. – 4 sides with 11dc and 2tr each, 4 corners with 1ch-sps (2 sides have 11dc in black)

Round 5 : RS : Continue using shade Dove : 3ch, 10 x (1dc in next st), (1dc, 1tr, 1ch, 1tr, 1dc) in first 1ch-sp, [15 x (1dc in next st), (1dc, 1tr, 1ch, 1tr, 1dc) in next 1ch-sp] x 3, end with 4 x (1dc in next st), close round with slst in 3th ch, cut yarn and fasten off – 4 sides with 17dc and 2tr each, 4 corners with 1ch-sps

Make a total of 108 motifs in pattern : use each of the 18 shades 6 times ! (= 18 x 6 motifs in each shade)

Weave in all ends.

Joining :

All 108 motifs are ready to be joined.

Compose your blanket, by putting all motifs as you like, or follow my example.

Choose where to put each coloured motif, AND also in which direction you want the 3D-accent (the black part) to be.

I decided to place the 3D-effect on the bottom left side, and to combine all colours from light to dark, making it look like a rainbow.

Make 9 vertical rows of 12 motifs. (place 9 motifs next to each other, and 12 motifs above each other).

If you do not have enough space to keep the blanket on the floor until all motifs are joined (since it will take some time to join all 108 motis), make a picture ! (this way you will not forgot your own composition)

The joining of the motifs is done by working slst in the back loops only, and row by row, using shade Dove !  (

Choose whether you want to start joining horizontal rows, or vertical rows.

I joined all horizontal rows first, and afterwards I joined the horizontal strips vertically.

You might prefer using a LARGER hook size for the joining, to prevent your blanket from starting to pull. Swatch first ! (I used a 4,5 mm hook to join all motifs)

DO NOT weave in all ends immediately, leave them until  the border is done. (leaving them will simplify working the first border row).

HORIZONTAL JOINING

Step 1 : Join the 2 bottom rows horizontally (called row 1 and row 2)
– Take the motif on the bottom right side (of row 1), and the motif just above it (of row 2). Put them together, RS on the outside, and make sure the 3D-effect is in the right direction. Now join both motifs working slst in the back loops : join yarn with 1slst in the 1ch-sps of the right corner, and start working slst in the back loops working 1slstbl in every st. Join 1 side of both motifs, ending with 1slst in the next 1ch-sps.
– Next take the 2nd motif of the bottom row 1 and the 2nd motif of row 2 and continue joining : 1slstbl in both 1ch-sps, followed by working slstbl in every st of 1 side of each motif until the next 1ch-sps.
– Continue until all 9 motifs of both rows are joined, forming a long strip. Cut yarn and fasten off.

Make sure your motifs are not twisted !
Put your work flat on the ground or on a table in between to check if everything goes well.

This first joining row is the hardest one, from now on it will become much more easy !

Step 2 : Join the bottom 2 rows to row 3

Follow the same method as for the bottom 2 rows.

This means you will now join the strip formed by joining row 1 and row 2 to the motifs of row 3. (joining the motifs of row 2 with the motifs of row 3)

Continue with joining the other 8 motifs, until the entire row is done.

Step 3 : join all other remaining horizontal rows

Continue until all horizontal rows are joined.

VERTICAL JOINING

Next join the vertical rows. Simply work row by row, from the right side to the left side, working slst in the back loops like you did for the horizontal joining.

Every time you reach a ‘joining corner’ (= all the 1ch-sps where the motifs are already joined horizontally), you simply work 1ch, do not join the 1ch-sps (since they are already joined), and continue working slstbl in the sts of the sides. Join all remaining rows.

BORDER

I decided to keep the border very simple.
First several rounds are worked using shade Dove, followed by 2 rounds in Black.

The first border round is worked in the back loops of the motifs. In every ‘joining slst’ between 2 motifs you work a scbl as well. Make sure to keep all the loose ends of the joining rows to the back side. (these ends were not woven in, making it now easier to work the extra scbl in the joining slst).

When working the sc sts in the 1ch-sps in each corner of the blanket, you work sts around the chains, not IN the separate chains.

The last finishing border round is worked BEFORE the first border round, IN the REMAINING FRONT LOOPS of the motifs, using shade Dove. This is round 6 on the chart.

Round 1 : RS : Using crochet hook 4 mm and shade Dove : join yarn with slst in any 1ch-sp of a corner, work 2sc in this 1ch-sp,
* work across 1 side of the blanket ONLY IN THE BACK LOOPS : 1scbl in every st of the fist motif (= 19sc), [ 1scbl in the ‘joining slst’ between 2 motifs, 1scbl in every st of the next motif (19sc) ] repeat until next 1ch-sp of the next corner, work( 2sc+1ch+2sc) in this 1ch-sp ;
repeat from * across entire blanket, finish in the last 1ch-sp of the last corner (where you started the round) : (2sc, 1ch) and close round with slst in first sc.

Round 2 : RS : (1ch + 2sc) in first 1ch-sp (PM in first sc), 1sc in every scbl until next 1ch-sp of next corner,   [ 3sc in this 1ch-sp (PM in centre sc of 3sc), 1sc in every scbl until next 1ch-sp of next corner ] repeat across entire blanket, finish in the last 1ch-sp (where you started this round) also : 1sc, close round with slst in first sc.

Round 3 : RS : (1ch + 2sc) in first sc (remove M and PM in first sc), 1sc in every sc until next M, [ remove M and work 3sc in this st (PM in centre sc of 3sc), 1sc in every sc until next M ] repeat across entire blanket, and work in first sc (where you started this round) also : 1sc, close round with slst in first sc.

(If you prefer a larger border, keep repeating round 3)

Round 4 : RS : Change to shade Black, repeat round 3.

Round 5 : RS : (this is a slst round, you might prefer using a larger crochet hook), using shade Black: remove M weg and work (1slst + 1ch) in first sc (PM in this slst), 1slst in every sc until next M,  [ remove M permanently and work (1ch+1slst+1ch) in this sc, work 1slst in every sc until next M ] repeat across entire blanket until you get to the first M, end with 1ch, remove this M permanently too and close round with slst in first slst, cut yarn and fasten off.

Round 6 : RS : Using crochet hook 4,5 mm and shade Dove : this round is worked BEFORE the first border round, using the remaining front loops of the motifs : join yarn with slst in any 1ch-sp in any corner, work slst in the front loops of the motifs, before round 1 of the border : 1slstfl in every st of every motif, and 1slstfl before and after each joining spot (= you work 2slst at every joining place for 2 motifs). In every 1ch-sp of every corner you simply work 1slst. Repeat across entire blanket, close round with slst in first slst, cut yarn and fasten off.

FINISHING
– weave in alle remaining ends.
– block your blanket.
– allow to dry naturally
– remove all pins
– ready !

I hope lots of you will make our blanket !

The yarns for the blanket kan be found at LoveKnitting (they ship worldwide and offer excellent fast service) :

Stylecraft Classique Cotton DK

Stylecraft Batik garens 

I am looking forward to see lots of pictures of your progress and finished blankets on social media. Do not forget to use hashtag #doubleAdesign !!!

Happy crocheting !!!!

(Copyright : Annelies Baes – Vicarno & Atty’s This crochet pattern is for personal use only. It’s prohibited to copy, reproduce and resell this pattern, in both digital and print. It is prohibited to publish this pattern online, partly or as a whole. It is allowed to sell items made using this pattern, provided you name Annelies Baes – Vicarno  & Atty’s as the designer. Yarn stores and yarn sellers: it is prohibited to sell or distribute this pattern without written permission.)

I am happy to announce I have a new design ready : Fusion Shawls. You get a generous 25 % introduction discount when purchasing the pattern until Sunday evening Jan. 28th !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The shawls (or scarfs) have a rectangular shape, with and openworked waving rippled stitch pattern. By using different colour combinations you achieve a trendy and harmonious effect.

I choose Nurturing Fibres yarns for this particular design. Nurturing Fibres is a well know South-African yarn brand. Besides their amazing yarn collections in stunning handdyed colours, this brand has a true eco-label : the yarns are made with great respect for all humans, animal and the environment.

Since it is still winter and cold here in Europe, I made a first warm and cuddly version using Nurturing Fibres Supertwist DK. This is a pure woollen yarn, made of 100 % merino. I choose the following colours :  Driftwood, Imperial, Maple, Sangria,  Shell and Vanilla. The yarn is simply super ! It is incredibly soft, warm and tender (yet it breathes very well, so I am pretty sure I will continue wearing my shawl in spring and summer season as well).

The colour palette is very wide, so I am pretty sure everybody will find ‘their’ perfect shades. You can find the entire collection here :  Scaapi  (this is the European distributor for Nurturing Fibres yarns), as well as on the the Nurturing Fibres website : hier

The measurements of my shawl are : 170cm long and  33 cm wide. (without the pompoms). It is obviously a very generous sized shawl !

For the upcoming spring and summer I already made a second sample, using Nurturing Fibres Eco-Fusion, this is a lovely yarn made of  50 % Bamboo Viscose & 50 % Cotton. These are the colours I used : Anvil, Blush, Charcoal, Seashell, Vanilla and  Sweet Pea.

I like this yarn a lot : it has a delicate shimmer, and the twisting of the 2 different fibres makes it very special, yet super-easy to crochet. It blocks all very beautifully ! I love it 🙂

All available shades of  Eco-Fusion can be found at :  Scaapi  and on the  Nurturing Fibres  website: hier 

My shawl measures : 220 cm long and 27 cm wide. (without the tassels)

As for the design : the pattern is fully written, in both US and in UK crochet terms. A crochet chart and schematics are added as well.

The pattern has been tested and edited.

The pattern can be found :

on the website : Fusion Shawl ENG

Ravelry : Fusion Shawl

I am also thrilled to let you know Nurturing Fibres published an iterview with me on their blog. You can read the lovely article over here : Nurturing Fibres Blog, Meet the Maker : Annelies Baes

Continue reading →

I made 2 designs for the newest edition of  Trui Magazine : a large shawl with a lace border and a smaller spring and summer scarf.

I choose Fonty Bambou yarn for these designs, because I think it is the perfect spring and summer yarn for accessories and garments : it is soft (like silk !), the colour palette is truly amazing and beyond all of this, this brand has an eco label !

You only need 4 balls for the smaller scarf, my sample is made using shade 459, ivory.

If you prefer the larger wrap with the beautiful lace border, you will be needing 9 balls. I just loved the aqua shades I used : 461 mint, 473 jade and 472 sea green.

The designs are published in Trui Magazine, and will be available as individual patterns next month as well 🙂

You can purchase Fonty Bambou yarn at Wol Zo Eerlijk (an online shop that ships worldwide)

It is my birthday today and I am truly happy to celebrate it with this generous give-away ! You can win a COMPLETE LARGE SHAWL KIT. 

The kit contains 9 balls of Fonty Bambou in the 3 aqua shades, and the pattern ! 

Do you want to participate ? You can join this give-way by : leaving a message here on the blog below this post (make sure I can trace you, so do not forget to write down your email address or  facebook name or …) AND liking my facebook page :  Vicarno Crochet Designs   AND/OR liking my instagram account : annelies_baes  .

I will announce the winner March 15th.

The rules :

• this give-away starts March 7th and ends March 14th, 20 h (CET).
• Shipping costs are on my charge if you live in Belgium or The Netherlands. All other countries : you are free to participate, but if you win, you agree by paying the shipping costs for the kit.
• you only participate ONCE. (I will delete all multiple posts)
• this give-away is made possible by Fonty and BN Agenturen

Edit : The winner of the give-away is : Judith !

I received a large box full of very cute Yarn and Colors Must Have Mini's last week, what a treat! 100 different colours, for hours of experimental crochet fun.

I could not resist trying them, and started working on a new (secret !) design, using ALL colours. Yes, indeed, I am using every colour there is.

After posting some pictures of the mini balls on instagram and facebook, I received lots of questions from people : where they could buy these cuties, how the cotton yarn was like, ...

Therefor I decided to write a quick blogpost and make some lovely little hearts and share the pattern for free.

You can find the info and the pattern below :) Enjoy !

 

Yarn : Yarn and Colors mini Must-Haves. You can purchase all these mini’s at Woolwarehouse  (they ship worldwide, and I have great experience with them myself). The entire list of shops can be found on the YarnandColors website, here

I am using shades : pistache, white, girly pink, green ice, and purple bordeaux.

Used stitches : chain (ch), slipstitch (slst), single crochet (sc), double crochet (dc), treble crochet (tr). I use US crochet terms.

PATTERN

– Round 1 : Form a magic ring. Work in the ring : 4ch, 3tr, 3dc, 1ch, 1tr, 1ch, 3dc, 3tr, 4ch and 1slst in the ring. Do not turn, just continue crocheting.

– Round 2 : Ch1 and 1sc in each of 4 first ch, next 1sc in every next dc and tr, 1sc in next c1ch-space, 1sc in next tr, 1sc in next 1ch-space, 1sc in every next dc and tr, end with 1sc in 4 last ch and 1slst in the ring. Cut yarn and cast off.

– Finishing : Secure ends on the back and weave in. Make sure the magic ring is tight.

– Coloured stitches on the inside : Take a new colour, cut yarn at about 20cm and use a tapestry needle. Start at the back of the heart, and pull the yarn through the center of the heart. Make nice embroidery stitches, between the crochet stitches of round 1. Make sure to divide your embroidery stitches equally. When ready, weave in ends carefully.

– Ready!!!

Don’t forget to share your hearts and other creations ! You can find my instagram feed here : annelies_baes and my facebook page here : Vicarno Crochet Designs

I have finished a new shawl design : ‘The Sun is Shining Moeke’,  and for this design I decided to use Moeke Yarns. (and named the shawl after the yarn too 🙂 )

Moeke Yarns are made of Romanian sheep wool, produced with traditional methods and no harmful chemicals, spun them in a traditional fiber mill. Yarns with a message ! Ethical, ecological yarns. Ioana is the lady behind this yarn brand, she grew up in Romania and now runs the company with true passion from the Netherlands. (and her brother is taking care of the things in Romania)

My first  ‘Moeke’ Shawl  – yes, I actually made more than one – is made with Romanian Merino , shade ‘Light Coral’. 2 skeins of this lovely yarn are enough to finish the entire shawl.

The yarn was new to me, and I think it will be for lots of other people, so I decided to list some of its qualities :

• the touch and the softness of this yarn is different than most other yarns : I like to call it ‘old-fashioned softness’. (which has some great emotional connotations for me. I could not stop thinking of my beloved grandmother who teached me how to knit when I was a kid). I felt ‘pure’ wool, full of lanolin. When using this yarn (knitting or crocheting or making cakes from te skeins) you actually feel the lanolin, and you can even see it. I suffer from very dry hands all year long, and this yarn was a lovely treat for my hands. (our little son who is particularly fond of soft and luxury yarns – we call him ‘mister good and expensive taste’ often came to sit next to me to touch the yarn and the shawl-to-be and put his face on it).
• the structure of the yarn : I like the ‘natural, rural’ structure of the yarn, the somewhat uneven fibre, the subtle differences in thickness, in shade, ….
• the smell of the yarn : I am ‘into smells’, always. My nose is my best sense. A good and lovely smell can truly make my day ! This yarn smells like sheep, like nature, like lanolin, like pureness.

I do believe this yarn is best used by the crafter that ‘has a bit of knitting or crocheting experience’. Due to the natural structure and the traditional producing method and the thickness of the yarn, I think the yarn is a bit ‘sensitive and fragile’. It is not wise or recommended to pull hard, or to unravel your project a lot of times….

The amount of natural lanolin in the yarn ‘slows down’ a bit, I mean : if you are used to crocheting or knitting ‘at high speed’, you will need to adjust your method. This yarn wants you to take your time and enjoy every stitch. In the beginning it made me a bit nervous (I am a very frantic and ‘fast’ lady 🙂 ), but soon I noticed I really enjoyed what I prefer calling ‘the conscious process’ of designing and make something new.

My second shawl is made with   Moeke Yarns Elena  : it is a very large, robust, solid and  colourful one ! I already liked the Romanian Merino, but this Elena Yarn made me even more happy.

• This yarn is more solid, robust, tough and a bit thicker. It has a bit of a ‘wild and savage’ look, and I like it. It is stronger compared to the Merino.
• Despite the rougher look, the yarn is remarquably soft. And it gets softer during the crocheting process, and after some soaking in Eucalan even more, and I am pretty sure it will become soft as  butter once you wear your design. (even the ‘pure’ skein is NOT itchy)
• it works up rather quick
• the smell is great too (you also smell sheep and lanolin)
• this yarn is easier  to work with compared to the Merino. It is ok to pull the yarn and you can unravel a number of times without damaging the yarn.

The shawl design itself makes me happy 🙂

As usual, when I start making a new design, I know ‘more or less’ where I am going and what it will be, but I create the actual design itself ‘in the process’. This working method is my preferred one, but it is always very exciting how it turns out. I like the excitement of creating things in the moment.

The shawl has a rounded shape, and I am a big fan of this shape. I prefer not making making straight ends, I do not create a straight horizontal line. I prefer the ends bending to the inside, because this provides great wearing comfort and the shawl does not slide off your shoulders, even during activities like riding your bike, walking, ….

The pattern is written in 3 sizes ! This means you can simply choose to make your own preferred size shawl. (the Merino Shawl is size 1, the Elena shawl is size 3). The large edging has some optional beads as well.

Like always : a fully written pattern, with a crochet chart (for the edging in this pattern), and very well tested.

The pattern is available in English (US terms) and in Dutch.

I also want to write a quick note about the ‘Moeke Yarns Make A Long 2016’. This is a new event, that will take place every autumn from this year on. This event is  a celebration of fiber arts, crafts and makers –  to bring together pattern designers, artists, makers, shop owners who share the same values : a deep love for making, respect for animals and nature, and a view to the future while being committed to help preserve the local traditions and support local economies.

I am happy and honoured that my new shawl design is a part of this event. So join in ! There is a lot inspiration to be found, and some great prices can be won as well, info can be found here :  MYMakeAlong2016

Pattern : The Sun is Shining Moeke : available on the  website, Ravelry and Etsy

Yarn : Moeke Yarns Romanian Merino en Elena  (you need 600m of yarn for the smallest size, 800m for size 2 and 1300-1400m for size 3)

Info about Moeke Yarns : hier

Buying yarn : I bought my Moeke Yarns here : WolZoEerlijk and JaWol 

(there are no affiliates links in this post)

I am writing a very quick and short blogpost (I am so sorry I did not blog for such a long time), just to let you all know I am having a wonderful summer, full of joy and quality family time. So I have not been working much !

Nevertheless I managed to finish a new shawl design that I am releasing today  : Biscuit Shawl.

When I look at my shawl, I simply cannot stop seeing a yummie biscuit, and let’s face it : we all love delicious biscuits, no ?

The shawl is worked from the center, and round by round you make increases at the 4 corners, and you see your shawl growing and getting bigger !

As usual : a fully written pattern, in English (US terms) and in Dutch too, accompanied by a large chart.

Fully tested as well, thanks to Ans.

There is more ! This pattern is also written in 2 sizes : size 1 works great for those lovely gradient skeins of 825m yarn, and size 2 is perfect for the 900m skeins.

The sample shawl on the pictures is made with Unikat Biocotton Wol Zo Eerlijk, shade ‘High Tea’. This yarn can be purchased here : Wol Zo Eerlijk (this is not an affiliate link)

I am making a second sample as well, it is nearly finished, so I will soon able to show you pics.

Pattern : Biscuit Shawl on Ravelry and website  as well as on Etsy.

Crochet hook : 4 mm

Before I forget : I have some wonderful news ! From now on, every month I will be giving away 3 patterns !!!! Yes, correctly.

If you buy one of my patterns (no matter when you buy or have bought one), and make something lovely with, just share it on your social media and tag me or link me (facebook, instagram, …), that is all you have to do to participate. Every month 3 winners will get to choose a pattern for free.

(my instagram  :  Annelies_Baes and my facebook page :  Annelies Baes – Vicarno Crochet Designs

De Scheepjes CAL 2016 ‘Last Dance on The Beach’ ging in april van start, als eerbetoon aan Marinke Slump (aka Wink). Elke week ontwerpt een andere Scheepjes blogger / ontwerper een nieuw motief, en al deze motieven samen vormen een mooie deken.

Since last april the Scheepjes CAL 2016 ‘Last Dance on The Beach’ is happening, as a tribute to Marinke Slump (aka Wink). Every week one of the Scheepjes bloggers / designers has made a wondeful square, and all those squares together make an amazing blanket. 

Deze week ben ik aan de beurt.
Vorig jaar mocht ik de Scheepjes CAL 2015 ‘Flight of Fancy’ ontwerpen, en ging er een voor mij tot dan toe onbekende CAL-wereld voor me open.
Als freelance haakontwerper had ik best al wel wat ervaring met ontwerpen, maar ik had nooit eerder aan een CAL meegewerkt, laat staan een ‘CAL gehost’.

It’s my turn this week ! 
As some of you know, I have been given the opportunity to design the Scheepjes CAL 2015 ‘Flight of Fancy’. This was my first CAL-experience ever 🙂 
As being a freelance designer, I already had quite some experience with designing and being published, but I never contributed to a CAL before. So hosting one, was more than exciting ! 

Ik vond het heerlijk om de ervaringen van Marinke te horen, die wel goed wist wat een CAL was en met zich meebracht. Haar tips, haar berichtjes via facebook, haar openheid.
Toen, ineens, het bericht dat ze er niet meer was. Knal, boem. Gedaan.
Een klap.

I liked talking to Marinke, about her experiences with her previous CAL. She shared her experiences with me, her thoughts. I like chatting with her, she cheered me up and gave me power.
Until that day, we got the message she was not longer here. She had passed away. All of a sudden. It was a shock.

Een paar dagen later zei onze jongste zoon, bij het zien van haar foto op mijn computerscherm : ‘Marinke ljkt op een elf’. Ik keek, en keek nog een keer. Hij had gelijk.
Bij het ontwerpen van mijn motief, zag ik een dansende elf. Veel beweging, veel gedans. Dansen betekent emotie, leven. Je kan rustig dansen, of juist heel wild, of misschien wel vrolijk, of heel ingetogen. Dansen = beweging. Die beweging wou ik weergeven. Alles is beweging !
Daarom het motief met de ‘dancing bobbles’.

A few days after her passing away, our youngest son saw her picture on my computer screen and he said : ‘Marinke looks like a fairy’. I looked, and looked again. He was right.
So when I started working on the design for my square, I remembered his words. I could not stop thinking about a ‘dancing fairy’. So I made my ‘Dancing Bobbles’ motif.
Dancing = emotions, life, movement, action. You can choose how you want to dance : gently, very modest, or wild, with lots of emotions. It is all movement. That is what I wanted to share with my motif.

Als ontwerper maak je, je creërt. Wat je voelt, wie je bent. Een ontwerp spreekt en zegt wat jij denkt, wat jij voelt. Elke steek is met zorg gehaakt, en samen vormen steken een patroon. Vaak moet je dingen uithalen, en een keer opnieuw beginnen. Het maken is een heel proces. Van niets naar iets.
Het moment waarop dat wat  je gemaakt hebt ‘naar de buitenwereld’ gaat is intens. Het is ‘niet zomaar iets dat je toont’, het  toont wie je bent, en wat je voelt.

Als ontwerper weet je dat je feedback krijgt van mensen, nadat je je creatie hebt getoond aan buitenwereld. Woorden van mensen die je haakwerk onder ogen krijgen, en die het zelf ook haken.
Vergeet echter niet dat er achter een ontwerp een mens zit. Dat je als ontwerper beseft dat je je creatie ‘geeft’, maar je geeft niet je hele persoon. Bepaalde aspecten hou je terecht liever voor jezelf.

Dus vraag ik vandaag gelijk even aandacht voor het ‘reageren’, dat is namelijk ook een proces, net zoals haken.
Een goede ontwerper haakt steek voor steek, en maakt een proces door.
Praten, reageren, woorden delen op sociale media is in het beste geval een soortgelijk proces. Waarbij je denkt, schrijft, herleest, schrapt en toevoegt.
Ik noem het ‘het praat-proces’.
Sociale media maakt mensen mondig, reageren kan snel, meteen, ‘instant’ is het. Helemaal leuk en fijn, meestal.

Helaas niet altijd. Hierover praatte ik ook met Marinke, net zoals zovelen anderen onder ons. Over de effecten van sociale media, over de effecten van de reacties van mensen. Vaak fijne reacties, die energie geven. Soms nare, denigrerende, kille, of heel af en toe zelfs bedreigende, angstaanjagende dingen.

Woorden zijn krachtig, gebruik ze wijs ! Steek voor steek, woord voor woord, maak er iets moois van !

Being a designer means you create ! You try to create beautiful things, with a meaning, your creations express what you feel, who you are. This actually means you expose yourself to the world, when you release a new design. You share.
Sharing things means you understand you will get feedback, reactions. What people think about your design, how they feel about making it themselves.

I would like to ask you all to keep in mind that giving feedback is in fact also a process, just like crocheting.  Word by work you make a sentence, you share what you feel. 

It is in fact like designing something beautiful : you work stitch by stitch, and create a piece, in 1 big beautiful process. Step by step, with lots of reflection. Sometimes you realise it is not good enough, and you rip it, and start over again. Until you are satisfied with it. Trying to achieve the best.
Please keep in minds words have lots of power ! 
Social media is a wonderful platform, you can react fast, easily, ‘instantly’. 

I talked about this several times with Marinke as well. About the effects social media have or can have on a designer’s life. How some beautiful and nice reactions make you feel good. How you can learn from people’s experiences, what they have to say. 

Unfortunately sometimes it can be very hard an tough as well, when you receive angry, scary, terrifying, or even threatening messages from people. Please remember a designer is a real person, with a real life, with emotions. 

Words are powerful, use them wise and with your heart ! Stitch by stitch, word by word, we all create and make the most beautiful things ! 

Het patroon voor de CAL kan je hier vinden : Scheepjes CAL 2016 Last Dance On The Beach
The pattern for the CAL can be found here : Scheepjes CAL 2016 Last Dance On The Beach
De video-tutorial van deze week vind je hier :  Video week 11
The video tutorial for this week can be found here : Video week 11
Yarn Packs for this CAL can be found at Woolwarehouse, they ship worldwide : Yarn Kits Scheepjes CAL       (this is an affiliate link)

Today I am releasing this new crochet pattern : ‘Summer Agate Top’. To make sure you have enough time to make yourself one or more summer tops and enjoy wearing it all summer long !

Feminine, airy, elegant, and refined, those are the keywords of this new design.

I like designing trendy ladies garments, so we can all feel pretty and good !

If you have bought one of my patterns before, you will already know I like to make patterns that are easy to follow, to make sure you love the making process, so you can enjoy every minute of it. What makes you happy, makes me happy !

This summer top design is written in 5 sizes : from XS up to XL. It has a delicate waist shaping, and personally I quite like the delicate edging on the neckline and the arm openings.

I choose Scheepjes Stonewashed yarn for this design. I love Stonewashed ! It works up so quick and easily, and it guarantees such nice finishing. It also has a lot of yardage, so your top will be very light ! Depending on the size you need, you only need 5-7 balls of yarn.

The crochet pattern is fully written, also has a chart, and several detailed pictures are added as well.

As usual, the pattern has been tested by my testing panel.

This design has also been published in  Inside Crochet (it even made it to the cover), and they have made these gorgeous pictures !

The pattern can be purchased in the pattern shop, on Ravelry and on Etsy. So hurry and grab your copy, so you can be shiny and gorgeous all summer long !Y

You can buy Stonewashed yarn at Woolwarehouse, they ship worldwide and have an excellent customer service, you can find it here : Woolwarehouse   *

Don’t forget to show me your finished projects ! On facebook  : Vicarno Crochet Designs  or on Instagram : annelies_baes

Have a lovely and creative day !

* this is an affiliate link

Wonderful and exciting news ! Scheepjes has just released a new book-a-zine, called ‘YARN’.

An amazing publication, full of inspiration and patterns for craft people : knitting, crochet, macramé, and so much more.

Printed on high quality paper, and some great extras that will make you enjoy this book-a-zine even more : blanco pages to write down your own notes, the magazine can lay flat when it is open, stitched spine, multifunctional fold out flap, …

‘Pocket’ size, so easy to put it in your handbag or project bag as well.

Filled with stunning pictures, and beautiful lay-out.

High quality designs, there are 15 patterns in this edition !

(and a little secret I am telling you, I am in it too, with 3 designs : a lovely summer ‘Seaweed Shawl’, a happy ‘Beach Tunic’ and a very trendy ‘Open Back Sweater’.

So, go and grab this first ‘SEA’-edition of YARN and enjoy !!!!

Yarn is available at Woolwarehouse, here : Yarn Magazine

and at Scheepjes retailers. (the list of retailers can be found here : Scheepjes shops)

(This blogposts contains an affiliate link)