addicted to alpaca

A Brief Public Service Announcement

THIS is what happens when you accidentally throw a couple of yards of sock yarn into the washer and dryer. A tangled mess of one linen shirt, one bra, and three pairs of flannel pajama bottoms.
Surgery was needed, all clothing survived, although with interesting twisty patterns dried in.

Just one more reason why crocheters and knitters need to check their pockets before laundry day!

posted by MBT @ 6:50 AM 3 comments

Some new pretties!

This is the new Crochet Christmas Gift Card Holders set, available at Patternfish.com. The $3 pattern includes the mini-stocking, Santa's mitten, ornament, and my personal favorite, the peppermint stick. Make one up quickly to add a little happy to a gift of a gift card or cash.

Have you seen the Beaded Thistle Shawl? It's crocheted in a lightweight acrylic/mohair blend called Swiss Mohair, which will be available to the world in January of 2010. Can't wait? Try my kit!
The kit includes the pattern, one skein (600 yards) of the yarn in one of your choice of six colors, glass beads with an aurora borealis/pale pink finish, and a #10 steel hook with which to attach the beads as you crochet, because hell hath no fury like trying to string a skillion beads on mohair yarn! There is even a nice little beading photo tutorial on the back of the pattern! All this for $19.99 plus $5.50 shipping and handling in the US - out of US residents need to hit me with an email for shipping rates. The full details are here - all six colors are currently in stock, but may not be for long.

How are you all doing with your holiday knitting and crocheting? I am still trying to get some deadline stuff finished....

posted by MBT @ 3:47 PM 0 comments

Greetings from Chez Crazy Person

First off, a gift to you from NaturallyCaron.com - my newest knitted shawl pattern. It's available as a free download here - enjoy! It starts at the center of the upper edge and grows as you stitch, so you can adjust the length/width to your desired dimensions - or call it a mini-shawl if you run out of time before the holidays, run out of yarn, or simply get bored!

So I am doing my annual crazy person routine - deadlines, the holidays, trying to get new things out and ready for TNNA which has the nerve to be in early January every year. It's like Christmas - I know it's coming, I know I have a ton to do, but I never seem to get it all done in a timely fashion. Add in the new kits I am working on (photos soon) and all the every day stuff, and it's crazy. Which I know I say a lot. But it is.

Anyway, I was out running errands the other day and came home to find my neighbor/buddy/fellow yarn addict plopped on my living room floor, playing with the dog. This is a good thing. I apologize for being rushed and am chatting with her as I fly through to the dining room, where the laptop was sitting, so I can check for an email I am waiting for.

Since she is sitting on the floor, she points and laughs at my mis-matched feet. Yes, I reply, I know my socks don't match, but I am so crazed I haven't had time to do laundry and at least they are both clean, which I thought was more important...blah blah blah on my part. She is still laughing. And pointing. So I look down and see that MY SHOES DON'T MATCH EITHER!

Seriously, I went out of the house and ran errands for two hours with two different shoes on AND DID NOT NOTICE! At least they were both black.

Sigh....

posted by MBT @ 6:58 AM 5 comments

In which I am vaguely amused...

Sorry for no pix this week - it's been a rough week here. LL mangled a tendon and cannot dance in the Irish dance regional finals next week, which she has been working towards all year. We are both very sad about this, as is her new coach whom I adore, but at the end of the day she doesn't have much choice. When you are 13 though, "there's always next year" seems like the worst sort of platitude. But there is - there is always next year, even if the poor kid thinks it will never come.

On the upside - she is getting more sleep and I am getting more work done.

With all of this emo sort of background going on you will see why I was way more amused by this morning's pattern writing adventure than I might normally have been. I wrote:

"Rep Rows 9 and 10 for pattern until work measures 6" from underarm BO"

Underarm BO - hee!

I changed the wording to start of underarm shaping....

posted by MBT @ 7:51 AM 1 comments

A brief commercial announcement!

New patterns, new signings, I promise this won't turn into blog o' ads, but there's what's happening Chez Alpaca Addict.

This pattern is called Cushy. It's a slightly slouchy hat and wide, dense scarf, made in a pattern of front post and back post treble crochets. The yarn is new from Rozetti and is called Spark - it's a worsted weight with - it's hard to describe but I love it - it has some shiny stuff in it that gives it a textural look, but it's not too glittery for my taste. Mouse over any of the colors in the link for a close up to see what I mean. Dense visual interest in the yarn, dense crochet stitch pattern = good looking and warm!

This is the Reticulated Tank Top Shown in Universal Yarns Cotton Supreme - I envisioned it as a summer layering piece, but the lovely Julia at Patternfish just suggested I try one in something woolier so it isn't so seasonally dependent. So that's what I will do - stay tuned. This crochets up incredibly quickly, is worked in four pieces side to side, with a decorative join center front and back, and at both side seams. I have to go stash diving...
Next we have the Mutable Wrap! Shown in Universal Yarn Linen Tweed this oversized lacy crocheted shawl has two slit in the work - you can wear it as a vest, a wrap (as shown) or a poncho/capelet (which LL wants you to know was her idea, she came up with it during the photo shoot!) More photos on the pattern listing.

Going to Rhinebeck? Please come see me Sunday from 10 - 4 at the author area in building B - where the Gem and Mineral Show used to be.

Then at Stitches East, I will be signing books on Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 - 1:30 with my good buddy Marci at The Elegant Ewe. Marci will also have Hooked for Life patterns for sale, and models to paw.

Yarn just arrived for a big magazine project that's due soon - I am off to search Hulu for great tv shows and to crochet my face off. See you all soon!

posted by MBT @ 6:28 AM 2 comments

Putting my money where my mouth is...

I was complaining last week on the Getting Loopy blog about my classes at WEBS maybe being canceled – and yup, yesterday they were. Not enough sign ups to cover costs, which I get. But it was killing me to give up the opportunity to teach a new class. Sooooo….

I ran this by the fabulous Kathy Elkins and this is what we decided to do. I will teach a class FOR FREE on Friday October 2 from 10 – 12. It is a new class I have in development called Design it Yourself Crochet – here’s the blurb-

Join author and designer Mary Beth Temple for the free debut of her newest workshop – Design It Yourself Crochet. Even if they don’t want to design for publication, many crocheters want to design a project for themselves. While most are happy just doodling with their hooks until they get the results they want, doing just a little preparation ahead of time will make the whole process so much easier – while ensuring that you don’t run out of yarn OR patience!

Handout with class notes included. If you like, bring some sketches, swatches, pencil and paper and/or a calculator to play with.

This class is not free to Kathy and I to put on, but we will offer it to you for free. Why? Because I want crocheters to come to the store, just to prove that we are out there. Because I need the practice and some input on the new class. Because I would like to teach at WEBS later on and get paid for it, so this is sort of a free sample. Because I have books there to sell, so if you like the free class, you might buy a book. Because I have been rambling about including free things in my business plan, and this is a great experiment. But at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter to you guys why we are being so generous, we just are!

So if you can make it, please come. I will sign books at the store Thursday evening October 1 if you just want to come by and say hello, and I will teach the FREE class on Friday morning from 10 – 12.

And help me spread the word – blog it, link it, tweet it – let’s get some cool crochet mojo happening!

posted by MBT @ 1:45 PM 1 comments

Llama kisses :-)

This is Wisteria, New Jersey's tallest llama. She is a real sweetie and SO soft. Here she is sharing some quality time with her owner, whose name, sadly, I did not get. She is stooping down to reach him, she is THAT tall! That was at the Garden State Sheep Breeders' show a couple of weeks back. We had such a great time there - can hardly wait for next year!

Busy, busy as usual. Finished up a large editing project, blasting out some new patterns for Hooked for Life, doing the Getting Loopy podcast, and making some models for upcoming magazine and multi-author book projects. Come next spring, I will have stuff everywhere!

LL blew out her ankle - again - on Sunday. Not too terrible this time, but annoying nonetheless as it delays her training for the Irish dance regionals in November. Think maybe THIS time she will be more motivated to do her PT exercises? Me either!

Will post some pattern pictures later in the week as they become available, happy stitching meanwhile!

posted by MBT @ 5:35 AM 1 comments