So, my main BIG news is that the wonderful YARN 7 by Scheepjes is out now, and it is an absolute underwater beauty... it's all about the Reef, and the entire bookazine explores this theme in such an inspiring way. There are 17 crochet and knitting patterns and a couple of fascinating Artist's profiles too...
Here it is! Isn't it gorgeous? Don't even get me started on how lovely the texture of the paper is... I'll save that treat for another day ;) You can tell from the front cover that it's going to be fab-u-lous inside... so let's dive in and explore!
First up, one of my absolute favourite patterns is this Kelp Forest Sweater by Ana D. Look at that stunning ripply seaweedy-kelpy pattern. So lovely. I'm always on the lookout for simply-styled, boxy crochet sweaters, and this is SO on my summer-make list. Ana's version is made in Scheepjes Secret Garden yarn which is pretty scrummy with its silk blend. I cannot be trusted with such fine yarn as no doubt I'll spill pasta sauce down it, so I'm going to try this pattern with a 100% cotton and see how I get on... will let you know...
So that's a very good start! Next up on our sub-aquatic journey is...oooh the Hydra Blanket by Mark Roseboom aka The Guy With the Hook.
Now, I am usually a bit of a monochrome lover when it comes to home decor, but oh my lord SWOON massively big-time over this design. Mark has come up with this incredible swirling-water motif which just looks hypnotic. The yarn here is a mix of Scheepjes Stone Washed and River Washed (yes, I think he pretty much went for every colour!) and the end result is AMAYYYZING! Love it.
Swimming on a little further... Have your fingers turned to prunes yet? Sticking with the watery theme quite aptly I feel, I do not know what they put in the water in Gloucestershire where my Other Half's family come from. But whatever it is, it seems to produce girl babies. We now have 5 nieces over on that side of the country. 5 nieces and no nephews. Just girls. Fab girl gang. So, I got to thinking, maybe they'd like some cute little fish to play with... they could create their own aquarium actually there are so many of them... and what could be cuter than this Fantasy Clown Fish by Matt from A Boy And Bunting. The pattern is great because it gives different yarn suggestions to make big fish, little fish, any size of fish. Scheepjes Maxi Sweet Treat, Catona, Cahlista, anything goes.
...aaaaand finally, it was great for me to be involved in this beautiful bookazine in 2 ways... firstly, I jumped in (see, the theme just keeps on giving!) and worked as one of the text editors... wow, there's a steep but splendid learning curve I must say! OK, I crochet like an obsessive and I spent 16 years working as an English as a Foreign Language teacher, but still. Lots to learn. Still learning. Won't ever stop learning I think! What an opportunity Scheepjes gave me, how wonderful to be asked.
Secondly, my Pompom Ripple Wrap pattern features here too!
I absolutely love this pattern: it's an elongated half-moon shape in Scheepjes Colour Crafter. There was a lot of maths involved in this design to create the shape, maybe a bit of swearing over too many numbers, but in the end I'm so pleased with the simple black and white stripes, and of course the 25 pompoms just make it so fun. You can adapt this to make it less pompommy and more urban chic if you like- I actually made one in light and dark blue stripes with no pompoms and have lived in it ever since. It gets comments! If you make one, use #pompomripplewrap on the socials to share your colours and styling!
So, thanks for coming with me on this tail of fishy wonderment. OK, I'll stop now :)
You can buy this gorgeous bookazine from Wool Warehouse in the UK, or go to the Scheepjes website for outlets. xxx
