Let’s call it a Newsletter!

Hello Everyone… I hope that as you read this, all is well in your corner of the world. 💙

I really wanted to pop in and share a few little updates from my Coastal Crochet corner. I’ve decided to call this blog post a ‘Newsletter’ – because I have a few bits and bobs of crochet news to share – enjoy it!

It’s been just over a month since we lost our beloved little Salty. 🐾

I received so many loving, kind and supportive comments from so many of you which was incredibly heartwarming. It’s been impossible for me to reply to everyone – it would take me hours! Please do know that I genuinely appreciate each and every word shared and they really helped…thank you! 🙏💙

We’re missing Salty enormously of course but are so grateful for the years of happiness she gave us.

The spring flowers are in full bloom here along the coast which is always a delight! 🌸 The wallflowers come up year after year and today we even spotted some bluebells on the cliff tops.

Here are some photos… it takes my breath away each year, they’re so beautiful aren’t they?!

So what crochet news can I share with you…

The ‘Golden Moments’ blanket crochet-along which I designed for Simply Crochet Magazine is in full swing. The second part came out with Issue 135. With the magazine being monthly this really is a slow and gentle blanket journey.

Here’s a round-up of progress photos shared over on social media… always a joy for me to see! 😍💛

Part 2 is all about music! How many golden moments in life involve a little music?!

I absolutely loved designing those music notes. 🎵🎵🎵 I’m so happy with how they turned out…

And then in Part 2 there’s also a golden heart of course! 💛

Some of you may seen the sneak previews from the yarn company King Cole of the new blanket which I’ve designed for them…

It’s called ‘Rooms with a View’ and it will be a 6 part crochet-along starting on 26th May.

To say I’m happy with this design is an understatement! It really did come together beautifully and the design process was a joy…

I will be sending out a full introductory blog post next week with all the details, the story behind my design and lots of photos too so do keep an eye out for that. This blanket definitely deserves a blog post all of its own! As you can see there are two colour-ways and I’ll share more about that in the blog post next week…😄

Some of you may have been aware of supply and availability issues of some yarns. Part of the reason is that many big yarn companies such as Emu, King Cole and Stylecraft have yarns produced in Turkey and the devastating earthquakes earlier this year inevitably affected supplies. This included for the ‘Coastal Crochet’ kits that the Knitting Network sell. I earn a small amount of commission for each kit sold

Good news is that today the Seaside Celebration kits are back in stock after a very long wait!

https://www.theknittingnetwork.co.uk/the-seaside-celebration-blanket-colour-pack

The green shade has been changed as Juniper has been substituted for Ivy in this kit. I was consulted about this and I’m more than happy as they are very similar and the Ivy works well…

Last weekend I enjoyed the most magical evening at the Liberation Art Gallery in Brighton for the opening of their new exhibition ‘Art in Bloom’. 🌸

https://www.liberationartgallery.com

It’s such a wonderful space for creativity to flourish and I absolutely loved all the artworks on display by a fabulous range of talented artists. It was an incredibly special evening and I have a wonderful story to share but that’s for another time…💖

There weren’t any crocheted flowers on display – I definitely felt a few crocheted flowers would have been lovely but I was wearing my crocheted brooch which I made years ago from an early Little Box of Crochet, so there was a little crochet in the room. It’s been on my jacket for years!

If you’re in the area do pop into the gallery – it’s certainly worth a visit. Or maybe go and find a gallery near you to visit. It’s a treat to see art up close and is a feast for the eyes!

A month ago I was in Cologne for the Woolinale International Yarn Bombing Festival. I wrote about that here: https://coastalcrochet.com/2023/04/16/the-woolinale-international-yarn-bombing-festival/

I said I would share a little more about the piece I created so here goes…

‘A Coastal Chorus’

From the sea to the beach and the sky up above, this is a celebration of a day by the coast…

My piece measured approximately 80cm across and 130cm in height. I crocheted a simple large net base made of chains and slip stitches in colours to represent the sea, the beach and the sky.

This provided the perfect fabric and backdrop to then easily attach things onto. And I so enjoyed adding all kinds of coastal inspired appliqués and figures.

We have jellyfish…

Seaweed…

Fish…

Shells and starfish…

A boat with a special ‘Woolinale’ sail…

A beach parasol and Beach Huts…

And then in the sky the sun, a kite flying, clouds, a seagull and a hot air balloon!

Yes… I enjoyed creating this very much!

Some of the Crochet appliqués are from my previous patterns. The beach huts featured in my Postcards with Love blanket, the clouds were in my ‘Once Upon a Time’ yarnbomb which I created for another festival in Milan last year and the jellyfish are an early design of mine which form part of my ‘Coastal Christmas’ collection.

But I also just let my hook and yarn go to town and crocheted things making them up as I went along. It’s not often that I can steam ahead crocheting something without having to stop to make sure I capture it as a pattern!

I’ve been hosting monthly crochet classes at YAK in Brighton. https://yarnandknitting.com/product-category/classes/

The beginner classes are always full and it’s such a pleasure to be able to introduce crochet to more people and pass on this skill that we adore. I also do a ‘Next Steps in Crochet’ class for those who know the basics but want to learn a little more…

On June 26th I’m hosting a ‘Crochet a Jumper’ workshop at Made and Making in Hassocks, West Sussex. https://madeandmaking.co.uk/events/crochet-a-jumper

That’s a new workshop for me and I’m looking forward to it very much. Of course people won’t be able to finish a whole jumper or top in the time we have. But at the end everyone will have all the tips and techniques needed to then finish at home.

On my hooks behind the scenes at the moment is a design for Little Box of Crochet. It’s a project for the summer which I’ve very nearly finished.

And then I have many commissions already waiting in the wings! I recently changed my day job. I’m still a nurse working in the same team but my role has changed and I’m now working 3 days per week. Previously it was 4 days, so I now have an extra day for my crochet design work which is very much needed!

So there’s my Coastal Crochet news…

Do watch out for a blog post next week introducing my ‘Rooms with a View’ blanket for King Cole.

In the meantime, Happy Crocheting Everyone! 😄💙