West Coast Crafty

Linda has been in town all week (she and Paul finally left today, we were sad to see them go) and we’ve gotten to do all the fun Portland activities you only treat yourself to when you have visitors! Among other adventures, we got waffles, Thai food, biscuit sandwiches, gelato and ice cream cones, and of course plenty of coffee… plus there was some knittn kitten, yard sale-ing, long walks, Powell’s, yarn shops, and a little barbecue over here with buddies in the lineup. Linda has a nice post with a few photos here — she and Paul did lots of great Portland things on their own, too. Since my laptop is currently full to the brim until I transfer a good chunk of my towering iPhoto onto an external drive, and everything I’ve snapped recently is trapped on my camera in the meantime, I have borrowed some favorite pictures of the week from Lee, Paul, and Linda.

To celebrate the release of Crochet Adorned, Linda did a super cool crochet 101 segment on AM Northwest, and at her lovely Powell’s event last week we not only learned a few tips, tricks, and secrets, but we got to see the whole array of her beautiful book projects in person… such a fun evening! Lee got some great shots of Linda at the famous wooden-book podium,

and the many pretty things she brought to show us.

Linda took lots of questions at the end of her talk. As a total beginner (I have crocheted two bead and wire necklaces using only the foundation chain stitch thanks to Diane), I asked for her recommendations for hooks and she suggested Clover Soft Touch, which are ergonomically designed for working comfortably. I was also curious to know what her favorite projects in the book were, and she mentioned her lovely Butterfly Apron and this gorgeous Lace Bowl.

Seeing all of her projects out was so inspiring! I was really looking forward to her flower crochet event at Yarn Garden on Saturday — the first time I saw her book, I was instantly drawn to the beautiful flower designs (like the Garden Party Cardigan on the cover) and her comprehensive stitch and motif dictionary is an incredible resource.

On Saturday afternoon, we all settled into the front room at Yarn Garden and I snapped up the recommended Clover Soft Touch hook (size G). It was so comfortable to use, even an hour in (thanks Linda!), and after a few experimental practice loops I was on my way to flower-constructing.

Linda gave all of us super-helpful one-on-one instruction and we got to crocheting. She had some colorful sample pieces out to show, and plenty of stash yarn up for grabs. Of my neighbors at the table, Kathy made a hot pink flower, Caitlin’s was blue and mine was orange. I was by far the most junior crocheter on board but I started to feel so much more confident on petals 2 and 3 — with Linda’s tutoring, I was actually double crocheting! Just a few repetitions and a satisfying pull on the yarn tail later, I had the sweetest little five-petal flower made and a bright blue button picked out for ornamenting it. Yay!

Linda’s book is such a treat — a lovely array of ideas for turning something you already have into something you love with delicate updates and pretty touches, from beginner-friendly to delightfully aspirational. I’m so excited to keep going and make more flowers… and trims… and granny squares (my necklace in all these pictures is a Lindamade original!). One of these months, after lots more practice, I even hope to try my hand at that gorgeous thread-crochet bowl.

You can see lots more peeks at the book on Linda’s blog and in Diane’s, Lee’s, and Natalie’s reviews. And Alice is giving away a copy of it today — hop over there to leave a comment and enter to win!