2017 NatCroMo Blog Tour, March 13: Beth Major

A-Glamping We Will Go: 5th Annual National Crochet Month Blog Tour

Welcome to Crochetville’s fifth annual National Crochet Month (NatCroMo) blog tour, taking place each day of March 2017. Join us for a month of virtual glamping (aka glamorous camping), as we visit crochet designers, crochet-friendly local yarn stores, and yarn companies, as well as offer some fun giveaways.

Today’s Posts: Beth Major | Cylinda Mathews | Leslie Stahlhut

Want to Chat about the Tour?

Part of the fun of glamping is the daily round-up around the campfire, chatting and stitching with friends. We hope you’ll join us in our NatCroMo Facebook group, where we’ll be sharing daily camping recipes, campfire songs about crochet, and so much more! We’d also love to hear about your favorite things you’ve discovered on the tour and see photos of your current crochet projects. You’re invited to join us daily for virtual cocktails/appetizers and dinner. (We’ll be sharing links to some fabulous recipes!)

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Beth Major, Crochet Gypsy

Crochetville is very proud to have designer Beth Major of Crochet Gypsy with us today, March 13, as one of the featured designers on our 2017 Designer Blog Tour in honor of National Crochet Month (NatCroMo). If you’d like to know even more about Beth, check out our post from last year’s blog tour.

About Beth:

I was born and raised in Sault Ste. Marie, a small city in Northern Ontario, and currently reside in Atlantic Canada just outside Fredericton, New Brunswick. My designs tend to trend toward items for cool weather wear and home coziness.

I have been crocheting ever since my Gramma taught me as a child. I was very young, maybe 6 or 7, and I remember sitting in her living room at her house in a chair across from the fireplace trying to get the hook and yarn to go the way I wanted them to while she was cooking dinner and helping me at the same time. In terms of pattern reading, I was self-taught and even after learning to read patterns, I tended to use them more as guidelines rather than hard instructions. I rarely make the same thing twice and I prefer it that way. I have always just known what I wanted to make and then worked out how to make it.

In about 2010 or so, I was teaching crochet for a LYS in Burlington, Ontario, Canada. The knitting teacher at that store told me about the the Independent Designer Program at Knit Picks. It was through that program that I published my first pattern a couple of years later. If it wasn’t for her, I don’t know that I would be publishing patterns today.

Do you crochet in public? If so, when and where?

I absolutely crochet in public as often as I can! I always have a project with me to work on whenever there is a quiet moment. Nothing makes a bus ride, waiting room, or a long car ride better than having a hook and yarn in hand. I LOVE it when ramdom people come up to me and ask, “What are you knitting?” LOL. At the very least, it’s a conversation starter.

Do you have a special place at home where you crochet? Tell us about it.

At home, I do have ‘my’ chair where I do most of my crochet. It’s not a big chair, but it fits me, my crochet, and my 2 cuddly Boston terriers.

Share the story of your favorite thing you’ve ever crocheted or designed.

Beth Major | Crochet Gypsy | Cabled Block Blanket

One of the most favourite things I have published is the Cabled Block Blanket and throw pillow. I just love cables!!

Tell us about any other fiber-related hobbies you enjoy.

I enjoy gardening and growing things, hiking and wading in the stream near my house. I love dogs and try to play and cuddle with them as much as I can!

Tell us about your most popular pattern.

Beth Major | Crochet Gypsy | Squared Away Throw

My most popular pattern is the Squared Away Throw. It really was a labour of love.

Tell us about your favorite camping location.

Beth Major | Crochet Gypsy | Favorite Glamping Location

Anywhere there are trees, a stream and no other people.

What is your favorite camping tip?

I have 2 great camping tips:
1. Never let your fire go out completely.
2. Never let your hooks get too close to the fire!

What is your favorite camping snack/meal/recipe?

Fave camping snack has to be fancy S’Mores. We make sure we have the required marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers . . . but we often fancy them up with things like Oreo cookies, peanut butter cups, peanut butter cookies or anything else really to make the ooey gooey mess even better!

Tell us about any crochet items you take to “glam up” your camping experience.

Blankets, Blankets and more blankets!! I get very chilly and I can often be found wondering with a blanket around my shoulders.

Visit Beth’s Site: NatCroMo Specials

Beth Major | Crochet Gypsy | NatCroMo

In honor of NatCroMo2017 I am offering my newest pattern the Ceilidh hat and finger less mitts patterns for free for the month of March 2017 only. Please use promo code NatCroMo2017 on Ravelry.

Beth’s Designs:

If you’re not familiar with my work already, I’d like to share three of my designs with you.

Beth Major | Crochet Gypsy | Enchantment Wrap

1. Enchantment Wrap, $4.99

Perfect for summer evenings, this intermediate pattern features an exquisite gradient effect for this lightweight wrap. The softness of wool and gentle shine of silk paired with the delicate beauty of broomstick lace intertwine to create a lacy and romantic yet warm wrap for cool evening sunsets or chilly romantic mornings. Depth and allure are created as 2 strands are worked simultaneously, allowing a gentle flow from one color to the next.

Beth Major | Crochet Gypsy | Manzanita Cowl

2. Manzanita Cowl, $5.00

Made with simplicity and style, this accessory can be worn as both an elegant shrug for more formal settings or as a fashionable cowl for everyday. One skein of Louet Euroflax goes a long way using the easy-to-master Solomon’s Knot stitch. This lacey piece works up very quickly using a spiral, in-the-round construction with no seaming.

Beth Major | Crochet Gypsy | Stained Glass Cowl

3. Stained Glass Cowl, $1.99

Create this warm and colorful accessory using a Tunisian Entrelac technique with a regular crochet hook. This surprisingly simple technique is worked in the round, leaving just 4 ends to weave in to finish.