2017 NatCroMo Blog Tour, March 28: Donna Hulka

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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: Natasha Robarge | Susie Allen | Donna Hulka | Daily Giveaway

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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Donna Hulka, Crochetville

We have one of our very own, Crochetville Co-Owner Donna Hulka with us today, March 28, 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 Donna, check out our post from a previous blog tour.

About Donna:

Donna Hulka wants to live in a world where creative work is valued as real work. She strives to promote indie crochet designers through the Crochetville website and consumer show booth.

She’s been a crocheter since she was eight years old. As with any hobby, there are ups and downs over time. But now she wouldn’t trade anything for her business partnership in Crochetville with Amy Shelton.

When she’s not dreaming up “what’s next” for Crochetville, you can find her hunting down healthy recipes, running, or trying her next system to get completely organized once-and-for-all.

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

I don’t generally find myself with much free time out in public. I’m usually scurrying from one errand to another, and if I’m in a waiting room, I enjoy reading the junk magazines as a break from reality, so I don’t usually bring crochet with me.

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

Either on the couch (which isn’t very ergonomic and gets tiring after long periods of time) or at the dining room table (which forces me to sit up straight, and that’s a good thing). Clearly I need to set up a studio for myself!

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

Waterlily Layer (Donna) and Abydos Dress (Amy) — Donna Hulka wearing Waterlily Layer (designed by Vashti Braha) in Red Heart Lustersheen (Warm Red), and Amy Shelton wearing Abydos Dress (designed by Doris Chan) in Blue Heron Rayon Metallic (Deep Blue Sea/Silver).

Without a doubt, my favorite thing I’ve ever crocheted is Waterlily Layer: 3 Vests in 1 by Vashti Braha (who was featured on this tour on March 16th). When I’m looking for something crocheted to wear, it’s my go-to top to throw on. I hope people don’t get tired of seeing it, because I never get tired of wearing it!

Not only is the stitch pattern stunning, but this vest is always beautiful and ready to wear. Why? Because I made it with one of my all-time favorite yarns, Red Heart Lustersheen, which, since it is 100% acrylic, can be permanently steam blocked (often called “killing it”). The drape and feel of killed Lustersheen is so fabulous, I would put it up in a contest against any expensive natural-fiber yarn (which you can have the joy of blocking every single time you wash!). If you see me at a conference, just ask me!

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

I have learned to knit, and I was once an avid cross-stitcher, but I don’t do either of those now. In the non-fiber-related arena, another hobby I enjoy is container gardening under the tutelage of my lovely friend, neighbor, and interior designer Jayne. I also frequently do small DIY projects around the house.

How do you decide what to name your patterns?

I generally use a practical, descriptive name. If you’re submitting a pattern to a magazine or book publisher, they may or may not use the name you’ve chosen for it.

Tell us about your favorite camping location.

One of our local historical sites, Tryon Place, started a new event last year called Lanterns on the Lawn. It’s great fun even for the reluctant camper. The enormous, grassy back yard of Tryon Palace gets sectioned off into 15-square-foot plots. You pitch your tent in the early afternoon, enjoy the festivities, stay the night and go home mid-morning the next day.

All you really have to bring is your tent, sleeping bag, and other personal items because they provide you with dinner, s’mores, and breakfast. And restrooms with sinks and toilets. They have crafts, historic lawn games, story-telling with interpreters in period clothing, a campfire sing-a-long, an evening and morning garden walk, and morning family yoga.

You can also shop under the Surf, Wind, and Fire tent or in the Tryon Palace Garden Shop until dusk.

Tryon Palace and the surrounding buildings and grounds are a living history attraction. The palace itself is a magnificent Georgian-style structure, designed by London architect John Hawks. It was completed in 1770, and served as the first permanent capitol of North Carolina and home to Royal Governor Willam Tryon and his family. (Source: Tryon Palace website.)

What is your favorite camping tip?

When you get in your sleeping bag at night, put your change of clothes for the next day in your sleeping bag with you. When you wake up in the morning, they will be warm and dry! Because all supplies end up getting cold and damp when you’re camping.

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

Crocheted hats are great because you always need something to keep your head warm, even in your sleeping bag. If you’re going to have a campfire remember that everything is going to come back reeking of smoke odor, and will need an extra-good washing. But if you’re glamping in a cabin with no outdoor campfire, and you have plenty of space to pack things, a crocheted afghan or two would be great.

Donna’s NatCroMo Specials

Today I’m sponsoring the NatCroMo Blog Tour March 28 Daily Giveaway.

Donna’s Designs:

Honestly, I’ve been out of the designing arena for some time now, but I’ll share some oldies but goodies with you.

1. Wire Hairpin-Lace Bowl, Available in Crocheted Gifts: Irresistible Projects to Make & Give (Interweave, e-book, $16.95)

“Wire lends strength and sturdiness to otherwise delicate hairpin lace in a bowl that’s perfect as a housewarming or hostess gift. One side of a strip of hairpin lace is attached to a simple circle base. The other side is topped with a few rounds of single crochet.” (Source: Crocheted Gifts book, Interweave.)

2. Circle Motif Rug, Available in Crochet Me: Designs to Fuel the Crochet Revolution (Interweave, e-book, $16.95)

“I’ve always love circles, but I wasn’t wild about crocheting them until I discovered the adjustable ring. It allows the center hole to be pulled tightly closed. Now I’ve gone circle crazy and this rug is one of the happy results. I always have idea seeds tucked away here and they are in my thoughts; it just takes the right motivation to make them sprout. After I settled on creating a circle motif rug, one of the most exciting part began – thinking about and experimenting with the design, taking what was in my head and making it a reality. From the idea to the utterly decadent box of wool yarn on my doorstep to the rug the beckons me to stand on it, this design has been, as they all are, a wonderful adventure.” (Source: Crochet me book, Interweave.)

3. Beaded Jute Basket, Free

If you’ve ever staked plants in your garden, chances are you have a spool of jute twine lying around the house. Put it to a fun, new use with this beaded crochet basket pattern. If you don’t have any jute, you’ll find what you need with a quick stop by the twine section of your local hardware store. While you’re there, take a look at some of the other twine available; you may just find yourself crocheting with alternative materials you never considered before.