2017 NatCroMo Blog Tour, March 5: Akua Lezli Hope

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: Tanja Osswald | Akua Lezli Hope | 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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Akua Lezli Hope

Crochetville is very proud to have designer Akua Lezli Hope with us today, March 5, 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 Akua, check out our post from last year’s blog tour.

About Akua:

Akua Lezli Hope began crocheting at 12, evolving to create wild hats for herself and friends in New York City. Her participation lapsed until she reconnected with dimensional crochet in the late 90s and, soon after, found free form. She began designing and publishing her designs ten years ago. Her crochet designs have been included in Stitchseekers’ Futurenauts versus Retrobots, the Crochet 2010 and 2011 Calendars, Interweave Crochet, Knit Picks IDP, Sanguine Gryphon, Tangled Magazine, Crochet! Magazine Presents, Fall 2013: Crochet For A Quiet Evening and Crochet One-Skein Wonders: 101 Projects from Crocheters around the World.

Akua’s crochet patterns are available on Ravelry, Etsy, Craftsy, Knit Picks and DaWanda. Her creations can also be found in the International Freeform Fiberarts Guild books, One Color, Somewhere in My World, Mythologies Stories and Fairy Tales and Inspired! Music and Art in Fibre, and she has exhibited her work locally.

An Associate Professional member of the Crochet Guild of America, she has qualified for her crochet teacher’s certification from the Crafts Yarn Council of America. Her crochet blog is www.zencrochet.blogspot.com. She served as the assistant editor of Crochet Savvy magazine. She enjoys contributing to public fiber art projects Her fiber love extends to weaving and hand papermaking. She also creates using glass, wire, words and sound. A (U.S.) National Endowment of the Arts award-winning poet, her fiction and poetry are included in several groundbreaking collections. She has written a collection of poems on crochet that she hopes to have published soon.

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

I crochet mainly waiting in doctor’s offices.

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

At home I crochet mainly in bed — I have several working bags at the side of my bed but of late I use a clear/transparent trash bag for the yarn of work in progress.

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

Akua Lezli Hope | Ascension Sweater

This is so hard to choose just one — I now have about 140 designs and have published or made public 118 of them. I’m happy when I solve problems. One of my favorites is my Ascension sweater because it affirms the beauty of crocheted cables.

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

I enjoy peg loom weaving, stick weaving, circle loom weaving and lap loom weaving. I’ve explored mask making on the peg loom and lap loom and doll making with stick weaving and found them very exciting.

How do you decide what to name your patterns?

I’m a poet, and use a number of strategies. I went through a series named for my favorite jazz artists, then I have a series named for my aspirations. Other times, the best name is a descriptor — e.g., squirrel, Flying Dragon, bunny.

Tell us about your most popular pattern.

Akua Lezli Hope | Cat Spiral

I’m surprised to learn that it’s my Cat Spiral. I have several cat patterns and patterns of cat couture, but the one with the most likes is the cat spiral. A crocheter made a a brooch out of two sewn together and lightly stuffed.

Tell us about your favorite camping location.

On my friend’s property on an island in the middle of a pond.

What is your favorite camping tip?

Less is more.

What is your favorite camping snack/meal/recipe?

Banana pancakes and fried eggs.

Visit Akua’s Site: NatCroMo Specials

Akua Lezli Hope | Pink Pussy Hat

I’ll be sharing a variation on my crocheted Pink Pussy Hat. Click the link above the photo for details.

Akua’s Designs:

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

Akua Lezli Hope | Heart Pouch

1. Heart Pouch, $3.00

This is inspired by the tiny simple envelopes we made as kids to present Valentine’s treats and hearts. It makes a lovely presentation package for jewelry – for wedding rings, earrings, chain necklaces or a single chocolate kiss.

Using a D hook and Dk weight yarn, this is approximately 2.5”h by 3”w. You are free to use any yarn, hook combination you choose, though the size will vary accordingly.

I recommend at least two different colors, but you could use four: one for each panel of the pouch and one for the heart.

Akua Lezli Hope | Efflorescence

2. Efflorescence, $4.50

Four different floral motifs unite to create this unique toque. A large graphic flower is centered in the crown. The sides feature three diffeent floral squares. You choose which motif to repeat – once for child size or twice for the adult size.

The squares are approximately 4.5”/11.4cm each using a F/3.75mm hook and dk/light worsted weight yarn.

There are many possibilities for using colors. The hats shown use three, but if you decide on one, the dimensional flowers will still bring depth and texture to the hat. Autumnal colors would make this
great for fall.

It may be insouciant and playful or quiet and demure.

Child size 4 squares= 19”/48.3 cm
Adult size 5 squares = 22.5”/57.2cm

Pattern includes directions for adjusting sizes.

I made this in wool/cotton primarily. I think this will be lovely in 100% cotton, and linen, or other warm weather yarns. This is a 3-season hat (NE US, northern temperate zone).

Akua Lezli Hope | SUnrays Shrug/Shawl

3. Sunrays Shrug/Shawl, $3.99

SunRays is gorgeous shawl that easily converts to a shrug. Its figured fabric is formed by a uniquely beautiful blend of crocheted fans and clusters which shape, texture and define the garment. It can be buttoned for a close embrace or unbound, and will grace shoulders, warm laps, or wrap your neck. SunRays offers a flattering shape for all body types.

This is an intermediate level pattern.