Welcome to our blog tour! Here at Crochetville, we celebrate National Crochet Month with our NatCroMo Blog Tour. This year, we’re interviewing crochet designers, teachers, and hobbyists throughout March and our theme is crochet memories. You can browse all of this year’s blog tour content on our page NatCroMo Blog Tour 2020.
About Carmen Nuland
Please allow me to introduce our featured designer of the day, Carmen Nuland of ASH Fiber Arts. Carmen designs shawls, small projects like amigurumi, home decor, and hats/headbands. You can find her patterns on her Ravelry page, Designer Carmen Nuland. Today Carmen will share some of her crochet memories with us and we’ll showcase three of her crochet designs.
Carmen’s Special for Our Readers
As a special treat for the NatCroMo Blog Tour, Carmen is offering 15% off – update! 50% off – her crochet patterns during March 2020! Shop Carmen’s crochet patterns on Ravelry and use the code NatCroMo2020 in your Ravelry cart before checkout – update! no code needed!
Carmen’s Crochet Memories
Would you share with us one of your earliest memories of crochet?
My earliest recollection of seeing anyone crochet is of my mother. If she was sitting, she was crocheting (or more infrequently knitting). It was her way of relaxing with the family but she needed that movement. Plus, she made these amazing gifts for friends and family. It wasn’t until I reached my 30s that I became interested in crocheting myself. One Christmas, my mother bought me a kit, showed a few basics and I was off and running.
Would you share with us one of your memories of becoming a crochet designer?
From the very beginning, I found myself bored with simple designs and thought up ways that I could make improvements or just make it in my own unique way. I quickly realized that I found a lot more enjoyment in coming up with my own designs than making those of others! In trying to juggle a full-time job, raising a family, and other commitments, I now have a large backlog of designs that have yet to be fully written and published.
Would you share with us one of your most memorable experiences as a crochet designer?
The design I am most proud of is my Mourning Dove Shawl. I typically design in bright colors and oddly enough this one is a muted neutral. There are so many knit shawl designs out there that I loved being able to bring something lacy – yet not too difficult to the crochet world!
Showcase: Crochet Designs by Carmen Nuland
Mourning Dove Shawl
Get the pattern: Mourning Dove Shawl (on Ravelry)
About the pattern: Mourning doves may seem plain – drab, neutral colored birds, but I find an inherent beauty to them that I tried to capture in this shawl design.
The Mourning Dove Shawl is a triangular crocheted design, which starts at the bottom “point” and increases each row. This makes it easy to adjust the size and use up all the yarn!
Heaven and Earth Shawl
Get the pattern: Heaven and Earth Shawl (on Ravelry)
About the pattern: I almost named this shawl “Sunset” as it reminds me of the very end of the day when the sun is just going down and you have the warm colors at the horizon and the darkness of night closing in. This shawl points to the Earth and expands into the night-time horizons where you can almost see the stars appearing.
It is the perfect shawl for dressing up a plain shirt or dress. The multitude of gradient colors means it pairs well with just about everything!
If you are new to crochet shawls, this one only uses a couple of stitch patterns, so it’s easily managed by a beginner.
Bobble Shopping Bag
Get the pattern: Bobble Shopping Bag (on Ravelry)
About the pattern: Make your trips to the Farmer’s Market and the grocery store more enjoyable with this lightly textured shopping bag! The recommended yarn for this bag is a cotton/acrylic blend – the cotton in the yarn makes it soft and the acrylic adds some stability. 100% cotton yarn can also be used although it may “grow” with time.
The bag will stretch to accommodate plenty of fresh produce and shopping items and yet is small enough to carry with you anywhere!
Follow Carmen Online
Here’s where you can connect with Carmen online to be sure you don’t miss any of her new designs!
- Web Site / Blog: Ash Fiber Arts
- Ravelry: Designer Carmen Nuland
- Facebook: ASH Fiber Arts
- Instagram: @ashfiberarts
Carmen says…
I’m so happy to be a part of NaCroMo this year on Crochetville! I hope you have a wonderful time!
