National Crochet Month
You’ve arrived at A Tour Through Crochet Country! During March 2013, Crochetville is hosting a daily designer blog tour in celebration of National Crochet Month. Each day, we visit the blogs of one or two crochet designers, who share something with us — a free crochet pattern or tutorial, a peek into their studio or a-day-in-the-life, a coupon code, or something else special. Join us each day for a new surprise!
On our 25th day of A Tour through Crochet Country, we’re visiting Kim Guzman and Susan Huxley.
[button link=”http://kimguzman.wordpress.com/”]Today’s Stop 1: Visit Kim Guzman[/button]
I had known Kim Guzman for years through Crochetville before I ever got the chance to meet her in person at a CGOA Chain Link conference in Buffalo, NY several years ago. Kim has worked as a crochet designer for the past 14 years and as a knit designer for the past 4. In addition to designing, she has taught classes on her own website and at Crochetville. Her most recent classes at Crochetville, the Do-It-Yourself Tank Top and Pattern Grading, have completely sold out. The Pattern Grading class sold out in about 24 hours, so we had to add a second session that started as soon as the first session ended.
You can find Kim’s patterns on many yarn company websites, in Crochet 1-2-3, Crochet World, Interweave Crochet, and Crochet! magazines, and in pattern leaflets published by Leisure Arts and Annie’s. Her most recent leaflets include Tunisian Crochet Stitch Guide, Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Tunisian Crochet, and Tunisian Cables to Crochet. Kim also has a number of patterns for sale on her website and on Ravelry.
Kim now has two online classes available at Annie’s: Tunisian Cables and Lace and Learn Tunisian Crochet.
In addition to all her crochet and knit design work, Kim is an at-home, homeschooling mom to her youngest child. She also has two young adult children in their early 20s.
It’s very difficult selecting just two of Kim’s fabulous designs to highlight in this post. However, I had to select her Spiraling Miters shawl from her Learn Tunisian Crochet class.
Learn Tunisian Crochet class at Annie’s
I love the look of dropped stitches in knitting, and the fabulous Maya Wrap gives the same look in crochet.
Available on Ravelry
[button link=”https://www.facebook.com/susan.huxley.7″]Today’s Stop 2: Visit Susan Huxley[/button]
Susan has worked as a freelance editor, writer, and designer for the past 13 years. She’s worked in publishing for 22 years. She was editor of Today’s Crochet: Sweaters from the Crochet Guild of America and Crocheted Sweaters: Simple Stitches, Great Designs.
In addition to her crochet work, Susan was the editor of a Canadian craft magazine and a senior sewing editor for Rodale Press. She has also taught classes at the CGOA’s Chain Link conferences and at national conventions held by the American Sewing Guild.
This photo is a perfect example of Susan’s creative spirit. The dress and flower head ornament were crocheted entirely from plarn (yarn made from recycled plastic bags). Her husband’s vest is crocheted from VHS tape. Susan and her husband modeled these fabulous garments in the fashion show at the Chain Link conference in Manchester, NH in 2010.
Photo by MissyBoo (Ravelry ID)
You create the color changing effects in this Ombre Shawl by careful selection of your odd bits of solid colors and tweed yarns in your stash.
Available on Ravelry
See You Again Tomorrow!
I hope you enjoyed today’s stops visiting with Kim and Susan. Please come join us again tomorrow when we’ll visit with Susan Lowman and Michele Maks.
Remember Project Night Night & CGOA
We would love your support for our blog tour charity, Project Night Night, which donates comforting nighttime packages to homeless children. You can help by making and sending new crocheted blankets (50” x 60” or smaller) and/or making a financial donation. If you contribute, won’t you please use our form to help us keep a blog-tour tally?
Our blog tour is also promoting another non-profit, the Crochet Guild of America (CGOA). All designers participating in the tour are Professional or Associate Professional members of the CGOA. If you’re not a member yet, there are so many reasons to join!
Our Little Giveaway: Autographed Pattern Postcard
Each day of A Tour Through Crochet Country, we’ll be giving away two promo postcards, one to each of two winners. These are only available at our 2013 consumer show booths, and will be autographed by both of us, Amy Shelton and Donna Hulka, co-owners of Crochetville! The postcard includes Amy Shelton’s exclusive X Marks the Spot scarf pattern.
To enter, please leave a comment below answering this question: How do you hold your hook? Have you ever tried to hold your hook a different way? If so, how did it work out?
The fine print: Must be 13 or older to enter. Entries must be received by 12:00 midnight Pacific time on the date of this post. Winners will be selected by random drawing and notified by email the following day. Void where prohibited by law.
All photos used with permission or under the Fair Use Exclusion of US copyright law.
All book and leaflet links go through Crochetville’s
Every once in a while I try the “pencil” way of holding my hook. It always turns out to be a miserable failure. I learned way too long ago and nothing else feels comfortable.
I use a pencil grip. One time I tried to crochet with a knife hold, and my stitches were terribly short! I’m sure it’s a matter of practice, and it’s good to know a different way to hold the hook and avoid stress injury, so I’m sure I’ll try again some time.