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National Crochet Month:
Welcome to Crochetville’s third annual Designer Blog Tour, taking place all throughout March 2015 in celebration of National Crochet Month (NatCroMo). Each day on our blog, you will find 1) in-depth profile posts for two crochet designers, with a link to their blogs so you can see what specials (free patterns, discount coupon codes, tutorials, etc.) they may be offering for NatCroMo, 2) a daily giveaway post with entries open from 8:00 AM CST to 8:00 AM CST the following day, and 3) during the last week of the month, daily posts from a Crochet Guild of America board member. Join us each day for a new surprise!
Today’s Posts: Karen McKenna, I Hook Design | Rohn Strong, Rohn Strong Designs | Daily Giveaway | Halos of Hope Hat Collection | Complete Designer Schedule
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Karen McKenna, I Hook Design
Crochetville is very proud to have designer Karen McKenna of I Hook Design with us today, March 23, as one of the featured designers on our 2015 Designer Blog Tour in honor of National Crochet Month (NatCroMo).
Karen has been a professional member of the Crochet Guild of America for just over one year. She says becoming a member of the organization is the best thing she has ever done for her crochet career.
Three Truths and a Lie:
Take a guess as to which of the following statements isn’t true. We’ll try to let you know which statement is “The Lie” somewhere in this post. If we just can’t work it in, we’ll post the truth at the bottom of the post!
- Karen is a member of Mensa.
- She got married in Hawaii.
- Karen has lived on both coasts, in Washington and Florida.
- She grew up in New Jersey.
Karen’s Designs:
If you’re not familiar with her work already, we’d like to share two of Karen’s designs with you.
These barefoot sandals are perfect for beach weddings, pool parties and prom weekends down the shore. Made using single crochet and pre-strung beads with silver elastic cord that is usually available in beading section of most local craft stores.
Gorgeous fingerless mitts made using Cascade Yarns Heritage 150 Paints.
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About Karen:
Getting Off to a Good Start
Karen’s grandmother Sophie taught her to crochet when she was only nine years old. The first project she made with her grandmother was a hat made from five granny squares. Karen has been crocheting steadily since 1996.
A Design Career Is Begun
Karen was the only crocheter in a knit group that met in Poulsbo, Washington. She received lots of encouragement from the other members, who were all knitters. She sold some of her finished items from her own designs locally. Then she submitted a design to Cascade Yarns and sold her first pattern. She’s been hooked on selling patterns ever since!
Karen’s Specialty
Karen really enjoys designing practical items, especially items that an be used in different ways. The Purple Mountain hat found in her book, Elegant Fashionable Chic Accessories to Crochet, is also a cowl.
Sources of Inspiration
Karen finds her main sources of inspiration in fashion, nature, and colors.
Her Greatest Crochet Accomplishment
Karen says her greatest accomplishment to date is having her first book published by Annie’s: Elegant Fashionable Chic Accessories to Crochet.
About Her Design Process:
It never starts the same. Sometimes it starts with the yarn that says “make this with me”, sometimes it’s a fashion inspiration, or out of a need.
Fun Story from the Crochet Industry:
Nothing specific, but just attending the Knit and Crochet Show/Crochet Guild of America conferences is so much fun!
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Advice for New Crocheters:
Ripping over and over again never stops, but you learn from each rip. Challenge yourself to new stitches and techniques, it will do wonders for confidence.
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Some of Karen’s Favorites:
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- Favorite Crochet Books: Margaret Hubert’s Complete Photo Guide to Crochet and The Granny Square Book, Donna Kooler’s Encyclopedia of Crochet, and a vintage Harmony Stitch book she found in a used bookstore
- Designers: Amy Shelton and Donna Hulka at Crochetville, Melissa Leapman, Mary Beth Temple, Karen Whooley, Kristin Omdahl, Mikey and Dan from The Crochet Crowd
- Favorite Hook: Amour by Clover and ChiaoGoo Flexible for Tunisian
- Favorite Yarn: Cascade Yarns Heritage line (150, regular and silk) and Venezia line (worsted and light); alpaca blends and cotton blends
- Favorite Thing to Crochet: Gloves and mittens
Visit Karen’s Blog: NatCroMo FREEBIE Sneak Peek
You will definitely want to visit Karen’s blog post today! She will be offering two giveaways, each for a signed copy of one of her books: Elegant Fashionable Chic Accessories to Crochet published by Annie’s and Formal Jewelry published by Leisure Arts.
Find Karen Online:
Crochetville: auntkaren4 (must be logged in to see profile)
Ravelry: auntkaren4 (must be logged in to see profile)
I Hook Design Blog: http://ihookdesign.blogspot.com
Ravelry Designer Page: http://www.ravelry.com/designers/karen-mckenna
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ihookdesign
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ihookdesign
Instagram: https://instagram.com/ihookdesign/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/1/106527793640313442808/posts
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The Truth:
Karen is NOT a member of Mensa.
Additional Blog Tour Information:
Links to All the Info
Daily Giveaway Schedule
Daily Designer Schedule
Learn About CGOA
Halos of Hope: Make Hats
What elegant designs!
The jewelry and barefoot sandals are lovely!
Love the barefoot sandles
Gorgeous, gorgeous designs! Such an inspiration. Her blog is in my internet bookmarks. Love her!
Your designs are beyond beautiful! Love you barefoot sandals.
Good luck on your designer career 🙂
Sadly, I am not a member either! lol Thanks for showcasing such a great designer. I love her work. I will be stopping by her blog. I have entered, followed and shared. I need the Boutique yarn, I am out! Plus, i have never used it before so what a gift! Thanks for sharing, loving #NatCroMo!
~Crystal
http://krystlewv.blogspot.com
Crochet, A Day In The Life
Those mitts are really cool! Better than fingerless but not quite as “touch screen restrictive” as a full-fingered glove. Very cool!
Very sophisticated designs!
I thought you were a new designer to me, but I have had your arched mitts in my library forever on raverly 🙂 and love the name of your shop! *it’s my name on raverly!
I love the necklace you are wearing on your picture. I hope I win your book!
Love the mitts.
i remember seeing those fingerless mitts because I wanted to make them with a few changes
The jewelry designs are beautiful and so different than a lot of other crocheted jewelry. Glad to have met you on this blog tour.
Thank you!
Beautiful designs!
The Arched Cuff Mitts are beautiful !
I love the barefoot sandals and the crocheted jewelry designs.
Very beautiful designs! Love the barefoot sandals!
Hey, someone else who’s lived in both WA and FL! Karen’s mitts designs are really neat!
Such elegance! I love it!
I love those fingerless mitts. I’m going to have to try them soon!
I want to try the barefoot sandals
It’s always a pleasure to see someone who loves what they do and are so down to earth! Yarn Artists are among the most incredible people out there.
Beautiful barefoot sandals!
I think the mitts are amazing!
I need to challenge myself more and learn new things I just get so intimidated sometimes!
I love your crocheted jewelry. Its amazing looking.
another great talent brought to me by crochetville
I love the barefoot sandal pattern. It looks so elegant and expensive!
Love the gloves……
Awesome love the barefoot sandals
I’m glad your experience with crocheting with a knitting group was a good one. I went to the local knitting group that meets at the library once. I was working on a tunisian blanket that I needed to finish so that was what I took to work on. They were snobby and told me to come back sometime IF I actually wanted to knit. I haven’t been back!
Your barefoot sandals are very cute! Thank you for sharing your talents with us! 🙂
The Barefoot Sandals are so cute.
I Love your Mitts pattern!
Love the barefoot sandals
I am glad to find another crochet designer whose patterns are elegant and attractive.
I’ve looked at those mitts.
Beautiful designs!
Karen was the only crocheter in a knit group that met in Poulsbo, Washington. I like her patterns.
Yet another designer advocating CGOA – I think I need to join!
Karen’s designs make me want to try crochet jewelry!!
I love the fingerless gloves you make and plan to try the pattern on Cascade Yarn’s site. I hope to find some other things in your Ravelry list too 🙂
Just started learning crochet and the crochet tour is interesting because I am learning tricks and finding things I want to eventually make!
Beautiful designs 🙂
Such pretty designs
Beautiful mitts!
Beautiful work!
These barefoot sandals are simply the best I’ve seen!!