NatCroMo 2016, March 1: Jenny King

Blog tour posts may contain affiliate links.

The Crochet Express National Crochet Month Blog Tour

Crochetville_Blog_Tour_728x90

Welcome to Crochetville’s fourth annual National Crochet Month (NatCroMo) blog tour, taking place each day of March 2016. Join us as we take a virtual tour on our passenger steam train, The Crochet Express, visiting crochet designers, crochet-friendly local yarn stores, and yarn companies, and offer some fun giveaways.

Want to Chat about the Tour?

Part of the fun of taking a passenger steam train trip is talking with your fellow passengers. This year, we’re providing two locations where our passengers can get to know each other. We’d 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!)

[button-blue url=”https://www.facebook.com/groups/nationalcrochetmonth/” target=”_blank” position=”center”]Facebook: Click Here[/button-blue] [button-green url=”http://www.crochetville.com/community/forum/469-the-crochet-express-crochetvilles-4th-annual-blog-tour/” target=”_blank” position=”center”]Crochetville: Click Here[/button-green]

Jenny King, Jenny King Designs

Crochetville is very proud to have designer Jenny King with us today, March 1, as one of the featured designers on our 2016 Designer Blog Tour in honor of National Crochet Month (NatCroMo). If you’d like to know even more about Jenny, check out our post about her from last year’s blog tour.

About Jenny

I am a confessed crochet addict who believes crochet is the fountain of youth. It keeps our hands busy, our minds active and gives us a reason to get up in the morning. I am a passionate teacher and I have a designing brain that never stops. I have been teaching for over 30 years, internationally for over 15 years. I have written 20 crochet pattern books. I have been married for 34 years and have 3 grown up children. I live in tropical Queensland, Australia only 2 blocks from the beach where we swim for over ½ of the year. My world is full of bright color.

Tell us about your favorite travel destination.

We had the pleasure of travelling to Scandinavia to visit our daughter not really knowing what to expect. First we visited Denmark which is the home of Isager, Kauni and Geilsk yarns and designers Vivian Hoxbro and Hanne Falkenberg whose work is truely inspirational. It is also the home of the Vikings, Leggo and the containers that go on container ships, but I digress. We then travelled to Sweden, Norway, Finland and Estonia. Old Town Estonia was a castle and the cobble stone streets are lined with Russian women, under bold awnings, selling their wonderful, colourful Knit and Crochet. Totally awesome!! My birthday was spent as a guest in the wonderful historical home of Vivian Hoxbro talking design. It was a very special day with dinner at the Tivoli gardens.

Mexico for the colorful crochet, Brazil for the crochet bikinis and Greece because the ladies sit in the sun and crochet apparently. There is a theme happening here isn’t there?

Do you visit yarn stores when traveling? If so, tell us about one of your favorite finds.

Is the Pope a Catholic? The main reason to travel is to hunt down yarn stores and design inspiration in the 4 corners of the globe. Scenery, history and food are just the extras. I bought hand dyed silk from a German speaking woman in the oldest yarn store in Sweden. We didn’t understand a word the other spoke. One other unexpected treat for me was discovering the Naked Sheep on Staten Island when I visited New York. What a treasure trove that was.

Packing: Tell us about any crochet clothing or accessories you pack when traveling. Do you have any really cool packing tips to share?

I pack 4 extra metal crochet hooks in the coin section of my wallet to help them get through airport security. Also in my wallet is a Clover thread cutter with a long crochet cord that goes around my neck for any thread cutting emergencies when flying, or anywhere really. Balls of yarn can be stuffed into shoes when packing. And if you are going to buy yarn overseas just buy an extra suitcase… you are never going to get that yarn again, and you deserve it and it is beautiful… and then you buy more. And I always travel with my Yazzii bags for hooks, tools, jewellery and extra projects now that I have them.

Tell us about any crochet projects you take with you when traveling: How many projects do you take? How do you decide which ones to take?

I take 5 projects at least and making the decision which ones tends to give me yarn anxiety.

One in fine yarn and small hook to keep me busy for hours and will fit in my handbag and go anywhere.
One that is a no-brainer and easy to see for dimly lit hotel rooms.
That project I promised myself I could start when I got some spare time that I’ve been busting to do.
The yarn that is waiting to tell me what it wants to be and wants to be swatched.
And then there is that one that jumps in my bag at the last minute just in case of yarn emergencies. That one usually just comes along for the round trip.
Oh and I forgot the one that I want to wear when I get there and it needs to be done on the trip in a mad panic.

Visit Jenny’s Site: NatCroMo Specials

Jenny King Designs is giving away a $350 credit toward the purchase price of a Get Squared Retreat taking place this summer with instructors Jenny King, Amy Shelton, and Tammy Hildebrand. Complete retreat details will be made available as soon as possible.

Crochetville’s March 20 Daily Giveaway will feature a $350 credit toward the retreat to be held July 5-8 in Atlanta, GA. Hotel accommodations will be made separately for this retreat, so the $350 will cover the entire retreat payment.

Crochetville’s March 29 Daily Giveaway will feature a $350 credit toward the retreat to be held in June 18-21 in Franklin, TN just south of Nashville. Hotel accommodations will be paid for with the retreat fee for this location. Total retreat price will vary depending on whether you select single or double occupancy.

Bobin the BIrdy | Jenny King Designs

Jenny is also giving away a FREE BIRDIE PATTERN. Click here to read about the little birdie’s travels and download your free pattern.

A Few of Jenny’s Designs:

jenny.king.hoshimii.noro.taiyo — Hosihimi pattern from Jenny King’s Nicer in Noro E-Book

Nicer in Noro E-Book, $15

Watch how the colors come out to play with these 5 distinctive and elegant garments. A real show stopping cardigan that can be worn 2 ways , a boho fringed poncho, an elegant waterfall style vest created with motifs, a form fitting seamless shrug and a feminine tunic. Lovely times five!

Kay Shawl, $5

All proceeds from the sale of this pattern go to Cast Off Chemo! to support the cancer research of Dr David Krag. For more information, go to castoffchemo.org.

Sake, $6.99

This comfortable boat neck top is light and lacy and feels scrumptious against the skin. Make one in a weekend using a huge hook and simple stitching. There is minimal shaping and that makes this the perfect beginner project However making it in Noro Taiyo means that the styling says “quietly sophisticated”, combined with understated elegance.