NatCroMo 2016, March 2: Abbey Swanson

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The Crochet Express National Crochet Month Blog Tour

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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!)

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Abbey Swanson, The Firefly Hook

Abbey Swanson Headshot

Crochetville is very proud to have designer Abbey Swanson with us today, March 2, 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 Abbey, check out our post from last year’s blog tour.

About Abbey:

Drawing inspiration from the artistry of everyday life, crochet teacher and designer Abbey Swanson of The Firefly Hook crafts her meticulous designs to mirror the intricacies and grandeur of all the things that she loves best: from wildflowers to skyscrapers, landscapes to cultural traditions. These genuine artistic expressions often honor a particular place; sometimes she is simply inspired by a whimsical muse to create something truly unique.

1. Tell us about your favorite travel destination:

I think my favorite place I’ve visited is China. I was able to visit twice, and I loved how different it was compared to my other travels. We worked with high school students who wanted to improve their English over their two-week summer break. We were able to hear their traditional music, eat their food and see the sights – not as tourists, but as friends of the Chinese. It was truly unique.

2. Tell us about a “dream” travel location that you’d like to visit one day:

I need (yes, need) to be in Scotland for Wool Week someday. Ever since I took the plunge and started designing with Malabrigo yarn and other lovely wool yarns, I’ve been hooked on natural animal and plant fibers. I’d love to be at the Shetland Islands and experience all the wooly goodness!

3. 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?

When I travel, I like to take a project along that is time-consuming but doesn’t require much brain power – such as a blanket or scarf using small hooks and lightweight yarn. That way, I don’t have to pack as much yarn to keep me busy. But this summer, I did pack a bunch of super-bulky yarn on our road trip to the North Shore (Lake Superior) and made hats for all my kids. I was able to pack an entire bag of yarn, so I just knocked all those projects out. Everyone loved the hats I made on that trip for Christmas presents.

Visit Abbey’s Site: NatCroMo Specials

Abbey Swanson NatCroMo 2016 Special

1. FREEBIE: Also, our Coffee Cozy Collection will be a free PDF download. Three designs are included: coffee shop sleeve, mason jar cozy and tie-on cozy. (Regular price: $2.50 on Craftsy.)

2. Discount: I will be offering 50% off all patterns in my Etsy shop March 2 – 3. Use coupon code BLOGTOUR50 at checkout.

Abbey’s Designs:

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

Casper Mountain Cowl

1. Casper Mountain Cowl, $5.50

This cowl, designed and worn in the fashion of a bandanna, highlights the natural beauty of the high prairie with its stunning colors and subtle textures. As you travel along dirt roads and up mountain paths, ribbons of red earth carved out by some ancient hand are permanently etched in brilliant contrast with the blue sky above. The sound of twittering birds and lowing cattle brings you back to a simpler time when all you needed was your steed and a bandanna to survive alone on the prairie.

Chai