NatCroMo 2016, March 2: Julie Blagojevich

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The Crochet Express National Crochet Month Blog Tour

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.

Today’s Posts: Shelby Allaho | Abbey Swanson | Julie Blagojevich | String Theory Yarn Company | The Buffalo Wool Company| Daily Giveaway

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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Julie Blagojevich, CrochetWorks

Crochetville is very proud to have designer JulieBlagojevich with us today, March 2, as one of the featured designers on our 2016 Designer Blog Tour in honor of National Crochet Month (NatCroMo).

 

About Julie:

My grandmother taught me to crochet when I was eight years old, and I’ve never stopped. I love to design small pieces–shawls, cowls, scarves, necklaces, and bags. I’m often inspired by architectural details, and I love to experiment with shapes. My designs often contain short rows for this reason. Turning stitches on their sides and creating interesting fabrics with simple stitches delight me. I occasionally work and teach at Haus of Yarn in Nashville, TN, USA.

 

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

I would love to visit the counties in southern and southwestern England, places which are the settings for Thomas Hardy’s novels. How fun would it be to see the lands associated with Bathsheba Everdene’s farm or the real town that Casterbridge was based upon?

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

In Sarasota, Florida, USA, I visited a lovely yarn store called A Good Yarn. The shop has a light and cheerful interior, and it is full of beautiful yarns, fibers, tools, and accessories. When you enter the shop, you are greeted by a large table of delightfully friendly knitting and crocheting customers. And the staff are equally friendly and helpful. The owner’s husband is a talented photographer, and his photos adorn the store. Susan, the owner, commissioned several yarn companies to create exclusive colorways based on her husband’s underwater photos. And they are wonderful! I will definitely return to this special place.

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

I usually slip a crocheted silk necklace into my suitcase. It’s light and easy to pack, and it adds a little color to what I’m wearing. Often, it prompts a conversation with a fellow yarn enthusiast.

4. 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?

Because my projects are usually small, I take two with me when traveling. I take the piece I’m currently designing, and I take yarn and hooks for the second project which is forming in my head.

 

Julie’s NatCroMo Specials

Nanci is a light, asymmetrical scarf or wrap. It begins with one stitch and gradually increases in length and width. Nanci is finished with a fun, lacy edging, perfect for the spring and summer months. You can find a model of Nanci if you’re visiting Nashville, TN, USA at Haus of Yarn. In honor of National Crochet Month, Nanci will be free during March, 2016. Click here to download Nanci. If you’d like to read what Julie has to say about National Crochet Month, click here.

 

Julie’s Designs:

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

1. Calliope, $3.00

Calliope is a generous, crescent-shaped wrap initially worked side-to-side and then finished in rows along the bottom curve. After blocking, the piece is 16 in. (41 cm) wide and 60 in. (152 cm) along the inner curve. Calliope was inspired by Nashville’s Parthenon, a replica of the Grecian original.

 

2. Schaumburg, $3.00

Schaumburg incorporates short rows to achieve both the crescent shape and the two-color design. The piece is finished with a dramatic, lacy border. I designed Schaumburg to celebrate the Haus of Yarn’s bus which premiered at Stitches Midwest, 2014, in Schaumburg, IL. After blocking, it is 18 in. (46 cm) wide and 67 in. (170 cm) along the inner curve.

 

3. Hannah, $3.00

Hannah is a striking, two-colored cowl worked in the round. Solomon’s Knots, slip stitches, and back loop stitches help create the unusual patterns in this piece. Hannah measures 7.5 in. (19 cm) wide and 47 in. (119 cm) around.

 

Find Julie Online:

Ravelry: jblagojevich

Ravelry Group: http://www.ravelry.com/groups/crochetworks

Ravelry Designer Page: http://www.ravelry.com/people/jblagojevich

 

 

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