NatCroMo 2016, March 29: Edie Eckman

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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: Amy Shelton | Edie Eckman | The Taming of the Ewe | 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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Edie Eckman

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

 

About Edie:

A designer and teacher, Edie loves helping people explore their Yarny Side. As a Professional Yarn Enabler, Edie encourages crocheters (and knitters) to learn both the “how” and the “why” of new techniques, which builds self-confidence in making decisions and leads to happier project outcomes. She teaches online at Craftsy.com and Creativebug.com, as well as in person and through her books, including The Crochet Answer Book, Around the Corner Crochet Borders, Beyond the Square Crochet Motifs and others. Find her at www.edieeckman.com and on the usual social media as edieeckman.

Tell us about your favorite travel destination.

Amsterdam, so far. It is so full of history and charm! It is diverse and cosmopolitan without being overwhelming. It’s easy to navigate for English-only speakers. There are some terrific museums, including the Museum of Bags and Purses, which is definitely worth a visit. And there are some nice yarn shops, too!

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

This one is really hard to answer! I like the idea of doing a Grand Tour of Europe, but if I have to pick just one spot, I think I’d like to spend a few summer days or weeks on an island in Sweden’s Skärgården (an archipelago off Stockholm).

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

Absolutely. In Montreal, Effiloché is chock-full of both yarn and fabric, so you can get your both fixes there. I spent much of my “travel budget” at that one shop but picked up some great buttons there. (Fancy Tiger in Denver is similar, and easier to get to.) On the East Coast, I visit WEBS whenever I get a chance, and Maker’s Mercantile in Kent, Washington is very nice. I’ve bought yarn at Loop in London, and just about any other city I visit. Ooops, did you say to tell you about just one?

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 take a smallish multi-colored cowl that doesn’t take up much room but is versatile enough to wear with many things. (It’s my design called, appropriately enough, “Easy-to-Wear Cowl”.) Although I love shoes, I keep the shoes to a minimum: just a couple of pairs of very comfortable shoes that I can stand and walk many miles in. Never brand-new, unbroken-in shoes!

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?

This is something I struggle with, and I sometimes spend more time on planning the projects than planning my outfits. My criteria for a travel project is: *is small enough to be easily portable, so nothing that requires lots of different colors of yarn or bulky yarn; doesn’t take too much concentration BUT isn’t absolutely boring either; can memorize the stitch pattern; it’s already started so if I hate it I’m not stuck with it; it’s unlikely that I will actually finish it and be without a project to work on; rep from *, because there has to be AT LEAST two project available (one might be knit)

I *always* take extra hooks and needles in case new yarn finds its way into my bag and needs to be used immediately. It would be pretty tragic if I had to buy hooks, also. 😉

Do you have any stories or anything else travel-related that you’d like to share with our blog tour readers?

Something I have to remind myself: When I’m on vacation, it’s great to have a project to keep me busy on long plane, train, automobile or bus rides, but I have to remember not to become so engrossed in my work that I forget to look around and enjoy the scenery and my fellow travelers. I can crochet or knit anywhere, but if I’m doing it in a sidewalk cafe in Paris, I should probably do some people-watching, as well.

 

Visit Edie’s Site: NatCroMo Specials

I’ll be offering a Mini Crochet Stitch Dictionary, with several stitch patterns provided in both text and chart form. Come check it out!

 

A Few of Edie’s Designs:

Easy to Wear Cowl, $5.00

What could be better than single crochet and chain stitches arranged in an easy-to-stitch, easy-to wear cowl? Use a beautiful variegated yarn as shown here, or choose a lovely shimmery solid color to match your personal style. If you prefer, stitch additional rows and omit the joining row to create a rectangular scarf or stole.

 

Stacie Shawl, $6.00

A lovely lightweight summer shawl. Beautifully colored lace-weight yarn and an easy-to-learn crochet stitch pattern make it a great travel project–small and portable. An optional beaded edging enhances the drape. Add more beads or leave them off entirely to suit your whim.

 

Modern Granny Scarf, $6.50

A granny rectangle and color-changing yarn with long color changes are all it takes to create this stunner. Mindless rounds of granny fabric make this the perfect take-along project, even for beginners. If you don’t want to use the yarn pictured, pick your favorite multi-colored yarn, or use those small balls in your stash. It’s easy to customize!

 

Find Edie Online:

• Website: http://www.edieeckman.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/edieeckman
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/edieeckman
• Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/designers/edie-eckman
• Patternfish: http://www.patternfish.com/pub/edie_eckman
• Craftsy: http://www.craftsy.com/mlp/EdieEckman_postcard
• Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/edieeckman/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edieeckman/

 

Additional Blog Tour Information: