It's Here Everyone!

It's completed! Leather, Lace, Grit & Grace is done. The electronic version is good to go and I should be receiving the initial batch from the printer in a few weeks.

I've posted this here, but want to let everyone know that I am folding everything about the book going forward into my main blog. You can read more about the completion here.

I do hope to see everyone over at the main blog.

Hooray!!!

And The Last Tester Project

Hello everyone! My anchor tester project is from a new-to-me tester, Rebby, although we've been in the same blanket block swap group (she's a moderator), and we also adore each other pets. She's also designed a few of her own motifs, as well as tested many others.

When I initially approached her as a potential tester a while back, she was busy with other things. The timing of the book's testing phase worked out perfectly for both of us, and I'm so glad her project is anchoring this phase of the book's preview, because it is a total winner - she worked up the Nichols Cardigan. Everyone, please note: this is Rebby's first ever crocheted cardigan. Is this not absolutely fantastic? To the left is Rebby rocking her cardi, front left open, while in New Mexico. This yarn colorway is excellent on her, and the rows of motifs drape so well in the front.

She tinkered slightly with the shrug sleeves to suit her arm length, and provided wonderful feedback on a small yet sticky design point, for which I'm very grateful. 

However, she also took a few excellent photos from her home in Pennsylvania, and to the right is a great shot of the back of the sweater.

The last photo is the cardi closed in front with a great piece of jewelry, which I just love. I mean it everyone when I say if you can make a square and a rectangle, you can make this cardigan! More importantly, the easy shaping looks good on any body type. I have to admit, I've already got my fiber set aside so I can make one for myself. 

I want to thank all of my testers for such super work on the designs in the book. I am so thrilled that each was a part of this process.

I wish everyone a healthy and happy New Year. I am putting the finishing touches on Leather, Lace, Grit & Grace, and making certain all my t's are crossed and i's dotted. The next announcement you see from me here on the blog is when the soft cover book is published (which should be very soon, but no later than mid-January).

In the meantime, you can still order the book during pre-release from my Big Cartel online store. If you purchase it prior to publishing day, you'll receive an electronic .pdf version absolutely free. After the soft-cover publication, it will cost more to purchase both together.

Until next time (in 2015!) ...

Tester Project #3 - It's All About That Hood

Hello my fellow crafty readers - here we are almost at the end of the year, and I'm super thrilled to reveal the third (at least on this blog!) tester finished project for the book.

This tester, Kim, has been testing for me for a few years now. She not only is an excellent test stitcher (she catches all kinds of little inconsistencies, which is fantastic), but she also has great fashion instincts, which really helps when picking project fiber and photographs once the project is completed. You can see at least one other test project she's done for me here, although she's completed others.

Kim has, once again, outdone herself. I very much wanted her to make the Bomber-inspired Hoodie Vest not only because of its inspiration, but also because I thought she'd look good in it and the hood might challenge her skills, since the rest of the project is fairly easy and straight forward. As you can see, I was not disappointed.

Initially, I love her color choices here - dusty blue and deep plum work well together. My first big surprise was her choice for fur trim - she used Bernat Boa. Kim had a hard time sourcing the Berroco Marmot I used in my sample, despite my best efforts to utilize fibers that I thought would be readily available in the U.S. and Canada. Quite frankly, I am pleasantly surprised at how wonderfully lush her fur trim and hood turned out (and the pop snow flurries on photography day didn't hurt either). 

The second surprise was her closure placements - her leather toggle closures, evenly spaced down the first 2/3 of the front, look good. It was an unexpected twist, but one that crafters who want to work up this design can look to for additional inspiration.

Kim also didn't tack the fur portion of her hood as far back on the top as I did on my sample, thus making her hood look bigger than on the original. They are the same number of stitches, but as you can see, simple tweaks and different fiber can have a huge impact on how designs eventually look. 

I am completely thrilled with Kim's test efforts (as usual, her input was spot on), and her finished article of clothing is simply fantastic. I hope she gets loads of great wear out of it, as well as many compliments, because the vest looks good on her.

Until next time ...