Short Rows, You Say?

A couple of days’ ago, I posted about one of my new books, just released by Leisure Arts, Short Row Tunisian Fashion.

This new book is available in hard copy here and in e-book download here.

Yesterday, the question was brought up in the Tunisian Crochet YahooGroup. What is a short row?

In this instance, the use of “short rows” is a technique. It is a shaping technique, most commonly seen and discussed around the subject of bust shaping of garments. But, the short row technique can also be used in other applications.

Here are the “bare bones” of it. You start making a row as usual. On the next row, you stop slightly before reaching the end of the row. On each subsequent row, you stop short of the end. With each subsequent row, the stitch number decreases. This produces a triangle, or wedge. You can see the wedges clearly in the cover shot of the scarf above.

I love using short rows. Working one wedge at a time makes the project move quickly. I never get bored because each row is different and it gives me a feeling of accomplishment as the rows get shorter and shorter. Here are a few of my short row projects.

The Sapphire Wrap from Short Row Tunisian Fashion uses short rows to create a long crescent shape in this shawl.

The ever popular Geo Scarf, available here, is made in short rows which is lovely with a self-striping yarn.

The Crescent Bag, available here, is made of short row wedges then felted.

This is the Swirls Baby Afghan, from Learn to Do Tunisian Lace Stitches, my book which includes the interactive DVD.

Short rows can also be used to shape garments as seen in the Puff Sleeve Cardigan and Riding Cape from Short Row Tunisian Fashion.

According to my search on Ravelry, it looks like I have close to 20 designs which use the short row technique. You can tell it’s definitely a favorite of mine.

Copyright Piracy. Again.

Because I have Google alerts established for the names of all of my books, I was immediately made aware of someone uploading a copy of one of my books to the internet. Yes, another person scanning my book and giving it away for free. Seriously, folks, I’m not a party pooper. If your only source of income was royalties on a book and you made about 70 cents on average for a book, you need the book to be sold.

I’m a single mother. I am protecting myself and my children from copyright piracy. If you can’t afford the book, I understand. I can’t afford a lot of things either, especially when people are giving away my books. There’s always the library. But, don’t take what little money I make away from my family.

This particular copyright piracy was a bit different than what I normally find. What happens is that a person uploads a file to the document storage facility. They are given a link which they share on the internet and, in this case, the person is using a blog. When someone else visits the blog, then goes to the link, they are given a survey from an advertiser hired by the document storage facility website. That advertiser then pays the website who then pays the person who has uploaded the file. Essentially, the pirate makes money from every download. Dastardly pirate! Not only giving away my book, but also making money from it!*

Just say no to copyright piracy! You may think that book authors live a life a luxury and won’t really lose any money from piracy. I am not THAT kind of book author. I make very little money in this industry. We have a very difficult time financially and have to make a lot of sacrifices. But, I do it for the love of the craft. I do it for YOU! Don’t submit to the temptation of copyright piracy. Just don’t do it.

You may think that you’re only hurting the publisher, who makes millions of dollars and it couldn’t possibly hurt them. I don’t know how much the publishers make and it really doesn’t matter to me. All that matters to me is my portion of that book sale because I have to support my family.

If you see copyright infringement, don’t hesitate to let me know. I can be contacted at kim AT crochetkim.com. I will take care of it. Thank you for your help and support!

*And, just to make a point. I make about 70 cents on each sale of my book. This website is giving an entire dollar! Not only making money from giving away an illegal copy of my book, but making more money than ME!

Online Class Schedule at Crochetville

Online Class: Design Your Own Tank Top

For years, I’ve been asked to teach online how to use Excel to design patterns. And, that time has come. I am introducing two new classes at Crochetville in an online format so that people can learn to use Excel in the same manner I do when designing. The first will be a design-your-own class and will start February 1.

I have developed a class on a do-it-yourself tank top. This will be a design class. And, you’ll be designing your own with yarn and hook of your choice.  As with any class, there *are* parameters so we can’t have you going willy-nilly, designing anything or everything. But, once you’ve designed your own top, it should give you a jumping off point to begin designing other garments.  Read more…

Online Class: Graph Class

One of the techniques for which I get the most requests for information is about crocheting from graphs. In this class, you will learn several different techniques which can be applied to graph work and you get to decide which you like best. Read more…

Online Class: Beginner Knitting

I’ve not yet had a single instance where someone didn’t learn to knit from my class. Even people who have taken live knitting classes and were unable to grasp it. Although unable to learn in a live class, people have been able to learn from my knitting class. I’m not sure exactly what it is. But, apparently teaching knitting from a crocheter’s perspective works much better than a standard knitting class for many people. Read more…

Learn to Crochet 1-2-3

I believe I’ve mentioned this once before, but it’s been months and there are now three issues of this magazine out there in the big, wide world. And, I need to write about it.

Crochet 1-2-3 magazine, website here. All projects for each issue have been databased on Ravelry here.

The magazine is available in Walmart. It can be found in the craft department or the magazine department. (There doesn’t appear to be consistency with location in the store.) Not all Walmarts had them. (Mine doesn’t yet.) But, I believe that’s going to change. The magazine is also available by subscription at the website. Back issues are available for purchase. If we all play nicely and buy lots of them, maybe distribution will grow to other venues.

The big thing about this magazine is that I have a pretty big part in it. And, to be honest, it’s been tough. Probably the toughest thing I’ve ever done. It sounded a lot easier than it turned out to be. But, you guys know me. I am always up for a challenge. And, this was a biggie.

With each magazine, I have a technique article. For the technique, I have three projects. These patterns are arranged in difficulty so that you learn the technique, then expand upon it with the other projects. You get to learn in 1-2-3 fashion.

Now, the other cool thing? Not only do you get three projects to learn a techique and a two-page article with close-up photos, you also get free online videos. And, that’s cool.

I am also doing the online videos. All by myself. Editing too. And, seriously, I’m trying to get them finished as quickly as I can. And, I’m getting better. I’m starting to do things in more of a system so that I have fewer “takes”. And, this is crucial. I have to sit on my feet with a tripod between my knees, leaning up next to the coffee table with haphazard lights strewn about.  I have to take frequent breaks because my feet fall asleep. From what I understand, I shouldn’t be crocheting when it’s painful. Feet falling asleep is PAINFUL! ha!

So, here we go with the techniques.

Issue 1: Working In a Spiral. Three hats to try out working in a spiral without joining rounds, in three different stitches.

Issue 2: Working with Beads. Three different beading techniques.

Issue 3: Crocheted Cables. Three scarves with three different cable stitch patterns.

You can jump over to the website and view the videos now as well. Except for issue 2. I hope to have those finished next week. And, things should run much more smoothly for me now that I’ve been doing this for several months. But, I tell you what. Between trying to figure out how to teach a technique using three progressive projects, doing the swatches, doing the videos, doing the video editing… It’s taken me awhile to figure out the most efficient way to do everything.

Why Not Regular Crochet?

I receive a lot of emails asking me why I do so much Tunisian crochet. Why don’t I ever do regular crochet? While it’s true that I’ve been doing a lot of Tunisian crochet lately, it’s certainly not all that I do. I think that, because my name seems to be synonymous with Tunisian crochet, there is a misconception that ALL of my work is in the technique. But, it’s really not. It’s just that I do some unexpected things in regular crochet sometimes and there is an assumption that it is Tunisian, when it’s not.

Here are my most popular designs of all time. All in regular crochet.

Sweetheart Ripple Afghan from Reversible Ripple Afghans here. Truly an unexpected surprise because of the ripples on one side and the hearts on the other. The immediate assumption was that it was double-ended Tunisian crochet. I had to work very closely with the Annie’s catalog staff for awhile there in order to word the description in such a way that there was no question that it was regular crochet because many people emailed me about it being Tunisian.

Dreams Shawl, published at Kimane Designs here. Before you could find laceweight crochet shawls by the hundreds on Ravelry, this shawl was published. It shot up to many favorite lists. But, I’m still seeing it labeled as Tunisian crochet. Just yesterday, I saw it labeled as Tunisian crochet on Pinterest. But, it’s not.

Clarice, published at Kimane Designs here. So easy! So popular! And, it’s popular world-wide. While we’re thinking about making afghans during the winter here in the US, this pattern is popular in Australia because it’s their summer. (And, have you heard of the record-setting high temps in Australia this year? They had to add a new color to their weather maps because the heat got up to 129-degrees Faranheit!)

Of all my designs, the most favorited pattern on Ravelry is this pattern called Elegant Hat, a free pattern from Caron here. Although it’s never been confused for Tunisian crochet.

And, there you have it! Tunisian crochet isn’t all that I do. My most popular patterns of all time are actually regular crochet. It’s just that, here lately, Tunisian crochet has been coming into its own. You see it quite frequently. But, it’s not new to me. I’ve been publishing books in Tunisian crochet for almost 15 years. I was Tunisian before Tunisian was cool. But, now that it is cool, I’ve got a lot of books in it right now.

Pineapples in Tunisian Crochet? Yes, Please!

This is one thing that I have been so eager to tell you about for so very long. It’s hard to wait until publication. So, when this new book was posted, I immediately jumped on it. Why? Because there be pineapples in that there Tunisian crochet! Although I’m thinking that this is the first ever published pineapple stitch pattern in Tunisian crochet, I could be wrong. You never really know. But, it’s certainly new to me and most of you as well, I’m sure. So, I will simply enjoy my little moment in Tunisian crochet history.

This is the Sapphire Wrap from my new book, “Short Row Tunisian Fashion”, published by Leisure Arts. My first book of 2013! It’s made in Patons Silk Bamboo.

This book is available now. No need to pre-order. It can be purchased in both hard copy here and e-book download here. I hope you enjoy this entirely new concept in Tunisian crochet.

Why, Oh Why?

I heard, about a year ago, someone demo-ing a design that required a crochet chain as an embellishment. Just a drawstring. I can’t remember the project. It was a hand-knit project with a crochet chain. It was advised that knitters who didn’t know how to make a chain could do it with a knit-only version.

Cast on 80 bazillion stitches, then bind off 80 bazillion stitches. Wow! Really? Let’s take my personal, least favorite two things and do them repeatedly just for a crochet chain.

Seriously, no one can possibly be that afraid of a crochet hook. A crochet chain is so EASY! And, you can have 20 of them finished in the time it would take to do the cast on-bind off version.

I once had a non-needlework friend visiting at my house. While we were talking, she picked up some yarn and began “doodling”. We were both amazed when I told her that she was making a crochet chain with her fingers.

I’ve seen grown men, men who would rather stab out their own eyes with a… well, with a knitting needle than pick up a crochet hook, who have stood there and boldly tidied the water hose in a perfect crochet chain. I’ve even seen them crochet chain Christmas lights before storing them away.

I promise you that making a crochet chain is in no way difficult. You don’t even need a crochet hook. You can use your fingers! And, besides, you’re going to need to learn it anyway. It’s the way to make a provisional cast-on which you’re going to run across in a pattern one day.

Don’t be shy! Jump in there with both feet… err hands.