Story of a Design: Cintamani Jewelry

Cintamani necklace and earring set was inspired during my attendance at the 2013 CGOA Conference in Concord last October. I was doing some color swatching during Professional Development Day when fellow crochet designer and friend Lynn noticed what I was doing and said my doodle would make a great earring. Others agreed and I felt inspired to turn the swatch into a usable design. After conference I set about creating a matching necklace as the pair of earrings needed something more.

The design was inspired by element of mehndi as well as gold jewelry from India. The final result is reminiscent of an exotic talisman of precious rubies, amethysts, and sapphires in-layed within brilliant gold. The inlay effect is created by working behind and in front of stitches in addition to the back loop only. This creates subtle layering that is less dramatic that front or back post stitching. Two colors are alternated on the outer round to create jewels; substitute a suitable variegated thread to achieve a color-changing effect.

Pattern is available at the subscription website 

Mainly Crochet

Finished Size: Necklace medallion - 2.5” diameter
Neckband - 15.5” circumference including clasps
Earring - 2” diameter

Cintamani is a Sanskrit word that means “thought gem” or “wish-fulfilling stone.” It refers to the legendary Cintamani Stone, an artifact in Hindu and Buddhist mythology thought to possess extraordinary powers. According to the legend, the gem fell from the heavens to Earth, but since it was so powerful and potentially dangerous, it was sent to the mystical hidden city of Shambhala.

Story of a Design: Bread & Butter Coaster

This quick and easy to make coaster came about through a conversation I had with my mentor, crochet designer Kathryn White. We were able to spend some time together at the 2013 CGOA Conference in Concord, NC. One of her helpful suggestions to me was to add more simple designs to my portfolio. She called them "bread and butter" designs. We looked through a stack of mehndi designs I brought with me and we chose one that was fairly straightforward as far as translating it into crochet.

When I got back from conference I began working on the translating. Some of what we talked about got tossed aside once I started designing. Things will take on a life of their own. I took to heart her idea of "bread and butter" and went outside of my usual color palette of purples and pinks and ventured into the territory of yellows and browns. Originally this was supposed to be a doily but when I reached the outer round I looked at it and knew it wanted to be a coaster.

It just so happened that Crochet World Magazine had an upcoming deadline for submissions and their color palette for their August issue were the exact colors I had chosen to design with. Though it looks like a sunflower of sorts, the colors are meant to represent bread, butter, and then the crust.

Available in the August 2014 issue of
Crochet World Magazine

My photo of Bread & Butter Coaster

Story of a Design: Winter's Night Necklace

My design, Winter's Night Necklace, is now available to download from the Crochet Me website. It is one of four designs in an ebook called Lace Ice that is a supplement to the Winter 2014 issue of Interweave Crochet.

Winter's Night Necklace

I translated the design into crochet from a Victorian-style machine lace necklace. Back when I was designing it I was really excited about how it was coming along, but I couldn't share what I was doing. Well, I sort of did: I posted a picture back in February of a motif prototype that didn't quite work. This was the type of design that worked itself once I created the motif to my liking, and hit upon the right color combination.

I discovered that I have a very slender neck compared to most people so I learned a bit about pattern grading on the fly while working up the pattern for publication. The length can be adjusted through adding motifs and lengthening the button straps.

This is my second published necklace design and I confess I very much enjoy designing them! They seem to be the perfect thread project as they can be: made in size 20 thread, worked up quickly, worn to show off as well as enhance any outfit. Expect to see more necklaces in the future!

Why I Willingly Submit to Sleep Deprivation: My 5 Reasons for Attending the CGOA Conference

Crocheters from around the country descended upon Concord, NC, last week to attend the semi-annual CGOA conference. Hobbyists and professionals spend five days together sharing their love of crochet through classes, fashion show, design competition, and crocheting in public.

I've much to blog about my experiences while at conference. Subsequent posts will be about the people I connected with and how I reframed the Designer Meet & Greet to reduce my anxiety.

I knew going into conference that it would be an exhausting experience that is capable of inducing the ability to see through space and time triggered by sleep deprivation. A few hours of missed sleep each night is a sacrifice I'm willing to make and here are my reasons why:

Opportunity
This is my main reason for attending. The chance to meet with my mentor Kathryn, fellow designers, hobbyists, and vendors is priceless. I love the seeming randomness of making connections with people. I try not to plan too much so the opportunities can present themselves and let the magic happen.

Inspiration
A creative force field is generated by the convergence of designers and hobbyists ignited by the design competition and fashion show then fueled by communal sleep deprivation and the daily two free cocktails offered by the hotel. It's paradoxical how the conference is both invigorating and depleting, and instead of trying to wrap my brain around that I'll just bask in the mystery of it all. Besides, I've got dozens of design ideas that require my attention.

Feedback
The opportunity to show and consult with various professionals and editors and receive their feedback is alone worth attending. It may also have a happy ending--as in selling a design! Plus I was able to get a lot of feedback from my mentor in addition to all of her suggestions, sharing of wisdom and philosophy of crochet, and more.

Doris Chan shows off
her very own Spoctopus

Learning Experience
I haven't attended any classes, unless Professional Development Day counts, yet I leave conference thinking I've learned. There is plenty of factual knowledge to learn at conference, but there is also plenty of social knowledge to be gained such as: many crochet designers are Trekkies! All knowledge is empowering and I seek to know, understand, and contribute to the vast database of the community.

Community
I'm a true introvert at heart so my desire to be part of a community is ambivalent--and I struggle with being able to see myself as truly belonging in any group. In the last hour I was at conference I came to realize that there was more than just crochet that I had in common with many of the people around me, and in that realization I started to feel like I belonged and was part of the community.