Hi Lisa! Love your work, and I especially appreciate that you find joy and inspiration in other forms of art: hooking, quilts, music. Weekday evenings or Sunday afternoon would be good times for me. I'd enjoy a project-oriented class, but as a newbie to freeform I wonder if you could suggest some tutorials to try beforehand to gain a little experience. Also, I'm not a knitter but I also love the contrast between the freeform and garter sections of the Favorite...is there a crochet stitch that could be subbed, do you think? Maybe Tunisian?
Hi Kate, thanks so much for your comments! I've made a note of your preferences for classes. For new freeformers, I always recommend one of my "freeform-ish guide" patterns. I used them to teach freeform because they offer specific instructions to get newbies going, but they're flexible enough that you can start adding in your favorite motifs, stitches, and techniques when you start to feel comfortable. Those guides are available on Ravelry at https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/freeform-favorite and https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/freeform-denim-tote.
For the Favorite, I often make the plain part in knitted garter stitch, as you've noticed, but the pattern actually calls for crocheted linen stitch. Like knitted garter stitch, it's the same on both sides, and it doesn't curl on the edges. I like your idea about using Tunisian, though. If you want to try it, I think it would work to use the directions in the pattern, substituting one Tunisian Simple Stitch for each single crochet stitch, and just eliminate the chain stitches between the singles. Does that make sense? I'd be happy to swatch it and put it in the next newsletter.
One more thing! If you want to try the linen stitch version of the plain part before buying the Freeform Favorite pattern, I have a free pattern called Crochet Favorite that is just the linen stitch section: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/crochet-favorite
I took that same rug hooking class. You are doing a great job! I love my finished product but I can’t decide which direction is up for hanging it. It looks good all four ways 😂
I once saw a free form rug hooker take one of her strips and roll it into like a spiral cinnamon bun sew it through horizontal and then vertical and then lay it in the hooked rug. She tucked in the loops around it, It was stunning. When I am doing a large one color back ground I fill in with hooked spirals and stars and other shapes just to add some interest. I do mostly primitives that have a whimsy feel
Your pieces are always extraordinary, so full of life and color. I love the shades of blue you've chosen for your River Run Shawl. I know my readers will love seeing your work so I've shared it with my readers in my Thursday post.
As soon as I saw the River Run Shawl I thought of Jane Thornley. I love her work. I also love your spirals. You have a very personal style and I love that about freeform. When we teach freeform and then turn students loose, everyone develops their own personal freeform style.
Thank you, Sheryl! I enjoy your work as well. I like that we can add the new stuff we learn into our freeform and it comes out different than when we learned it. We can't help but put our own stamp on everything.
Thanks for sharing your answers. I suspected that most people like project based classes, I know I do. So far all of the responses confirm that we are not the only ones!
I would prefer a mid-day class for free form. My sister and I started our shawls last summer while in Maine and plan to do the free form part this summer, so your class would be timely. Picking out the yarn to match the shawl would also be helpful info.
Thanks so much for sharing your preferences. I'm excited that you've already started a shawl. You might be interested to read some ideas on choosing colors in the 2nd issue of the newsletter: https://ldoherty.substack.com/publish/post/96939436.
Hi Lisa! Love your work, and I especially appreciate that you find joy and inspiration in other forms of art: hooking, quilts, music. Weekday evenings or Sunday afternoon would be good times for me. I'd enjoy a project-oriented class, but as a newbie to freeform I wonder if you could suggest some tutorials to try beforehand to gain a little experience. Also, I'm not a knitter but I also love the contrast between the freeform and garter sections of the Favorite...is there a crochet stitch that could be subbed, do you think? Maybe Tunisian?
Hi Kate, thanks so much for your comments! I've made a note of your preferences for classes. For new freeformers, I always recommend one of my "freeform-ish guide" patterns. I used them to teach freeform because they offer specific instructions to get newbies going, but they're flexible enough that you can start adding in your favorite motifs, stitches, and techniques when you start to feel comfortable. Those guides are available on Ravelry at https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/freeform-favorite and https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/freeform-denim-tote.
For the Favorite, I often make the plain part in knitted garter stitch, as you've noticed, but the pattern actually calls for crocheted linen stitch. Like knitted garter stitch, it's the same on both sides, and it doesn't curl on the edges. I like your idea about using Tunisian, though. If you want to try it, I think it would work to use the directions in the pattern, substituting one Tunisian Simple Stitch for each single crochet stitch, and just eliminate the chain stitches between the singles. Does that make sense? I'd be happy to swatch it and put it in the next newsletter.
One more thing! If you want to try the linen stitch version of the plain part before buying the Freeform Favorite pattern, I have a free pattern called Crochet Favorite that is just the linen stitch section: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/crochet-favorite
I took that same rug hooking class. You are doing a great job! I love my finished product but I can’t decide which direction is up for hanging it. It looks good all four ways 😂
Lol, that can be a tough decision!
I once saw a free form rug hooker take one of her strips and roll it into like a spiral cinnamon bun sew it through horizontal and then vertical and then lay it in the hooked rug. She tucked in the loops around it, It was stunning. When I am doing a large one color back ground I fill in with hooked spirals and stars and other shapes just to add some interest. I do mostly primitives that have a whimsy feel
I've seen some of those coils recently, and they are truly wonderful! Do you post photos of your rugwork anywhere online? I'd love to see it.
Your pieces are always extraordinary, so full of life and color. I love the shades of blue you've chosen for your River Run Shawl. I know my readers will love seeing your work so I've shared it with my readers in my Thursday post.
Thanks so much, Jodie, I appreciate that!
As soon as I saw the River Run Shawl I thought of Jane Thornley. I love her work. I also love your spirals. You have a very personal style and I love that about freeform. When we teach freeform and then turn students loose, everyone develops their own personal freeform style.
Thank you, Sheryl! I enjoy your work as well. I like that we can add the new stuff we learn into our freeform and it comes out different than when we learned it. We can't help but put our own stamp on everything.
I'd prefer project based. I'm in the UK so 5 hours ahead of you.
Thanks for sharing your preferences!
I prefer project based rather than just a technique.
Then you have a finished item at the end of the class, or when you finish said item😄
I’m Lancaster UK. I don’t mind when day or early evening.
So much inspiration in today’s post. Thank you
Thanks for sharing your answers. I suspected that most people like project based classes, I know I do. So far all of the responses confirm that we are not the only ones!
I would prefer a mid-day class for free form. My sister and I started our shawls last summer while in Maine and plan to do the free form part this summer, so your class would be timely. Picking out the yarn to match the shawl would also be helpful info.
Thanks so much for sharing your preferences. I'm excited that you've already started a shawl. You might be interested to read some ideas on choosing colors in the 2nd issue of the newsletter: https://ldoherty.substack.com/publish/post/96939436.