{The Ordinary Moments} #1 - Sand in my shoes

Sand in shoes, pockets, backpack, hair. All over the hallway, in the bath, and somehow also always in the bed. My bed, even though I'm not the one who plays in the sandpit. 

Multiple sandpits, Sweden is full of them - I don't think I could count the ones within a square mile of our new home on two hands. 

They are both the best thing ever and the bane of my life. The Bean, unsurprisingly, adores them and will spend hours digging and shoveling and pushing the wheelbarrow around and around and around. People leave old toys behind in them for all the local kids to use, or you can bring your own shiny new Christmas Digger. 

Italy doesn't have sandpits at playgrounds (so as not to encourage stray cats, apparently) so this is a pretty novel thing for us. A novelty that isn't wearing off; Even my Bean, once such a city boy who was afraid of getting his hands dirty, adores them. 

No matter what the weather - thanks to the quintisentially Scandinavian water and windproof overalls neither sunshine nor warmth, nor even dry weather is a prerequisite for outdoor play here. (Although hot flasks of tea {or toddy, I won't judge} are advisable for the parents.) 

So every day after preschool we go to one of the many little playgrounds nearby, and every morning after he's left: that woosh and clattering sound up the hoover, cleaning up the sand he tipped out of his shoes the day before. 

I'm linking up with Katie at MummyDaddyMe for The Ordinary Moments

A Yarnie's Take on Pantone Colour of the Year 2016

In a first, Pantone has picked not one but two colours as Pantone Colour of the Year for 2016: Rose Quartz and Serenity.

If you've been keeping track of my designs you'll know I'm not really a pastels sort of girl. I don't dislike them - I just think their subtlety is a bit lost on me! As with all the colours Pantone picks, however, obviousness is not part of the game. What matters is your own interpretation and it's fascinating to see what designers, stylists and artists across the world come up with (you can keep track of all that on Pantone's dedicated Pinterest board). 

To figure out how to make Rose Quartz and Serenity work for me, I decided to just have a play. A hint of yellow, my favourite notebooks... 

The yarns pictured are by Vinnis Colours (blue) and MoYa (Pink), both kindly sent to me by Scaapi, and Sirdar (yellow). Although I don't think of these colours as "me", I do really like the softness of the picture and I think the palette would be beautiful for a crochet blanket or a delicate shawl. 

Still, more colour faffery was needed (I know, my job is really hard). As I rearranged my cups and yarns it suddenly clicked:

pastels + neutrals + bolder colours = Ombre! Ole! 

I really, really like this palette. I'm still thinking about what to make with it - any suggestions? - but whatever it is, it'll be fun. The pink yarn is by MoYa, as above, and the coral yarn is by Nurturing Fibres. The jute rope is one of many rolls I picked up at a gardening store!

How are you approaching Rose Quartz and Serenity?

TUTORIAL: Woven Shell Crochet Stitch

In this tutorial I will show you how to work the “Woven Shell” crochet stitch. It produces an amazing, cable-like texture that has the potential to add interest to so many different items - accessories, cardigans, even granny squares. What makes it so versatile is that, although there are overlapping stitches, the resulting fabric remains quite supple rather than rigid. 

The Woven shelll stitch looks complicated, but you really only need to know basic crochet stitches: Chains, Treble Crochet - TC (Double Crochet if you use US terms), and Double Crochet (Single Crochet). I've included a diagram, but don't panic if you don't know how to read one of these - the photo tutorial and written instructions will walk you through each step. 

The Woven Shell stitch will work with a variety of yarns, from lightweight cotton to heavy wool. That said, I personally like to use a DK yarn with a glossy finish in a light to medium colour, as it really shows off the texture of the parts where the stitches cross.

Materials:
4mm / size 6 crochet hook
DK yarn (for this sample, I’ve used No. 4 Organic Wool+Nettles in "petrol" by ONION)

Stitches + Abbreviations:
Chain - ch
Treble Crochet - TC
Double Crochet - DC

Difficulty: 
Advanced beginner

Please note: this tutorial uses UK crochet terms

Starting chain:

work a multiple of 6, then add 3 to make the first TC. For this sample, I’ve chained 21: 
18 (divisible by 6) + 3 = 21

R1:
Skip the first 6 ch. Ch. 7 is where you will start your first shell. 

Yarn over, then TC in ch 7. Make sure the this TC is long. 

TC 2 more in the same ch 7 space, to make a cluster of 3 TCs. To make the next 3 TC cluster, you will need to go backwards rather than forwards.

Going backwards, skip 1, ch 3, then TC 1 in ch 5 by yarning over and puling up a long loop around the cluster of 3 TCs.

TC 2 more in the same ch 5 to complete the cluster as well as the first shell. 

Skip 1, then TC 1. The placement for the next Shell is shown below.

Skip 3, TC 3 in the next st, then ch 3. Going backwards, skip 1, then TC 3. 

Going forwards again, skip 1 from the first set of TC 3 and DC 1.

Repeat for the last Shell: Skip 3, TC 3 in the next st, then ch 3. Going backwards, skip 1, then TC 3. Going forwards again, skip 1 from the first set of TC 3 and TC 1 in the last ch to complete the first row. Turn.

R2: 
Ch 3 (counts as 1 TC), then TC 3 in the same st.

DC 1 around the top of the ch 3 of the woven shell underneath. The placement for the next Shell is shown below.

Skip the whole of the next 3-TC group, then TC 3 in the second (i.e. middle) TC of the next 3-TC group. Ch 3, then go back and TC 3 into the second (i.e. middle) TC of the 3-TC group just skipped to complete the Woven Shell. 

DC 1 around the top of the ch 3 of the woven shell underneath. Skip the whole of the next 3-TC group, then TC 3 in the second (i.e. middle) TC of the next 3-TC group. Ch 3, then go back and TC 3 into the second (i.e. middle) TC of the 3-TC group just skipped. 

DC 1 around the top of the ch 3 of the woven shell underneath. Skip the whole of the next 3-TC group, then TC 4 into the top of the turning chain of the previous row. Turn.

R3:
Ch 3 (counts as 1 TC), skip the whole of the 4-TC group, then TC 3 in the second TC of the next 3-TC group. Ch 3, then go back and TC 3 into the third TC of the 4-TC group just skipped.

* DC 1 around the top of the ch 3 of the woven shell underneath. Skip the whole of the next 3-TC group, then TC 3 in the second TC of the next 3-TC group. Ch 3, then go back and TC 3 into the second TC of the 3-TC group just skipped. Repeat from * until last st. TC 1 in the last ch 1 space. 

To continue, repeat rows 2 and 3 as many times as required. 

So there you go, the Woven Shell. You might need a little practice on going back and forth and pulling up long enough loops to make the cross-overs, but hopefully this tutorial will have you creating beautifully textured pieces in no time. I'll be publishing the Lavender Skies Scarf, which is based on this stitch, later this month so if you like it, now is a good opportunity to start swatching! 

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Coming full [yarn] circle - On making, and making informed choices

I spent most of my teenage and student years sketching, and was extremely particular about the materials I bought and used. Only certain paper weights would do. Derwent pencils, from independent art supply stores. Long conversations with the owners of said stores, about the merits of this putty rubber over another. I knew what I was talking about, what I was using and why. 

These days I find it easier to do my doodling with yarn.

When I first picked up crochet again (I learned when I was about 8 but forgot about it for years), however, I didn't give it the same attention to detail. I was in what the ever-eloquent and inspiring Jen Gale at My Make Do and Mend Life calls the "sweetie shop stage". I gave precisely zero thought to where a yarn came from, who had produced it, and how. Colour vibrancy, squishiness and price dominated my buying choices. I even (gasp!) bought acrylic yarn. 

During the planning process of this site, however, something in my attitude changed. Whenever we could afford it, I already paid a lot of attention to the food my family ate and the clothes we wore, in terms of sustainability, safety and quality. It suddenly made sense to apply that care to the yarn I use on a daily basis.

A few articles galvanised my thoughts - the one on "Slow Making" by Jen, which I've mentioned already, and one on "The Maker's Year" project by Kate from A Playful Day. As part of the project, Kate asks what drives us to create. I've always thought I do so to still my mind, but the more I thought about it, the more I realised there's another element to my compulsion to try all the things, all the time, all by myself (I'm determined to take up carpentry one day). 

Making is a way of nurturing my family and providing for them. By cooking wholesome food when I have the time and energy (when I don't: instant ramen), yes, but also by making hats to keep them warm, quilts to curl up under, birthday shawls to show off. It is a way of showing how much I love them, which I'm otherwise not brilliant at. Last night my 3-year-old asked to be tucked up next to me under the hand-stitched quilt, said "it's so cosy in your bed, mama", and my heart sang. You get it, I thought.

Ultimately, I think our modern, Western society has lost touch with the idea that these handmaking skills are what allow a family to survive and to thrive. Of course I'm grateful I live in a place where everything I need is accessible, easy and available, but by crocheting, knitting and sewing all hours of the day I feel I reconnect with these old values. I feel I provide value. 

It makes sense, then, to only use the very best materials I can afford, and to ensure that no-one suffers to make those materials available to me. That does mean I can buy them less frequently, and I do have to squeeze my eyes shut every time I walk past the shop with the cheap, pretty cottons. It is hard. But it is right. My yarn choices have come full circle, I feel.

So what does that mean for this site and my designs on a practical level? After weeks of 'homework' into sheep herding, wool trading and wool processing (I'm telling you, my evenings rock), I have made a few rules for myself.

YES to:

1. Organic where possible or failing that, Oeko-Tex certified (bonus points for both!)

2. Animal-friendly and staff-friendly production: free-range animals, fair trade conditions, etc.

3. Yarn made from recycled materials, reclaimed yarn, etc.

NO to:

1. Superwash yarn (until ecological superwash treatment methods become established), unless it's Oeko-Tex certified

2. Bamboo yarn, unless it's Oeko-Tex certified

There is more work to be done - I don't understand the dyeing process yet, for example - but I feel I'm making a good start. I've realised that I feel a sense of overall responsibility as a designer - a responsibility to develop patterns properly, for sure, but also to point you, crocheters and yarnists of all stripes, in the direction of materials that I personally believe in.

There are occasional screams of frustration. The holy grail of local AND sustainable AND suitable for the designs in my head still eludes me. But I'm ploughing on, talking to stockists, and testing new yarns every week. It allows me to make better choices, and my hope is that, although your choices are of course always your own, the yarn reviews I'm (currently! busily!) writing will at least inform you and inspire you to think about what you're buying too. 

I'm joining in with the current theme of The Maker's Year: What does making mean to you? 

New beginnings and almost finisheds

When we lived in Milan, we knew winter would be more or less finished by the end of February. The warmth would return, by mid-March the magnolia would be in bloom. In the south of Sweden, however? Not so much. We're well into March now and I've just woken up to snow outside the window again. 

I don't want to whinge, because, d'uh. We moved to Sweden. Of course Spring was going to take longer to spring here and of course we were going to catch all sorts of new-to-us viruses. But still, I am a little desperate for more sunlight and colour, and so very glad we've seen the back of February. I'm clinging on to the sight of all these little yellow flowers that I don't know the name of, and a few timid snowdrops, and dreaming...

Because doesn't Spring make you dream of new starts? Much more so than the beginning of a new year, when my only resolution of any sort is usually to continue hibernation, continue eating, continue politely declining opportunities to excercise. I don't do New Year's resolutions.

I do, however, do Spring Resolutions. Spring cleaning, Spring walks, Spring decorating. A good thing, then, that at the end of the dreaded F-month my new VAT registration came through. I am now officially self-employed in Sweden. It took a wee while and a fair amount of bureaucratic cajoling, but it's sorted, I'm here. And that, dear friends, means new beginnings on an entirely different scale: Emmy + LIEN as a design brand. Something I have been wanted to do for the best part of a year is now a posibility. Hurrah!

That brings me on to what I almost have ready for you:

Lavender Skies 

This will be a 3-in-1 pattern for a skinny scarf, a slightly wider fringed scarf, and a cowl that is a little wider still. It's the perfect mid-season accessory and I cannot wait to release it! If the health-gods cooperate I hope to have it ready by the end of the month. There will be a free tutorial on the Woven Shell, the main stitch for this pattern, so look out for that too. 

Pretty In Peach - a sweater dress

Another pattern I have been saying I will release in multiple sizes for aaaages (the 18M size is available as a sample pattern here), but there's a good reason for my snail-like pace: I want to improve the instructions, to help you be sure you're buying a pattern you can execute. I've also been sent a few organic cotton samples to play with, which will ensure I can recommend a yarn that will look and feel just perfect. It's almost finished. Ish.

The Bretonbone Top

Finally, a sneaky peek at a new top worked in the herringbone stitch. I've become completely obsessed with both this stitch (although doing an entire jumper in it may just cure me of that) and the idea that it ought to be possible to create stylish, wearable knitwear - in the most general sense - with crochet. I just need to figure out the construction of the cap sleeves, and we're good to go. 

So that's what I'll be up this month. Here's to March, to Spring (soon) and all sorts of colourful new beginnings. 

#helloemmyandlien | A welcome + a giveaway

Hello! Welcome to Emmy + Lien, my brand new site about all things yarn and creativity. If you came over from my old blog, you deserve an extra special squeeze for continuing to put up with me. And if you've stumbled onto this page in some other way, well here's an especially warm "hello" to you.

In any case, I'm so glad you're here. I've been tinkering away at this site, this brand, this new baby of mine (sorry real-life family) for months and I'm JUST A LITTLE BIT EXCITED about finally taking it beyond the confines of my sketchbooks. 

To kick things off I thought I'd have a little giveaway. A welcome present, if you like, as well as a visual introduction to what Emmy + Lien is all about.

Melamine cup by Rice DK | Incawool by Hjertegarn | Handmade notebook by Bungalow

1 x melamine cup by Rice DK | because, tea and colour.

1 x 100g ball of yarn from Hjertegarn | an Oeko-Tex Standard 100-certified, 100% Highland Wool. squish.

1 x notebook by Bungalow | scribbles galore! 

To enter, scroll down to the Rafflecopter widget at the bottom of this post. You'll see there are multiple ways to enter by following Emmy + LIEN on social media, but if you don't feel like doing that (or you want ALL the entries) you can also leave a comment telling me something about yourself. Anything, really. Just a hello and a little fact. 

Some facts about me, in return:

• I'm based in the very south of Sweden, but I don't have a Swedish bone in my body (or a Swedish word in my brain, unfortunately) - I'm a perpetual wanderer and have done stints in the UK, Belgium, Japan, and Italy. 
• I'm powered by tea, yarn, and words. Increasingly pretty pictures too, though I still have so much to learn.  
• I'm a mother and wife, a writer and a tinkerer, a serial project-starter. How all of these things work together is a question I don't think I'll ever solve, but the fun is in trying.

The deadline for entries is 15 March 2016. It's open to anyone, anywhere - I'll happily ship worldwide. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway