February 2020 - Rows And Roses

Month: February 2020

February RoundUp

Posted on February 26, 2020January 18, 2024 by Sati <3

FOs, Patterns, and other news

Well February came in like a storm here at R&R, and left almost the same. It has been one thing after another, with every single one of us getting sick at one point. We all got some much-needed haircuts by the fabulous Brittni at Holmes Hair Studio (if you’re in the area, go to her and tell her I sent you!) and I discovered that Ulta is both my new favorite store and my wallet’s worst enemy. Meanwhile, the weather lost its mind in SC, and decided to go from 70°F to FREAKING SNOW overnight. I just can’t figure out what to wear, but it’ll be okay. Spring is marching in! ( <– See what I did there? Marching? I’m hilarious.)

What have we got to show for the shortest month of the year? More than we bargained for, I can tell you that. Allow me to share this February RoundUp with you….

Finished Objects

Pattern

This month I released a new crocheted hat pattern called Flatter. This springtime hat is made using only ONE BALL of WeCrochet’s Cotlin, a DK weight cotton/linen blend. I have long loved this yarn for things like kitchen towels and market bags, but it makes excellent warm weather garments and accessories, too!

I designed this hat as a base for your own artistic inspiration. Wanna cover it in flowers? Or maybe weave a ribbon through it? Perhaps you’d like to add some beads or feathers or something super unique. DO IT! And tag your hat #RowsAndRosesFlatter to inspire the rest of us.

Wrappin' it up

All in all, I’d say it’s been a pretty stellar month, wouldn’t you? We’re wrapping up a Headband With A Twist KAL and a Felici On The Double Hat CAL in the Ravelry group in order to make way for the March -alongs. Maracas Bowls and “something knitted with cables” are both coming up on March 1st so please come join us! And if you haven’t checked out the latest info post on the blog about spinning yarn, be sure to give it a lookover, too.

We’ve got a St. Pat’s FLASH opening in the facebook group tomorrow, and the Spring/Easter Specials & Customs opening on March 5th. I’ve got three new patterns mostly written and another half dozen in various stages of completion, so be sure to keep an eye out for those. If you haven’t signed up for the newsletter yet, please do. I have so much fun putting this together every month, and sometimes I even include a fun surprise gift.

Thanks for hanging with me. Your friendship makes me feel cool and loved and included ♥ If you’ve enjoyed this February RoundUp, please consider tweeting, pinning, commenting, or otherwise sharing. Every little action you take helps my little business to grow!

Flatter

Posted on February 19, 2020January 18, 2024 by Sati <3

FREE Crochet Pattern!

The free Felici on the Double cowl pattern was such a big hit! So how about a new free crochet pattern to welcome in the Spring that surely MUST be coming! Free is good, yeah? Yeah.

This youth summer hat is the perfect canvas to show off your style! Gorgeous left as-is, it can also hold all the flowers, feathers, ribbons, and accoutrements you want. The sky’s the limit! I’ve been able to wear this hat myself, no problem, but I realize that not everyone has the same sized head. Therefore, I have named it a youth hat. Should you choose to add more increases, I fully support you!

If you love this pattern- or even just kinda like it- you can get a printable .pdf here.

If you want to check out my other patterns, I think you’ll like them!

Flatter: free crochet pattern for you!

Free crochet pattern

Stitches: ch, sl, SC, SCblo, DC

Yarn: DK weight, 100 yards (I used one ball of WeCrochet’s Cotlin, and had some left over)

Hook: I/9, or size needed to obtain gauge

Sizes: Youth 18”

Gauge: After round 2, your circle should be 2.5” across

**NOTES: Always start your round in the very first stitch, which is the same stitch you joined in. Also, I always use a Standing DC as my first stitch, but you can use a ch 3 or whatever you prefer.**

Here we go!

Pattern:

Start with a magic ring, or ch 4 and sl st in first ch to join into a ring.

Round 1) 12 DC in ring. Join. = 12 DC

Round 2) 2 DC in each st around. Join. = 24 DC

Round 3) *DC in next st, 2DC in next st* around. Join. = 36 DC

Round 4) *DC in next 2 sts, 2DC in next st* around. Join. = 48 DC

Round 5) *DC in next 3 sts, 2DC in next st* around. Join. = 60 DC

Round 6) *DC in next 5 sts, ch 1, sk 1* around. Join. = 50 DC, 10 ch-1 sps

Round 7) *DC in next 4 sts, ch 1, sk 1 st, DC in ch-1 sp* around. Join.

Round 8) *DC in next 3 sts, ch 1, sk 1 st, DC in ch-1 sp, DC in next st* around. Join.

Round 9) *DC in next 2 sts, ch 1, sk 1 st, DC in ch-1 sp, DC in next 2 sts* around. Join.

Round 10) *DC in next st, ch 1, sk 1 st, DC in ch-1 sp, DC in next 3 sts* around. Join.

Round 11) Sl into ch-1 sp, *DC in ch-1 sp, DC into next 4 sts, ch 1, sk 1 st* around.

Round 12) Repeat round 7

Round 13) Repeat round 8

Round 14) SC in each st and ch-1 sp around. Join. = 60 SC

Round 15) *SCblo in next 3 sts, 2 SCblo in next st* around. Join. = 75 SC

Round 16) SC around. Join. = 75 SC

Rounds 17-20) Repeat Round 16

Cut yarn. Weave in ends. Embellish as you wish, or leave as is. Enjoy your hat!

Sati Glenn, owner and operator of Rows and Roses Fiberworks.

Email: sati@rowsandroses.com

Website: www.rowsandroses.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/groups/rowsandrosescrochet

Ravelry: https://www.ravelry.com/stores/rows-and-roses

Spinning Yarn

Posted on February 8, 2020January 18, 2024 by Sati <3

Taking a Braid for a Spin

Spinning yarn is one of those things that so many people find to be amazing. Myself included! Lots of people who are into other fiber arts, such as knitting and crocheting, seem to believe that spinning yarn is beyond the realm of reasonable activities to take up. Spinning is something from the olden days, right? Why would I spend time spinning yarn when I can order thousands of different types of yarn, and get whatever I want already made?

Well, let me tell you, spinning is a glorious adventure if you’re looking for a new way to enjoy your fiber arts! While there is certainly a learning curve, it isn’t actually “hard” to do. You can find prepared fiber in all kinds of braids or batts, you can purchase different types of fibers and blend your own mix, or you can even take the wool right off a sheep or alpaca and spin it in the grease!

Different put-ups for different spins

My favorite way to spin is from a braid of fiber already prepared for me. Sometimes I purchase a bare braid and dye it myself, and sometimes I get it already dyed by a favorite dyer, such as Kim Russo of Kim Dyes Yarn. When you’re spinning yarn from a braid, you will undo part of the braid and pull off a section, usually splitting the section into two or three narrow strands.

You can find prepared braids in all different types of fibers! My favorite is merino/silk, with pure Polwarth being a close second. I also enjoy alpaca blends (such as alpaca/silk, or alpaca/bamboo.) While I have certainly spun pure Merino before, I don’t enjoy it as much as when it is blended with another fiber, due to Merino’s short staple length. Getting to play with different types of fibers is so much fun!

Batts are another fun option for spinning yarn. Batts are made by carding different fibers together into a fluffy blend, kinda like a “cloud” of fiber. You can then take chunks off the batt and spin them however you wish. I’ve had batts before that were alpaca, mulberry silk, mohair locks, Angora, and stellina (sparkle strands) all mixed together to make an absolutely stunning blend of color and texture. While I have more trouble getting a uniform yarn from batts, I do so enjoy the fun of them! They always make for an interesting spin. As do rolags and p-rolags, but perhaps those are a post for another day…

Wheel vs. Spindle

Honestly, I kinda feel like the wheel vs. spindle is a whole other post by itself, too, so I’m only going to touch on a couple of things here.

First, a spindle (also called a drop-spindle) is basically a dowel threaded through a center hole in a round weight. Like a pencil through a donut, only tightly anchored. The round weight can be wood, stone, Fimo clay, or just about anything else you can think of. You hook your fiber around a hook in the top of the dowel, and you spin the whole thing either between your fingers or by running it down the side of your leg. When you get a long length of yarn spun, you wind it around the shaft. This is my prefered method of spinning, as spindles are inexpensive and easily portable.

I am not quite familiar enough with spinning wheels to talk much about them. I have a small one that doesn’t work, and intend to get a larger one that does sometime in the future. The reason I haven’t made the plunge yet is because A) they’re expensive (the cheapest being at least a few hundred bucks, and I’ve seen some go for upwards of $5,000) and B) they take up a good bit of space. For years, my spindles have served me well, so I’m in no rush. Eventually it’ll happen, when I have the money to spend and can make room in our small home.

Try it, you'll love it!

In summary, if you haven’t yet tried to spin your own yarn, you really should give it a go! There are lots of places online where you can find high-quality hand-dyed spinning fibers, as well as handmade spindles. There are books on spinning, videos to get you started, and I’m always just an email away.

Spinning is relaxing (once you get the hang of it) and it really is so much fun to be able to play with all different types and blends of fibers.

If this post inspires you to try your hand at spinning, I’d love to see your pics! Post in the facebook group, or on instagram, and hashtag them RowsAndRosesSpin so I can see what you’ve got going on!