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The Return of Designer, Teacher Andi Smith

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The Return of Designer, Teacher Andi Smith was our theme today, it’s been a couple of years since she was on the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird.AndiSmith profile

Right off the bat, Marly revealed a big secret of Andi’s: She’s a crocheter! Andi is known for her book, Big Foot Knits, published in 2013 by Cooperative Press, but she says crochet is what she does to relax. She loves the old Victorian-styled doilies.

Andi Smith is from the Yorkshire area of England, she came to the US for school. She went back to England and came back to the the States where she met and married her husband. An acquaintance gave her name to someone from Ohio looking for sample knitters, [Read more…]

JC Briar of Stitch-Maps has NEW Craftsy Class

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JC Briar of Stitch-Maps has a NEW Craftsy Class to share with us on the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird.JCBriar profile

JC Briar has a very technical mind, she used to write software for a living. That ended with the ‘Dot Com Bust’ in 2002. It sounded like she was ready for that change in her life, because she felt burned out with deadlines and profits were all that mattered. She responded to an ad for a tech editor which expanded her knowledge of pattern development and writing. [Read more…]

Colorful Crochet Lace with Mary Jane Hall

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Colorful Crochet Lace with Mary Jane Hall was the topic for Thursday’s Yarn Thing with Marly Bird. Mary Jane Hall profile pic

We began with a ‘small world’ moment, where Marly remembers the first time she met Mary Jane at a TNNA, they were sat at the same table. At that time, Mary Jane had just written Positively Crochet, every one has come so far since then.

Born in the ‘Deep South’, Mary Jane says she was all over that area of the US. After college, she married her husband and settled in Ohio, where she lives today. Normally, she likes to be shown how to do things, but she learned to crochet from a book, with a little assistance from other ladies she knew.
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Blackberry Boatneck Sweater: A Touch of Class

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Blackberry Boatneck Sweater Pattern image and download link

A perfect sweater to wear any time of year, the Blackberry Boatneck Sweater is a beautiful sheer piece that looks great over a simple camisole paired with jeans or a nice skirt. Knit top-down in stockinette for the upper body and a simple lace for the body and sleeve cuffs; this piece is a rather relaxing project.

Subtle a-line shaping around the body and the natural stretch of the lace make this sweater fit nicely around the body. You can adjust where you begin the lace portion if you are more ample and want a bit more room between your bust and the start of the lace. At the same time, I think the lace portion, as written, looks very nice where it lands on the bust.

Honestly, I think this boatneck sweater would be beautiful on any body type.

Free Knit Pattern Blackberry Boatneck Sweater by Marly Bird™ Download link

The Yarn, The Stitch Patterns, And The Neckline

Let’s talk about the yarn I used because that is what really makes this piece PERFECT!

As a designer, I try really hard to pick the perfect yarn for each of my projects. However, I must be honest. For this one, I didn’t choose this amazing yarn. It was the editor of the magazine it was originally published in, so I can’t take credit. Jen Burt really did make the perfect pairing.

This awesome top-down knit sweater is made all the more beautiful because of the yarn. SweetGeorgia Yarns Silk Mist is a perfect combination of mohair and silk. This coupling creates a perfectly fuzzy, hazy fabric with a little shimmer and strength. It is incredibly soft and wonderful against the skin.

Light weight lacy sweater download link

Knowing that the yarn had a little haze to it, I kept the lace portion of the bodice simple, as the fibers of the yarn obscured the eyelets. But I think the eyelets created with the yarnovers are perfect peek-a-boo’s for the cami you wear underneath.

And what about the neckline? Of course! The neckline is a big feature of the name.

This boatneck sweater has a wide, yet high, neckline, opening all the way beyond halfway across each shoulder. This offers yet another peek-a-boo aspect to the soft-as-silk lacy sweater.

Now that I’ve told you the history behind the sweater, I want to offer you the Blackberry Boatneck Sweater pattern for FREE!

*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links

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Sharon Zientara, Author of 3 Skeins or Less: Quick Crocheted Accessories

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Sharon Zientara, Author of 3 Skeins or Less, Quick Crochet Accessories visited us on the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird. This was her first time visiting, but her experiences in our fiber world were not that of someone who hasn’t had learning opportunities.

Sharon Zientara profile picSharon learned to knit when her mom came and taught knitting her second-grade class. Her mom, Sharon says is an amazing seamstress who did a little of everything. A friend had an alpaca farm in Colorado so she moved there to help out and get paid in yarn, knowing Interweave was nearby. She applied for an internship, worked with Eunny Jang, [Read more…]