New Patterns NOW Available in Ad-Free PDF! Check out The Pattern Shop

Knitting Through the Loops, Kirsten Kapur

By 39 Comments

Knitting Through the Loops, Kirsten Kapur is a designer of some of the most popular shawls 215GaleZucker_FCbecause of their beauty, was the guest today on the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird.

Kirsten is proud to say she came from a family of crafters. She went to art school and became part of the fashion industry as clothing designer for department store manufacturers, later with fabric designs. When her children came along, it was harder to continue that, but with the internet and blogs, things changed for her. [Read more…]

Jessie at Home, Designer & Blogger

By 7 Comments

Jessie at Home, Designer & Blogger Jessie Rayot was the guest today on the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird. This is part of the continuing series of 000Solid LogoCrochet Bloggers that Marly has featured this year.

Jessie was taught to crochet by her great-grandmother when she was 9. Great-grandma was a perfectionist and pulled out Jessie’s work when it was wrong, much to the consternation of other adults in her world. She says now, that when she has to rip something out, she’s not afraid of it and would prefer to get it right than finish it and never use it because it was wrong. [Read more…]

How to Knit: Drop Stitch Cowl

By Leave a Comment

LW4697_449
CLICK HERE for Drop Stitch Knit Cowl Free Pattern

Drop Stitch Cowl by Cathy Payson is just one of the many wonderful free patterns over at RedHeart.com. This cowl is part of their ‘Learn a Stitch, Make a Cowl’ series and I just LOVE IT!

This is my first knit video in my new partnership with Red Heart and I can’t even begin to tell you how much I enjoyed working on the step-outs for this video. Honestly, I’ve been wearing the sample for a couple weeks and I’ve gotten so many compliments on it!

Now, you too can make this fun and fast cowl. With the free crochet pattern and the free video tutorial taught by me, Marly Bird you will have nothing but success.

*Disclaimer: this post includes affiliate links**

[Read more…]

How To Read: Sidewalk Shawl Crochet Chart

By 9 Comments

Wow, you all really enjoyed the How to Crochet: the Sidewalk Shawl video. Thank you for all the kind words regarding that video and the chart! I just knew many of you (including the designer herself, Kimberley McAlindin) would appreciate a chart for this fantastic pattern. It makes it so much easier to follow along, right?

Sidewalk Shawl Pattern Chart by Marly Bird

Well, incase you are not exactly sure how to read the Sidewalk Shawl crochet chart for this pattern I’ve done another video tutorial to walk you though some simple steps on how to read the chart and use the written instructions to ensure success.

The best way to view this video: 1. Download the pattern from Red Heart

2. Click the Sidewalk Chart image above to get a larger view of the chart and save to your computer

3. Watch the video and let me talk to you about reading the chart

Now you are ready to gather your materials, watch the video for the Sidewalk Shawl and get started!

If you have questions please don’t hesitate to ask me and I will help you as much as I can. I can’t wait to see all your projects!


Shibaguyz, Shannon and Jason Mullett-Bowlsby

By 19 Comments

Shibaguyz, Shannon and Jason Mullett-Bowlsby,  were the guests on the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird today. ‘Shiba’ as in they have THREE Shiba Inu, so with Marly’s dogs we could have come canine contributions here too!

The name ‘Shibaguyz Designz’ actually came from their dogs, when they visit neighborhood markets with their dogs, three Shiba Inus, that attract a lot of attention and became known locally as the ‘guys with the Shiba Inus’. Their background includes ballroom dance (and some tap) on Shannon’s part, for 20 years danced professionally, competition and also taught. About five years ago, he walked away from that to get started designing, meeting with Drew Emborsky and Leisure Arts at their first TNNA. [Read more…]

Author Kari Chapin

By 15 Comments

Author Kari Chapin was the guest on this Happy Tuesday episode of Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird. Marly had seen her book ‘Handmade Marketplace in the bookstore and feel in love with it, wrote her herself to be on the program.

Kari Chapin told us in her background story that she lived in Denver, Marly’s neck of the woods, and remembers a bookstore she loved and being especially excited to go back and see her book in it’s shelves. Growing up, Kari actually split her time between two sets of parents, her one set who were very entrepreneurial and bohemian and the other traditional. She realizes she identifies with the one side more. She learned a few stitches of crochet in grade school to make Easter Baskets and that began her knowing that creating things by hand became her passion. She still crochets, embroidery, pottery, needle felting and of course writing.  When she fell in love with needle felting, she was inspired to write Feltlicious with Kerri Wessel, published in 2013. She has also worked with creating collages and work with her art background. She admits she wanted to be involved in the arts by way of promoting them, but not by being in the limelite. She says it was more important to her that artists be properly supported (or paid) and in promoting them.

[Read more…]