Marly Bird

YouTube Instructor, Knitter, Crocheter, Teacher, Friend

  • Patterns
    • Crochet Patterns
    • Knitting Patterns
    • Planned Pooling
    • Marly Bird Crochet Along
    • Marly Bird Knit Along
    • Classic and Colorful Crochet Sock Workshop
    • Bicrafty-champions-workshop
  • Videos
  • Blog
    • Craft Inspiration
    • Giveaways
    • Round Ups
    • Reviews
  • About
    • Newsletter Sign up
    • Contact
    • Media
    • Terms of Use || Privacy Policy

April 17, 2017 By admin 39 Comments

A Garden of Shawls by Karen Whooley

A Garden of Shawls by Karen Whooley

A Garden of Shawls by Karen Whooley is the book we shared on Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird today, and crochet loveliness abounds!

Karen says: I learned to crochet at the age of 7. My Nonna (Italian for “grandmother”) taught me to crochet one summer when my younger sister and I were visiting with her.   Nonna didn’t teach me from patterns. Since she only could speak Italian, any pattern I brought her we used a magnifying glass and figured out the pattern from the photos.  I didn’t learn how to read a pattern until I taught myself in my teenage years from Leisure Arts booklets! Because I learned to crochet from photos and word-of-mouth, I have always been a designer.  Even when I could read a pattern, I always changed up the item, from construction to how it was edged, and even the stitch pattern. Just about everything I made was inspired by the patterns, not from the pattern directly.

And that is how I got started designing!  Back in 1998, I met one of my favorite designers online in an internet forum.  She saw the work that I would display on my personal website that was just basically a photo album, and convinced me to submit some original designs!  The very first ones were purchased and off my design career went! After all these years, I still love designing!  Over the years I have been lucky to work with some of the best yarn and publishing companies out there. You will see my work all over.  But my heart has always been in self-publishing!  I have self-published several books over the years and more will be coming!

Karen’s new book, A Garden of Shawls includes 12 beautiful lace shawls that evoke that feeling of being in a beautiful garden.  Made with either fingering or lace weight yarns each shawl will inspire you to create your own slice of heaven.

The projects are worked using lace weight to fingering weight yarns – all from indie hand dyers – and are suitable for every crocheter who is comfortable with basic crochet stitches.  Each pattern includes charts, a special stitches section, as well as written text to help the crafter work easily and comfortably through the pattern.  The book also contains hints and information on how to adjust the shawls to work with heavier yarns and to customize a design to your personal taste.

Follow Karen Whooley through her website: www.KarenWhooley.com. There is also her Ravelry Designer page. She can be found in other social media locations as well, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You can hear Karen’s previous visit to the Yarn Thing podcast in 2014.

If you missed getting to watch this LIVE check Marly’s Facebook page for the behind-the-scenes video from her Birds of a Feather Studio or listen to archived audio episode: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/yarnthing/2017/04/18/garden-of-shawls-by-karen-whooley

Filed Under: Show Notes Tagged With: show notes, shownotes

Previous Post: « 7 Months of Scrubby Fruit Washcloth Patterns
Next Post: How to Knit Simple Lace Triangle Shawl »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Julie-anna smith says

    April 18, 2017 at 11:28 am

    Totally neat how you learned from your grandma karen and the Italian lace

    Reply
  2. Rhonda says

    April 18, 2017 at 11:40 am

    I can’t wait to check Karen’s patterns out! Italian Lace! Bella!

    Reply
  3. Sabrina Templin says

    April 18, 2017 at 12:14 pm

    I love soooo many things Italian. I’d love to learn the art of Italian lace work. Thank you for an interesting podcast 🙂

    Reply
  4. Kassandra Grant says

    April 18, 2017 at 12:43 pm

    I’ve been dying to get this book. Karen’s patterns are gorgeous! Italian lace

    Reply
  5. Juanita Quinones says

    April 18, 2017 at 2:01 pm

    If all the patterns in Garden of Shawls were inspired by italian lace then I would love to make them all.
    Thanks for the opporrunity. Wonderful podcast as always.

    Reply
  6. Chris Lopez says

    April 18, 2017 at 3:37 pm

    This is a beautiful book. The designs really highlight the beauty of Italian Lace.

    Reply
  7. Valerie Mizgalski says

    April 18, 2017 at 8:54 pm

    Love the look of Italian lace!!

    Reply
  8. Katie says

    April 19, 2017 at 4:52 am

    This sounds like such a great book! i just love Italian lace!

    Reply
  9. Kathy Itson says

    April 19, 2017 at 6:41 am

    Italian Lace how inspiring! I have just started crocheting and I would love to do one of your patterns. Thanks for sharing with us. Great podcast.

    Reply
  10. Michelle says

    April 19, 2017 at 8:53 am

    Italian Lace…I would love a shawl pattern called Italian Ice, one of my favorite summer time treats! I see a lemony yellow and lots of open work. Thanks for a wonderful interview ladies.

    Reply
  11. Mary Radhuber says

    April 19, 2017 at 9:50 am

    I would love to learn more about Italian Lace!

    Reply
  12. bookskt19 says

    April 19, 2017 at 8:49 pm

    Would love to see this book full of Italian lace! Just started recently getting into shawls-this would be perfect! 🙂

    Reply
  13. Trisha says

    April 19, 2017 at 10:50 pm

    Italian lace would be fun to learn. Now I’m anxious to look at pictures of it.

    Reply
  14. Ida Williamson says

    April 20, 2017 at 9:56 am

    My Italian grandma taught me to crochet as well and I will definitely check out the Italian Lace!

    Reply
  15. Elisa Avellana says

    April 20, 2017 at 12:22 pm

    Loved this book!!! i would looooooove to have it! I have Karen,s bag class from Craftsy and it s excellent!

    Reply
  16. karla smith says

    April 20, 2017 at 2:49 pm

    I’m totally with you on crocheting in lighter weight yarn. Excited to hear about Italian lace originating in PacNW!
    Thanks, Marly, for spreading the needle craft word.

    Reply
  17. Michelle Brewer says

    April 20, 2017 at 10:12 pm

    I have never worked with anything like Italian lace. I would live to make the beautiful shawls!!

    Reply
  18. Katie says

    April 21, 2017 at 2:12 am

    The Italian lace looks so beautiful! i want to make one if the shawls!

    Reply
  19. Amberly says

    April 21, 2017 at 12:40 pm

    I love her Italian lace inspired shawls. Crochet lace is one of my favourite things to make.

    Reply
  20. Vicki L Lynch says

    April 21, 2017 at 9:13 pm

    I enjoyed hearing why you love Italian Lace, the story of how you got in the industry and that your publishing company is named for a song your grandpa sang to you.

    Reply
  21. Melody Corso says

    April 22, 2017 at 12:50 pm

    I love the podcast and have been a long time listener. I would love to see how Italian lace is done and would love to make some of the lacy shawls! I love listening to the show. Kudos to Marly and Tammy!!!

    Reply
  22. Kathy Reagan says

    April 22, 2017 at 3:08 pm

    I would love to make one of Karen’s shawl using Italian Lace for my blue eyed daughter!

    Reply
  23. Mimi says

    April 23, 2017 at 1:04 am

    Great podcast! I think the shawls are lovely. Hooray for Italian Lace!

    Reply
  24. Alicia A says

    April 24, 2017 at 8:17 am

    I would love to try my hand at Italian lace. Fun to listen to the process of making the book. Grandma love!

    Reply
  25. Amy says

    April 24, 2017 at 9:51 pm

    It was so nice to hear Karen on the show. I took a class from her several years ago, and have been ogling her book since it came out. I didn’t know her inspiration was Italian lace. Gorgeous.

    Reply
  26. Judi C says

    April 25, 2017 at 10:32 am

    Beautiful shawls. I’d love to learn more about Italian Lace and other crochet techniques.

    Reply
  27. Colleen McAvoy says

    April 25, 2017 at 11:16 am

    I have been trying to learn a variety of lace techniques. My grandmother grew up making Irish Lace Crochet. Italian Lace would just be a wonderful addition to my skill set.

    Reply
  28. Linda says

    April 25, 2017 at 2:23 pm

    Can’t wait to do Italian lace shawl.

    Reply
  29. Katherine Zammit Marmara says

    April 25, 2017 at 8:10 pm

    The thought of Italian lace sounds devine. I haven’t delved into many lace projects, but I love the idea of elegant shawls that won’t be too difficult for a beginner

    Reply
  30. Leanne says

    April 25, 2017 at 8:30 pm

    The shawls in this book look so pretty. They remind me of Italian lace. I love to crochet, so these patterns seem right up my alley.

    Reply
  31. amy says

    April 26, 2017 at 11:38 am

    lovely Italian lace shawls.

    Reply
  32. jodiebodie says

    April 27, 2017 at 11:30 pm

    I have loved and appreciated Karen Whooley’s patterns for a long, long, time and would love to see her Italian Lace inspired Garden of Shawls on my bookshelf. It is so beautiful that Karen honours her grandparents with her crochet. Crochet is a great way to feel connected to one’s ancestors. I come from a line of Dutch knitters and crochet and it feels good to be able to continue on the tradition.
    Congratulations, Karen, on your publishing company and its first beautiful book.
    Marly, I totally agree with your back announcement that Karen is so encouraging to others etc. When I was first learning to make socks, I sent her a question and was so thrilled that “the designer herself”responded to my query. Thanks Ladies for a nice podcast today.

    Reply
  33. Steph says

    May 1, 2017 at 10:46 am

    I love the heritage of using her grandmother’s Italian lace patterns!

    Reply
  34. Kavita Deepchand says

    May 5, 2017 at 2:30 am

    Italian lace shawls are so delicate and pretty. I’d love to knit one.

    Reply
  35. Holly Exton says

    May 6, 2017 at 2:38 pm

    Your book sounds great and Italian Lace is beautiful!!

    Reply
  36. loretta1031 says

    May 8, 2017 at 4:09 pm

    My Italian nana also taught me to crochet, and Italian lace doilies were throughout her home <3 Good memories. The best!

    Reply
  37. Brenda Ocker says

    May 10, 2017 at 10:24 am

    Great interview with Karen. Opened me up to a new designer and new ideas. Can’t wait to try some of her Italian Lace patterns and buy her book.

    Reply
  38. Sarah Short says

    May 10, 2017 at 11:12 am

    Karen’s patterns look beautiful! I can’t wait to try my hand at Italian Lace!

    Reply
  39. Mary Kay Smith says

    June 2, 2017 at 3:20 pm

    I’d never heard of Italian lace before this podcast. Can’t wait to check out this beautiful book!

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search The Marly Bird Site

MARLYBIRD.COM is a division of YARNSPORTS. LLC

  • Patterns
  • Videos
  • Blog
  • About

Copyright © 2022 · Yarnsport LLC

  • Patterns
    • Crochet Patterns
    • Knitting Patterns
    • Planned Pooling
    • Marly Bird Crochet Along
    • Marly Bird Knit Along
    • Classic and Colorful Crochet Sock Workshop
    • Bicrafty-champions-workshop
    • Back
  • Videos
  • Blog
    • Craft Inspiration
    • Giveaways
    • Round Ups
    • Reviews
    • Back
  • About
    • Newsletter Sign up
    • Contact
    • Media
    • Terms of Use || Privacy Policy
    • Back