Annie's Signature Designs // Spring Collection

Annie's Signature Designs are soon to publish their new spring collection which is a mix of high fashion and cozy home crochet patterns.

The collection was envisioned by Annie’s Lead Designer Lena Skvagerson, who draws from her years of experience in the European yarn and crochet design markets, and Crochet! Magazine Editor Connie Ellison, who provides expertise from a successful merchandise career.

“At Annie’s, we listen to the needs of today’s crocheters and design garments and wearables that people will wear every day and that are flattering on a broad range of body types,” says Skvagerson.
The selection of designs includes cardigans, sweaters, tees, tunics, shawls, afghans, baskets and more.

Visit AnniesSignatureDesigns" to view the current collection

My Latest Interview with Fakulteti.MK

Welcome to my latest interview with Fakulteti.MK.

It is a web-site dedicated to high educational institutions in Macedonia and their aim is to aid future students choose their majors and direct present students towards acquiring and increasing their knowledge, skills, scholarships and jobs.

I translated it for you with some slight adaptations. Enjoy!

Maya Kuzman has been teaching ESL for 18 years in a primary school in Skopje. She is one of the first bloggers in Macedonia and the success and the incredible reaction to The Little Treasures has motivated her to create her brand which exists for almost 9 years. 

Inspired by traditions and childhood memories of the talented women she grew up with, Maya Kuzman has been creating art for almost 10 years. Her mixed textile and crochet jewelry designs delight the world. One of the most prestigious, creativity inspiring magazine - Artful Blogging, invited her to tell the story of her blog and brand  The Little Treasures.

Childhood Inspired

Fakulteti.mk tells her story - Maya was pleased to reminisce her childhood and her family where traditions were deeply rooted and respected and handmade work as its important and inseparable segment was of paramount importance.

The women in my family were dedicated to handmade work - whether out of necessity or pure pleasure, sweaters, scarves and hats were knit, tablecloths and doilies were crocheted and clothes were sewn. We, the children, were always intertwined in this natural process and encouraged to create and develop our skills. From my first, uneven, crooked stitches, through glass, paper and clay beads, here I am where my play never ceases and I cherish it lovingly - she says. 

She is one of the first bloggers in Macedonia. The success and the great feedback of The Little Treasures have motivated her to create her brand of 9 years. Her daughter Eva is a proud brand ambassador. 

In the creative community she is mostly known for her necklaces and cuff-bracelets.

I am satisfied that I already have as circle of constant clients. Today with the help of the internet, it is very easy to catch the interest of many people. Social media has been increasingly helpful and I love using them. The reactions are wonderful and they are an everlasting source of will and energy for me to continue doing what I do. 

Precious stones and gold has never been her material of choice or desire to use them in her creations. 

I was always attracted to handmade mixed media jewelry, a kind that carries a special story with itself and one that provokes most different feelings. I love the metal called zamak which I use in my oriental pieces, then there is my personal favourite and the most important material - the cotton thread, but I also lean towards and love using different textiles. The lace and the wooden beads are my weakness. 

As a teacher she believes teachers should be inspiring with their hobbies and interests they cherish.

Both as a parent and a teacher, I believe that it is of exceptional importance the teacher to be a creative person. Creativity is the key for the emotional development of children, it invigorates innovation with children, encourages them to explore new horizons, urges them to seek new challenges and solutions. I want my classes to be creative an inspirational, so I indulge in a creative play with the younger learners where we create and express ourselves through different media, while with the senior students, the creative process is more subtle and set on a different level - she explains. 

She was invited by the online journal Artful Blogging to tell her story for their summer issue.

Artful Blogging is a visually-inspiring online journal. Its name says it all. Blogging qualified as art. It is a magazine dedicated to the creative blogging community, where bloggers are invited to share their stories accompanied by engaging and enchanting photography. 

Currently Maya Kuzman is focused on her children's collection "Bohemian Babies", and she is designing her  spring collection of jewelry and accessories inspired by the 1950s. 

I want to thank you if you managed to read through the end! 
I appreciate it!

Types of Crochet: Bavarian Crochet

 

 

 

Bavarian crochet or also known as the Bavarian square is a beautiful and unique way to add texture to a project by using different colors for a vivid and bright look.

 

The Bavarian square is made of flowers in one color set at the center and outlined with a second color.  These outlines are created by working back post stitches around the outside of the flowers. The pattern increases in flowered rounds.

 

These squares can be joined together just like ordinary granny squares for amazing colorful projects. Not just perfect for afghans,  blankets or potholders, but also for some innovative use like hats and shawls. I imagine a skirt. You?

Tutorial here and here.

 

Instagram Inspiration Monday

 

lysenkocrochet
mano_jasu
thoresbycottage
 sina_crafts
viv_hensteeth



 

Lattice Warmers

 

 

My holiday is slipping away quietly, almost unnoticeably; the days filled with long mornings in bed, coffees and blog reading, topped with crochet and marathon series watching at night are soon to be over and I feel almost sad. 

 

To cheer myself up, I made myself these cute warmers. Not that they are going to keep me warm in the freezing temps, but a girl can never have too many fancy warmers if you ask me! I was so immersed into work, I forgot to take a picture of them spread out so that you can see the pattern, but it is beau.ti.ful and I am all set now to insert a boxed piece of the pattern onto a sweater.

 



 

 

Have a nice weekend and I'll talk to you on Monday!

Mix & Match: Golden Meadow Necklace

 

 

The purging and clearing of heavily burdened boxes spilling out my crochet treasures continues in the new year and the end is nowhere to be seen!

I am literally out of my wits, wondering what to do with this alpinic proportions of said treasures and I know I should be thanking the heavens more for having a husband that effortlessly deals with these yarn and textile outbursts!

 

The first handling was rather successful (I think) for I have used several tubes for this necklace and a handful of flowers. I actually didn't snap any before pictures because I was competing with the daylight and it won :P.

 

I slid three different size tubes onto the main one and sewed the flowers in the arrangement that you see and that I liked most.

The pattern for the tubes is here and the one for the gerberas is here. The others are product of my whims - as always.

 

We also have kits for the tubes and you might want to check out those too.



Grey Wramers and Kerchief

Hello world! Happy Monday!

The time has stopped in my corner of the world and we are still in a lounge mode and we'll be for a couple of more days. Still off the hook and just soaking up family time, drawing, sketching and designing every now and then, but I do have to show you something new -  another of the non-planned sets I've made recently.

This time the set is in grey and both the kerchief  and the warmers are the same in pattern as the burgundy one, the only difference being the size of yarn.

Size of yarn is making quite a difference this year. Everywhere I look there are chunky sweaters bubbling with patterns and bobbles (which I got addicted to, too easily) and I get the impression that designers are competing who's going to make a chunkier one... or am I mistaken? Makes you want to stop at the yarn shop and buy a load. Sadly, my stash lacks such but I do feel tempted yarn buddies. I think I might succumb to it.

What's your preference when it comes to yarn size?



The set is in our shop

Coffee, anyone?

 

 

Welcome to the first post of the new year dear blog buddies! Come on in! Would you like a cup of coffee? Make yourself at home while I fetch the cookies.

 

I don't know about you, but I have taken this week rather slowly. Not longsomely tiring to be precise. I stayed off the hook and off my real time work, watched my favourite shows on TV and listened to a lot of music. Visited friends and family. Also, keeping my notebook close by, I roughly outlined the drafts for my spring jewelry collection that draws inspiration from the '50s. It's going to be lots of work, but I cannot wait to start crafting.

 

I doubt I am the only crocheter who entered the new year with all the crochet projects finished :)

So there are a lot of projects to be finished yet, but these cute cup coasters are the ones that were started and finished at the end of December. I just love when I can dedicate myself fully on a project and finish it promptly.

 

How about you? How did your first week of January go?



✶✶✶Happy New Year✶✶✶

May 2019 be a starry one for you!

The Best of TLT: 2018 in Review

 

 

The last day of this year has come and it is time to show the highlights of the year in review.

 

This year I am showing closely picked posts that got more than 3k of views, the flower bookmarks being the leader and that post made quite a stir in the crochet community.

 

 

Next in line is the Granny top, closely followed by the Unicorn Headbands. Boy, did I enjoy making both!

 

 

 

 

Then there are the Larksfoot Warmers Pattern and the Rose and Bead Necklace which was also the most popular on instagram.

 

 

 

We had 4 major features this year:

1.  Artful Blogging

2. Craft Business

 3. Folt Bolt

4. The Urban Tag Show on a national TV.

Some small statistics:
In 2018 we had shared 21 DIY tutorials and 25 crochet patterns and tutorials. In retrospect, an incredibly successful year for my blog and small business.

What was hot in the past years:

Best of 2017
Best of 2016

Best of 2015

Best of 2014

Best of 2013

Best of 2012

Best of 2011

Faux Fur Mori Collar

 

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The making of this faux fur collar was inspired by the Mori trend. It is an enchanting accessory with which you can add that extra something to a plain winter coat or a dress. It will make you feel like coming out of a winter wonderland fairytale; feminine, seductive and romantic, bewitchingly fascinating with a sprinkle of mystery about yourself.


The collar is dark coral pink in color. It is 102 cm long and 25 cm wide. Its length allows you to experiment with wearing styles - wear it hung down over your coat / jacket, wrapped around your shoulders or wrapped around your neck. It is lined with a gorgeous, vintage resembling linen. It has lace ties.

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Loopy Warmers and a Mori Kercheif

Here's another set of of accessories I made recently. Though they may look like a match, they are not part of a set, because the burgundy yarn I chose for both headscarf and warmers is not only different in shade but also in size.

For the warmers I used a soft, acrylic mix. They are big and comfy with the loops making quite an effect.

For the scarf I returned to my  inspirational (and a little bit forgotten) mori style, using granny squares for the front part of the headpiece. It is also made of an acrylic mix and bulky yarn. It has long crocheted ties, so it can be tied behind the neck, or under the chin.

Merry Christmas!

via Pinterest

Merry Christmas! May it be a blessed one!

Loopy Crochet Capelet and Warmers

 

 

 

This winter, along with the bobbles, loops became my favourite thing too. And from what I see in the shops and the magazines, they are all the hit right now.

 

 

Using an acrylic mix, I made a capelet and warmers to go with it and added a pom pom ring to top the whole look up.

 

Winter doesn't have to be colorless, dull and dim if you add a little color to it.