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I am really pleased to be able to let you know that my Floral Queen 3-Way Twin Set features in Crochet Foundry Magazine's March 2024 issue. I really love this design so it has been very hard to hold on to the secret until the public launch of this issue last Friday, 16th March 2024.
The issue includes the full pattern along with adjustment suggestions to make it just how you want it plus styling tips plus I even contributed an article on Crocheting in Spring and a recipe for a delicious bean burger that we like to make whenever we have a barbecue to this issue. And that's just my contribution; there are lots more beautiful patterns and some recipes too from the other designers in this issue. I was really impressed with how much information Crochet Foundry asked us to include in order to make the pattern work well for all readers and give some background to the designers and the design itself. Do take a look and see if your next project might be in there!
The set is an eye-catching addition to your summer wardrobe that is so flexible to wear that you’ll feel you have a different outfit each time you wear it! This also enables it to work well with a range of different outfits, e.g. you could wear both with jeans for a fun festival outfit; just the frilled part with a plain dress for an elegant event or use the bright tube top under a dark satin trouser suit for a dramatic evening look.
The v-stitch is such a fast, relaxing stitch to work you’ll be surprised how soon you’re ready to wear your outfit and the ribbing and flowers are fun to work details that are still easy enough to work on in front of your favorite TV series.
My inspiration for this project comes from summer last year when I had the wonderful experience of designing Twisted Tunisian Top for Crochet Foundry! On Friday 23rd June, I was interviewed live on the Furls YouTube channel about the design for the top. If you couldn't join us, here's a link to the recording. The interviewer shared one of her projects, a sweet bag embellished with a cameo style portrait of a woman wearing her hair styled on top of her head and looking rather regal. When I saw the next call for floral, festival wear designs for Crochet Foundry, I tried to picture what the woman on the bag would wear to a festival with a floral theme and came up with the idea of a strapless top and an elegant cloak/capelet strewn with flowers.
I set to work swatching and sketching and a few days later it was ready to send in to Crochet Foundry. Just imagine how excited I was when I got the email to let me know my design was selected! As always, it was a great experience working with the team at Crochet Foundry. They were so kind, friendly and helpful even as the magazine changed hands and everyone was busy with the handover they found time to answer our questions and explain how the new set up would work.
Before too long, I had the lovely shades of the Knit Picks Aloft in Cosmopolitan and Knit Picks Palette in Cosmopolitan, Sagebrush, Mai Tai Heather and Fuchsia. I would absolutely recommend using these yarns if you can. They were so lovely to work with and really perfect for this particular project where my main fear was that the ribbing wouldn't be springy enough to hold the top up but the bounciness of the highland wool in the Palette and the lightness of the Aloft worked perfectly. I still added instructions for a risk free solution to prevent slippage that allows you to wear the top without fear of flashing if your yarn isn't as stretchy or if you don't have a bust to help hold it in place.
I was also sent a beautiful Furls Streamline Laurel 3.75 mm (F) hook for the ribbing (ignore the G hook in the photos; I picked up the wrong hook!) and flowers; a Furls Streamline Laurel 5mm (J) hook that I used for the cape; plus a lovely wooden needle case too. I love using that so much and have to say that since then I've always been able to find a needle to weave in my ends (I still don't always get to those as quickly as I should though!) I should also say that the wooden hooks were so smooth that they were ideal for the fluffy yarns. In the past I've switched to metal hooks to get enough slip wool and mohair yarns but here I really didn't feel any need to do that.
When the pattern was complete, it was checked by a Technical Editor who ensures that we include all the information you need and checks our maths, spelling, grammar, adherence to the style specified by Crochet Foundry so the terms used are familiar to all its readers and probably much, much more that I haven't realised! I always learn something new from the feedback when I have people check the pattern for me. It's a great way for a designer to develop their skills.
Seeing the final magazine was lovely. The photographs in this issue are so summery and the yarns chosen are some of my favourite colours. I can't wait to use the recipe I included to make lunch as soon as the weather is barbecue friendly. I'd never written down the right quantities before so it will be handy not having to add more of this and more of that until it finally works like I usually do!
Pattern: Floral Queen 3-way Twin Set
Published in: the March issue of Crochet Foundry Magazine.
Yarn: Knit Picks Aloft in Cosmopolitan and Knit Picks Palette in Cosmopolitan, Sagebrush, Mai Tai Heather and Fuchsia
Hook: Furls Streamline Laurel 3.75mm (F) and 5mm (H)
Recipe: Veggie Bean Burgers
Do let me know if you make the Floral Queen 3-way Twin Set (or the bean burgers). I'm always so excited when I see that someone has used one of my patterns! I love to get comments on my blog too, so do let me know your thoughts on the design or ask any questions you have below.