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I am really pleased to be able to let you know that my Twisted Tunisian Top pattern is now available in the June issue of Crochet Foundry Magazine. I really love this design so it has been very hard to hold my tongue until the public launch of this issue on Friday, 2nd June 2023. If you would like to make your own version, you can either get a copy of the magazine here or you could leave a comment below this post (after reading!) before the end of June 2023 to tell me what colours you'd want to use for the Twisted Tunisian top and be in with a chance to WIN a downloadable copy of the June issue of Crochet Foundry.
Then you will have the full pattern along with adjustment suggestions to make it just how you want it, styling tips and even a recipe for a delicious snack that we like to make with some of our garden produce. And that's just my contribution; there are four 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 Twisted Tunisian Top is a neat, versatile garment that’s eye catching and really adaptable for different occasions and outfits. I could equally see this being worn at the beach, in the office, at a party or around the home and although designed with summer in mind I feel it could be quite adaptable for other seasons as a layering garment. The model is wearing it over a T-shirt in the magazine's photos but it could certainly work will under another handmade like a shawl, shrug or cardigan or with a jacket.
The simple stitch and block shaping make this a great first garment project with easy seaming and blocking and a subtle, interesting texture. The Tunisian twisted simple stitch is much less prone to curling than the standard simple stitch so it’s perfect for this garment with its interesting neck and hemline!
My inspiration for this project comes from pretty much exactly this time last year when I had the wonderful experience of designing The Woodland Sunrise Hoodie for Crochet Foundry! When they sent me to look for a hook on the Furls site, I became quite entranced by their stunning Tunisian hooks and the top was inspired by the twisty appearance of the hook and created in the hope that I'd get sent back to the Furls site to pick a Tunisian hook next time!
I set to work swatching and sketching and a few days later and sent it in to Crochet Foundry's next call for design submissions. Can you imagine how excited I was when I got the email to let me know my design had been chosen? As always, it was a great experience working with the team at Crochet Foundry. They were so kind, friendly and helpful even when I realised I'd made a mistake with my estimates and given the wrong length for the top.
Before too long, I had the lovely shades of the Lion Brand Pima Cotton yarn in Blueprint and Raincloud colours arrive at my door. My sneaky plan to obtain a lovely wooden Tunisian hook came to naught as they were out of stock but instead I was also sent a beautiful Furls Streamline Laurel 3.75mm (F) hook to use for the straps and a lovely wooden needle case too. 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) and the hook is not just pretty though. It really makes crochet easy with its long, pointed tip and smooth finish.
When the pattern was complete, I needed it tested. The patterns in Crochet Foundry are checked by testers, crafters who make the pattern and give the designer feedback, plus 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 was so lucky to have such great people check the pattern for me.
I was a bit puzzled initially about how to find someone who would test a secret project but the tester of one of my previous patterns Paulina (paulina.s.maraboli on Instagram) was able to take on the task of testing. She was the perfect person as she is a confident crocheter who is fairly new to Tunisian Crochet and that's exactly who I thought might enjoy the pattern. I was amazed at how fast she had it worked up too. We both found that the first panel went quite slowly and then we finished the other three in a very short space of time! I think it's just a stich that takes a few rows to get a really automatic feel. Just look at the stunning light, neutral version of the Woodland Sunrise Cropped Hoodie she created! I get so excited whenever someone has made one of my patterns and sends me a photo of the finished result and when it looks this good - Wow! Paulina gave me lots of helpful feedback too and I was able to improve the pattern ready for Crochet Foundry's Technical Editor to make the final checks. Thanks so much Paulina; it's wonderful to know and work with other creative people.
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 our garden is producing some courgettes. 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!
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.
Pattern: Twisted Tunisian Top
Published in: Crochet Foundry June 2023
Yarn: Lion Brand Pima Cotton in Rain cloud and Blueprint
Hook: Furls Streamline Laurel 3.75mm (F) and 5mm (H)
Recipe: Courgette, sweetcorn and sage fritters
Do let me know if you make the Twisted Tunisian Top (or courgette, sweetcorn and sage fritters). 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.
