Fresh Designs Crochet call for submissions: a little bird is tweeting

Malabrigo Rasta - single skein projects. Hats, Designs for Men, Toys?

Malabrigo Rios - single and multiple skein projects. Rios is a superwash - think Kids and Home as well as Designs for Men and Hats.

Nazli Gelin cotton crochet thread - fresh, modern thread crochet projects (doilies included). Home, of course - also wonderful for Bags. How about Toys?

Fresh Designs Crochet call for submissions information (including inspiration boards) and online submission form are available at Cooperative Press. 

Fresh Designs Crochet: Designs for Me

Postcard scan from modashell on FlickrOne of the things I've noticed about knit/crochet items intended for wear by men is the use of sturdy, "manly" yarns. Practical! Washable! Graaaar! In my experience, though, there are a lot of men who really like the feel of soft fibers - cashmere, silk, alpaca - especially in items worn next to the skin. One of my besties likes wearing fabrics that invite touching. What can you do with a soft, comfortable feeling yarn in a design for a man?

People come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. How would you design a sweater for a barrel-chested man? A surfer with broad shoulders and a narrow waist? A big bear of a man with a belly?

The color story for Fresh Designs Crochet: Designs for Men is "Vintage Postcard" - olive green, forest green, chocolate brown, burnt orange, bright reds, turquoise blues, slate gray, black, and cream.

Fresh Designs Crochet call for submissions information (including inspiration boards) and online submission form are available at Cooperative Press. 

Fresh Designs Crochet: Kids

photo by Steve Koukoulas

The color story for Fresh Designs Crochet: Kids is jelly beans - bright candy colors. Yarns already being used in this book include Berroco Vintage DK in Wasabi, Knit Picks Shine Sport in Clementine, and Knit Picks Imagination Handpaint in Mermaid Lagoon - bright colors and comfortable, wearable fibers. I'm particularly interested in featuring indie dyed yarns in this book; most sock yarns are durable and machine-washable, and make great layering pieces. Speaking of sock yarns, Kids, along with Designs for Men, includes socks. Toe-up socks in particular. I'm also looking for onesies, rompers, and pants.

Please keep in mind that the Kids book is for garments and accessories; all toys will be in the Toys book.

Fresh Designs Crochet call for submissions information (including inspiration boards) and online submission form are available at Cooperative Press. 

 

Fresh Designs Crochet: Toys

photo by Wouter Beugelsdijk

The color story for Fresh Designs Crochet: Toys is "treehouse" - as with the other inspiration boards, the color story isn't necessarily the theme, but if it inspires you, go with it!

Toys aren't just for kids - take a look at the Blythe Blythe Blythe! Flickr group, for example. I've got a Pullip doll myself - and an iPhone, which is really just as much a toy as a tool. These are all toys that can be accessorized and customized - and I'd love to see submission proposals for accessories and companion pieces for toys. Clothes for a teddy bear? A teddy bear for a doll? a sleeve that makes an e-book reader look like a teddy bear?

One of the thoughts I've had about Blythe and Pullip dolls lately is that it would be really nice to have custom-made wig stands, hat stands, and dress forms. I've got a couple of ideas about how I could crochet one - how about you?

Fresh Designs Crochet call for submissions

Fresh Designs Crochet: Inspiration Board (Hats)

Photo: "Foliage" by Robyn Jay

The color story for Fresh Designs Crochet: Hats is "Foliage" - which is a pretty broad-ranging color story, since that includes all the seasons and plants of all sorts. While the color stories aren't necessarily intended to be a theme, if the inspiration strikes that way, I say run with it. Hats are worn all year round in all kinds of climates; what kind of foliage evokes a hat for hot, humid days? a walk in cool, windy woods? sinking up to your knees in snow? a rainy season?

More recently, I read Turning Writers Into M*********** Rockstars on the Terrible Minds blog (FYI, the blog post title and body include strong language). It includes:

Writers are so polite. Their hobbies tend to match. “Oh, I collect first editions of classic American novels!” “I crochet!” “I have a sugar glider named Lord Byron!”

We’re done with that. It’s time to crank up the volume knob, break it off, and stab the shard of plastic into someone’s neck. Authors need bigger, badder, waaaaay more f*****-up hobbies.

Crochet is polite? The writer, Chuck Wendig, probably hasn't heard about yarnbombing/yarnstorming or the Crochet Liberation Front. It got me to wondering on Twitter what a crocheted Rockstar Writer hat could look like, and over the weekend, I started playing around with some ideas myself. I'd love to see yours.