#natash robarge

[professorpski]

Interweave Crochet, Summer 2021

The 14 projects here cover a wide range. The cover features two novelty items:  the Floating on Waves Tank by Natalie Thomas (see the top right corner which reveals its back look) to the Ananas (French for pineapple) Drawstring bag by Deborah Bagley.

There are also two pretty wraps as well as two cowls. My favorite here is a clever filet crochet design by Adinda Hening called Alinea Wrap which is an easy pattern and shown here in Schweepes Whirl, a long yardage, cotton blend which shifts color as it goes. It is only a 1 out of 4 for difficulty and makes me think I have underestimated the geometric playfulness of filet crochet.

Several more sweaters appear including the purple Pomelo Cardigan by Natasha Robarge in Hikoo Concentric Cotton which is a worked from the bottom up. This is a more difficult pattern at 3 out of 4.

Kirsten Joel designed the Fluid Lines Coverup which is open in the back save for 5 buttons at the top. I can see figuring out a way to add a flare to it and shutting it down the back to avoid that I-am-wearing-a-hospital-gown feeling. It is made from Fibra Natura Flax Lace linen yarn and is a 3 out of 4 for difficulty.

Kathryn A. White wrote the technical article on shaping filet crochet, and Jennifer Mogoyne wrote on three great crochet designers, some of whose work has appeared recently in the magazine’s pages: Dora Ohrenstein, Lily M. Chin, and Doris Chan.

Find it at your local yarn store, bookstore, or online here: https://www.interweave.com/crochet/

[professorpski]

Interweave Crochet, Fall 2020

It’s fall and the people at Interweave Crochet are in a nesting mood if the fall cover with toys is any indication. There is a deer and a flying squirrel, complete with goggles, as well as a feature article on how to design on the hook “Clothes for Critters” by Brenda K. Anderson which will convince you of the instant gratification of making a hat for a stuffed rabbit. Yes, there are slits for the floppy ears to go through and a tiny pompom. If everyone in my extended family wasn’t all grown up, I would be whipping out tiny hats and matching scarves.

There are also several sweaters and I show you close ups of my two favorites. The yoked Beechnut Cardigan by Moon Edridge is at intermediate difficulty (3 out of 4) and is worked from the top down and shaped at the back for a better fit at the shoulders. Cascade Yarn’s Aegean Tweed is the wool yarn used, a DK or light worsted. I could see this in all sorts of autumnal color combinations: brown and pumpkin, pumpkin and gold, brown and gold, sugar maple and brown--just typing these makes me want to go walk in the woods although the leaves haven’t yet turned. The Jerez Pullover by Natasha Robarge is an advanced pattern with done with joined turned rounds from the top down in GGH Merino Soft. Back post and front post stitches create the sophisticated stitch pattern which counters the tendency of crochet to appear as horizontal lines. In the same photo, you see the Maipo Stole is a lovely, large one by Blazenka Simic-Boro worked lengthwise with shells and v-stitches in two patterns to create the border and the body. This is made in Manos del Uruguay Alegria a merino wool blend.

I also offer you the back page to show you the other sweaters, cowls, and housewares including giant acorns. You can find it at your local yarn store, craft store, bookstore or newsstand, as well as online here: https://www.interweave.com/crochet/