Before I started my withdrawal programme, I made a few purchases. These were all very necessary, to prepare for a Freeform Crochet workshop I am doing in June. (Good excuse more like!!). Firstly were a few magazines from lado.etsy.com. These magazines may not be my usual cup of tea, a bit too windy down here in Kerry for these frocks, but what they are doing with crochet, and Irish Crochet Lace at the moment is phenomenal. AND the price of 4 Duplet magazines coming from the Ukraine, cost the same as buying 2 mediocre crochet magazines from Easons... I highly recommend them.
No, you don't have to speak the language! Thankfully they have all the patterns in international crochet symbols. A language I've yet to master, I must admit, but they really are incredible resources. The patterns themselves are beautiful to look at. I am tempted to just draw the patterns and not bother crocheting them at all...
So, I have the books and magazines, what about the yarn? I had just about run out of the cotton thread I bought at last year's workshops, so I needed to get more. I never realised until browsing through folks lace projects on Ravelry, that there was so many types of crochet cotton thread available. Coats, DMC, Clea, Venus, etc... So I did a browse online, and discovered a few places and brands, and here's what I bought.
Eldorado made by Coats from Willow Fabrics. No. 10 - suitable for 1.5mm-1.75mm hook. It came with a free pattern as well, on making little lace bags and edgings.
I've never done any coloured crochet lace, so I thought I'd have to dabble. A range of Coats Anchor variegated pearl cotton (no. 8) from Thread-Mill on EBay, who gave me some lovely free beads as well...And now to my favourite discovery, Yarnstick. UK based, Yarnstick is an online shop dedicated totally to crochet!! That has to be a first for this part of the world. She had so many brands and ranges of size, I couldn't decide which ones to buy. So, I picked out a few, and very cheekily asked for a few samples, which the lovely Lalana, kindly did. The large ball, Clea, is very good value, and is quite soft. It is suitable for 1.25mm hook. I can see myself getting purchases from there again, once my withdrawal programme is over...
3 comments:
I don't know which is more stunning the gorgeous patterns or the yarn. I think after seeing your magazine, I would like to learn the International language!
Haven't actually managed to sit down and concentrate on them yet.. It was a bad case of coveting thy neighbours magazines and going out and buying them...
What issue and year of the magazine is the second picture (scarves) from? I'd like to see if I can get a copy of that for myself but that etsy store no longer exists. Thanks for sharing this.
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