Wrapping Up 2013

It's certainly has been a busy last few weeks since the Make It! show... I had an opportunity to partake in a small, brand new Christmas Marketplace at the River Market @ Westminster Quay for an afternoon & 2 evening markets and thought what the heck! why not?! A chance to visit New Westminster shoppers... The final market of 2013 for Carla's Victorian Heirlooms is coming up {click the link above} so I'm in the midst of preparing a bit of inventory for that mini road trip, along with finishing up a special request order for a customer in Saskatchewan...

Crocheted Ornaments by Carla's Victorian Heirlooms

As 2013 wraps up, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone ~for all the fabulous comments about the creations I've crocheted ~and for your support throughout the past year... words barely describe what it means to me! You are all wonderful!! 

With the market hustle & bustle over, it's time for a bit of "SD & Me time"... The office will be closed for the remainder of the year, and will re-open on Tuesday, January 7, 2014 ~ there's already some new & exciting projects on the board for the coming year!

May the peace & joy of the season be with you & yours... May 2014 bring you good health, much wealth & bountiful blessings!! Yuletide Greetings & Happy New Year!!

...from In The Parlour

*photo by SDJackson, PixAppeal Photography

The Home Stretch

How was your week? Seems Old Man Winter has visited a few of our friends & family recently... hope everyone is keeping warm...

Well, we're in the home stretch ~ 6 more sleeps until Make It! Vancouver opens!! It's gone from counting the number of designs finished to counting down the number of colors left to complete. We still have a couple more projects to finish up for the show inventory ~ about a day's worth on stitch markers, one more shawl and some crocheted earrings. After that, it's all about prepping the packaging and doing a dry run of display set up... All in all, even with the nerve jitters & tiny worries, things are coming together nicely!

Shawls & Afghans ~ The "Dark Victorian" is started and needs one more day of stitching. The Tunisian baby pink afghan is about a quarter of the way completed and I'll be bringing that one to the show as one of my "Artisan At Work" projects. Everything else is freshly-laundered and ready for tagging.

The 2013 'Simply Elegant' Ornament Collection ~ Starching & blocking is caught up... counting down the colors left to hook up on the last design and those, too, will hit the pins & starch. The silk ribbon hanging loops are all cut to length, waiting to be attached.

A few more Beaded Stitch Markers & Hook Reminders to make... 

I have also been busy crocheting delicate thread-work earrings in a variety of colors and motifs. The earrings created in the studio are made with the last of the thread from the ornaments, so the selection will be varied. There will be an updated catalogue {beginning 09Dec13} on our Facebook page of what is currently available. Pictured below are Violet Diamonds ~ they measure 5cm {2"} long and sell for $25/pair.

Booth Display ~ Our new studio assistant, Ms. Betsy Mannequin, is ready to strut her stuff with the shawls. She will be doing a dress rehearsal this weekend. The technical end of the display is ready for testing as well. A couple of price lists to print and frame... With set up 6 days away, the weekend will be dedicated to the merchandising planogram. 

Packaging ~ As minimal as possible although still required to keep those treasures safe while  transporting and storing. Bags and boxes are purchased and ready for custom decorating. Methinks this is will be a job delegated to SD while I do up the product care cards ;-)

I will take a deep breath when I begin to feel overwhelmed and remember that I do have 30 years of customer service skills and over 10 years of retail sales experience under my belt... this is a walk in the park... memories of my assistant manager days, working Moonlight Madness & holiday sales in the only mall in Small Border-Town City!!

Back to the preps... come by the show if you're in Vancouver, check out the fabulous one-stop shopping opportunity ~ you're sure to find something for everyone on your holiday list... 

We'll have some live updates from the show next week ~ follow our posts on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Google+... take care... we'll see you next time...

...here, In The Parlour =)

*Photos by SD Jackson, PixAppeal Photography

The Preps Continue

Booth Banner

How was your week? So hard to believe November is upon us! That means Make It! Vancouver is less than a month away... 18 more sleeps until we hit the PNE Forum to set up in Booth #147. 

PNE Forum Floor Plan for Make It! Vancouver Nov2013

I know I'm organized, with lists for my lists, but the nerves are starting to creep in... I'm remembering to breath in *and* out, slooowwwly ~ it's under control... I think... Here's a quick update on what we've crossed off those lists thus far:
Inventory {still working every day to reach the quota I set for the 4 day event}

• Shawls and Afghans ~ the higher price point items. I created a few of each as these are available year-round, crocheted upon request. A shawl, "Dark Victorian" ~lacy pineapple motifs in black~ and an afghan, as yet unnamed ~in a Tunisian stitch pattern with baby-soft pink and contrasting hot pink, orange & green~ are in the works.
• The 2013 'Simply Elegant' Ornament Collection ~ Sold in varying sets of 3, this limited edition collection will only be available at the show Nov. 28 - Dec. 1 and by special order until January 31, 2014 {New designs are already on the pattern design board for the 2014 holiday season}. I still need to do some blocking & starching on these. They also need their silk ribbon hanging loops before they are packaged in a decorative storage box to gently keep them safe for many years to come.
• Beaded Stitch Markers & Hook Reminders ~ Made special for crocheters {due to my own frustration at the lack of choices in available crochet markers}. These feature various sizes of removable clasps for fine, medium or chunky yarns. I also created a set of 2 markers to mark the 'right side/wrong side' of projects. A fantastic stocking stuffer gift for the yarnie on your list.

Beaded Crochet Stitch Markers. Sold in sets of 4.

 

Hook Reminders. Sold individually or as sets for fine, medium or large hooks.

Hang Tag with attached Business Card. For larger items.

Booth Display ~ a few things to add but pretty much ready for the mock up here in The Studio.     
Hang Tags ~ good to go. 
Business Cards ~ check.     
Tool Box ~ stocked.
Signage ~

• Banner ~ check.
• 'Square' Table Card & Stickers ~ we will be accepting Visa & MasterCard at the show, as well as cash ~ all in the 'office box' with the card reader.
• Price Lists ~ for the smaller items ~ need to do.
• Product Care Cards ~ also need to do.

That's about it for this week... time to turn out the lamp In The Parlour & return to The Studio for a few more hours this evening. 

Remember to mark the show times on your calendar if you'll be in the beautiful city of Vancouver for the end of the month ~ take in the show, see some gorgeous scenery, experience some delectable cuisines and do some fantastic shopping ~ a great way to spend a weekend!!

Until next time... safe journeys... keep well... see you again, soon =)

*Photos by SD Jackson, PixAppeal Photography

and ccthompson

Ornament Treasures

Wow! Hard to believe October is over in less than 10 days!! Where did it go?? It's very true that time flies when you're having fun... Most of my free time, along with allotted hours in the day & night, have been spent on preparations for the upcoming Make It! Vancouver craft show {head over to the page for details & discount coupons for admission} The crochet hooks have been twisting up a storm, creating new treasures since June when I learned I was accepted by the show's jury. It's very exciting to be moving from being "Front Door Meeter/Greeter-Hand Stamp Lady" to being a vendor with my own booth...  and Yes! I'm nervous, too, as this is my first big-city show!!

A holiday season craft show... I love handmade ornaments & decorations ~ combined with my tendency to think outside the box a majority of the time... hmmm... the results? The 2013 Limited-Edition Ornament Collection by Carla's Victorian Heirloom's ~ 4 different motifs; 13 different colors ~ each one individually handcrafted with heirloom quality, a treasure to pass to your future generations along with cherished memories... warm, happy thoughts lovingly wrapped into each stitch ~ the motif-style of these creations are suitable for displaying all year... a wonderful gift to mark a special occasion...

Here's a photo of some finished ornaments:

 Set of 3/$30 {Available at vendor booth beginning 28November13}

And here's what's "on the block":

Out of pins & out of starch... batch #2

This is the big one of the secret projects I've been working on the last few months and teasing you with {I'll show another one of the 3 in a couple of weeks}...

Simple Victorian elegance ~ a treasure sure to become a cherished heirloom for future generations...

Have an awesome week... see you next time... 

... here, In The Parlour =)

*photos by ccthompson

Today is officially I Love Yarn Day ~ the day for all yarnies to show their love of fibre!!

Visit the Craft Yarn Council website here

In honour, I'm going to spend the entire day with hook in hand, on a marathon of crochet. 

Crochet cotton thread in various colors by ccthompson

 It's been a busy week with  appointments and I did complete some inventory for our upcoming market in 6 weeks... 
Although I haven't officially unveiled the actual pieces... that's happening in a few weeks... I will tease you:
~ this year's pieces are the first in a collectible set; new designs & colors  will be added in future Christmas seasons.
~ the 2013 colors coming off the hook include:
Shaded Blues, Dark Royal, Delft Blue, Shaded Purples, Violet, Shaded Pinks, Dusty Rose, Coral, Burgundy, Forest Green, Olive, Shaded Yellows & Ecru. 


This weekend is also Canadian Thanksgiving... I want to take this opportunity to say I am truly grateful for all the fabulous people !everywhere! who love & support the handmade community ~family, friends, fellow creatives, and all the lovers of handmade goodness!! I'm also very grateful to have been given my creative talents, as well as for the privilege of being able to share that gift with you... thank you <3

To those celebrating in a few days ~ Happy Thanksgiving ~ may you have a massive dose of tryptophan followed by a good nap =)
Remember to be grateful, always, for even the tiniest gifts in your life; others may not be as fortunate to have such blessings... we'll see you next time...

 ...here, In The Parlour. 

Yoga Bag ~ Pt. 2: Finishing Off

Greetings =)
Hope you all had a great week ~ How is your yoga bag coming along? Got those hooks warmed up & ready to finish off your project? {Here's a link to Part 1 of the pattern for those who may have missed it}. We ended last week with fastening off at Rnd 36.

Top Band:
Rnd 37: Using Contrast Color B, repeat Rnd 24. Ss to top of beg-ch2. (95hdc)
Rnd 38: Ss around edge, ending with ss in last stitch beside ch-sp at beginning of rnd. Do not fasten off.
Rnd 39: Ch2 (counts as 1hdc). Work an extended hdc around edge by catching the hdc from Rnd 37 and ss from Rnd 38 into one hdc. Ss to top of beg-ch2. (96hdc)
Place a stitch marker at st #16, #32, #64 and #80 for quick reference of changes in next rnd.

Strap:
Rnd 40: Ch1. Sc in ea of next 16 st, ch1 at #16 marker, turn. 1sc in last 4 st of previous row. *Turn, Ch1, 4sc**.  Repeat from * to ** 56 times, ending with right side facing and ch-loop on left side of strap. 

Joining Strap:

Skip next 16 st. With right sides together, place hook through strap and hdc at #32 marker, yo, pull through band & strap chain loops, ch1.

                                     

 

 

 


Working to secure strap, sc in next 28 st to #64 marker, ch1, turn. Sc in last 4 st of previous row. *Turn, ch1, 4sc**.  Repeat from * to ** 56 times, ending with right side facing and ch-loop on left side of strap.

Joining Strap:
Skip next 16 st. With right sides together, place hook through strap and hdc at #80 marker, yo, pull through band & strap chain loops, ch1.

Working to secure strap, sc (12) to end of rnd. Ss to beg-ch1. Fasten off. Weave in ends.
  *This bag when created with cotton and acrylic yarn is machine washable in cool to warm with mild detergent. Hang or lay flat to dry.

Give yourself a pat on the back!! Put your hook down & your feet up with a cuppa... admire your handiwork =) Please feel free to post a photo, along with your variations or suggestions, in the comments below ~we'd love to see your hook work!!

May the yarn gods smile upon you & your projects... we'll see you next week...

...here, In The Parlour =)

*photos by SD Jackson, PixAppeal Photography & ccthompson

Yoga Bag ~ Pt.1: Building The Body

Welcome back to The Parlour for Part 1 of the Yoga Bag project. How was your week? Anxious to get started on your new bag? {Part 2: Finishing Off follows next week}

All went smoothly, including a couple of little tweaks following a test run for use. As SD pointed out to me the other night: cooking, sewing, crocheting... my creativity flows best when I'm in the zone "designing on the fly". It was lots of fun to create something other than an afghan or a shawl. I will for sure be making another one of these to use as a market bag.

Being as this is my first-ever written pattern to share, feel free to contact me with feedback or advice if something is not quite right, or if you have any questions or need clarification ~ I will be eternally grateful <3. In the future, I will be adding a chart to this pattern for those who like to work with charts as well. As for a rating, I'm giving it an ~advanced easy~ {rating patterns is another new territory for me}. If you have been crocheting for a while, i.e. have more than basic stitch knowledge, and you are able to read & understand patterns, you'll have a new yoga bag in under a day.







YOGA BAG PATTERN
©Carla Thompson


Pattern Notes: 
Beginning chains count as stitch unless otherwise stated.
Pattern is worked on right side only unless stated. 

Abbreviations:  
st      stitch                        sk         skip   
sp      space                       beg ch   beginning chain
ch      chain                        ss         slip stitch
sc      single crochet           hdc       half double crochet
dc      double crochet
v-st    v-stitch {1dc, ch1, 1 dc worked in same sp}

Yarn:  
Main Color: 175g/6oz Bernat Handicrafter Cotton {Sonoma}
*Contrast A:  20g/1oz Vanna's Choice {Espresso}
*Contrast B:  25g/1oz Red Heart Super Saver {Medium Thyme}
   *you will not use the total amount of yarn; it's hard to convert metric to imperial here =)

H8/5mm Susan Bates® Bamboo hook

Gauge: 
10cm x 10cm/4" x 4" = 14dc x 7 rows

Instructions:  

Bottom: Using Main Color, ch6. Ss to form ring.

Rnd 1: Ch4 (counts as 1dc, ch1). *1dc into ring, ch1**.  Repeat from * to ** 9 times. Ss to top of beg-ch3. Do not turn. (10dc, 10ch-sp)
Rnd 2: Ch3. *2dc in each ch-1sp**.  Repeat from * to ** 5 times. 3dc in next ch1-sp. Repeat * to ** 4 times. Ss to top of beg-ch3. (22dc)
Rnd 3: Ch3. *1dc, ch1, 1dc in next st {v-stitch completed}, 1dc in next st**.  Repeat from * to ** 9 times. V-st in next st. Ss to top of beg-ch3. (33dc)

Rnd 4: Ch3. 1dc in next st. *V-st in ch1-sp. Dc over next 3 st.**  Repeat from * to ** 9 times. 2dc in v-st. 1dc in last st. Ss to top of beg-ch3. (55dc)
Rnd 5: Ch3. 1dc over next 2 st. V-st in next st. *1dc in next 3 st, v-st in next st**.  Repeat from * to ** 11 times. Dc over last 3 st. Ss to top of beg-ch3. (68dc)
Rnd 6: Ch3. 1 dc in next 3 st. *2dc in ch1-sp of v-st, 1dc in next 5 st**.  Repeat from * to ** 12 times. Ss to top of beg-ch3. (95dc)
Rnd 7: Ch3. 1dc in each st around. Ss to top of beg-ch3. Do not fasten off. (95dc) 
   ~Bottom completed; approximately 35.5cm/14" diameter.

Body: 
Rnd 8: Ch3. 1dc in each st around. Work 1hdc in top of beg-ch3, ch1 to join rnd (1hdc, ch1 at beg of rnd counts as 1dc). Place stitch marker at beg-ch. (95dc)
Rnds 9-12: Repeat Rnd 8, moving stitch marker at end of each rnd. (95dc)
Rnd 13: Repeat Rnd 8. Ss to ch1 of hdc-ch1 at end of rnd.  
   

Rnd 14: Ch4 (counts as 1dc, ch1). Sk first st. *1dc into next st, ch1, sk next st**.  Repeat to end of rnd, ending with ch1. Ss to 3rd ch of beg-ch4. (48dc)
Rnd 15: Ss to ch1-sp in previous rnd. Ch4 (counts as 1dc, ch1). Sk next st. *1dc into next st, ch1, sk next st**. Repeat to end of rnd, ending with ch1. Ss to 3rd ch of beg-ch4. (48dc)
Rnds 16-23: Repeat *Rnd 15* 8 times. Fasten off. Mark with stitch marker.
Rnd 24: Using Contrast Color A, ss to join next to stitch marker, ch2. Working in ends to secure, hdc in each st around. Ss to top of beg-ch2. (95hdc)
Rnd 25: Ch3. Dc in each st around. Ss to top of beg-ch3. (95dc)
Rnd 26: Ch2. Hdc in each st around. Ss to top of beg-ch2. Fasten off. (95hdc)
Rnd 27: Using Main Color, repeat *Rnd 14*. (48dc)

Rnds 28-36: Repeat *Rnd 14* 9 times. Fasten off. (48dc)
   ~Body completed; approximately 40.5cm/16" tall. It will stretch considerably with the weight of your yoga mat and other contents. 

How is your new bag coming along so far? Need help with anything? Please do leave a comment below or message me at the email address on the sidebar with any questions or concerns about this crochet project, or crochet in general ~ I'll do my best to answer or find one for you. Next week, we'll be working a reinforced band around the top, working the attached straps and finishing off... until then...

May your yarns remain untangled...

...we'll see you here, In The Parlour

*photos by ccthompson