Feileacan Shawl - Gaelic for "Butterfly"

I love butterflies.  Their grace and beauty always catch my attention and I smile as I watch one flutter by.  If I have time, I run to grab my camera and try to photograph the visitor - I never tire of the challenge it is to catch them in a photo frame.  This is a gray hairstreak that visited our backyard earlier this spring.


For the 2014 CGOA Design Competition I decided to incorporate the butterfly shape into a new Celtic Knot design.  I carefully created the butterfly motifs with the over-under woven details. (Feileacan (pronounced "Fay - leh - kahn") means 'butterfly' in Gaelic.) Then I linked them together so they would cascade down the center of the back of the shawl.  For each side I came up with a stitch that mimics the patterns found in butterfly wings.

I was thrilled to have this design and my Celtic Coral Charm selected as the Technical Merit Award winner sponsored by Designing Vashti.
Now you can make a Feileacan Shawl by following the instructions in the Summer 2015 issue of Crochet! magazine.

I used the new Lotus Yarn by Designing Vashti in the Teal Glimmer color.  I love how the yarn has a unique sparkle in the bright sunshine.  You can purchase this yarn here.

Make sure to check my Ravelry page (here) for this design since there are corrections to the printed instructions.

Fabric Fusion Tote

 

 

Have you ever combined fabric with crochet? It is a great way to get the 'best of both worlds' - the texture of crochet and the colorful graphics of fabric.  This Fabric Fusion Tote is a design I came up with for the current Spring issue of Crochet! magazine. www.crochetmagazine.com

 

 

This design is paired with an article in the "Learn it, Do it" section.  The article gives tips on how to chose fabric, how to line your tote and how to sew the crochet to the fabric along with several helpful photos.  So, if you've never tried this technique, this would be a perfect project to get you started. 

 

I crocheted the handles with the new Lotus Yarn by Designing Vashti - it has a beautiful sheen seen best in the bright sunlight and comes in great colors.   Click here to buy.

 

Don't you just love the fabric I found at Hobby Lobby? It reminds me of our colorful springtime garden and fresh earthy breezes ( . . .which are far from us right now since we just had a blizzard that brought over 2 feet of snow!)

 

 

 

I find it hard to resist all of the beautiful fabrics you can buy on fantastic sales nowadays especially when my girls were really young - a small amount of fabric and a few hours could produce so many cute little dresses. Sometimes I would even make them in sets to match!   Now that they are older (and bigger), I have made some things combining fabric and crochet (see photos below) like this tote.  I end up saving a bunch of time and I still get to see my girls in cute dresses. :)

 

 

 

See? So cute! :)