Making a Thing
We also used to create only in the mediums we were perceived to have a certain level of expertise in… specifically, yarn arts. And we liked that. We still do. But we like to do a LOT of things with a LOT of stuff. So, we started doing things that we liked with the stuff that we liked using to make things. Not all of it became part of something else. Sometimes the things we made just were what they were, and we were happy with them and that was good enough. Sometimes, however, those things became part of a larger thing and, yes, classes were developed, two books written, and patterns created and sold. Sometimes that happened. Sometimes it didn’t. Both were good. Both are still good.
Fortunately, we were able to create the perfect storm of circumstances where we could produce recognizable, marketable things AND fully embrace our creative chaos.
We found a balance. And we love that balance that came from embracing the creative chaos. Both are rewarding. Both are thrilling. Both excite and motivate us because embracing our creative chaos inspires the rest of our work. Embracing our creative chaos makes even those things we make primarily for the sake of earning the money we need to survive more special and exciting to us. Focusing on creating with purpose as well as being open to and embracing the creative chaos. That’s where we are. For now. Let's see where this takes us… #EmbraceTheCreativeChaos S&J
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The Great Yarn Challenge
Be sure to check out the Great Yarn Challenge website to see how you can participate in this challenge and enter to win prizes!! These are some great prizes so if y'all don't want them… we'll take 'em… just sayin'… But you should go see by clicking here: Great Yarn Challenge After a bit of thought we settled on an oldie but a goodie for our final design. The Granny Square afghan! There is a reason this pattern is so popular and timeless. It's a simple stitch pattern that works up quickly... but done right it creates a finished piece that is worthy of handing down from one generation to another. In addition, it is a great place to start for folx who have never made a full-on crochet project before. You can use one color of yarn to make a simple but solid crochet block. Alternating rounds between 2-4 colors will give you the ability to mix and match blocks to fit your personal space. Feel free to change colors every round, only the even rounds, at random, or combine squares of solid and striped colors... the options are truly endless! We're included the instructions for making the classic Crocheted Granny Square block along with instructions for a "Join-As-You-Go" technique which will speed up making your final project. You can make your afghan or throw as large or small as you like. You can use your favorite yarn and colors that make you happy! For our project, we used Red Heart Super Saver. It is am affordable yarn that just about anyone can find in big box stores, dollar stores, and even thrift stores. A truly accessible material. Once you have finished your afghan it will certainly be the first thing you pull down when you want to wrap yourself in warm and comfy joy!
Our challenge partner for this week is the always vibrant and unstoppable Quayln Stark. Follow along with Quayln on his site at Break the Status and on his Instagram at @portquoelio.
Of course, you can find our Instagram posts about this project and the rest of the creative chaos at @EmbraceTheCreativeChaos and be sure to tag us with your projects and use the hashtag #thegreatyarnchallenge so the folx at Craft Yarn Council can see your glorious creations. Read on for instructions... Pat Sloan's Holiday Book Tour! Update 06.15.21 This giveaway is now closed. Thank you to everyone who entered and congratuations to Robin J. who is the winner of a copy of Pat Sloan's new book! Come back soon for more FAB fun and check out our books and patterns via the links you'll find… well… pretty much all over this site! S&J
If you’ve taken one of our quilting classes, you know we love these little mats cum mini quilts. They are in the Goldilocks Zone of quilting projects providing you with a way to try out a quilting technique or pattern without committing to a full-size quilt, but you still have something FAB and useable when you are finished. Hang them on the wall or use them as… well… table mats! Use them as the base for your centerpiece or as a resting place for a vase of flowers that you definitely did not pick from the neighbor’s rose bushes that are growing out into the alley that they will never miss because they don’t take care of them or ever come out to look at them or smell them and they are just going to go to waste back there so why shouldn’t you enjoy them?!? *ahem* You get the idea; a little bit of gorgeousness that is both beautiful and useful for a relatively small time commitment. Moving on…
Giveaways! And y’all just KNOW that a book tour means giveaways and there are a couple of different giveaways you can enter to win. First, we’re giving away a copy of Holiday Celebrations that you can win by leaving a comment right here on this blog post telling us what your favorite holiday is. Our giveaway ends on June 14, 2021, at 11:59pm PT. We will choose a random winner on June 15, 2021 and notify that person via email and here at the top of this post… so be sure to leave us your email so we can get ahold of you! Our giveaway is open to both US and international entries. US residents will receive a printed copy of the book and those outside the US will be sent a PDF of the book. There are also wo big ol’ prize packs you can enter to win from Martingale until June 14 2021 on the Martingale website and on the Martingale Instagram page. Make sure you take a minute (or several) to visit Pat’s blog to follow along the book tour (and get in on their giveaways too!). And, if you don’t win a copy, you can grab a copy of "Pat Sloan’s Holiday Celebrations" from your favorite quilt shop, or anywhere quilting books are sold including on our Amazon page! (Or download the eBook version of the book from ShopMartingale.com today!) Here are all the folx on Pat’s book tour. Be sure to check out their interpretations of the FAB projects from Pat’s book to inspire your own projects.
We had a lot of fun creating the fabric for this project and we are so happy and honored that Pat included us in her tour. We hope those of you who are new to our piece of the Universe will stick around for a bit. Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on the latest Shibaguyz news and explore our website for more articles, tutorials, our own books and patterns, and our growing product line of fabric and sashiko tools and notions. And, of course, y'all can find us on social media by clicking on those little icons below this post. Until we see y'all on social media or in the virtual classroom… STITCH ON!! S&J Show us the Colors of Your Pride!
As with most of the endeavors of the Shibaguyz, our mantra of "If it's worth doing, it's worth overdoing!" held true here. We started with the They/Them Pullover crochet pattern to speak to Shannon's non-binary gender expression and the Progressive Pride Flag mini quilt project was a way for us to talk about the need for more inclusion of BIPOC and TGNCNB folx in Rainbow Pride Flag and the community as a whole. Both were projects created as a way to express our own Pride and it kind of snowballed from there into three different quilt designs during the past year. Also true to our modus operandi, we started working out the designs for all of those quilts at the same time. Soon, one of the designs started consuming our minds and became almost an obsession. Piece by piece, the blocks grew. Block by block, our vision expanded… as did the project! The patterning experiment became a wall hanging, the wall hanging became a lap throw, the lap throw became a queen sized quilt for our bed which brings us to this pattern release: the Colors of my Pride quilt pattern! Before we dive into the new quilt pattern, let's add some context to the content and take a brief look at the history of Pride flags. A brief glimpse at the History of LGBTQIA+ Pride Flags The history of the banners we wave to represent us in the LGBTQIA+ and TGNCNB community is as deep and as colorful as the members of our community itself. Without writing a tome on the subject, we would like to give you an overview of the flags and colors that influenced us in the creation of the Colors of My Pride quilt.
Beyond the Rainbow The LGBTQIA+ community is not a monolith, and neither are the colors of our Pride! In addition to the incarnations of the Rainbow Pride Flag, there are individual flags that represent the communities we each identify with. There are flags hoisted for the lesbian, bear, agender, transgender, and non-binary communities, as well as flags that represent the leather, pansexual, intersex, and genderfluid communities. And that’s just a few! Regardless of how we feel on the inside or how we represent ourselves on the outside, each of us celebrates our Pride differently and we certainly express our Pride with colors that go beyond the rainbow. The Project: The Colors of My Pride Quilt Our quilt, The Colors of My Pride, is a combination of colors from across the wide range of vibrant Pride flags that speak to us the most; the colors that we feel represent us best. We worked with Karla Overland at Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics to pick our very specific colors that best represented our Pride. As we encourage each of you to do with your own Colors of My Pride quilts, we chose colors from different flags and pulled the ones that had the most meaning to us to include in our blocks. Our choices were very personal to us… as yours will be to you. For our The Colors of My Pride quilt, we included the six colors from the Rainbow Pride Flag since that is the first flag that either of us remembers flying as a banner at marches, plastered on our vehicles, worn on our bodies, waved in defiance, and painted on our skin for the better part of 30 years. However, in more recent years, we have come to feel that the representation of the colors from the More Color, More Pride Flag is more inclusive and even further encompasses our community, so we included the black and brown stripes from that flag. Shannon is non-binary, so we also brought in the soft blue and pink from the Transgender Pride Flag and added a lavender stripe to represent those of us who feel we are outside of (or fluid within) the gender binary. And the soft pink for the framing of the blocks? We had asked Karla of Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics for a soft pink that was just barely there. We wanted something that would subtly frame and complement each of our blocks and would provide an overall unifying color when the blocks were assembled. For us, the pink framing of the vibrant blocks represents the overall LGBTQIA+ and TGNCNB community and our unity regardless of where we are and how we represent ourselves. Again, all these color choices are very personal to us and represent OUR LGBTQIA+ and TGNCNB Pride… if those colors speak to you, then use them for your own quilt but, if you feel like other flags and other color combinations represent your place within your community, pick the colors of YOUR Pride and make your quilt your own. The Colors of My Pride Quilt Color Choices How many colors? Which colors? That’s up to you. The blocks themselves are created using a Scrappy Wonky Log Cabin block construction with 17 pieces built from the center out. We used a total of 11 colors repeated starting with either of the three color sets. Don’t worry… in the quilt pattern, we break down the different color sequences we used. You can follow those exactly or substitute in your own colors that represent your Pride!
If you have never made a quilt before or if you are newer to quilting, you’re going to love how forgiving this method of construction is. No… really… time after time, folx in our scrappy wonky quilt classes who were intimidated by matching corners and perfect lines are thrilled with how they can sit down and, with a basic machine that sews a straight line, create something glorious and stunning. Experienced quilters will love this style of construction both because of the freedom of expression it offers and the modern esthetic it creates. Most experienced quilt makers love the sense of play in the creation of these blocks and the resulting randomness is always a thrill… new or experienced! Click on the button below to be whisked away to the Creative Spark website where you can reserve your spot in the live class OR you can pre-order the recording to watch after the live class. Either way, purchasing the class comes with a copy of the pattern AND you have access to the recording for one year after enrolling. That way, even if you can't join us live, you can still participate, ask questions, learn at your own pace on your own schedule, and discuss your quilts with others in the class via the Creative Spark platform. It's the best of all worlds! A final word… or two…
On this, the 51st anniversary of the riots at the Stonewall Inn that sparked the fire that became the modern LGBTQIA+ rights movement and, ultimately, the reason we celebrate Pride Month in June, we are proud to be a part of this vibrant, diverse, exciting community of people. We stand in the shadow of those first transgender Black and Latino women, lesbians, and sex workers who threw the first bricks at Stonewall. We stand on the platform that those folx and so many more before and since have built so that we can be out and proud. Without them, we would not be where we are today… period. Now it is our time to speak out and use our own platform of creativity and education to express ourselves and make it possible for others to stand tall and proud. Whether you make this for yourself to show the color of your Pride or if you make it for someone else to show them your love and support, we hope you think of those who have come before and all of those of us who are still fighting every day just for our basic human rights as members of the LGBTQIA+ and TGNCNB community. Whether you make a Colors of My Pride quilt as a silent encouragement for yourself or as a way to shout out to the world, whether it is a personal journey or one of support for others, we hope you find the same strength and power in the creation process as we have. STITCH ON! S&J Food & Fiber Arts Classes at BARNHey there folx! We are thrilled beyond words to be back in the grooooooove of teaching again and we wanted to let you know about a new venue for us that we have LOVED working on. The Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network (BARN) is a non-profit community center for artisans and makers and serves as a creative hub for many on Bainbridge Island and throughout our home base region in the Pacific Northwest. Here in Seattle, we are a quick but STUNNING ferry ride to Bainbridge Island so we were fortunate enough to hook up with the programing folx in their fiber arts program to plan out a series of yarn and fabric based classes before the pandemic shook everything up. Luckily, when we approached the folx at BARN about virtual programming, they were already headed in that direction and we worked with them to adapt our classes and workshops to fit this new way of interacting with our students and their members.
If you haven't heard of BARN before, be sure to check out their full website (while you're there signing up for one of our classes) to learn more about this gem right here in the Pacific Northwest that now, thanks to their virtual platform, you all can experience from all over the world!
If you have any questions about the logistics of the workshops, contact the BARN folx via their website or drop us a note here via our contact form and we'll get you where you need to go to answer your question. For now, go… enroll… and we'll see you all in the virtual classroom! STITCH ON!! S&J It's Time for a Crochet Wardrobe Refresh Yes, we know. It's just the first of September. But we are big fans of Fall and the temps have been down in the 50's here at night so we're calling it. Fall wardrobe refresh season is here! Even though the daytime temps prevent us from wrapping up in cozy layers, we all know it takes a bit of time to gather the materials and actually make new crochet garments sooooo… no time like the present to get started! For this season, we present four new crochet patterns that range from light and layerable to downright cozy. Here's a quick look at all four. Click through the photos for a more detailed look at the sizing and materials specs.
We hope you all love wearing these as much as we loved designing them. Click through the photos above to go to the individual pattern pages. As always, we appreciate your support of our studio by purchasing our patterns. Be sure to tag us on social media at the links below to show us what you've made so we can help you celebrate! STITCH ON!! S&J Crochet Cabled Hooded Cardigan - DIGITAL PATTERN
$7.50
Incredible cables adorn the edging and back of this cozy hooded cardigan with long sleeves that double as mitts with an opening for the thumb. If you love cables, this show stopping cardigan is the pattern you've been waiting for.
This digital download includes the full crochet pattern in PDF format with photos, cable charts and blocking schematic. ------------------------------------- SKILLS USED
SIZES S ( M, L, XL, 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X) FINISHED MEASUREMENTS To Fit Bust Circumference: 34 (38, 42, 46, 50, 54, 58, 62)” ” Finshed Bust: 37 (41, 45, 49, 52. , 57, 60. , 65)” bust circumference with fronts overlapping for 4 (4. , 4. , 5. , 5. , 6. , 6. , 7. )”. Sample shown measures 37”, modeled with 5” ease. Length from Shoulder: 28 (28, 28.5, 29, 29, 29, 29.5, 29.5)”. SKILL LEVEL Advanced: Knowledge of Post Stitches and Cables MATERIALS Sample uses Valley Yarns Haydenville (distributed by WEBS) (60% superwash merino, 40% acrylic microfiber; 220 yd [201 m]/ 3. oz [100 g]; ): #9 red, 14 (15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 23, 24) balls. CROCHET HOOK Hook Size 7 (4.50mm). Adjust hook size if needed to obtain correct gauge. NOTIONS Yarn needle BLOCKED GAUGES 18 sts and 20 rows = 4” in sc patt; 21 sts and 21 rows = 4” in linen st patt. Originally published as Crimson Hooded Cardigan in Interweave Crochet Winter 2018 Effortless QuadTop - Crochet Digital Pattern
$7.50
Crocheted from four rectangles, this crocheted top is a perfect addition to any ensemble. Made from fingering weight yarn, this top is easy to wear alone or with an undershirt. Crocheters new to the craft will appreciate the simplicity of the stitching. Advanced stitchers will certainly welcome the visual interest sported by the final sewn garment. This digital download includes the full crochet pattern in PDF format with photos, stitch charts, and blocking schematic. ------------------------------------- STITCHES USED: Double crochet Foundation double crochet (Fdc): Linked first double crochet (Linked first-dc) 1-over-2 pulled double crochet cross (pulled dc cross) (worked over 3 sts): SIZES S ( M, L, XL, 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X) FINISHED MEASUREMENTS To Fit Bust Circumference: 28 (32, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56)”. Finshed Bust: 30¾ (34, 38¼, 41¾, 46, 49½ , 53, 57¼ )” Sample shown measures 36” bust. To Fit Hip: 30 (34, 38, 42, 46, 50, 54, 58)” Finished Hip: 32.5 (36, 41, 44.25, 49, 52.25, 56, 60.5)” SKILL LEVEL Intermediate YARN Light/Fingering Weight MATERIALS Sample uses Malabrigo Sock (100% Superwash Merino Wool; 440 yd [402 m]/3.5 oz [100 g]; CYC #1): #SW800 Tiziano Red, 4 (5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 8, 8) hanks. CROCHET HOOK C/2 (2.75mm). NOTIONS Yarn needle BLOCKED GAUGES 6.63 sts and 2.88 rows = 1” in pattern stitch 53 sts = 8”; 23 rows = 8” in pattern stitch Originally published as Courageous Caftan in Love of Crochet Fall 2017 The Conch Cardigan - Crochet Digital Pattern
$7.50
Wear it to the beach, in the garden, at the store, or anywhere you need a ready layering item. The easy fit and versatility of this dolman sleeved cardi makes it a FAB piece for any body type and just about any occasion. This digital download includes the full crochet pattern in PDF format with photos, stitch charts, and blocking schematic. ------------------------------------- STITCHES USED: Foundation single crochet (Fsc) Linked first double crochet (Linked first-dc) Double crochet Double crochet V-stitch (dc-v) Half double crochet v-stitch (hdc-v) Single crochet v-stitch (sc-v) SIZES XS (S, M, L, XL, 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X) FINISHED MEASUREMENTS To Fit Bust: 30 (34, 38, 42, 46, 50, 54, 58)”/76 (86.5, 96.5, 106.5, 117, 127, 137, 147.5) cm Finished Bust: 34 (38, 42, 46, 50, 54, 58, 62)”/86.5 (96.5, 106.5, 117, 127, 137, 147.5, 157.5) cm Cuff to Cuff: 44 (45, 47, 47.5, 49, 49, 51, 51)”/112 (114, 119.5, 120.5, 124.5, 124.5, 129.5, 129.5) cm SKILL LEVEL Advanced FINISHED MEASUREMENTS To Fit Bust: 30 (34, 38, 42, 46, 50, 54, 58, 62)" Finished Bust: 38 (41, 44, 50, 53.5, 57, 63, 66, 69)" Finished Length: 30.7 (30.7, 30.7, 30.7, 30.7, 35, 35, 35, 35)" Top Line: 38 (39.25, 41, 44, 45.5, 47, 50, 51.75, 53.5)" Main Body Width: 19 (20.5, 22, 25, 26.75, 28.5, 31.5, 33, 34.5)" YARN Super Fine MATERIALS Sample uses Cascade Heritage Silk (85% Superwash Merino Wool/15% Silk); 3.5 ounces/100g = 437 yards/400 m): 5 (5, 6, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8) balls in color Storm Blue #5675— 2185 (2185, 2622, 2622, 3059, 3059, 3496, 3496) yards/2000 (2000, 2400, 2400, 2800, 2800, 3200, 3200) meterss of super fine yarn CROCHET HOOK 2.25mm (size B-1) and 3.25mm (size D-3) or size to obtain gauge NOTIONS Yarn needle BLOCKED HANGING GAUGE 10 V-sts and 18 rows = 4” with larger hook in patt; back lace insert = 7 (7, 7, 7, 8. , 8. , 8. , 8. )” wide. Originally published as Conch Cardigan in Interweave Crochet Summer 2017 Motif Duster - Crochet Digital Pattern
$7.50
There are two things the Shibaguyz really love: Dusters, and the 70's. When we were asked to create this 70's inspired duster for Interweave Crochet Magazine, we were in heaven! We think you will be in heaven too when you see how fast this garment comes together. The "flowers" are made from a fun bobble stitch in all join-as-you-go crochet (so no seaming needed there...). The top section is a simple sc/Hdc pattern stitch that even newbies will find fun to work up. We also give you all the instructions you need to be able to change yarns in the round. This digital download includes the full crochet pattern in PDF format with photos, charts, and blocking schematic. ------------------------------------- SKILLS USED: Single crochet (sc) Half double crochet (hdc) Foundation single crochet (Fsc) Extending foundation single crochet (foundation sc as used for extending rows) (Ext-Fsc) Linked first double crochet (Linked first-dc) 5 double crochet bobble (5-dc bobble) Joining with new color SIZES S ( M, L, XL, 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X) FINISHED MEASUREMENTS Finished Bust: 32 (36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56, 60)” To Fit Bust: 28 (32, 36, 40, 44, 48, 52, 56)”. Sample shown measures 36”, modeled with 4” of ease in the bust. Cuff to Cuff: 24 (26, 28.25, 32, 34, 38, 40, 42.25)” Finished Length from Shoulder: 40.5 (41, 41.5, 42, 42.5, 43, 43.5, 44)” SKILL LEVEL Intermediate YARN Light MATERIALS Sample uses Yarn Cascade Yarns Roslyn (65% superwash merino wool, 35% silk; 382.76 yd [350 m]/3.5 oz [100 g]; CYC #3): #06 Deep Red, #03 Sand, #05 Gold, #13 Olive, 1 skein each. Cascade Yarns Hampton (70% Pima Cotton, 30% linen; 273 yd [250 m]/31/2 oz [100 g]; #08 Ecru (MC), 4 (4, 5, 5, 6, 6, 7, 8) hanks. CROCHET HOOK E/4 (3.50mm). NOTIONS Yarn needle, 3/8” clasp closure BLOCKED GAUGES Motif = 4.5 x 4.5” 31 sts = 7”; 21 rows = 6”; 4.43 sts = 1”; 3.5 rows = 1” in hdc/sc patt with larger hook. A Brief History: Pride Project 2020Happy Pride!! Every year as June rolls around, we take time to reflect on our LGBTQIA community: to consider how far we’ve come, how far we have to go, and to pay our respects to the folx who lead our community now and those who came before us who made it possible for us to celebrate Pride Month. From the Mattachine Society and the Society for Human Rights, the Daughters of Bilitis and the homophile movement, to the Stonewall Riots and the Christopher Street Liberation Day March. The Gay Liberation Front, the Gay Activist Alliance, ACTUP, GLAAD, the LGBTQ+ Freedom Fund, the Black AIDS Institute, the Transgender Law Center, and Trevor Project… we could write rich volumes about each of these organizations… and so many more like them. (FYI, those last two sentences would make a great jumping off point for internet searches to learn more about the LGBTQIA community.) LGBTQIA organizations and the leaders who marched, threw bricks, fought, wrote, sang, chanted, and gave their lives for us are the reason we are able to be open and proud of who we are. We have a long way to go… but we have most definitely come a long way. This year for Pride, we decided to focus on one of the most prominent symbols of the LGBTQIA community: The Pride Flag. This is not meant to be a comprehensive list of all of the flags representing all aspects of our community. Instead we started from the end (we’ll get to that in a minute) and worked our way backward to show you how we got to the final Pride flag that inspired us to create the project at the end of this post.
While there are many other flags that represent the diverse communities that falls under the umbrella of the LGBTQIA community, these are the ones that lead us up to the topic of today’s post. In the designer’s own words on their site: “When the Pride flag was recreated in 2017 and 2018 to include both black/brown stripes, as well as the trans stripes, I wanted to see if there could be more emphasis in the design of the flag to elevate its meaning. The 6 stripe LGBTQ flag should be separated from the newer stripes because of their difference in meaning, as well as to shift focus and emphasis to what is important in our current community climate. The main section of the flag includes the traditional 6 stripe LGBTQ flag as seen in its most widely used form so as not to take away from its original meaning The trans flag stripes and marginalized community stripes were shifted to the Hoist of the flag and given a new arrow shape. The arrow points to the right to show forward movement, while being along the left edge shows that progress still needs to be made.” And that brings us to our Pride 2020 project! Obviously, the design is taken from the Progress Pride Flag… and, yes, we contacted the designer to let them know about our project and this post. We are not selling this design. It is, instead, a way for us to pay homage to all of those who have come before us and all those who are with us now. This is the new standard under which we will rally to march, celebrate, and live as our truest selves.
But times change and flags change. The LGBTQIA community must continue to expand and open ourselves to uplift the voices of and give representation to ALL of the folx within our community. As we grow and learn how to uplift the voices of ALL of our community, the creative folx within our ranks will come up with new physical incarnations of that resulting PRIDE. Who knows what yet unheard voice out there might create and lift up as the next evolution of the representation of the diversity and unity of our FAB LGBTQIA community? Indeed… who knows? Here's a little video documenting the making of our Pride 2020 Project (and, of course, Shannon's new nail color).Happy Pride to all of the amazing, fantastic, gorgeous, FAB members of the LGBTQIA community. We love you all and stand proudly next to you as we move forward into our futures. STITCH ON!! S&J Big shout out to some of the folx who made this project possible:
Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics for donating all of their FAB fabric - check out Karla's work here: Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabrics Daniel Quasar for their permission to use their Progress Pride Flag design - check out their work here: Progress Initiative More Than Just a Gender-Inclusive Design It may look like just a crochet pullover to you, but, for us, it is a statement of power. A statement of independence from the arbitrary binary masculine roles we were taught to play out our entire lives.
For years, we have tried to break out of the arbitrary gender binary with our design work but, according to the folx paying for our work, non-gendered or uni-sex designs just wouldn’t work for their magazine/yarn/books. So, all of those designs we gendered according to the arbitrary binary and published as such. To be clear, working for other companies in the fiber arts industry barely pays the bills and selling your work on your own even less so. So we justified it all by saying that we just had to do what we had to do to pay the bills. Once again, we swallowed our pride and learned our lessons… and we did the work to pay the bills. After a while, paying the bills and building a business become the norm and we learned your lessons so well that we forgotten who we set out to be. That realization was, again… a kick in the gut.
While a pink and black crochet pullover with a non-binary name might not seem like that big of a deal to a lot of folx, for us, it was a triumph in our own journey to realize who we really were as designers and as humans. It was the first monumental step that shook the foundations of our lives and put us on a path that we’ve been trying to get back to for a very long, exhausting time. For me, Shannon, it was a sigh of relief that I no longer had to hide who I was. And I’m telling you, seeing my husband, Jason, proudly wearing that pullover on the stage at STITCHES West was one of the most life affirming events of my 50+ years on this planet. Plus… he looks really good in it… don’t ya think? Yeah the leather pants don’t hurt at all. Photos of Jason on stage taken by the talented Kellie Nuss Photography used with permission of STITCHES Events. Yarn is Blue Moon Fiber Arts… we know… it's pretty amazing! If you'd like to make your own They/Them Pullover, click on the link below! They-Them Crocheted Pullover - DIGITAL PATTERN Size Small-5XFashion is meant for EVERY body regardless of gender Designed by the Shibaguyz – Shannon & Jason Mullett-Bowlsby, the They/Them Pullover is a gender neutral pullover that is perfect for him or her or they or them. This design features fabric made in a Half Double Herringbone crochet stitch with a large cowl neck collar, easy slip stitch shaping at the neckline, and the arms are crocheted long enough to become handwarmers, just insert your thumbs into the openings and you’re good to go. You can customize this design to fit your body, your life, and your style and make your own kit with NEW colors of Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Soft Rock yarn available from Needlepoints West. SKILLS USED
SIZES S (M, L, 1X, 2X {Sample Size}, 3X, 4X, 5X) To Fit Chest: 34 (38, 42, 46, 48, 50, 54, 58)”/ 86.25 (96.5, 106.75, 116.75, 122, 127, 137.25, 147.25) cm Sample shown to fit chest 48”/122 cm FINISHED MEASUREMENTS To Fit Chest Circumference: 34 (38, 42, 46, 48, 50, 54, 58)”/86.25 (96.5, 106.75, 116.75, 122, 127, 137.25, 147.25) cm Finished Chest Circumference: 38.25 (42.25, 46.25, 50, 52, 54, 58, 62)”/ 96.5 (106.75, 117, 127, 132, 137.25, 147.25, 157.5) cm Finished length from shoulder: 28.75 (29.5, 29.75, 30, 30, 30.25, 30.5, 30.5)”/ 73 (75, 76.25, 76.25, 76.25, 77, 77.5, 77.5) cm Neckline Width: 9.5 (10.5, 10.5, 11.25, 11.25, 11.5, 12.25, 12.5)”/ 24 (27, 27, 28.5, 28.5, 29.25, 31, 31.75) cm MATERIALS and TOOLS Sample uses Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Soft Rock (100% Superwash Merino; 4 ounces/113g = 500 yards/475 m): 3 (4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5) balls in color F*ck Cancer and 3 (4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 5, 5) balls in color #Survivor—3000 (4000, 4000, 4000, 4000, 4000, 5000, 5000) total yards/2743.25 (3657.5, 3657.5, 3657.5, 3657.5, 3657.5, 4572, 4572) total meters of fingering weight yarn; 18 WPI; CYCA 1 Crochet hook: 2.75mm (size C-2) or size to obtain gauge Yarn needle A Homemade Ten Grain Sandwich Loaf? |
First, go to Sewexpo.com |
Shibaguyz FAB Sashiko Essentials Aurifil Thread Collection
The time has finally come when we can tell you about a project we have been working on with the FAB folks at Aurifil. We can officially announce the launch of our NEW thread collection from Aurifil! The Shibaguyz FAB Sashiko Essential thread collection is now available for preorder RIGHT HERE on our website. Can you tell we’re more than a little excited about this? We have been fans of Aurifil threads for all of our hand and machine sewing and embellishing ever since we tried our first sampler pack. We because Aurifil Ambassadors in 2018 and have been using Aurifil on projects here in the studio and our students have been using Aurifil threads in the classroom thanks to Aurifil’s generous sponsorship of our classes. So… yeah… we’re big fans.
When we were approached with the opportunity to produce a thread collection of our favorite colors in our favorite thread weight, we were simultaneously excited and stressed. Excited because curating a custom collection of thread and colors is HUGE. Stressed because curating a custom collection of thread and colors is HUGE. But, of course, we did make decisions (with the help of our friends at Aurifil) and we were even able to design our own packaging! Check it out!
When we were approached with the opportunity to produce a thread collection of our favorite colors in our favorite thread weight, we were simultaneously excited and stressed. Excited because curating a custom collection of thread and colors is HUGE. Stressed because curating a custom collection of thread and colors is HUGE. But, of course, we did make decisions (with the help of our friends at Aurifil) and we were even able to design our own packaging! Check it out!
Get Your Tickets to Our Sew Expo 2019 Classes - A Walkthrough
UPDATE: This event has ended. Sign up for our newsletter so you don't miss our next big event! NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
It's time to purchase tickets to our classes at this year's Sew Stitch Expo in Puyallup, WA. WOOHOO! We have a LOT of classes at Sew Expo this year including embellishing crochet and knit fabric, English Paper Piecing, 5 FAB hand stitches, and our whirlwind BORO Class! In addition, we will be sharing a booth with Cherrywood Hand Dyed Fabric. What a FAB weekend!!
Now we wouldn't want y'all to miss out on a minute of the FAB fun we have planned for you but, occasionally, we hear from folks that they have problems finding our classes and registering online. So this year we thought we'd put up a little walkthrough to help you with the process. The process does take a couple of steps, but is not difficult. Once it is all over, you end up with the best possible prize... a class with the Shibaguyz! [blush]
Here we GO…
First go to www.sewexpo.com
Now we wouldn't want y'all to miss out on a minute of the FAB fun we have planned for you but, occasionally, we hear from folks that they have problems finding our classes and registering online. So this year we thought we'd put up a little walkthrough to help you with the process. The process does take a couple of steps, but is not difficult. Once it is all over, you end up with the best possible prize... a class with the Shibaguyz! [blush]
Here we GO…
First go to www.sewexpo.com
Week 4 of the Season of Giving-Away Event is Upon us. That means our final weekly giveaway AND the AWSOME GRAND PRIZE
UPDATE: This giveaway has ended. Sign up for our newsletter so you don't miss our next big event! NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
Balsam Pullover on the Cover of Interweave Crochet
They don't tell you these things ahead of time… you just open your mail one day to find a mailing packet with your contributor copy and a very nice note thanking you for contributing to the latest issue of Interweave Crochet. Imagine the celebrating that ensued when we realized that was our design on the cover of the Winter 2019 Issue of Interweave Crochet! If you've ever been around us… you know there was some noise. |
The Balsam Pullover is a cowl-neck pullover that truly embodies our sense of tailored casual style. We used Valley Superwash DK (courtesy of the folks at WEBS) for a mid-weight fabric that would feel good on the body without weighing you down. The asymmetrical hem balances a wide range of body types and the single crochet ribbing at the cuffs and draped cowl neckline are cozy and balance the sleek look of the main body and sleeves. From special occasions to curling up with a good book to an afternoon of shopping, we designed this to be a true wardrobe staple. |
It's Week 3 of our Season of Giving-Away Event
UPDATE: This giveaway has ended. Sign up for our newsletter so you don't miss our next big event! NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
Week 2 is over, but there are a lot more prize packages to give away.
Lets look at what Week 3 has to offer.
Lets look at what Week 3 has to offer.
Week 3 is our Knitting Extravaganza
The winner of this week will receive:
From Clover: Takumi Interchangeable Knitting Needle Set
From The Daylight Company: Yoyo Magnifier Light
and from Soak: Soak Wash 12 oz bottle - fragrance "Lacey"
The winner of this week will receive:
From Clover: Takumi Interchangeable Knitting Needle Set
From The Daylight Company: Yoyo Magnifier Light
and from Soak: Soak Wash 12 oz bottle - fragrance "Lacey"
It's Week 2 of our Season of Giving-Away Event
UPDATE: This giveaway has ended. Sign up for our newsletter so you don't miss our next big event! NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
Week 1 is over, but there are a lot more prize packages to give away. Lets look at what Week 2 has to offer.
A Giveaway to End 2018 with a Bang
UPDATE: This giveaway has ended. Sign up for our newsletter so you don't miss our next big event! NEWSLETTER SIGN UP
Take a Tour of the Luminos Lamp from the Daylight Company
In case you missed our recent announcement let us start off by saying have signed on as ambassadors for the Daylight Company and their incredible line of lamps. And, while they do pay us to represent their products and produce content for them, we contacted them because we LOVED their products. In fact, when we first met the folks from the Daylight Company we were blown away by the range and quality of their products and now could not be happier to be spokespersons for such a great company.
The Daylight Company has a wide range of lamps from travel lamps to larger workspace lamps that are perfect for fiber artists, and makers of all kinds. In this video, we are giving you a tour of the Luminos Lamp right in one of our main work spaces. We knew the moment we saw it in action that we'd have to get one (or two) (or three) for our studios. And recently we did, WOOHOO! The folks at the Daylight Company sent one over and we both fell in love with it! After a wild thumb wrestling competition (best 2 out of 3 won by Shannon) the Luminos lives in the fiber arts studio upstairs… but there is a special bonus use for this FAB lamp (we show you in the video) that causes it to disappear into Jason's space every once in a while… just sayin'…
You need to see it in action to really get why we love this lamp so much. So we created a video tour of the Luminos to really provide you with a detailed look all the great features it includes... not all lamps are created equal and this one stands out above the rest… by far!
Click on the video below and see for yourself.
The Daylight Company has a wide range of lamps from travel lamps to larger workspace lamps that are perfect for fiber artists, and makers of all kinds. In this video, we are giving you a tour of the Luminos Lamp right in one of our main work spaces. We knew the moment we saw it in action that we'd have to get one (or two) (or three) for our studios. And recently we did, WOOHOO! The folks at the Daylight Company sent one over and we both fell in love with it! After a wild thumb wrestling competition (best 2 out of 3 won by Shannon) the Luminos lives in the fiber arts studio upstairs… but there is a special bonus use for this FAB lamp (we show you in the video) that causes it to disappear into Jason's space every once in a while… just sayin'…
You need to see it in action to really get why we love this lamp so much. So we created a video tour of the Luminos to really provide you with a detailed look all the great features it includes... not all lamps are created equal and this one stands out above the rest… by far!
Click on the video below and see for yourself.
Check Out Our Latest Video... All About Flatter Smoothing Spray
Shortly before we became paid ambassadors for Soak we tried Flatter Smoothing Spray for the first time... we were impressed to say the least. Imagine an ironing assistant that is starch free, biodegradable, and actually smells great (you’ll see Our favorite in the video). Oh, it also actually works! It's flat-out fabulous! See what we did there? Flat? Flatter? *ahem* Moving on…
We decided to show Flatter in action so you could see for yourselves why we like it. And, yes, this really is the only thing that can make Shannon do the ironing. Watch and you’ll see why…
We decided to show Flatter in action so you could see for yourselves why we like it. And, yes, this really is the only thing that can make Shannon do the ironing. Watch and you’ll see why…
Flatter Smoothing Spray is available from selected retailers locally or online. You can go to soakwash.com to see a list of retailers in your area. Special thanks to the folks at Soak for providing us with their products for our studio and for this review!
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