The Tucson Chill Top Tutorial

 

Hello, I am looking forward to sharing my latest project with you. I call this the Tucson Chill Top. It's kind of a weird name, but here's the story:

One of the things I love about living in Tucson is the laid back nature. When we first started coming here, my husband and I began referring to this general feeling as Tucson Chill (our own personal proper noun). We would roll into town, let our stress fade away, and lean into this state of chill. I designed this relaxed, drop shoulder, dolman style top to emanate Tucson Chill. The gentle ribbing adds some stretch to the overall relaxed and breezy fit (very important in the desert). It has a nice, classic crew neck and puff sleeves that stop just above the elbow. It’s perfect for work or play, but I hope it inspires a state of Tucson Chill wherever you call home.

The video tutorial will be released on my channel in two parts. I post my tutorials on Tuesdays, so Part 1 of the Tucson Chill top will come out on April 23rd. I am sharing this design in such a way that everyone will be able to customize it to their preferred length and width. I would love to have you join me and embrace the Tucson chill.
 

So Much is Happening

 March was a busy month for me around here! It was the beginning of my video tutorial making goal. I've been on YouTube for a long time, but I have mostly used my channel to post companion videos for my patterns. This year I have decided to put myself out there and share my designs, one at a time, on YouTube.

This meant updating my tech, learning Final Cut Pro, at least well enough to get started, and also Procreate to make thumbnails and short animations. Filming and editing is not brand new to me, but doing it on a regular schedule is absolutely new. I share a new crochet tutorial every Tuesday, and in the first month, I also created additional content on Saturday. Here are all of my projects for the month of March:

The Teddy Bear Crossbody

How to Sew a Zippered Bag Lining

Megan's Headband 

Crochet Class with Jenn Lesson 1 

Crochet Boho Rings Tutorial 

Wind Rose Fiber Studio Tour 

Hyperbolic Crochet Tutorial

Crochet Class with Jenn Lesson 2 

Who is the crazy person who made 8 videos in one month? Oh yeah, that was me! I'm not even sure how I managed to do all of that, but I just wanted to start off strong. I also wanted to be able to refer to my own videos to help those who are new to crochet get started. That is what inspired the crochet classes. Those were a challenge in part because I show how to crochet both right and left handed. Am I left handed? Um, no, but I just can't stand the thought of leaving out all of the beautiful lefties out there. 

I launched my first April video today as it is Tuesday. This is a
follow up to the Boho Rings Tutorial, because quite a few people enjoyed the first one. And as soon as I hit publish on this post, I'm off to film the next one. 

 

I really hope you'll enjoy the content and maybe find a new pattern to try. I have a lot of designs and I would love to know what you would like to see in the coming months. Do you love accessories, summer cotton jewelry, or maybe even wearables? I am just trying to decide what to share and when. I am very open to suggestions. 

All the best and Happy Spring!

Megan's Headband The Video!

Megan's Headband

I'm happy to share that the pattern for Megan's Headband is now a YouTube tutorial. It's official, I've been making crochet projects for so long that I can get nostalgic for my own work. I wrote an in-depth tutorial for Megan's Headband here on the blog in 2011. I went back to visit this post before making the video and I must admit that I was sort of amazed by the time I put into this post. There are so many pictures! I'm sure I wanted to do it justice and make a post that everyone could follow. After all, this is a pattern near and dear to my heart. It's not just about the headband for me, it's about the little girl and her wonderful family that inspired this sweet design. 

I am very new to making long format videos and I must admit I was really in my head over this one. I struggled with the best way to film the part that is critical to the gauge. I ended up sharing the same diagram I used here on the blog and then talking over it for way too long. I can hear all of the YouTube pros telling me what a misstep this is and how there is no way anyone is going to listen to such a long explanation. I don't know. In the end, my internal teacher won out and I really wanted to explain how to calculate the number of stitches now matter what kind of yarn or headband people may choose. I feel like I can be pretty nerdy in my approach to crochet and design. The question is, will anyone listen to a 3 minute explanation to a diagram??? 

Honestly, sharing this is still making me want to make a second version that is a little less in depth. Clearly I need feedback, lol. I guess I'll see if the video finds any fans before I go too crazy. Anyway, here's the video for you. I hope you enjoy!

The Teddy Bear Crossbody Bag - Brand New Pattern!

It's finally here! The Teddy Bear Crossbody Bag pattern is launched!  Launched is a dramatic word, but this bag felt like quite the undertaking. It marks the beginning of my new goal of not only selling patterns, but producing videos. I have been hard at work, filming and editing what I hope will be the first of many tutorials. Yes, you'll be able to make this cozy sling from start to finish by following along with the video. 

I feel like I'm getting a little ahead of myself. The pattern is available now in my Etsy shop. The complete video tutorial will be coming out on March 5th on my YouTube Channel. I've had so many requests for videos over the years, and I just didn't have the time to invest until now.

I'm very excited to be able to offer my designs in two formats. As a crocheter, I love an instant download that I can reference anytime from anywhere. I must confess that I have an old school affection for printing out a physical pattern and carrying it around with me. At the same time, I am just as likely to hop on YouTube to learn a thing. I love having choices and I hope you will too!

This brown version is the one I filmed myself crocheting for the video. I have to keep it real and tell you that I've been putting in long hours and ending each day with my brain feeling pretty fried. While I've done a few little projects in the past, mostly using my phone or iMovie, I decided it was time to tackle Final Cut Pro. I am thankful for all the ways it reminded me of iMovie, but there was a lot to learn!

In fact, the list of things I've been learning lately is long. I made a short animation in Procreate. I've had to educate myself about sizing and formats. I made a special thumbnail because that's a thing now. Just when I thought I was out of the woods, I discovered that iPhones are now producing High Efficiency Image Files instead of jpegs. 

Everyday I have stumbled onto more questions to research. I am very grateful that the answers are never too hard to find, but it has absolutely slowed me down.

 

 So I have been feeling like a beginner these days. From time to time, I get frustrated with just my own lack of knowledge around these new tools, but I am trying to be patient with myself as I learn. It feels amazing to have my first project complete and ready to share. The first one has to be the hardest, right?