Introducing Rove Handmade

If you've visited here before, you might have noticed some changes.

Let me introduce you to Rove Handmade, a new brand that seeks to engage creativity with simple, minimalist crochet patterns designed in natural, sustainable fibres. You'll still find patterns and how-to's previously published under Maria Valles Handmade, now under a new name and a freshened-up online home.

Rove Handmade represents the next step for me in this handmade endeavor of mine, as I begin to think more carefully about designing, making, and sustainability. It is the culmination of several months of pondering, planning and hard work, and I'm looking forward to seeing where this next chapter leads.

In celebration, I am excited to share with you Rove Handmade Volume 1: Grannies, a collection of four easy crochet patterns for simple and stylish shrugs and cardigans. Inspired by crochet’s most famous motif, the granny square, these patterns also showcase beautiful Icelandic wool yarns in earthy undyed shades. The collection features two brand new patterns along with my best-selling Duo Two-Way Shrug and a new-and-improved pattern for my Granny Cocoon Shrug (previously published as free "recipe" here on the blog).

Each design employs inventive construction based on squares or hexagons, with no special shaping and minimal seaming, making these great projects for those crocheting their very first garment. Patterns include detailed instructions for five adult sizes, as well as schematics and notes on customizing your piece. You’ll also find tips on working with Icelandic wool and notes on yarn substitutions. 

Check out the ebook and individual patterns here!

Duo Two-Way Shrug

Last week I finally published my Duo Two-Way Shrug on Ravelry. This one was a long time and a few versions in the making, but I'm quite pleased with how it turned out and thrilled by the wonderful response it's been getting on both Instagram and Ravelry. Thank you to all who left kind words or have already purchased the pattern!

Built on the granny square, Duo uses basic stitches and construction to create an elegant, versatile piece that can be worn as a short-sleeved open cardigan or turned upside down and worn as a cropped, shawl-collared shrug. It has a slight cocoon shape at the back and is meant to be worn with a bit of positive ease.

I designed Duo for plötulopi, a light and airy single-ply unspun Icelandic wool yarn, but the pattern can be made a worsted weight yarn such as Léttlopi and notes are included for yarn substitutions. In Léttlopi, for example, the gauge is identical and the result is a little more "springy" though no less lovely - I've been wearing both versions and I'm honestly not sure which is my favourite (it's shown here in plötulopi) . Duo is available in five sizes.

Seascape Cowl for Holla Knits

Photo courtesy of Holla Knits

Photo courtesy of Holla Knits

Hello, it's been awhile! I've been somewhat under the radar the last few months to focus on some non-crochet-related priorities but am happy to be back. I wasn't completely AWOL though - I did manage to sneak in a tiny bit of designing and am super excited to announce the launch of a brand new pattern that I designed for the Holla Knits 2016 Accessories Collection!

The Seascape Cowl was inspired by Iceland's North Atlantic landscapes and is a modern twist on granny square chic. It's a great project for crocheters who enjoy the challenge of mixing techniques for interesting results. The pattern is available to buy over on the Holla Knits website, just in time for fall, and you can tag your projects on social media with #seascapecowl. 

To make this pattern, you'll need:

• 3 balls Ístex Léttlopi (50 g/100 m - 1.75 oz/109 yd) or similar worsted weight yarn, 1 each in three colours of your choice
• 5 mm (H-8) hook
• Stitch markers and yarn needle

City cowl

As I slowly work my way through the backlog, I'm pleased to introduce yet another cowl pattern, now available on Ravelry and Etsy. This one is called the City Cowl and is made with one ball of Álafoss Lopi and a big-ish 10 mm hook, and uses one of my favourite stitches, Griddle Stitch, to achieve a beautiful texture and drape. It's also simpler than it looks and is suitable for advanced beginners who want to venture a little beyond the basics.

Everything is a remix

“Only those with no memory insist on their own originality.”

— Coco Chanel

It always makes me cringe a little when I read about someone in the handmade community publicly accusing someone else of copying their work, especially if followed by disparaging personal comments about the other person (as such accusations often are). I know it's an emotional issue - we makers feel such a personal connection to our work that we think no one else in the world can do what we do. And of course they can't. We all put our own stamp - from our experiences, preferences, point of view, etc. - on whatever we make. In that sense it is unique to us. But does that mean no one else can ever make that thing? And was the idea really ours in the first place? Was it so truly new that no one else had ever made something like it before? 

I recently watched Kirby Ferguson‘s documentary Everything is a Remix, which illustrates these ideas so well. If you have about 40 minutes to spare, it‘s a worthy reminder that from pop music to software, everything builds upon something that came before it (if you don't, you can catch his TED talk here). It‘s the nature of creativity and innovation itself – taking an idea and improving it or making it your own in some way. Imagine if only one person or company could make a T-shirt, or a pair of jeans, or a car, or a computer? We all benefit from the innovation that comes from playing with existing ideas; no one benefits from hoarding those ideas. This is as true in the handmade world as anywhere else.

But then it happened to me. Or at least I felt like it was happening to me. I saw an Instagram post from someone I admired (and with many thousands of followers to boot) promoting a pattern that was strikingly similar to one I had posted here as a free "recipe" almost two years back and that had become quite popular on Pinterest. I was gutted. I had a visceral reaction, and in my mind (and out loud to my husband) I went to that place - that indignant, accusing, wounded place.

Of course it's very likely that this person didn't consciously "copy" anything at all, let alone my work specifically, but simply saw something somewhere that inspired her. Isn't that true for all of us? We consume mostly the same online media, read the same blogs, repin the same Pinterest pins, listen to the same podcasts - and we are consciously or subconsciously guided by the same trends and by what we think is beautiful, inspiring, interesting, or whatever it may be. After all, I was inspired by something I saw and wanted to make in my own way. Was that any different?

Even so, it stung. But why? I was happy to see people remixing, altering, sharing, and selling finished items before, so why not now? When I write patterns or “recipes” for the things I make, some basic guidelines help me decide what to share freely (with credit where due) vs. what I might produce as a paid pattern. So part of my indignation was that this person didn't play by my rules (which of course is a ridiculous thing to expect). But more than that, it was that she successfully staked a claim and capitalized on the idea where I did not. I felt slighted because I felt... envious. That is not something I'm proud to admit.

The whole experience made me think a little more deeply about why I do this, what I want from it, and what I value. It also reminded me that a) the idea was never "mine" to begin with and besides, ideas are not a finite resource - there are plenty to go around, b) comparing ourselves to others is futile, though competition can drive us to do better, and c) I'm human and sometimes emotion wins out over logic, but taking a step back and asking why helps to see things more clearly. 

At the end of the day (and this very long post - thank you if you're still reading!), this advice from the late Paul Arden, from his brilliant little book It‘s Not How Good You Are, It‘s How Good You Want To Be, is worth keeping in mind:

“Do not covet your ideas. Give away everything you know and more will come back to you.”

And:

“Ideas are open knowledge. Don’t claim ownership. They’re not your ideas anyway, they’re someone else’s. They are out there floating by on the ether.”

Words to live by.

Pixel cowl

I know it's almost summer here in the northern hemisphere, but it's sort of still scarf weather in Iceland and winter is around the corner for our friends on the opposite side of the globe. With that in mind, I figured why wait to start putting my backlog of decidedly autumn-y patterns out in the world? 

The first is a quick little cowl I made a loooonng time ago as a clean-up-my-stash project (you might have seen it here). I call it the Pixel Cowl because the jagged double crochet stripes somehow remind me of a zoomed-in, pixelated image (maybe it's just me, but the name stuck). Using small amounts of Álafoss Lopi and a big hook, it took under an hour to crochet and remains near the top of my list of handmade gift ideas.

Like some of my other how-tos, this is more of a basic "recipe" than a by-the-numbers pattern. The size and placement of your stripes will depend on the amount of yarn you use for each colour, and the cowl is easy to size up or down simply by adjusting the length of the starting chain and/or number of rows. I happened to have a combination of larger vs smaller amounts of yarn on hand, and I really like the look of different-sized blocks of colour. The main idea is to just join the next colour wherever the last one ends without worrying about matching things up, for a jagged, "pixelated" effect. 

The cowl is worked in the round, and the first round is worked into the "bumps" on the underside of the foundation chain - this keeps the edge nice and neat and adds a tiny bit more stretch to the chain. The only tricky bit is joining the foundation chain into a ring without twisting it (you could also start with a foundation dc, but I didn't think of that at the time).

PIXEL COWL

Materials

• Small amounts of Álafoss Lopi or similar bulky weight yarn in at least 3 colours 
  • I used a total of about 80 g/80 m (3 oz/ 87 yds) and 3 colours.
• 10 mm hook

Gauge

• 7 st and 4.5 rows = 10 cm (4")
  • Gauge is not crucial for this project and will depend on the yarn/hook size you're using.

Finished size

• 60 cm (24") x 23 cm (9")
  • Adjust the size by adding or subtracting foundation chain stitches and/or adding or subtracting rows.

Stitches used

• Ch - chain
• Dc - double crochet
• Ss - slip stitch
  • Note that this pattern uses US crochet terms.

Pattern

Ch 42, without twisting chain, ss into 1st ch to join into ring

Round 1 - Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc throughout), sk 1st ch, dc into the "bump" on the underside of each ch around, ss in top of beg ch 3 to join (42) (see notes below pattern).

Round 2 - Ch 3, dc around, ss into top of beg ch 3 to join (42)

Rounds 3 - 10 - Repeat round 2, joining each new colour wherever the last one ends (42)

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Finishing

I like to wet-block pretty much everything I make in Icelandic wool - it's a rugged fibre and gentle hand washing in lukewarm water with mild soap softens it quite a bit. Roll the washed piece in a towel to squeeze out excess water (but don't wring or twist). Lay flat, reshape to measurements, and let air dry. Turning the piece every once in a while helps to avoid creases, but you can also steam out any creases with an iron once your cowl is dry - just be careful not to place the iron directly on the wool.

Notes on working into the "bump" of the foundation chain

To work into the bump , turn the chain slightly so that the underside is facing up. Insert your hook into the loop or "bump" in the centre and make your stitch. Crochet Me has a great post about different ways of working into the foundation chain here.

Hope you enjoy your Pixel Cowl!

New patterns on Ravelry

Two patterns that I had published in last year's Crochet Pattern a Day Calendar have recently become available as instant downloads! My Lava Wrist Warmers and Tricolor Felted Bowl patterns have been rewritten and formatted as individual PDF patterns, and can be purchased on Ravelry.

The Lava Wrist Warmers pattern is a great one-skein pattern that works up fast. Worked in granite stitch, they have a bit of stretch and fit most adult women. 

The Tricolor Felted Bowl is a fun stash-busting project that you can felt in your washing machine.

Enjoy!

Hello 2016

I'm starting the year a week late. After the holidays, travelling, and an annoyingly persistent cold, I spent the first week of 2016 in a sort of jet-lagged limbo, slowly easing back into my daily routines and trying to reclaim some semblance of a normal sleep schedule. It was quite nice in some ways, this easing in - no plans, no resolutions, just recovery. And now I'm ready.

Looking back on 2015, I'm pretty happy with how things evolved over the year. I made a lot, shared a lot, got a pattern published in a magazine for the very first time, and opened a little pattern shop on Ravelry. I set out to grow my skills and confidence without putting too much pressure on myself, and even though that meant letting a few things slide (like my Etsy shop and keeping a regular blog schedule, among other things), I feel OK about it all. 

This year I'd like to do a better job of bringing everything together in a way that makes sense and of being more consistent, and more consistently present, in my work. While I've not made any resolutions, I'll confess to making big lists (gotta love a list!) and I even ordered a fancy planner that I'm loathe to write in, it's so fresh and clean and pretty! At the same time, I hope I'll continue to cut myself (and others) some slack when things don't go exactly according to plan and just enjoy the ride. 

I hope you all enjoy your ride too in 2016. Cheers!

Simple cloth

I made a bunch of these simple little dishcloths/washcloths and I am becoming addicted. Packaged up with some handmade soaps, these are going to make really cute little gifts come Christmas (which is only 33 days away!). I used half-double crochet stitches, double-stranded, and got 4 cloths out of two 50 g skeins of Anna and Clara's Cotton Yarn from Sostrene Grene, which is a fingering weight cotton yarn. I especially love the marled effect of using two contrasting yarns together.

Here's the basic pattern below:

Simple cloth

Materials:

• 2 skeins fingering weight cotton yarn in contrasting colours of your choice
• 4 mm hook
• Yarn needle

Gauge:

Approx. 14 st x 11 rows = 4" (10 cm)

Finished size:

Approx. 7" x 7" (18  cm x 18 cm)

Pattern:

Holding two strands together, ch 26.

Row 1: Make 1st hdc in 3rd ch from hook, hdc each ch to end, turn (24)

Row 2: Ch 2 (counts as 1st hdc throughout), hdc across, turn (24)

Row 3 - 18: Repeat Row 2 (24)

At the end of the last row, ch 10, ss into same st to make a loop, fasten off.

Weave in ends.

And there you have it - a simple, useful little cloth that can be used as a dishcloth, washcloth, or even a trivet, and works up so fast you'll want to make them for everyone you know (and a few for yourself too).

Slow Fashion October wrap up

Here we are at end of the month, and I didn't do as well with my Slow Fashion October challenge as I had hoped. I had big plans for thoughtful blog posts along each week's theme and daily Instagrams of handmade wares (and wears), but it's been hard to find the time to sit down and write something of substance about a very broad, very important topic. 

I challenged myself to wear handmade every day this month, and while I managed to at least wear handmade accessories every day (that part was easy as we moved into scarf, mitts, and woolly socks territory), handmade garments were more difficult. I had…OK, I put...a lot on my plate this month, so getting creative about what to wear in the morning just wasn't - and if I'm totally honest, isn't ever - within my operating capacity. However, I would like to share one of my favourite pieces that gets regular rotation, not just for Slow Fashion October but all through the year. The hand-knit Icelandic lopapeysa in the pictures above was given to me by my mother-in-law a few years ago, knit by her sister-in-law (my husband's aunt), and I have practically lived in it ever since. It's been repaired once already and is due another round now that I've somehow, inexplicably, made a hole in the armpit. Considering it's fragility (it's made from single-ply, unspun plötulopi) it's held up remarkably well, and to me, the patches and repairs only add to its charm. I wore this sweater a lot this month, along with a few other well-loved pieces, some handmade and second-hand and some bought new over the years.

Speaking of buying new, I didn't totally avoid it this month - I bought a wool boucle coat on sale. It was made in a factory, and I don't know the conditions under which it was made. I wrestled with this at the time but in the end I still bought it, using the following rationale:

1. I loved the coat.
2. It was well made, in good fabric.
3. It was not super-cheap, even on sale, but was within my budget.
4. It had classic styling and would last more than one season.

Perhaps I rationalized a new mass-produced purchase simply because I wanted the coat (I had already tried it on twice in the weeks before it went on sale). But I have worn it every day since I bought it and I know it will serve me for at least a few more years. At the same time, I still want to avoid new mass-produced as much as I can and that includes craft supplies. I use Icelandic wool almost exclusively in my work mostly because I love it, but also because I know where it comes from and where and how it's produced. 

Which brings me back to my overall goal of being a more conscious consumer and making a better effort to fit a slow fashion philosophy into my lifestyle. It's hard, and there are no easy fixes for a system that not only exploits people but also harms our environment. How did we even get to this place? To me, the question has more to do with our core values as people and societies than with factories or corporations. These core values, after all, are the ones driving us to want more, faster, cheaper; driving corporate CEOs to prioritize profit above all else, no matter the human or environmental cost; and driving the kind of unsustainable consumption we're seeing now.

But I'm optimistic. The slow fashion movement is growing and gaining traction, and I do sense a shift, perhaps still driven primarily by niche communities like makers, but a shift nonetheless, in our values and priorities. People who didn't think about these things before are thinking about them now, and that's good. All I can do is try to be more aware, to consider more deeply not just what I buy, but why I'm buying. 

And get my sewing machine fixed. I can do that too.