Just Julee Designs

Friday, February 3, 2012

SAYING GOODBYE

My heart is broken. I had to say goodbye to my beloved Campbell, my best buddy, my sweet sheltie boy, my love. Be at peace, my sheltie angel.

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

RAMBLING ROSE SCARFLETTE

This elegant rosette gets its shape from a technique known as hyperbolic crochet, in which the number of stitches is doubled in each row as the work progresses. This creates the lovely ruffles that naturally form the suggestion of a rose. Five "stems", ending in optional decorative beads, loop gracefully around the neck and "flow" through a hidden ring of crochet formed by the rosette.

MATERIALS:

135 yards DK weight yarn (Sample done in Rowan Classic Yarns Cashsoft DK: 57% extra fine
merino, 33% acrylic microfiber, 10% cashmere - 50 g, 142 yards)
3.5 mm crochet hook
Yarn needle
Beads (optional) with holes large enough to thread on yarn
Floss threader (optional) to thread beads on yarn

STITCHES:

slst - slip stitch
sc - single crochet
dc - double crochet
ch - chain

ROSETTE:

CH 10, join with slst to form a ring.

Round 1: Ch 1, sc 20 times in ring. Slst to first sc to join.

Round 2: Ch 3, dc in same stitch. 2 dc in each sc to end, slst to top of beginning ch 3
to join. (40 stitches)

Round 3: Ch 3, dc in same stitch. 2 dc in each dc to end, slst to top of beginning ch 3
to join. (80 stitches)

Round 4 : Repeat Round 3. (160 stitches)

Round 5: Repeat Round 3. (320 stitches) Fasten off and weave in ends.

TAILS:

Cut 5 lengths of yarn 9 yards long each.

Fold one length of yarn in half so that one end forms a loop. Working on the back of the rosette, insert the crochet hook into the space between two of the sc stitches of the ring. Catch the loop with the hook and pull through the space between the sc stitches. Yarn over both yarns and pull through, starting a chain. Ch 130 stitches with both yarns together, fasten off.

Repeat process with the remaining 4 lengths of yarn, inserting the crochet hook into the space next to the previously used sc space in the ring. All 5 stems should be attached next to each other on one side of the ring.

Add beads (optional) to the ends of each stem and tie knots to hold beads in place. Trim ends to desired length.

HOW TO WEAR:

Place the ends of the stems through the hole in the middle of the rosette from the back to the front. This should form a large loop of 5 ties, which is placed over the head. Pull the ties to adjust the desired location of the rosette. Flatten the back of the rosette to pull the ruffles forward around the ties and hide the hole. Pull the ties downward while adjusting the ruffles so they hang from the bottom of the rosette.

© 2010 by Julie Beal.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

NEW BAG DESIGN

Introducing the Hexagon Bag! It is bigger and deeper than the Medium Project bag and sports a removable short carry handle and a removable, adjustable shoulder strap for cross-chest wear or just over the shoulder. The idea came to me from spinners who use drop spindles and wanted to have a hands-free bag to hold their fiber while spinning and to tote everything easily while traveling.

They are all made with at least one batik, like all my other bags, but some are made with two or three!

So here they are!

This bag has a smaller bag for fiber for spinners or people who were knitting the

Beekeeper's Quilt on Ravelry.

So does this one.

This one is really a patterned batik, which I "fussy cut" so the hummingbirds and

dragonflies would be more centered on the panels.

I brought some gorgeous batiks back from my trip to Portland in July and I am so excited to start using them for new bags! They are from a lovely shop on the coast in Cannon Beach, called Center Diamond, and from my favorite Lake Oswego quilt shop, The Pine Needle.

NEW NEEDLE CASE

This needle case was the first one I designed in the needle "Clutch" collection:

The needle holder can be customized to hold 4 sets of DPNs, two circulars, 6 crochet hooks, or in combination with each other. A large pocket is hidden behind the needle holder (opening at the lower right side behind the flap). This is suitable for a small notepad, a needle gauge, or and extra circular needle. The needle holder could also store a pen or pencil as well.

This custom order shows the large tote with the mega Clutch needle case, designed to hold 8 sets of DPNs.

VOGUE KNITTING LIVE

These are the original square based project bags I designed for sale at Vogue Knitting Live in New York City in January of 2011. The bags are named for New York locations, complete with descriptions.