Designs in progress-including design work for Butterfly Bag, Inside crochet 136

 This post is about design ideas which I send out to magazines. Editors give a steer on what they are looking for. I come up with things which I'd like to make myself. I usually have a picture in my head, then when I try it out it doesn't work, or another idea pops up.I probably will make them myself, anyway, and put the patterns on this blog free.Here are a few sketches which didn't get selected. I don't take it personally. Magazine editors have to produce a balanced set of designs for each issue, have lots to choose from, and a lot of luck is involved, when the standard of crochet designing is so high and rising all the time.I recently made a Lucy George Technicolour Shopper from Inside crochet 132, a lovely pattern which I adapted as a stashbuster using yarns which I already had. 

So, here are some of my designs which didn't get chosen

Two designs for felted hall runners made using strips of Tunisian crochet joined together. I wanted to emulate the look of weaving.I've never really liked anything that I've made using this method- I thought long strips, sewn together and felted might change that.

I stumbled across an anchor design on graph paper which I made into a top for my son when he was a toddler.I thought it could be adapted to make a jolly corner to corner blanket. Corner to corner, as the name suggests, is where you work squares diagonally,copying a picture on graph paper.

Here's a design which would make an unusual, statement throw measuring about 4' square, the design  was inspired by a piece of printed vintage linen.

You can never have too many tote bags.

I have some ready made bobble fringe which I want to use or, the stitch used in the technicolour shopper at the start of this post would work. too. The motif might work felted then appliqued on.I considered using T shirt yarn for the bag base. The aloe plant motif would be made with wool, crocheted and appliqued on.

At school I envied people who returned from Greek holidays with these simple woven, over the shoulder strap bags. This is my attempt at a spike stitch version. I like the idea of making all the spikes the same height, to update the look-see sample, below. They are meant to be aloe plants growing in a desert landscape. I've an artist's temperament when it comes to technique; as soon as I learn a new one, I try to think of a way to put my own twist on it. You can do that in crochet. Who says, you can't?

Another version, this is meant to represent fireworks in the night sky.

 Pre- lockdown, I was inspired by an exhibition at The Dulwich Picture Gallery of art by 19th Century Norwegian artist, Harald Sohlberg, to create little coloured huts like those in some of his paintings.

I am not sure what to make with them, but getting close to a repeatable pattern. Individually they could be coasters.

Sometimes, my initial design gets accepted, but editors suggest a different colour palette.I am cool with this.In the creation of anything, there are lots of moments of decision, and to be honest, I quite like it when someone takes one for me. The design process can be a collaborative one and I like that.

For example, here's a photo of a hairpin crochet afghan which led to a commission with ilikecrochet.com.

Only the colours are going to be different!I'm going to be using hairpin strips with a wider crocheted panel in the centre. I am having a special loom made by a woodworker in Oregon, who also happens to be my brother-in-law.

There's a tutorial on the method, here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-q9oHY7hjUs

Crocheted slides or flip flops are becoming 'a thing.' I've a couple of pairs of  flip flops bought new from a charity shop, which I plan to upgrade, this summer.I like to experiment a bit before actually coming up with a design.Also, to have some fun just playing with ideas.Here's a couple of pages from  my sketchbook.

The way I would tackle it would probably be, to crochet a kind of 'envelope' to fit the sole, with jute or something hardwearing underneath and something softer on top for comfort.The more decorative uppers can be attached to this.

Heres the design work behind a commision I did get, for a filet crochet butterfly motif bag. Very pleased with how the team at Inside Crochet have styled it in edition 136. It started life being in raffia, but that idea changed after some negotiation.

Swatch made using Scheepjes cotton, double.

The source was a precious file of old Australian Women's Weekly Crochet patterns which were sent from members descended from the Bodley family to a cousin of my husband's, Beryl, my Crochet Guru, now in her 80s. Proper kudos to the legendary and often anonymous women of the past who came up with designs like these. I panicked in case this design was already online, but although there are many butterfly patterns linked to Women's Weekly, I couldn't see this exact one. So I've added it to the archive! I love the idea of continuing in a tradition which has been going for so long. It could be nice on a top, repeated on  a curtain, cushion cover, anything really. I'm just a link in the chain.