Stitch This ~ Sip This, No. 5

Hello Friday, we've been waiting for you! It's that time of week again, the Friday 'wine' down!

This week is pretty special for me as it is also the week of the Crochet Guild of America (CGOA) Chain Link Conference in Portland. The CGOA is all about crochet all of the time! A national organization dedicated to the craft of crochet, The conference provides the opportunity for members, (and aspiring members) to learn more about crochet, be inspired by innovative designs, connect with other passionate crocheters, and play with yarn (there is also a marketplace!). It is really a fantastic time for the inner 'hooker' inside us all! And this year, Furls has a commemorative hook ~ which I think is super cool and you can ONLY get it here at the conference.. (I have yet to pick one up, tomorrow will be my shop day). However, the hook shown above is called Candy Shop in the color cosmic mint and can be purchased here.

So other than that, this week has been filled with working on some top secret garments (one of which won't be revealed until next Spring (sorry). I am crushing hard on it (it has also been a tiny pain in the derriere .. but as they say "love hurts" HA! ... but anyway, for those of you who know and love my design aesthetic ... you will definitely understand why when you finally get the chance to get a gander at this little number.

I have also been working to push yarnies into starting their Fall stitching so that their garments can be worn in Sept and on. This push has lead me to this week's blog post. So given all that I have going on right now, this post will be a little lighter than normal.

Getting right to the point, let's discuss Colorwork and Chianti!

Color is amazing! It adds dimension and really draws attention in most every areas of life. However, color can also be intimidating to work with when it comes to designing with it or even wearing it. There are a few ways to work color into your yarn work - whether by crochet or knitting. One method is by the yarn itself! Think variegated yarn. Which I really enjoy working with as the color isn't really something I have to think of as it is provided to me. Easy peasy!

Working with two different colors isn't too difficult at all. When working with yarn and thinking colorwork the terms that come to mind are Fair isle, jacquard and intarsia. and brioche, to name a few.

Intarsia is a technique wherein blocks of color are worked with separate balls of yarn - worked with some form of bobbin. [bobbins come in several sizes and assist in keeping your yarns from tangling while your work. they can be purchased or handmade from cardboard].

In intarsia the yarn is not carried across the back of the work but must be twisted around each other at each change to prevent holes in the work. Similarly, intarsia in crochet also is not carried along the back as the unworked stands would begin to look a little messy as the work creates longer stands which would need to be carried.

Fair isle (also stranded knitting) requires the yarn to be carried along the wrong side of your work as you switch from one working color to the next.

Tapestry crochet (jacquard or woven method) consist of working over the colors not in use and produces a reversible fabric (also a heavier fabric). As difficult as it may look, the great news about colorwork–which is most typically called tapestry when talking about crochet–is that it’s a relatively easy skill to learn, and only requires the patience of changing colors multiple times and following a chart as opposed to a typical pattern. A great example of this method is seen in one of my designs that I really adore - Jackie Lumber.

#whatsinyourglass Talking Chianti (Key-Ahn-tee) ~ which is a wine produced in the Chianti region, in central Tuscany, Italy and historically associated with a squat bottle enclosed in a straw basket, called a fiasco. However, the fiasco is only used by a very small number of makers nowadays.

The two main types are Chianti and Chianti Classico. Since 1996 the blend for Chianti and Chianti Classico has been 75–100% Sangiovese, up to 10% Canaiolo and up to 20% of any other approved red grape variety such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Syrah. Chianti Classico must have a minimum alcohol level of at least 12% with a minimum of 7 months aging in oak, while Chianti Classico's labeled riserva must be aged at least 24 months at the winery, with a minimum alcohol level of at least 12.5%.

Chianti is a known dry red that ranges in price from $10 USD to about $50 USD a bottle. As for tasting notes, we are looking (smelling and tasting) at earthy/rustic, high in tannins (mouth dryers - j'adore! :o) ), there are tones of cherries and strawberries and lots of acidity. You can pair it with classic Italian dishes - I LOVE a pasta dish.... my waistline doesn't. #sadface. But really, the great thing about the Chianti make-up is that it pairs with most anything! The Sangiovese makes it a delightful pair with spicy ~ give it a whirl!

Anyway, like I said, I was going to keep this short and sweet since I am doing the CGOA thing right now and I actually have homework I need to finish by Sunday am for the Certified Instructor's Program #gulp. Plus, I wanna have fun and check out the Portland brew and pinot scene ~ two sips, of which, is Portland is known. So, for the faithful Stitchers and Sippers click on the Jackie Lumber photo (above) which will redirect you to a place where you can email me, What I offer is 3 bucks off Jackie Lumber so from 5 to 2 bucks for the first couple people to email me that they want in on the deal. You've got this - I wanna see ya in your very own tapestry crochet Jackie Lumber!

Until next week, may your stitches and sips be plenty! :0) xoxo

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