Podcast Episode 29: Show Notes!

by Isabella


Posted on April 2, 2021


All the everything from the Fiber & Fox Podcast Episode 29:

*note: Bella’s Custom Crochets is now FIBER & FOX!

Rebrand! 2k! Easter makes! & a Giveaway!

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ADMIN:

Hey there! I’m Bella, the artist formerly known as Bella’s Custom Crochets. I’ve rebranded- welcome to Fiber & Fox! It’s been a huge journey getting to this point and I am so excited to be here!

In celebration of the rebrand, as well as hitting 2K subscribers on YouTube AND the launch of my first pattern under the Fiber & Fox brand, we will be doing a giveaway this episode- so stay with me!

Also, Happy Easter! Even if things don’t look the norm this year, I hope you are still celebrating well. I’m so grateful that when things look hopeless, I have a resurrected Savior who conquered death and kicked hopelessness’s butt forever.

DESIGNS:

The Hope & A Future Wrap is HERE! This pattern launched March 12th and you can now find it in my Etsy and Ravelry shops (all updated with the new Fiber & Fox branding/format). And Meg’s and Co still has kits if you missed out earlier on! This design has such special meaning behind it. If you missed the inspiration story and all the through that went into pattern, check out this post! (note: at the time of this podcast I am still working on going back through all old blog posts to redo images and change the branding- so right now this one still says BCC but updates are coming, slowly but surely!)

The Dandelion Drops Wall Hanging was published as well in March (Phew, it’s been a wild month!). This is the first pattern to be launched under the Fiber & Fox name, and I feel like that yellow and the dandelion stitch really is just me all stitched up in a project, so it feels extra special. The giveaway will include the yarn and the pattern to make one for yourself! Or you can find the pattern on both Etsy and Ravelry.

My next pattern, the Graynbow Shawl, is still in the works and I am hoping to have it written up and into testing by May at the latest, but designing is going to take a bit of a back burner for the next couple months. I still have a lot of behind the scenes, admin type stuff to work on with the rebrand, and I want to make sure everything is tip top shape. It turns out, when you’ve been an online business for about 3 years you accumulate a LOT OF LINKS in a lot of places. So my days will be filled with computery things over crocheting for a bit- but don’t worry, lots of design ideas are piling up at the ready!

Also, for anyone who wanted a link, I am wearing the Tidal Fades Shawl (DK) in this episode. I have this shawl available in both a worsted weight and DK weight version. It’s a great entry point – very simple and repetitive- into crochet shawls and indie dyed yarn (but any yarn will do!).

FOs:

Even though we aren’t really going anywhere but church, I still really wanted to make Easter garments for both my daughter and I. Plus I really NEEDED some “self-care”, non- business related projects last month, with 2 pattern releases and a rebrand!

For my daughter I made a slightly modified version of the Lace Cardigan by Mon Petit Violon. This is a pattern I have made multiple times for my daughter, as well as several for gifts. Vita designs the sweetest little lady patterns and I highly recommend her shop for the littles in your life! The pattern is written for a heavier weight yarn, but I wanted to use 2 skeins of “Melted Sno-Cone” I got from local dyer Sassy Black Yarns in a fingering weight organic cotton/linen blend. Lakisher was doing a discontinued bases sale, so I don’t think this particular base is still available- I’m a lil sad, I really liked it! But she has lots of other bright and lovely superwash wool skeins you should check out. I did quite a bit of modification (including adding an edging from this book– affiliate link!) to the pattern to get it to work in this yarn and just to fancy it up a bit, so definitely watch through the podcast for all the details of how I made it. so. cute!

Then for me I wanted a challenge project. Something new and different. I know, I have said I don’t wear fitted or cropped things before, and also I am not usually one for lace, but apparently this year has me feeling me a little adventurous. So I made a Tegna by Boyland Knitworks. AND I LOVE IT.

This was my first time knitting lace, and though I definitely “made it work” in a couple spots, over all I think it reads really beautifully as a whole. Stitch markers between lace repeats are KEY (I swear by these here– affiliate link.) It was a fun challenge- there were like 47 or so rows of lace, and every row was completely different. Definitely not mindless, but it was fascinating to watch it all come together, row by row. The pattern is both charted and written out, which I also found so helpful! As a newbie lace knitter, I think this pattern is definitely feasible as long as you take it stitch by stitch! Also, should note, I made a size small. Normally I am a medium but I wanted this a tad tighter than my usual boxy fit (pattern is made for more positive ease than I have!).

The yarns I used were some special skeins from my fave Fiber for the People Yarn. I used 2 skeins of “Seagull” on her 85/15 SW merino/nylon 2-Ply and a skein of “Leather” on her 100% SW Polwarth base. The pattern is written for all one color, but I was iffy on doing the lace in a variegated color, and I think I would have ended up playing yarn chicken anyway. I really adore the way the colors came together into a two toned version- for all the details on how I alternated skeins and made it all work together, definitely listen to my podcast rambles. I cannot wait to wear this all Spring!

WIPs:

Wip, Fo, Half fo? I dunno. But I am finished with one of what I am calling my “Kettle Corn socks” and have gotten started on the 2nd. I am winging it on these fun textured socks done in Laine and Lotus “Meteor Shower” & “Salted Carmel” left over from other projects. I am sure something similar out there exists, but I am working with 64 sts on a US size 1. 2×2 rib cuff, a knit row, 4 rows of purl 2 knit 2, a knit row and then reversing the rib by knitting 2 and purling 2. I love the texture it is making.

AQURIINGS:

Okay, so I don’t like to have sweaters quantities sitting around, especially since I know designing is gonna be on hold for just a little bit, but when someone offered to buy me one for my birthday last month, how could I say no!?

And yes, maybe I am insane to try and design an all black fingering weight yarn. Probably am. But also I really want a black staple sweater in my winter wardrobe, and maybe you do to. So keep a look out this fall/winter for that awesomeness (speaking it into existence!) coming your way. Nia of The Crochet Cove dyed up this batch of Smokey Black for me and it’s really gonna pain me just sittin there on my shelf! Highly recommend checking out Nia for really great hand dyed yarns to work up in crochet. A lot of dyers focus on the knit crowd, and while ANY yarn can be used for ANY craft, Nia’s dye style translates really nicely into crochet stitches. She also has crochet swatches and samples which is so helpful in picking yarns for your project! Can’t wait to make my sweater!

GIVEAWAY!

So we’ve hit over 2,000 subscribers on YouTube, I’ve rebranded, and I’ve launched an adorable wall hanging pattern. This is all cause for some celebration! See the podcast for all the details and how to enter, and be sure to put your name in the running for a chance to win a digital PDF copy of the Dandelion Drops Wall Hanging, the yarn I used to make the original sample, and 2 coordinating stickers from Block21 Prints! I’ll be announcing the winner in Episode 30!

That’s it! Thanks for hanging out with me and sticking it out through this whole rebrand transition! See you in Episode 30!

crochet business , crochet designer , crochet podcast , crochet podcaster , crochet vlog , crochet youtube , Podcast Show Notes

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