AUGUST NEWSLETTER

Hello, my friends! It’s good to have you here. In this newsletter, I’ll share all the insider details on the upcoming release of the Shadow Plaid Wrap. Plus, we’ll trace the ongoing evolution of the Wildflower Blanket, take an exclusive peak at a brand-new floral blanket that’s beginning to take shape, and spotlight a fabulous Double Wedding Ring Blanket made by Destinie.

Shadow Plaid Wrap Coming This Week!

Mark your calendars! The Shadow Plaid Wrap will be released this week – at 2:00 P.M. (MDT) on Thursday, August 15 to be exact. I can’t wait for you to see the pattern and all the fun extras I’ve put together for it.

After nearly a year of trial and error and many, many hours of stitching, it’s amazing to me how this pattern has simply sprinted toward the finish line over this past month. I think I’ve actually had almost as much fun preparing for the release as I’ve had designing the wrap.

What makes this design so special to me is all of the ways that you can customize it to suit your style and your needs. The stitch pattern is easily adjustable, allowing you to alter the size of your wrap in a jiffy. In fact, this would make a beautiful scarf! In addition to choosing your colors, you might also choose to adjust the width of the horizontal stripes to create a variety of different plaid looks. The pattern will include all the resources you need to make this wrap your own.

The Shadow Plaid Wrap Pattern PDF Includes

• Professional full-color photographs.

• List of abbreviations (in standard US crochet terms).

• A reduced pattern stitch diagram to help illustrate the stitch pattern and alternating color changes.

• Photo tutorials for crocheting into the back bar of the foundation chain and working Rows 1 and 2 are presented alongside the pattern instructions.

• A detailed video tutorial will walk you through the steps, along with some tips, to help you complete your wrap with confidence.

Plus These Bonus Resources to Help You Customize Your Wrap

• Coloring sheet and color inspiration page to help you choose colors for your project.

• Instructions for adjusting wrap length and depth.

• For those who choose to adjust the width of the horizontal stripes and want to know how much yarn they will need for a stripe, a table offers a breakdown of the yarn amount (in grams) required for each row. (Because the wrap is trapezoidal in shape, the amount of yarn in each row increases as the depth of the wrap increases.)

Be Sure to Check Out the Free Video!

The video for this project is chock-full of information. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to work into the back bars of a foundation chain, how to use tapestry crochet to change color with double crochet stitches, and how to change color at the beginning of the row. You’ll also learn some useful tips to help you maintain an even tension and prevent your yarns from getting tangled.

With every video tutorial I produce, I learn a little bit more (and I hope they’re getting a little bit better too). With this latest video, I learned how to add transitions and animations, as well as how to fine tune the audio editing and color correcting. I’m really pleased with how this one came out. I hope that it helps folks learn a little bit about tapestry crochet and makes their crochet time with this wrap fun and enjoyable.

I can’t wait for you to see this video! It will be released publicly on YouTube, so you won’t need to purchase the pattern to view it.

But if you’d like to purchase the pattern, as a newsletter subscriber, you’ll receive an exclusive coupon for 20% off (on Etsy and Ravelry through the month of August).

Watch your inbox on Thursday for the news!

Wildflower Blanket: How It Began and Where It’s Headed

Last month, I promised to give you a little more detail about the inspiration behind the Wildflower Blanket. And so, I’m excited to share with you that it was inspired by the California super blooms of 2017 and 2019. While it’s tough to find a singular definition of a super bloom, this term has been popularly used to describe largescale blooms of annual wildflowers following years of above average precipitation. Some super blooms have been so widespread that they could even be seen from space.

The super blooms in the Temblor Range of California in recent years have been out of this world. Just a few hours from Los Angeles, the wildflowers at Carrizo Plain National Monument are particularly awe-inspiring. I’ve never witnessed this wildflower display in person, but the photographs I’ve seen are breathtaking. If you have a moment and want to take a virtual trip to Carrizo Plain National Monument, I encourage you to check out the Bureau of Land Management’s album on Flickr. They’ve done a great job of showing how the wildflowers transform the landscape.

When I first saw the V-shaped valleys, seemingly painted in bright colors by the variety of wildflowers, my imagination was immediately sparked. I wondered, what if I used the colors of the wildflowers and the layout of the valley to create a color-block blanket?

And so it began. Here is the layout I drew back in 2021 along with some of the photos that inspired it.

Since then, the blanket has changed quite a bit, and it continues to evolve. As you know, earlier this year, I decided to redesign all the flowers into squares so that they could be assembled with a join-as-you-go method.

But just this morning, I got another great idea! One of the problems I’ve been running into is that turning all of these 3-, 5-, and 6-petalled flowers into squares can sometimes mean sacrificing the size and shape of the flowers and leaves. And it doesn’t always result in the most elegant design, mathematically speaking. But then it hit me — what if I changed the layout to incorporate hexagons and triangles too? My mind was blown. So once again, I’m taking this back to the drawing board.

Don’t worry, I know I’ll get out of the gate with this blanket eventually. And I can’t wait to show you where this project takes me next!

Design in Progress: Botany Blanket

For a bit of a segue, the Botany Blanket is the design that sparked my eureka wildflower moment this morning. You’ll notice it’s made with hexagons, squares, and triangles in an interesting layout (below). Now I’m thinking the Wildflower Blanket might benefit from a similar layout.

But before I get ahead of myself, here is the Botany hexagon motif.

I carefully chose the tonal colors for the flowers to add depth to each motif. Then the darker color in each motif is used as an outline. When the motifs are assembled, I’m hoping that the outlines create a bold design, framing the flowers.

With this design, I want to evoke the feeling of being in a botany library. Old and rare, gilded books are piled high on the table around you, as you leaf (pun intended!) through pages of botanical illustrations and hand-written field notes.

The pattern for the blanket has been written, and I’m currently working on the sample. The release is tentatively scheduled for October 2024. Stay tuned!

Maker Spotlight: Destinie’s Wedding Ring Blanket

This month we’re featuring a fabulous Double Wedding Ring Blanket made by Destinie (Destinieruth on Ravelry). With exquisite stitches, and surely lots of love, Destinie crocheted this blanket as a wedding gift for her brother.

Destinie used Red Heart Super Saver Brushed in dusty pink for this stunning blanket. Didn’t it turn out lovely? From Destinie’s photos on Ravelry, this yarn appears to take on a subtle sheen when worked up in this pattern. This sheen accents the post stitches, making the rings in the blanket stand out. I wouldn’t have expected this from Super Saver Brushed. Pretty cool!

About the project, Destinie says, “It was fun to make and my brother and his wife LOVED it. I was impressed with myself since it was the first big project I did, but your pattern made it really easy to follow.”

Nice work, Destinie! I’m honored that you made this blanket for your brother’s wedding. The newlyweds are sure to cherish it!

You can find the Double Wedding Ring Blanket crochet pattern on Etsy and Ravelry.

How to Share Your Projects

I always enjoy seeing what you make with my patterns and I love showing off your work! If you would like for your work to be featured in a future newsletter, email your project photos to Jennifer at crochet@JenniferOlivarez.com.

Or create a project on Ravelry: Share your project photos, yarn used, details, and more!

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Having you in my crochet circle means so much to me. I aim to publish 4-6 new patterns every year, along with video and photo tutorials. In addition to announcements, here I’ll share crochet tips and tricks, yarn reviews, and a peek into my design process. But I’ll only send you crochet content that I think you will enjoy. In the meantime, you can contact me by replying to this email or crochet@JenniferOlivarez.com. I would love to hear from you!