I've said it in the past, but many of my patterns now start with me looking through a book of various stitches, picking one, and then designing a sweater around that. This sweater uses the maple fans stitch found in The New Crochet Stitch Dictionary by Nele Braas and Eveline Hetty-Brown. I found a used copy that I've been perusing a lot recently. If you can find a copy and like to look at stitches, I'd highly recommend it. I did modify the stitch a bit to be double crochets instead of trebles to make the holes a little smaller.

I made this sweater mostly during Colorfest a few weeks ago. It was definitely an emergent design as I was in between people being in my booth that day. The yarn is Worsted Tweed by American Ewe Yarn in Glass of Port. I had 3 skeins of yarn and I used almost all of it. Each skein is 237 yards and it is a worsted weight tweed. Obviously this sweater has some larger holes in it so it definitely needs a shirt under it, but despite that it is really warm.






This pattern uses a 5.5 mm yarn

Stitches:

ch - chain
sk st
sc - single crochet
dc - double crochet
dc2tog - 2 double crochet into the same stitch and crocheted together

Front and back panels (make 2). Cast on in multiples of 4 + 2
I cast on 58
Row 1: sc all the way across
Row 2: ch 5 (counts as dc + 2 ch), dc2tog in the starting stitch, sk 2 st, dc2tog, ch 3, dc2tog in the same stitch, * sk 2 st, dc2tog, ch 3, dc2tog in the same stitch. Repeat from * across end with a dc
Row 3: ch 3, * dc2tog in the midle of the 3 chains, ch 3, dc2tog in the same stitch. Repeat from * across ending with a dc.
Repeat rows 2 and 3 until you reach your desired length. I had 18 rows.






Stitch the two panels together leaving approximately 8 inches for the arms and neck. I decided that I wanted the V's facing up, but you could do either up or down. Make sure your panels are facing the same direction though.

For the neck add a row of sc around the collar.

For the sleeves pick up 10 V's.
Row 1: ch 3, dc in the starting stitch, sk 2 st, dc2tog, ch 3, dc2tog in the same stitch, * sk 2 st, dc2tog, ch 3, dc2tog in the same stitch. Repeat from * across slip stitch to join

Row 2: ch 3, * dc2tog in the midle of the 3 chains, ch 3, dc2tog in the same stitch. Repeat from * across slip stitch to join

I made the sleeves 10 rows long.

Sanbao came out with a new thing they call a Kiln Rod Bracket that I was thinking about trying. With the new hollow ornaments I made, I needed something that was going to stand up to their weight. I have some nichrome bars, but they bend over time and the ornaments are on the heavier side. Sanbao also has alumina rods that you can get which are supposed to stay straight over time.

I went back and forth on whether to get just the rods or both, but eventually went all in and got both. I was really nervous trying them out with ornaments, but I had read nothing but good things about them. The actual holder is less than an inch high, so I put kiln posts under each of the 4 corners to balance it. I was conservative in how many I hung both for the weight, but also to make sure they wouldn't touch.

You saw the results in the kiln opening, but here's what it looked like in the kiln. If you make anything that needs to hang, I'd highly recommend these two items.

This Friday, Saturday and Sunday November 1-3 I will be at the Howard County Craft Spectacular. The show is at the Howard Conty Fairgrounds and I will be in the new building in spot F5. Hope to see you there!
The new stand worked perfectly! I'll post more on that next time. The ornaments themselves are fantastic. I did the new Spectrum floating glazes on them which was a bit of a risk, but they're all great colors.

I think I'm getting a rhythm down on the grape wine chillers. I really just love making those, there's something about being able to go 3D on a vertical piece.

I mixed up the ghost mugs, highlighting with purple and orange - the pictures don't really do them justice.

Laguna 60 Mayco Black UG wiped back Inside and Rim: Midnight Ceramics Boxed Wine x3 Mayco Just Froggy, Sour Apple, Fruit of the Vine, Grape Expectations, Java Bean, Root Beer	Laguna 60 Opulence Sea Spray x2 Glaze Chips
Laguna 60 Mayco Eggplant x3 Amaco Snow x3	Laguna 60 Mayco Orange Gloss x3 Amaco Snow x3
Laguna 60 Amaco Snow x3	Laguna 60 Amaco Snow x3
Laguna 60 Mayco Black UG wiped back Mayco Green Opal x3 Blue Hydrangea x2 Handle Amaco Dark Green x3	Laguna 60 Mayco Black UG wiped back Mayco Green Opal x3 Mayco Silver Lining x2, Carribean Blue x2, Tuxedo x2, Cotton Tail x2, Sour Apple x2
Laguna 60 Amaco Downpour x3	Laguna 60 Mayco Black UG wiped back Mayco Cotton Tail, Hot Tamale Inside and Rim Mayco Frosted Lemon x2 Night Moth x2
Laguna 60 Amaco Snow x3	Laguna 60 Mayco Black UG wiped back Mayco Norse Blue x3, Light Flux Sweeps, Hot Tamale x2 2167 Clear
Laguna 60 Mayco Black UG wiped back Mayco Norse Blue x3, Light Flux Sweeps, Hot Tamale x2 2167 Clear	Laguna 60 Mayco Black UG wiped back Mayco Norse Blue x3, Light Flux Sweeps, Hot Tamale x2 2167 Clear
Laguna 60 Mayco Black UG wiped back Mayco Cotton Tail, Hot Tamale Rim and Back Amaco Snapdragon x3	Laguna 60 Mayco Black UG wiped back Mayco Cotton Tail, Hot Tamale Rim and Back Amaco Snapdragon x3
Left to Right all Spectrum X2 with some Mayco Light Flux on the Top except for one which is Clayscapes Bougainvillea, Sunrise, Tiger's Eye, Fuzzy Peach, Floating Turquoise, Clayscapes Starry Night, Louisiana Bayou	Left Clayscapes Cranberry, Cream Right Clayscapes Spearmint, Starry Night
Opulence Emerald x3 Mayco Hot Tamale x2 Tuxedo

The only think I'm thinking about in this kiln is my new ornament holder from Sanbao and wondering how it held up. It's right below that half shelf, but cannot see it in this peek.

The wine chillers look awesome and I love all the ghosts.

And yet, all I want to see is the ornament holder.

When I opened the kiln to take a peak something started pinging and I closed it real quick so no peak just the big reveal.

Before we get into the glazes, I will be at Painted Whims in Catonsville, MD this weekend. The shop is going to start carrying some of my work and I will be there to kick off sales and meet anyone who stops by. Hope to see you there!

Lots more crabs in this kiln, but still not all of them. I love the Christmas Crabs, they are going to make great ornaments. All the other tiny things with hooks will be jewelry. The speckled ghosts are so cute. I don't know what it is about white speckles, but it definitely tickles my brain. Oh and my first bell! It sort of works, I need to make more now that I've learned a bunch.

The trees definitely look better with another coat of emerald.

Opulence Emerald x3	Mayco Tuxedo x2 Orange a Peal x2 2167 Clear
Laguna 60 Mayco Black ug wiped back Mayco Hot Tamale x2, Norse Blue x2, Light Flux Sweeps 2167 Clear	Laguna 60 Mayco Black ug wiped back Mayco Hot Tamale x2, Norse Blue x2, Light Flux Sweeps 2167 Clear
Laguna 60 Mayco Black ug wiped back Mayco Hot Tamale x2, Norse Blue x2, Light Flux Sweeps 2167 Clear	Laguna 60 Mayco Black ug wiped back Mayco Hot Tamale x2, Norse Blue x2, Light Flux Sweeps 2167 Clear
Laguna 60 Mayco Black ug wiped back Mayco Hot Tamale x2, Norse Blue x2, Light Flux Sweeps 2167 Clear	Laguna 60 Mayco Black ug wiped back Mayco Hot Tamale x2, Norse Blue x2, Light Flux Sweeps 2167 Clear
Laguna 60 Mayco Black ug wiped back Mayco Hot Tamale x2, Norse Blue x2, Light Flux Sweeps 2167 Clear	Laguna 60 Mayco Black ug wiped back Mayco Hot Tamale x2, Norse Blue x2, Light Flux Sweeps 2167 Clear
Laguna 60 Mayco Black ug wiped back Mayco Hot Tamale x2, Norse Blue x2, Light Flux Sweeps, Candy Apple Red x2, Cotton Tail x2 2167 Clear	This was a refire: Original - Laguna 60 Rim and Back: Amaco Snapgragon x3 Reindeer: Mayco Hot Tamale x2, Sunkissed x2, Java Bean x2, Carribean Blue x2, Cotton Tail x2 Refire I added Mayco Tuxdeo, Java Bean, and Hot Tamale. I think I like the original better
Laguna 60 Amaco Snow x2	Laguna 60 Mayco Cotton Tail x2, Sunkissed x2, Orange a Peal x2
Opulence Emerald x2	Amaco Ancient Copper x3
Mayco Hot Tamale x2 Tuxedo

New ring dishes with a bird. Why? Because its cute.