A Crocheted Baby Blanket

A baby nephew is coming, and I decided it was time to put my money where my mouth is and make something lovely. I started out using the Crocheted Granny Square pattern in cream, but it the squares were a bit too big with wider spaces for little baby hands. So I took our existing pattern, shrank it up a bit and used a light taupey-grey yarn. Here are the pictures I took along the way:



The concept
Piecing
Scalloping the edges
Blocking and ironing
Finished!
I love the granny squares in solid colors. It brings a whole new feel to the pattern. What do you think? Ready to make your own?

Craft + Chat + Pop-Up Shop with Trophy Cupcakes & Seattle Bloggers Unite!

We had the best time at our Seattle Bloggers Craft + Chat last week! Crochet, business-chat, new friends, champagne + cupcakes: what could be better?? We met some awesome new ladies, with incredible stories of their own and were able to stretch our online legs for the first time. It's tough to not have a storefront to meet our customers and friends in every day, so this was just what we needed to feel at home. Thank you SO much for everyone who attended, and hopefully, we'll do another one really soon! Also, many thanks to Lyndsey of The Stationery Place and (our favorite sweet spot) Trophy Cupcakes for hosting the entire event. Check out some photos of our lovely time, and be sure to sign up next time if you weren't able to make it! (And ladies, if you have any trouble with your kits, be sure to visit our Vimeo page for video help!)

The Coming Weekend: Simple Pleasures

I was just having a conversation with a friend about how when anyone asks what my hobbies are, I'm not really ready with an actual answer. I guess that's the good thing about having a job that you absolutely adore: it doesn't feel like work to you! So, my answer is usually, "well, I like to work a lot." This is not usually met with a good reaction. The word "work" holds different connotations for different people. So, I've done a bit of thinking about other things that I actually enjoy doing. I enjoy learning French (although I'm not that great at it), and other than that, I enjoy simple pleasures. So, without further ado, I present you with my weekend map, my hobbies, so to speak.


1. Granny squares. I know we've chatted a lot about our Granny Square Kit (don't forget they're 20% off through March with the coupon code!), and also the little video that accompanies it, but this time, I'm going off the Assemble color spectrum and attempting to make someone a gift. You would think that nine months would be plenty of time to get this finished, but we'll just have to see. At the moment I have lots of tiny little circles! I'll be working on this at our Craft + Chat too.

2. Fantastic Mr. Fox: the cassette! My mom found a bunch of my old favorite cassette tapes from my childhood hiding in a box over the past year. The Roald Dahl ones are all original narrations by the author himself, and I'm longing for a cassette player so that I can hear them again! I also have The Giraffe, The Pelly and Me. So, perhaps some thrifting for a cassette player?

3. Sunmaid raisins. Speaking of things from childhood, I have rediscovered tiny boxes of Sunmaid raisins. I will be eating this simple pleasure most DEFINITELY.

4. Gone Girl. I have a very hard time reading books lately. My mind wanders to work and I end up absent-mindedly reading 18 pages without having a clue of what I just read. However, this one has definitely grabbed my attention. A mystery about a wife that's gone missing and the unreliable narrator is the suspected husband. It's a good one (so far)!

5. Painting my nails. I take way too many photos of my hands for this blog for them to always look so raggedy. This weekend, I will be painting them with my favorite FACE nude nail polish.

6. Brand new business cards. Okay, this isn't really something that I'm doing, but I'm so excited that we finally have our brand, new business cards with our new address and (finally) my new name. Yippeee, who wants one?? No one? K.

7. Magazines on the iPad! My favorite is definitely Matchbook Magazine, and I'm sure the new Martha should be coming out soon. I will be sitting on the couch, tea in hand, reading the brand new issues.

8. Another little treat: my Great Grandma's crochet hooks. This pretty much goes with #1, but it's a delight to use them and it always makes me happy to think that this was the same hook she might have used to make my baby blanket.

What will you be up to?

March is National Craft Month! We're Celebrating!

March is National Craft Month! We were so excited when we heard that (cause who's heard of that??) that we decided to offer a 20% off for the ENTIRE month on our Assemble Crafting Kits! Head over to our online shop to check them out, and enter code CRAFTMONTH at checkout.


Also, we have a brand new, special event coming up! On Wednesday, March 20th, we will team up with Seattle Bloggers Unite! for a Craft + Chat with Assemble at the Trophy Cupcakes Party Room in Wallingford. This event is a two-part Craft & Chat with me (Andie) & Emily, and you can come to one or both of the events:

At 5pm: Come socialize AND learn a fun new skill as we teach you how to crochet! We will demonstrate our fan-favorite Crocheted Granny Square kits and teach you how to do it too. All attendees will receive a crochet kit, personalized instruction, treats, a sip or two, and a fun new skill -- plus stay for the meetup afterward! Ticket price: $30

At 7pm: Just want to come for a chat (and some delicious Trophy Cupcakes)? That's fine too! At 7 p.m., we will put our crochet hooks down (you can keep working of course) to discuss the ins and outs of "Selling your Self and your Stuff, Online and In Person" with a brief presentation and Q&A -- all about how to best present your online persona and/or business on the world wide web AND face to face. Ticket price: $5.

Tickets will be available until 3/19 so get yours fast! You don't have to be a blogger to come, but you MUST have a ticket to participate, even if you're just coming at 7. Click here or the image in the right hand column )near the top of this page) to register.

We can't wait to see you! (And eat cupcakes!!)

Crafting Video Series: Crocheted Granny Square Stitch Demonstrations

Yay! Finally a new video! I have to brag about Emily with this one: I stomped into her house after French class, dripping with rain holding my camera bag. "Wanna make a video??? Ehh??" Poor girl is ten days out from giving birth, and she's a trooper, crocheting away for Assemble in this video.

If you're having a little bit of trouble with your Granny Square Crochet Kit, or you are a bit nervous to try one because you are a beginner: this one's for you! Watch as Emily demonstrates the four basic crochet stitches. Watch on repeat, rewind, take notes, put your hands and yarn up to the screen--and I promise you'll get it. (I did, and I had never tried before Emily showed me!)

If you don't have a kit yet, don't worry! Just remember to take advantage of our 20% off sale on everything in our online shop through the end of January with the discount code SUPPORTSMALL. Yay, crochet!!

Crocheted Granny Square Kit Stitch Demonstrations from Assemble Shop and Studio on Vimeo. Music by Christian Powers

Crafty Project: In-the-Round Crocheted Ornaments

We've got a great DIY for holiday activities (or just for yourself!): crocheted ornaments. This is an easy way to use up scrap yarn and adorn your tree, top a gift, or deck the halls!

*A note about the project
This is an intermediate level crochet project, so the directions below do not include our basic tutorial. But for all you beginning crocheters, Assemble will be launching our Crocheted Granny Square Kit THIS FRIDAY, which includes full directions, diagrams and all materials. These ornaments are a modified version of our granny square pattern!


Materials
1. 3.5 mm crochet hook
2. Baby or sport weight yarn in several colors
+ Scissors


ROUND ONE
Start with a loose slip knot.
Chain 5.
Connect last chain to slip stitch to create a circle.
Chain 4.
Double Crochet through the center of the circle, then Chain 1.
Repeat DC, CH1 for a total of 12 spokes through the center of the circle.
Complete round by connecting yarn to the first spoke, in the third chain up, with a slip stitch.

ROUND TWO
In the chain space between the first two round one spokes, add a new color with a slip stitch. Chain 3 (counts as a DC) and then Double Crochet. Chain 1.
In the next space between spokes, DC twice then Chain 1.
Repeat DC2, then CH1 between all 12 spokes of round one.
Complete round by connecting yarn to the first spoke, in the third chain up, with a slip stitch. Cut yarn, leaving a 3" tail and tighten.


ROUND THREE
In the chain space between DCs of round two, add a new color with a slip stitch. Chain 3 (counts as a DC) then Double Crochet. Chain 2.
In the next space between sets of DCs, DC2 then CH2.
Repeat DC2, then CH2 between all 12 sets of round two.
Complete round by connecting yarn to the first spoke, in the third chain up, with a slip stitch. Cut yarn, leaving a 3" tail and tighten.

ROUND FOUR - Scallop
In the double chain space between sets of DCs of round three, add a new color with a slip stitch. Chain 3 (counts as a DC) then DC3 in the same space for a total of 4 double crochets.
Single crochet in the middle of the next set of DCs.
DC4 in the next double chain space.
SC inbetween the next set of DCs from round three.
Repeat until scallop is complete, and connect where you began. Cut yarn, leaving a 3" tail and tighten.

ADD CHAIN LOOP
Chain 8 to 12 chains out from the perimeter of the ornament.
Connect back to the piece with a slip stitch.

FINISHING
Weave the tail ends into like colors from the back using your crochet hook. Cut remaining tail close to the piece. Voila!

Option
You can choose to change colors for each round, or make a series with only a few color switches. The pattern also looks great with a single color, too!

The Happy Fall Season

We just love the Fall. The crispness of the air (when it's not raining in Seattle, of course), the gorgeous changing of the leaves, the hot tea and cider, snuggling up with a book and piece of pie...it's just the best.

Matchbook Magazine on iPad, Pantone mug & Trader Joe's Pumpkin Tea

I've said it before and I'll say it again, every time Fall comes around, I just want to overdose on Mac & Cheese and read everything in sight, and Emily's treat of choice is the caramel apple.

I started making this collage of beautiful Fall finds as my way to celebrate the season (nerd!) but thought I would offer it up as a piece of Monday enjoyment for you as well. What things do you love in the Fall? We would love to hear your book recommendations as well. Back to school!


1. I loved this book. The Family Fang is about two conceptual performance artists and their kids. The kids are forced to take part in the art "works" throughout their life and the story centers around their view of reality due to their unusual childhood. I loved it, and it's a very quick read. Perfect for in front of the fireplace.

2. Beecher's Mac & Cheese, a local favorite in Pike Place Market is to die for. The best part about them, however, is that they have created a line of oven-friendly (or microwavable) frozen, packed mac & cheeses that are probably in your local high-end food market! I swear by the fact that it tastes exactly the same as the original, but my mom still makes me drive her over there to the market every time she's in town. :)

3. House Wine from the Charles Smith Winery is another local favorite. You can grab a bottle for about $7-8 at anywhere from Safeway to Whole Foods. I'm not sure about the distribution, but I hear it's really taking off, and FABULOUS with a Shepherd's Pie.

4. Candy corns. Need I say more? Really?

5. Crochet! At Assemble, we are bonkers for crochet, obviously, but it's the perfect, productive project (say that five times fast) for a rainy, cold, Fall evening at home. I'm still in the middle of our "wedding afghan" (we've been married for 6 months) but it's still a bunch of fun to work on. Be on the lookout for our crochet kits on the way, or in the meantime, come hang with us!

We want to know your fall faves!