Review: The Bella Lena Dress Pattern

After I decided to design a beach caftan for myself, I realized that I didnt have much experience making crochet garments from scratch. I knew I could fudge my way through it, but I thought I'd feel better if I had just a little more practice first. Then one of my friends from a local crochet moms group posted the link to a new pattern for sale on Ravelry from the Lovely Crow-  a dress! Here is the link to the pattern for sale online:





This dress pattern is gorgeous! Airy white lace, beautiful texture in the bodice, ribbon for trim, and a matching headband. Besides, it was on SALE! Sometimes, you can't pass up a good deal like that, so I splurged.

A photo posted by Katie Clary (@saltypearlcrochet) on May 24, 2016 at 8:33am PDT

I'm so glad I tried this pattern! Elizabeth Alan (the Lovely Crow) has one of the most well-written patterns I've seen. There are pictures all throughout to help you make sense of any tricky bits, and she offers full support on her web with video clips as well! Even more exciting, she allows her customers to offer items made from her patterns for sale, which gave me just the extra incentive I needed to open up my Etsy shop.

Picking blackberries in her new dress!

A photo posted by Katie Clary (@saltypearlcrochet) on May 24, 2016 at 8:25am PDT

Look at how sweet she is! I love the way her carefree spirit shines through in this dress.  Even my rough and tumble girl looks beautiful, because she's so comfy. It's perfect for an impromptu beach day or cavorting in the backyard, but versatile enough for a dressy occasion worn with a slip.

Nessa is wearing about a 2T right now, but the pattern is sized through a girl's size 12. In the smallest size, it works up quickly! It only took me two days to finish the entire project, from start to finish. (That's in mommy time! I only spent about 4 hours crocheting total.)

Progress shot

A photo posted by Katie Clary (@saltypearlcrochet) on May 12, 2016 at 4:33am PDT

If you are looking to crochet a  girl's dress, I highly recommend this pattern- the yarn practically flowed off my hook. Even the lacy skirt felt natural with the simple but interesting two row repeat pattern.

For those of you who don't crochet, I am available to take custom orders for this beautiful dress through my Etsy shop, Salty Pearl Crochet.

Finished Whale Gift Set

At only 5 days post baby shower, I have finally finished my friend's gift! Here he is! Isn't he cute?

All finished!

A photo posted by Katie Clary (@saltypearlcrochet) on May 18, 2016 at 7:09am PDT

Hopefully I get the chance to run it over to her before she sees it, but I was too excited about this cuteness to wait any longer before posting!

Baby whale!

A photo posted by Katie Clary (@saltypearlcrochet) on May 18, 2016 at 7:03am PDT

The blanket fits pretty snugly inside the bag, but I think my kids would prefer to use it as a toy carrier instead of a pillow like the pattern suggests. I used a simple magnetic snap closure on the top, so chubby baby fingers will be able to open and shut it.

Splish splash blanket, complete!

A photo posted by Katie Clary (@saltypearlcrochet) on May 18, 2016 at 6:58am PDT

I love the texture of this blanket as well! The structure is fairly simple once you understand the pattern, but working into the back loop adds a delicious ripple texture. I did underestimate how much yarn this would take, and ended up with just a smidge of contrast in the finished border. Oops!

If you know someone with a nautical or whale themed nursery, this was created from a free pattern by Justyna Kacprzak. Here is the pin that inspired this project:






Thanks for stopping by!

Procraftination!

I'm not sure exactly why, but I always have way, WAY too many projects on the hook at any given time. I've told you about the caftan, but I'm also working on a scarf, a baby blanket/pillow gift set, a scrap-ghan, and a towel ring for my kitchen. (Do your kitchen towels run away too? I swear my kids make a game of who can throw it on the ground the most times during the day.)

Ripple Throw Progress

A photo posted by Katie Clary (@saltypearlcrochet) on May 17, 2016 at 12:49pm PDT

This blanket is my current top priority. Confession time: the shower was last Friday. Oops! Sorry girly!

They say the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem. But somehow, that just doesn't keep me from browsing Pinterest or starting another project before I've finished the first one.

Yarn Hack!

A photo posted by Katie Clary (@saltypearlcrochet) on May 12, 2016 at 4:29am PDT

But look at the time stamp on this, and you'll see that this is a photo of me, starting a new crochet project on May 4, a mere 8 days before said shower. And then sharing it on social media the day before, when I should have been working on the blanket!

However, I've recently come by a little bit of extra crochet time!

The Boot!

A photo posted by Katie Clary (@saltypearlcrochet) on May 17, 2016 at 1:01pm PDT

Okay, so maybe its not the best plan, but hey, as a mother of two crazy kids, I'll take whatever excuse I can to be able to sit. Plus, there's a lot of dead time waiting in doctor's offices, why not bring a project to work on! I think I'm about two more appointments away from finally finishing this one.

Do you procraftinate like I do? Or would you be willing to share the secret to finally working your way through your crochet to-do list? If I figure out a way that doesn't involve fracturing a bone, I'll be sure to share it here.

What's in a Name?

Lately, I've been absolutely obsessed with the beach. I just can't get enough sand or sun, and side I am blessed to live in a coastal climate, I can visit the ocean as often as my kids will let me load them up in my car. We build castles, splash in the surf, hunt sea shells and shark tooth fossils, and cause all sorts of ruckus!

Swimming, however, is an entirely different story! As a mom of two younglings, I don't quite fit the bikini bill anymore. With summer approaching faster than my winter fluff can melt away, I decided that a beachy crochet caftan dress was just the thing I needed to feel like a sea goddess once more.

Pinterest source

I hit up Pinterest immediately, and found tons of inspiration photos, but slim pickings for a pattern that fit my needs. So after pining over this Pin for a day or two I decided to take matters into my own hands and design my own! I'm enjoying the process so much that I decided to start a shop on Etsy to sell my crochet goods and patterns.

Setting up shop should be a breeze, but choosing the perfect name took longer than I expected. I wanted the name to capture the thrill of finding treasures along the tide line while soaking up the sun with family and friends- and I wanted to hide a little piece of myself in there, as well. I took a few days to mull it over with a friend who knows me better than almost anyone, and she suggested using my daughter Nessa's middle name, Pearl.  I thought it was fitting since Nessa is the recipient of most of my yarn binges! I paired it with my maiden name, Salter, and there it was! Salty Pearl Crochet.

Here's Nessa posing for pictures in the sun hat I made her last month. She took it off a few seconds later. (I'm working on making some bonnet straps to tie it down! Moms, I know you can relate.)

So far, I'm halfway through crocheting the dress. I'm loving it already, and can't wait to share photos of the finished product! I'll be putting the finishing touches on the caftan pattern in the next two weeks or so, if all goes well.

Until then, make a point to go enjoy the outdoors! Life always seems sweeter when you take time to find something beautiful.

Pleased to Meet You!

Hello, and thanks for stopping by! My name is Katie Clary, the face behind Salty Pearl Crochet.

My journey with crochet began in 2010, through a craft group I started with some dear friends in Okinawa, Japan. On my second turn to host, I visited a ¥100 shop and couldn't resist the colorful yarn and shiny hooks. Plus, as a thrifty military spouse, ¥200 ($2) a head seemed too good to be true!

Here they are, in all their glory! Acrylic yarn that was so splitty I almost quit, and 2mm and 7mm hooks. (That's not even an American hook size! I had so much to learn.) I'm still amazed that an impulse buy like that has turned into a full blown fiber addiction and a lifelong hobby.

Six years and two kidlets later, I'm finally ready to take the plunge into blogging and pattern design. I have learned so much from reading my favorite crochet blogs and I hope to pay it forward with tips and tutorials to help you improve your crocheting and inspire you to take the next step in your journey.

All the best,
Katie