Now, don't get me wrong, I love both, but I'm a bit miffed with all the "hey, we've discovered crochet" articles lately! There was an article just the other day in the Washington Post Express magazine here. Now, again, it's awesome that crochet groups and guilds (I'm a proud member of CGOA and Crochetville!) are popping up everywhere and that people are drawn to trying crochet and utilizing it in all sorts of different ways. But, for those of us who've been doing it for a loooooong time, we know the mental and physical benefits of crochet, and yours truly here has been talking about them for 10 years now. In fact, I'm realizing we just passed Many Creative Gifts' 10th Year Anniversary on April 5th. Wow, well, stay tuned for some special celebrations throughout this month ;-)
But, I digress. My main point is that we Americans seem to need to take ancient practices (yoga has been around for millenniums, and crochet is centuries old) and make them new and trendy. And then we tire of them and have to find the next big thing. Well, I know my dear readers, both new to crochet and old hats at it, appreciate the virtues of crochet and are not approaching it as a passing fad. Each crocheter has her or his reason(s) for taking up the craft: for relaxation, to do something tangible and useful with your hands, to give or donate special mementos, and on and on... Whether you crochet by yourself for yourself or in a large group for charitable reasons or a bit of both, crochet means whatever it means to you, and as long as it remains meaningful to you in whatever way, please continue to embrace it no matter whether it's the latest trend.
Ok, off my soap box and onto the celebration! For the month of April, I'll be having some really great specials in my Ravelry store and through this blog, so come back on Friday and see what's here!
Showing posts with label crochetville. Show all posts
Showing posts with label crochetville. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 7, 2015
Wednesday, March 18, 2015
Tiny Square 3
I decided not to keep you in suspense too long -- here is our third Tiny Square for NatCroMo!
With a D hook and Rowan Siena 4-Ply yarn in #684 (offwhite, Color F), #683 (orange, Color E), and #675 (yellowish green, Color C),
Round 1: With Color F, ch 3, in third ch from hook, 2 dcs, [ch 3, 3 dcs] 3 times, ch 3, 1 dc, sl st to top of first dc
Round 2: With Color E, attach in corner, ch 1, [3 scs in corner, 1 sc in next 3 sts] 4 times, sl st to top of first sc
Round 3: With Color C, ch 1, 1 sc in same st, [3 scs in corner, 1 sc in next 5 sts] 3 times, 3 scs in corner, 1 sc in last 4 sts, sl st to top of first sc, fasten off.
As I mentioned in my first post about the tiny squares, I've actually come up with some different color combinations and have about 100 squares, so it's about time I start putting them together! Stay tuned!
With a D hook and Rowan Siena 4-Ply yarn in #684 (offwhite, Color F), #683 (orange, Color E), and #675 (yellowish green, Color C),
Round 1: With Color F, ch 3, in third ch from hook, 2 dcs, [ch 3, 3 dcs] 3 times, ch 3, 1 dc, sl st to top of first dc
Round 2: With Color E, attach in corner, ch 1, [3 scs in corner, 1 sc in next 3 sts] 4 times, sl st to top of first sc
Round 3: With Color C, ch 1, 1 sc in same st, [3 scs in corner, 1 sc in next 5 sts] 3 times, 3 scs in corner, 1 sc in last 4 sts, sl st to top of first sc, fasten off.
As I mentioned in my first post about the tiny squares, I've actually come up with some different color combinations and have about 100 squares, so it's about time I start putting them together! Stay tuned!
Friday, March 6, 2015
NatCroMo 2015 and Tiny Square 1
Happy National Crochet Month (NatCroMo)! It's my pleasure and honor to be a part of Crochetville's Designer Blog Tour in celebration of this wonderful time of year.
First things first, I want to be sure you check out Halos for Hope and try to help in any way you can. Many Creative Gifts encourages growth as a crocheter as part of our mission, and I can't think of a better way to do that than to make a crochet hat for this amazing organization. Halos of Hope is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization committed to providing volunteer-crafted hats to cancer centers across the country. The founder of Halos of Hope, Pam Haschke, herself is a survivor of inflammatory breast cancer. As a result of her experiences, she has a passion for helping make sure cancer patients around the country have access to free handmade stylish hats to keep their heads warm while they undergo cancer treatment. Please try to make at least one hat and/or make a financial donation directly to Halos on their website. A 100% of donations received from the general public are used only for the costs of shipping hats across the country. All administrative and other costs are covered by private corporate donations.
Mail hats to:
Crochetville LLC
103 Scarlet Oak Circle
Harvest, AL 35749
Now for my contribution to NatCroMo 2015 -- some tiny squares :-). The Granny Square and motifs trend seems to still be going strong, and awhile back, I came across the French crochet designer/artist Sophie Digard, who uses luxury yarns and intricate small motifs to create her masterpieces. She's truly talented, but, upon seeing her prices, a little voice inside me said "Oh, Phyllis, you can do this too, they're just a bunch of little squares!" Well, as proud as I am of these 1-inch squares that I've designed and hope to create something wonderful out of (I've got "only" about 100 of them so far), I now totally appreciate the price point Mlle. Digard is charging and her stamina in creating her famous scarves! The time and effort to make enough squares for a scarf, shawl or other large project is a bit overwhelming, but it can be a wonderful take-along and long-term project ;-)
I've designed three squares, utilizing six coordinating colors in different combinations, for a total of nine motifs. The yarn I chose, Rowan's Siena 4 Ply fingering weight 100% mercerized cotton, is truly wonderful to work with but seems to be getting hard to find (isn't that always the case when you find something you love?!). Below is the pattern for the first square. Please come back next week to find out about the two other squares. I'll also be posting some possible projects using the squares, but in the mean time, I'd love to see what projects you come up with -- please "like" and post on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/manycreativegifts, and we've set up a special "Tiny Squares Projects" board on Pinterest as well (with some sneak peeks too!).
Here's Square 1:
With a size D crochet hook and Rowan Siena 4 Ply 100% mercerized cotton yarn in color # 669,
Round 1: Ch 2, 8 scs in second ch from hook, sl st to top of first sc
Round 2: Ch 5, 1 dc in same st, [ch 1, 1 dc in next st, ch 1, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next st] 3 times, ch 1, 1 dc in next st, ch 1, sl st to third ch of beg ch-5.
Round 3: Ch 1, [3 scs in ch-2 sp, (1 sc in dc, 1 sc in ch-1 sp) twice, 1 sc in dc] 3 times, 3 scs in ch-2 sp, (1 sc in dc, 1 sc in ch-1 sp) twice, 1 sc in same st as ch 1, sl st to top of first sc, fasten off.
Have a wonderful March discovering or rediscovering your love of crochet!
First things first, I want to be sure you check out Halos for Hope and try to help in any way you can. Many Creative Gifts encourages growth as a crocheter as part of our mission, and I can't think of a better way to do that than to make a crochet hat for this amazing organization. Halos of Hope is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization committed to providing volunteer-crafted hats to cancer centers across the country. The founder of Halos of Hope, Pam Haschke, herself is a survivor of inflammatory breast cancer. As a result of her experiences, she has a passion for helping make sure cancer patients around the country have access to free handmade stylish hats to keep their heads warm while they undergo cancer treatment. Please try to make at least one hat and/or make a financial donation directly to Halos on their website. A 100% of donations received from the general public are used only for the costs of shipping hats across the country. All administrative and other costs are covered by private corporate donations.
Mail hats to:
Crochetville LLC
103 Scarlet Oak Circle
Harvest, AL 35749
Now for my contribution to NatCroMo 2015 -- some tiny squares :-). The Granny Square and motifs trend seems to still be going strong, and awhile back, I came across the French crochet designer/artist Sophie Digard, who uses luxury yarns and intricate small motifs to create her masterpieces. She's truly talented, but, upon seeing her prices, a little voice inside me said "Oh, Phyllis, you can do this too, they're just a bunch of little squares!" Well, as proud as I am of these 1-inch squares that I've designed and hope to create something wonderful out of (I've got "only" about 100 of them so far), I now totally appreciate the price point Mlle. Digard is charging and her stamina in creating her famous scarves! The time and effort to make enough squares for a scarf, shawl or other large project is a bit overwhelming, but it can be a wonderful take-along and long-term project ;-)
I've designed three squares, utilizing six coordinating colors in different combinations, for a total of nine motifs. The yarn I chose, Rowan's Siena 4 Ply fingering weight 100% mercerized cotton, is truly wonderful to work with but seems to be getting hard to find (isn't that always the case when you find something you love?!). Below is the pattern for the first square. Please come back next week to find out about the two other squares. I'll also be posting some possible projects using the squares, but in the mean time, I'd love to see what projects you come up with -- please "like" and post on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/manycreativegifts, and we've set up a special "Tiny Squares Projects" board on Pinterest as well (with some sneak peeks too!).
Here's Square 1:
With a size D crochet hook and Rowan Siena 4 Ply 100% mercerized cotton yarn in color # 669,
Round 1: Ch 2, 8 scs in second ch from hook, sl st to top of first sc
Round 2: Ch 5, 1 dc in same st, [ch 1, 1 dc in next st, ch 1, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next st] 3 times, ch 1, 1 dc in next st, ch 1, sl st to third ch of beg ch-5.
Round 3: Ch 1, [3 scs in ch-2 sp, (1 sc in dc, 1 sc in ch-1 sp) twice, 1 sc in dc] 3 times, 3 scs in ch-2 sp, (1 sc in dc, 1 sc in ch-1 sp) twice, 1 sc in same st as ch 1, sl st to top of first sc, fasten off.
Have a wonderful March discovering or rediscovering your love of crochet!
Monday, March 2, 2015
10 Things We Love About Crochet
It's National Crochet Month (NatCroMo)! And, as I'm preparing a special blog post for March 6th in anticipation of participating in Crochetville's Blog Tour again this year, I came across some interesting tidbits about crochet and a wonderful online application at Zanifesto to create a free infographic, so enjoy!
Monday, March 3, 2014
Crochetville 2014 National Crochet Month Blog Tour
It's National Crochet Month! It's hard to believe it's already March, and I am participating in Crochetville's blog tour again this year. Our theme is the "Spring Garden" and if you make it to the bottom of the post, there will be a free themed crochet pattern for you to try out!
But other important matters first. During this month, we are supporting Halos of Hope, a charity that has a simple mission -- to provide crocheted, knitted, or sewn hats to over 450 cancer centers around the country each month! I hope you'll check out the website and consider making a hat or monetary donation (100% goes to shipping expenses). Hats can be sent to:
Crochetville LLC
Attn: Amy Shelton
103 Scarlet Oak Circle
Harvest AL 35749
In honor of Crochet Month and Crochetville's Spring Garden theme, I've been working on a baby-sized version of Melissa Leapman's Flowers in a Row afghan, available on the Red Heart website at this link. I decided to make the cuddle blanket in a chunky weight yarn with a J hook:
I'm about to send off the finished project to the mother, but I guess she'll be getting a preview of it here ;-).
Also in celebration, I'm offering 20% off any pattern in my Ravelry store, just use the promotion code NatCro2014 (no minimum purchase required).
Here is a little taste of my style and how I write patterns. This free square pattern is actually the center part of a larger, more intricate square that I've worked up in a DK weight yarn and that should be available in my Ravelry shop in the next month or two. For this square, I used the leftover chunky yarn from the baby blanket, and it ended up measuring a healthy 6 inches across.
So, I hope you have a wonderful March and get in lots of crochet! I hope to be back on a more regular blogging schedule soon -- thanks to all the well wishes you've sent regarding my mom's recovery. She's had a set back or two, but slowly, she is doing better and better :-)
But other important matters first. During this month, we are supporting Halos of Hope, a charity that has a simple mission -- to provide crocheted, knitted, or sewn hats to over 450 cancer centers around the country each month! I hope you'll check out the website and consider making a hat or monetary donation (100% goes to shipping expenses). Hats can be sent to:
Crochetville LLC
Attn: Amy Shelton
103 Scarlet Oak Circle
Harvest AL 35749
You may send your hats to:
Crochetville LLC
ATTN: Amy Shelton
103 Scarlet Oak Circle
Harvest, AL 35749
- See more at: http://crochetville.com/national-crochet-month-2014-designer-blog-tour/#sthash.sEHToQ8l.dpuf
You may send your hats to:
Crochetville LLC
ATTN: Amy Shelton
103 Scarlet Oak Circle
Harvest, AL 35749
- See more at: http://crochetville.com/national-crochet-month-2014-designer-blog-tour/#sthash.sEHToQ8l.dpuf
You may send your hats to:
Crochetville LLC
ATTN: Amy Shelton
103 Scarlet Oak Circle
Harvest, AL 35749
- See more at: http://crochetville.com/national-crochet-month-2014-designer-blog-tour/#sthash.sEHToQ8l.dpuf
You may send your hats to:
Crochetville LLC
ATTN: Amy Shelton
103 Scarlet Oak Circle
Harvest, AL 35749
- See more at: http://crochetville.com/national-crochet-month-2014-designer-blog-tour/#sthash.sEHToQ8l.dpufIn honor of Crochet Month and Crochetville's Spring Garden theme, I've been working on a baby-sized version of Melissa Leapman's Flowers in a Row afghan, available on the Red Heart website at this link. I decided to make the cuddle blanket in a chunky weight yarn with a J hook:
I'm about to send off the finished project to the mother, but I guess she'll be getting a preview of it here ;-).
Also in celebration, I'm offering 20% off any pattern in my Ravelry store, just use the promotion code NatCro2014 (no minimum purchase required).
Here is a little taste of my style and how I write patterns. This free square pattern is actually the center part of a larger, more intricate square that I've worked up in a DK weight yarn and that should be available in my Ravelry shop in the next month or two. For this square, I used the leftover chunky yarn from the baby blanket, and it ended up measuring a healthy 6 inches across.
Materials Needed
• Blue Sky Worsted Cotton:
Hyacinth (Color A) and Pickle (Color B) (150 yd/100 g)
• Crochet hook size I/9/5.50 mm
Abbreviations
beg = beginning
ch = chain
dc = double crochet
hdc = half double crochet
RS = right side
sc = single crochet
sl st = slip stitch
st = stitch
ROUND 1 • (RS): With Color A, ch 8, join; ch 2, 24 dcs in
circle, sl st to top of first dc.
ROUND 2 • Ch 1, 1 sc in same st, [ch 5, skip 2 sts, 1 sc in
next st] 7 times, ch 5, sl st to top of first sc.
ROUND 3 • [Sl st into next loop, ch 2, 5 dcs into loops, ch
2, sl st into loop] 8 times, sl st to first petal, fasten off.
ROUND 4 • With Color B, join yarn in center st of a petal,
ch 1, 1 sc in same st and next st, ch 3, 1 sc in first st of next petal, 1 hdc
in next st, 3 dcs in next st, 1 hdc in next st, 1 sc in next st (corner
created), ch 3, 1 sc in second st of next petal, 1 sc in next 2 sts (center 3
sts of petal) (side created); continue around, creating 3 more corners and sides, sl st
to top of first sc.
ROUND 5 • Ch 2, 1 dc in same st, *1 dc in next st, 3 dcs in
ch-3 space below, 1 dc in next 3 sts until corner, (1 dc, ch 2, 1 dc) in next
st, (should be center st of corner 3 dcs), 1 dc in next 3 sts, 3 dcs in ch-3
below, repeat from * around, 1 dc in last st, sl st to top of first dc.
ROUND 6 • Ch 2, 1 dc in same st, [ch 1, skip next st, 1 dc
in next st] 4 times, (ch1, 1 dc, ch 3, 1 dc, ch 1) in corner, 1 dc in next st,
[ch 1, skip next st, 1 dc in next st] 8 times, repeat around, sl st to first
dc.
ROUND 7 • Ch 1, ch 1, 1 sc in same st, [1 sc in ch-1 below,
1 sc in next st] until corner, [1 sc in ch-1 sp below, 3 scs in corner st, 1 sc
in ch-1 space], 1 sc in next st, 1 sc in ch-1 space around, sl st to top of
first sc, fasten off.
~~~~~~~
So, I hope you have a wonderful March and get in lots of crochet! I hope to be back on a more regular blogging schedule soon -- thanks to all the well wishes you've sent regarding my mom's recovery. She's had a set back or two, but slowly, she is doing better and better :-)
Sunday, March 3, 2013
It's National Crochet Month!
Well, ok, I'm off by two days, but Ellen Gormley and Shelby Allaho have done a great job of kicking things off, and today is my special blog post in celebration (keep reading, there's a discount code in this for you, and if you missed it, here is my Owl Scarf pattern from yesterday's post):
And wait til you see what Amy O'Neill Houck and Akua Lezli Hope have to offer you tomorrow!
First, many thanks to the Crochet Guild of America (CGOA) and Amy Shelton and Donna Hulka of Crochetville for herding us cats and getting this blog tour organized. All of the designers, including me, participating in this blog tour are professional or associate professional members of the CGOA. We are so committed to the organization's mission of advancing the art of crochet and continuing crochet skills for generations to come, so I hope you will visit the organization's site to see all of the wonderful resources available and subscribe to Crochet! magazine. Amy is our current President extraordinaire, and Crochetville is her beautiful contribution to the world of crochet, so please check out her wonderful resources as well.
And while you are crocheting away, I hope you'll take a little time to visit Project Night Night and see what you can do to help such a worthwhile endeavor. Their goal is to provide every homeless child with a Night Night Package, so that when he or she leaves the shelter, they will have an age appropriate book for reading and family bonding, a cuddly security blanket, and a soon-to-be cherished stuffed animal. I always say that crocheters (and knitters too) are some of the most open-hearted and generous people, so please send good thoughts (and money and projects) to this special charity. You especially can help Project Night Night by making and sending in a new crocheted blanket (50” x 60” or smaller) and/or making a financial donation. On the site, there is a list of all of the shelters the organization serves, so if you prefer, you could find one in your community or hometown to support. Be sure to visit the official blog tour site to add your contribution to the total!
Thank you for participating with me in CGOA's National Crochet Month's blog tour! Please catch up on my six, five, four, three, two, and one Countdown posts and sign up in the little box in the left column for my blog posts by email and to be added to my newsletter subscription list!
And enjoy 20% off all patterns in my Ravelry store for the entire month of March -- just use coupon code NatCro2013. Happy Crocheting!
And wait til you see what Amy O'Neill Houck and Akua Lezli Hope have to offer you tomorrow!
First, many thanks to the Crochet Guild of America (CGOA) and Amy Shelton and Donna Hulka of Crochetville for herding us cats and getting this blog tour organized. All of the designers, including me, participating in this blog tour are professional or associate professional members of the CGOA. We are so committed to the organization's mission of advancing the art of crochet and continuing crochet skills for generations to come, so I hope you will visit the organization's site to see all of the wonderful resources available and subscribe to Crochet! magazine. Amy is our current President extraordinaire, and Crochetville is her beautiful contribution to the world of crochet, so please check out her wonderful resources as well.
All designers participating in the tour are Professional or Associate Professional members of the Crochet Guild of America
(CGOA). CGOA offers two national conferences each year with an
extensive list of crochet classes, an annual Design Competition, and a
Master of Advanced Crochet Stitches and Techniques program. Hundreds of
local chapters around the country provide crocheters additional
opportunities to learn about crochet and advance their skills. Other
member benefits include a subscription to Crochet! magazine, a
private email discussion group for members, discounts to online
retailers, and classes at our Chain Link conferences. Please consider
joining the organization and help us in our mission to advance the art
of crochet and continue crochet skills into the next generation.
- See more at: http://crochetville.com/national-crochet-month-a-tour-through-crochet-country-begins/#sthash.GpUNgHCV.dpuf
- See more at: http://crochetville.com/national-crochet-month-a-tour-through-crochet-country-begins/#sthash.GpUNgHCV.dpuf
All designers participating in the tour are Professional or Associate Professional members of the Crochet Guild of America
(CGOA). CGOA offers two national conferences each year with an
extensive list of crochet classes, an annual Design Competition, and a
Master of Advanced Crochet Stitches and Techniques program. Hundreds of
local chapters around the country provide crocheters additional
opportunities to learn about crochet and advance their skills. Other
member benefits include a subscription to Crochet! magazine, a
private email discussion group for members, discounts to online
retailers, and classes at our Chain Link conferences. Please consider
joining the organization and help us in our mission to advance the art
of crochet and continue crochet skills into the next generation.
- See more at: http://crochetville.com/national-crochet-month-a-tour-through-crochet-country-begins/#sthash.GpUNgHCV.dpuf
- See more at: http://crochetville.com/national-crochet-month-a-tour-through-crochet-country-begins/#sthash.GpUNgHCV.dpuf
All designers participating in the tour are Professional or Associate Professional members of the Crochet Guild of America
(CGOA). CGOA offers two national conferences each year with an
extensive list of crochet classes, an annual Design Competition, and a
Master of Advanced Crochet Stitches and Techniques program. Hundreds of
local chapters around the country provide crocheters additional
opportunities to learn about crochet and advance their skills. Other
member benefits include a subscription to Crochet! magazine, a
private email discussion group for members, discounts to online
retailers, and classes at our Chain Link conferences. Please consider
joining the organization and help us in our mission to advance the art
of crochet and continue crochet skills into the next generation - See
more at:
http://crochetville.com/national-crochet-month-a-tour-through-crochet-country-begins/#sthash.GpUNgHCV.dpuf
A complete list of stops along the blog tour is available here, and I really hope everyone will indulge themselves in lots of crochet this month!And while you are crocheting away, I hope you'll take a little time to visit Project Night Night and see what you can do to help such a worthwhile endeavor. Their goal is to provide every homeless child with a Night Night Package, so that when he or she leaves the shelter, they will have an age appropriate book for reading and family bonding, a cuddly security blanket, and a soon-to-be cherished stuffed animal. I always say that crocheters (and knitters too) are some of the most open-hearted and generous people, so please send good thoughts (and money and projects) to this special charity. You especially can help Project Night Night by making and sending in a new crocheted blanket (50” x 60” or smaller) and/or making a financial donation. On the site, there is a list of all of the shelters the organization serves, so if you prefer, you could find one in your community or hometown to support. Be sure to visit the official blog tour site to add your contribution to the total!
Thank you for participating with me in CGOA's National Crochet Month's blog tour! Please catch up on my six, five, four, three, two, and one Countdown posts and sign up in the little box in the left column for my blog posts by email and to be added to my newsletter subscription list!
And enjoy 20% off all patterns in my Ravelry store for the entire month of March -- just use coupon code NatCro2013. Happy Crocheting!
Monday, February 25, 2013
Countdown!
It's almost National Crochet Month! And I'm excited to announce that I am going to be a part of CGOA's National Crochet Month Blog Tour, so I hope you will come back here on March 3rd for a special post. Here's the list of all contributors: http://crochetville.com/national-crochet-month-a-tour-through-crochet-country-begins/
I'm especially excited about the special charity that we are supporting: Project Night Night. It's sad to think about so many children without permanent homes, but we can do our part to help!
Ok, so let the countdown begin!!
I'm especially excited about the special charity that we are supporting: Project Night Night. It's sad to think about so many children without permanent homes, but we can do our part to help!
Ok, so let the countdown begin!!
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