Wednesday, 6/30/10 Tooting My Own Horn

Have you found it yet? On the Crochet Soiree toolbar, there’s a tab called Videos and More. At the very bottom of this tab is an item called Coming Soon. Here’s where Crochet Soiree gives you a sneak peek of some of the new books coming out. I was scrolling through and noticed that I’ll be ordering a lot of these books.

Much to my surprise, I also came upon the Crochet Prayer Shawls book coming in July and guess whose design is shown last?

Yes, that would be my design and pattern. I really can’t wait to order this book!

Tell me what you think.

Monday, 6/28/10 Celebrity Slouchy Beanies for the Family

When I first saw the Celebrity Slouchy Beanies book here on CrochetSoiree and discovered that the designs were by Lisa Gentry, I couldn’t stand it; I had to have it.

Before I could place my order, I found the brand-new Soft Dreams and Sophisticated Baby & Toddlers. I’ve been making a lot of baby gifts lately and decided I needed a few more patterns to choose from. Plus, I don’t think you can have enough toddler patterns either.

Then, my eye caught a glimpse of this new book called Grannies Gone Wild. Oh my gosh, if you don’t already know by now, I’m a granny square lover, so I had to order it, too. Plus I don’t think you can have too many granny square patterns either. Ha! Ha!

Anyway, when my new books came, I could hardly wait to open them up and look at all the neat designs. Before I knew it, my son, Joshua, had the Celebrity Slouchy Beanies book and had started on the Lacy Beanie. He told me he was making it for his girlfriend, Riley.

Then, before I knew it, he had finished Riley’s beanie and had started another one, but this time he was making one of the guy’s beanies for himself—unless someone else comes along and wants it. I don’t know when I’ll get the book back to make my own versions of the beanies. Ha! Ha!

Here’s a cute picture of Joshua and Riley when she was trying on her hat.

If you want to join in on the June Crochet Along, you can have a chance to win both the knit and crochet version of Celebrity Slouchy Beanies for your own—or if you can’t wait, just order them here at CrochetSoiree like I did.

6/25/10 Free Pattern Friday: Dog Mat Crochet Pattern

I decided to choose another temporarily free crochet pattern for this Free Friday. Since I had some yarn left over from the New Years Cap, and the fun fur was flying already, I decided to make this Dog Mat crochet pattern. The pattern was very easy to follow, and it went very fast. I used the rest of the Lion Brand Cotton Ease and Fun Fur that I had left over from the cap, and I love how the mat feels. It’s so soft.

Here’s my version. This mat would be suitable for any dog or cat, and if you don’t have a four-legged friend of your own, it would make the perfect gift for that special friend or relative in your life that has a pet.

Have fun making this mat and let me know what kind of yarn you use on yours. This design came from a Leisure Arts leaflet called Crochet Essentials. This publication invites crocheters to enjoy creativity, relaxation, and success—all at once—by crocheting these 19 essential designs with Lion Brand® Yarn. These projects are great for anyone to create, but are especially suitable for beginners.

Remember to download the pattern right away, since it’s free for only a short amount of time.

Wednesday, 6/23/10 June CAL Doily Prize

Take a look at the June CAL Doily Prize!

I’m really getting a kick out of making all these doilies for the CALs because having a purpose and a deadline pushes me into actually making them. I have been looking at this particular doily for over a year now, and I thought it would be perfect for the June Crochet Along since it has flowers in it, and all my flowers are blooming now.

The cool thing about the patterns that I’ve been using is that they are made from simple charts and symbols. I really do like making doilies from charts. All the outside motifs are made first and separately. Then on the last row of the second motif, you join it to the first motif and so on and so on. Then you are left with an open place right in the middle for your center doily to fit. Then you make the center doily and attach it to the outside motifs while making your last row. It’s so cool how when you get done attaching the center doily, the whole thing is done because the edging is already done with the last row of your motifs and center doily. The June doily measures 25½" across.

This is the fourth doily that I’ve made with this big spool of thread, and it still looks like it I have enough for several more. I’ll keep you posted on that. Anyway, I hope the person who wins this doily loves it as much as I loved making it. Good Luck to everyone! The June CAL ends June 30, so get busy posting your red, white, and blue!

Monday, 6/21/10 Finished My Butterfly Doily

I was finally able to get back to my butterfly doily. I had to put down this doily and finish something else many times, then go back to it again and again. The last time I put it down, I was already over half way done. It didn’t take long after hitting the halfway mark because the pattern repeats. I just placed stitch markers at each end of the row that I was to repeat. That way I didn’t need to carry the pattern book around with me. When I finished the filet work of the doily, I decided to add a single crochet edging all the way around. I’m glad that I took the time to do the edging because I think it gives it a more finished look.

I can’t believe I still have this much thread on this giant spool of thread. I’m going to keep track of how many doilies I can get from this one spool of thread. This is Number 3.

6/18/10 Free Pattern Friday: Daddy’s Baby Afghan Crochet Pattern (and a Diaper Bag Idea)

When I saw this cute picture of a young man with a baby and the afghan (and with Father's Day coming up), I thought about the new daddys in my life and thought this afghan crochet pattern would be a cool Free Pattern Friday giveaway.

I have just the right colors of yarns in my stash: Bernat Softee Baby and Patons Bamboo Baby—which you can purchase right here on Crochet Soiree.

Then, I started thinking about the new daddys carrying diaper bags. I saw another really cute picture of a daddy and his baby. Daddy was carrying a cloth diaper bag with a long strap that went across his chest with the bag hanging in the back. I thought hmmmm… I wonder if I could find a crocheted bag pattern that I could crochet into a more masculine looking bag for a daddy to carry. I didn’t have to look far.

I found this pattern called Shoulder Sack Purse that you can purchase for just $2.99 on Crochet Soiree. I purchased it and downloaded it right away. I was anxious to Tamarify this purse into a diaper bag that a daddy who had a baby girl wouldn’t mind carrying.

So here’s my version of the Shoulder Sack Purse made with Moda Dea Tweedle Dee, Bernat Softee Chunky, and Patons Shetland Chunky. I love the way the bag turned out, and it was so fast and easy. If you know me, you know I’m not quite finished with this as I think it needs to be lined with many pockets for all those special things that babies need.

Of course, it was so fast and easy I had to use some more of my stash of cotton/acrylic blend yarns and the colors that I love and make one for myself, too. Now, I have to get my fabric stash out and choose a fabric for the lining for this bag.

Anyway, I want to wish all the daddys in the world a Happy Fathers Day on Sunday and a very special Happy Fathers Day to my Daddy!

Monday, 6/14/10 I Finished My Pumpkin Pillow

I told you that I would keep you posted on my pillow ideas from the Free Friday Pattern Chunky Pillows, so here it is.

Since I could only find 12" x 12" pillow forms at the craft store before they closed on Saturday, I had to think of something. I used a sweater that my daughter purchased at the thrift store that had the same colors as my gold cotton crochet yarn that I made the base of the pumpkin pillow side A from. With the cotton yarn that I used, my pillow front ended up being 9" x 9", so that was another problem I had to solve.

I decided to add a few rows of double crochet around the entire square and then make a little scallop edge for the last row. I found just the right color warm rose from my Royale Fashion Crochet stash, and I think it matches the sweater stripes perfectly. Then, I sewed up the sweater to cover the pillow form, before stuffing the pillow form into the sweater, I hand sewed the crocheted pumpkin pillow piece onto the middle of the front of my pillow.

Then, I found these three little buttons from my button box and sewed some fabric loops on the other side and stuffed the pillow form in and buttoned it closed. I still have to add some snaps between the buttons so the inside of the pillow form doesn’t show. I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out. I’d like to hear how you plan on making your pillows.

6/11/10 Free Pattern Friday: New Years Cap Crochet Pattern

When I decided on this crochet pattern for this Free Pattern Friday, I thought hmm…I’m going to need to buy some of that fun fur. I had tried to crochet with it several years ago and didn’t have much luck, so I had given all of it to my daughter to make scarves out of.

Well, when I went to my local craft store, I found this really pretty color of fun fur and then found these two colors of one of my favorite yarns—Lion Brand Cotton Ease. I love that the Cotton Ease is cotton and acrylic, and it has some stretch to it, and it happened to match the fun fur just perfectly. You can purchase Cotton Ease right here at Crochet Soiree, and they have some really pretty colors. They also have novelty yarns that would work really well for this cap.

I think the cap turned out cute, and I think I know the only person that could pull it off is a friend of mine named Mimi from my LYS Twist. I hope you have as much fun making this cap as I did. Remember that this is a temporary pattern that will only be available for two weeks! Download it now!

And if you like great hats like this one, you need to check out the book it came from—iCrochet: Adventurous Hats & Bags by a really neat designer—Mary Estok Nolfi. It includes 11 crochet designs: a Harlequin Romance Hat (a bold pillbox shown 4 ways) and Bag; a Russian Cap and Document Bag; an Asian Influence Hat and Bag; our free New Year Cap, plus a coordinating Hat and Bag; and a Kente Colors Cap and Bag.

Wednesday, 6/09/10 Joshua Has Crocheted 4 Hats!

When Joshua completed his afghan, he already had some yarn lined up to be a hat. Little did he know that hats crochet up really fast, and he couldn’t just stop at one hat…

…so he continued to finish a second hat and couldn’t stop at two hats.

He made a third hat and decided to make it for his friend Rian and even learned how to decrease from the I Can’t Believe I’m Crocheting book. I found this hat completed the next morning and took this picture. He completed three hats in a day!

Just a couple of days ago Joshua decided to make his drama teacher a crocheted hat, so he picked a pattern that was made from single crochets in the back loop, (back and forth not around). Then you weave in a piece of yarn at the top to draw it up and then make a seam down the back. I think it turned out really nice, and I hear that it fit Mr. Lundin perfectly, and he loved it.

I hope that once Joshua gets done with all the Senior and year end things, he will have more time to crochet. There’s no telling what he plans on making next.

Monday, 6/7/10 Marking Your Crocheted Items

When I was trying my hand at quilting, my sister told me that I needed to make sure to always mark my quilts with my name, date, and who I made the quilt for. That made me think about my crocheted pieces and how I should be marking them. I decided I would start adding a tag to anything that I crocheted. I knew that doilies, lace, or openweave things would be hard to mark, but I thought I had better make a tag with fabric and a permanent type marker for everything that I give away, with the date, name of recipient, and my name. Then, I would sew it in the seam of garments or the wrong side of other items. I’ve been pretty good at doing this, but…

It looks like I was in too big of a hurry to include the date on this tag and my husband just delivered the crocheted blankets to our grandsons Eyan and Alex last weekend. Oh well, maybe I can make sure that I take my permanent marker with me the next time we go and visit them and add the date.

I know you can order labels made and have them personalized with your name on them, but wouldn’t it be neat if someone could make them to have blanks to write in the date of completion and the recipient’s name? Tell me how you mark your crocheted items—or do you?

6/4/10 Red, White & Blue June Crochet Along

In place of this week’s Free Pattern Friday, I thought we could kick off a crochet-a-long for the month of June. This month, I decided that it might be fun to make some red, white, and blue things and be ready to decorate for the 4th of July. I’ve picked out four free patterns that would work well for a red, white, and blue-themed crochet-a-long. They are Ice Tea Jackets, Red Hot Dishtowels, Lacy Coasters, and Hot Pad Roundup.

With these patterns, you have a variety of different items to choose from, and if you haven’t yet tried to make a doily, Lacy Coasters are a good way to find out if you like making doilies because they’re fast and easy to make.

The Ice Tea Jackets are fun to make and aren’t hard to make either.

The Red Hot Dishtowels are fun, too, and the great thing about the trim is you don’t just have to put it on a towel; you could trim a pillow or the edge of a sweater.

Of course, Hot Pad Roundup is one of my favorite things to make, and they are so quick and easy, plus they are fun to have on hand when you want that special gift for someone, too.

The only rules for this crochet-a-long are that you will have to make at least one item from any of these free patterns, and it has to be red, white, or blue, and you may use any kind of yarn or thread. I have made another doily for one of the prizes, and Crochet Soiree has some goodies to give away: a Boye CrochetMaster Hook Set and copies of both the knit and crochet versions of the new Celebrity Slouchy Beanies books. It will be another random drawing. Good luck to you all. The June CAL will end on June 30.

Wednesday, 6/2/10 Design Contest 2010 Pieces Sent Off

Well, it’s that time of the year to send my design contest piece off to be in the Knit & Crochet show in New Hampshire. Since the show is a little earlier this year, the deadline to have your entries sent in is June 15, 2010. Oh my gosh, I still have to fill out the form, write the check, and pack it ever so carefully and neatly into a box and hope that it gets there in one piece. I hope all of you who are entering have already sent your items in. I’ve got to run now, I’ll be back real soon.