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Round Up – What to Make with Caron Cakes
This post contains affiliate links (click here for more info). By now you’ve probably seen the new Cakes yarn from Caron. You can’t turn on facebook without seeing pictures of projects made with it, and you may have noticed some have worked out better than others. Caron Cakes is a self striping yarn with extremely long color sections, but the colors change very abruptly. Some designs work very well with this, and others look disjointed or choppy. So you want to give it a try yourself…but what should you make? The key is to find patterns that work well with large sections of color, but also have features that hide/mask…
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Edging – Crab Stitch & Twisted SC
Crab stitch was one of the first decorative, single row edgings I learned. It creates a rope like edge by working backwards (from left to right). I recently learned a stitch called the twisted single crochet, which creates a very similar edge, but working forwards. Crab Stitch (Reverse Single Crochet) The instructions are simple – single crochet in each stitch, working from left to right. Actually doing it can be a bit awkward. For the first stitch, just make a single crochet as you normally would. Now without changing anything, insert your hook into the next stitch to the right (instead of to the left). The loop on your hook will naturally…
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Spa Basket Crochet Along
Welcome to the Spa Basket Crochet Along! This event will run from 8/30/16 through 12/7/16, and features 12 patterns from 12 amazing designers. The patterns will combine to make a lovely spa basket, perfect for gifting.
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Free Pattern – Heart of Gold Medal
This pattern came about from a conversation about the cyber-bullying that Gabby Douglas had to deal with during this year’s Olympics. No matter what critics (or even fans) might say, you know what really matters is what’s in your heart. If you know someone who has a heart of gold, show them you see it with this special gold medal. This pattern is protected by copyright. Please do not distribute or share this pattern in any way other than by sharing a link to this page or to the pattern page on Ravelry. Click here for copyright information. This pattern contains affiliate links (click for more info). If you click one…
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Edging – Slip Stitch Edgings
One very popular edging technique is the slip stitch edging. It’s easy to do and creates a nice, finished edge without adding a lot of bulk or length. By adding a chain between the stitches, you can get an entirely different, stretchier edging. Basic slip stitch edging For this edging, just slip stitch into every stitch.The slip stitches form a 2nd layer of V shapes along the edge, matching the V shapes already there on top of your last row of stitches. You can get 2 different effects, depending on the direction of your work. Here I have worked the yellow row of slip stitches in the same direction as the previous…
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Knit & Crochet Show 2016 – Goodies & a Giveaway
Earlier I told you about all the fun classes I took at the Knit and Crochet Show this year. My full schedule left very little time for shopping, but I definitely made the most of it. There were lots of goody bags and freebies from the sponsors, and some late night trading sessions in the hotel lobby too. When you add it all up, I brought home quite a lot of swag from the show! This post contains affiliate links (click for more info). If you click one of these links and then make a purchase, I may be compensated. You get the same great prices, and you will be…
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Red Heart Baby Hugs Giveaway!
I’ve loved working with the new Baby Hugs yarn from Red Heart. It’s soft and squishy, and comes in lovely bright colors. It’s washable too! I tested several of the brighter colors in warm water and, as you can see, I had no bleeding issues at all. I took this picture after soaking all these yarn in the bowl of water in the middle. Baby Hugs is also OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 Class I certified, which means it has been tested to be free from harmful levels of over 300 substances! It comes in generously sized skeins of medium (worsted) and light (dk) weights. Using just one skein of each, I made both this Seahorse Teether, and this Anemone security blanket.…
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Free Pattern – Anemone
After making my Seahorse Teether pattern, I had quite a bit of yarn left, so I made this blanket to go with it. The design is reversible, and was inspired by pictures of "flower" anemones.
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Edging – Working Evenly Across/Around
Many edgings start by working evenly across or around the edge of your project. To make this edge nice and even, you need to work the right number of stitches, and space them evenly. If your stitches are too close together, you’ll end up with a ruffled effect. If they are too far apart, it will pucker. When using a pattern, it should tell you how many stitches to work. It may even give you an idea of how to space them. If you’re doing your own thing though, or if you’ve made any adjustments to the pattern, you may need to calculate this for yourself. Calculating the number of stitches For squares,…
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Knit & Crochet Show 2016 – Class Reviews
I had so much fun at the Knit and Crochet Show in Charleston this year that it won’t all fit in one post! I want to tell you all about it, so I’m breaking it up into separate posts. I took 6 classes, which made for quite a full schedule, so I’m going to start with those: Bruges Lace with Mary Beth Temple This was my first time meeting and taking a class with Mary Beth. She’s so much fun! I’ve worked with Bruges lace before, but only the basics, so I was excited to learn a little more. We made a swatch that curved back and forth, a circle, and started working…
