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Product Review – Unicorn Fibre Wash & Rinse
My friend Jessie of Jessie at Home had a serious soot problem in her home office / studio a little while ago, and for cleaning it up she recommended Unicorn Fibre products. I was looking for a good product to use for blocking my projects anyway, so I thought I would give it a try. I didn’t know whether I wanted Fibre Wash or Fibre Rinse, so I asked, and they sent me a free sample pack. It included both the wash and the rinse, as well as the Power Scour. I didn’t use the Power Scour, and probably won’t need to in the near future. I don’t have pets or anything so my yarn is…
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How to Crochet Without a Slip Knot
Most of us learned to start our crochet by making a slip knot. It's so annoying to squish some soft, luxurious, handmade item and feel that hard little bump. But you don't have to! You can start your crochet without a slip knot.
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Free Pattern – Crossed Cables Square
This is one of four 5 inch squares I made as homework for a crochet retreat. It’s a relatively easy pattern and works up quickly. The cables give it a bit of texture, with one crossed row in the middle just for fun. 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 of these links and then make a purchase, I may be compensated. You get…
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Completing the CGOA Masters Program
When I finally made the decision to go to the Knit and Crochet Show this year, I also decided to take the CGOA Masters of Advanced Stitches & Techniques Program. My goal was to successfully complete the program in time to get my pin at the show, and I did it! I’ve been dying to tell you all about it, but I was waiting for this picture to share with you. It was taken at the pinning ceremony, by a photographer from Narrative Images Studios. See the girl in the front, with the brown jacket? That’s Grace Rosburg – at only 13 years old, I believe they said she’s the youngest ever…
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A weekend retreat
This weekend, I’m going on a retreat. A crochet retreat, to be specific, just an hour and a half from home. It sort of snuck up on me, and now it’s almost here. 3 days of yarn, friends, and crochet classes – taught by Dora Ohrenstein! Yes, THE Dora Ohrenstein! Exciting, right? It’s all through my local crochet guild chapter. Everyone is bringing snacks to share. Here’s my contribution, because some of those snacks NEED to be chocolate, right? Not quite sure how the fruit snacks made it in there…. We also each need to bring four 5 inch squares as “homework” for one of our classes. I could have done plain granny squares, but that’s…
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Free Pattern – Li’l Pumpkin Hat
A couple of days ago, I shared with you my Puffy Pinwheel Hat pattern. One Friday evening, I was working on that pattern at my LYS, and my friend Annie said “that looks like a pumpkin!” Well of course she was right (she usually is), and of course I had to make a pumpkin version. How could I not? Please note this pattern is for the stem, leaves, and vines only. To make the complete hat, you will need the free Puffy Pinwheel Hat pattern as well. 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…
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Free Pattern – Puffy Pinwheel Hat
This puffy, slouchy hat matches my Striped Booties and Dreaming of Pinwheels blanket. It’s made with the same Anne Geddes Baby yarn by Red Heart, which is machine washable and soft, with just enough stretchiness. This pattern has instructions for sizes 0-6 months, 6-12 months, and toddler (1-3 years). 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 of these links and then make a purchase, I may be compensated. You get the same great…
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Pattern Review – Crochet Mannequin Heads by 5 Little Monsters
Meet Shane (yes, I name my mannequin heads). He’s about a 6 month old baby hat model, and I made him using the free pattern Crochet Mannequin Heads by 5 Little Monsters. The pattern is easier than I expected and very well written – a beginner would have no trouble following it. Those of you who know me though, know that I can never make a pattern exactly the way it’s written. There’s always something I want to tweak or change to make it my own, and this one was no exception. Unfortunately this time, I wish I had just followed the pattern, and I didn’t realize my mistake until after…
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Free Pattern – Sunshine Square
Soak in the sunshine while you can with this fun, sunny square! The sun in the middle really pops out thanks to front post stitches. This pattern was designed for the 2015 Mystery Lapghan CAL (#MysteryLapghanCAL2015). If this is the first you’ve heard about it, don’t worry – we’ve only just started, so there’s plenty of time to catch up! You can read more about it here, and you may also want to check out the official Mystery Lapghan FAQ on Crochet Memories. 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…
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Tutorial – How to make a pom pom without a pom pom maker
You’ve probably seen those round pom pom makers that come in sets of various sizes. You may even have seen tutorials for making your own pom pom makers out of cardboard. These are all perfectly great ways to make pom poms, but the truth is, in a pinch, you don’t really need them. Just about anything that you can wrap yarn around can become a pom pom maker. The key is it has to be something that will hold the yarn without slipping off. Square or rectangular objects tend to work well. The wider the object, the longer the strands of the pom pom will be, so try to find something fairly…
