Reveal! Blushing Erin Neckwarmer

The new book, Crochet One-Skein Wonders is now out.  It took a long time to come to print because it has 101 projects in it!  Edited by Judith Durant and Edie Eckman, this is a thick book.
In the 286 pages, the projects are separated by yarn-weight from thread to bulky.

My Blushing Erin Neckwarmer (named for my youngest Niece...) (p. 154) Is in it. The book is so big, I thought I'd better tell you the page number... Not all the projects have stitch diagrams, but mine does! It's totally easy, can be done in one day, and uses less than one skein of yarn.  This model is made of the very luscious Blue Sky Alpacas Hand-dyes.

The book is available either in softcover or Kindle version through Amazon.

Don't forget, there are TWO giveaways this week, check Monday and Tuesday's posts for more information.

E-Book Review: Crochet Book One and Giveaway

It's a modest little title for a sweet new book. "Crochet Book One" This e-book, five crochet projects, designed by my friend, Rebecca Velasquez and produced for Quince & Co yarns.

Beginning with this showstopping shawl, the book contains a shawl, a hat, a keyhole scarf, a sweater and pair of fingerless mitts. The Queen Anne's Shawl is made of simple stitches beautifully photographed by Carrie Bostick Hoge. The Shawl is crocheted in 2 skeins of Sparrow yarn, which is a nicely priced Organic Linen that comes in 13 colors. 

Each pattern is written in the e-book with both written text and symbol diagrams. 

The Pauline Hat is both crocheted and knitted using just one skein of the nicely priced Chickadee yarn. It's an American Wool and comes in 41 colors!

The Marigold Sweater is sized from size 36" to size 52" bust and is crocheted in Finch. Another economical yarn!

Each pattern is available individually or they are available as a whole collection.

Leave a comment on This post by Monday, April 22 11:59pm EST with your NAME and an identifying location or Ravelry name and you will be entered to win a free pattern from the collection.  You can enter this giveaway also on other blog reviews. In May, among all the entries from all the blogs, a winner will be chosen to receive the whole collection by PDF.  (So you have Multiple chances to win!)

Follow Rebecca for more details on all the dates and blog stops.
Twitter @RebecaVelasquez (for Twitter, she has to take out a "c" to make her name fit...)
Ravelry: RebeccaVelasquez

Crocheting with Beads Class Giveaway!

I have been spending more and more time TEACHING lately!  It's very exciting to see students inspired to crochet, try out new skills and create handmade projects.

Locally, I teach at Silk Road Textiles.  It's a terrific, large, bright fabric and yarn store with classes on all things sewn and stitched. They also carry my books and have many of my book samples on display.

June 13-15, I'll be teaching in Sharonville, Ohio (North of Cincinnati) at the Original Creative Festival.  I'm scheduled to teach Introduction to Bruges Lace Crochet and Introduction to Tunisian Crochet. For more information, check out their website. 

You may know that I teach on many of the new episodes of Knit & Crochet Now! Found on PBS create and past seasons (before me) are available on DVD.

Also, if you can't travel to Cincinnati, or get Knit and Crochet Now, or you can get all of that and still want more... you can see me at Annies Catalog/ Online Classes Most of you already crochet, but if you want to see the basics or get the FIVE patterns included in the class, you can with the class "Learn to Crochet"! 

Or, if you are ready to go beyond the basics and learn 5 beading techniques shown on several projects, you can get the class "Crocheting with Beads".  You can also see Tunisian classes at Annie's by Kim Guzman and Thread crochet classes by Susan Lowman.

I'm allowed to give away a FREE "Crocheting With Beads" class!  YOU can enter to win.  A bit about how these classes work.... You create a free account with Annie's. Likely you already have one. Then when you buy the class (or maybe get it free!) when you log into your account, there is a tab that says, "My classes" and that is where your class will be.  It's there, waiting for you any time you want to watch it. You can watch it over and over. You can pause or just watch sections. You can watch it 5 minutes at a time or watch it straight through.  There are written pdf project materials available for you to download and print if you wish. You can even ask questions.

More than just crochet, Annie's has classes on knit, papercrafting, quilting, sewing, and beading & jewelry.

To enter to WIN your free "Crocheting with Beads" Class, please leave a comment on THIS post by midnight, Friday, April 19, 2013.  I'll randomly choose a winner from entries and announce the winner on Friday, April 19.  The winner will need to email me with your email so I can get you hooked up (get it?) with your free class. The winner must email me by Friday April 26th, 2013.

PLEASE in your comment, give your first name, last initial, and some kind of identifying location, city, town, etc.  PLEASE comment with your favorite way to learn, what you'd like me to teach you, what event you'd like me to attend, or anything about learning crochet. :)

Fasten off coma

Generally after a really tough project or deadline I go into a "Fasten off Coma", where after I have fastened off, I fall into a "I-don't-feel-like-doing-anything" spell.  This one, I have actually made 3 more projects since the BIG deadline passed for Book 3. But I have fallen out of blogging.  Sorry. I haven't had much I'm allowed to say, and working on books leads to less "reveals" for magazine work.

Anyway, I'm still here.  Plugging away on Book 4 and getting caught up on all the stuff that had to be put aside the week I turned in Book 3. 

Book 3, by the way.... there are clues on the internet about Book 3, that can be found if someone tried to look.... but I'm not ready to share just yet here. But I can't help it if people went on a scavenger hunt...

I have a few book reviews on my to-do list, at least one of which will have a prize attached to it, so don't give up on me yet!

Oh! Check out on Ravelry, the projects made for the Departure Bracelet from my book, Learn Bruges Lace. Someone made one out of wire!  Clever!

Photo Friday

 White lions

White tiger!

White was the theme of the Spring Break Zoo trip. 

April Newsletter

We had a little bit of relaxation and family fun this weekend for Easter. It was made even better knowing that I shipped the remaining projects for the THIRD book this past Friday.  (yay!)

Also! Today the April Go Crochet Newsletter went out... if you didn't get one, here's the link to see it and decide if you would like to be on the mailing list for future issues. April Newsletter.

Photo Friday

Duh, Discounted Shipping Today

If you want to participate in the Bonus Scarf CAL in April, but don't yet have the crochet book, Learn Bruges Lace, today you can get discounted shipping!

If you still need the book, Learn Bruges Lace here’s a discount code to get discounted shipping! (Also, the book comes in e-book if you prefer).

Keycode, EYC399, is valid through March 28, 2013, at 11:59 p.m. ET. A purchase is required to receive $3.99 U.S. shipping. Offer valid in the U.S. and Canada only. $10 additional shipping fee still applies to orders delivered to Canada. All customs, duties and taxes (GST) are the customer’s responsibility. Keycode not available on rush, drop-shipped or additional freight orders. Keycode cannot be combined with any other keycodes. No price adjustments on previous purchases. Orders that use keycodes are not eligible for future price adjustments.
Redeem the code at AnniesCatalog.com

OR, you can get a signed copy from me for $10 (in the USA), click on the right side bar PayPal button, or email me if it is being uncooperative, ellen@gocrochet.com

 ALSO, April 1, the new free issue of my Newsletter will be out, so if you haven't already, sign up before April 1 to make sure your free issue arrives in your inbox.  The box to sign up is on the right side bar of this blog page, I think under the Annie's ad.

Wintergreen Cowl CAL

Thanks everyone who participated in the Wintergreen Cowl CAL.

Here's Aimee's gorgeous project! 

Next up... the Bonus Scarf CAL... JOIN US! 

Get the pattern for the Bruges Lace Crocheted 'Bonus Scarf' HERE.

Freesia Shawl Revealed!

In the new issue of Love of Crochet, the Freesia Shawl.

Give it a look!

Crunch Time!

Hang in there with me. I have a book due in the next week, so I'm working to the exclusion of everything else.

The Tour of Crochet Country Blog tour is still going on for a few more days, so please continue to visit the designers who are posting in honor of National Crochet Month. Blog tour line up.

Flashback to Chief at the zoo. He's so little! 

Happiness is....

A friend receiving her signed copy of Go Crochet! Afghan Design Workbook!

What fun! Thank you Anika for the photo!

Get your hardcopy or Kindle edition from Amazon, or Martha Pullen, or, if you are in the US and want a signed copy... from me! (Try the Paypal button on the right, and if that doesn't work, email me at Ellen@GoCrochet.com

Knit Headband with crocheted trim

Here's an improvised knitted ribbed headband I made. It has a crocheted edging.  I need to design a new crocheted one with more pizazz don't you think? But this one totally worked and kept me warm. (I had taken my gloves off by the time this photo was taken)

It was cold on Sunday ... I ran the Mini Heart Marathon (5k, that turned out to be a 6.27k, since the organizers turned us around at the wrong point, long story, longer race). 

Anyway, I need a new headband, and maybe a matching arm-band pocket to hold my cell phone since my first one is coming apart. (darn velcro is the arch-enemy of yarn....)

#NatCroMo National Crochet Month!

Another two stops today on the Tour Through Crochet Country organized by our friends at Crochetville.

The First of today's two stops is Kimberly McAlindin at Hooked On Knitting. But don't let her web name fool you, she is also an accomplished crochet designer (and so fun to hang out with)

Here I am with Kimberly in Reno this year at the Knit and Crochet Show (my blog post about it). (I guess it's time for me to retire that top! I think I have gotten my cost per wear ratio low enough by now!)

The second stop is Andee Graves at Mamas2Hands. You may remember that I recently did a review of Andee's new bookelet, "Texting Mitts".  Go Check out Andee's blog she has a little free pattern for you!

Tour Through Crochet Country

Two more great blogs to visit today!  It's a great day in Crochet Country!

Tammy Hildebrand's colorful and entertaining blog, Hot Lava Crochet is a stop on the tour today! Tammy hit the crochet scene about 5 years before me and I am SO glad she did! Tammy trail blazed the way for me and many others. She was my Mentor before she became my friend and colleague. She has always done great work, but she continues to learn and evolve. Go visit her blog, you have to see her photo of crocheting...while in the swimming pool... really, go look.(Here I am with Tammy at the 2011 CGOA conference, I can't even remember what city that would have been... Minneapolis?)

The other blog stop today is Marty Miller.  Marty's blog the Crochet Doctor, is where she dispenses her crochet and tech editing wisdom that she has acquired over decades of experience in the field.  She is an accomplished teacher, tech editor and designer. Read about Marty's love of crochet circles on her post today.

Chicks and Critters

Weekends are so busy around the Go Crochet house that I don't always have time to crochet. (I know!) 

 Here I am with Charlie, deep in conversation.

 We got 4 new chicks!  Here is Chickee with one of the new baby hens.

 They have the coolest eyelids that make their eyes look like their open when they aren't.

Here's Chickee at one of her four basketball games this weekend.  Of course, she didn't play with her broken foot, but she simply can't refuse being out there doing what she can.

Photo Friday

Look, Chickee found a Collage App on my Ipad.

Urban Chic Granny Square Afghan REVEALED

There's a new yarn line, WILLOW yarn and I made a crochet granny square blanket that I just LOVE

I was calling it the "Saturated" Blanket because of all the rich colors and the bulky soft yarn.  The squares are join-as-you-go, so no seaming!  The crochet pattern is available at Willow Yarns.  Here's the pattern page for it. I rarely get the luxury of crocheting with such a large number of colors and WOW was it fun! It really felt like serendipitous abundance!

Hope and Crochet

I've been thinking lately about the relationship between hope and CREATIVITY.  I'm not sure how the thought got started but back when I was a counselor, we used to discuss the hallmark of Depression is a lack of hope, and therefor, part of the fix is instilling hope.  THEN I was thinking that when treating depression, it is useful for people to be creative, nurture and find hope in art/gardening and creating. I even led a depression treatment group of women using both crochet and traditional therapy approaches. 

Anyway, so now I'm thinking that hope is necessary for CREATIVITY. Maybe.  I'm just thinking here. When you are creative, aren't you essentially hopeful that your efforts are useful, leading to something bigger, are evolving, will bring skill/experience/product? 

Are you following my circular thinking? LOL  SO, if you have a Creative BLOCK, the "cure" is to find hope.  I know when I am "stuck" I like to take classes.  Interesting semantics... I like to use the word "stuck" instead of "blocked".  To say I have "writer's BLOCK" implies that there is no way around it, and the block was put there without my doing.  But to say, "I'm stuck" makes me think that there is some wiggle room (I got stuck, so I can get 'un-stuck').  See... "stuck" implies hope. "Block" = less hope.

What does this mean for you? I don't know, maybe nothing. 

If you are a Spiritual person, you may want to read on....

Let's give the word "hope" a capital "H".   Let's assume for a moment that hope comes from God.  Inspiration, creativity and hope all come from God.   Yep, you guessed it, sometimes I pray for creativity. Why are we inspired to crochet the things we make? Hope for a new finished project, new skill, new accomplishment, creating something that wasn't there before, crocheting something functional... I don't really have a point.  I just think Crochet is a gift from God, and I feel Inspired to do it, so I Hope HE likes what I make.

Back to stitching. I HOPE my project turns out OK.

Learn Bruges Lace Crochet Book SALE code

Learn Bruges Lace and ALL Annie's crochet books are on sale TODAY for 25% off.  Here's the link to Anniecatalog.com and the discount code. EYCMAGS

It says it is good until tomorrow, so hurry on over!  I'm hoping the next CAL we do is the Bonus Scarf, but I'm going to let people chime in about it.