RSS
Archive: Crochet
September 22, 2009
Crochet-Along: Lesson Three - Assembling The Body
It's Week Three of the Fuzzy Panda Amigurumi Crochet-Along! Hope you guys are having as much fun as I am!
*for last weeks lesson, "Assembling the Head", click here.
This week we're finishing up by assembling the body and attaching our heads and bodies together. This is the satisfying part!
Yay! That's our last lesson and now it's up to you to finish up your own Fuzzy Panda!
GIVEAWAYS!
Here's an extra bonus for our Crochet-alongers...post a picture of your finished Fuzzy Panda Amigurumi in our Flickr Group, you could win one of the following:- 1 signed copy of Tiny Yarn Animals by Tamie Snow
- 1 signed copy of Feltique by Nikola Davidson and Brookelynn Morris
- 2 skeins of Alpine Wool
- 1 copy of Lion Brand Yarn Vintage Styles for Today
- 1 CRAFT T-Shirt
5 Winners will be chosen from the CRAFT Crochet-Along Flickr pool at random (only pictures of finished dolls will qualify) to win a prize! Entries must be uploaded to the Flickr pool by September 28th at 12n PST and tagged with "CRAFTCALCONTEST". Winner will be announced next September 28th, 2009, 12n PST
Get More Roxycraft Patterns on Sale Now!
From now until the end of the month, enter code "CAL2009" when you checkout on Roxycraft.com for a 50% off discount on patterns!
Posted by Tamie Snow |
Sep 22, 2009 11:00 AM
Amigurumi, Cozy Up to Yarn, Crochet, Crochet-Along |
Permalink
| Comments (2)
| Email Entry |
Suggest a Site
September 21, 2009
Creating with Yarn Scraps: Crochet Cat Toy Pattern
Crochet Cat Toy Pattern
By Kristin Roach
I am so happy to be here with all of you for the next two weeks. Guest writing for CRAFT is such an honor! Thank you so much to Natalie and all the wonderful CRAFT team for having me. I am so excited about the next two weeks and all the fun projects, tutorials, and inspirations I get to share with you.
My name is Kristin Roach and I am visiting from Craft Leftovers, my craft blog all about using up my leftovers craft supplies and inspiring others to do the same. Learn to create uniquely wonderful handmade projects using what is on hand. There are free patterns, tutorials, book reviews, interviews, and general musings about stash. In the next two weeks I'm going to share with you some of my favorite ways to use up yarn leftovers!
Today, get started using up yarn bits with a cute catnip mouse. Needing under 20g of yarn and a catnip pillow, it's just the thing to use your yarn ends up and make your (or your friends') cat really happy!
Materials
1 catnip pillow
10g or less of Color A worsted yarn
10g or less of Color B worsted yarn
Size D hook
Directions
Learn how to start your crochet project with a magic loop (adjustable loop) on Crochet Me. Don't have a catnip pillow on hand? Learn how to make your own catnip pillow.
This pattern was first featured in the September issue of Craft Leftovers Monthly, a print extension of Craft Leftovers!
Posted by Kristin Roach |
Sep 21, 2009 02:00 PM
Cozy Up to Yarn, Crochet, Pets |
Permalink
| Comments (2)
| Email Entry |
Suggest a Site
September 18, 2009
Two Guyz Spinning and Spin in Public Day
Saturday is World Wide Spin in Public Day! That's tomorrow, so grab your spindles and find a Spin in Public event to visit. If you already know how to spin, get out there and try to teach someone who has never tried it. If you don't know, it's the perfect excuse to learn. Oh, and many thanks to Manspun for sending us the info on the event. Little did he know that I have a special place in my heart for men who spin! I'll be profiling him tomorrow, so check back for that!
In honor of WWSIP Day, I want to introduce you to two of my friends, Buck and Greg. They are obsessed with spinning. For them, every single day is Spin in Public Day! They run a roadside fiber stand in Monte Rio, a little hamlet on the Russian River in Sonoma County, California. Their shop is called Two Guyz Spinning, and Tuesday through Sunday, the "Two Guyz" set up their wares and set up their wheel, and then they spin.
What I love the most about them is their unconventional take on fiber arts. Buck and Greg are dedicated to living from the earth, and that includes their yarn-making techniques. Their unique take starts with the fibers that they spin. They spin sheep's wools like dorset and churro. They spin other animal fibers like alpaca and Kashmir goat. And they spin plant fibers like flax, bamboo, and hemp. The yarn Greg is showing off in the photo is some of his wolf yarn, and its just to die for. Buck and Greg take it to the next level when they spin fibers like wolf and wildcrafted bison. Collecting bison is tricky, because conservation laws prevent taking wool from any of the national parks like Yellowstone, where the herds live. Instead, the gatherers wait for the bison to leave the boundaries of the park to calve, and then take the fibers that are left behind.
Read full story
Posted by Brookelynn |
Sep 18, 2009 01:00 PM
Crochet, Fiber Art, Yarn |
Permalink
| Comments (2)
| Email Entry |
Suggest a Site
CRAFT Video: Inside the NYC Lion Brand Yarn Studio
Last Friday, Natalie and I got a tour of the NYC Lion Brand Yarn Studio on 15th Street in Manhattan. Zontee and Patty showed us around their rotating window display, their luscious yarn offerings, and told us all about the classes and events that take place in the studio.
Subscribe to the CRAFT Podcast in iTunes, or download the m4v video.
Natalie also took some awesome pics at the studio, check out her Flickr set! Pictured aboe is Becky, Natalie, and Zontee.
Posted by Becky Stern |
Sep 18, 2009 12:00 PM
Cozy Up to Yarn, CRAFT Podcast, Crochet, Knitting, Yarn |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry |
Suggest a Site
Intern's Corner: The Hunt for Pineapple Yarn
Every other week, CRAFT's awesome interns tell about the projects they're building in the Craft: Labs, the trouble they've gotten into, and what they'll make next.
By Lindsey North, projects intern
As readers of CRAFT and MAKE know, finding materials for projects can sometimes be challenging, if not downright maddening. I've spent hours online looking for very specialized materials that appear to be as mythical as unicorns. And even when you know exactly what you're after, you have to surf the web looking for the best deals.
To make CRAFT's Crocheted Wooden Bowl project by Vickie Howell, I remember hunting for yarn made from pineapple fibers that would be used to crochet around the wooden bowl to add decoration and color.
Pineapple fiber yarn! Come on! Where do you find that?
I searched online and learned that pineapple fiber is commonly called pina or piña. I called every yarn store in Sonoma County and then started calling the bigger stores in San Francisco. I couldn't find what I wanted.
So I did a general search and found Knit Purl, a store in Portland, Oregon, that carried the whole line of alternate-fiber yarns. These were made from various barks and leaves, and dyed with amazing colors; the saturation and hue reminded me of a florist's shop. And they had pineapple yarn! Theirs is called fique (fee-kay) and is made from a relative of the commercial pineapple plant. The store owners were very helpful, as they allowed me to pay over the phone and shipped the yarn to me. Knit Purl is the place to go for strange and awesome yarns. At this point in my crafting career that has been my greatest acquisitional challenge.
I had a blast working on this project after I found the yarn and some wooden bowls that didn't "cost an arm and a leg." (I would have a hard time spending big bucks on something I'm just going to drill holes in.) Returning to the Craft Lab, I measured and marked the points where I would be drilling my wooden bowls. (Measuring is very important and should never be skipped ever if you are a trained professional.)
Then I crocheted my way around the bowl, slowly decreasing as I got closer to the base. I ended the last ring around the base, and wove the end back in. This bowl looks totally awesome when it is full of fruit -- or balls of hard-to-find yarn.
Your CRAFT intern,
Lindsey
Posted by Keith Hammond |
Sep 18, 2009 10:03 AM
Crochet, Fiber Art, Home Decor, Intern's Corner |
Permalink
| Comments (6)
| Email Entry |
Suggest a Site
September 16, 2009
Crochet Nunchaku Pattern
Shala at Don't Eat the Paste has a pattern to make these crochet nunchakus. Great as a toy or dress up accent for ninjas on Halloween.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Sep 16, 2009 08:00 AM
Amigurumi, Crochet, Patterns |
Permalink
| Comments (1)
| Email Entry |
Suggest a Site
September 14, 2009
How-To: Crochet Crown For Children
Jessica of Happy Together created these adorable crochet crowns and shares her pattern so you can make your own. She's also included a boy-style crown so the little fellas won't feel left out!
Posted by Rachel Hobson |
Sep 14, 2009 07:00 AM
Crochet, Kids |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry |
Suggest a Site
September 10, 2009
Yoga for Crafters: The Knit and Crochet Edition
Over on Crafting a Green World, Becky Striepe has added a new addition to her Yoga for Crafters series, this one focused on tackling the aches and pains that come with hours of knitting or crochet, perfect for our Cozy Up to Yarn month.
Posted by Goli Mohammadi |
Sep 10, 2009 02:30 PM
Crochet, Knitting |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry |
Suggest a Site
Tiny Tangerines' Crochet Baby Hats
Head on over to the Etsy shop Tiny Tangerines and you'll be in cute heaven. Crafter Kelly Burghardt designs and crochets the most adorable baby hats shaped like owls, cupcakes, cows, and more. I got a chance to catch up with this busy designer and mom to find out more about her new crafy biz.
Please tell us what you make.
Custom crochet hats sold at tinytangerines.etsy.com.
How long have you been crocheting and how did you get started?
I've been crocheting for about a year now. A friend of mine taught me the basic stitch needed to make straight lines, but you can only make so many scarfs before it's time to learn something new. About two months ago I taught myself how to crochet hats by watching youtube videos and I fell in love!
Your crochet hats for babies are adorable. What was your inspiration for creating them?
My daughter (born via emergency c-section) was blessed with a rather large head. All of the cute little baby headbands and hats we would buy for her looked too tight and seemed rather uncomfortable, so I decided to start making my own. When I posted pictures of them on my livejournal all of my mommy friends wanted some for their little ones too, some even suggested I open and etsy shop. I had no idea my hats would be so popular. I am so lucky to have found a way to help with the bills, while staying home with my daughter and doing something I really love.
How do you come up with your patterns?
It started with the owls and cupcakes, two of my favorite things! Now whenever I see something that makes me "awwww" my next thought is "how can I translate this into a hat?"
Do you have a crochet tip you can share?
Play with your stitches! Some of my favorite tricks have come from what I thought was a mistake.
Are there any other crafts you like to do?
I try to put a crafty spin on everything I do. I'm known for bringing theme cupcakes to every event I'm invited to. I reconstruct all of my clothes, paint silly patterns on my nails, and I've had my hair every color of the rainbow! I also love sketching, painting, sculpting, and any art project I can get my hands on. It feels so good to create something you can be proud of.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Sep 10, 2009 08:00 AM
Babies, Cozy Up to Yarn, Craft Business, Crochet, Interviews |
Permalink
| Comments (3)
| Email Entry |
Suggest a Site
September 9, 2009
How-To: Magically Clean Eco Tawashi
Magically Clean Eco Tawashi
Crochet this pretty and practical acrylic sponge to clean your dishes without soap.
By Narumi Ogawa
A Japanese friend introduced eco tawashi to me about 5 years ago, when he asked me to make a crochet motif with 100% acrylic yarn. He explained that the yarn is made of very fine synthetic fibers similar to microfiber, and that this fine-filamented material is the key to magical cleaning. The acrylic sponge is scratch-free, and you can use it not only for dishes, but also for the bathtub and shower, for washing a car — basically anywhere you want.
The best part of using eco tawashi is that you can do dishes without soap. This way, you save lots of water and you don't need to use synthetic detergent, which drains into our lakes, rivers, and oceans. If your plates are a little greasy, add some baking soda or vinegar, and you'll be surprised by the results.
Read full story
Posted by Goli Mohammadi |
Sep 9, 2009 01:00 PM
Cozy Up to Yarn, Crochet |
Permalink
| Comments (23)
| Email Entry |
Suggest a Site
September 8, 2009
Flashback: Counterfeit Crochet Purse
Our second issue of CRAFT magazine came out in January 2007 and the theme was Creative Clones. Volume 02 introduced us to the cleverness of Stephanie Syjuco, founder of the Counterfeit Crochet Project, pictured above with her fabulously faux crocheted Chanel purse. Stephanie fit the theme perfectly. This week, we present you a reprint of Stephanie's purse project. Enjoy!
Read full story
Posted by Goli Mohammadi |
Sep 8, 2009 05:00 PM
Crochet |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry |
Suggest a Site
How-To: Crochet a Simple Necklace
This project is how I taught myself to crochet. I wanted to showcase felt beads, but just stringing them wasn't exciting enough. I wrapped a bead with yarn, and tied it around my neck, but there was something missing. So I used a crochet hook to try to stitch a chain. I swear, the hardest part was figuring out the slip knot!
This is super easy crochet at its finest. The resulting necklace is a great take on a traditional pendant hanging from a metal chain. Even if you've never crocheted one stitch before, you cannot fail in making this, and who knows, you might get hooked on the hook and have to join in the Fuzzy Panda Crochet-Along!
Read full story
Posted by Brookelynn |
Sep 8, 2009 01:00 PM
Cozy Up to Yarn, CRAFT Projects, Crochet |
Permalink
| Comments (2)
| Email Entry |
Suggest a Site
Crochet-Along: Lesson One - The Brushed Amigurumi Technique
Welcome Crochet-Alongers!
Today marks the first week of our Fuzzy Panda Amigurumi adventure together. I'm Tamie Snow of Roxycraft.com and I'll be your guide for the next month while we learn some fun new techniques for your amigurumi.
So if you haven't signed up yet, it's never too late. Just comment and introduce yourself and you're in! We'd also love it if you would join the Flickr group so you can share pictures of your finished projects with us and other CALers!
This week we're going to start with the basics. I have some fun video tutorials on youtube that should help you get started.
Read full story
Posted by Tamie Snow |
Sep 8, 2009 12:00 PM
Amigurumi, Cozy Up to Yarn, Crochet, Crochet-Along |
Permalink
| Comments (22)
| Email Entry |
Suggest a Site
September 5, 2009
Crochet Graffiti in Seattle
When I read the review Goli posted of the new book Yarn Bombing, I remembered that I found some yarn-fitti in Seattle. I was in town for the Urban Craft Uprising, and there was some great mural art near our hotel. And to my surprise, along with the paint was some yarn. When I look at the colors on the wall and I look at the colors of the crochet, I can't help but think that the piece was hooked with the intention of complementing the wall.
Posted by Brookelynn |
Sep 5, 2009 06:00 PM
Cozy Up to Yarn, Crochet, Yarn |
Permalink
| Comments (2)
| Email Entry |
Suggest a Site
September 4, 2009
CRAFT Pattern Podcast: Nia's Babyset
This week's CRAFT Pattern Podcast is Nia's Babyset by Sylvie Damey from Chez Plum. This unique crochet set comprises of a cardigan (sized for a 3-6 month baby), a kitty rattle toy, and a baby book cover. This is a perfect gift to make for an expecting friend or baby shower gift. The crochet skills required for this pattern are: chain, slip stitch, single crochet, double crochet, double crochet in front loop. For more info on the pattern, visit the Nia's Babyset page on Chez Plum.
Download the Pattern PDF | Subscribe in iTunes
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Sep 4, 2009 12:00 PM
Babies, Cozy Up to Yarn, CRAFT Patterns, CRAFT Podcast, Crochet |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry |
Suggest a Site
September 3, 2009
I Heart Variegated Yarn
I am a color junkie. I love bright colors, and have recently been very inspired by the trends in variegated yarns. This combo of hot pink, lime green, orange and charcoal grey really makes me happy. It's from my local shop, Castaway, and the swatch was knit by Madeline, age 8. I just had to pick it up, and I'll be using this yarn to create a tutorial on Friday, so stay tuned!
Posted by Brookelynn |
Sep 3, 2009 05:00 PM
Cozy Up to Yarn, Crochet, Knitting |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry |
Suggest a Site
Crocheted horse hats
MAKE's photo editor Sam Murphy sent us this great photo she recently took in Vienna. She writes:
I was on a lightning trip with my fiance and his parents in Germany for my soon-to-be family reunion. We were in Germany mostly, but we hopped on the train to Prague and Vienna. These were the horse and carriage rides you see all over Vienna. Not all of them where crochet like this one, but I saw maybe one or two more. (I like the silver details on the ends, the yarn seem to be faded, but it may be the yarn is dyed.) Pretty much all of them had their ears covered like this with a hat, usually of cotton. Too much to see, and too much great food to eat!
The photo -- taken in front of Vienna's famous St. Stephens Cathedral -- got us excited about what other horse projects might be out there for us to crochet. These ear or fly bonnets, used to protect the horses' ears from flies, seem to be the most common crochet project. Here's a short list of related websites we found; feel free to post other resources or photos of projects you've done in the Comments!
- Crochet Horse Ear Bonnet
- St. Patrick's Day Parade
- Crochet for the Horse
- Bonnet Chasse-Mouche
- Pattern: Goose - Horse Hat
Posted by Shawn Connally |
Sep 3, 2009 12:00 PM
Cozy Up to Yarn, Crochet, Needlearts, Yarn |
Permalink
| Comments (3)
| Email Entry |
Suggest a Site
August 25, 2009
How-To: Sew Crocheted Embellishments to Clothing
Linda Permann shares a simple hand sewing technique for attaching crocheted embellishments to clothing in this tutorial on Crochet Today.
Posted by Rachel Hobson |
Aug 25, 2009 03:00 PM
Crochet, Fashion, Sewing |
Permalink
| Comments (0)
| Email Entry |
Suggest a Site
Hawaiian Flower Crochet Motif
Sarah London's mystery crochet motif tutorial is the Hawaiian Flower this month. Learn how to first do this ring, then round 2, round 3, and round 4. (Thanks Dawn)
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Aug 25, 2009 10:00 AM
Crochet |
Permalink
| Comments (2)
| Email Entry |
Suggest a Site
August 17, 2009
How-To: Crochet Bracelets
The Purl Bee is featuring a beautiful and simple crochet project by Laura Normandin from Wren Handmade to make these lovely crochet bracelets.
Posted by Natalie Zee Drieu |
Aug 17, 2009 12:00 PM
Crochet, Fashion, Patterns |
Permalink
| Comments (1)
| Email Entry |
Suggest a Site
