Category: Crochet

I still need to copy all of my Michaels.com patterns back over to my blog here, so bear with me! Someone recently requested the Chocolate Truffle Scarf, so here it is! I will try to update all the old links, too! Eat your chocolate and wear it, too! I designed this scarf of candy truffles so that you could feel like a walking box of chocolates — cute and scrumptious! Mix and match yarn colors to create your favorite truffle flavors, then decorate with dots, hearts, swirls, or stripes. Guaranteed to satisfy any sweet tooth, this scarf makes an enjoyable and decadent treat!

I randomly decided the other day that I needed to make myself Holly Golightly’s sleeping mask from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and I figured I’d share the pattern so that you guys can make one, too! The cool thing about this pattern is that you can turn the basic sleeping mask into anything you want…. like a bunny mask, a kitty mask, a teddy bear mask… there are tons of possibilities for customization! I made 4 other kinds of masks, which you can see in the intro of my YouTube tutorial! I have no idea how many people actually use sleeping masks on the daily, but while I was crocheting one at my parents’ house, my mom revealed that she uses them! Who knew!? Also, I was making a pink mask, and she asked what it was going to be, and I told her a bunny mask…but actually it was this eye-ball-falling-out-of-the-socket mask. Sometimes, you have to tell a white lie so that you don’t sound crazypants around your folks. This pattern will focus on the Holly Golightly mask, for whenever you have the blues or the mean reds!

Have you guys ever checked out Happily Hooked Magazine? It’s an e-magazine for crocheters filled with interviews, articles, and PATTERNS! This issue has an amigurumi focus, and there’s a little chat in there with me AS WELL AS the pattern for my camel cookie pin. In a month or so, I will probably release the patterns for the camel, rhino, lion, and elephant on Etsy, but if you are itching for the camel right now, you can get it ASAP for just 99 cents when you sign up for a subscription.  

I just posted a new video tutorial for an old-ish pattern here on my blog: the heart garland that was featured before in Crochet Today magazine! It’s a cool tutorial for beginners, because we go through several different stitches like tr, htr, dc, hdc, and sc!  

My buddy Salena let me know that I was nominated for a Flamie aka Flaming Hook of Justice Awards aka The Crochet Awards. Check out all your favorite crochet people and have fun voting!   p.s. I also updated my Etsy shop with some on-sale ready-to-ship scarves and other fun items like animal donuts and Christmas Pickles! The last day to order within the U.S. for Christmas delivery is the 18th!

You know you’ve seen them, and you know you wanted one, and here’s the best one! One of my wonderful crochet elves Emy has her own Etsy shop, My Auntie Em Made It or Rosemary’s Baby MEK, and she has a great version of the Katniss-inspired shrug! I asked if she could make me one in PINK, and I totally am in love with this Katniss-In-Candyland confection! It has an amazing fit (no weird droopy spots, which I feel I’ve seen in some versions of this) and is really cozy without making me break out into a sweater-sweat. I also really like that incorporates both knit and crochet. (Sorry about the weird/bad photoshop on the shirt I’m wearing underneath… there was part of an image of a girl kneeling, and it just looked kinda bad out of context…!) For you yarn-lovers, this yarn is Biggo from KnitPicks. It’s 50% superwash merino and 50% nylon. Super soft and lofty! (Although it looks like this pink is now discontinued, boo!)

I’m in the December issue of Craftseller Magazine in the UK as Blogger of the Month! Craftseller encourages you to make and sell your handmade crafts, so there’s advice and lots of fun projects inside to make and sell, not only in the magazine, but on the website, too. I have a Q&A and also a free pattern for ya! Actually the free pattern is up on on their website, so I’ll go ahead and link you to it. {{Edit: Unfortunately, Craftseller Magazine no longer exists, so I posted this pattern for free on my blog here.}} It’s for a little custard cream sandwich cookie to with your tea or coffee. I had them at my table at Renegade, and a lot of people had a cute nostalgia for these little guys! Enjoy!!!

I polled you guys on Facebook to see what kind of Thanksgiving-themed crochet tutorial you’d like to see, and I got a lot of votes for a turkey drumstick as well as some form of pumpkin pie. The turkey drumstick would be easy, as the pattern already exists and I wouldn’t have to write anything, but hey, I like a fun(ny) new project and thought maybe you would, too! I decided to turn this little pumpkin pie brooch (or hair clip, for the adventurous) into a hiding place for some sheets of tissue, and the tissue also doubles as the whipped cream dollop for the pie! You know, this will come in super handy at your holiday feast, if someone randomly drops some stuffing on the floor, or if someone has some gravy on their face. YOU COULD BE THE THANKSGIVING HERO. YOU’RE WELCOME. (Pattern also includes the option of stuffing the brooch with Polyfill and not having any tissue come out of it…) There’s also a video tutorial on YouTube for ya.

Hello Kitty Con 2014 is here! I am in LA, meeting up with my friend Candace from Super Good For You to check out the con for the first two days. I really didn’t have time to plan an outfit or make anything super interesting to wear, but I figured I’d whip up some cute shoe clips for my boots! I wanted them to be kinda square but kinda puffy, too, so that’s how I decided to work in joined rounds to make more of a 3d bow! The joined rnds with the turn in direction also help keep that seam in check. I was going to put a little stuffing in them to make them poofier, BUT, I totally just plain FORGOT, and I just went with it because I had to go to sleep to wake up for my plane. If you are not really into the whole shoe-bow thang, you can always use this in your hair, or strung as a cool statement necklace, or as an embellishment to your sweater, dress, purse, or murse! I have yet to walk in the bows, so I’ll see if they are too big and if they just fly off my boots! (Sorry for the really crappy photos!!!!! I’ll try to take better ones at home!)

I know that Halloween is just around the corner, but these lil pumpkins are also a fun project for Thanksgiving! This pattern is SUPER EASY and great for beginners. There’s really nothing to it! The pattern is below, and I also uploaded a video tutorial to YouTube. Enjoy!

Anyone still doing their Halloween crocheting?  I thought I’d round up some of Halloweeny crochet patterns in a single post! Candy Bar Clutch – free Ghostly Candy Container made with a Yoplait yogurt container – free Candy Corn Kitty Hat Bee & Puppycat plush, bee necklace, and shoe bows – free Happy Heart & Rib Cage Tshirt – free Mermaid Seashells – free Pumpkin Hair clip – free and video

Groot news! I just uploaded a new video tutorial to YouTube to accompany my free crocheted baby Groot pattern! (I apologize in advance for the slightly weird photos in this post. They are video screengrabs shot in Photobooth… only the finest quality for you, only the finest.) Also since so many people have been asking if I will sell a finished Groot to them (I have no plans to sell finished Groots), I decided to have a giveaway here on the blog. You have a week to enter via the Rafflecopter widget below (ends next Friday, October 10th at midnight), and I will draw 5 winners, open internationally! I am running low on the discontinued yarn I used for my original Groot, but I promise to use an equally nubbly and tweedy yarn, which just may end up being a sliiiightly different hue/texture. I will be giving away the baby Groot only and NOT the terracotta pot or any pebbles or moss. You’ll just be getting a little naked baby tree. You have to supply a pot yourself, since I don’t want to ship pots and risk breakage or pay extra shipping for a heavy package. But terracotta pots are easy to find and are cheap, so I think you guys can handle it! I do not recommend giving my baby Groots to small children because of small parts and potential wiring.  You will be able to decide on some customizations for your baby Groot, like the length (long or short, or as I labeled in the photos, “Big Baby” and “Little Baby”) and whether you want the body, arms, or both to be wired. My favorite version for snuggles is no wiring at all, but for posing, my favorite is a wire in the body and pipe cleaners in the arms, but you can tell me what you prefer. Please allow me 3-4 weeks to finish custom-making your new babies before shipping them. Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway

I have three more days to finish, tag, and pack all my crochet goodies and display stuff into suitcases because we leave for Washington DC on Thursday morning!! AHHHH. I am so NOT anywhere near being finished with ANYTHING!!!! I’m also trying to keep up with store orders!!! Not complaining, though, because I so appreciate the support. Just got a lot to juggle at the moment! 🙂 I can’t remember if I ever posted a picture of this (and sorry it’s so low quality…it’s really gloomy here today and none of my photos were turning out) but I designed this Cricus Elephant Cookie scarf for Renegade a few months ago, and I’ll be bringing him to Crafty Bastards on Saturday, too!!! Only two of them! Please come visit my booth, DC!! I’ll be at Crafty Bastards for Saturday only! The tickets are at a lower price if you buy them in advance. It’s $5 per day, $8 for both days, and free for kids. If you use this special code when you purchase tickets online, VENDOR14, you can get both days for $6! What a steal! Okay, I’m going back into my craft-hole. Don’t forget to enter my September giveaway, too. You have one more day before I choose a winner! 🙂

It’s Celebrity Week at Michaels Stores, and I was so super duper honored to be included in this party! Like, hello, this is as close to Betsey, Isaac, and Martha as I’ll ever get! (Actually, Betsey was appearing at her old store in LA one time, and we happened to be in town, but I was not feeling cute, and I think we’d been hoofing it around all day, so decided to pass!) If you click on the “Meet the Stars” page, most of us have little promo videos! All week, there will be craft tips, new products, and special sales at Michaels. I am promoting a new crochet class that will be taught exclusively at Michaels Stores starting in October and running through December.  Please note, that I will not be personally teaching this class, but I wrote the pattern that certified instructors will be teaching you. The project is a Strawberry Cake Scarf, and it’s also a really great pattern for beginners! I am not sure if they have plans to post the pattern online or not, so you should take the class if you want it, especially in time for the holidays! I linked the above banner to the link that is from the Michaels email newsletter, but it doesn’t link directly to my class in particular. Just click onto “Knit & Crochet” classes, and then click on the “Book Your Class Now” button. Enter your zipcode, click on a local store, and check out their class listings for October. My class does not show up at my closest store, so I’m curious if it’s scheduled yet anywhere else! Also, maybe something else will happen on “my” Celebrity Day, so let’s hold tight and see what happens! I’m assuming that will be next Saturday or Sunday!

This is from my buddy Kristen from Schmancy: Call to Crocheters, Knitters and Sewers! My friend Gretchen is currently in the works to build the very first children’s museum in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is not only the first children’s museum in S. Africa but the first in Africa. The museum is to open on June 16th, 2016, 40 years after numerous children were brutally killed after protesting against the Afrikaans Medium Decree of 1974. It’s an absolutely amazing project and I am so proud of her. Not long ago she was filmed in my apartment for a documentary about this undertaking. So much of her conversation was so inspiring, while also heartbreaking and sad. She described one woman having a hard time balancing life as a single mother saying she “just wanted more time for love”. Seeing as South Africa prides itself on being a Rainbow Nation, an idea came to me while she was talking. I thought how amazing would it be if I could get people from around the globe to mail her hearts. 3″- 4″ hearts, in all the colors of the rainbow, that could be hung from the ceiling of the museum in garlands. After the installation they could be sold in the gift store to help raise money for the museum OR be given to the children that visit. My goal is to get at least one thousand hearts made and sent to them from around the globe and I am asking YOU to help! It’s an amazing cause and could be a beautiful, inspiring result. If you would be willing to send one to 25 hearts please send at any time between now and May 15th 2016 to the address below: Play Africa Planning Office, Metropolitan Building B, 1st Floor, 8 Hillside Road, Parktown 2193, Johannesburg, South Africa PLEASE include a note as we will be cataloging the results as we go.  This is a surprise for my friend however I have been in communication with her assistant so she knows what to do 🙂   And if you need a pattern or inspiration look no further: Adorable knitted hearts from pattern on Mochimochiland! A nice round up of a bunch of crochet heart patterns! Sewn hearts tutorial on Design Sponge Hearts, Kristen   You can crochet the hearts from the garland pictured above with my free pattern here , and I also have a pattern for a more 3D heart here.    

(You have to watch this .gif while listening to Awesome Mix Vol.1) I saw Guardians of the Galaxy last weekend because Manda and our friend Ehren both wanted to see it.  A lot of my friends have been over the moon about it, but I’m really not a comic book person, and the trailer wasn’t really catching my attention. I said I would see it if someone bought my ticket :P. My takeaway from the movie was that WE ALL NEED A BABY Groot, so here is your free crochet GROOTORIAL! If you haven’t seen the movie, Groot is this tree-like alien who is really big and strong and can grow stuff off his body and is basically like the Giving Tree on steroids. I don’t want to spoil why there is a baby Groot and why people are going crazy about him if you haven’t seen the movie yet, so go see it and then it will all make sense! I put pipe cleaners in his arms so that he could “dance.” I tried wiring his body, too, but was running into complications with figuring out how to put stuffing in him AND a wire….plus the pipe cleaner wasn’t really strong enough to support his head and body and pipe cleaner was all I had in the house… so I need to play with that more at some point! Anyway, now you all can have your own baby Groot! And I am sure you guys will each put your own little spin on him!! I used online images of the Funko bobble head as my inspiration, cuz I think it’s super adorable! Also, here is a step by step video tutorial on YouTube to accompany the written pattern below. P.S. Thank you for all your kind and excited inquiries about whether I will be selling finished baby Groots. I’m really so happy that you guys like him so much! I will not be doing so, since I currently do not have permission or a license from Marvel. I do plan to have a giveaway soon, though, so stay tuned! (And no, I will not be doing a giveaway directly to you only, which is something someone asked!)

It was my birthday on Wednesday, and it seemed like a really great time to share my cupcake/mini-cake hair clip pattern with you guys! I designed these little cakes to be somewhat short and low profile, so that they look good as a hair accessory. The best part of all is that you can use real cupcake toppers to decorate your mini cakes, which gives you tons of options for gifts and holiday outfits! The video tutorial is also up  on my YouTube channel! The typed-out pattern is below. For a printer-friendly PDF with more how-to photos, please check out the pattern in my Etsy shop!

(Previously posted at Michaels.com) My Halloween memories are filled with carving jack-o-lanterns and creating DIY costumes, but my number one most favorite part about Halloween is the candy! Now you can make and trade these fun candy-bar inspired crochet clutch purses. Pick your favorite candy-wrapper colors and personalize your clutch with felt lettering. Stash your keys, phone, and small items when you go out, or put your clutch in a larger bag to keep your makeup, snacks, pencils, or crochet hooks safe. This project is so easy, you’ll have a delicious collection of candy bar clutches in no time!

(Previously posted at Michaels.com)  Some of my favorite back-to-school memories involve decorating and organizing my binders. Now you can take your old, beat-up binders and give them a creative, colorful makeover with this crocheted Strawberry Cake Binder Cozy. I used my favorite color: pink! But you can choose your own favorite colors and flavors, too. The binder I cover in this project is 1 inch thick, but you can easily add extra stitches to your rows for thicker binders. The cozy is removable as well, so you can wash it!

I’ve been snapping a shot here and there of stuff I’m working on for Renegade Craft Fair this weekend. Hope to see you!!!

I put together another little video to promote the Pocky Doll giveaway! You still have until Thursday to enter to win! Just “like” the photo of the dolls on the Pocky/GlicoUSA Facebook page! (You need to be logged into Facebook first!) I always have dreams of frolicking around with crocheted pals, and the Pocky Dolls made the perfect day-dream buddies!!! Here are some of my favorite shots: At first, I was going to crochet my own bows for my human-sized outfit, but then I figured it might save time if I just photoshopped the dolls’ clothing onto myself. That still took a long time anyway, but it was fun to make myself feel like a paper doll! If you end up winning the dolls, I hope you document your adventures, too!

Since I’m still working on a few projects that I can’t reveal yet … I thought I might make another Yarn Appreciation Post! A few days ago I put together some colors for one of my crochet elves to make cupcake slouchy berets for Renegade which is coming up soon (yes, I am freaking out! no, I haven’t been able to spend any time yet on new designs which I’m dying to write!). I am always on the lookout for the perfect pink when it comes to a nice, worsted weight acrylic. I recently stumbled upon Universal Yarn “Classic Worsted.” They have two shades of pink that I’m pretty crazy about, Bubble Gum 615 (picture above in Photo 1) and Pink Rose 7117 (pictured above in Photo 2) (the colors don’t look as good on their website, FYI). Classic Worsted is 80% acrylic and 20% wool, and I don’t find it itchy at all. Universal also has a 100% acrylic line called Uptown Worsted, but I haven’t played with that one yet. It looks like they aren’t displaying all their colors yet, and I wanted to see it all before placing an order. The weight of the Classic Worsted is a bit lighter than Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice or Deborah Norville Everyday Worsted.  If you are familiar with Knit Picks Brava Worsted, I would say that they are pretty similar, except Knit Picks has a bit more of a sheen. Classic Worsted needs to step it up in the blue/aqua/teal department, but I am definitely totally into these pinks! Most big box worsted acrylic pinks are too gray and washed out for me, or, just baby pink. These are definitely in the Pepto Barbie zone, which is right up my alley! Each ball is $6 from the Universal site, which is obviously a bit spendier than big box yarn prices, but for someone like me who depends on color to evoke a certain look or feeling, I’m happy to pay the extra!

I made a little video while crocheting my Pocky painting! The music is by my buddy Twink the Toy Piano Band!   You still have time to enter to win this painting by logging into Facebook and liking the photo of my Pocky painting at the top of Pocky – GlicoUSA’s page :).

Yay! I get to show you one of the projects I’ve been working on! I’m collaborating with Pocky to bring you this fun giveaway! The prize is a one-of-a-kind crochet painting by me, in Choco Pup Pocky flavor! I made a cute lil progress video for it, too, and I’ll letcha know when that goes up. To enter to win, you must “like” this photo on Pocky’s Facebook page. Giveaway ends next Thursday, June 26, because on Friday, they are starting a new designer giveaway! A month of designer Pocky fun! Good luck! <3