Teamwork makes the dream work.

If you follow me on Instagram, you probably already know the theme for my Renegade Craft Fair booth (p.s. come see it in person July 15-16 at Fort Mason!).

I feel really lucky to have some amazing crochet helpers build my stock. There is no way I could hand-make all the pieces for a show on my own. Here’s a photo that my crochet elf sent me the other night of some almost-finished cactus scarves! I got so excited!

I’m also super lucky to have a creative bff who helps me build cool displays. I think this one is going to be particularly fun!

These foam board cacti are going to be hat and scarf racks! I am going to start painting them right now.

I don’t want to give away all the fun stuff we’re prepping, and I can’t wait to see it all come together. I’m in the weird limbo state right now, where I have all these plans and all these pots boiling, but NOTHING is 100% finished or even in my possession right now, and we have about 2 weeks to go, and you just hope and pray that you’ve planned well enough for things to come together just perfectly.

There have also been a lot of other things happening behind the scenes. I just made one of those life-changing decisions (sounds dramatic, but honestly, feels dramatic, too), and I’ll definitely blog about that in the next week or two.

Stay tuned ;).

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Have you checked out the classes on Creativebug.com yet? If not … this is the time to do it up! For the month of June, use THIS LINK (affiliate link) to sign up for a subscription, and your first month will be just $1! Plus, you’ll be emailed a 30% off coupon for Jo-Ann Fabrics. You can load up on a lot of yarn with that! You can take my Fruits & Veggies Crochet Along classes or my Critter of the Month classes. Or if you need a break from crocheting, they have over 1000 other fun arts and crafts classes by amazing instructors. I just watched a Creativebug watercolor livestream today that was really inspiring!

Monique from the blog Keep Chasing the Stars invited me to be a guest on her podcast Pimp Your Brilliance.  We talk about how I got started as a crocheter, why I decided to create food-themed accessories, my initial reluctance to becoming a YouTuber, and how I’ve maintained longevity in the handmade industry. Please pardon all my “uhhhhs.” Apparently I also say “you know” a lot!!! Being on people’s podcasts also helps me learn how to be a better speaker :P, so I learn from them, too!

Thanks so much, Monique! It was a lot of fun chatting!

I have a fun giveaway for you guys! THIS GIVEAWAY IS CLOSED! Check out SUPERSIZE CROCHET by Sarah Shrimpton. I had the honor of receiving an early PDF of the book. It’s filled with 20 projects that all use super giant chunky yarn! Fun, right?! You can buy the book directly from the publisher F&W or from Amazon (affil. link).

The twenty projects inside range from big, colorful rugs, to oversized cowls, to humongous blankets, and more. The bonus part is that the patterns are fairly simple, so even beginners can enjoy the max out of the book (please note that the book is in UK crochet terms rather than US, but there is a handy chart at the back for conversion). Sarah also provides a Top Tip for each project, and there is a section at the beginning of the book that focuses on general tips for working with gigantic yarn.

I decided to make the Cocoon Shrug and show you guys. Disclaimer: I wanted to buy the exact yarn that Sarah used (Rico Fashion Gigantic Mohair), and I could only find it from the UK, AND THEN… I didn’t order enough balls because I spaced out, and there wasn’t enough time to ship more from the UK. So my first effort was kinda more of a bolero … which was fine, but I really wanted a full-on cocoon!

Here’s my rainbow bolero. Rainbolero.

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I just packed my bags for a quick trip to Washington D.C. for Tee Con at the Washington Convention Center. At noon, I’ll be speaking about using YouTube and your blog to promote your brand. I’m also bringing a suitcase full of goodies with me to vend, so you can find me at my table from 9am until probably 11:30ish before I speak, and then maybe from 1pmish until 3pmish before I have to pack up my bags and head back home in time for Mother’s Day.

Hope I see some of you there!