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Hey, just wanted everyone to know that herrschners, my favorite website to buy yarn at, is having a sale on a really cool magazine called "Crochet Today", they have some past issues for .97 cents!  I got the 2010 Special issue and I'm making a blanket from it, it's called "Blue Skies Bedspread", if anyone else in interested in making this beautiful blanket, FYI, the yarn can be purchased at www.herrschners.com and it costs a total of $32.82 and that includes s&h.  I'm waiting for the yarn to come as we speak, also, I've ordered on herrschners the "Radiant Shawl" kit which comes with the new Patons Lace yarn.  Has anyone ever used it yet?  I have, and it's good knitting yarn, I have yet to use it for crochet, so we'll see.  The colors are simply beautiful, nothing like I've ever seen, they're not exactly Ombre colors, because the color fades into another color spectrum so slowly that when knitted, it looks like the color is changing slowly in certain parts.  Maybe I'm not explaining myself quite well.  Anyways, this "blue skies bedspread" is 53 x 67 inches, huge!! I've never really been into the "granny square" method of...

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Posted at: 08:36 AM | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink

EVEN AS AN ADVANCED CROCHETER, I FIND IT HARD TO CROCHET W/NOVELTY YARNS ESPECIALLY EYELASH YARN, YOU CAN'T SEE YOUR STITCHES, IT'S EASY TO MISS MISTAKES, HARD TO TELL WHEN YOU ARE AT THE END OF A ROW OR IF YOU ARE BEGINNING IN THE RIGHT STITCH.  ANYONE HAVE ANY SOLUTIONS FOR THIS?

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Posted at: 01:48 AM | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink

People frequently ask me "What's easier to learn?  Crocheting or knitting?"  I've always had a hard time answering this question, but I usually just tell them the difference between the two.  To me, knitting is more of a form of weaving, whereas crocheting is a series of knots and loops connected in special ways.  Even though there is more crochet stitches than knitting, and knitting only has purl and knit stitches, I have came to the conclusion that crocheting would be easier for a beginner to learn.  The chain, which everybody knows how to make, is very simple.  Most people who don't know how to crochet get stuck at that point.  That's when the lessons are essential.  Also, learning the abbreviations commonly used in a pattern is crutial to making any project, crochet or knit.  So, I ask you more experienced crocheters&knitters.  What would you tell someone is asked "Which is easier to learn?  Knitting or crocheting?"

Tags: crocheting, easier, knitting, patterns

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Posted at: 09:30 AM | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink

WELL EVERYBODY, MY SISTER HAD HER FIRST DAUGHTER, OLIVIA, ON SEPT 3, 2010.  I MADE THIS LOVELY CARDIGAN OUT OF PATONS GRACE, AND BONNET, AND BOTTIES.  I AM ATTACHING PICS OF IT SO YOU CAN SEE THEM.  IF ANYONE WISHES FOR THIS PATTERN, PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL AND I WILL SEND IT TO YOU, IT MAKES FOR A GREAT GIFT.  ALSO, LOOK OUT FOR A PINWHEEL AFGHAN THAT I AM MAKING AND WILL HAVE PICS OF IT SHORTLY, ITS MADE OF HERRSCHNERS BABY YARN IN THE COLOR POPSICLE, BUT YOU CAN MAKE IT IN ANY COLOR OR SPORT WEIGHT YARN. BE ON THE LOOKOUT!

NOW, I AM ASKING ALL CROCHETERS OUT THERE: HAVE YOU MADE ANYTHING FOR BABIES, RECENTLY OR NOT?  DO YOU HAVE PICTURES OF THEM THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?  EMAIL THEM TO ME ALONG WITH YOUR NAME AND ITEMS TITLE.  DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY GOOD BABY PATTERNS OUT THERE?  OTHER THAN WWW.CROCHETPATTERNCENTRAL.COM BECAUSE I'VE SEEN ALMOST ALL THEY'VE GOT

ALSO, NOT JUST ABOUT BABIES, BUT I AM LOOKING FOR A PATTERN FOR A SCARF W/A HOOD.  DOES ANYONE HAVE A PATTERN LIKE THAT?

LAST TOPIC:  HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT STITCHING OR SLIP STITCHING ITEMS TOGETHER? ...

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Tags: baby, bonnet, booties, cardigan

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Posted at: 08:50 PM | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink

I HAD A LITTLE PHASE WHEN ALL I WOULD KNIT IS SOCKS.  HOWEVER, I AM VERY AGAINST THE DOUBLE POINTED NEEDLE METHOD BECAUSE OF THE 'SECOND SOCK SYNDROME' WHICH IS BASICALLY, YOU FINISH THE FIRST SOCK AND THEN YOU GET LAZY CAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN, SO TO GET AROUND THAT, I USE 2 CIRCULAR NEEDLES SAME SIZE ABOUT 24 INCHES LONG EACH, AND KNIT BOTH SOCKS AT THE SAME TIME.  THIS METHOD CAN BE FOUND AND SHOWN ANYWHERE, JUST DO A GOOGLE ON 2 SOCKS AT A TIME ON 2 CIRCULAR NEEDLES.  I'VE MADE A GREAT PAIR OF SOCKS USING LION BRAND WOOL AND SIZE 5 CIRCS.  VERY WARM SOFT AND COZY.  IN THE HERRSCHNERS WEBSITE, THEY SELL THIS STUFF CALLED ABS LATEX AND IT'S GREAT.  THEY ALSO SELL A STENCIL THAT HAS DIFFERENT SHAPES AND WHAT IT BASICALLY DOES IS MAKE YOUR SOCKS SLIP PROOF.  IT TURNS THEM INTO GREAT SOCKS TO WALK AROUND THE HOUSE IN AND NOT SLIP.  YOU CAN MAKE A WIGGLE WAVE LINES ACROSS THE BOTTOM OF THE SOCKS, OR LITTLE CIRCLES, ANYTHING YOU WANT.  JUST CHECK IT OUT ON THIS LINK: http://www.herrschners.com/product.aspx?sku=630044P&qid=

TELL ME HOW YOU...

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Tags: circular needles, knit, socks

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Posted at: 10:40 AM | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink

I just added a few pics of a wonderful baby set I made for my sister who is expecting a girl.  For this pattern, which can be found in the book "Hip Knits" even though it is crocheted, I used Patons Grace, which was just the right gauge and a good mercerized cotton is soft on baby skin.  It required about 4 balls and instead of using the usual blah light baby pink, I chose a more darker pink, something different that the norm.  I also knitted a hat which pattern came from "Knitted Hats" and since I used a sport weight yarn, it took longer than expected but has wonderful elasticity.  As far as crocheting hats go, berets seem to be all the rage and I added a picture of a hat I crocheted w/varigiated yarn in nice spring colors of blue white and purples.  Crocheting a hat is the easiest project to do once you are comfortable with circular crocheting.  By using the magic loop method, then DCing 17 DC in the loop and working increases in equal form i.e. first round 2DC in each DC, second round, DC1 then 2DC in next DC, third round, DC in... [More]

Tags: baby items, crochet, hats

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Posted at: 11:06 AM | 0 Comments | Add Comment | Permalink