Crochet Hooks

Do you crochet? What is your favourite brand/style of hook to use?

I have a variety of hooks that I've used over the years.

From left to right ... Boye plastic, Boye aluminum, Addi Comfort Grip, Clover Soft Touch, Knitters Pride Aluminum.

You've probably used the Boye hooks as these seem to be the most readily available in most big box craft stores. I don't really like them for large projects or extended use. They just aren't that comfortable.

The Addi Comfort Grip hook is not one of my favourites either. The grooves on the hard plastic handle tend to rub on my hand and I don't seem to be able to get into a rhythm with it. Not sure what it is about the hook, but it seems to get caught on every couple of stitches.

That leaves the last 2 ... Clover Soft Touch and Knitters Pride Aluminum. I love both of these hooks. 

The handle on the Clover Soft Touch is hard plastic with a soft thumb grip. The shape of the handle is comfortable. The handle on the Knitters Pride is also plastic but has a "soft" feel to it. The shaft is aluminum so the stitches slide easily.   

One more bonus of both the Clover and Knitters Pride hooks is that the size (both US and metric) are printed right on the handle in large font. Easy to find which size hook I need.

Happy Crocheting!

Gift-A-Long 2016

It's starting ... this years gift-a-long on Ravelry and it's something I look forward to at the end of each year. So many indie designers come together for a fun time connecting with our customers through knitting and crochet. And of course there's the SALE and PRIZES that are an incentive for you to join us!

20 of my Patterns on SALE with CODE giftalong2016

What is the Indie Design Gift-A-Long? 

It’s prepping for the holidays as only fiber folks can, with special deals from tons of indie designers!

The Indie Design Gift-A-Long is a 6 week long KAL/CAL of holiday gifts made from patterns designed by hundreds of independent designers. From November 22nd at 8pm (US-EST) through November 30th at 11:59 pm (US-EST) these indie designers will be discounting between 5 - 20 of their patterns 25% for this event.

There are eight KAL/CALs to participate in, prizes of all sorts given out, games, and generally a lot of fun! The Gift-A-Long KAL/CALs will run from November 22nd at 8pm US EST through - December 31, 2016 at 11:59pm US EST. All patterns by the participating designers are eligible for the KAL/CALs and all not-free patterns by the participating designers are eligible to win prizes.

Which Designers are participating? 

There's a list of participating designers with photos here. 
My discounted patterns can be found here.

How do I get the discount?

Just purchase the patterns you want directly from the designers' Ravelry shops between 8pm US EST on Tuesday, November 22nd and 11:59 pm on Friday, November 30th. Put them in your cart and enter the COUPON CODE giftalong2016 at checkout and 25% will be automatically taken off the total price.

Happy Knitting and Crocheting!

Knitscene Winter 2016

Have you seen the latest Knitscene magazine? Winter 2016 edition has Fête Cardigan designed by me, pictured on page 26 and 27. 

Knitscene Winter 2016

It's a top down, raglan sleeved cardigan with lots of pretty cables and a touch of lace too.

Fête Cardigan

If you plan to knit this cardigan, I've created a tutorial for the pkyk stitch that is only available to newsletter subscribers. Sign up for my newsletter and you will find a link to the tutorial inside the October edition emailed on October 12th.

Photo by KLMPhotos.com

There are lots of beautiful patterns in this magazine, so I hope you check them all out!

Happy Knitting!

Two New Hats

September has been a busy month for me ... Not only organizing my 2 teenagers to get them ready to go back to college, but also on the knitting front.

Two new hat patterns are available on Ravelry and Love Knitting websites.

First up is Strolling Hat ... a pretty leaf and cable pattern is worked on this slouchy hat. I used cashmere fingering weight yarn so the hat is super soft. My daughter stole it from me already!

Strolling Hat

This is Burghal Hat .... I used to do a lot of quilting and still do a bit of sewing occasionally, but knitting has taken over my life. I saw this beautiful, modern quilt and thought it would make a bold knit hat. Worked in 4 colours of fingering weight yarn, I used Blacker Yarns 4ply Classic for this version. Head over to Ravelry to see the colours two of my testers used.  

Burgal Hat

Happy Knitting!

New Crochet Designs

I'm so excited to let you know that I have 2 new crochet designs published in the October Issue of I Like Crochet.

© I Like Crochet

Japanese Maple Pillow is worked with 4 colours of Cascade 220 yarn using Spike Stitch to create the "leaves". Buttons on the back flap allow the pillow form to be removed for washing. By combining any 4 colours of yarn, this pillow could be made for any season.

© I Like Crochet

This pillow finished to 18" square.

© I Like Crochet

Falling Leaves Baby Blanket is my second pattern available at I Like Crochet. Also worked with 4 colours of yarn, I used Berroco Vintage wool/acrylic yarn. Machine washable which is a bonus for baby stuff. 

Use red, pink, purple and white for a more feminine blanket or blues, purple and white for the little boys in your life.

© I Like Crochet

This blanket finishes at 36" square but can be easily made larger or smaller.

Find the entire October Issue on the I Like Crochet website!

Happy Crocheting!

Cascade Yarns Anthem

I have another design accepted into the I Like Crochet online magazine for February 2017. Yeah!! It's a throw/lap blanket worked with 3 colors of worsted weight yarn. This time around I chose Cascade Yarns newer offering, Anthem. It's 100% acrylic so perfect for baby and kids stuff. 

Nature has the best colour palettes 

Cascade Yarns Anthem; 100% Acrylic; 186 yards [170 meters]/100 grams

Comes in 33 beautiful colours and it's soft and definitely not acrylic like. No squeaking on the hook when I use it.

Size I/9 (5.5mm) hook makes a nice drapy fabric. I'm getting 13 double crochets in 4 inches.

Cascade Yarns Anthem

Colours are Emerald 032, Cockatoo 033, and Apricot Blush 001.

I'll let you know how it washes up, but I'm thinking it will look just like it does before washing.

Don't forget to sign up for your subscription to I Like Crochet which is on sale from August 29th through September 4th for $19.97. 

I Like Crochet

For that price you get 6 issues (one year) with at least 30 patterns per issue and all the back issues (16 of them). That's a lot of patterns for $19.97.

Happy Crocheting!

Three Little Birds Pouch

As some of you may already know, I like to quilt as well as knit, crochet, and spin. One can never have too many hobbies!

I recently made this adorable quilted pouch for a wonderful friend who had her birthday in July. Three Little Birds Pouch was originally a Japanese kit and Priscilla from Stitch Publications translated it into English. It's a wonderful quick project that turns out fabulous!

You can find the pattern on Willow Lane Quilting Company for $11.95.

Working Cables In The Round

Have you ever tried working a simple cable in the round? How do you keep track of which round you are on so the cables are crossed consistently? 

I've tried counting rounds but could never figure out exactly which round the cable was crossed on. I've also tried those "click" type row/round counters and would get a few stitches past the beginning of the round and think .... "Did I click it or not" (I have a very, very short memory)!

Following are a couple of ways I keep track ....

If I'm working a hat for example with multiple cables that all cross on the same round I usually use this funky row/round counter (I found it on Etsy a long time ago). Each ring counts one round and the beaded loop counts each 10th round for a total of 100 rounds.

Row/Round counter found on Etsy

If, for instance, the pattern I'm using crosses the cables every 5th round, I would do so when the counter is at 5, 10, 15, 20, etc. rounds. Not too difficult? 

Place marker on first ring after first cable cross.

Work rounds in pattern until fifth ring is on the needle.
Cross cables on this round.

Work even until 10th ring on needle ... cross cables again on this round.
Continue in this manner and your cables will be even.

What if I have cables that all cross at different times? It could be very confusing to figure out which rounds to cross a specific cable. 

For example, the cable on the sleeves (worked in the round) of this pullover has a cable that crosses at odd intervals. 

Cable on sleeve worked at odd intervals

In this case, I use a removable marker to keep track of how many rounds I've worked since the last cable cross. 

Insert marker through stitch on round cable is crossed

Work even and count rounds worked from the marker to the current round
(2 rounds worked above)

Here 7 rounds worked and ready to work cable round

After cable is worked, remove marker and insert it into the new stitch

Work even until round for next cable cross
(1 round worked above)

After cable worked, remove marker and insert it into the new stitch

Continue in this manner (working cable cross and inserting marker into new stitch) and you won't have to wonder if it's time to cross that cable.

Happy Knitting!

Note: Here's a similar row/round counter on Etsy (Knitting Row Counter by WychwoodDreams). It counts up to 110 rows/rounds.

Newsletter Signup

I'm starting a newsletter ... yeah! Or maybe your thinking "Oh no, not more email"! 

Newsletter Example

I promise not to send out many emails ... at most one or two per month and probably fewer than that, if my blog writing in the past is any indication.

What will be in the newsletter ... 

Updates on new patterns and where they've been published, probably a coupon code for a discount on a pattern exclusively for you as a subscriber, maybe even free patterns.

Caprea Hat on Ravelry

As a thank you for signing up I will email you a code to 

receive my Caprea Hat pattern for free on Ravelry. 

You don't need an account there to use the code and get the pattern emailed to you.

Sign up below to get your free pattern (first 500 subscribers).

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Happy Knitting and Crocheting!

August Accessory SALE

In the northern hemisphere, August tends to be the hottest month of the year. Here in the pacific northwest though, it never gets really hot and typically is upper 70s to low 80s (25C to 30C) with low humidty. Most other places it is too hot to be knitting or crocheting on large projects.

Hat Patterns on Ravelry

Now is the perfect time to cast on one of my smaller accessories and what better incentive than a SALE.

Purchase 2 of my accessory patterns and receive a 3rd one free. 

Simple head over to Ravelry and place 3 accessory patterns in your cart and $4.00 will be discounted off the price (no coupon needed). Sale valid for the month of August 2016.

Sock Patterns on Ravelry

I hope you are finding a spare moment somewhere cool to knit or crochet your favourite project!