Crochet at Squidoo

I am learning about Squidoo - must be something to do with my age, but I have found it difficult to get my head around exactly what it is that Squidoo does! However I have taken a look around the site and am beginning to get a better understanding.

I made my first crochet lens today and it can be seen here - I'll keep you posted about how I get on making more...

Crochet for weddings

I've finished a piece for BellaOnline about crocheting for weddings. Including a link to a free vintage wedding day pattern. There's also a link to a crocheted wedding dress for sale at Monsoon.

I love the idea of crocheting a full length dress - however I'm worried about the rear 'seating'. The last thing you want on your special day is a baggy bottom!

Crochet by Numbers

i've been in touch with Todd A Paschall at Crochet by Numbers about an interview for BellaOnline. I thought it would be really interesting to find out more about his work and take a look at a different aspect of crochet. I love the fact that crochet is being used firmly as an artform.

I've been finishing up a commission for a crocheted silver choker. I am pleased with how it looks. I've used rhodonite which is a pink stone and looks good against the silver. I'll post a picture.

Crochet with Wire

Crocheting with wire is great. It allows you to make alls sorts of interesting things - even very simple stitches work up into lovely items of jewelry. It's not hard to do and wire is widely available through craft stores and jewelry supplies. The easiest wire is the thin wire - the collar shown is made working with two strands of .2mm fine silver wire worked together.

I've written about both knitting and crocheting with wire at 10,000 Great Ideas. I plan to run a free online workshop about crocheting with wire later this year - do keep a look out here for more details or send me an email for more information.

New project on BellaOnline - Easy Crochet Baby Booties

I've seen lots of knitted patterns for baby booties which have simply been made from a knitted square. There is no reason why this won't work well with crochet, and I used these really easy baby booties as a project in a recent class I was running. I highly recommend this as a great beginners project!!

These booties are SOOOOOO easy to make. It is simply a square which is folded and stitched along one and a half sides. I've written up instructions at BellaOnline here.

Confiscated Scissors

Having debated whether crochet hooks would be allowed on the plane, and then carefully put all my liquids and anything vaguely gel like into the clear plastic bags given to passengers, I completely forgot a pair of scissors which I had in my bag and had them confiscated. I was SOOOO annoyed with myself. Scissors have never been allowed on planes so how stupid was forgetting to take them out of my bag. I was doubley annoyed as these were lovely pointy ones - just great for delicate snipping. Grrrrr.

I did come back with 14 skeins of Rowan Braid which I found in a bargain bin whilst browsing HobbyCraft. Not sure what to do with it as a skein doesn't go far - but I am sure I will think of something.

Is a crochet hook a knitting needle?

On my last trip to the UK I had a rather long debate with the security people as to whether my crochet hook was a knitting needle and therefore banned. This was a slightly extraneous conversation given that it says on the BA website that knitting needles are now allowed back onto planes. Obviously that happy news had yet to filter to my security people as we debated the difference between hooks and needles at the security gate. Well I head back to the UK today so will not leave anything to chance and pop everything into the hold luggage.

10,000 Great Ideas has some advertising going on to Craftster.org today. This is very exciting as this is the first advertising we have done. We are hoping to encourage people to contribute to the site. We are getting lots of visitors but not contributors so we hope that this might help.

Silk Yarn

I am sat here looking at a skein of Hand Maiden lace silk yarn. My mother in law gave it to me, it was left over from a top that she just made - how lucky am I!!!

It is in Lily Pond colour way, which is a gorgeous mix of greens, blues and watery pinks. 100gms gives 600 metres, so enough for a scarf or lightweight vest-y top, I need to give it some thought.

Hand Maiden yarns supply an interesting range of hand dyed yarns and fibres.