…zebras! Chloe made an adorable donkey: And Nikki used the same pattern to crochet a zebra: So creative! I’ll bet that if you crochet this guy in pink, and leave off the hair, you’ll have pig! What else can you think of doing with this pattern? In the Boston area? Join me! This weekend, I’ll be teaching two classes at Gather Here in Cambridge, MA. There’s a class Saturday and Sunday… so if you’re in the area, I…

I’m lovin’ the Cow Crochet-a-long… I’m already seeing some fabulous finished cows! Don’t forget that, to have a chance to win the awesome prize, you’ll need to post a photo of your cow either on our facebook page or the CAL thread in our Ravelry group by July 11th! How to connect spots For those of us who aren’t finished… the tips are still coming! Click here to check out all the previous posts. To…

…’t make a slip knot. Instead, simply twist the yarn once around your crochet hook. Step two: Chain two stitches. Step three: Single crochet 6 times in the second chain from hook. Not sure which one is the second chain? Check out where this arrow is pointing! It’s important to note that you go into the second chain away from the hook, not the second chain that you crocheted. The loop on the hook doesn’t count as a stitch. This is…

…), so they’re just the right size to keep my place on the socks that I’m knitting. And best of all, we recycled!…

…the monster. Roving from Spin Span Spun. This is the first yarn that I (successfully) spun! This section is the yarn that I spun from roving and plied, which I used in my Persephone Beret (free pattern!). Shepherd’s Wool Worsted. Softest merino ever! Leftover from my Calli Felted boots. Frog Tree merino. Used for an animal in my upcoming book! Roving from Spin Span Spun. Same spinning as (5), but unplied. Sundara Merino. I used this yarn wh…

…me further emails, Nicole and I figured out that she wasn’t actually crocheting in ‘the back loop’, but picking up a loop that is even further back, and quite tricky to grab! I’ve written blog posts about crocheting through the back loop before, but I haven’t taken up-close photos to help you figure out which loop is the back loop! So, here it is! If we’re working in the round (I’ve crocheted a small piece…

…stitches), followed by 7 plain rounds (where no increasing or decreasing occurs) and 8 decrease rounds (rounds where you decrease stitches). Start crocheting… with fewer rounds! Mike the Microbe is adorable as is… but how do you make him smaller? Crochet fewer of all kinds of rounds! I crocheted one baby microbe by crocheting 5 increase rounds, 3 plain rounds and then 5 decrease rounds to finish. After the end of 5 increase rounds, I…

…here I needed to work late. The days that I needed to work late were very occasional (and for good reason), which I think is perfectly normal. I didn’t keep track of the exact amount of time I spent on social media, but I made a concerted effort to cut down on clicking around ‘just to see what was going on’… so I consider that point a success! My Best Moves of the Year I feel like I’ve learned so much in 2011… b…

…bsite, skeins of yarn for my stash and small items that I’ve knitted/crocheted. So, let’s see how to do it, step-by-step and without fancy equipment! Step 1: Grab a piece of posterboard and find natural light Last week, I showed you my setup: a piece of white posterboard taped to a box in front of a window: The setup really is that easy! What if you can’t find natural light? I’ve found this great tutorial on how to build a…

…known for its unique and interesting yarns. And even though you’ll occasionally find it in yarn stores, nothing’s like visiting the actual shop! 4: Container Store address: 629 6th Avenue Okay… this may not be terribly exciting for many folks in America, but Ellen is from Nova Scotia, and they don’t have the container store. And if you’re going to be buying yarn, you need to organize it, right? For those who have nev…