Vintage Vixen Press

Crochet Now has a great amigurumi crochet-a-long to make an Alice in Wonderland Tea Cozy! With 19 different colors of Sirdar's  Hayfield Bonus DK , the project is bright and colorful. Those jelly rolls look good enough to eat! Isn't Alice adorable?  I love her curly ringlets.  And check out that little teapot! The pattern is available for free her:   Wonderland Tea Cosy CAL . Note: The patterns are in UK Terms.  Check out my US-UK Conversion Chart !

The Spider Stitch (aka Baby V Stitch or Small Berry Clusters) is a variation on the classic V stitch, made with single crochets instead of double crochets. You Will Need: Materials:   I used Hikoo Simpliworsted by Skacel.  Worsted Weight (4).  Superwash wool blend. Tools:   Since I used Worsted Weight Yarn, I grabbed my trusty H-8/5.0mm Skills:   Chain (CH), Skip (SK), Single Crochet (SC), Half Double Crochet (HDC).  Working in chain-1 space (ch-1 sp). The Spider Stitch Worked over an even number of stitches  Foundation Row:   Chain an even number of stitches. Row 1:   CH 1, SK 1. SC to end. (Or, make one row of foundation single crochet) Row 2:   CH 2, SK 1.  In the next stitch, sc 1, ch 1, sc 1.  [sk 1, (sc 1, ch 1, sc 1)] until you have two stitches left.  SK 1, HDC 1. Row 3:  Repeat Row 2, working in ch-1 spaces. Continue to repeat Row 3.

From elegant ice dragons to cuddly hatchlings, these amigurumi patterns are sure to delight and entertain. Oriental Dragon by Gail Hovanec Crochet Dragon by Sweet Oddity Art.  Raspberry Dragon by Dinegurumi Brutus-Brian-Boris the Three Headed Dragon by ILDikko Winter Dragon  from Made by Mary. (These aren't sponsored or affiliate links, and I don't earn anything if you click on them or purchase a pattern.  I just think they are really cool dragons!)

The two essential stitches in a knitter's skill set are Knit and Purl, and they can be combined in endless variations to create gorgeous textured stitches.  The Seed Stitch (aka Moss Stitch) is one such lovely variation. The Seed Stitch (Even): Cast On:  2N Row 1 (Right Side):  (K1, P1) x N. Row 2:  (Wrong Side):  (K1, P1) x N. Repeat Rows 1-2 as needed. The Seed Stitch (Odd): Cast On:  2N + 1 Row 1 (Right Side):  K1.  (P1, K1) x N. Row 2:  (Wrong Side):  P1.  (K1, P1) x N. Repeat Rows 1-2 as needed.

This is the fifth and final installment in a series on Organizing your Fabric Stash.  While some of these tips apply to other crafts, I'm focusing here on fabric.  Check back later for tips on organizing your Notions! Before reading, be sure to check out  Step 1: Let It Go ,  Step 2:  Gathering Projects Together ,  Step 3:  Organizing Your Fabric By Size , and  Step 4:  Organizing Your Fabric By Material . Step 5:  Organizing Fabric by Color One of the keys to great quilt design is the creative use of color.  Organizing your fabrics according to the color wheel will help you see new and interesting possibilities! Florals, Plaids, Polkadots, & Animal Prints:  These distinctive patterns can be held back or mixed into the colorwheel depending on their main color.   I usually hold “loud” fabrics with big designs back in their own section. Batiks:  Batik fabrics have such a distinctive look!  I usually keep them in their own section, still organized by the color wheel Warm

The two essential stitches in a knitter's skill set are Knit and Purl, and the best way to practice these by working the Stockinette Stitch. The Stockinette Stitch: Cast On:  Any number of stitches Row 1 (Right Side):  Knit all. Row 2:  (Wrong Side):  Purl all. Repeat Rows 1-2 as needed. Reverse Stockinette: This is the reverse side of the stockinette stitch.  The Purl side becomes the Right Side. Cast On:  Any number of stitches Row 1 (Right Side):  Purl all. Row 2 (Wrong Side):  Knit all. Repeat Rows 1-2 as needed.

This is the fourth installment in a series on Organizing you Fabric Stash.  While some of these tips apply to other crafts, I'm focusing here on fabric.  Before reading, be sure to check out  Step 1: Let It Go ,  Step 2:  Gathering Projects Together , and  Step 3:  Organizing Your Fabric By Size . Step 4:  Organizing Fabric by Material If everything you own is quilter’s calico, skip this step!  But the rest of us should group like fabrics together. As a rule of thumb, fabrics of the same material should go together.  Split your fabric into categories as below. Keep in mind that you might have additional categories, like Homespun or Faux Fur! I’d still recommend sorting by size!  I have a dresser drawer of large pieces of flannel, and a plastic bin with flannel precuts. Calico (aka Quilter's Cotton): These are your basic cotton quilting fabrics.  You might want to subdivide into Batik, Floral, Plaid, Semi-Solid, Solids, etc. Flannel:   I keep my flannels in three groups

Happy Fourth of July! In celebration of summer, I'd like to share with you two patterns for slouchy market bags, my  Beach Babe Bag  and my  Honeycomb Mesh Tote !  Both patterns are available from my Ravelry store.   

Last week we learned the Moss Stitch (Offset Single Crochet Mesh).  This week we'll take a look at Single Crochet Mesh. Like the Moss Stitch, Single Crochet Mesh is a great stitch when you want flexible fabric that is still dense.  Gauge is similar to the Moss Stitch, slightly wider and shorter than Single Crochet. You Will Need: Materials:   I used Hikoo Simpliworsted by Skacel.  Worsted Weight (4).  Superwash wool blend. Tools:   Since I used Worsted Weight Yarn, I grabbed my trusty H-8/5.0mm Skills:   Chain (CH), Skip (SK), Single Crochet (SC). Single Crochet Mesh Worked over an even number of stitches with a one row repeat Foundation Row:   Chain an even number of stitches. Row 1:   CH 1, SK 1. SC to end. (Or, make one row of foundation single crochet) Row 2:   CH 2, SK 2.  SC 1.  (CH 1, SK 1, SC 1) to end. Row 3:   Repeat Row 2, skipping all ch-1 spaces and working on top of the single crochet of the previous row.