One Skein | One Love

You know what it's like.  You walk into a yarn store and its an immediate flush of color.  Your senses are piqued when touching the comforting softness of delicately spun yarn.  There's stuff from all over the globe, in fibers you've never even heard of.  Blink.  Did that label say 100% Mink?  You wonder what you could make...  Who knows; who cares?  You just really need this yarn.  And that one, and that one, too.

Free screen saver image from lionbrand.com.

Or, you're just browsing through Michael's and that rich Emerald blend just speaks to you.  Into the cart it goes!  It's just one ball anyway and maybe you can dig up that 40% off coupon...

Or, you're done with your project and you have a skein left.  Who knows where the receipt is?  You probably bought it a year ago anyway!  This yarn is NOT going back to the store.  It'll stay right here with you!

Or, a friend who knows you love crochet surprises you with a beautiful gift bundle-six skeins of yarn in varying colors and weights.  It's all gorgeous.  It was all expensive, but what exactly are you going to crochet from it?

Or, you're always crocheting in worsted weight and you just want to branch out into a different thickness.  With 400 yards in this ball of lace-weight, why buy more than one?

Free screen saver image from lionbrand.com

If you do crochet or knit, I bet you've had at least one of the experiences I described.  And life is good!  Just because you have a stash of varied colors and yarn weights doesn't mean you have to worry about letting them go to waste!  Perhaps you've seen the famous One Skein Wonders series by Judith Durantand wondered why there wasn't more crochet in them.  I know I did!

Well, the wait is almost over, friends.  We're getting really close to the launch date of the triumphant Crochet One-Skein Wonders: 101 Projects from Crocheters around the World!

Available for pre-order now.  Launches March 26, 2013.

And, the author of this blog just might have a pattern in there.  Hooray, I'm in a book and I can't wait until it comes out.  But until then, please share your favorite crochet projects using one skein in the comments so we can stitch away.

Here's a link to one of my favorites, the Petite Scarf by Lion Brand Yarns.  Here's the Ravelry page, too.  Oh, and it's free! :)  Enjoy! 

Disclosure: Free logins are required 

to access the Lion Brand Pattern and the Ravelry page. 

This review was part shameless self promotion, part sheer love, 

and part boundless enthusiasm.  The Amazon links are affiliate.

Book Review: Big Ass Book of Bling by @MarkMontano

Woohoo, people, the wait is OVER and we can all get our bling on with fabulous DIY guru Mark Montano! Whut whut!

It's a project from the Big Ass Book of Bling!

Yes, I'm excited, but can you blame me? I mean, it's Mark Montano.  No, I'm not celebrity-obsessed (well, not really…) I'm really all about QUALITY, INNOVATION, LEARNING, and EMPOWERMENT through CRAFTS! Mark Montano teaches us to DIY in many different ways and his projects always come out rocking!

So when I learned about his newest Big Ass book, The Big-Ass Book of Bling, I didn't wait for a publisher to email. I didn't contact anyone for a free book, I pre-ordered that bad boy from BN.com, and it was perfectly delivered on time to my iPad. How's that for a space-saver? And since it's on my device, I can take it with me wherever I go. So, if I'm at the craft store, for instance, I can shop for all of my materials for a specific project using the list of materials in the book without carrying around a Big Ass book! However, I have a hard copy of the The Big-Ass Book of Crafts 2, and it's awesome to have that as well. The format is up to you!

I love learning about the inspiration behind each project. In this book, Montano has arranged his projects by theme, often riffing on a similar focal point or theme. For example, he has multiple fantastic projects using vinyl and E-6000. You know those suckers are going to last forever! The work is so stylish and the techniques are tried and true. It's a privilege to peek into the mind of a true artist!

As an avid crafter, I am ready to dive right into the projects and techniques that Montano outlines in his book. However, I encourage even the more timid crafter to open his/her mind and give some of these techniques a try. With the right tools and instructions, they're not that hard.

Did you know you can make a crown inspired by Glenda the Good Witch for a costume party, child's tea party, or just to wear while doing errands (wink)? All you need is a headband, some wire, paper, spray paint, and a few other things. That's pretty cool if you ask me!

And lest you be worried about buying supplies and not using them, put your mind at rest. There are at least 6 other crowns using similar materials in the book. And once you make yours, I am sure everyone's going to want one! :)

In short, if you're thinking about buying this book, but aren't sure if it's any good, or if it's worth it, put your mind at rest. It's worth it just to read and learn, but the DIY possibilities are endless! You will grow as an artist if you use this book.  This is a book you'll want around for years to come.

Disclosure: Amazon affiliate links.

Saturday Beret #Crochet Along with Ellen Gormley!

Hey, everyone, and Happy 2013!  Looks like we made it into this new era of kindness and creativity, so let's celebrate by crocheting a beautiful beret in Bruges lace!

The pattern was fun and easier than it looks!

Ellen Gormley is an accomplished crochet designer who has authored many pattern books.  She's also a television personality and a member of the Crochet Guild of America (CGOA).  She has sold over 200 patterns.  That's impressive!

But guess what?  She's also really nice.  I have been fortunate enough to get to know Ellen through her group on Ravelry, but she's also crafting all over the web.  Check out GoCrochet.com to see what she's been doing.

I don't remember where I first heard about Clever Crocheted Accessories, but I do remember thinking that the cover hat was beautiful and wondering how it was done.  Then I learned that Ellen had designed the hat using a beautiful technique she has been exploring called Bruges lace.  All signs pointed to one thing:  Crochet Along!   So we got one going!  Here's Ellen's post about it on Go Crochet. 

And, the hat made the cover of a completely awesome book!

You know you want a hat like that, so join us on the Saturday Beret CAL Ravelry thread!

Disclosure: There is one Amazon Affiliate link up there. 

It looks like this: Clever Crocheted Accessories