Friday Finds: Boye Yarn Threader

This Boye yarn threader is a tool I just can't live without! These little yarn threaders make quick work of a tiresome job of weaving in ends. You simply push the hook of the threader through the eye of your yarn needle, grasp the yarn and pull it back through the needle. Now you're ready to roll!

 

What I love about this particular brand is that they are sturdy and strong. There are two hook sizes, one on each end, for threading different size yarns.The smaller end works great for crochet threads. I use the larger hook end for medium weight and larger size yarns. You can see in the photo below that you can also easily pull through two ends of yarn at the same time. You just have to use the correct yarn needle size to accommodate your yarn thickness.

 

There are other types of yarn threaders out there, particullarly ones with thin wire ends. I don't like those threaders because it doesn't take long for the wire to break, and to me, the whole point is not having to try and jab the yarn through the needle, and with the wire ends you are still jabbing the yarn through the needle threader.

I have several of these and keep them in my crochet kits so they are always at hand. If you've never used this type of threader, give them a try, you'll be pleasantly surprised at their usefulness!

Friday Finds: Laurel Hill Crochet Hooks

Today's Friday Find will be focusing on Laurel Hill Crochet Hooks.These hooks are crafted of fine hardwoods "available in sustainable, exotic woods of Ebony, Nam Oc and Trai" according to the website. They are available in sets or can also be purchased separately. A lady in my crochet group had brought along her new set one evening and we all admired them. She let me try them out and I was "hooked" and decided to jump in and purchase a whole set.  Sizes include: D, E, F, G, 7, H, I, J, K, L, and M. They are extremely smooth and silky with no annoying burrs that snag yarn. My set are Nam Oc and arrived in the lovely green and blue hook holder pictured below.

Another thing I like about these hooks is that the end of the handle doesn't jab into my palm as happens with some aluminum hooks when I work with them. Perhaps it's the placement of the thumb notch which corrects this. The thumb notch makes the hooks comfortable to use for extended periods of time and I find it helps me to keep a consistent gauge. 

I usually like longer hooks than the 6 inches that these are (mostly because of the annoying palm jabbing that I mentioned) but I like that this set takes up less space in my project bag. I also tend to worry less about them than my other longer wood hooks. I don't worry as much that somehow I'm going to snap them in half accidently as they are made of very hard wood. Truly made to be a workhorse of a tool.

I do like these hooks very much, I just wish they had the larger sizes too!

 

Pinterest Crochet Boards

I use Evernote as my go to note taker and to save links and webpages so that I can easily find them. I didn't think I would find Pinterest useful to me. Even so, with encouragement and an invitation from a friend, I decided to sign up. I haven't been on very long, but I really do like it! I love that I can easily organize all my pins into relevant boards. I've set my boards into different crochet categories and now I can easily find patterns, gadgets, tools, and amazing crochet projects all from a photo pin.

My newest discovery is this picture of Bette Davis crocheting. I love the movie "The Letter" that she stars in. Throughout the movie she crochets a shawl (which she refers to as "making lace"). It starts from a small motif and she works on it throughout the movie. It's one of my favorites! If you haven't seen this movie, check it out, it's a classic and will keep you in suspense to the very end.

Source: historiful.tumblr.com via Julie on Pinterest

If you've been reluctant or undecided about joining Pinterest, go ahead and give it a try - you might like it! Let me know and I'd be happy to send you an invitation. I'm also interested to know how you use Pinterest.

An Early Valentine Just For You! Candy Heart Crochet Pattern

These candy conversation hearts are cute embellishments that can be sewn to purses, bags, hats, scarves, or whatever you like! You can also sew on a pin back to make very cute and easy Valentine pins.

Candy Hearts Valentine Appliques Crochet Pattern

 

Materials:

Small amounts of worsted (medium) weight yarn in these colors: coral, light blue, mint green and shocking pink for the edgings.

Size F (3.75mm) crochet hook

Fabric Puffy Paint in medium pink color

Small paint brush

Gauge: 1 inch = 5 sc

Finished size: Heart measures 3 x 3 inches when completed, including the edging.

Special stitches: rev sc (reverse single crochet). For right handed crocheters - Instead of working from right to left like you normally do for single crochet, rev sc is worked from left to right and the stitch is made exactly the same way as a single crochet stitch. Insert the hook into a row end, yo and pull up a loop (you will have 2 loops on your hook) yo, and pull through both loops on hook. 1 rev sc made. Now, insert your hook into the row end to the right of your previous stitch and continue working this way. Lefties - work the stitches opposite to the above instructions.

Instructions:

Row 1 (RS): ch 2, sc in 2nd ch from hook (1 sc)

Row 2: ch1, turn, 3 sc in sc (3 sc)

Row 3: ch1, turn, 2 sc in first sc, sc across to last sc, 2 sc in last sc (5 sc)

Row 4: Repeat row 3 (7sc)

Row 5: ch 1 turn, sc in each sc (7sc)

Row 6: Repeat row 3 (9sc)

Row 7: ch 1 turn, sc in each sc (9sc)

Row 8 and 9: Repeat row 3 (11sc, 13 sc)

Row 10: ch 1 turn, sc in each sc (13 sc)

Row 11: ch 1, turn, sc in next 6 sc, sk next, sc in next 6 sc (12 sc)

1st bump of heart:

Row 12: ch 1, turn, sc in next 6sc, leaving rem sc unworked (6 sc)

Row 13: ch 1, turn, sc dec over next two sc, sc in next 4 sc (5 sc)

Row 14: Repeat row 13 (4 sc)

Row 15: ch 1, turn, sc dec over next two sc twice (2 sc) Fasten off.

2nd bump of heart:

Row 1: With RS of heart facing you, attach yarn with a sc in top of row 11. sc in next 5 sc (6 sc)

Row 2 to 4: Follow Row 13 to 15 instructions. (5 sc, 4 sc, 2 sc) Fasten off and weave in ends.

Edging: Beginning at the bottom of the heart attach shocking pink yarn with a sc. Work a rev sc into each end around the heart. (See Special Stitches for instructions.) Fasten off and weave in ends.

Adding the words:

Make a sample swatch and practice a bit to get the hang of it. Using a small brush and the puffy fabric paint outline the letters you wish to add to your heart. Go over them several times with the paint brush until you have solid lines. Now you will once again go over your letters, but use the paint directly from bottle. Squeeze slowly while holding the bottle slightly above the fabric so the paint “drops” a bit. This will give the 3D “puffy” effect to the words. Set aside and allow to dry according to your paint instructions, usually 24 hours.

Abbreviations used in this pattern:

ch - chain

sc - single crochet

sc dec - single crochet decrease
rem - remaining

rev sc - reverse single crochet

sk - skip

RS - right side of fabric (the side you want to be seen)

yo - yarn over

I hope you enjoy making this pattern as much as I have and Happy Valentine's Day!

Photos and content © 2013 Red Berry Crochet. This pattern is intended for your personal use only. 

Please do not copy, redistribute or sell this pattern. 

Please feel free to post and share the link to this blog page.

For a free pdf download of this pattern, click here

Hello 2013!

It's amazing how fast 2012 has flown by! It was a very busy year for me and I have some incredible news to share - which I will be posting as soon as I can. (Pssst! Lots of new designs ;)

No matter what project designs I'm working on I always have the idea in my head that there must be a way to make the process easier. From my original sketches and working copies of a pattern, to editing photos of the design and polishing the completed design, keeping everything organized is key. But what exactly does that mean, and how does a crocheter accomplish such a feat? In forthcoming blog posts I will be sharing tips and describing some of the software that I use to make it happen.

Until next time - Happy Crocheting!

Red Berry 4 You - a New Etsy Shop and Cyber Monday Sale Going on Now

I am excited to announce the opening of my new Etsy shop, RedBerry4You




You will find eReader covers, book covers for large and small paperbacks, and coffee cozies.

To celebrate and kick off the holiday shopping season, enjoy 15% off all items now through Monday.


Happy Shopping!

Crochet Machine?

I enjoy reading and have a Nook ereader which I love, love, love! I also like to search for free crochet books and patterns that are in the public domain. I found this interesting little booklet through Barnes & Noble:

The Merrow System of Crocheting Machinery

Of course I was intrigued! Crochet by a machine? Unheard of! The fact that handwork is the only means to crochet has long been touted as an advantage over knitting. Reading through the booklet, however, has put me at ease. Originally published in 1889 it seems that the "crochet machine" only creates finished edges. The most complicated stitch (and the only crochet stitch, as far as I'm concerned) capable by this machine is the shell stitch.

A neat little tidbit of history, but it's interesting that this type of machine is still being manufactured!

Merrow Crochet Shell Sewing Machine

Even if someone were ever able to invent a machine that could crochet a complete fabric it wouldn't be for me. It's all about the process and the satisfaction when I've completed that project and wove in that last yarn end. Ahhhh, sigh, it's a beautiful thing. Now, if they could ever invent something to help me crochet faster - oh wait . . . it's called caffeine!





Enjoy!

Simple Single Crochet Dishcloths or Washcloths

Sometimes the simplest stitches and a simple project give me the greatest satisfaction. These easy dishcloths make a great carry along project and are quick to work up. They are a last minute gift idea and wonderful hostess gifts. You can use them in the kitchen or bath.

Materials: 100% cotton yarn (approximately 2 ounces per cloth)
size H (5.0. mm) crochet hook

Finished size: both cloth patterns measure approximately 8 ½ inches square

Gauge: exact gauge is not necessary for these

Pattern #1
The textured look of this cloth is achieved by alternating single crochet stitches in
the back and front loops.

Row 1: Ch 34, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across. (33 sc)

Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc in first sc. *Sc in back loop only of next sc, sc in front loop only of next sc. Rep from * across to last 2 sc. Sc in BL of next sc, sc in both loops of last sc.

Rep row 2 for pattern until cloth is square. Do not fasten off.

Edging: ch 1, turn, (sc, ch 1, sc) in first sc for corner st. Sc evenly around the entire cloth making sure to work (sc, ch 1, sc) in each of the 3 remaining corners. Sl st to beg sc. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Pattern #2

This texture is achieved by working sc sts into chain spaces of the previous row.

Row 1: Ch 33, sc in 3rd ch from hook, *ch 1, skip next ch, sc in next. Rep from * across. (32 sts total (16 sc, 16 spaces, including beginning space)).

Row 2: ch 2, turn, skip first sc, *sc in next ch 1 space, ch 1, skip next sc. Rep from * across to last space, sc in ch 2 space.

Rep row 2 for pattern until cloth is square. Do not fasten off.

Edging: ch 1, turn, (sc, ch 1, sc) in first sc for corner st. Sc evenly around the entire cloth making sure to work (sc, ch 1, sc) in each of the 3 remaining corners. Sl st to beg sc. Fasten off and weave in ends.

I hope you enjoy making these patterns as much as I have!

Photos and content © 2011 Red Berry Crochet. These patterns are intended for your personal use only. Please do not copy, redistribute or sell these patterns. But please feel free to post and share the link to this blog page:

http://redberrycrochet.blogspot.com/2011/04/simple-single-crochet-dishcloths-or.html

For a free pdf download of this pattern, click here

Comfort Shawls, Gift of Life Michigan Charity Crochet

I came across this info on Ravelry, and thought I would pass it along here for crocheters and knitters in Michigan.

"In January 2011 the Michigan Donor Family Council, MDFC, organized a program to provide comfort shawls to new organ, tissue, and eye donor families. It is our hope that this small gift of compassion will bring these families comfort in their time of sorrow and transition."



Click the photo to enlarge, or I have also included a pdf file link below that you can download.

pdf



Additional Links:
Gift of Life Michigan

Michigan Donor Family Council (MFDC)


I have started a comfort shawl in a pale yellow color with a simple hdc stitch and a large hook. I also hope to complete a second one in ivory. I will post pictures when I have them completed.

Explorations in Color - Swatching it Square!

I am often amazed at the color combination's designers create. A friend and I were talking about this recently when I began to think that there must be a way to come up with unexpected color combination's. I have read about the basic principles of color theory, and I do have a color wheel that was a great help to me when I created a scrap afghan. But, I thought, there must be something on the web that I could use - and I was right!

http://swatchspot.com/

Using this site you can create 6 random color choices. You can also lock one or more of the color choices and choose shuffle colors to change the unlocked colors.


Swatch #1

My first try I kept it completely random and decided I would crochet up a traditional granny square of 5 colors, matching the colors to yarn as closely as possible. I chose to leave out the bright green color, and to use the colors as displayed in order starting from the left.

I was pleasantly surprised and I really like the color combination! They are definitely not colors I would have thought of myself.









Swatch #2

For this swatch I decided to leave out the last color. And I didn't want to use another light mint green like I had in the first swatch, so I used a light gray color instead. I can't say that I like the colors, but it was a fun experiment in what colors I probably wouldn't use together.







Swatch #3

For this swatch I left out the blue colors and instead opted for a dark green for the last round. Not a surprising combination, but I could have used more of a gold color for round 4 instead of the buttery off white, which also would have worked well.





Swatch #4

For this swatch I kept choosing shuffle colors and locking in some of the brighter colors. I left out the dark brown in my granny square and again crocheted them in order of the color swatch. This was fun to play with, and I really like the color combo's except for the center beige color. It would have been better with a light pink or bright pink center.




I certainly enjoyed myself doing this experiment. And I will definitely use swatchspot.com in the future to explore other color combination's. Check it out if you have a chance and I'd love to hear about your own unexpected or "different" color combination's.