Merry Handmade Christmas!

Basket Case Kitchen Set

I think we're all familiar with the crazy practice of Christmas in July, but it's not so crazy when you consider that you have about five months to decide upon, and make, all those handmade gifts for the holidays. I love giving handmade gifts whenever I can. I also love receiving them. Partially because they can be economical, partially because it makes me feel good to know how much love and attention goes into handmade products. They don't simply roll off an assembly line, mass produced in a factory where thousands, even millions, of the same design are spit out by machines.

The only part of gifting that makes me happier than bestowing a handmade present is returning to find that gift tattered and torn and used and abused. Why? Because that use and abuse tells me that the item was truly cherished, truly loved. I'd rather return to find an afghan falling apart than one in pristine condition as though it's been hiding in a drawer except when the recipient pulls it out because they know I'll be visiting.

A person who truly cherishes a handmade object (and the person who made it) understands that it won't last forever, and that the maker filled it with love, and that the best way to acknowledge that love is to use the item.

My mother, about thirty years ago, went through this crazy afghan-crocheting binge. I took several of those blankets with me, including one she made specifically for me, when I moved into my own apartment. I still have one of them. I will confess that it's currently packed safely in a box on the floor of my closet waiting for the day when I again have a larger apartment where I can proudly display that afghan (and use it daily). That blanket is one of my prized possessions, which is saying quite a lot when you consider I've become something of a minimalist.

On the opposite side, I have a friend for whom I made a beautiful baby afghan to celebrate the birth of her first child. I searched my personal library for just the right pattern and decided I wanted to cross-stitch an adorable Pooh design to match his room. I stood in the store, pattern in hand and picked out just the right fabric and scoured the rack for the correct colors of embroidery floss. Then I spent evenings and days off, whenever I could find a few spare moments, bringing the design to life. I washed it by hand, allowed it to air dry, and pressed it carefully so it would be pristine and ready for use by the first child brought into the world whom I would be honored to call not "my friend's kid," but "my nephew."

The "baby" is about to celebrate his eleventh birthday. The blanket already has. You see, that cross-stitched afghan has spent nearly all of its eleven years in a drawer. Hours of painstaking work, hundreds, maybe thousands, of stitches, and it has hardly seen any use. That breaks my heart. I begged my friend to donate it to Project Linus or to Children's Hospital so at least a child who needed it could use it. But she refused. Why? Because she didn't want it to get ruined.

If I had known it would never get used, I would have purchased a blanket for half what it cost me to make that one and the store-bought one would have been put to use. Fifteen bucks, fifteen minutes, done.

So why have I shared these stories with you? Because I hope to remind you to choose wisely if you're making some gifts and buying others this year. And if you receive any handmade gifts this year, I hope to help you understand that a handmade gift belongs in your hands where it will be used, not in a drawer where it won't.

The Whole Shebang Value Bundle (pot holders)

Anyhow, let's get to the point. It's time to decide what to make and what materials to buy. And I'd like to help if I can. My Whole Shebang Value Bundle is already a great deal at $24.99 for 18 patterns; that's six different kitchen sets. But I'm sweetening that deal for the month of July*. Use this link which will take you to my Ravelry store and automatically drop the deal into your basket. What's the deal? When you purchase the Whole Shebang, you will also receive my Basket Case Value Bundle, normally priced at $5.49, as my Christmas in July gift to you.

If you prefer, you may drop the two bundles into your basket separately and the highly intelligent Ravelry computer will do the rest. Unfortunately, there is no way for me to offer exactly the same deal automatically via Etsy, so I will do it manually in the back of the house. (That's retailspeak for, "I'll take care of it for you; don't worry.")

*Offer expires July 31, 2013 at 11:59 p.m. GMT.

Merry Christmas!

My Apologies (Pictures Coming Soon)

I have tried... and tried... and tried... But I can't get this doggone hat pattern to work. So I've had to switch gears and settle for Plan B. I promise not to give up and to have a hat pattern for you as soon as possible.

I think these coasters would make an adorable hostess gift any time of year. I see them made in sets of four or six and tied with a pretty ribbon befitting the season or complementing the colors you choose. They're also a terrific way to use up some scrap or stash yarn. Each one requires so little yarn, in fact, that you could easily get a set of six out of one (2 oz.) ball of cotton yarn.

I'll have a better shot for you soon, but until then...

The Blog Collection

Coaster Pattern

by Laurie Laliberte Designs

A full set of these little lovelies makes a great hostess gift.

Use them to protect furniture from heat, cold, and wet.

Finished Measurements:

approximately 4” x 4”

Supplies Needed:

size G-6 (4.0mm) crochet hook

small amount of worsted weight cotton yarn

smaller hook or yarn needle for weaving in ends

All instructions use American terminology.

Instructions:

Note:  Each row is 15 sts across

ch 16

Row 1:  sc in 2^nd ch from hook and in each ch across

Row 2:  ch 1 (does not count as 1^st st here or in following rows), sc in each st across

Row 3:  ch 1, sc in back loop only of each st across

Row 4:  ch 1, sc in front loop only of each st across

Row 5:  ch 1, sc in back loop only of 1^st st, [dc in back loop only of next st, sc in back loop only of next st] across

Row 6:  ch 1, dc in front loop only of 1^st st, [sc in front loop only of next st, dc in front loop only of next st] across

Row 7:  repeat Row 5

Row 8:  repeat Row 6

Row 9:  repeat Row 5

Row 10:  ch 1, sc in front loop only of each st across

Row 11:  ch 1, sc in back loop only of each st across

Row 12:  repeat Row 10

Row 13:  ch 1, sc in each st across

Finishing Round:

sc evenly around all sides working 3sc in each corner

Optional Hanging Loop:

ch 10, join w/sl st in last sc, sl st in each ch of ch 10 loop, join w/sl st in last sc

finish off, weave in ends.

Happy Christmas in July!

Ten Things I Love (crochet edition)

I thought I'd throw you all a curve this week and share some favorite things, partly because I was at a loss for a post subject, but mostly because I love them so much, so here you go. . .

Textured Stripes Dishcloth pattern by Kiel Lemon
free pattern found via Crochet Pattern Central
view my finished project on Ravelry
features reverse single crochet border
stitched with my Susan Bates Silvalume aluminum crochet hooks
photographed with my Canon Power Shot digital camera

1.   Susan Bates Silvalume aluminum crochet hooks
I posted recently about my search for the best knitting needles, but really didn't talk about crochet hooks except to tell you all that I like my bamboo needles so much that I bought a set of Tunisian bamboo hooks. I use the same hooks (not the actual same, the same model/brand) that my mother used when she taught me to crochet. I got very used to them. Mom can use pretty much any brand, but I'm such a creature of habit that I end up giving away just about any other hook I buy.

2.  Reverse single crochet
This really has become a favorite stitch of mine. I find it to be a soft, somewhat feminine but not too girly, way to edge my creations. I like it so much that my next big collection may feature rsc as the border. (I tease, but you love it.) For instructions, take a look at this youtube video:  RSC/aka Crab Stitch. Now, the video indicates that you should go up a hook size when you work the rsc. However, I find I need to go down at least one size, often two, because my stitches tend to be very tight except when I work the rsc. The best advice I can offer is that you practice on a swatch or dishcloth before you tackle a larger project.

3.  Ziploc Easy Zipper plastic storage bags
Granted, the zippers don't last as long on these bags as I wish they would, but they're a great way to store tools and projects. Plus, they're quicker and easier to close than regular zip top bags.

4.  Ravelry
When I tell people this, I sometimes get "Rav-a-who?" and a blank stare. If you crochet, or knit, or even spin, and you don't use ravelry.com, you are soooo missing out! I post my yarn stash, my hook and needle collection, my projects, and even sell every one of my patterns from there. Okay, one qualification: some of my patterns for sale can't be purchased directly from Ravelry due to contractual obligations, but they're still listed there for my customers to find. Plus, I find it's the best site on the web for finding patterns, both knit and crochet. And there's so much more to the site that I don't even use. Oh, and always a huge bonus in my eyes:  Ravelry is based in the Boston area. Chalk one up for the home team!

5.  Google Chalkboard Counter gadget
I heart gadgets. I also keep all of my patterns saved on my computer, so this app is right up my alley. It sits in my Google sidebar, right under my news feed, takes up little space, and it's always there when I need it. I use it as a row counter, sometimes as a stitch counter, and it interferes with nothing. If you've never seen it, it resembles a tiny chalkboard. All you have to do is click on it and it adds a hash mark. If you right click, it removes a hash mark.

6.  Crochet Pattern Central
My regular readers already know this, but Rachel over at Crochet Pattern Central is one of my favorite human beings. I owe about 100,000 page views to her. Most people who have found my blog have done so via her site. It's definitely the best resource I know for finding free crochet patterns. There's also Knitting Pattern Central, the sister site, which I fear because my pattern collection is embarrassingly large at this point. Plus, in writing this article, I just discovered there's also Tatting Pattern Central and Embroidery Pattern Central.

7.  Michael's Loops and Threads Cotton Club yarn
Maybe not the best yarn for scrubbies and washcloths because it's so soft, but boy is it soooooft. This yarn is a great basic worsted and an absolute pleasure to work with. The first time I used it, I couldn't stop touching it to my cheek. It would be great for baby blankets because of its cuddly softness. Did I mention it's soft?

8.  My Canon Power Shot digital camera
If not for my digital camera I wouldn't be able to photograph all of my gorgeous creations and share them here with you. It's crazy easy to use, offers great resolution, and it was relatively inexpensive. It's a great camera for snapshots and for those of us who don't really need more professional gear. Every photo in my upcoming book was shot using that camera.

9.  Vistaprint
Vistaprint.com is hands down my favorite place for professional looking business cards and other promotional materials. Sign up for their newsletter and see regular promotional emails for all sorts of free products and discounts. Oh yeah, and they are also based in the Boston area, so there's that.

10.   My Dell Inspiron laptop
Poor Pinkie. She's served me so well. She's taken a beating over the past few years that she's been with me, but she perseveres. This baby wasn't built for speed or power, she was built for convenience and specifically for crafting. I just hope she'll do me the honor of lasting another year.

Maybe next week, I'll do a knit version, or a knit addendum. Come back and see.

Happy Crocheting!