Interweave Crochet Winter 2017

strands

Humans have always created. Even in prehistoric societies where survival was precarious, people went beyond the utilitarian and added decorative elements to everyday things such as baskets and pots. Beauty didn’t make these items more useful, but it satisfied something in people’s souls. Even now we don’t fully understand what drives our creative impulses. We do, however, know that creativity can help our brains the way physical exercise helps our bodies. Research on cognitive activities (such as doing crossword puzzles) has confirmed what crafters have suspected all along: projects make us happier, and they build better brains. While planning a project or actually crocheting it, we might look inward—at memories, emotions, the desire to please a loved one with a handmade gift, the challenge of a new stitch—to stimulate our minds…

i ♥ ewe

SHEEP PORTRAIT TOTE BAG Tote WIPs both big and small in this organic cotton tote bag from Sincere Sheep. The front panel has six beautiful illustrations of popular sheep breeds surrounded with flowers from their native area. It folds so that it’s flat and seamless when not in use, and at 19 inches high by 15½ inches wide with a 5-inch gusset, this truly can fit the bulkiest of projects. www.sinceresheep.com SHEEP WRECK T-SHIRT When you’re having a day, express yourself with a bit of sheep-y humor. The Sheep Wreck T-shirt by Knit Baah Purl is a preshrunk 100% cotton women’s cut that flatters your figure and lets everyone know you’re not taking anything seriously today! www.knitbaahpurl.com LOTION BAAH Adorable and luxurious, this Lotion Baah from Middle Brook Fiberworks moisturizes and heals damaged skin while leaving it…

reading nook

Quick Crochet for the Home Tamara Kelly Interweave/F+W Media Popular blogger Tamara Kelly (www.mooglyblog.com) decorates with twenty crochet projects that have clean lines and contemporary colors perfect for every room in your home. Paperback, 128 pages, $ 22.99, ISBN 978-1632504159 Celtic Cable Crochet Bonnie Barker Interweave/F+W Media Aran-style motifs and cables are not just for knitting! Create a stunning wardrobe and stylish accessories with these eighteen warm designs for sweaters, shawls, hats, scarves, and more. Paperback, 128 pages, $ 24.99, ISBN 978-1632503534 Magical Amigurumi Toys Mari-Liis Lille/Meteoor Books Mari-Liis is well-known for her adorable toys with sweet expressions. This collection of fifteen cute amigurumi patterns will spark the imagination and provide hours of playtime fun. The projects range from beginner to advanced. Hardcover, 136 pages, $18.95, ISBN 978-9491643101 Crochet Therapy Betsan Corkhill/Abrams Find your Zen through crochet. Betsan Corkhill combines twenty simple designs…

a denim for every occasion

Denim is one of my all-time favorite fabrics. These companies share my love of this comfortable fiber with yarns either made from recycled denim (see Wool and the Gang Billie Jean Yarn and Berroco Indigo) or dyed to look like my beloved textile (see Fibra Natura Denims, Cascade 220 Superwash Effects, and Ancient Arts Denim Collection). Whether you’re looking for true blue or something just a bit denim-y, you’ll find lots of options to sink your hooks into. 1 Fibra Natura / Denims (distributed by Universal Yarn) CONTENT: 70% cotton, 30% wool PUT-UP: 109 yd, 100 m/3.5 oz, 100 g CONSTRUCTION: tape yarn CARE: handwash warm, dry flat COLOR: 106—Indigo Dye HOOK: M / 13 (9.00 mm) afghan hook A springy jersey-type cotton/wool tape that’s soft and smooth, Denims is surprisingly lightweight…

the missing piece

Craft provides a safe space for practicing things that can be a little scary in the rest of life. It can be scary to deviate from the rules, to create the missing piece. It can be difficult to trust yourself to come up with creative solutions. By taking those chances in crochet, where it is safe, you build up your tolerance for the discomfort and become increasingly able to take those chances in the rest of your life as well. THE BASICS In this exercise, you will delete a portion of an existing crochet pattern and come up with your own original idea for crafting the missing piece. The goal is to help you come up with creative solutions to problems. THE STEPS 1 Select a crochet pattern. For this exercise, the best choice…

how to read charts

Crochet charts are a love/hate thing. Some crocheters insist upon them; others want just the written pattern, thankyouverymuch. We have found the perfect project to explore both options. Peter Franzi’s Wonderland Sampler Scarf showcases nine different crochet textures. So, whichever camp you’re in (or maybe you’re in a hybrid camp?), you will learn a rich handful of techniques. To get you started we’ve showcased the first stitch pattern you’ll encounter: the V and Post pattern. Take a look at the crocheted fabric, then at the chart. The chart is something like an X-ray, providing a visual representation of the stitchwork. The stitch key shows you the symbols for the type of stitch to make; refer to the written guide or glossary (pg. 75) for details on a given symbol/stitch. One of the first…