Crochet Queen: Royal Ramblings

Tuesday, April 29, 2014 Collage with Crochet Art ~ A Beginner’s Guide to Mixed Media By Macarena Smartt Collage with Crochet Art The art of crochet is amazingly vast and varie;. I’ve often said I will never learn it all in my lifetime. The joy of wanting to learn so many techniques in crochet is what keeps us at it for decades. My book, The Fine Art of Crochet   is definitely in a small niche category, and I have recently come upon another exciting book that occupies its own niche as well. Macarena Smartt’s book, Collage with Crochet Art  thrills me! It is collectible and a must for every crocheter/artist’s personal library. She says it is intended for the ‘budding artist.” Many, many crocheters hesitate to say the words, “I am an artist,” out loud. I believe it is because those words bring connotations of educated skills along with the pressure to perform. This book reminds me of some kids’ craft books I’ve seen in which clear, precise step-by-step instruct...

Tuesday, April 22, 2014 The Big Book of Crochet Stitches   by Jean Leinhauser and Rita Weiss The Big Book of Crochet Stitches Both authors, Jean and Rita, are icons in the world of crochet and publishing. Their contributions are many and they have touched crocheters with their incredible wealth of published crochet books for decades. Separately, both Jean and Rita have been honored as Honorees to the Crochet Guild of America Hall of Fame! A visually appealing and colorful Contents page highlights the fifteen categories of stitch types within from Bobbles and Popcorns to Fans and Picots. Sample Instructions The Big Book of Crochet Stitches honors the memory of Jean Leinhauser. Weiss' heartfelt introduction of her dear friend reminds us all of how Jean was also a friend to all crocheters she met, and of the many and important contributions she made to the crochet world. Rita also gives an inside look at Jean's passion for "collecting" crochet stitches....

Saturday, April 19, 2014 Sadly my Blog Tour to promote my latest book, The Fine Art of Crochet, has come to an end! Obviously, it is a great ego-trip to receive so many glowing reviews for my pet project which came to fruition in June, 2013 after many years of learning and researching and desiring to see a book of this kind on the market! More importantly, though, I must thank the fifteen amazing women who participated on the Tour.   They took on the task of reading this 106-page book with sincerity and professionalism. With trained eyes, they highlighted, analyzed and complimented the crochet history, the art and the artists' inspirations with intelligence and insight. They are artists in their own right, and I could not be more honored to have them on my Blog Tour. I am forever endebted to each and every one! If you missed some or all of the Blog Tour you can re-visit it  here .

Tuesday April 15, 2014 If you sent in your tax forms early and already got a refund...Yippee, you can go out and buy yarn to make one of these fabulous hats! Mommy & Me Crocheted Hats ~ Fun & Stylish Designs for Kids of All Ages By Kristi Simpson Mommy & Me Crocheted Hats Why should kids have all the fun when it comes to hats? Now everyone can get in on the fun with this collection of thirty fashionable styles sized from infant up to adult. Lamb Bonnet Kristi Simpson says that her very first design was a hat; thus they have a special place in her heart. The designs she has created are evidence of the many directions that can be explored with hats: “silly, sweet, functional and fashionable!”   Pigtail Hat The models wearing Kristi’s hats are “real people,” and they serve a dual purpose. Highlighting the darling and varied selection of crocheted hats, they also prove the old adage, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder,” to be true! ...

Tuesday, April 8, 2014 Cute Crochet World: A Little Dictionary of Crochet Critter, Folks, Food & More By Suzann Thompson Cute Crochet World Starting with the intro, readers will get the feeling that Suzann is right beside you to help with whatever crochet needs you have! Frequently crocheters are tempted to jump in and immediately start to crochet, but she pleads with us to pay attention to the “read me first!” section found in bright red letters at the beginning of the book. I’d say it is well worth the minimal amount of time needed to read these thirteen pages. They are chock-full of valuable tips not only for making the motifs in the book, but for a lifetime of future crochet projects as well! Suzann draws her inspiration from her daily life, but often consulted illustrated children’s books or Google images to find out things like “Where exactly do a sea turtle’s flippers attach to its body?”  The resulting motifs show the immense imagination and almos...

Tuesday, April 1, 2014 I have assembled an amazing group of bloggers and I am honored that they are willing to read my book, The Fine Art of Crochet, and share their educated opinions with my readers. If you are enjoying the Blog Tour, leave a comment and sign up to follow with your email. The Fine Art of Crochet by Gwen Blakley Kinsler Day 1, April 1: Marie Segares, The Underground Crafter Day 2, April 2: Selena K, Crochet Kitten Day 3, April 3: Karen McKenna, I Hook Design Day 4, April 4:   Dee Stanziano ,  Crocheting with Dee Day 5, April 5:   J. D. Wolfe ,  Craft Gossip Day 6, April 7:  Andrea Lyn Van Benschoten Day 7, April 8:  Elsa Mora, Art is a Way    Day 8, April 9: Paula Moliver, Hartford Examiner Day 9, April 10: Margaret Hubert, My Hooks and Needle Day 10, April 12: Vashti Braha,   Designing Vashti Day 11, April 14: Denise LaVoie, Voie de Vie Day 12, April 15: Sharon Silverman, Sharon Silverman Croch...

Tuesday, April 2, 2014 Crocheting Clothes Kids Love  by Shelby Allaho & Ellen Gormley Ellen Gormley is the new editor of Crochet! Magazine . She says in the book that she stitched more than 80 afghans before beginning her design career in 2004. Shelby is an award-winning designer who has widely published her unique accessory designs widely. Crocheting Clothes Kids Love is every grandmother’s dream: a go-to resource for best-dressed  grand-kids ! What fun! I have already added several from the twenty-eight featured projects to my To-Do list. When my heart skips a beat and I go right to my stash to pick yarn and get started on one of its projects, I know I love a book! That’s the case with this book and I’ve already started on the quick and adorable daisy head band from the headband trio of designs, for Chloe! Daisy Headband Bow Band This book written by two talented designers is full of colorful photography and fashion-forward instruct...