Crochet Queen: Royal Ramblings

August 29, 2014 Bathtime Buddies by Megan Kreiner Bathtime Buddies by Megan Kreiner Hookalicious Rating:      My immediate impression of Bathtime Buddies is that Megan Kreiner has excellent skills when it comes to crochet and designing. Upon closer look, I found that she is an artist and animator for Dreamworks Animation SKG, so it is no surprise that the “buddies” within are so artfully crafted! The playful title of the book belies the fact that there are some excellent projects  that duplicate life in the sea with great accuracy! Lobster Kids love bath time and parents will love having any of Megan’s 20 animals which will inspire imaginative play. Just a little playtime before saying “night-night” relaxes even the most fidgety of kids and allows them to go right to sleep. Jellyfish Made with kid-friendly materials and baby-safe options, instruction to make the same toys for land use only is also included. The Tools & Material s secti...

Monday, August 25, 2014 We have a winner!! Congratulations, Belinda, you are the winner of Reversible Color Crochet which I reviewed last week. Thank you for entering the contest and your book is on its way. Enjoy!

August 21, 2014 Reversible Color Crochet ~ a new technique by Laurinda Reddig Win your own free copy of Laurinda Reddig’s new book by adding your email to "follow" my blog AND sending me a direct email to let me know you did so. Reversible Color Crochet by Laurinda Reddig Many years of experimentation with color work resulted in Laurinda Redding becoming an award-winning designer and author. ( Crochet Guild of America Design Competition , 2011 and 2012). She has developed a “truly reversible method of color work that is not stiff and produces clean lines that allow for a wide variety of designs.” Laurinda’s adaptation of the age-old technique of tapestry crochet makes it easier and more fun to crochet with multiple colors. This book includes 28 blocks and 10 afghans. Laurinda’s original design blocks not only provide the basics for learning all about reversible color crochet, but they also provide a myriad of design and color inspirations. Using this book will pr...

Tuesday, August 12, 2014 It Girl Crochet by Sharon Zientara  I am a product of the sixties and I love crochet that expresses the individuality of the wearer. It Girl Crochet is all this and more! It offers truly unique designs in delightful colors that will set you apart from the rest. The twenty-three accessories included in the book are truly “must have.” Sharon Zientara knows how to assemble a collection of designers who design fashionable crochet and at the same time keep the patterns simple enough so that they are fun to make. That’s a difficult feat to achieve! Her custom collection of exciting accessories contributed by 15 top-name designers like Shelly Allaho, Brenda K B Anderson, Robyn Chachula and Kathy Merrick will inspire crocheters who want to make easy-to-finish pieces that add pizzazz to their ensembles. In the Introduction, Zientara explains that she had a vision for a chic crochet collection. She wanted to reference some of her favorite eras of fashion ...

August 7, 2014 Part 2: Teaching Adults by Deborah Burger Deb is the author of Crochet 101 , a book of crochet instruction for adults, and How to Make 100 Crochet Appliques , an intermediate to experienced level pattern collection.  Her newest book, The Creative Kids' Photo Guide to Crochet , will be released in the spring of 2015.  Like the previous two, it will be available at larger craftstores, in bookstores, and online at amazon.com and bn.com. You can find her in Ravelry , and on her website . Teaching adults to crochet is different in some ways than teaching children as neurological and muscular maturity and function are not usually an issue. Adults tend to be more goal-oriented, with specific ideas of what type item want to learn to make. Adults have longer attention spans, and more ability to wait for the gratification of finishing a project. Adults are usually better at verbalizing their questions and frustrations, than children.  Most adults have an unreali...