Crochet and Knitting

What I have been doing.

2010-10-07T19:00:00.004-03:00

Hello everyone,

I know it's been a long time since I made a post, but I've had some difficult times over the
past year. First my mother was diagnosed with cancer 2009, and she died on April 8, 2010.
My husband was ill and I had to call the ambulance on April 1, 2010. He was on life support
for a week. He came around and they took him off life support the same day my Mom
died.

He was in the hospital for three weeks. It's a 2.5 hour drive from my home. The local hospital
sent him to that hospital as he needed dialysis. So when he was released from the hospital
he had to go back three times a week for dialysis. So I had been driving him down. It was
full days for us, 2.5 hour drive to and back, and 4 hours of dialysis. The doctors said there
was a very good chance his kidneys would recover, so we remained hopeful.

He was diagnosed with scleroderma, a rare type of arthritis that also attacks internal organs.
On July 8, 2010 we were getting ready to go to the hospital for his dialysis when he started
having seizures. I called the ambulance and he was taken to the local hospital. His blood sugar
was way low, but he was not diabetic. The doctor there said there was no reason for it and he
said from his bloodwork, his kidneys are functioning good enough not to need dialysis. So we
were very hopeful. They sent him to the hospital where he has dialysis so his doctors there
could check out what was going on. Everything went downhill when he got there, they had to
put him on life support again but he passed away before they even got it done.

This has been devastating for me as neither he nor I ever thought that he would not recover. So I've been having a hard time dealing with his death, as well as my Mom's. It all still feels like it just happened yesterday. So I've been having a hard time concentrating on much.

I will keep this blog as I may want to continue it someday. But for now I am concentrating on updating my website at http://crochetandknitting.com and I am checking on my forum at
http://pub44.bravenet.com/forum/3703436600 even if I haven't posted much yet. I want to
remind you all that you can post more than just asking for help to find a pattern. You can post about patterns you like, links to your completed projects, etc.

Take care everyone,
Sue

About the newsletter

2009-10-27T11:34:00.001-03:00

CrochetandKnitting.com
Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Hello everyone,

I have decided to discontinue the newsletter. My newsletter
provider made a lot of changes to the control panel and whole
process of preparing the newsletter. And it won’t even work
right in the Firefox browser, which is my browser of choice,
so I have to use Internet Explorer to get past the first few
steps of preparing the newsletter.

So I decided that I didn’t need it anymore and closed my account.
I will be blogging from now on, plus I will be on my new Crafts
Forum at http://innerconnections.yuku.com/forums/109
and the old forum at
http://pub44.bravenet.com/forum/3703436600

I should of sent one last newsletter out to let everyone know
that it was being discontinued, but I didn’t want to go through
the bother of trying to figure out the new control panel again.
So I thought I would just post about it here.

Have a fun and safe Halloween everyone!

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
Free Patterns, Craft Supplies and much more.
http://www.crochetandknitting.com
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum
http://innerconnections.yuku.com/forums/109
http://pub44.bravenet.com/forum/3703436600

Crafts Forum News

2009-09-28T12:46:00.001-03:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Hello Everyone,

I’m happy to announce that we are moving to a new forum!
My friend, who’s name is also Sue, has invited “The
Crochet and Knitting Forum” to move to her forums at
Inner Connections.

We will now be at
http://innerconnections.yuku.com/forums/109
Inner Connections is a lovely place with many other
forums such as Household Tips, Healing, Spiritual,
The Chapel, Weather, Pets etc, as well as “The Café”
which is for everyday chat.

We will be there with all these wonderful forums. To
get there from the front page, go to The Country Kitchen
and click on the drop down menu box
http://innerconnections.yuku.com/
you will see “Crochet Sue’s Craft and Patterns”
or use this link to go directly to our new forum
http://innerconnections.yuku.com/forums/109

I am going to be moving some of the posts on my
old forum at
http://crochetandknitting.com/cgi-bin/iB_cgi/ikonboard.cgi
There was a lot of good information there on crafts so I
want to bring them over to the new forum.

The forum on bravenet will remain for a year as I just
upgraded it to get rid of the ads. So you can also post there
if you want
http://pub44.bravenet.com/forum/3703436600
but you might get an answer more quickly on the new forum.

On the new forum at Inner Connections it is very easy to
post, add photos, format text and there are lots of neat
emoticons to use in your posts and replies. You do have
to register. So come on over and see what you think.
http://innerconnections.yuku.com/forums/109
So, if you have any photos in “Show and Tell” on
the old forum, feel free to post them again on the new
forum at IC.

We are still doing some work on it so the background
or some other things might change, but it’s all coming
together now and I’m sure there will be some great
new topics coming up! Hope to see you there!

That is all for today. Happy crafting!

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
Free Patterns, Craft Supplies and much more.
http://www.crochetandknitting.com

September news

2009-09-14T09:10:00.002-03:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Sunday, September 13, 2009

Hello Everyone,

It’s been awhile since I published a newsletter. Summer
was so busy for me. Besides garden and lawn work, my
daughter and her boyfriend came home from out west and
got married. We had a big wedding party for them on our
front lawn.

When I had time to relax I crocheted small items like
dishcloths, hooks and needles case and I made a small filet
curtain to put over a small closet in my bathroom.

With fall fast approaching I feel like crocheting an afghan. So
with Christmas fast approaching as well, I decided to make one
as a gift for my son and his girlfriend. I was looking at patterns
online and found the following patterns that I like. So now I
have to decide which one I will make before I order the yarn
online.

I really like this one, it’s different than the traditional ripple
afghan.
Blue Ripple Afghan

I also like this arrow stitch. I was thinking this stitch would
look nice in a dishcloth as well.
Arrow Stitch Afghan

These crocheted “quilts” are amazing.
Argylesque Crochet Quilt
Big Top Crochet Quilt
Casablanca Quilt

I made my choice and it’s the Blue Ripple Afghan. I placed
my yarn order online and its on its way! I love getting yarn
in the mail and I like the convenience of ordering online .
It’s so easy to browse around and make your selections, and
most of all they always have enough in stock for what you
need.

The craft stores in my area were stocking less and less yarn
all the time. You could never buy enough of one color to make
an afghan. All I could get was enough yarn of one color to
make a pair of mittens, slippers or socks. That was getting
frustrating. So for the past couple years I have been buying
all my yarn online.

If you would like to order yarn, or any craft supplies, online
you can do so at Joann.
You can also get free shipping on orders over $50 and you can
get 40% to 50% off on items. I have coupons with links for that
on my site at http://crochetandknitting.com/yarn.htm
But you can only order from them if you live in the U.S.

At Create For Less you can also order online. They have lots
good deals and free shipping on orders over $100.
As well, you can only order from them if you live in the U.S.

For Canadians, you can order from
http://www.herrschners.ca/
No free shipping, but still a convenient way to get your
craft supplies.

I’m sorry but I don’t know of any online stores that will
ship to other countries. Do a search for your country
and I’m sure you will find some.

While I am waiting for my yarn order to come I decided
to try the stitch in the Arrow Stitch Afghan
to make a dishcloth. I love it! It is going to make a very
beautiful and elegant dishcloth.

To make a dishcloth using that pattern, make your starting
chain in multiples of 4 plus 1 for the turning chain. Then
you can know exactly the length you want your dishcloth
to be, as this pattern is worked lengthwise, but I suppose
width wise would look Ok too.

On my forum at
http://crochetandknitting.com/cgi-bin/iB_cgi/ikonboard.cgi
those who were already registered previous to a few months
ago still post some. As well there is lots of good information
on patterns, tips etc. So be sure to check it out. Something
happened to that forum so no new members can register and
I still can’t figure out what is causing that problem. I could
set it to no registration required but that causes problems
with spammers.

So I brought up my old forum as the “new” forum again
and paid for the hosting without any advertisements. You can
visit us there at
http://pub44.bravenet.com/forum/3703436600
It’s hosted on bravenet, so no registration is required and they
are very good at stopping spammers from posting, although
now and then one may get through, but so far so good.

That is all for today. Happy crafting!

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
Free Patterns, Craft Supplies and much more.
http://www.crochetandknitting.com
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

Make old new again.

2009-07-24T19:49:00.000-03:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Friday, July 24, 2009

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are all enjoying summer. It is a very busy
time of year with so much going on. Some times we
don't seem to find as much time to work at our crafts
this time of year, but still love getting a few minutes in
here and there whenever we can. I have a lot going on
with work and gardening but have been working on
small projects whenever I can.

I was reading a couple interesting articles about making
use of old sweaters and clothes. These are great ideas
and something I have done a lot in the past, especially
using yarn from old sweaters to make something new.

10 Things to Do With Old Sweaters
By Caley L Walsh

You likely have some sweaters thrown in the back of your
closet, damaged with a stain, moth hole or two. Instead of
tossing old and unused sweaters, turn them into something
new and completely lovable. You can also look for inexpensive
sweaters at the thrift store. Crafting with old sweaters saves
money on craft materials and helps to reduce your household
waste.

Yarn - If you knit, crochet or even weave, salvage the yarn
from an old sweater to use in a new project. Find a seam in
the sweater and carefully snip one of the seam stitches with
a pair of very sharp scissors.
Continue reading here.....
http://crochetandknitting.com/articles/art176.htm

Rag Quilts - What Makes Them Different Than Regular Quilts?
By T L Warrington

Rag quilts are a unique type of quilt that many quilters prefer
making over traditional quilts. Because of this, rag quilts are
growing considerably in popularity. There are several factors
that make them popular. Some of the reasons include that
they are easy to make, work up quickly, don't require
expert sewing knowledge, and they are wonderfully warm
and snugly.

Why are they easier to make than traditional quilts? As
mentioned earlier, expert sewing knowledge is not necessary.
Continue reading here.....
http://crochetandknitting.com/articles/art179.htm

For a lot more great articles on crafts, go to
http://crochetandknitting.com/articles/
Some new articles that have been recently added include
"How to Hold Knitting Needles", "How to Read a Counted
Cross Stitch Chart", "Choosing Knitting Needles For Your
Project", "Free Crochet Patterns For Beginners", and more.

Also, if you have written your own articles about crafts, feel
free to submit them at the above link.

That is all for today. Happy crafting!

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
Free Patterns, Craft Supplies and much more.
http://www.crochetandknitting.com
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

Forum Changes

2009-06-21T20:30:00.001-03:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Sunday, June 21, 2009

Hello Everyone,

First of all, Happy Father's Day to all the Dads out there!

Forum Changes:

I had to move the forum back to the original site. I was having
problems with the new forum and I didn't know how to fix it.
So the main forum is once again at
http://pub44.bravenet.com/forum/3703436600

I upgraded to the pro version to get rid of the ads. As well, the
pro version includes a lot of new features that weren't available
before. You can now easily post pictures and make links
clickable. See the pinned post I have at the top of the forum
about how to do that.

As well, you can choose the style for the forum, whether you
prefer the "Board" style or "Threaded" style. You do that by
clicking on either "Board | Threaded" at the top of the posts
on the right hand side.

On the other forum at
http://crochetandknitting.com/cgi-bin/iB_cgi/ikonboard.cgi
existing members can still post if they want.

I will leave that forum there for anyone to view as there is a lot
of good information about patterns and where to find patterns,
as well as the "Show and Tell" section with lots of beautiful
photos.

I can set up another section on the main forum, but I haven't
had time to figure out how to do that yet. So I will be adding
a "Show and Tell" there as well. I really enjoy seeing what
others have made.

So be sure to drop by
http://pub44.bravenet.com/forum/3703436600
Hope to see you there!

That is all for today. Happy crafting!

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

Single Crochet Cluster Stitch Afghan or Dishcloth.

2009-04-24T18:59:00.000-03:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Friday, April 24, 2009

Hello Everyone,

I have a new pattern to share with you today. I call it the
Single Crochet Cluster Afghan. This is my first afghan design.

I really like the look of this one. As well this pattern can be
used for a dishcloth pattern. I actually made a few dishcloths
at first, then decided that it would also make a great afghan.
For both an afghan or dishcloth, you just keep going until it is
the desired size.

Crocheted dishcloths from this pattern are very absorbent
and easy to wring out. Here's the link
http://crochetandknitting.com/afghan/index.htm

It may look complicated, but once you get started you just
repeat the same two rounds over and over until it's the
size you want. Then it's as easy as can be! I also have lots
of photos to show you how to get started on it.

As well, you can always get all my free patterns at
http://crochetandknitting.com/patterns.htm

That is all for today. Happy crafting!

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

National Craft Month and more

2009-03-27T14:32:00.002-03:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Friday, March 27, 2009

Hello Everyone,

I've been busy making dishcloths over the past month. I
ordered a big supply of cotton yarn online and I have it
almost used up now. I've had so many family members
asking for my dishcloths so I figured I would make some
to give away immediately, then stock up on some for when
they ask again. They all tell me that they much prefer my
crocheted dishcloths over the factory made kind. Of
course I do too.

Here is an easy and pretty way to make crocheted dishcloths.
There are no fancy stitches, it's done in all single crochet.
It's the way you work with colors that makes it so pretty.
It gives the dishcloth a plaid look. I was just thinking, this
would be easy to adapt for knit as well.

I got this from a potholder pattern. I searched for an
equivalent dishcloth design but couldn't find any so I
figured the same pattern could be used for a dishcloth,
with the only difference being that you wouldn't have
to make two and sew together as potholders are double.

Choose a color in dark and light shades, plus use white.
For example, I made most of mine in dark green, light
green and white. I also made one in dark blue, light blue
and white.

Decide on how wide you want your dishcloth and make
your starting chain in multiples of 12. Therefore you would
want to start with a chain of 36 or 48. (24 would probably
be too small)

I will use 48 in this example. With the dark color chain
48 + 1 as the turning chain. Sc in the second chain from
the hook, sc in the next 2 chains, in the next chain insert
your hook into the chain, yarn over and pull up a loop,
then drop the dark color and pick up the light color and
finish off the sc with that. This keeps the edges straight.
Do that with all color changes.

Hold your dark color along the top of the chain so you
can crochet over it and carry it along across the work,
with the light color sc in next 4 chs, holding the light color
along the top of the ch so you can crochet over it, with
the dark color sc in next 4 chains.

Continue doing this to the last four chains. Now drop
the light color, you don't need to crochet over it and
bring it to the end. With the dark color sc in the last
4 chs, ch 1 and turn.

For rows 2 and 3, with dark color 1 sc in next 4, with
light color 1 sc in next 4, repeat to end of row.

On row 4 you repeat the above, except you do carry
the light color over the last 4 dark sts. You drop the dark
color as you will not be using it in the next 4 rows. At the
end of the next 4 rows you will want to carry the dark color
up along the side of the work so you don't have to cut it
off and sew in the ends each time.

You will begin with the light color on the next row.
Row 5 - with light color 1 sc in next 4, with white 1 sc in
next 4. Repeat to end of row. Rows 6 to 8 are done the
same as the first 4 rows except now you are using your
light color and white.

Repeat these 8 rows for the pattern. You will want to end
with 4 rows of the dark color and light color. You can then
do a border around the dishcloth with the dark color, if
you want.

I think this is a very pretty pattern. I don't have a photo
to show you as I gave those dishcloths away as gifts. I
always seem to give the prettiest ones away and keep
those that are not as pretty for myself. :)

National Craft Month:
March is National Craft Month. So you still have a few
days to take advantage of special offers at Joanne
and Create For Less

If you like to knit or crochet for Easter, here are some
cute patterns you might want to try.

Crochet:

Easter Basket

Shell Stitch Easter Basket

Bunny Door Knob Cover

Inside-Out Easter Egg Into a Bunny

Easter Bunny Fridgie

Easter Egg

Victorian Egg Covers

Bunny Flowers

Easter Chick Fridgie

Knit:

Easter Egg Baskets

One Egg Easter Basket

Easter Bunny

Cadbury Bunny Pattern

Easter Basket Dishcloth

Easter Egg With Stripes Dishcloth

Easter Peeps

Bunny Egg Cover

Easter Egg Decorations

Craft Articles:
The following articles have been added to my Craft Articles section:
Free Crochet Patterns For Beginners - By Linda Spangenburg
Crafting During a Recession - By Violette Clark
Making a Quilt? Plan Ahead For Patterns and Colors - By Lamar Dean
5 Best Reasons to Knit a Scarf - By Alice Seidel
You can read those at http://crochetandknitting.com/articles

That is all for today. Happy crafting!

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

New pattern, Barbie clothes, BizyMoms Contest.

2009-01-15T22:04:00.001-04:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Thursday, January 15, 2009

Hello Everyone,

I have a new slipper pattern, "Crocheted "Knit Look"
Slippers. They have the knit look even though they are
crocheted. It's hard to tell in the photos, but as you complete
a few rows you can easily see how it resembles knit. You
can find that pattern here
http://crochetandknitting.com/croknsl.htm

Over Christmas I kept myself busy working on Barbie
clothes for my grand niece, Keeley. She even loaned me
one of her Barbies so I could do fittings. :) She was
thrilled about the new Barbie clothes I made for her.

I didn't design any of my own patterns because I found
some really nice ones online that I wanted to make. Here
are the links to the patterns I used.

http://barbiebasics.tripod.com/
This one is great, they have a PDF file to download with
many Barbie clothing patterns! I made most of the Barbie
clothing that is in the crochet patterns PDF file.

I found this cute knit Barbie dress and made that also.
Barbie's Lacy Pink Party Dress
If you don't want to do the lacy part on the bottom,
she also has a version called Barbie's Basic Tube Dress
I made the lacy one as I couldn't resist, it's so pretty.
This is made with yarn instead of the thread and I
even had some of the fine sparkly white yarn here!

I had never crocheted Barbie clothes before so I had
trouble at first in finding the right hook. The steel hook
sizes were confusing to me. All my steel hooks are in
"mm's" and all the patterns online called for sizes such
as No. 5, 6, 7, etc.

So I did some searching online and learned that the sizes
of steel hooks vary with each manufacturer and some have
even changed their sizes over the years! No wonder this
can be confusing.

I found this site that has a conversion chart.
http://www.geocities.com/nornsneedlework/crochet/hookchart.htm
I posted on my Crochet and Knitting Forum at
http://crochetandknitting.com/cgi-bin/iB_cgi/ikonboard.cgi
about my endeavor to make Barbie clothes and Shaddy
and Barb helped me out. Barb gave me this link to
another conversion chart.
http://wheatcarr.com/crochet/steel-crochet-hook-cross-reference.php
In the end, I found out that a size 2.00 mm hook and size 10
thread works well for me. According to the conversion
charts, I should of been using a 1.75 mm hook, but the
manufacturer of the hooks I had was not listed so their sizes
must of been different and it would also depend on my tension
and gauge. So I just had to try some different hooks and then
do a fitting on Barbie until I got it right for me.

BizyMoms is having a contest called "Bizymoms Choice
Awards"

It's about websites that you really like. You can even
nominate your own website. Here is the information
they sent me about their awards.

Bizymoms Choice Awards
http://www.bizymoms.com/choiceawards/

Do you have a favorite website? A site that makes your day?
One that is informative, useful and definitely one that should
be appreciated?

Well here's your chance to show some love for a site that
is your choice, your kind of place to visit on the big
world-wide-web!

Nominate your favorite site for the 2008 Bizymoms' Choice
Awards.

Voting will continue through March 31, 2009. The top
winners will be announced on April 6th. You can nominate
as many sites as you'd like, then send everyone you know
to vote on their favorites!

All our nominated sites will all be featured right here:
www.bizymoms.com/choiceawards/
so that everyone can vote on their favorites.

If you have your own website or several of them, nominate
them all! And ask your friends & family to vote!

For more details and to submit your favorite site to become
Bizymoms Choice Award winner visit:
http://www.bizymoms.com/choiceawards/

That is all for today. Happy crafting!

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

Lots of craft patterns

2008-12-08T21:12:00.000-04:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Monday, December 8, 2008

Hello Everyone,

Here is another site about crafts that you will most likely
enjoy. "All Free Crafts" at http://www.allfreecrafts.com
If you are still looking for ideas for homemade Christmas
gifts and decorations, you should check this site out.

Jane Lake is the editor of that site and she let me know about
the crochet section at
http://www.allfreecrafts.com/crochet/index.shtml
and the knitting section at
http://www.allfreecrafts.com/knitting/index.shtml
There are also many other patterns for sewing, candles,
kids crafts, home decoration and more.

"All Free Crafts" has also added my Crocheted Moccasins
to their site at:
http://www.allfreecrafts.com/crochet/moccasins.shtml
And my Knitted Moccasins at:
http://www.allfreecrafts.com/knitting/moccasin-slippers.shtml
I love the layout they did for my patterns. It looks great!

The following new articles have been added in my Crafts
Article Directory:
"For Those Who Wish to Learn Knitting"
"What Makes the Perfect Crocheted Pattern?"
"What Every Beginner Wants - Beginners Crochet Patterns"
"Sell Handmade Crafts on Etsy",
"How to Make Stylish Christmas Candles From Scratch Fast and Easy!"
You can read those at
http://crochetandknitting.com/articles

That is all for today. Enjoy the season and happy crafting!

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

Inspiring Craft Links

2008-11-13T12:17:00.002-04:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Thursday, November 13, 2008

Hello Everyone,

Today I have some links to craft sites and holiday patterns
that you may be interested in.

Start A Craft Business is focused on how to start up and
run a craft business. They have a lot of expert advice and
tips in over 80 articles on this subject.

Crafty Computer Paper has specialist inkjet papers and
fabric sheets for the arts and crafts. See their free
downloadable graphics, project ideas, and on-line courses.

Kaboose is a site for families. Lots of ideas to help parents,
from pregnancy to parenting, birthday parties to scrapbooking
and entertainment to education. They provide all kinds of fun
and exciting games, news, reviews and family projects. Free
Newsletter too!

For Quilters:
Quizzles by Wysistas is Interactive Quilt patterns! Simply
choose your quilt, select your colours and watch as Quizzle(R)
updates your colour choices and provides you with fully
detailed instructions and diagrams that reflect 'your' colour
choices that you can print out or work from your computer
screen. Also a Free quilting E-book available with great
information! Plus, they have a free newsletter called
"Quizzles® e-news".

How To Quilt. Whether you are new to quilting or an
experienced quilter, A Beginner's Guide to Quilting has
tips and tricks to improve your sewing and quiltmaking
skills. A Free weekly newsletter as well, with a lot of
great stuff, such as tips, shortcuts, free block patterns
and more.

As well, Penny Halgren, the owner of that site has written
an article called, "Can Quilting Really Promote Good Health?"
You can read that here
http://crochetandknitting.com/articles

At this time of year a lot of people are looking for some
Christmas ornament patterns to knit or crochet. Here's
some cute ones I found.

Christmas Bell Pin Or Ornament Knitting Pattern (Knit)
It says it takes less than an hour to knit

Jingle Bell (Knit)
This could also be used to decorate a gift.

Snowman Ornament (Knit)
He is cute!

Santa Ornament (Knit)
Of course Santa is cute too!

Gingerbread Man Christmas Ornament (Knit)
And a cute Gingerbread Man.

Little Ornament Style Gift Bags (Knit)
This is cute and different! With many people using gift
bags instead of wrapping boxes, these mini gift bags
make a nice ornament to hang on your tree.

Christmas Lights (Knit)
Another different and great idea for ornaments.

Lace Mesh Ornaments (Knit)
These are beautiful!

Little Angel Ornament (Crochet)
This is a pattern my daughter loves to make.

Ornament Jacket (Crochet)
Ornament Jacket
These are very pretty jackets to dress up old ornaments.

Little Aprons (Crochet)
This is a different and very cute idea for ornaments!

Little Ornament Style Gift Bags (Crochet)
Like the knit gifts bags, but in crochet.

Photo Christmas Ornament (Crochet)
This is a great idea. I made one similar to that with a
photo of my grandson when he was about a year old.
A keepsake for sure!

Reindeer Head Ornament Free Pattern (Crochet)
He is cute!

Ginger Man Ornament (Crochet)
He is really cute too! Looks good enough to eat. :)

tIcicle Ornament (Crochet)
This is different, crochet some icicles for your tree!
and Icicle Snowmen!

That is all for today.

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

Craft Videos

2008-10-24T10:00:00.000-03:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Thursday, October 23, 2008

Hello Everyone,

I thought this may be of interest to you.

VideoJug contacted me to say they have free videos that
show you how to knit, crochet, and sew.
http://www.videojug.com/tag/knitting-and-needlework

Here are just a few of the video topics, there are many more!

How To Crochet A Snowman
How To Knit A Scarf
How To Cast On
How To Knit The Rib stitch
How To Knit A Cable Stitch
How To Change Yarn
How To Card Angora Fiber
How To Make Single crochet Stitch
How To Cast Off
How To Make A Bean Bag
How To Knit The Purl Stitch
How To Knit The Knit Stitch
and much more.

Check it out here:
http://www.videojug.com/tag/knitting-and-needlework

That is all for today.

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

New Patterns are ready

2008-10-03T19:56:00.000-03:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Friday, October 3, 2008

Hello Everyone,

The patterns I told you about in the last issue are now
completed.

Knitted Socks for Men
http://crochetandknitting.com/ksocks1.htm

Knitted Socks for Women
http://crochetandknitting.com/ksocks2.htm

And as always, all my Free Crochet and Knit Patterns
are here:
http://crochetandknitting.com/patterns.htm

Previous issues of this newsletter are archived here
http://crochetandknitting.com/newsletter/archives.htm

That is all for today. Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

New pattern soon and Scrap Afghans

2008-09-28T12:45:00.001-03:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Sunday, September 28, 2008

Hello Everyone,

I thought I should let you know that I am still around! We
are in the path of Hurricane Kyle, so we are expecting a
very windy and rainy overnight. To everyone in the path
of this hurricane, stay safe!

I've been working on two new patterns, knit socks for men
and knit socks for women. This is a pattern that my mother
taught me when I was very young. I never wrote it down,
it's always just been in my head. I figured since there are
so many knit socks patterns online, there must be one the
same. But after looking over so many patterns, I couldn't
find one exactly the same, so I thought it was time to get
my pattern down on paper.

It's been slow going because about a month ago I was pickling
and freezing vegetables and the tendons in my hands got
inflamed and very painful. They would almost get better and
I would make more pickles and chop up more vegetables for
freezing. On top of that I made a cole slaw by grating the
cabbage and carrots by hand. I think that did the most damage.
I have since ordered a new grater that is easy on the hands.

The vegetables are all taken care of now, so I am working
away a little at a time on my knitted socks. Knitting for long
periods of time can make your hands very painful, especially
if they are already sore, and sore hands are not something
that knitters and crocheters want to have!

Someone had emailed me and asked about Scrap Afghan
patterns to use up all those small leftover balls of yarn.

She was looking for a knit pattern, but I also found some for
crochet.

Here is a pretty one (Crochet):
http://patternsbydot.blogspot.com/2006/01/scrumptious-scraps-afghan.html
You will need lots of black yarn though for a contrast, but it
looks nice around all those scrap yarn pieces!

Here is another pretty Scrap Afghan pattern (Crochet):
http://www.knitting-love.com/scrap-afghan-pattern.html
This one uses white for contrast.

Another method that I heard of and tried was to use a big
hook and two strands of different colors together. The colors
would compliment each other, such as a light blue and dark
blue, a light brown and dark brown, or any color with white
or black, etc. Crochet in whichever stitch you want to use, sc,
hdc or dc. When you run out of the scrap yarn for those colors,
just pick up two more colors and keep going until it is the size
you want. The colors give a nice effect so no fancy stitches
are needed. The afghan will be thick and heavy however.
But it will be very warm!

Here is a very interesting Knit Scrap Afghan. Sounds like
a lot of fun to make too!
http://www.knitlist.com/99gift/scrap-afghan.htm

This one, Stash Afghan, is the same as above but has more
detailed instructions.
http://knitting.about.com/od/afghanpatterns/a/stash-afghan.htm

While looking for these patterns I came across this article.
"Repetitive Strain and Knitting. Don't Hurt Yourself!"
By Sarah E. White, About.com
http://knitting.about.com/od/knittingsafety/a/knittingrsi.htm
Some advice I need to take. lol

That is all for today. Hopefully I will have another newsletter
out in a few days to let you know when my knit socks patterns
are completed and on my website.

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

New pattern, interesting links....

2008-07-17T08:57:00.000-03:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Hello Everyone,

My new pattern is ready, Women's Lighter Summer Vest.
This one is made with 2 ply yarn, so it's lighter than the
design I make with 4 ply yarn. You can get it here:
http://crochetandknitting.com/vest2.htm

I found this site the other day. It shows you a different
method of joining squares. Even has photos.
"Flat Braid" Square Joining Method by Priscilla Hewitt
http://hometown.aol.com/lffunt/flatbraid.htm

I really like this method. It looks very nice! A great
alternative to sewing squares together.

Felicity at http://www.wikiHow.com emailed me to ask if
she could use some my articles for the site.

WikiHow is a 2.5 CC licence site, meaning the material
there remains free to access, cannot be used commercially
and they have the aim of becoming the world's biggest free
how-to manual.

She is known as Flickety on this site and is a volunteer.
She says, "I simply do this out of love of treasuring
information and compiling it in a site that aims to be
accessible in as many subject areas as possible for current
and future generations. I am also keen on improving our
articles as part of my belief that we need to share this
info around more and make sure everyone has a chance to
learn more. I am also the coordinator for One Laptop Per
Child and UNICEF and our best articles get sent to these
projects to help children in developing countries learn
how to do a wide range of useful things."

She also said that all crocheters and knitters, or any
crafters can add more info of your liking and correct
any mistakes you may find. As well, she said to mention
that if you register, the ads will disappear. It's free
to register. The ads are a necessity to raise funds to
keep the site running, with any leftover monies being
redistributed to charities.

Tasha at "The Lime and Violet Daily Chum"
http://www.limenviolet.com/blog
emailed me to let me know that she was going to do a write
up about my Knitted Moccasin Slippers. The Chum is a blog
dedicated to covering the fiber arts world. Lots of good
info there.

If you are looking for craft ideas for weddings and more,
Walmart has new collections from Martha Stewart
“Celebrate” ( for Weddings) and “Create” (Crafts)

That is all for today. Have a great day everyone!
Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

Amigurumi crochet, hemp jewelry and more.

2008-06-29T11:27:00.001-03:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter - Amigurumi crochet, hemp jewelry and more.

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Sunday, June 29, 2008

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are enjoying summer. I just had a lovely
visit from my daughter. She lives 3000 miles away from
me, so I only get to see her once a year. We spent a lot
of time crocheting together.

I am still working on the crocheted vest for summer made
with 2 ply yarn, so it will be much lighter than the one I
designed with 4 ply yarn.

I tried to do a different design for it and it didn't work so
I had to rip it out and start all over. That's to be expected
when you are designing a new pattern.... :) As well, we
all have to "rip-it" now and then when working from a
pattern and we misunderstand the instructions.

I received a very nice email and photos from Alicia. She
sent me pictures of her Knitted Moccasin Slippers she made
from my pattern at
http://crochetandknitting.com/mocslipk.htm

Alicia is a new knitter. This is her first project. I was very
happy that she found the pattern to be easy for beginners.

I was doing some searching around for crochet patterns
and I came across Amigurumi crochet. I was thinking
"what the heck is that?" I had never heard such a term
before.

The patterns I found looked like they used only single
crochet and they were all little animals or dolls.

So then I did a search on the term and found that Amigurumi
is the Japanese art of crocheting small animals or toys. The
dolls are done in single crochet in the round. It's kept very
simple. Sometimes you don't even have to join at the end
of a round, simply go in a spiral.

I designed my own snow man and snow woman dolls for
Christmas before and that was a the way I did it. So I
guess I was doing Amigurumi crochet and didn't even
realize there was a name for it.. :)

Amigurumi is using your imagination and going with it. So
if you think you can't design a pattern, you might want to
try this and discover that you can!

Look at these Love Bugs. Aren't they cute!

And this little Amigurumi Chihuahua is so cute!

As well as this Amigurumi Butterfly.

Zach Swinehart sent me his article on "How To Make
Hemp Jewelry". I found it very interesting and sounds like
a lot of fun. Zach says, "This article will teach you everything
you need to know about macramé; (the art of weaving and
knotting cords—in this case, hemp—to make jewelry)."
You can read his article at:
http://crochetandknitting.com/articles/art159.htm

A couple more new articles have been added to the Craft
Articles section as well, "Tips to Learn How to Knit", and
"Reusing Yarn - Getting the Kinks of Out Yarn That Has
Already Been Knit". You can read them at
http://crochetandknitting.com/articles

That is all for today. Happy Crafting!

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

New Pattern - Women's Summer Vest

2008-05-15T13:32:00.001-03:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Thursday, May 15, 2008

Hello Everyone,

In the last newsletter I was looking at summer cover-ups
and vests.

I liked this one, "Empire Jacket Vest"

However it was made with a bulky yarn, which I felt would
be rather heavy for summer. So I decided to adjust the
pattern for a lighter yarn.

It took me awhile to get it done, I made some changes
such as adding a gathered front. After several times of
"ripping it" out and starting over, I finally have the version
that I was satisfied with. It's on my Free Patterns page at
http://crochetandknitting.com/patterns.htm

I hope there's no typos, but feel free to let me know if you
find any.

I think it would be very pretty done in white, and would
look good over any colored top. I didn't have enough white
yarn, and wanted to get started right away, so I used a
denim blue.

Next I am going to make a version done in 2 ply yarn,
which will be even lighter for summer. I have ordered
some 2 ply yarn that was on sale, but haven't received it
yet. I wanted to get 2 ply white yarn, but there wasn't
any available so I had to choose 2 ply in black, which
should look nice over any colored top as well.

That is all for today. Happy Crafting!

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

Summer project ideas, Knitting Article....

2008-04-07T19:46:00.002-03:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Monday, April 7, 2008

Hello Everyone,

I have been busy doing spring cleaning. I never like
the thought of having to do it, but once I get started
I don't want to stop. Everything is so fresh and clean
and smells wonderful along with the fresh spring
air coming in my windows.

I have been having thoughts about summer and what
patterns would be nice to make for the upcoming
season. I was doing some searching and looking
over patterns when I found this Beach Cover-up
Isn't that beautiful!

I have been making so much for others, so I thought it's
about time I made something for myself... :) I don't swim
or go to a beach, but I think the cover-up would also look
great over a tank top or t-shirt. It is light, lacy and airy.

Lion Brand has a pretty Beach Cover-up Cardigan.
and a Beach Cover-up Pullover

So then I got thinking about a nice lacy vest to wear
over a tank top or t-shrit and started searching for
vests.

I found this one.
Empire Jacket Vest
Very pretty! And the empire waist is very much in style now.
You get the empire waist effect with the drawsting tie which
is run through the spaces two rows below the armhole. But
the pattern uses a bulky yarn. I would think a bulky yarn
would be rather heavy for summer!

So I think I will just try the medium or large size with a
lighter yarn, either worsted or sportweight and try to adjust
it. There is no gauge or measurement sizes given on the
pattern either, so this will be a challenge. If I can alter
it for a lighter yarn, I will let you all know and post the
pattern for you.

I also found this vest.
Very pretty. It's a very long vest but could be shortened
up for summer.

Here is a midi length vest. Pretty too and could be shortened
for summer.

For knitting I found this Light Summer Vest.

All these vests would great over a dress or skirt and
blouse to be worn at a wedding or any special occasion.

I recently found this site where you can save on over
50,000 brand name craft supplies - CreateForLess.
I was very amazed by the low prices, especially on
all my favourite yarns. However, they only ship
within the U.S, which is great for our U.S. crafter
friends. Click here and have a look.

I really like this article by Alice Seidel, "The Tao Of
Knitting". I thought it was very beautifully written.

The Tao Of Knitting
By Alice Seidel

As Winter is slowly giving way to Spring, it is easy to
look around at all the new beginnings. Slowly, little
plants are beginning to poke their heads out of the
ground, and trees are blossoming into pretty shades
of new pink, white, and lavender.

Spring is a wonderful time of the year to think about
knitting. What it means to be knitting. Why I knit, and
why I love it so much. What about knitting, is so
fulfilling to me.

I think anyone who knits and loves to knit, will tell
you they love to knit for a variety of reasons. At their
core, those reasons all hold the same essence. Passion.
Another word for it would be fulfillment. There is something
beyond money, beyond fame, beyond ego, that has us
knitting.

That something I like to call "the tao of knitting."

Like the Bible, the Tao Te Ching is a spiritual guide;
one that has been around for centuries. It inspires,
teaches, assists with the rigors of daily life, and provides
examples of how best to find peace within ourselves,
for each other, and for the world in which we live.

Whether we be learning from the Tao Te Ching or
learning how to knit, purl, and yarn-over, the lessons
are very much the same. A few examples would be:

-- building self-esteem and self-acceptance. Knitting
is a great way to formulate self-esteem. In today's harried,
rushed world in which we all live, finding substance in the
things we do is often a difficult endeavor. Too often we
are left wondering if our talents are needed, and even if
we have talents at all! By learning to knit, there is no
doubt that when finished with our projects, that we
always have something to show for our efforts; the
trappings of our "yarn life" are always useful.

-- bringing greater joy and creativity to daily life. Why,
when you knit, it is practically a given, that those simple
rhythms, those quiet needle clicks, and back-and-forth
cadences of creating row upon row of our patterns, help
to create endorphins in our brains; those key receptors
which produce a calming effect in our lives. This is
documented behavior. But, we knitters could have told
you that.

-- understand life as a series of changes and challenges.
For life is transformation. It is always evolving into something
else, something more, not less; yet, we have to see that for
ourselves. Not a day goes by where we can say, joy is
mixed with sadness, serenity is suffused with conflict, ease
blends with difficulty. When we knit, oftentimes there are
challenges to patterns, stitch work which may be initially
foreign to anything which we've tried before, even words
and phrases new to us, which make the going slow, indeed.
Perserverance prevails, and when we stick to our resolve,
we come away with knitted creations that are sublime;
just this side of heaven, and truly our masterpieces.

So many of life's little lessons are learned along the way,
when we knit. Patience, self-awareness, growing in harmony
with ourselves and other knitters we meet along the way,
welcoming challenges as good things, allowing even the
mistakes to have a place in our lives.

Follow your heart to all things knitted. It is the road which
leads you to life.

About the Author:
Alice Seidel works as a freelance writer. She is the author
of dozens of articles, a full-length book on knitting, and is
the Author and Publisher of "Knit Stitch & Whimsy", a
monthly knitting newsletter. For details, visit
http://www.theknitstitch.com

That is all for today. Happy Crafting!

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

Free Online Knit and Crochet Book

2008-03-20T19:52:00.000-03:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Thursday, March 20, 2008

Hello Everyone,

I hope you all have a Happy Easter and enjoy your
long holiday weekend. To all those who don't celebrate
it, I wish you all a great weekend too!

Happy Spring as well! It sure doesn't look much like
spring here today. We are getting ice pellets and snow.
I thought it was all over with this afternoon, but it has
started up again. I am so looking forward to spring and
gardening!

Here is a very beautiful book about Knitting and
Crocheting that you can view online.
http://www.maran.com/eknitting.html

Robert Maran of Maran Illustrated
http://www.maran.com/
emailed me to let me know that the "Illustrated Knitting
and Crocheting" book is now available online.

I have had the physical copy for over a year now and I am
so amazed by the photography in this book! Even the online
version shows much detail. I wish I could take photos like
that! That's a skill I'll have to work on.

The interface at the top of the online book is very neat.
There are navigation buttons that will turn the pages
forward and back for you.

The diagonal arrows will enlarge the book to full screen
view. Press the "Esc" button on your keyboard or the
"X" at the top of the screen to return to normal screen.
The 4 squares in the box at the top will bring up screen
shots of other pages of the book that you can click on.
http://www.maran.com/eknitting.html

At the very top of the screen you will see the covers of
other books that Robert has created that you can click
on and view online. Or you can click here to access
them: http://www.maran.com/maranlibrary/
They include Dog Training, Bartending, Cooking,
Guitar, Yoga, Weight Training, Wine and many
others.

The work his company does is amazing! I wasn't sure if
you can get physical copies of these books or not. So I
did some searching around the site and found out that they
are available at all bookstores.

I have completed the alternations for the Men's version
on my latest slipper pattern, Crocheted Seed Stitch
Slippers. You can find that here:
http://crochetandknitting.com/sdstsl2.htm
My husband got me to make these a snug fit. He said he
finds that the slippers will stretch over time and become
loose on his feet. I also noticed that after wearing my own
slippers for awhile. So I did make them a little tighter than
normal.

That is all for today. Happy Crafting!

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

New Slipper Pattern

2008-03-13T12:40:00.000-03:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Thursday, March 13, 2008

Hello Everyone,

I just finished designing a new crocheted slipper pattern,
"Seed Stitch Slippers" and you can get it on my site now.

Beginners might even like this pattern as I found it very
easy to make. Size is for women, but I feel that they can
easily be adjusted by adding or subtracting stitches and
rows in multiplies of 2. I will be working on one for
men later. They would look so cute for children too,
so I will have to work on a size for my 8 year old
grandson and 9 year old grandniece. I was thinking
they would be so cute for babies too! So many ideas
and not enough time... :)

Here is the link to my new pattern:
http://crochetandknitting.com/seedstsl.htm

The seed stitch gives them a nice bumpy or popcorn look.
Actually they sort of look like those knitted striped slippers
done in the phentex yarn where you knit stitches of one
color, then stitches of the second color, etc so you get the
bumped up rows effect, although my crocheted slippers
are all in one color. Here's the link to those knitted slippers
http://www.knitting-crochet.com/crochet/strsli.html

Some new articles have been added to the Article Directory:
"How to Make Money with Crafts" "Five Mistakes Beginning
Quilters Make", "Rainy Day Crafts: Get Creative With The Kids",
"Learn How to Knit: Mastering The Technique", "Getting Started
with Knitting", "How To Crochet A Simple Afghan", and more.
http://crochetandknitting.com/articles

That is all for today. Happy Crafting!

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

New Pattern is ready

2008-02-14T19:17:00.000-04:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Hello Everyone,

My new pattern is available on the free patterns
page of my website:
http://crochetandknitting.com/patterns.htm

The pattern is called "Sue's Knit Baby Slippers."

These are based on my Knitted Moccasin Slippers
for adults. They are made smaller for babies, of course,
with a ribbed cuff. As well, you could leave the cuff
off if you prefer. But I find them to be so cute with
the cuff.

That is all for today.

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

New size for Easy Slippers For Beginners.

2008-02-07T11:31:00.000-04:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Thursday, February 7, 2008

Hello Everyone,

I have a children's version of my Easy Slippers For
Beginners pattern at
http://crochetandknitting.com/slpprs8.htm

The Children's Easy Slippers For Beginners is here:
pattern at http://crochetandknitting.com/slpprs8c.htm

Special Thanks to Janette for testing this pattern. She wrote
to me about how she had made the adult version of these
slippers for her husband and daughter and now her two
grandsons wanted her to make some for them too.

She said she didn't know how to make the pattern small
enough to fit their feet. So I did some calculations based on
my gauge and sent the new instructions to Janette. She wrote
back and said they came out good and the fit was just right!

At the Crochet and Knitting Forum
I have had to make some changes to the registration
process.

We will now preview all new registrations. That was
necessary because when it was set on automatic too
many spammers were joining and posting trash.

Since it was changed to "preview all new registrations"
we have eliminated that problem. So far so good anyway!

I realize that we could decline a registration by mistake,
such as not information to make the right decision. So if you
have a problem with joining the forum, please contact me
at webmaster at crochetandkntting.com and I will fix it for
you.

Also at the forum, I have set up a new category where we
can share photos and information about our completed
projects.

I am working on a new pattern for babies. These are
knitted baby booties and are based on my Knitted
Moccasin Slippers for adults. For the baby version, I
am adding a ribbed sock top.

I will let you know when that is ready.

New craft articles have been added to the Article
Directory at
http://crochetandknitting.com/articles

That is all for today.

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

Home Craft Business, Pattern Search and more.

2008-01-25T20:52:00.000-04:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Friday, January 25, 2008

In this Issue:

- News from BizyMoms

- Grape doily found

- Pattern search. Can anyone help?

- Make your slipper soles last longer

- More visitors for your site or blog

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are all well. I've managed to get a flu, but I
won't let it keep me down, not for too long at a time
anyway. Perhaps an early bedtime tonight would do
me good, though...lol

Susan Hutson from Bizymoms, where they help women
start a business from home, sent me an email. She wanted
me to pass on this information to you.

Susan says they want as many moms as possible to start
a home business this year. So they have dropped the price
of their Premium Career Kits. This includes their Easy Start
Program, helpful ebooks and a Lifetime Website.

She also said in addition to lowering the price, they have
also started creating new career kits at the same low price.
Coming soon is Event Planning, Jewelry, Errand Service,
General Crafts and more.

You can check out what Bizymoms has to offer here.
They also have home business ideas, articles and
advice.

At the Crochet and Knitting Forum
Cindy was looking for a grape doily pattern. I found one
here:
http://barbscraftbooks.tripod.com/barbscrochet/id79.html

Char found some more grape doily patterns. I like this one.
http://www.angelfire.com/folk/celtwich/GrapeDoily.html

Loraine gave us the link to one she made. I like this one too!
http://www.freepatterns.com/list.html?criteria=grape+doily

These are so pretty! I want to make some too. I was thinking
they would look really nice on my bookcase.

Jacqueline is looking for a pattern of a double knitting
cardigan from the late 1950's. Her mother had made this for
her when she was a teenager. Unfortunately, no one has been
able to help her find it yet.

If anyone knows where she can find this pattern it would be
greatly appreciated. She would like to have the pattern for
sentimental reasons. You can reply to her post on the
forum .

Here is her description of the pattern:
"The back was knitted in one piece - two rows knit two
rows purl up the armholes then casting on stitches on either
side to form sleeves when the stitches changed to a diamond
shape. Likewise the fronts were knitted up to the armholes
and then the diamond pattern. Stitches were then picked
up round the sleeve ends and the wristbands knitted.
Stitches were picked up down the length of the fronts and
the buttonhole bands knitted."

About the soles on yarn slippers.

In a previous issue, I mentioned Jackie had emailed me about
crocheted slippers soles that wear out quite fast. She really
likes my "Easy Slippers For Beginners" and I also make
many of these each year for my husband.

I never did get around to trying the Phentex yarn for the
soles, but on the last pair I made for my husband, I took
my glue gun and put the glue on the soles. I didn't just let
the glue set on top of the yarn, I would put a line of glue
across a row, then I would take the hot tip of the gun and
melt the glue right down into the fibers.

So far so good! He wears his slippers all the time while he
is inside and the soles on this pair show no sign of wear yet
at all! So I am happy about that. I thought I would pass this
tip on to you too, if you are having problems with the soles
wearing out on crochet or knit slippers.

Do you have your own website or blog?

Do you need some more visitors? I've just found this new
traffic exchange program that will get you targeted traffic,
people who are interested in what your site is about.

They have "craft and hobbies" and "home and family"
categories that would be great for getting more visitors
to your craft site.

There are many other categories too, so this program
would work great for any website or blog.

It's free! So if you have a site or blog and would like to
get more visitors go here now.

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

Happy New Year and more.

2008-01-08T13:05:00.000-04:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Hello Everyone,

I'm a little late, as we are 8 days into it now,
but I want to wish you all a Happy New Year.

At the Crochet and Knitting Forum
"Betty Crochet" is looking for a pattern by Priscilla
Hewitt called the Pinwheel Quilt Afghan. We've been
trying to help her find it, but so far no luck, so if anyone
knows where she can get it, it would be appreciated.

Anyway, while searching Cheryl came across an
interesting site.
http://www.freevintagecrochet.com/afghans/pin-wheel-afghan-pattern.html
It has a Pin Wheel Afghan, but it's not the one Betty
was looking for. It's a beautiful pattern, though.

While looking at that page, I followed the link in the left
hand column to the Sea Shell Afghan. I really liked that
one! I am making it, but using different colors for a baby
afghan. Another one of my niece's is expecting her baby
in April, so I decided to start on a baby afghan now and
this pattern seemed perfect.

That site has Free Vintage Crochet patterns so I
thought some of you may be interested in them too.
(Thanks for posting that link on the forum, Cheryl.)

Jackie had emailed me about crocheted slippers.
She really likes my "Easy Slippers For Beginners"
at http://crochetandknitting.com/slpprs8.htm
I like them too as I made many of them each year
for husband. Jackie asked me about repairing the
soles. She said she wears hers out very quickly
and was wondering if she was being too hard on
them.

I told her that she is definitely not too hard on them.
My husband will wear the soles out on his quickly
too. I have darned up the holes to make them last
a little longer until I could get a new pair made for
him.

Jackie tried crocheting a new sole and sewing it
on, but she said it would have been quicker to
make new slippers.

Anyway, I told her about the Phentex yarn that is
100% Olefin and a lot more durable. It is called
Phentex Slipper and Craft Yarn. I think I will start
using that for the soles of slippers too. I'm not
sure yet how that type of yarn will fit in with
my slippers patterns because of the gauge, but it
is something I want to try this year.

Just for fun, I made a new page on my site for my
Crocheted Pictures of people. These were crocheted
from graphs. You can see them at
http://crochetandknitting.com/forfun.htm

That is all for today. I am looking forward to 2008
and all the new projects we will be working on and
new craft ideas we will be sharing.

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter - Ready for Christmas?

2007-12-16T20:28:00.000-04:00

Sunday, December 16, 2007

Hello Everyone,

We are getting a big snow storm tonight! It's been
snowing since noon but not much down yet, but the
worst is coming overnight.

Are you all ready for Christmas yet?

I am almost ready.

Every year when all the knitting and crocheting was
done for Christmas, I used to wonder what I was going
to do now! I always like to have a project on the go.

So I would crochet ornaments. I liked doing the
little projects and adding new items to my
Christmas decorations.

But I have so many now that it would not be a good
idea to make more. :) I will give you some ideas for
last minute ornaments to make while you are waiting
for the big day.

There was a pattern I found online years ago and I
can't find it again. I thought I had printed it out, well
I'm quite sure I did, but can't find it now.

It was a crocheted mesh cover to put over ball ornaments
to hang on the tree. I put the crocheted cover on those
plastic balls that have the red thread coverings and also
on some glass ball ornaments. I used a white crochet thread
that had a gold strand in it. They look awesome!

I had some of these plastic balls that were getting old and
the red thread was beginning to unravel. So I took the
thread off completely and crocheted some new covers
using a variegated yarn of Christmas colors. They looked
great too. I can't find that yarn pattern now either.

So if anyone wants to give their old ornaments a new look,
here's some patterns I found online that are close to the
thread ornament cover that I had used.

http://www.wrights.com/wrights/class/needlework/croornamcover2/croornamcover2.htm
http://www.wrights.com/wrights/class/needlework/croornamcover1/croornamcover1.htm
http://pandacrochet.8m.com/ornaments.html
http://www.geocities.com/azulmaribel/curlyballcover.html

I also crocheted little wreaths to hang on the tree.
http://www.crochetnmore.com/christmaswreathornament.htm
http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/lffunt/wreathorn.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/6340/wreath.html
http://www.jpfun.com/patterns/free/ornaments/f103012wreath.shtml

Crocheted snowflakes too! I'm not sure which patterns I
used for the snowflakes, so here is a link to LOTS of them:
http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory/snowflakes.php

My daugher made a lot of these little crocheted angels to
hang on the tree. She made some for her grandmothers
too and they just loved them!
http://www.crochetnmore.com/littleangelornament.htm
She used a white thread with a strand of gold and she
made some with a white thread with a strand of silver.

I crocheted this Christmas Candle
http://crochetnmore.com/christmascandle.htm

I also crocheted a snowman and snowwoman, but
I had no pattern so I just made it up as I went and
didn't bother to write it down. This pattern is close
to what I made,
http://www.wrights.com/wrights/class/12_xmas/crosnowman/crosnowman.htm
but my snowman has a red stocking cap with green trim.
I stuffed my snow people with cotton balls and cut out a
round piece of cardboard to put inside at the base. This
made them stand up nicely. My snowwoman is wearing a
red cape with green trim instead of a scarf.

I just found this video that you may be interested in:
How To Crochet A Snowman
http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-crochet-a-snowman

==> At the forum

Over at my forum, R3n331 has shared some of her
own patterns. They are really great! Come and see
http://crochetandknitting.com/cgi-bin/iB_cgi/ikonboard.cgi
A lot of these patterns would make great last minute
Christmas gifts! She has a holder for remote controls
for the TV, satellite, etc. She has a coffee cup cozy
(I love this idea!), a saggy hat, tablet cozy and more.
Thanks to R3n331 (Renee) for sharing!

In case I don't get another newsletter out before Christmas,
I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas and for those
who do not celebrate Christmas, I wish you all the best
too!

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

Stockings, mittens and crochet lessons.

2007-11-30T13:26:00.000-04:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Friday, November 30, 2007

Hello Everyone,

Here we are at the end of November already! Time sure
flies and Christmas is creeping up on us. I see the stores
are decorated and people are trimming up the outside of
their houses. So I put some decorations up on my site, too.
http://crochetandknitting.com/

On my forum at
http://crochetandknitting.com/cgi-bin/iB_cgi/ikonboard.cgi
someone is looking for a specific knit personalized Christmas
stocking pattern. If anyone can help her find the pattern, it
would be appreciated. It's the thread titled "pattern search,
knitted xmas stocking w/bells,santa,cane"

I found this one, but it's not the one she was looking for.
However, I wanted to give you the link as it's a nice
pattern and has a graph of all the letters of the alphabet.
You could use that to make your own personalized stocking
or use it at the top of any other stocking pattern.

Someone had emailed me to say they had seen my crocheted
mittens/fingerless gloves and was wondering if I knew of where
they could get a knit pattern. She said she had searched for hours
to find a pattern with no luck.

Well, there certainly is a knit pattern online.
Magical Mittens. I had made these before. It was this
pattern that inspired me to design a crocheted version.

Here are the links to my crocheted versions:
Women's (Women's medium, or teens. For a smaller size to fit
pre-teens, use a smaller hook.)
http://crochetandknitting.com/mitglov2.htm
Men's (Medium Men's or older teenage boys, also may fit
women with larger hands. )
http://crochetandknitting.com/mittglov.htm

My friend, Sarah Beth, author of The Knitting Tips
free 5 day mini course and author of the free
Online Advanced Knitting Course has a new e-book!

This one is for crochet. It's called "Lessons in Crochet"

This book has a very cool new ebook technology, which
is a "page turning technology" that makes the book look
absolutely stunning on your screen, and lets you turn
pages just like a normal book.

With this e-book, you can learn how to crochet beautiful
projects in only three weeks, starting from scratch.

And in as little as 3 days, you'll review (and master)
fundamental crocheting techniques explained and illustrated
in the clearest manner you've ever seen.

Here Is Just A Sample Of What Is Included:

* A detailed description of yarns and what all those symbols
mean on the yarn skein.

* A never fail way to find the end of a skein, yes there really
is a trick to it!

* Learn all about the different weights of yarn and how you
can combine them.

* Foolproof techniques for choosing the right yarn for your
projects

* All the most common crocheting abbreviations in one
place

* How to select the best pattern stitch for your next project.

* The trick to keeping tight stitches and a uniform appearance
around color and yarn changes

* Learn the secrets of beautiful finishing, including...
- How to join seams "seamlessly" and weave ends in securely so
that they won't be noticed
- Amazingly beautiful edgings that you can add to your project
- Lovely yet simple crocheted inserts for turning everyday linens
into fabulous guest linens fit for your best company or expensive
looking gifts.

* Fabulous motifs of stars, flowers and geometric shapes that
can be used for coasters, to dress up hats or other craft projects,
or to combine into an afghan.

* How to put your hook into the correct place in the stitch
every single time

* Technique for holding the hook correctly and keeping an even
tension across your work

* And so much more...

If this interests you, check out "Lessons in Crochet".

That is all for today. Have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

Greetings and a Tip

2007-11-22T13:08:00.000-04:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter - Greetings and a Tip

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Hello Everyone,

I want to wish all our U.S. friends a Happy Thanksgiving
for tomorrow. I know you will all be busy with family
and friends. I hope you enjoy your day and give thanks
for all that you have and don't get too stuffed on turkey!

I wanted to let you know that Bernat is having a survey
right now for all those who are registered on their site.
If you take the survey, I have a tip for you so you don't
make the same mistake that I did.

This survey runs until Nov. 26. If you complete the survey,
Bernat will give you two pattern books (3.99 value
each). I think there were 6 different pattern books and
you get to select two that you get for free by download.

If you are not already registered on the Bernat site, the
link to their site is http://www.bernat.com
It's free to register and they have some great free
patterns there as well. I'm not sure if they will send you
the link to the survey if you just register now, but it's
worth a try.

Well, I took the survey and I made a mistake so I don't
think I will be getting the pattern books. Here is what I
did.

While filling out the survey on the second page they asked
what types of Bernat yarn that you like the best. You get
three choices, which I did.

Then on the third page, I thought of another type of Bernat
yarn that I like better. So I hit my back button to go back
to the previous page and select another type of yarn. Then
I clicked on "Continue". The next page to come up said I
could not change my answers and only the answers I had
previously selected will be used.

There was no way to bring up the last page again, which
had asked me what I liked most about Bernat yarns and
what I disliked most about Bernat yarns. I guess I
screwed up and won't be getting the free pattern books
as they were probably available for download after
completing the survey, which I apparently didn't do
right.

So if you take the survey, double check and be sure of
your answers and DON'T click on the "back" button!

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Supplies
and much more.
Craft Discussions and Pattern Search Forum

A Quick Note

2007-11-03T21:54:00.000-03:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter - A Quick Note
Saturday, November 3, 2007

Hello Everyone,

Just a quick note to let you know that
CrochetingandKnitting.com has been down all
day.

I found out this morning that the server move, which
I thought happened last weekend... did not.

This morning when my site was down for hours, I checked
my webhost's site and the server move is happening this
weekend. They never even let me know that they had
cancelled last weekend and changed it to this weekend!

I checked my webhost's site and they have a notice that
the move is happening now and it is taking longer than they
had planned and should be over by 6 PM EST, but it is long
past that time now.

On top of that, they are moving the server to Maine and I
am just above there. Hurricane Noel was hitting the New England
states and has moved up into my area. So they may be running
into problems because of that.

It is very windy with heavy rain here right now and it is
forecaster to get worse overnight. I just hope the weather does
not get any worse and everyone is safe, and my webhosting
company can safely complete their work on moving the server.

The new forum is also down right now as it's on the same
server as my website.
http://crochetandknitting.com/cgi-bin/iB_cgi/ikonboard.cgi
But the old forum is still up as it's on the bravenet server.
http://pub44.bravenet.com/forum/3703436600

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Discussions
and Pattern Search Board, Craft Supplies and much more.

Dishcloths Galore!

2007-11-01T12:43:00.000-03:00

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter - Dishcloths Galore!
Tuesday, October 30, 2007

(To have the newsletter sent to you by email, visit
http://crochetandknitting.com/newsletter )

Hello Everyone,

Halloween is almost upon us. I hope all the little ones
enjoy their "trick or treating" and stay safe!

Andi in MD contacted me to ask if my Knit Dishcloth pattern
http://crochetandknitting.com/dishcloth.htm
could be used for their "Knit a-long". Of course I said yes!

Here is Andi's description of the Knit a-long:
"I run a Yahoo Group called Monthly Dishcloths and we
have a knit a-long twice a month. I sent out about 7 rows
a day for about 5 days and at the end, the knitters all have
a beautiful dishcloth."
Here's the link to the group:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MonthlyDishcloths/

Now, you've got to see this link!
http://monthlydishclothkal.blogspot.com/
This is what they have done so far. I never seen such
beautiful knitted dishcloths! It's amazing!

== Forum News

I have decided to keep both my forums running.
The New Forum:
http://crochetandknitting.com/cgi-bin/iB_cgi/ikonboard.cgi
and The Old Forum:
http://pub44.bravenet.com/forum/3703436600

Some people still do not like the format of the new forum.
You can choose to use the new forum or the old forum,
or you can post at both!

With the old forum, I will not be renewing it to the pro
version, so it will revert to the free version. That means
there could be ads and pop ups by Bravenet on it. I'm
actually surprised that it doesn't have the ads yet, the pro
version expired on Oct. 6, 2007, but they haven't
downgraded it yet.

Remember you can't edit posts at the old forum. And you
have to know the HTML codes to post pictures and to
make clickable links.

That is all for today. Have a great day everyone!

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Discussions
and Pattern Search Board, Craft Supplies and much more.

Halloween Crafts

2007-10-16T20:28:00.000-03:00

The CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Sunday, October 14, 2007

Hello Everyone,

I have an important notice to make first. My website,
http://crochetandknitting.com
including the forum will be down for approximately
10 - 12 hours on Oct. 20, 2007 starting at 11:00pm
Eastern Time.

My webhost informed me that they are relocating to a new
facility in Andover MA. They are moving for an array of
reasons that include faster, more reliable connections to
the Internet backbones, and new Sun server technology.
So I guess that is good.

With Halloween coming many are probably looking for
some patterns to craft.

Here are some cute ones I found online:

Jack O' Lantern (crochet)
http://www.craftown.com/crochet/pat44.htm

Curly Purly Pumpkin (knit)
http://www.curlypurly.com/pumpkin.html

Jack O' Lantern Fridgie (crochet)
Jack O’ Lantern Coaster (crochet)
Jack O’ Lantern Hot Pad (crochet)
these 3 patterns are on this page.
http://chezcrochet.com/page45.html

Jack-O-Lantern (crochet)
Can be a pin or fridgie
http://dayna.tdgservices.com/ShowPattern.aspx?PatternID=10

Jack-Glow-Lantern (knit)
http://www.fjsmjs.com/Mary/glowlantern.htm

Spider on a Web (crochet)
http://crochet.about.com/library/nspider.htm

Hallowig (knit)
http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall04/PATThallowig.html

Ghost Fridgie (crochet)
http://www.geocities.com/crochetrat/ghostfridgie.html

Ghost (knit)
http://knitting.about.com/od/accessories/p/ghost.htm

Witch Hat (crochet)
http://homepage.mac.com/coxsalida/Personal44.html

Witch's Hat (knit)
http://www.maggiesrags.com/freewitchhat.html

9" Witch Doll (crochet)
http://www.crochetsal.com/lilwitch.html

Black Cat Fridgie (crochet)
http://www.marloscrochetcorner.com/blackcatfridgie.html

Felt Pumpkins (knit)
http://www.geocities.com/joyjannotti/feltpumpkinpattern.html

Halloween Treat Basket (crochet)
http://stormyzpatterns.blogspot.com/2006/10/halloween-treat-basket-materials.html

Hallowe'en Trick-or-Treat Bag (knit)
http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/kms-treatBag.html

Bat (crochet)
http://www.crochetnmore.com/bat.htm

Batty Dishcloth (knit)
http://www.blackrayne.com/pages/batty.html

Of course there are lots of things you can craft for kids at
Halloween that doesn't use knit or crochet. My grandson
and grand niece get me to make them ghosts every
Halloween.

I make them from the small white plastic kitchen garbage
bags. I stuff the head with paper towels, then use clear
tape around the neck. Then tape down any edges on the
head. I then use a black marker to make two big oval
shaped eyes and an oval shaped mouth. Then I take
a darning needle and some string and sew through the
top of the head, going down into the paper towels and
back out and tie together.

The kids just love them. They play with them for days
around Halloween. They like to hang on the string and run
with them to make their ghosts fly. They throw them up in
the air and watch them fly back down.

My grandson likes to get my husband to play a game with
him too, called "Find the ghost". They will hide it and the
other has to try to find it. They give them hints by saying
you are "cold", if they are far away from it, or "getting
warmer", when they are getting close, and "hot" when
they are nearby it.

They play that game for hours and it can be so comical.
My husband usually hides it "in plain site". For example,
he will sit it up on top of a curtain rod or mirror or put it
in the oven with it's face peeking out up against the oven
door window (a cold oven of course!) It is usually harder
for my grandson to find it when it's hidden in plain site
as he goes for the cupboards and drawers to search for
it first. But when he does find it in plain site, he will
laugh and laugh.

So that is a very simple Halloween craft that you can make
at home with things you already have in your house. For
other craft ideas, Joann is having a sale on Halloween craft
supplies, such as Halloween Costume Patterns, Halloween
& Harvest Fabric, Halloween Scrapbooking, Halloween
Cake & Candy Kits, and Autumn Floral & Wreaths.
Click here.

You can also enter to win a $500 Yarn Lover's Dream
Package. No purchase necessary. It certainly would be
a dream to win that!

I was busy all last week working on a crocheted picture
of my son. I have just completed it yesterday and I have
posted a photo of it on my forum at
http://crochetandknitting.com/cgi-bin/iB_cgi/ikonboard.cgi

That is all for today. Have a great day everyone!

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Discussions
and Pattern Search Board, Craft Supplies and much more.

CrochetandKnitting Newsletter - Some Pattern Talk

2007-09-25T13:33:00.000-03:00

The CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Friday, September 21, 2007

Hello Everyone,

Rhonda posted on the Craft Discussions and Pattern
Search Forum
http://crochetandknitting.com/cgi-bin/iB_cgi/ikonboard.cgi
that she was looking for a Noah's Ark pattern, that includes
the ark and all the animals. She found it at this site.
http://www.e-patternscentral.com/
All patterns there are only .99 each. Thanks for sharing
that link, Rhonda.

I posted a photo on the forum of my latest completed
project, a granny square baby afghan. This pattern was free
on the label of a skein of Red Heart yarn.
http://crochetandknitting.com/cgi-bin/iB_cgi/ikonboard.cgi

Making granny squares and sewing them together can
take a lot of time. However, I love the look of the
granny squares and you just can't get that look any
way else. I almost changed my mind and went for a
pattern where you just crochet straight with no sewing,
but then I told myself not to be so lazy, a little sewing
wouldn't hurt me.... :)

I also posted on the forum some tips for crocheting a graph
pattern. I then decided to also turn that into an article,
titled "Crochet Graph Pattern Tips". I have posted it on
my website in the Craft and Hobbies Article section at
http://crochetandknitting.com/articles/

Make your own graph patterns from your photos.

Here is handy site if you would like to make your own
graph patterns. My daughter took a picture of my son
and turned it into a black and white photo. I put it into
the online software program at
http://www.microrevolt.org/knitPro/

I intend on crocheting the picture of him someday. I
had done a crocheted "Elvis" at one time as a wall
hanging. So I think it would be neat to have one of
my son as well.

You can use this software free to make graphs to use
for Knit, Needlepoint, Cross Stitch and Crochet.

Past issues of the "CrochetandKnitting Newsletter" can be
found in the archive at
http://crochetandknitting.com/newsletter/archives.htm
However, from now on I will post them on my blog at
http://crocheandknitting.blogspot.com

That is all for today.

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Discussions
and Pattern Search Board, Craft Supplies and much more.

New Variation of Slipper Pattern

2007-09-21T10:54:00.000-03:00

I will be archiving past issues of The CrochetandKnitting
Newsletter here on my blog from now on.

Previous issues from before can be found on my site at
http://crochetandknitting.com/newsletter/archives.htm

The CrochetandKnitting Newsletter
Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Hello Everyone,

I just completed a pair of the Knitted Slip Stitch Slippers
for my husband. He tends to wear out the bottoms of
slippers quickly if they are done in one strand, so I made
these slippers with two strands of yarn held together.

I kept notes and wrote up a pattern.
Men's Slip Stitch Knitted Slippers
http://crochetandknitting.com/ssknit2.htm

Of course they could be for women too, if you would like
a thicker slipper. They should be easy to adjust.

If you haven't been to the new forum yet, Craft Discussions
and Pattern Search Forum, drop on over and check it out
http://crochetandknitting.com/cgi-bin/iB_cgi/ikonboard.cgi

Rhonda (CoxMartinez) is looking for anyone who would
like to knit for charity. It is for the Arkansas Children's
Hospital. They need 30,000 caps/hats for children, babies,
teenagers and even some adults.

Mary (mmcelroy) was wondering if there was a knitted
suspenders pattern for men. I searched everywhere and
couldn't find such a thing, neither free nor for sale. So if
anyone else knows of one, it would be greatly appreciated
if you would let Mary know on the forum.

Janet (janet119) was looking for a crochet fly bonnet
pattern for horses. Janet said, "It covers their ears and hangs
down between their eyes. Usually has shiney stuff or beads
crocheted into them along the edge. They usually wear
them during a show or competition."

I couldn't find any such thing, but Char55 came to rescue
with a website link with many beautiful patterns for horses.

Maddison was stuck on a knit sweater pattern for her
husband. She gave a link to the pattern with a picture.
It is absolutely beautiful. mirl56 is helping her with the
problems she is having.

That is just a few of the interesting topics going on over
there. Hope to see you there!

That is all for today.

Sincerely,

Sue Norrad
CrochetandKnitting.com - Free Patterns, Craft Discussions
and Pattern Search Board, Craft Supplies and much more.
http://www.crochetandknitting.com/

An update.

2007-07-24T12:39:00.000-03:00

I haven't kept my blog up very well. I have been busy
with work and gardening.

But I did get my newsletter out today. If you would like
to subscribe, just visit my site and fill out the form.
http://crochetandknitting.com
I have an archive of past issues too.

I was looking around the net at some free pattern
sites today. I found a lot of interesting things that I
would like to make.

It's hard to find the time to crochet or knit right now,
but I always have a project on the go. It just takes longer
to get them finished.

I am also thinking about what new designs I can come
up with to create during the winter months.

Sue

Skorts Pattern Finished

2007-06-20T14:48:00.000-03:00

I simplified the pattern. I did not need separate instructions
for a left and right of the front and back pieces. There is no
"right side" as with the Seed Stitch both sides look the same.

So you only have to use the one instructions for the back and
front pieces, make two each and turn one over for the other side.

I have updated the pattern. You will find it below in my first
post.

My smaller version did fit me. I reduced it by 4 sts on each of the
four pieces and 8 sts on the front panel. However, when I sewed
it up, I put the front panel on wrong and the button hole is on the
wrong side..... arrgghhh. I'll have to fix that.

That is all for today,

Sue
http://crochetandknitting.com

Another update to the Skorts pattern

2007-05-30T18:10:00.000-03:00

I have the Back Right of the Skorts pattern updated.
Nothing major, just changed it to the new format, which
I will also do for the rest of the pattern as I work away
on my second pair.

I have added this under "This pattern is done in the Seed Stitch".
"On the decrease rows, it may appear that you should start
with 1 dc, but that is not necessary, you can begin each row
with 1 sc and then work the Seed Stitch."

That is all for today,

Sue
http://crochetandknitting.com

Some Updates on The Skorts Pattern

2007-05-20T12:36:00.000-03:00

I have made some changes to the Skorts pattern posted below.

I am still on the first piece the "Back Left" of the second pair I
am making.

I have changed where it says "*1sc, 1dc* to end of row" and
replaced it with "Seed st (1sc, 1dc) to end of row", as everyone
will know from the instructions that Seed St means to make a sc
in the dc of the previous row and a dc in the sc on the previous
row. I will also do that on the other sections as I work away on
the second pair.

As well I corrected a few mistakes, such as Row 12 where it said
to seed st over 42 sts, it should be 43 sts. Rows 14 and 16 had the
wrong st counts too.

That is all for today,

Sue
http://crochetandknitting.com

Crocheted Skorts

2007-05-17T19:50:00.000-03:00

This pattern has been checked and updated.

I am doing another pair now in dark blue to test the pattern
and correct mistakes as I go. I am making this pair smaller
but I am keeping the larger instructions for those who want
to make a bigger pair. I will still be able to find any typos
or mistakes even though I am making this pair smaller.
(Edit: The second pair has been completed.)

It will be very easy to modify the size simply by reducing or
increasing the starting chain.

Crocheted Skorts

Materials:
- 4 ply worsted weight yarn - I am not sure how much I used as I had a
huge ball of yarn that I had ripped out of another project that I didn't
want to complete. I would guess that I used at least 3 - 175 gram skeins.
- 5.00 mm hook
- zipper or you could use a tie made from a crocheted chain.
- button
- needle for sewing seams

This pattern is done in the seed stitch, which is 1 sc in the dc of the
previous row, then 1 dc in the sc of the previous row. So wherever the
instructions say "Seed St" you will know to do that. I will also put
(1 sc, 1 dc) in brackets after "Seed St" to remind you.

On the decrease rows, it may appear that you should start
with 1 dc, but that is not necessary, you can begin each row
with 1 sc and then work the Seed Stitch.

Gauge: 3.5 stitches = 1 inch. 3.5 rows of seed stitch = 1 inch

Size: I made these by comparing each piece to a cloth pair of skorts
that I have. My crocheted version came out too big for me. I guess
the yarn stretches so that could be why they came out much too big.
So I took the seams in and they were still too big.

I will have to take the seams in again, however that leaves a bulky
seam. So I made another pair and decreased each piece by 4 sts
and the front panel by 8 sts. But I am leaving this pattern as is,
for those who would like to make them bigger. If you want them
smaller, just reduce each piece by the desired numbered of stitches
based on the gauge.

The Skorts from these instructions measures 34 inches around the
outside of the waist.

BACK PIECES (Make two, then turn one over so you have a left and right piece)
Ch 59
Row 1 - 1 sc in 2nd ch from hook, 1 sc in each ch, ch 1, turn. (58 sts)
Row 2 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) repeat to end of row, ch 1, turn.
Rows 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 - Same as Row 2
Row 11 - Skip first st, ss in next 11 sts, 2 sc tog, Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn (45 sts)
Row 12 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) over 42 sts (this will be more or less sts if you are making them smaller or larger), 2 sc tog, ch 1, turn. (44 sts)
Row 13 - 2 sc tog, 1 dc in next st, Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (43 sts)
Row 14 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) over 41 sts, 2 sc tog, ch 1, turn. (42 sts)
Row 15 - 2 sc tog, Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (41 sts)
Row 16 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) over 39 sts, 2 sc tog, ch 1, turn. (40 sts)
Row 17 - 2 sc tog, Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (39 sts)
Row 18 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (39 sts)
Rows 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 - Same as Row 18.
Row 25 - 2sc tog, Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (38 sts)
Row 26 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn (38 sts)
Row 27 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (38 sts)
Row 28 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (38 sts)
Row 29 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (38 sts)
Row 30 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) , ch 2, turn. (38 sts)
Row 31 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to last 2 sts, 2 sc tog, ch 2, turn. (37 sts)
Row 32 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc), ch 1, turn. (37 sts)
Row 33 - 2 sc tog, Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) , ch 1, turn. (36 sts)
Row 34 - 2 sc tog, Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (35 sts)
Row 35 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (35 sts)
Row 36 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (35 sts)
Row 37 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to last 2 sts, 2 sc tog, ch 2, turn. (34 sts)
Row 38 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (34 sts)
Row 39 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to last 2 sts, 2 sc tog, ch 1, turn. (33 sts)
Row 40 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn (33 sts)
Row 41 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn (33 sts)
Row 42 - 2 sc tog, 1 sc in each st to end of row, ch 1, turn. (32 sts)
Rows 43, 44 - 1 sc in each st to end of row, ch 1, turn. (32 sts)
Row 45 - 1 sc in each st to end of row, fasten off. (32 sts)

FRONT PIECES (Make two, then turn one over so you have a left and right piece)
Ch 43
Row 1 - 1 sc in snd ch from hook, 1 sc in each ch, ch 1, turn. (42 sts)
Row 2 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn.
Rows 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 - Same as Row 2
Row 11 - Skip first st, 2 sc tog, Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn (40 sts)
Row 12 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to last 2 sts, 2 sc tog, ch 1, turn. (39 sts)
Row 13 - 2 sc tog, Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (38 sts)
Row 14 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to last 2 sts, 2 sc tog, ch 1, turn. (37 sts)
Row 15 - 2 sc tog, Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (36 sts)
Row 16 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to last 2 sts, 2 sc tog, ch 1, turn. (35 sts)
Row 17 - 2 sc tog, Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (34 sts)
Row 18 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (34 sts)
Rows 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 - Same as Row 18.
Row 25 - 2sc tog, Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (33 sts)
Rows 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn (33 sts)
Row 31 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to last 2 sts, 2 sc tog, ch 2, turn. (32 sts)
Row 32 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (32 sts)
Row 33 - 2 sc tog, Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (31 sts)
Row 34 - 2 sc tog, Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (30 sts)
Rows 35, 36 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (30 sts)
Row 37 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to last 2 sts, 2 sc tog, ch 1, turn. (29 sts)
Row 38 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (29 sts)
Row 39 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to last 2 sts, 2 sc tog, ch 1, turn. (28 sts)
Rows 40, 41 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn (28 sts)
Row 42 - 2 sc tog, 1 sc in each st to end of row, ch 1, turn. (27 sts)
Rows 43, 44 - 1 sc in each st to end of row, ch 1, turn. (27 sts)
Row 45 - 1 sc in each st to end of row, fasten off. (27 sts)

FRONT PANEL
Ch 59
Row 1 - 1 sc in snd ch from hook, 1 sc in each ch, ch 1, turn. (58 sts)
Row 2 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (58 sts)
Rows 3 to 24 - Same as Row 2
Row 25 - 2 sc tog, Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to last 2 sts, 2 sc tog, ch 2, turn. (56 sts)
Row 26 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn (56 sts)
Rows 27, 28, 29, 30 - Same as Row 26
Row 31 - 2 sc tog, Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to last 2 sts, sc 2 tog, ch 1, turn. (54 sts)
Row 32 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (54 sts)
Row 33 - 2 sc tog, Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to last 2 sts, 2 sc tog, ch 1, turn. (52 sts)
Row 34 - 2 sc tog, Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (50 sts)
Rows 35, 36 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (50 sts)
Row 37 - 2 sc tog, Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to last 2 sts, 2 sc tog, ch 2, turn. (48 sts)
Row 38 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn. (48 sts)
Row 39 - 2 sc tog, Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to last 2 sts, 2 sc tog, ch 1, turn. (46 sts)
Rows 40, 41 - Seed st (1 sc, 1 dc) to end of row, ch 1, turn (46 sts)
Row 42 - 2 sc tog, 1 sc in each st to last 2 sts, 2 sc tog, ch 1, turn. (44 sts)
Row 43 - 1 sc in each st to end of row, ch 1, turn. (44 sts)
Row 44 - 1 sc, ch 2, skip 2 sts (for buttonhole), 1 sc in each st to end of row, ch 1, turn. (42 sc, 2 chs)
Row 45 - 1 sc in each st to end of row, fasten off. (44 sts)

With right side facing you, do a row sc down the right edge of front panel. Space the scs evenly along the end of each row. I got 44 sc, but if you get 43 or 45 sc, that would be Ok too.

Sew up Seams:
Take back left and right front. With right sides facing each,
sew leg seam.

Take back right and left front. With right sides facing each other,
sew leg seam.

Take back left and back right, with right sides facing each other
and starting at waist band of center seam, sew down around
crotch and up the front center seam, leaving an opening of 6 to
7 inches for the zipper (or you can use a drawstring for the opening).
With front of skort facing you, sew up the seam on the right by
turning the pieces so right sides are facing each other.

With front of skort facing you, place front panel on top of skorts
left front, turn so sides are facing the right side of back right. Make
sure you get the buttonhole on the correct side. Sew seam.

I have found that the open end of the front panel may stretch and
hang down below the shorts part. If so, you could sew up a hem
at that end or sew a tuck under the button or when you do a row
of sc down the right edge of the front panel, do not do a sc at the
end of every row on the bottom, instead skip a row between the
scs. That will pull up the bottom.

Finishing Up:
Sew a seam around front zipper opening. Sew in zipper, or you
could make a drawstring by doing a chain of the desired length
and weaving it through the stitches to the top, as if you were
lacing up a shoe.

Sew on button. I made a crocheted cover for my button. I chained
3 and joined with a slip stitch, then slip stitched around it adding
an extra ch here and there so it would widen out. When it was the
same size as the button, I continued around in slip stitch until it
covered the edge of the button. Then I slip stitched around
skipping a slip stitch on the previous row here and there so it
came in over the bottom of the button. When I fastened off I
left enough yarn on the tail end to sew onto the skorts.

Sue Norrad
http://crochetandknitting.com