What I have been doing.

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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....

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.

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

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....

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

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

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