The kids are out of school and it’s undeniably summer up here in the northern hemisphere! That means it’s time for some favorite summer activities like gardening, camping, and cooking out! Summer is so much fun that sometimes we let crochet fall to the wayside because we’re busy with different things to do. However, we here at Crochet Spot are fully in favor of summer crochet, and Rachel’s even got some tasty patterns to keep your hook working whether it is on the front porch while sipping a sweet tea, by the pool in the summer sun, or even relaxing in the air-conditioned comfort of your living room.

The neat thing is that a lot of them correspond to some favorite summer pastimes! And they’re also doubly delicious because (yum) they’re food!! Nom nom nom!
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Right, so… When I started crocheting in 2008 or so, I began by reading one of the best ever crochet books ever, Debbie Stoller’s Stitch N’ Bitch Crochet, the Happy Hooker. It continues to be a mainstay of the crochet community and perhaps the most comprehensive “all-in-one” crochet manual out there. But that’s besides the point. In the introduction, Stoller brought voice to something weird that was out there in the yarn crafting conversation, as well as the crafting community at large – a serious division between crochet and knitting.
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I’m here to tell you it is okay. Good crocheters sometimes make ugly things! I’m not talking about things that are so ugly they’re cute. Because as creative people, that would be something we would have meant to do. I’m also not talking about “ugly pretty,” which is a term most often used on America’s Next Top Model. The way it would translate into crochet might be the captivating effect of when you bring two garish yarn colors together and they look so interesting together that you love the outcome. But I’m not talking about that. I’m talking about crochet ughs!
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OMG I totes love totes. (Scroll down for translation.)

Crochet totes are everything! (Photo source: flickr (c) Dan Zen License)

I know, right!?

Translation: “My goodness, I am entirely fond of tote bags. Don’t you agree?”

I may sound a little giddy, but I don’t mind admitting that I do feel quite enthusiastic about crocheted totes. They’re so useful and so easy to make! I love a quick project and a good tote is definitely worth the return on investment.
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What’s not to love, right? I bet a few of you are wondering if you even have an LYS and what it might be. Well, an LYS is a Local Yarn Store. An LYS can also be a crocheter’s best friend.

In my last post, I talked a bit about my impromptu yarn crawl. Well, it was tons of fun, and that is partly because I was able to really get to know some local yarn stores. Isn’t it great that we have so many sources for yarn? As yarn crafters we are so lucky! We can shop everywhere from big box stores, to specialty stores, to yard sales and even at Goodwill! If you look long enough, you’re going to find yarn! But shopping at an LYS is really special for crocheters and I am going to give you three reasons why.

It’s Knitting Criations in Somers, CT!!

Before you start writing me supportive notes of encouragement during my time of struggle, I feel I should mention that I am not actually allergic to yarn. However, allergies or sensitivities to certain types of fiber do happen. In fact, I have a good friend who is an avid crocheter and she is so allergic to wool, she can’t even work with wool yarn unless it’s no more than a 20% wool blend! She can crochet with it if her finished product is for someone else, that is, because she is so allergic to wool, that she can not wear the final product!

Clearly this girl just found out she can no longer crochet with wool! Photo credit: Bob Jagendorf via flickr under license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en

It’s that time of year. It’s time for crochet to come out of the woodwork and into the streets! As you may already know, we yarn crafters have a special event each year called “World Wide Knit in Public Day,” or WWKIP. Yeah, I know the “K” in there stands for knitting, but I am not going to split hairs about it today. As far as I am concerned, I consider the existence of the phenomenon an invitation to bring yarn to the parks, beaches, and sidewalk cafes! This is our time to be ambassadors of our craft by simply doing what we do.
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Tell me what you think of the following assertion: The soothing motions of crochet are made even more comforting when your brain doesn’t have to work too hard to figure out what comes next in a pattern. When you can easily select your hook and yarn and just stitch, crochet takes on a different, meditative dimension.

Am I right, people? …

What brought on this sudden episode of “deep thoughts?” Well, it’s just that I think that most of us probably have a pattern or two that we go back to over and over again because it’s just comfortable. Maybe we’ve made it so many times that it’s fun to see what else this pattern can become for us. And working on this pattern so often allows us to move our attention from the physical movements and mental concentration required for other patterns and experience crochet in an entirely different way.
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That sweater! You love it and you have to make one! When you feel motivation like this, you know that you’ll practice project monogamy and work on it and only it until you can wear it proudly. But since this is a significant investment of time and attention, you want to make SURE the final product is one that you’ll absolutely love. You need to KNOW that will be well worth the time, effort, and I’ll say it, MONEY that you’re about to put in.

There is nothing worse than the following scenario: You’ve spent a lot of time thinking, comparing, asking for advice, and dreaming about your perfect yarn. You’ve excitedly selected it right down to the color that will perfectly compliment your wardrobe. You anticipate the package arriving at your doorstep, and eagerly tear into it to find that the COLOR of this yarn, this perfect, perfect yarn is just… not what you thought. Crestfallen.

Actually, this did happen to a friend of mine, and this exactly why a color card can save your life!

If I had only known

Here it is: One huge THANK YOU to everyone who read and commented on my last post. It’s so much fun connecting with you all this way! Let’s get right to it, shall we? It’s time for more unsolicited crochet advice.

Crochet Problem: You Want to Crochet a Million Things. We are so fortunate to be around during this fabulous time for crochet. Never before have there been so many diverse and inspiring patterns all so accessible to us at a moment’s notice. How many times have you gotten lost in Pinterest for hours just taking in all of the beautiful options for crochet projects?

And what about Ravelry? Do you have over 200 projects in your queue? And you already have a billion favorites, right? Don’t get me started on Rachel’s patterns. With so many awesome patterns right here on the blog and also in the Crochet Spot store, we could be busy for years just crocheting through this blog alone!

Why is everything so darn cute?

We all should be very proud to be a part of the crochet community at this very special time in crochet history. It is perfectly natural that we’d want to enjoy every pattern and yarn there is to offer. Yet with this wonderful abundance comes a tough truth: You can’t crochet it all. I know. It’s a bummer. The upswing? You can crochet a lot and you can crochet each day! How do we select our projects?
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