Guess what!? Memorial Day (U.S.) has passed, and thus summer has officially started (in my hemisphere, anyway) ;)! Woo hoo! I’m going to be on the move this summer – constantly in my car or working. So I need to make sure my crochet bag is well packed so that I can keep up with my summer stitches.

In packing the crochet project bag, I’d like to think about exactly what I need for projects that I can complete on the go. Because I want this to be portable and fun, for intermittent crafting, I am going to recommend a few essentials. Please add your ideas in the comments!
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I was thrilled at the wonderful response to my last tutorial, Crocheting with a Peruvian Loom (Wood Block). Since a few people mentioned they’d like to learn how to make a Peruvian loom, I came up with this tutorial.

The goal of this procedure is to make a smooth, firm, cardboard rectangle with the following dimensions: approximately 8″ x 4 1/2″ x 1/2″. Feel free to substitute materials, techniques, or even dimensions in order to achieve your desired result. Enjoy!
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Let’s get geared up for summer and motivate to crochet some fun and fabulous creations during the next two months. It’s been a while since we’ve looked at crochet holidays, so let’s mark our calendars for June and July’s projects!
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In my last post, Focus on Fiber: Silk, I mentioned recycled sari silk as a fiber that is fun to crochet with. This week I’d like to share a unique pattern that looks great with sari silk, but would also work with many different types of fiber. This pattern will use a technique that involves crocheting with a Peruvian loom, which I will demonstrate in this tutorial.

A skein of recycled sari silk

Silk is a warm and luxurious fiber. It’s fabulous for making crocheted garments and accessories. Undyed silk ranges in color from a bright white to a honey brown color. Because it takes dye well, silk can be found for sale in many bold and vibrant colors. It’s possible to crochet in pure silk, but perhaps more common to find yarns for purchase that are a silk blend. I love silk’s softness and shine. It’s a bonus that silk is also a very strong fiber.
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Many of us are interested in multiple crafts. My first craft hobby was jewelry making, which I started at age 9! I loved making earrings for my friends and teachers. Ever since then, I’ve loved beads. There are many ways to make crocheted beads, but today we’ll focus upon making flat beads. Because beads are small, this can be an excellent way to use up yarn scraps, especially those of our most expensive and luxurious yarns!

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Drop everything and grab a long crochet hook. Now! 🙂 I just learned the fabulous technique called Tunisian crochet and I want everyone to try it!

First you may want to know what Tunisian crochet is. Well, if you’ve ever seen the long crochet hooks or the shorter ones with long cords hanging off them, you’ve seen a Tunisian crochet hook. In order to start, you’d just need one of those and some yarn. The reason the hooks are longer is because when you work a forward pass in Tunisian crochet, all of the stitches stay on your hook. During the reverse pass, you work all of those live stitches off your hook. It’s fun. It’s like a cross between crochet and knitting. Here are the top three reasons I’m loving Tunisian crochet right now.
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There are many ways to join crocheted pieces together. This tutorial will focus upon joining two granny squares together using slip stitches and the outside loops. This particular technique can be used to join any crocheted pieces together, including seams on garments or accessories. The resulting seam is very strong and will make your pieces look like they are sitting side by side. I like this seam for modular pillows, blankets, and bags.

For the purpose of this tutorial, I will be using pieces and joining yarn in contrasting colors. If all of the pieces and joining yarn are of the same color, this seam should be invisible. Yarn and hook size do not matter for this practice tutorial.

If you’d like to follow along step by step, you may first use the granny square crochet pattern to make two 2-round granny squares. Then use your remaining yarn and your hook to follow along. If you need to review the slip stitch, check out the slip stitch tutorial.

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We’re well into April and I am here to tell you that spring is coming! I know that many of my friends in the northern United States have been battling a long and difficult winter. For me, there’s no lack of crochet inspiration up there. I’ve traditionally crocheted with larger yarns, typically worsted weight or higher, and scarves, hats, and cowls are always at the top of my project list. However, when it comes to springtime, and living in this hot and humid Florida climate, I need to turn my sights to lighter weight yarns and versatile, transitional garments. Enter the crocheted shawl.
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I got the idea for this tutorial because I decided to participate in a “Monster Swap” with my local stitching group. I used a really cute pattern that called for “safety eyes.” To be honest, I’ve never used safety eyes, I didn’t know where to buy them, and frankly, I didn’t have time to buy them either.

This is a picture of all of our amigurumi creations together!