Who’s ready for 2012? Have you made any resolutions yet? If you haven’t it’s not too late to jot them down. The start of the new year is a great time to set some goals for your everyday life and for your crochet life. If you’ve been slacking on your crochet projects, maybe you can make a resolution to spend a few minutes each night to work on your projects. Or if you’re one of those folks who loves to start too many projects, make a resolution to only have 2 or 3 going at a time.

Whatever you’d like to work on this year, feel free to share it with everyone in the comments section below! This way we can cheer each other on. So, what are your crochet resolutions??

Okay, I have been going through Crochet Spot’s freebies and the store, AGAIN, and remembering the things I have made from them. What have I discovered? I have realized that some of the patterns are very addictive and you cannot stop at one. I mean who can resist those cute little chickens, or the scarves, beanies and doilies? They all make up really quickly and use different yarns and suddenly they are all different.

Now I don’t know about you but there are only a certain amount of toys and cat toys I can make. For starters my young nieces and nephews, and not so young daughters have about all they can take with crochet toys. And cat toys, well I don’t have a cat and don’t know anybody with one, but they’re oh so cute and in the cupboard. Made too many flowers? Then STICK A FLOWER ON IT and sell it.
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A Guest Post by Linda Cee.

My goal for this year was to crochet enough ornaments to decorate an entire Christmas tree (even a small one would be good). I saw a picture online once of a white tree that had blue crocheted snowflakes in all different sizes and shades of blue then a silver garland crocheted from some really glittery yarn. The best part was the topper, it was a white thread angel that was incredibly lacy and must have taken forever to make. The whole thing was so gorgeous it literally took my breath away.
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A Guest Post by Tameko.

Crochet came into my life in 2008. While I have always been around ladies who enjoyed the art of crochet throughout my entire life, I did not start working with crochet until much later in life. One of the things I realized while working on a pattern is that the activity itself is very calming and ushers in much needed meditation time.
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A Guest Post by Eve Tallafer-Sison.
 
I learned to crochet at the age of nine. My mother, in her early 40s then used to crochet bedspreads, chair covers, doilies and table runners. She would do that in between writing her lesson plans as grade one teacher in my hometown’s Central School for more than 25 years. Watching her was so intriguing especially gazing at her hand movement. I liked it when she would yarn over once, twice or even thrice for a double, treble and double treble crochet.
 
Just like any other child, my curiosity had to be satisfied and so after undergoing my first crochet tutorial in learning the initial step, the rudiments of crochet, that is, doing a chain, it seemed like I had a taste of marijuana. That was fantastic! Practicing making a chain as Lesson No. 1. Just chain, chain, and chain, using my mother’s own crochet hook as she had only one at that time. From then on, I couldn’t wait till she would take some time out either to rest from her project or for some other chores, so I could use her crochet hook.
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The following is a Guest Post by Kitty, a Crochet Spot reader.

Hi, Ladies and Gentlemen,

You all love Crochet Spot, right? Have you poked around the Store where you purchase patterns? Sure, there are plenty of freebies Rachel and others so generously share, but you really need to take a peek at the patterns you can purchase. I began looking and decided to buy the Membership. How often do we buy a crochet magazine for one pattern? Here at Crochet Spot, you buy what you want. The BIG added bonus is that if you get stuck, or something is not quite clear, you’re given help. Darn, that’s as good as having a private crochet tutor! I’ve just downloaded the Christmas gift bag patterns…too cute AND useful.

Hope you’ll at least take a look around the “store”!

Sincerely,
Kitty

Well hubby and his pinched nerve and numb fingers is back to work so things have started on the road to ‘normality’. I use that word loosely as I don’t think we are quite normal in this house. Hubby being back to work means I can start to straighten my brain power back to the chaos it usually is – but it is MY chaos.

Well the dancing concert for the youngest daughter is in 12 days so I am sitting at a LOT of extra dancing lessons. Even though last weekends were 3 hours both days, I am 45 minutes from the studio so I don’t bother coming home. PLUS it gives me 3 hours to crochet >>>grins<<<. There IS an upside to running kids around. This very same concert however, has landed me with more sewing. I already have 4 of her 7 costumes, but I still have to make her into a witch, a pirate and make a shortish tartan skirt (not a kilt) and a matching shirt. I have known about this for probably 2 weeks and it is now pretty well the ‘last minute’ so I really need to get sewing. Fortunately, I can only do that at home so I can crochet to my heart’s content for many hours at dancing.

I have also added to my crochet time – well my ‘sit down and do nothing’ time, so while I am sitting down I can crochet some more – yaaayyyyyy!
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My Husband is a gym junkie and a typical male. About 3 weeks ago he came home on a Friday (gym day) and said he was sore around the shoulders, not the ‘good’ sore from a good workout, it was actual pain. He goes to the gym 3 times a week. I suggested he have a bit of a break, but he’s male so that didn’t make any sense to him. He then came home the following Monday really sore and by bedtime he was definitely in REAL pain. He popped a large amount of pain killers and acknowledged that maybe he wouldn’t go to the gym Wednesday – I gave up. No sleep that night. By morning he was crippled with pain on the right side back/shoulder and upper arm. His lower arm and hand were numb. Doctors / physio’s / serious pain medication and pending specialist he is still hurting and has numb fingers and arm. It’s been 12 days now.
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Well the craft room is organized and my excitement sparked about what I can do with all the new found (well re-found) yarns, threads and what-not. I do want to try my hand at adding crochet to fabric to jazz up clothes and things. It should be simple enough in most cases. I think I will start by making some lacy edges for a plain top or 2 and see how that goes. I have some knee length pants that I wouldn’t mind jazzing up a bit. I thought I might undo the side seam and crochet a narrow panel as an insert. I will have to think about that one for a bit.
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I have finally done it! I have cleaned my nemesis of a room. Well, there is one really high shelf to go with boxes of wool. My craft room now has a floor – who knew? It also has lovely windows to look out. It has a cutting table and I can identify the sewing machines. It has taken me 2 weeks, from 8AM until about 3PM, 5 days a week. My ever helpful 21 year old suggested about half way through, just after my “I’ve had enough” rant, that I should just shove it all back in there. That’s how it got to be a disaster in the first place.

View from 1 of my uncovered 2 6ft x 4ft windows looking out to our rather dry block of land