When I take a break from making cute crochet toys, which is rare, I try to come up with “practical” projects to make. (Well, I think cute crochet toys are practical, but that’s another story). I tend to stick to things I can wear, such as scarves or hats, but in summer weather? No thanks! The kitchen is one of the most important rooms in the house, the source of edible goodness and culinary creativity. It only makes sense to throw some creative crochet into the mix.

“Crochet for the Kitchen” immediately makes me think of dishcloths, because of the inevitable clean-up involved in all-things-kitchen. Here are five dishcloth patterns for whoever is on clean-up duty. Maybe they’ll actually make it fun?

How about some thick potholders? Crochet potholders are quick to whip up, even when they have multiple layers. And you’ll need those multiple layers, if say you want them to be…practical!

A cozy mug sweater and a pot handle cozy combine the best of cute and functional–keeping your fingertips safe from heat and dressing up plain kitchenware to boot.

Placemats are one of those “extras” that I may not ever want to spend the money on, but if I can crochet something to my liking using some multi-colored yarn? I’m in!

What do you like to crochet for your kitchen?

Crocheting has been passed down from generation to generation. While the basics of crochet stay the same, new techniques have emerged along with even more creative projects. As time goes on, it is important to make sure that crocheting continues to grow. Crocheting should not become a hobby that is overshadowed. Here are some easy and fun ideas that you can use to promote crochet within your community:
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A Guest Post by Audrey Miller.

According to Rachel, this blog has readers from all over the world, ranging in all different ages. For someone like me who has been around since the dinosaurs (as my grand babies like to say), it is heartwarming to know that the art of crocheting will not be forgotten. Rachel is a young, true sweetheart, but I don’t think she can tell you the secret to being a lifelong crocheter until she’s lived to be as wrinkly as I am.
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Frogging is the process of ripping out and undoing your crochet stitches when you make a mistake. Rip it, Rip it! If I’m not mistaking, all crocheters frog their work at some point or another. At least I know I do. Frogging can be frustrating if you spent a lot of time crocheting only to rip it apart later. But at least you can learn from the mistake made.

When I was first learning to crochet I remember having to frog a lot of my projects, because they didn’t turn out the way I wanted them to. Frogging used to be extra frustrating for me, but now I remember to keep in mind that it is a learning process. Although I am more experienced today, I still find that I frog my work. Frogging seems to be a natural part of crocheting, despite one’s skill level.

What about you? Do you frog your crochet projects?

I love crocheting in the summer, but I often come across people who say, “Are you crazy? It’s too hot to crochet!” For me, it’s never too hot to crochet! I think I’d go crazy if I couldn’t crochet just because it was hot. Here are some ways that I keep cool while crocheting in the summer. If you have ideas to share as well, feel free to leave them as a comment on this post so that other can read them too!
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A Guest Post by Rachee.

When I first started crocheting, I never thought the balls of yarn garnered from my local Salvation Army and the hook liberated from my sister would amount to anything more than another passing fancy of Rachee.  I tend to jump feet first into things, totally immerse myself in the thing and then my enthusiasm for said thing quickly peters out until the next big thing.

Proudly I have been chugging along with my hooking; churning out items at a respectable clip and able to present completed items, even if quite a few have been claimed by my daughter for use in her Barbie house or because she has misplaced yet another hat. Thinking back, the smallish basket of yarn things that I started with has morphed into a huge hobby and when my daughter and I set out to move, I was excited about having a space of my own dedicated to crafting.
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I came across an article online the other day that talked about a woman named Mary Friese who just celebrated her 100th birthday. In the photo she’s crocheting a blanket for her 11th great-great-grandchild. She wasn’t sure if its a boy or girls so shes going to crochet a girl and a boy version. Oh, and did I mention she’s been blind for 15 years? Mary is able to crochet by touch alone! Feel free to read more about Mary Friese here. When you are 100 years old, do you think you’ll still be crocheting?

I hope I will be, if I even live to be 100 years old. I think it’s great to be able to crochet things for your children, your grandchildren, your great-grandchildren, and even your great-great-grandchildren. Wow, that’s a lot of greats!

What about you? Will you be crocheting when you’re 100?

If you remember a while back I posted about the Granny Square Dress on the Red Carpet. That’s the crocheted dress on the right hand side. I though it was a neat and bold dress. But now here comes another! This one I’m not so crazy about. Although I wouldn’t wear either, I still like the one on the right more. The crochet granny square dress on the left is too baggy and loose for me. It’s like wearing a blanket. It might as well be a Snuggie. I’ll give it an A+ for trying to be creative and thinking outside the box, but honestly the design is not for me.

What do you think? Which one do you like better?

A Guest Post by Caren Wilson.

Have you noticed that you or your crochet friends have more yarn than you can possibly use? Do you have closets, shelves, bins, or even rooms of yarn? Do people’s mouths drop when they see your yarn collection?

If you said yes to any of the above questions, then you are a yarn-a-holic! But don’t worry, I’m a yarn-a-holic too. Welcome to the club!

Obviously crocheters need yarn to crochet. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I tend to see serious crocheters (including me) go a bit overboard when it comes to collecting yarn. We get more than we need and we hoard it like hamsters. I remember when I first started crocheting, I only had one grocery bag of yarn at a time. But as time went on and I got more and more skilled at crocheting I collected shelves of yarn. Now, I bet my yarn collect could pass as a yarn store!

Does this happen to all crocheters over time? Are all crocheters yarn-a-holics??

Caren is a life long crocheter and self proclaimed yarn junkie. In her free time she enjoys crocheting items for charity and playing with her two children. Caren wishes to inspire others to crochet more, learn more, and live more.

When you purchase your yarn it can be wound in different ways, such as a ball, skein, cake, hank, or cone. Some crocheters have a preference as to how their yarn is wound and would even rewind the yarn to make it into their desired method. How do you wind your yarn? What is your desired method?

Personally, I love pull skeins. Pull skeins are the skeins that have the yarn coming out of the middle. This is my favorite method because the skein doesn’t roll around and move when I crochet with the strand of yarn that comes out of the middle. Most major yarn companies, such as Red Heart, Lion Brand and Caron, wind their yarns into pull skeins to be sold. But if I do purchase yarn that is not in a pull skein, most of the time I’m too lazy to rewind it, so I just use it as it is. However, if my yarn is a tangled mess, then I’ll definitely rewind it into a nice pull skein. If you need help crocheting with a pull skein and would like to know more about the “yarn coming out of the middle” that I’m talking about, you can learn more about it here: How to Find the End of the Yarn in a Pull Skein

What about you? What is your favorite way to wind your yarn?