February First Friday Freebie

We have a really fun crochet book this month for our First Friday Freebie giveaway. You have a chance to win Crochet for the Kitchen published by the American School of Needlecraft in 2006 (24 pages of patterns) and designed by Svetlana Avrakh. Crochet patterns consist of 14 fun and easy projects including aprons, dishcloths, towel toppers, scrubbies, curtain trims and place mats. Designs use cotton worsted weight yarn.

We think you will love some quick, easy and fun projects to work on. In order for you to win this month's offering, just leave a comment here on this post telling us what was the last project you made using 100% cotton worsted weight yarn. 
PLEASE, PLEASE do not forget to leave your email address along with your comment! If you don't wish to leave your email address in the post, please send your email address to: 
cutecrochetATgmailDOTcom along with your name. We cannot notify a winner without an email address.
Winner will be chosen at random on February 19, 2010.

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

 

JL Yarnworks on Etsy

WORDLESS WEDNESDAY

Clothespin Doll by Creating Treasures

Stitch Nation Yarn Review

Do you want some high quality, natural fiber yarn at an acrylic price? Then click on over to Joann's Fabric and Craft Store online and purchase some of the new yarn by 'Red Heart' called Stitch Nation!
There are three different new yarns in this line called Bamboo Ewe, Full of Sheep and Alpaca Love. The samples I received have incredibly luscious colors. Since I usually like to create a new design instead of just swatching, I designed three new accessories, one with each new yarn!


 

Bamboo Ewe is as soft as you would expect a Bamboo yarn to be. In addition to it's softness and brilliant color, it has really nice stitch definition. The smoothness of this yarn made my design crochet up really quickly! My mom needed a new small handbag, so I designed a pretty one for her with this yarn. A swatch is shown at the left, but I hope to have the full pattern available soon!

Full of Sheep has a firmer texture as would be expected from 100% peruvian wool. I really enjoyed crocheting with Full of Sheep and it, also, has a nice, textured stitch definition. I wanted to try it for felting, but decided instead to design an ear warmer/headband, as I knew that this 100% wool would be nice and warm! The color I was sent is Plummy and the 'purple' color is so deep and rich, perfect for today's designs. I plan on trying to felt it next! When fastening off with Full of Sheep or using it to sew your crochet item together, you do need to be careful and not pull the yarn too tightly, as it seemed to break much easier than other yarns I have used. As long as I was gentle, this did not cause me any problems!

I think Alpaca Love is going to be my favorite; the alpaca mixed with wool makes it so great to touch; a firm yet oh-so-soft texture. While crocheting, the yarn was so soft and smooth, like butter running through my fingers. It was not slick like some ribbon yarn or silks, just smooth, which made for really nice crocheting. I designed a crochet baby hat with it for my new grandson who is expected any day now! I can't wait to post a photo with him in the hat!
Alpaca Love was definitely named correctly because you are going to love it!


I can't wait to see all the new colors of these yarns in person. I believe that Stitch Nation yarn will be available at Joann's Craft Stores sometime in March. Until then, you can, of course, purchase it at Joann's Fabric and Crafts online.

Disclaimer: The yarn from Stitch Nation was provided to me to use in my design work.

January First Friday Freebie Contest Winner

I am please to announce that Tracie of Florida is the random winner of our January First Friday Freebie contest! Congratulations to Tracie! She will be receiving a copy of the book Organizing from the Inside Out! We would love to hear if you are able to make any organizational changes, Tracie! Thanks to everyone who participated! Stay tuned for our next contest on Friday, February 5, 2010.

January First Friday Freebie

HAPPY NEW YEAR to everyone! We hope you had a wonderful holiday!
It is time for our First Friday Freebie contest again. I can hardly believe it is 2010. How did that happen? For this month, in honor of new beginnings, we are giving away a wonderfully helpful book by Julie Morgenstern, who has been dubbed the “queen of putting people's lives in order” by USA Today. We are offering the New York Times bestseller, "Organizing from the Inside Out" as our First Friday Freebie this month.
My resolution for the New Year is to become more organized, write more posts for this blog and to try and offer more new designs in 2010!
If you would like to become more organized this year, in order for you to win this month's offering, just leave a comment here on this post telling us if you made any New Year's resolutions for 2010! The random drawing will be on January 22nd. Good luck!

First Ever Crochet Swap

I have been a member of RAVELRY for sometime now and, of course, LOVE it! Who doesn't? I have seen many different types of crochet swaps going on over the years, but had never participated in one.
A couple of months ago, while browsing my RAVELRY GROUPS, I came upon a WINTER TAWASHI swap that looked intriguing! Boy, am I glad that I took the first step and decided to join this swap!
Since it was a holiday swap in a Tawashi group, we had to crochet one winter or Christmas tawashi for our swap person. I was so lucky to have been paired with a WONDERFUL STITCHER from Great Britain! What a thrill!

I had so much fun creating Tawashi things for my swap person! The rules stated that you only had to crochet ONE item, but could send anything you wanted. I chose to crochet some mitten Tawashi for my winter crochet, but couldn't resist crocheting some very COLORFUL TAWASHI CIRCLES  designed by Doni Speigle as well!

I actually used a MITTEN COASTER CROCHET PATTERN   also designed by Doni Speigle for the mitten tawashi. I did leave off the crochet border and the embroidery for this project.

I had so much fun crocheting these tawashi and getting everything ready for mailing! I also included some American candy and a Japanese book of Hello Kitty that I knew Ani would like!

 

Guess what I got in my swap! Some REALLY, REALLY nice crochet items and ironically, the same type of chocolate candy from Ani, that I had sent to her! I also received some polka dot hair ornaments (I LOVE polka dots!), pretty stitch markers and a really cute chicken potholder! It was just too exciting to open the package!

Thank you to Ani for sending such an incredible Swap package! I will never again hesitate to participate in crochet swap! If any of you have ever participated in a Crochet Swap, we would LOVE to hear all about it!

UPDATE:

I have been asked several times what is Tawashi????

The actual meaning of Tawashi: a Japanese traditional scrubbing brush to wash off dirt. There can be many different types of 'tawashi' depending upon the material it is made from. Recently, knitters and crocheters have been making 'tawashi' to use as sponges or scrubbies for dishes and other cleaning/scrubbing. In Japan, antibacterial yarn is usually used for Tawashi. I don't know how long Japanese knitters and crocheters have been making tawashi.

I saw this little entry recently on Ravelry:

 “Tawashi? What’s that for?”
“Tawashi!” (to-washy!)
It makes me giggle, because that’s what it’s FOR!"

First Friday Freebie Winner for December

I am please to announce that Shana of Georgia is the random winner of our December First Friday Freebie contest! Congratulations to Shana! She will be receiving a copy of the book Ultimate Book of Potholders. Thanks to everyone who participated! Stay tuned for our next contest on January 8, 2010. (The actual first Friday of January is a holiday!)

DECEMBER First Friday Freebie

OMG! Can this really be December already?? It is time for our First Friday Freebie contest again. I can hardly believe it! For this month, I have a really great booklet to give away. I would imagine most of my readers could find at least one thing in this 27 pattern book to make, right? We are giving away Annie's Attic Ultimate Book of Pot Holders this month. It has a large variety of every kind of potholder you can imagine!
In order for a chance to win this book, just leave a comment here on this post telling us if you have ever crocheted a pot holder before and what design it was.
The random drawing will be on Friday, December 18th. Good luck to everyone!
BTW, I have a new Etsy Shoppe at
http://www.etsy.com/shop/toocutecrochet  where I have several Christmas/Holiday patterns for sale by download. Come and visit when you have the chance!

NOVEMBER First Friday Freebie WINNER

The winner of our November giveaway is Linda of South Carolina! Thanks to Linda and everyone for participating!
Our next First Friday Freebie will be THIS FRIDAY!
Stay tuned!

NOVEMBER First Friday Freebie Giveaway

WINNER WILL BE POSTED SOON. I AM WAITING FOR A RESPONSE TO MY EMAIL ANNOUNCEMENT!
 
I can't believe that it is time for our First Friday Freebie again!
Here in New York it has been getting colder every day and I have even had to break out my wool jacket and gloves on a few days already. This month's giveaway will be perfect for winter's colder months.

We are offering a FULL KIT for CROCHETING our Jewel Box Hat and Glove Set from the Elegant Headwear collection. 
In order to be eligible for a chance to win this crochet kit, visit our wearables page at Cute Crochet and choose which is your favorite crochet  Wearables pattern from this page. Let us know which pattern you have selected by leaving a comment on this post.
Please don't forget to leave an email address in your post so we can contact you if you have won, or send your email address to: contest @ cutecrochet . com! A winner will be chosen at random November 27, 2009. Thanks for participating in our monthly drawing!

Wrapped in Crochet - A Review

I love Kristin Omdahl's Wrapped in Crochet book for many reasons, but especially because after reading her Introduction, I felt a special affinity with her. Kristin taught herself to crochet while overseas and expecting a baby. I, also, taught myself to crochet while stationed overseas and pregnant with my first child. Like Kristin, I was instantly hooked!
But that is where are similarities seem to stop. Kristin is apparently a math whiz and actually designed one of her first crochet accessories using the Pythagorean theorem! How cool!
Wrapped in Crochet is broken down into types of garments: Scarves, Wraps and Shawls. Scarves: each pattern uses a different or unusual pattern or technique, "including corkscrews, weaving, hairpin lace and more". Every scarf would make a quick and wonderful gift.                                                  The Wraps included are comprised of so many different shapes in several different techniques. Some are made in all-in-one designs and others are join as you go. Most of the lovely wraps go 'far beyond the simple rectangle."
The shawl chapter is my favorite. They are seven beautiful designs in a wide variety of styles and silhouettes. Most are triangular but there is also a semi-circle and two circular ones. Throughout the book you have the opportunity to learn and crochet hairpin lace, tunisian crochet, broomstick lace crochet, back post clusters and double crochet, and foundation single and double crochet, as well as several other stitches. Instructions for all are, of course, written very well and include many diagrams and schematics. I love the fact that with almost every design, you will be able to learn a new stitch or new technique. From the back cover: "Created for beginning to intermediate crocheters, these one-of a-kind pieces invite you to take your crochet to the next level."My favorite designs include: Starlet Boa Scarf, Tressa Scarf, Gali Infinity Wrap, Geisha Wrap, and Stella Shawl.
All in all there are 18 exquisite designs. Sheer loveliness!