Crochet Savvy Magazine Spring 2013 Issue

2013

crochet SAVVY

Volume II | Issue I | Spring 2013 | www.crochetsavy.com

WEAR CROCHET: 2013 Fashion Highlights

ations Craftwich Cre

Raghouse International

16

Tracey Nguyen

“Take me to Tarah”: Fashion...Blogging...Life

Sedruola Maruska from Yarn Obsession talks about Business &!Crochet Dancing, crochet & funny...

Shauna Howard

A Bat Mitzvah Project

by Taylor Zimelman Connecting crochet with the Jewish Mitzvah of Charity

The Art of Gra titude

Letter from the EDITOR . . . . . . . . .

Happy Birthday to my dream! I am so excited! We had a fabulous first year. We gained friends, networks and many likes.

Most importantly, we gained the confidence of professionals within the crochet industry. This means more support, more endorsements and more free give-a-ways to our viewers.

We have had ups and downs however, like the constant crashing of our web server (which company I will not name, but you know them from the ladies who endorse them with the racer jackets on...and they always have a Superbowl commercial.) In addition to this, we tried email subscriptions, which worked but when we tried the log ins for the website, it was a huge fail. People emailed us within two weeks saying that they couldn’t get the downloads or view certain pages.

So we fixed it and learned in the process.

We are at a steady growth, finally reaching 500 likes on our Facebook page and 800 email subscribes, and a great staff, I feel that I would always enjoy a slow and steady growth that will last than one where we go viral one day and then everyone stop supporting us the next day. !

2

So many businesses come and go but I think that with my new staff, the new blog and the many viewers and fans who constantly participate online with us, that we are getting to be one big family.

Hopefully, one day soon, we will have our first booth at a big crochet conference. And lastly, I want to say congrats to all of our Winter Contest Winners! Remember to email us photos of you and your prizes along with any reviews that you have of your gifts!

As always, knitFAB and Crochet Savvy folks!

Love, Keturah Founder/EDITOR-n-Chief

staff Founder & Editor-n-Chief LaTonya Keturah Malinconico Assistant Editor Akua Hope Blog Editor Tracy Joyner Featured Bloggers Marcy Kraft Shauna Howard Design Team Bohemian Design Solutions

Find Crochet Savvy Magazine & Blog on www.crochetsavvy.com FACEBOOK www.facebook.com/ crochetsavvymagazine TWITTER www.twitter.com/crochetsavvy GOOGLE+ www.google knitFAB Charities Knit with Purpose...Crochet for a Cause...TM http://charities.knitfabulous.org

!

3

table of contents

In every ISSUE . . . .

Letter from the EDITOR .......... 2 Meet the Team .......... 6 Happy Anniversary! ..........!8 On my Bookshelf .......... 12!

Our Fundraiser .......... 14!

Crochet Techie Apps. ......... 20!

WEAR CROCHET: 2013 Fashion ...... 22 Charity Crochet .......... 40 Crochet Grenade .......... 68 Spring Patterns by Keturah ..........70 Events & Announcements .......... 80 The Mystery of Our Crochet History by Tracy Joyner .......... 82 !

4

Featured . . . .

Tracey Nguyen

16

The Art of Gra titude

19

“Take me to Tarah�:

26

Fashion...Blogging...

Life Dancing, crochet &

Shauna Howard

funny...

30

ations Craftwich Cre

32

!

44

A Bat Mitzvah Project by Taylor Zimelman

Connecting crochet with the Jewish Mitzvah of Charity

h Rachelle Smit

50

Raghouse International 56 Sedruola Maruska from Yarn Obsession talks about Business &!Crochet

62

5

Meet the TEAM . . . . .

EDITOR-N-CHIEF/FOUNDER LaTonya Keturah Malinconico Keturah is a debut author on women’s studies in Judaism and has been in the hiphop industry for more than 13 years. An advocate for charity and having joy through trials, she teaches through motivation and inspiration a message of hope and balance for people, especially stay-at-home-moms, who feel that they are completely lost tending to children, husbands and house duties.

She currently has a BA in Liberal Arts and MBA in Business Administration and is a self proclaimed graphics designer guru and networker. She loves to use her creativity through arts, music and crafting (crocheting & knitting) to encourage others. Keturah currently resides in Toronto, ON with her family. For more about her, check out: www.knitfabulous.org and follow her on Twitter.com/iknitfabulous.

!

ASSISTANT EDITOR Akua Lezli Hope Akua Lezli Hope was freeforming before she knew what it was, as a young crocheter creating wild hats for herself and friends in New York City.

Her participation lapsed until she reconnected with dimensional crochet in the late 90s. Her crochet designs have been included the Crochet 2010 and 2011 Calendars, Interweave Crochet, Knit Picks IDP, Sanguine Gryphon and Tangled Magazine. Her crochet patterns are available on Ravelry, Etsy, Craftsy and DaWanda. An Associate Professional member of the Crochet Guild of America, and she has qualified for crochet instructor’s certification from the Crafts Yarn Council of America.

H e r c r o c h e t b l o g i s www.zencrochet.blogspot.com. Her fiber love extends to hand papermaking. She also creates using glass, wire, words and sound. A NEA awardwinning poet, her work is included in several groundbreaking collections including Dark Matter, the first anthology of Black science fiction, Erotique Noire, the first anthology of Black erotica and, most recently, The 100 Best African American Poems (2010).

6

BLOG EDITOR TRACY JOYNER- of CrochetHappy.com Tracy is the mastermind behind www.crochethappy.com. An inspired place on the web just for crocheters..Masters of Hook and String! She used to watch her Aunts crocheting beautiful granny things..no one realized how carefully she was watching! When they taught her mother how to crochet, she begged her to show her how. Tracy's mom said that she was too little. Her father, finally tired of listening to Tracy beg so insistently said: “let her try”! She made her first granny square that day at 4yrs old. This is how a love began that would endure her entire life! Catch her at: http://www.crochethappy.com http://asktracyann.crochethappy.com http://www.facebook.com/crochethappy https://plus.google.com/u/ 0/101093542537496122392/posts https://twitter.com/crochethappycom http://www.ravelry.com/people/tracyann3369

FEATURED COLUMNISTS/BLOGGERS SHAUNA HOWARD- of DIVA-in-Training Shauna’s creations are one of a kind. They are fun, flirty, diva-licious! Shauna’s motto is “Where style is handmade”…and it is evident in her work. This is why she was picked as Crochet Savvy’s first cover feature of the magazine. Shauna will be providing us with guest designer feature articles, blogs, and commentary on fashion today from a diva’s point of view. She is: a Salsera. Soprano. Scorpio. Designer (crochet). Sudoku geek. Sapiosexual. Evolving feminist. Natural sistah.

Popcorn lover. Nurturer. Visual learner. HUGE Wendy Williams fan. Class clown. Vegan wannabe. Night owl.

Ashiest woman alive. Huger. Foodie…and more! She owns Diva-n-Training Designs and has so much to offer the crochet fashion world. For more about Shauna, visit her at her Facebook Fan page at: https:// www.facebook.com/DivaInTrainingDesigns

FEATURED COLUMNISTS/BLOGGERS MARCY KRAFT- of Crochet Grenade My full name is Marcy Kraft and I go by the alias Crochet Grenade. I got started yarn bombing because I was sitting around with a friend talking when I asked her hypothetically if it would be cool if I could cover really large objects in yarn for music festivals or events. When we both agreed that it was a fantastic idea, I jokingly said not to look it up because if it had been done I would be really disappointed. She started sending me articles about "yarn bombing" and I jumped in action. I put up my first yarn bomb that night and decided that I really loved doing it and wanted to make more. Everything around me inspires me to yarn bomb. People can find me online by going to my Facebook page www.facebook.com/ crochetgrenade. !

7

Happy Anniversary CS Magazine . . . . .

A Look Back on our 1st Year!

“We take care of the independent designer, the new artist, and that special crocheter who has not made it into those big name books & magazines yet... I love to search for new talent, I used to do it when I worked in hip hop & it is a gift that suits me.

Our magazine brings the spotlight to hidden talent all over the world. I see Crochet Savvy as our own special place, a safe haven to discuss and talk as we see fit- independently, doing as we please and going against the mold, all while supporting other crocheters in this business who are also like-minded. That is what it means to be FABULOUS & SAVVY- Doing you and doing it big.”

-Keturah, Founder of knitFabulous & knitFAB Charities / Crochet Savvy Magazine & Blog

Crochet Savvy began in the Spring of 2012 and has produced 5 magazines thus far, one for each season. Gaining followers and supporters, the free magazine and blog also incorporates many charity projects that its viewers can participate in and share with friends via the knitFAB Charities network of knitters and crocheters around the world.

This online magazine “ezine” is all about fashion and how we as crocheters have the freedom to create and make anything work! Traditional features include video tutorials and podcast broadcasting from some of your favorite teachers in the crochet world and monthly charity crochet projects. While also featuring a !

blog style dialogue, photos and outfits of the day to help foster your creative side and tips and secrets for helping you “crochet savvy” in the home, at work, or wherever you are.

Each season we will publish a downloadable magazine featuring our savvy content so that you can go anywhere with it.

Crochet Savvy Magazine is about fun, fashion and crochet! Join us online via our favorite social networks, subscribe to our blog RSS feed to get the latest updates in the world of fashion and crochet.

8

CrochetSavvy in the Media Crochetville mentions us on their website and gives us a great big shout out! Thanks to Amy for allowing us to interview her about Crochetville.

See it here We are featured on Kathryn Vercillo’s article on “5 Mags that Celebrated Crochet Saved my Life”. It was a great honor to interview Kathryn. Her book was soo profound and many crocheters have the same story.

See it here Crochet Happy lists us with mainstream magazines on recommend page See it here Malinconico, Crochet Savvy’s Founder & Editor-n-Chief is honored to become a Guest Blogger on Crea8tioncrochet.com, thereby uniting our cause with theirs and gaining a great network of other crocheters in the process.

We finally reached 500 likes on our Official Facebook page.

We have interviewed the likes of Crochet Guild of America, Crochetville, Kathryn Vercillo of Crochet Saved my Life, Dope Crochet, Aisha Frazier, TurquizeBlue and many many others! !

9

1st YEAR . . . . .

• Shauna Howard was our first Cover Girl!

• Magazine became available for download via iPad App Magcloud.

• Our very first ad on Ravelry and Facebook!

!

10

A Look Back • My daughter served as our model for following ads.

• Pat Pat’s Hats was our first Charity Project Feature!

• Crochet Savvy Website began its transformation into a united brand online, new website design, new ads, more followers on our social networks & the magazine was available for both HP Magcloud and Issuu.com.

• We reached 600 subscribes via email!, only 10 total for the entire year unsubscribed.

• Got a new logo, simplified our subscriptions, RSS feeds and social networks.

• Our staff grew to 5 great volunteers.

• We finally reached 500 likes on our Official Facebook page. !

11

On My Bookshelf . . . . .

What’s on my hook?

These two books are so pretty, written easy to understand and the projects are to die for! My Recommends for this Spring! -Keturah

!

12

Cre8tion

Crochet

is

an

online

blog

offers many free crochet patterns.

that

Patterns

are pre tested for accuracy and ease of use.

You will also find helpful hints and crochet tips, information on blogging and owning your own crochet business.

www.cre8tioncrochet.com !

13

Spring FUNDRAISER . . . . .

The Road to CGOA 2013

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/347035/x/ 2531108 Help Crochet Savvy Magazine raise money to become an official Corporate Sponsor in the CGOA, helping us to professionally participate more in our crochet world.

Crochet Savvy Magazine is a free digital magazine and blog dedicated to fashion and crochet. Started

by LaTonya "Keturah" Malinconico in April 2012.

With five magazine issues under her belt, Crochet Savvy's fanbase has grown since day one, making it a save haven for the indie designers and small businesses. !

We want to contribute more to the crochet world.

We believe that by joining the Crochet Guild of America (CGOA) that it will boost our fan base, help bring awareness to the indie designers and show a more diverse side to crochet than just granny squares and blankets.

The CGOA is the top organization for crochet. It is our passion to grow, learn, and encourage others along the way. We can do all of these through being official Corporate Sponsors.

A Corporate Sponsor can: (taken from http:// crochet.site-ym.com/?page=CGOABenefits)

14

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Discounts to exhibit at CGOA-sponsored markets (Knit & Crochet Shows).

National conference show floor admission waived for up to five pre-registered employees.

Corporate listing online and in CGOA Crochet! magazine ads for member search.

A year's subscription to Crochet! magazine with Chain Link newsletter inserted.

Password to exclusive member online pages Member message board and CGOA Now blog Exclusive national e-retail discounts.

Annual Chain Link conference – free show floor entry and member discounts on events.

Discounts on professionally taught classes at annual conferences.

Member fashion show at Chain Link.

Members-only CGOA Design Contests.

Discounts on any CGOA educational offerings.

Link to free e-booklet of patterns from CGOA in member confirmation.

Eligible to apply for Professional Crocheter status.

Right to vote at CGOA Annual Meetings.

What We Need & What You Get

• • •

$1000 for the membership package You receive your name or company listed on our website as our Sponsors plus a few perks per price contribution.

If we do not reach our goal by our 60 day limit, any funds received will still to towards our CGOA membership package.

The Impact This is real to us and means a lot. To join the CGOA on the corporate level means that our magazine will be in a greater market, more opportunity for our featured designers to gain exposure and more opportunity for our viewers to learn and grow from what CGOA has to offer via its classes, conferences, and meetings.

CGOA is the top organization for crochet and by joining it, our magazine will be steps closer to becoming a force to be reckoned with, a voice to the indie designers and small crochet businesses and a portal for learning. Joining also gives us the benefit of traveling to several different conferences where we can network with top designers and crochet business persons a like, as well as to establish relationships with these people so that we can increase our involvement in the community, write more reviews and test more products, provide more free-give-a-ways and more!

Other Ways You Can Help Some people just can’t contribute, but that doesn’t mean they can’t help:

• •

Ask folks to get the word out and make some noise about your campaign.

Remind them to use the Indiegogo share tools!

Facebook and Twitter our campaign, blog about it and show us some love online.

Make our campaign go viral!!!!!!!!

Get all of your design and web needs here! We master the art of creative solutions. 30% for the entire month of April! http:// bohemian.knitfabulous.org • • • •

!

Self publishing graphics design web design business & social media coaching

15

tracey nguyen cover girl My!name!is!Tracey!Nguyen!and!I!am!a!19! year!old!full!7me!student!living!in!Southern!

California.!I!am!also!a!beauty!guru!on!

YouTube!where!I!love!to!upload!crochet! tutorials,!diy!projects,!hauls,!and!fashion! related!videos.!!

I!began!croche7ng!about!10!years!ago!when!

I!was!around!9!years!old!but!I!did!not! prac7ce!it!oEen.!During!that!summer!when!I! was!9,!I!was!so!bored!the!en7re!summer! from!being!confined!at!home!because!I! grew!up!with!strict!parents.!I!had!seen!my! mom!croche7ng!and!kniIng!during!the! winter7me!in!previous!years!so!I!decided!to! ask!her!to!teach!me!how!to!crochet!so!that!I! would!have!a!hobby!to!entertain!myself! with!during!my!summer!break.!!That!was! when!I!picked!up!my!first!crochet!hook!and! aEer!about!2K3!hours,!I!was!able!to! accomplish!half!of!a!fairly!decent!looking! scarf.!A!few!days!later,!I!was!finished!with! the!scarf!and!became!hooked!to!croche7ng! so!I!asked!my!mom!once!again!to!teach!me! a!new!project.!My!second!project!was!a! purse!and!it!instantly!became!a!treasure!of! mine!aEer!I!had!completed!it.!AEer!that! summer,!I!stopped!croche7ng!since!I!had!to! go!back!to!school.!I!started!to!crochet!again! every!winter!season!aEer!I!was!12!years!old! un7l!now!and!croche7ng!has!become!my! favorite!pas7me.!Croche7ng!is!an!escape!for! me!because!it!is!my!stress!reliever!from!all! the!intense!studying!that!I!have!to!keep!up! with.!Croche7ng!allows!my!mind!to!flow! freely!and!my!fingers!to!create!a!prideful! piece!of!art.!I!have!always!seen!the!crochet! !

16

hook!as!an!equivalent!to!a!magic!wand! because!it!does!wonders.!

About!three!years!ago,!I!created!an!account!on!

YouTube!with!the!inten7on!of!sharing!hair! styling!videos!because!that!was!one!of!my! biggest!passions.!AEer!a!year!on!YouTube! around!the!winter7me,!I!began!to!indulge!my! free!7me!into!croche7ng!once!again!and! because!it!was!near!the!giE!giving!7me,!I! wanted!to!create!a!tutorial!on!my!channel! where!I!can!show!a!DIY!project!for!others!to! make!and!give!to!their!significant!other.!That! was!when!I!pondered!upon!the!idea!of! recording!a!crochet!tutorial.!I!had!no! experience!in!filming!one!so!I!just!winged!it!but! fortunately,!I!received!a!great!amount!of! feedback!and!they!were!mainly!good!rather! than!bad.!AEer!my!first!video,!my!emails,! views,!and!youtube!channel!seemed!to!go! through!an!explosion.!I!got!constant!requests! for!more!and!more!crochet!tutorials!so!in! response,!I!started!to!upload!more!and!crochet! tutorials!are!now!the!most!viewed!videos!on! my!YouTube!channel.

The!happiest!moment!of!my!day!is!always! coming!home!from!a!long!day!of!school!or! work!and!logging!into!YouTube!to!read!the! comments!that!my!subscribers!leave!me.!It! always!brightens!up!my!en7re!day!and!makes! all!my!troubles!appear!insignificant!when!I!read! a!comment!about!a!success!story!of!someone! who!watched!my!video!and!was!able!to!finish!a! scarf!or!a!hat.!I!love!when!young!subscribers!! let!me!know!that!because!of!me,!they!were! able!to!crochet!for!the!first!7me.!!It!feels!very! heartwarming!to!me!and!those!are!the! comments!that!I!obtain!inspira7on!from!to! keep!con7nuing!to!create!crochet!tutorials.!

LINKS: hQp://youtube.com/traceybeauty hQp://www.instagram.com/traceynguyen18 !

17

Tracey Nguyen traceybeauty on youtube: a place full of creativity and beauty ‒

fashion, makeup, crocheting, DIY projects, and more

http://www.youtube.com/user/traceybeauty

!

18

The Art of . . . . . Gratitude negative subjects had a hard time dealing with stress factors and where sick more than normal.

So what does this have to do with crochet? Well, crochet saves lives. We have seen and read stories from many people that crochet allowed them that time to relax away from the days filth or overworked bodies, bad kids, a bad marriage, etc.

Crochet lets us count our blessings and joy through the repeatitive form of crafting. It let’s us clear our mind and teaches us to take time out to enjoy life and look up and see something wonderful….to sit and be still and Almost every religion and belief on this listen…to focus on the good things.

Earth will tell you that people are generally better off no matter what the circumstances So the question is how do we begin to when they practice joy, patience and appreciate whatever life throws at us? longsuffering. This is especially true when Here are 2 tips to keep you going: we are in the mist of troubles or heartache.

How and why do we need to remain joyful 1. Create a journal, blog or some form and even thankful for both our trials and of diary. Tell yourself in your daily those good things in life? entries that you love yourself and that you are grateful for at least one thing a “Abraham Maslow, the father of humanistic day. Soon you will be able to go back psychology, recognized the power of over your journal and count each and gratitude to recharge the soul” (The Soul/ every blessing that has happened to Body Connection, 2012) you thus far.

Scientifically, there has also been studies done to correlate “counting your blessings” and physical health problems. The subjects who blessed, showed joy and didn’t flip out when bad things happened where more likely to overcome health issues quicker, if they showed up at all. While the more !

2. A grateful heart starts with being joyful. Start to view your glass as half full instead of half empty. Learn to fully enjoy special moments and if you change your mindset, your life will follow.

19

Crochet Techie APPS. . . . .

We will be doing a series of reviews and recommendations for a few apps that we totally love. The first part of this series focuses on the Android. The next series will show us those fabulous Apple apps for your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. Here are my favorite apps as well as one app that had bad reviews but we tried it anyway‌.

Crochet tube Want to learn how to crochet or knit ?

The best way to learn is by example!

So This app contains lots of built in example & tutorial videos for free!

Watch tutorial videos & Enhance your Crochet skills!

Average rating 4.8 out of 5 Great reviews from users‌.

Crochet dress up Do you like to to wear crochets? if you do, then check out these really amazing clothes available in this game! Make the beautiful model try on some of those trendy crochets and choose the outfit you like best to dress her up for a new day! You can also change her look with a new hairstyle and and choose some glitzy accessories for her! Enjoy!

Features: - hairstyles - hats - earrings - necklaces - dresses - bags - shoes The saved image can be: - emailed to your friends!

- shared on Facebook! !

- used as wallpaper or avatar Feel free to Contact us on Facebook or by email for requests, questions or suggestions.

Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ MobileGirlsGamesNo1 This app is FREE and SAFE to use!

Please rate our game and feel free to share it with your friends!

Aver. Rating 4.7 out of 5 20

Recommendations for your Android Gaugefy

Crochet Cards

Calculate your knitting/crochet gauge with Gaugefy easily. It also helps you: Adjust your gauge - for the pattern you are working with Calculate your end goals - How many stitches will you need to get 10 inches with your gauge?

- How wide/long will it be when you work x stitches and y rows?

- How many repeats do you need to get certain length or number of stitches?

Gaugefy helps you with it all.

Crochet Cards CrochetCards allows you to store information about your crochet projects including images of your projects as well as notes. Tag your projects. Search your projects by tags. Sort your projects by name and date.

Rating 4.2 with 4 out 5 stars.

Ballero A fraction of the awesomeness of Ravelry in a smartphone app is now yours! * Find local yarn stores using Ravelry's local yarn store database. * View your queued projects, including yarn requirements * View and edit portions of your knitting and crocheting in progress * Check your needle collection Ratings 2.8 Many people wanted more funtionality. So you decide and join the Ravelry group for it to leave back feedback. We are in the middle on this one.

!

21

WEAR CROCHET spring 2013 You know how we do...each magazine issue features our top picks from our Polyvore.com page, featuring stylist all over the world who blog about fashion, accessories and shoes. We show you how you can rock the latest trends for each season and how to pair your crochet with it. Enjoy!

!

22

!

23

!

24

WEAR CROCHET spring 2013 TO VIEW MORE, CHECK CROCHET SAVVY ONLINE!

!

25

A photographic journey through one of my favorite fashion blogs for the Spring! http:// www.takemetotarah.com

!

26

About me: My name is Tarah and I live in Houston, TX. What I love most about fashion is there are endless ways to express yourself, for me getting dressed is a creative process. So , everyday I get to use my creative side. I am a creative person, so naturally I loved fashion from the very beginning.

How I started: When I first graduated college I got the first decent paying job I could find. It happened to be at a College as a financial aid advisor. After working there, I got really anxious about what i was doing with my life. I didn't like what I was doing and I wasn't fulfilled.

After many venting sessions a coworker and I decided to start blogging. Once we started we couldn't stop and we are both bloggers to this day. Her blog is www.Carmenvogue.com

About take me to Tarah: Take me to Tarah is a way of getting out my dreams. I get to model, be a stylist, give advice and share my story with the world.

At Takemetotarah.com ,I show my fashion philosophy, great decor, style inspiration, advice columns and etc. There's a serenity that comes to me when I am blogging and when I am not blogging I am constantly worrying about blogging.

It's a vicious cycle I got myself into but, I am hoping to find a happy balance one day.

!

27

!

28

Blog inspiration: I was inspired to blog because my blog gives me a platform to speak on and I have something to say. I am not a chatter box in reality, I am more of a listener. What I hear life, I incorporate in my blog.

What I want to do in life: What I want to do in life is a question I ask myself every couple of months. It's ever changing, (anything dealing with fashion that sounds great and well traveled insert here) Seriously, because I've wanted to do it all. And I honestly, don't think I am a one career type of gal anyways. As a woman of faith, I trust and believe that Jesus will direct my footsteps and my path. With that said, I know he has some great things in store for me!

!

29

Dancing, crochet & funny...

Shauna Howard

Our 2012 Cover Girl and Feature Columnist/Blogger at her best...a few updates from her life a year later...”she so crazy”...lol and can dance her butt off!

"Hello, is it me you're looking for?

Hello?" Who leaves a cordless house phone in a fence?

"You gotta 'coooooooooooordinate', lol!" random: It's 6:55pm and my neighbor's been playing his "The Whisper's Greatest Hits" for a hour now. Either he's back on his medication or this is his Friday night hype music - I think I'm officially worried about him…

Why are we reppin' #unc in Philly?

This ain't Franklin St. - get that mess out of here!! #DukeFan !

30

Diva-In-Training Designs presents the Handmade Spa Bath Collection, complete with 100% all-natural cotton washcloth, soap saver bag with built-in drawstring, and 7 face scrubby cleansing pads (more colors to come soon).

This is where it all begins: my little design studio :) #divaintrainingdesigns #yarn #studio #newbeginnings #yarn #organize #colorful

Denim & Tan Traditional Handmade Scarf $38 #picstitch #valentine #couple #scarf #handmade #mens #denim #blue #tan #camel #brown #peanutbutter #winter #accessories #etsiansofinstagram #etsy #readytoship #onesizefitsall #newlisting #multicolor #philly #philadelphia #brewerytown #crochet #hisandhers

Check out the Diva-In-Training Designs collage that Chelii Blackjediuzn Broussard put together for me on Instagram - I love the support! #SpartanSpirit #UNCG #EbonyInMotion #DivaInTrainingDesigns #DanceTroupe

!

31

Craftwich Creations Our favorite hook maker for the Spring 2013 Issue

We set out on our journey to find the perfect wand...um ur (clearing my throat...) I mean the perfect hook...and after many many many people directed us to Craftwich, we decided to check out the hooks on their page, the customer reviews and the community included. We have yet to find a single negative word against them. This is why Craftwich is our TOP PICK for Spring! The craftsmanship and dedication shows in the hooks. So without any more of my loving ramblings about Craftwich, here is our interview with Monica Lowe, the Founder of Craftwich Creations:

!

32

Q: What is your name and company name?

A: Monica Lowe, sole person of Craftwich creations!

Q: Tell us a little about yourself, do you crochet, knit, spin yarn as well...what are your hobbies, lifestyle?

A: I've been crocheting for about....16 years? Self taught, which led to a grip that they dubbed the "spider crawl" at Crochet @Cama, hehe. I work up at the top, and I throw off the yarn. Yep, I pick it up off the hook and take it off the hook with my fingers. Crawling spiders, see? Oh, and I'm a lefty!

I also have a second job - I work at a small local fiber mill (it's just two of us) where I get to play with fiber ALL day! (mostly alpaca, too..yum!)

Crimping River Fiber Mill just opened at the end of October, and it's amazing to me, how far we've come, and the GORGEOUS fiber we've processed. I do most of the spinning, and my favorite part is getting to play around with colors and fibers and see what nice yarn I can make. Look for some for sale in my Etsy store soon!

I also have been spinning for about 3.5 years now, which got me into learning about fiber animals, which led to owning an alpaca. He's a suri, and is boarded at the farm at the fiber mill I work at (http:// crimpingriverfiber.com). I love the colors in spinning! There is SO many talented fiber people who make the most beautiful color combos I can spin! I just need 10 more hours a day...

I don't know how to knit at all, I'm a pure hooker. My husband and two boys are VERY understanding - my youngest, who's 6, learned at an early age not to mess around with mom's crochet. He's the first one to ask what I'm crocheting each day!

I also sew, which I've been doing since I was REALLY young. I like to make purses and bags, and I also make hook holders I sell at fairs. !

33

Q: What made you or inspired you to start creating hooks, especially the kind of hooks that you make?

A: I've always enjoyed learning a process from the VERY beginning, so after years of crocheting, after I moved to Washington State I taught myself spinning so I could make my own ya r n a n d l e a r n a b o u t t h a t process, and then I tried making my own hook.

My first attempts were...pitiful!

Then I saw the ads for Crochet@Cama, put on by the Crochet Liberation Front, and Jimbo (http:// jimbosfrontporch.blogspot.com) was reaching a class on carving hooks! My whole summer, I did everything I could to get to that event and get to his class. Not only was the camp a GREAT experience - I met so many cool hookers!!! - but yes indeed, I took to carving hooks like a duck to water. Loved it! When I got home, I couldn't stop, so eventually my husband starting telling me, maybe I should do something with all those hooks... (they were in jars, lining the living room window!)

I adore making them out of natural wood that my friends and I find.

Q: How are you hooks different from all of those

!

other ones in the market right now, what makes your company and hooks special?

A: Carving hooks out of a twig isn't a new idea, but I like to think that I add a heck of a lot of love in what I do.

Each hook I make is unique and completely individual. Some even name themselves - no, really! It just pops into my head! I like to let the wood tell me what it wants to be.

Sometimes, it doesn't want to be a hook at all, and so I started making shawl pins and hair sticks. Some, I really don't think would make a practical hook, but it wanted to be one.

And the very cool part is, each hook no matter how different - seems to find its partner. That's the part I love the most - hearing people say, "It's like it was made just for me!" In a way, it was - it just had to find YOU. I also make sure that the wood I use is always found, or I recycle what would be tossed or burned (old cuttings), or I recycle. It's very important to me that no wood goes to waste - nature provides, we just need to find what it's to be used for. And there's so much beauty to be found! I do occasionally buy exotic wood, but it's out of the scrap bins. I've also gotten wood from furniture stores that would normally have been tossed in the dump or burned, and scraps from another wood carver who works MUCH bigger than I do. Nothing to waste!

The other part that I think sets me apart is that I actually CROCHET. There's a lot of great woodcarvers out

34

there who make hooks, but not a whole lot who have actually been crocheting for years like me - so I know what works and what doesn't in a hook! I know grips (I have a really weird one, myself), stitches, and what a hook needs for what stitch. I understand how Tunisian is done, and I've made hairpin lace (on a loom I made). I know that bullions need more neck room, and that a sore hand might work better with a larger h a n d l e . I s p e a k h o o k ! A l s o, I understand YARN. Since I handspin, I know how fibers work - which is why I make sure my hooks are as smooth as I can make them. No snagging fibers!

Q: What is the process of creation and how long does it take to get a hook perfect? Do you have help or is it just you making these special hooks?

A: There's several stages to making a hook, and each one is exciting and new to me. First, I remove the bark (not on all, though!) and it's a surprise to see what is underneath.

That's when I find out what color is underneath, if there's worm trails, spalting (the black lines created by fungi), neat knots or other special aspects of the wood. From there, I get to shaping the hook itself. I tend to do rough size and work on the handle first, then go back and do the hook part. I use precision measurement tools to get the right sizes. I like to say, I'm more accurate than mass-manufactured!. If the hook part turns out well (believe it or not, only about..mmm...40-50% of the wood I work on actually makes !

hooks!) then I start the sanding another adventure! This is where the particular piece of wood's true beauty rally starts to shine through. I use up to five different grades to get that smoothness, and then finish it off with an all-natural vegetable-based wood preserver that I found, that I really like.

I get help from my friends and family, and I couldn't do it without them. Big call out - YO! You guys rock! I have friends who bring me wood, friends who have helped sand; and it's all fantastic, the amount of attention that goes into this craft.

Q: I am a fan of Harry Potter and have expressed interest in a Wand like hook. Do you ever have weird requests like mine and if so, how often? Is it hard to replicate or create fully custom requests like that?

A: I have gotten a few requests, but nothing is weird to me - I love a challenge! I'll always try my best.

Doing a replica would probably be very difficult, as no two pieces of wood I use are alike - but I have done some that were similar, because customers wanted more of that style.

The most common request I get is for a hook that is like a Boye or Bates hooks. I tend to go more Bates style to start (I like my tips to be more pointed), so I've adjusted hooks to be more rounded top and flattened sides to match Boye.

I've had a few interesting suggestions, to - the ShibaGuyz (http://www.shibaguyz.com/pages/ 35

designz) thought it would be cool to take a many-branched piece of wood and carve a hook in each branch.

Guyz, I'm still looking for a good branch!!!

One request that I think I will actually go off and make, was a request for a custom hairpin lace loom, after a customer saw the one I made myself for the CGOA conference in Reno last year.

Q: Have you or your hooks been featured in any other media, books, or won any awards?

A: My friend, the designer Laurinda Reddig featured one of my hooks in her first published book, Rowan's Learn To Crochet Sampler Afghan ( h t t p s : / / w w w. c r e a t e s p a c e . c o m / 3959758) which I HIGLY recommend for anyone just learning to crochet excellent book from an excellent designer! (She won the Grand Prize with CGOA Design contest last year, an intarsia vest, which I got to see in the early stages - exciting!) !

I was also featured on Stacey Trock's (Fresh Stitches) blog and podcast - very nice review. http://www.freshstitches.com/ craftwich-hand-carved-crochethooks-review-interview/ Podcast episode download here: http:// www.freshstitches.com/crochetc h a t- p o d c a s t- i n d i e -ya r n - d y e rspace-cadet-creations/ Other reviews: http://unanimouscraft.com/ resources/craftwich-creations-etsyshop http://hitchingsstitchings.com/ s h o p p i n g / s h o p p i n g - n e w - h o o kfancy-yarn 10. If you had a wish list of 10 things, what would be your favorite things. (If you provide links online, we will create a mini Favorite things sections with links that people can see what objects you picked or reccommend.)

OK, here goes: 1. Majacraft Aura spinning wheel http:// w w w. m a j a c r a f t . c o . n z / w h e e l s / aura.php 2. ANY yarn from Bijou Basin http://www.bijoubasinranch.com/ BBR_YPfiber.htm 3. Custom hat from Girl With A Hook! http://www.etsy.com/ shop/girlwithahook 4. Jet mini-lathe http:// www.woodcraft.com/PRODUCT/ 2020138/22632/JET-MINI-LATHEWITH-INDEXING-HEADM O D E L- 7 0 8 3 7 5 . AS P X ? refcode=10INGOPB&gclid=CKr35ve J07UCFQjhQgodnRAAwg 36

5. My own farm, of course!

Complete with a workshop ;) 6.

Fiber from WoolWench..yumm http:// www.woolwench.com/ 7. Yarn from Darn Good Yarn h t t p : / / s t o r e . d a r n g o o d ya r n . c o m / category/yarn 8. Annette Petavy sitting at my table making me a shawl design... http://www.annettepetavy.com/shop/ 9.

A soft sculpture from Croshame (not sure what yet...) http://croshame.com/ 10.

Any of this shop's Wild Cards! http:// w w w . e t s y. c o m / s h o p / y a r n w e n c h ? section_id=6419306 11.

Q: Where do you sell your products and what shows, conventions do you attend?

Where are you going next, this year in 2013?

A: Last year was my first official business year, and I attending several local craft and fiber fairs. The biggest

was Urban Craft Uprising in downtown Seattle, which occurs twice a year. I'm hoping I make it in again this year, we'll see! Another fun local fiber fest was Fiber Fusion, which was in October, and was fiber, fiber, fiber.

This year I hope to attend again with a booth I share with the mill, selling hooks, buttons and yarn I make at the mill.

I also was at the Reno CGOA conference, at the Crochet Liberation Front booth. That was a great show I took a couple classes I enjoyed, and met a bunch of new hookers, and sold a bunch of hooks.

This year is still in the works -I'm looking into craft other fiber-related fairs that I think would enjoy my hooks.

My hooks can also be found at N o r t h w e s t H a n d s p u n Ya r n s i n Bellingham WA, and my buttons will soon be at Threeravens Fiber Studio in Baltimore, Maryland! Who knows where else my crafts may show up?

Of course, I can always be found at my Etsy store! www.craftwich.etsy.com Monica is an amazing person and great crafter! To contact her or if interested in buying her hooks and supporting her business, follow the links below: www.craftwich.etsy.com www.facebook.com/craftwich http://www.ravelry.com/people/ craftwich Twitter: @craftwich Craftwich on Hookey - the CLF's social website! (http://hookey.org/) craftwich68@yahoo.com

!

37

www.craftwich.etsy.com

!

38

!

39

Charity CROCHET. . . . .

All of our projects are through knitFAB Charities at http://charities.knitfabulous.org and its FREE to join the online Charity Group. Catering to both knitting and crochet, the projects listed in this issue are great ones indeed and where chosen for being a huge blessing in the community. Enjoy and participate!

Warm Hands Network The! Warm! Hands! Network! was! started! in!

2007! by! two! friends! Amy! and! Anita! in!

OQawa,! Canada.! ! They! were! looking! for! a! way! to! turn! their! 40th! birthday! celebra7on! into!something!meaningful.! !They!decided!to! build!on!the!long!tradi7on!of!charity!kniIng! and! start! a!campaign!to! collect!50! items!to! send!to!the!Innu!in!Labrador.!!Thanks!to!their! generous! donors,! they! far! exceeded! that! ini7al! goal.! ! They! were! encouraged! to! con7nue!and!have!now! completed! mul7ple! campaigns.! ! Over! 3000! items ! have! been! shipped!to!date.!!!The!Warm!Hands!Network! have!received!dona7ons!from!across!Canada,! the!USA,!Japan,!and!Germany.

In! the!past! Warm! Hands! Network! has! sent! items! to! Afghanistan,! Mongolia,! Northern!

Labrador! (Canada),! Rankin! Inlet! (Canada),!

Gjoa! Haven! (Canada)! and! Moosonee!

(Canada).! ! Today! Warm! Hands! is! primarily! focused! on! Aboriginal! communi7es! in!

Canada,! and! they! ship! items! twice! a! year!

(January!30th!and!September!30th).!!

!

40

i s! w o r k i n g! t h r o u g h! s i m i l a r! g r a s s r o o t s! o r g a n i z a 7 o n s! o n! t h e! g r o u n d! i n! t h e s e! communi7es.! ! Person!to! person!we! are!working! to!make!a!difference.

We!call!ourselves!a !network!because!we!are!the! link!between!kniQers!and!crocheters!(producers),! shippers! (our! airline! partners)! and! distributors! (our! community! contacts).! ! It’s! the! partnership! between! these! three! groups! that! makes! our! project!work.

Warm!Hands !accepts !dona7ons!of!hand!knit!and! crochet! items! (hats,! miQens,! scarves,! socks,! blankets,!sweaters,!slippers,!etc).!!In!addi7on,! any! cash! dona7ons! received! are! used! to! buy! warm!winter!boots !for!kids.! !Supplying! items!for! children! is! a! big! priority! for! the! charity.! ! For! example,!last!year!the!group!had!a !campaign!to! collect!75! washable!blankets,! as!well!as!clothing! items,! for! the! daycare! centers! in! one! of! our! target! communi7es.! ! We! have! also! had! campaigns!to!collect!items!for!elders,!and!clients! at! the! women’s ! shelter! (both! women! and! children).! ! Wool!socks,!par7cularly! in! children’s! sizes,! are! a!specific! request!for! every! campaign! we!do.! ! These!items!can! be! costly! in! the! North! and!very!much!appreciated!in!our!communi7es.

Warm! Hands! is! completely! volunteer! run! and! relies! on! dona7ons! for! the! items ! we! send.!!

Shipping! is! donated! by! our! partner! airlines.!!

Distribu7on! is! handled! through! community! contacts,!such!as !local!community!health!clinics,! schools,!friendship!centres!and!dropKin!programs.!!

As!well,!we!like!that!our!grassroots!organiza7on!

!

Our! goal! is! to! provide! some! small! physical! warmth! to! northern! communi7es,! but! perhaps! equally!importantly,!to!create!a !personKtoKperson! connec7on! through! kniIng! –! raising! awareness! in! the! south! about! those! Canadians! living! in! remote! northern! communi7es,! and! leIng! northern! children,! and! families! know! that! they! are! not! invisible! (Carlene,! you! may! wish! to! sharpen!the!wording!here).

Further!informa7on!about!Warm!Hands !Network! can!be!found!through!the!following: Website:! ! WarmHandsNetwork.org! (this!includes! fiber!guidelines,!size!info,!items!needed,!etc) Blog:!!www.warmhandsnetwork.blogspot.ca Ravelry:! www.ravelry.com/groups/warmKhandsK network For! those!in! the! OQawa! area,! dona7ons! can! be! dropped! at! one! of! our! partner! stores!(listed! on! our! website).! ! Alterna7vely,! dona7on! can! be! mailed!to: Warm7Hands7Network 2407First7Avenue

41

Charity Profile: Warm Hands Network Our Mission is to use our creative talents to enhance the lives of others. Creative Crochet 4 A Cause (or C3 for short) unites crocheters from all over to help provide hats and clothing for needy communities across the world. http://www.crochet4acause.org

!

42

Who We Are Creative Crochet 4 A Cause (or C3 for short), came about when Charmel sent some crocheted hats to an orphanage in Swaziland Africa. When she saw the pictures of the children with the hats on, she knew she wanted to continue this mission and in a big way. Charmel shared the idea with a few of her close friends and family and they were very enthusiastic to help her with her journey.

The mission of Crochet 4 A Cause is to enhance the lives of others using creative talents. In late 2012 C3 was incorporated as a nonprofit in Texas, becoming more than just an idea. SInce then C3 has built upon Charmel's dream which is assembling a team of volunteer crocheters from around Texas to help make and share crochet around the world.

Each Dream Carrier is chosen best upon their relationship and experience to the community or country C3 is helping. Once selected, Dream Carriers are provided with the crochet items that carries the hopes and dreams of millions of children who are in need everyday.

Once the Dream Carrier arrives to his/or her destination, all donated hats and clothing is given to another C3 representative where it is then distributed properly to the intended community.

WHAT WE DO We crochet hats and clothing for disadvantaged children in communities around the world. Through our team of volunteer crocheters and material suppliers, we crochet a wide array of hats and other clothing products. Once crocheted we find communities and families who are in need and could use the additional clothing.

HOW WE DO IT: DREAM CARRIERS In order to ensure we carry out our mission in enhancing people’s lives from around the world, C3 has developed the Dream Carriers. Dream Carriers are volunteers from around the United States who take on the large task of personally transporting crochet hats and clothing to their respected destinations.

!

43

Mazel Tov Taylor! on your Bat Mitzvah!

Taylor Zimelman was born on March 24, 2000, at Cedars Sinai hospital. Upon birth, doctors discovered that Taylor had a virus which stopped her from growing, and also had two holes in her heart. She spent the first three months of her life in the NICU, where the doctors tried to get her big enough and strong enough to undergo open heart surgery. Three months later, at 6 pounds, Taylor underwent open heart surgery, performed by Dr. Hillel Laks, at UCLA, and finally came home to us a week later. For the next five years, Taylor had 4-5 therapies a week- Gross motor, Oral Motor, Fine Motor, to help get her development back on track. She lost so much, by being in the hospital for such a long !

44

time. Since she had a feeding tube, so she wouldn't lose weight, she never learned how to suck or swallow. Those basic things needed to be taught. The doctors said Taylor would have low muscle tone. Well, I am here to report that they were so wrong. We started Taylor in gymnastics at age 3, to try to stretch and open up her chest area, never dreaming that she would fall in love with the sport.

Taylor, now a strong, totally healthy twelve year old, became the California State champ in uneven bars in 2011, and in 2012, qualified for and competed in an International Gymnastics meet, where she placed 7th internationally in bars in her age division.

She is truly our miracle. She will be celebrating her Bat Mitzvah on March 23, 2013, in Los Angeles, with her proud parents, Jodi and Steven Zimelman, and older sister Carli, by her side. Taylor has truly come full circle, by being able to give back to the hospitals that she called "home" for the first 3 1/2 months of her life.

Here is a picture of Taylor today, and a picture of two of the caps that she knitted.

Celebrating the mitzvah of Charity... by: LaTonya Keturah Malinconico, Founder & Editor-nChief I am bi-racial, my faith- Jewish. I love giving and working on charity projects and I especially love to see young people doing good in the world. I choose to focus in this magazine issue on one young lady who decided to give as is tradition before one’s Bat Mitzvah. A Bat Mitzvah is a time in a young girl’s life when she becomes a Woman according to Jewish Tradition. In some circles, the daughter or son- when coming into age, is given a great big celebration. They read from the Torah or Haftorah, or discuss it and they invite family and friends to share in this moment, and afterwards, they celebrate....and I mean party hard!

To do a mitzvah, (commandment) is part of the tenets of our faith. Our great !

Rabbis & Sages believed that the greatest of all mitzvah was charity. When we give, our soul is cleansed and we understand a little bit more what it means to be closer to G-d.

While normally keeping Crochet Savvy away from religion and politics most of the time, I still remain true to myself and my own life experiences and faith within the 45

magazine. So I told myself that this time I would be honored to cover a religious story. And I am very proud and honored to have Taylor Z. as my Crochet Charity Spotlight in the Spring 2013 issue of Crochet Savvy. I am especially proud that she also shares my faith and that I can relate to both her project and her goals.

To read more about her story, download the Spring 2013 Issue. Taylor choose for her mitzvah of charity to crochet and knit hats for preemies. The contact information, address for sending in your completed work as well as project details are all listed inside of this article as well as the Ravelry group link HERE!

Once again- Congrats Taylor “Mazel Tov”!

- from all of us at Crochet Savvy Magazine

Taylor

is asking for donations of baby caps for Cedars-Sinai Hospital where she spent the first three months of her life. This is a project for her Bat Mitzvah in March 2013.

Now that she is 12 she wants to give back to the hospital that help her and took care of her for 3 months. The hospital is very touched by Taylor’s project and look forward to receiving the caps.

Here’s a photo of Taylor in her mom’s arms wearing her pink preemie cap to keep her warm.

“My daughter's name is Taylor Zimelman. She is 12 years old. She decided to knit caps for babies in the NICU at Cedars Sinai and UCLA, where she spent the first 3 !

46

1/2 months of her life. Taylor was born prematurely, with a virus, and two holes in her heart. She was given a knit cap (in picture) to keep her little head warm, while in the hospital. Taylor still has that cap, and decided for her Mitzvah project, that she wanted to give back to the babies in the NICU, who needed caps to keep their heads warm. Since Taylor was a beginning knitter, she enlisted the help of Charity knitters at Ravelry.com to help her reach her goal. As of now, Taylor has over 500 caps to give the hospitals. She has received caps from as far as Japan, as well, and Canada, and all over the United States. She is beyond thrilled, and is so taken back by all of the kind people out there willing to help a 12 year old make an impact.

Taylor will be collecting caps until the end of March. The caps can be sent to: A Tighter U Fitness, 10854 Washington Boulevard, Culver City, CA 90232

!

47

!

48

!

49

featured designers Rachelle Smith

I've been crocheting for over a decade and I've been selling pieces locally for four. I use my own patterns, so crochet is my way to bring what's going on in my imagination out into the world. I enjoy nothing more than to see something, imagine it in yarn form, and puzzle it out. I'm originally from Alabama and moved to Utah from Idaho thirteen years ago. !

I live here with my husband, Oliver, and enough cats to seem odd but not enough to reach my goal of "Crazy Cat Lady." Aside from my awesome life as a Craft Lake City artist, I sell locally at Signed & Numbered and online at Etsy, and will be featured in an upcoming Kristen Rask crochet book and kit.

50

Crochet Resume • Craft Lake City 2010-present • Craft Lake City Featured Artist 2011-2012 • Craft Sabbath 2010-presentcraftsabbath.com • Idaho MS Walk Supporting Artist 2010-2011 • Art vs. Craft Artist 2011- http:// downtown.fox13now.com/ news/arts-culture/art-vs-craftclc-festival/57758 • Celebration of the Hand Artist 2012- http:// www.youtube.com/watch? v=2B_TRtRpiVU • People's Market Vendor 2012slcpeoplesmarket.org • Craft Lake Artist's Workshop Series January 2013- http:// www.youtube.com/watch? v=zFyWoyEJx-Q • Upcoming Kristen Rask Crochet Book- Fall 2013 Links http://www.etsy.com/shop/ yayhookdcrochet http://www.facebook.com/ yayhookdcrochet http://craftlakecity.com/2012/ exhibitors/hookd_crochet http://hookey.org/profile/ yarnsmithee http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=2B_TRtRpiVU

!

51

spring

patterns

Hamburger

by Rachelle Smith

Skill Level- Easy SUPPLIES size f hook worsted weight yarn in tan, beige, brown, yellow, red, green fiberfill stuffing stitch marker tapestry needle !

52

ABBREVIATIONS AND TERMS USED IN THIS PATTERN R= round or row ch= chain sk= skip sl st= slip stitch sc= single crochet hdc= half-double crochet dc= double crochet inc= increase dec= decrease * *= repeat instructions within the stars to the end of the row/round Also, at the end of each row, you will see the number of stitches you should wind up with.

TOP BUN (with tan and beige) Round 1- with tan, ch 2, sc 7 in 2nd ch from hook. Place stitch marker and move up each round. R2- inc around- 14 R3- *inc, sc 1* to end- 21 R4- *inc, sc 2* to end- 28 R5- *inc, sc3* to end- 35 R6- *inc, sc 4* to end- 42 R7- *inc, sc 5* to end- 49 R8- *inc, sc 6* to end- 56 R9- sc around, switch to beige R10- *sc 6, dec* to end- 49 R11- *sc 5, dec* to end- 42 R12- *sc 4, dec* to end- 35 R13- *sc 3, dec* to end- 28 R14- *sc 2, dec* to end- 21 R15- *sc 1, dec* to end- 14, stuff R16- dec 9, fasten off and weave in end BOTTOM BUN (with tan and beige) Round 1- with tan, ch 2, sc 7 in 2nd ch from hook. Place stitch marker and move up each round. R2- inc around- 14 R3- *inc, sc 1* to end- 21 R4- *inc, sc 2* to end- 28 R5- *inc, sc3* to end- 35 R6- *inc, sc 4* to end- 42 R7- *inc, sc 5* to end- 49 R8- *inc, sc 6* to end- 56, switch to beige R9- *sc 6, dec* to end- 49 R10- *sc 5, dec* to end- 42 R11- *sc 4, dec* to end- 35 R12- *sc 3, dec* to end- 28 R13- *sc 2, dec* to end- 21 R14- *sc 1, dec* to end- 14, stuff R15- dec 9, fasten off and weave in ends. !

53

PATTY (with brown, make 2) Round 1- ch 2, sc 7 in 2nd ch from hook. Place stitch marker and move up each round. R2inc around- 14 R3- *inc, sc 1* to end- 21 R4- *inc, sc 2* to end- 28 R5- *inc, sc3* to end- 35 R6- *inc, sc 4* to end- 42 R7- *inc, sc 5* to end- 49 Sew the two pieces together around the edges.

LETTUCE (with green) Round 1- ch 2, sc 7 in 2nd ch from hook. Place stitch marker and move up each round. R2inc around- 14 R3- *inc, sc 1* to end- 21 R4- *inc, sc 2* to end- 28 R5- *inc, sc3* to end- 35 R6- *inc, sc 4* to end- 42 R7- sl st, *sc hdc dc hdc sc in 1, sk 1* all the way around. Fasten off and weave in ends.

CHEESE (with yellow)

!

54

by:

!

Rachelle Smith

55

featured designers Raghouse International Designer & Teacher Renaissance Marie Austin A singer at 5, a designer at 11, Renaissance Marie Austin is an artist and entrepreneur from Los Angeles, California with a mission to inspire through music and alternative careers in the Arts and Crafts industry. She has been an example and guide to other women helping them to start their own online businesses in fashion and fiber arts. She is a knitwear designer and manufacturer of her second successful business, Raghouse International, her online boutique, which has been covered by over thirty blogs including OC Weekly, Etsy.com, and Venus Diva Magazine.

During her time as a designer with Saints + Sirens Showroom her crocheted head band collection debuted in four Nordstroms across the US. In December of 2006 she

!

56

was a Knitster on DIY Network's Knitty Gritty with Vickie Howell and had the opportunity to meet Lily Chin, a very successful crochet designer and businesswoman. For a year and a half she taught crochet and knitting to adults and children fulfilling the desire to revive and pass along crafting skills to people from all over. Renaissance has also written various articles for handmademarketing.org.

Vickie! Howell's! KniQy! GriQy! which! showed! on! the! DIY! Network.! From! there!teaching!fell!into!her!lap!in!2010! at! Joann,! Etc.! in! Torrance,! Ca.! Now! she! has! expanded! her! teaching! to! online! tutorials! and! at! Gather! Yarn! shop,!the! liQle! kniQy! nook! in! the!city.!

Gather! is! the! ďŹ rst! of! it's! kind! to! be! housed!in! the!historic! core!promo7ng! ďŹ ber!arts!to!the!local!community.

Fashion, arts and crafts, and music were a major part of her upbringing, so there was no question as to what she would study in school. She began with a double major in fashion design and fashion marketing at American Intercontinental University, then Cosmetology at Marinello Schools of Beauty. During her time at El Camino College where the fire of Raghouse International was ignited, her studies were in music, dance, the Japanese language and business, with a focus on branding and marketing. In 2006 she graduated from the Gerry Foster Branding and Marketing Camp. Renaissance continues to spread the love of fiber through her blog, Fiber Style and travels the city inspiring through song.

She currently resides in the Spring Arts District of Downtown Los Angeles.

In! the! Fall/Winter! of! 2010K11! her! crocheted! headband! collec7on! debuted!in! four!Nordstrom!across! the! country.!Now!she!is!working!with!PRB! Public! Rela7ons! to! bring! more! exposure! to! her! collec7ons.! Over! twelve! magazines! including,! but! limited! to! W,! Essence,! Hunger!

Magazine,! Bello,! and! Fashion! Tv! Magazine! have! all! pulled! Raghouse!

Interna7onal! samples! for! their! Spring! and! Summer! photo! shoots.! So! far!

Raghouse! Interna7onal!has! been! shot! for! Schon! Magazine,! a! London! based! magazine.!

CROCHET7RESUME From!Vickie!Howell's!KniQy!GriQy!to!the! classrooms! of! Joann! Etc.! and! Gather!

Yarn! shop,! Renaissance! Aus7n! is! spreading!her!passion!for!designing!and! teaching! around! to! as! many! people! as! she!can!reach.!She!began!croche7ng!at! the! age! of! eight! and! began! kniIng! in!

2006! where! she! was! a! knitster! on! !

Renaissance! Aus7n! is! now! expanding! into!publishing!paQerns!and!will!debut! an! original! hat! paQern! at! Yarn! Crawl!

2013! where! over! 30! independent! yarns! shops! will! be! involved.! She! is! an7cipa7ng! a! great! turnout.! From! there! she! will! began! submiIng! paQerns! to! industry! publica7ons! and! independent!yarn!companies.!There!is! so! much!in! the!works!for!Renaissance!

Aus7n,! Raghouse! Interna7onal,! and!

Gather! yarn! shop! where! she! is! the!

57

manager.! In! the! eyes! of! Renaissance!

Aus7n,! the! Summer! of! 2013! will! be! grand.

RAGHOUSE...

Raghouse! Interna7onal! is! a! texture! innova7on! brand! that! focuses! on! crochet! and! knitwear! apparel! and! accessories!for!men!and!women.! !Our! journey! is! a! neverKending! song!about! c o u r t s h i p! a n d! m a t c h m a k i n g! something!uniquely!made!to! a!unique! customer.! ! We! were! incepted! under! our! final! name! of! choice,! Raghouse!

Interna7onal,! in! 2006,! although! the! business! and! preliminary! work! began! in! 2000.! Raghouse! Interna7onal! is! in! its! twelth! year! of! business,! the! first! seven! being! that! of! an! organic! grassroots! movement,! crea7ng! oneK! ofK!a!Kkind! pieces!to!sell!at!church! and! community! events,! college! campuses! and!fes7vals.!!!

In! 2007! Raghouse! Interna7onal! was! introduced! to! the! online! community! through! Etsy.com.! This! is! where! greater! success! took! place! for! the! company! resul7ng! in! over! thirty! online! features! including,! OC# Weekly# News# Blog! and! Venus# Diva# Magazine# Online.# #Wri7ng!opportuni7es! opened! up! for! the! designer! Renaissance!

Aus7n! who! has! wriQen! ar7cles! for! handmademarke7ng.org.! # From!

MySpace! to! Facebook,! TwiQer! to!

Pinterest! and! a! plethora! of! social! n e t w o r k i n g! s i t e s ,! R a g h o u s e! !

Interna7onal!has! and!s7ll!is! building!a! unique!customer! base! many! of! which! are! located! outside! the! US,! such! as!

Australia,! Finland,! Turkey,! United!

Kingdom,!Spain,!France,!New!Zealand,! as!well!as!ci7es! like,!New!York,!Texas,!

Florida! and! all! of! the! US.! ! Raghouse!

Interna7onal! now! has! its! official! website!and!blog.!

The! product! line! has! also! evolved! from! many! oneKofKaKkind! pieces! to! s t r o n g! c o l l e c 7 o n s! c o n t a i n i n g! coordinated! styles,!various! colors! and! fiber!content.!The!strongest!collec7on! and! number! one! seller! is! the! Body!

Knit! Dress! and! Top! collec7on.! Next,! the!Chain!Reac7on!Collec7on,!The!Hat! Collec7on,! Crochet! Stud! Earring!

Collec7on,! the! Headband! Collec7on! which! debuted! in! four! Nordstrom! across! the! country! in! Fall/Winter!

2010K11,!Luxury!Lariats! Collec7on! and!

Ear!Candy!Lane!Collec7on.!!

Moving!to! the!heart!of!downtown!Los! Angeles! provides! a! bright! future! for!

Raghouse! Interna7onal.! There! are! a! m u l 7 p l i c i t y! o f! e v e n t s! a n d! opportuni7es! that! the!company! plans! to! take!full! advantage! of! like,!fashion! shows,!vending,!postcard!distribu7on,! open! houses,!publica7ons,!press,! and! teaching.! Product! expansion! is! in! the! works! with! the! bringing! on! of! publishes! paQerns! which! will! take!the! yarn!industry!by!storm.

58

Vision We! envision! being! a! global! brand! known! for!our! longevity! of! style,! well! thought! out! designs! and! soE! fibers! against! the! skin.! ! Customers! and! admirers! alike! should! see! us! as! bold,! sensual,! and! unique,! bringing! added! confidence!to!any!man!or!woman!who! puts! on! our! garments.! We! also! want! to! be! known! for! advocacy! in! the! arts! and! craEs! industry! through! teaching,! speaking,!conven7ons,!and!workshops! in! all! communi7es,! with! an! emphasis! on! low! income! and! underprivileged! children.

Mission Our! mission! is! to! produce! dis7nc7ve,! trendy,!and!wearable!crea7ons!for!our! consumer! “family”! worldwide! by! redefining!and! reimagining!the! image! of! crochet! providing! soE,! and!

!

sustainable! luxurious! fibers! and! by! taking! great! care! in! the! design! and! p r o d u c 7 o n! p r o c e s s .! R a g h o u s e!

Interna7onal! con7nues! to! broaden! consumer!mindsets! about!crochet,!by! steering! away! from! tradi7onal! fiber! fashions.! Through! original! and! daring! design! we! create! wellKmade,! quality! products!never!before!seen.!We!strive! not! to! just! design! but! to! pass! down! skill! to! the! next! genera7ons! through! i n s t r u c 7 o n ,! p r o m o 7 n g! t h e! con7nuance! of! art! and! craEing! for! decades!to!come. hQp://raghouseinterna7onal.com/ hQp://www.facebook.com/ RaghouseInterna7onal hQps://twiQer.com/RaghouseIntl hQp://www.ravelry.com/people/ MsRaghouseFiber hQp://fiberstyle.blogspot.com/ hQp://pinterest.com/Fiberstyle/

59

!

60

!

61

Sedruola MARUSKA . . . . .

of Yarn Obsession and! gain! more!customers.! I'm! also! a! crochet! business ! owner,! a ! small! business ! owner,! who! wants! to! look! beQer,! sound! beQer! and! gain! more! customers.! Marrying! the! two! was ! a! natural! progression! for! me.! A! lot! of! what! I! work! with! my! small! business! clients! on,! I ! mentor! my! crochet! business !clients!on!too.!The !difference! is,! I!have! a !crochet! business.! I !know! how! crochet! business ! people! think! and!what! their! specific! concerns !and! needs ! are! in! the! marketplace.! So! I! take! the ! knowledge! I! have! about! crochet! and! I! couple ! it! with! the! knowledge! I! have!for! marke7ng! and! deliver!it!with!passion.

Q:7 What7 moLvated7 you7 to7 begin7 on7 such7an7endeavor?7

My!name!is !Sedruola,!but!everyone !calls !me !Sedie.!

I'm!married!to!an!amazing!man!and!we!have!two! beau7ful ! babies.! I! started! croche7ng! about! 11! years!ago!and!I've!never! turned!back.! There!may! have!been!7mes !when!I!put!down!my! hook!for! a! bit,!but!the!urge!and!itch!was !always !there!to!pick! up! where! I ! leE! off.! I ! am! a ! small ! business! marke7ng! account! manager! and! I! run! Yarn!

Obsession! which! is !the! crochet! side!of! my! life.! I! love !the!freedom!I!have!and! the!fulfillment! I!get! from! combining! those! two! loves ! to! help! others! achieve!their!dreams.

I!am!a!small !business !marketer.!What! that!means! is !I!help!small!businesses !look!beQer,!sound!beQer! !

A:! Necessity! is ! the! mother! of! inven7on.!Just!4!months !ago!I!had!no! idea ! that! I! would! combine! my! two! businesses !and!create !something!that! brings!me! even! greater! joy! than!the! two! did! separately.! However,! when!

7me! constraints! began! to! weigh! on! me !knew! there !needed!to!be !a !shiE.!

When! I! began! to! see ! and! hear! the! frustra7on!in!the!crochet! community! more!and!more,! I!started!to!realized! that! I! could! answer! many! of! the! ques7ons !that!were!being!asked!with! solid!informa7on.! There! is !a!need! in! the ! crochet! community! for! more! realityKbased! posi7oning,! so! that! is! the! main! mo7va7ng! factor,! helping!

62

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT website/blog:!hQp://yarnobsession.com Facebook:!hQp://www.facebook.com/yarnobsession TwiQer:!hQp://www.twiQer.com/sedruola Ravelry:!hQp://www.ravelry.com/people/sedruola CraEsy:!hQp://www.craEsy.com/user/306159 YouTube:!hQp://www.youtube.com/sediesells

others !get!moving!and!stay! moving!in!the! right!direc7on.!

Q:7How7can7our7viewers7get7involved7and7 what7 do7 you7 have7 in7 store7 for7 the7 crochet7community?77 A:! I'm! here! to! help.! That! is !my! passion! and!that! is !what! I!do!in!the!Yarn!Circle.! I! help! by! asking! ques7ons! and! answering! ques7ons.! If!your! viewers!have!ques7ons! and! are! 7red! of! running! on! a! treadmill,! then! I'm! here! to! help! them! get! of! the! treadmill!and!into!real !life.! If! they! know! someone! who! crochets ! and! has ! been! struggling! for! a! long! 7me! to! get! their! business ! moving,! spread! the ! word.! The! Yarn! Circle! provides !a !place! for! focused! dedicated!crocheters !to!get!the !tools!and! informa7on!they!need!to!move!forward.

Right! now!I!have!the!Yarn7 Circle!which!is! the! Crochet! Business ! Mentoring! part! of! my! business.! Because! there ! are! some! who!would!like!to!be!part! of! the!"Circle"! but! aren't! ready! for! that! level ! I"m! developing!a !smaller!program!that!will !be! within! reach! to! almost! any! crochet! business ! owner.! I'm! also! developing! an! !

even!greater!level!of!mentoring!which!will! help! move! crochet! ar7sts !into! the! right! "mindset"! as ! they! build! and! grow! their! businesses.! Both! programs! are! in! the! "thinking"!stage!right!now,!but!I'm!excited! about! the! ideas !and! being! able ! to! help! more!people!in!the !community! grow!into! their!dreams.

Q:7 Do7 you7 have7 a7 good7 amount7 of7 followers7 or7 people7 interested7 in7 learning7 and7 parLcipaLng7 in7 what7 you7 have7to7oer.7 A:! Yes,! and! that! number! con7nues ! to! grow!every!day.!As !people !learn!and!hear!

63

of! what! is ! being! offered! they! tell! their! friends! and! it! so! on! and! so! forth.! I'm! doing!my! part!to!get!the!word!out!and!so! far! it's !working.! What's !exci7ng! is !that! I! may! have! to! hire !someone! by! the !7me! summer! comes!around!because!the!pace! is !picking! up! and! the !responsibili7es !are! growing.!It's!really!exci7ng!and!to!have !to! think! of! hiring! someone! means ! great! things !for! the!crochet! community!! Then,! of! course,!there!are!people !like !you!who! help! me! in! geIng! my! message! to! the! masses,!so!for!all !those!like !you!who!help,!

I'm!so!very!grateful.!

Q:7Tell7us7or7give7us7a7few7points7that7can7 help7 someone7in7craUing7to7make7money7 doing7 what7 they7 love7 without7 over7 stressing,7especially7some7 of7us7 who7 can7 not7crochet7all7day7(like7people7who7have7 young7 kids7 at7 home)7 or7 those7 who7 are7 not7as7Lme7 organized7as7others.7Give7us7 a7step7 plan7to7 help7 us7get7started7 and7 to7 stay7moLvated.7 Wow!! Well!I'm!a !workKatKhome!mom! to! my! 1.5! year! old! daughter! so! I ! know! exactly! what! you! you're! talking! about.! I! wrote! an! ar7cle! on! my! blog! (hQp:// yarnobsession.com/workKatKhomeKmomK thoughts)!where!I !highlighted!some !things! that! have ! helped! me ! to! stay! grounded! and! focused.! However,! one! thing! I !want! to! emphasize! here ! is ! the! art! of! making! goals! and! dismantling! them! for! easy! consump7on.!It!is !one !thing!that!will !keep! your! stress !level! in! check! because!you'll! know! you're! doing! what! needs ! to! be! done.! As ! a ! example.! I ! have ! a! goal ! of! reading! 24! books !this !year! at! least.!On!a! whole!that! may! seem! like!a !lot! to!some! and! a! bit! overwhelming.! However,! because!I!know!exactly!what!I!need!to!do! to! reach ! that! goal! as ! long! as! I'm! consistent!I'm!happy.!Every!book!I!pick!up! get's! 15! days !on!my! nightstand.! I! count!

!

the!number! of! pages !in!the!book!and!divide!it! by! 15!giving!me!the!number!of!pages !I!need!to! read!every! day! to!be !on!pace!with!my!goal.!If!I! have!the !opportunity! to!read!more !pages !I !do,! if!not,!I!know!that!if!I !get!the!15!pages !in,!I !have! nothing!to!worry!about.!The!same!thing!can!be! done! for! business,! play7me,! work7me,! projects,!dinner!etc.!Just!determine!what!needs! to!be !done,!when!and!what!the!final !outcome! needs !to!be!on!what! date !and!you'll !be!ready! and!less !stressed!throughout! your! days.! It!can! be!a !simple!item!to!a!more!complex!item,!they! all!have!components!that!can!be!broken!down.!

Q:7I7like7how7you7incorporate7markeLng7which7 does7 not7 have7 anything7 to7 do7 with7 crochet,7 into7 the7 crochet7 world.7 Explain7 how7 having7 a7 different7 mind7 set7 or7 educaLon7 can7 sLll7 help7 you7 in7 craUing.7 For7 example,7I7graduated7 with7 a7 BA7 in7 Pre]law7 (Speech7 CommunicaLon7 &7 PoliLcal7 Science)7 and7 a7 MBA7 in7 MarkeLng,7 I7 64

take7my7experience7 with7 that7along7with7 my7 previous7 music7 career7 and7 relate7 that7 into7 craUing7and7 turning7it7into7 a7 business.7I7also7 use7 it7 in7 my7 religious7environment.7 I7 love7 to7 hear7 how7 others7 with7 other7 educaLonal7 or7 work7 backgrounds7 come7 into7 craUing7 and7 bring7that7part7of7themselves7into7it,7thereby7 adding7 something7 new7 and7 informaLve7 to7 our7 crochet7 world7 for7 everyone7 to7 learn7 from….7 A:! That's !a! really! good! ques7on.! I! think! the! answer!lies !in!what!makes !you!happy.!For!me,! combining!my! love !of!crochet!with!marke7ng! was!natural !because! I!could!see !that! one! of! the!main!issues !many!crocheters !were!having! was!how!to!effec7vely! market! their! items !to! gain!sales.!They!were!frustrated!with!the!tools! they! were ! using! because! they! weren't! truly! using!them!efficiently.!I!think!the !informa7on! you! bring! is ! always ! relevant! even! if! not! directly! to! what! your! passion! is.! My! sister! graduated!with!a !JD,!but!hated!law,!however,! she's ! very! good! at! management! and! dissec7ng! informa7on! so! that's! what! she's! doing,!managing!a !social!produc7on!company! and!she!loves !it.! I!think!that! JD!training!gave! her! the! tools! needed! to! be ! crea7vely! analy7cal.! Prior! to! being! in! marke7ng! and! delving! into! crochet! I ! was ! an! Execu7ve!

Assistant! for! some! top! Execu7ves.! Being! organized! and! making! sure! they! got! what! they! needed! while! doing! other! work! totally! works ! for! me ! now! as ! I'm! home ! with! my! daughter! and! running! my! businesses.!

Essen7ally,! I ! am! now! my! own! Execu7ve.!

Everything!learned!is !useful,!you!just! have!to! determine! where! it! fits ! into! what! you're! doing.! Being!a !florist!may!have!nothing!to!do! with! crochet,! but! your! eye! for! color! combina7ons! may! be ! key! to! your! success.!

Embrace !who!you!are!and!what!you!have !to! offer!and!couple!it!with!your!passion.!

opportuniLes7 that7 you7 have7 going7 on7 for7 others7to7join7in7on7this.

A:! My! blog,! Facebook! page ! and! YouTube! channel ! all! work! together! to! help! my! audience! get! to! know! me !as! a!person! and! then!as!a!business!person.

On! my! YouTube! channel! I! started! just! by! doing! tutorial! videos ! but! as ! I've! evolved,! I! realize! how! much! poten7al! there! is ! with! video! when!building!a !business.! I've!started! pos7ng! thought! videos!and! more! extended! videos !in! an! effort! to! get! the! message! out! that! your! crochet!is !a !skill!that! is !worthy! of! respect.! I! would! love! to! be! able ! to! do! tutorials! on! other! crocheters! paQerns ! so! I! could! drive! traffic! to! their! sites.! However,! because!of! 7me!constraints!I'm! not! able!to! go!out! and!ac7vely! solicit! them.!However,!if! anyone! reading! this !is! interested! in! having! me !do!a !tutorial !on!a !paQern!they've!wriQen,! feel!free!to!contact!me.!I'd!love!to!do!it!

Q:7 Tell7 us7more7about7your7 videos,7how7you7 blog7 and7 make7 social7 posts7 and7 how7 this7 even7helps7a7crocheter.7Do7you7have7any7any7 !

65

I! blog! at! least! twice !a !week,! that! is! my! schedule.!I!s7ck!to!that!schedule!because! it!works!for!my! life!and!planning.!My! blog! is !where! I! educate! and! share! on! things! that! I! hear! crocheters ! talking! about! on! web.! Id'! love! to! have! more! crocheters!

"Guest! Blog"!because!it! would!give!them! the! opportunity! to! drive ! traffic! to! their! sites!and!give!them!a !wider!audience.!The! blog! essen7ally! my! news !channel !and!to! have! news! from! another! perspec7ve ! is! always!welcome.!My!blog!has !truly!goQen! to! be! fun! since! I ! really! focused! the! content.!

Facebook!&!TwiQer!are!my! social !outlets.!

I!love !interac7ng!with!my!friends!in!those! places.!I!post!at!least!8!7mes!a !day! every! weekday! and!on!the!weekends!I !post! as !I! can.! It! has ! been! amazing! to! watch! the! evolu7on!of!these !outlets.!I!get!ques7ons,! comments ! and! requests ! offline! all ! the!

7me!because!of!what! someone !has !read! or! seen! on! one! of! my! channels.! I ! do! random! things! on! my! Facebook! page !to! help! my! followers ! and! I! focus ! my! informa7on!to!those!things !I!think!would! really! interest!them.!90%!of!my!posts !are! geared! toward! giving! my! visitors! hope,! fun! and! inspira7on! with! crochet! informa7on! thrown! in.! 10%! of! the !7me!

I'm! leIng! them! know! of! a!program! I'm! doing!etc.!I!really! think!my!social !media !is! about! my! audience ! connec7ng! and! geIng! to! know! me! as! a! person! and! interac7ng! with! me.! It! is! not! my! sales! floor! although! I! do! share ! sales ! and! coupons ! there! occasionally.! I'd! love! to! have! more!friend!join! the !Facebook!and!

TwiQer! communi7es.! They! learn! about! what! happening! with! Yarn! Obsession! first!

!

Q:7Resume,7have7you7been7in7or7had7your7 paaerns7 featured7 in7 any7 books,7 magazines,7 shows,7 online,7 etc.7 If7 so,7 please7list.7 I! had! a! paQern! published! in! the! 2007!

Crochet! PaQern! a! Day! Calendar,! in! the!

Interweave! Crochet! Accessories ! 2011! issue,! and! a ! paQern! published! in! the!

Spring! 2012! issue! of! Crochet!! magazine.!

I'm!hoping!to!have!a !few!more!published,! but! my! focus ! is! geIng! some! other! business !owners !solidly! on!their! paths !to! success.

Crochet Savvy is featuring the Yarn Circle as part of our Business Tips in our Magazine Issues and on the website because its such a great program! Thanks Sedruola

66

!

67

Crochet Grenade . . . . . with Marcy Kraft

!

68

Getting the word out~ Please support Graffiti Beach's kickstarter campaign PRINT IS NOT DEAD to raise funds to print the Street Art Issue of their magazine! This helps emerging artists like myself Crochet Grenade, creatives, writers, graphics, and entrepreneurs. The first 100 backers to pledge $35+ will get a free copy of the holiday issue if they hit their goal! You can still help if you cannot donate by sharing this link! Thanks everyone! http://kickstarter.com/ projects/graffitibeachmag/printi s - n o t - d e a d - g r a ffi t i - b e a c h magazine

I have been throwing around this idea for yarn bombing Comic Con and I really want to do it, but again I am calling for help. I want to know who would be interested in meeting up, donating pieces, getting the word out, or even funding yarn to the project (1 skein= $3.88)? I am not sharing too many details about what the final installation will look like, but I promise it is going to be really cool and people are going to LOVE it. I need to put together a team because my goal is quite large. I am going to need about 2,700, 7.5 inch squares :) Comic Con is July 18th-21st. Contact me via email crochetgrenade@mail.com if you are interested! THANKS! !

69

spring patterns

by Keturah Ariel

Chain Linked Necklace A Scarf inspired Chunky necklace for any season This is a great way to use some of your leftover winter yarns and it only takes about 15 minutes to create.

BEGINNER LEVEL MATERIALS: 1 jumbo hook (size L-P) 1 Skein of Lion’s Brand Super Chunky Hometown USA Yarn- any color ABBREVIATIONS: SC- Single Crochet INSTRUCTIONS: Foundation chain: Chain 200 stitches.

Join by slip stitching the first and last stitches. Chain 1.

Next chain row: Now Chain 160 stitches. Join by slip stitching into last stitch of the first row. Then slip stitch one more time around the post of that stitch. Chain 1.

Next chain row: Chain 135 stitches.

Repeat process above, when you come to the last chain, slip stitch that chain into the previous row’s last stitch. Then slip stitch one more time around the post of that stitch. Chain 1.

Forth chain row: Chain 100 Stitches.

Repeat process from the previous row.

Fifth chain row: This is the last row.

Chain 75 Stitches. Repeat process from the previous row. When you get !

to the last stitch, repeat slip stitching that stitch with the previous row’s last stitch and then slip stitch around that stitch’s post.

YOU SHOULD HAVE 5 LONG BUT DIFFERENT SIZE CHAIN CHUNKY CHAIN ROPES. THEY SHOULD ALL BE CONNECTED TOGETHER AROUND THE SAME STITCH GROUP. In order to create the knot that covers this part and hides where you joined each row, you will chain 6 stitches from where you left off. Now turn the work and then SC into all 6 stitches. Turn work again and continue crocheting in a normal way in this fashion until you create a 3-4 inch square shape.

Wrap that square around the area and join its two sides together using any way you like. I prefer to join the sides

by SC them together to give it a hump effect in the knot. Finished. Wear proudly! I also used it to wrap around like a scarf on those chilly Spring days.

Alternative method: You can also make this scarf by chaining the total amount of stitches all in one big chain and then wrapping it around 5 times. I didn’t because I wanted that hump effect in my knot. If done by making one extra huge chain rope, you would make the knot cover separately and then join on in the place where you wrapped the chains around and it would be more flat in that area. By doing it all in one step, it would be an easier way to do it for kids, teens or newbies to crochet.

70

!

71

Zen Yoga Bag

!

72

INTERMEDIATE LEVEL MATERIALS: 1 hook size 10 US or close 6 different color leftover yarn skeins ‘Use same colors for creating your Granny square.

ABBREVIATIONS: TC- treble or triple crochet DC- double crochet STEP ONE: THE GRANNY SQUARE Create a granny square about eight to twelve inches in size. A fun way and easy tip is to use left over granny squares.

If crocheting from scratch, follow granny square instructions (many online but here is my favorite by Crochet Savvy’s Highly recommended teacher- Teresa Richardson from Crochet Geek: http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=jw5W9SnmHB4 When at the end of square, Cut yarn and weave in the ends.

STEP TWO: THE YOGA BAG Row one Using a different color, start

new row by adding **6 chains onto a stitch on the the granny square in one of its corners, then wrap yarn 2x over hook, skip 3 stitches and then TC into the fourth stitch.** Repeat the part of instructions from [**to**] until end of row. (You should have 6 chains in between every 4 stitches.)

This will begin to Convert the square into a circle big enough to fit a yoga or Pilates mat when rolled up.

NOTES: • Do not join rows, just continue working up the bag.

• THE MESH PATTERN IS WORKED IN BETWEEN THE STITCHES. WE WILL barely WORK IN THE STITCHES. • DEFINITION OF “SPACE” BETWEEN means the physical space where the gap is between two side by side stitches • IF YOU HAVE UNEVEN stitches or get off track, its ok, just eye your work to keep on track. Project is fun and not stressful. :) Row two: Now start the row by Slip Stitching into the last stitch from the previous Row.

!

73

[**DC 3x in the space between this post and the next post. Then DC 4x in the next space between each post.**] Repeat this for entire row.

(The granny square and outer row should equal about eight to twelve inches width and height evenly.)

Row 3: Slip stitch into the last stitch of the previous row. Now chain 5, wrap the yarn around hook 2x and TC into every 3rd stitch. Repeat until end of row.

drawstring. Insert drawstring and flip bag outwards.

Or crochet an i-cord as a drawstring and crochet in and out every few stitches and tie.

NOTE: I wanted a border so I DC into every stitch of the last row and made a 2 inch border for my drawstring instead of folding the mesh down. I only did this because of the colors I used. I used yellow to make the strap colors pop out.

STEP THREE: Strap for bag.

Row 4: Slip stitch into the space between the first and second posts of the previous row. [**Chain 5, wrap the yarn around the hook and TC into the next space.**] You will repeat this pattern from [**to**] until your bag reaches your desired height, changing colors as you see fit.

(If changing colors, hide the new color by weaving it in as you work up.)

Weave in the the ends. Turn the bag inside and fold top down to two inches.

Sew along to create a place for

!

Chain ten. Double crochet entire length of the strap. Crochet on in any method you wish.

Tip, create rainbow effect by switching colored yarns every few rows or so.

Alternative project: Use this pattern for making garage bag holders in the kitchen. Sew a button to close or drawstring it at the top and hang on the wall of your pantry for storing all those extra plastic bags we all use.

74

Salmon & Apple Bracelet BONUS PATTERN from our Ravelry Page!

Bracelets were made for members of a local chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. for their Founder’s Day Celebration.

Beginner Level Materials:

1 wide old or recycled bracelet 2 skeins yarn: colors Apple Green and Pink Salmon (green & pink)

Gauge:

1 hook size 12 US N/A

TIP: this project is done with tight tension while repeatedly pushing the stitches as close as possible so that the bracelet underneath does not show. In essence, this is like we are doing a single crochet with elongated stitches around the bracelet in the finish of a broomstick lace technique‌sort of. !

!

75

INSTRUCTIONS: While holding the bracelet, place crochet hook on the top of the bracelet and yarn Color A through the middle loop of the bracelet and under. Continue to wrap over the bracelet once and attach to the hook and then yarn under the bracelet towards the middle back to the hook again, now connecting it to the hook making a stitch.

Each time that you make a stitch, you will bring the yarn over and under the bracelet, thereby completely wrapping the bracelet, sandwiching it in-between the yarn. After making an est. 40-50 stitches in Color A. Fasten off and cut yarn.

Repeat this process using Color B for the next 40-50 stitches and then fasten off and cut yarn. Repeat this process 2 more times so that the bracelet now has a pink set, a green set, a pink set and a green set.

Gently push the stitches toward the inside of the bracelet where no one can see them, leaving the yarn side exposed on the right side of the bracelet. Now the bracelet should be fully wrapped in long yarn with the actual stitches hidden on the inside.

You are finished. With this project, you can use as many sets of color as you wish and as many stitches as you wish to fully cover the inside bracelet. Its also a great way to recycle old bracelets and jewelry and reuse them again. Quick, makes great gifts and a good way to help the environment by recycling! Enjoy.

Thanks to the local ladies of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. for letting us create this special token for them to celebrate their birthdate being the first African American Sorority in the United States! Happy Mother’s Day Ladies!

-Crochet Savvy Magazine

Copyright 2013 Keturah Ariel for knitFABULOUS and CrochetSavvy. All rights reserved. Please do not sell this pattern. You may link to it, print or make copies and share, you may even sell your items make from this pattern but please do not sell the pattern or list it as your own. If you would like to feature the pattern, please contact us at info@crochetsavvy.com. Thanks.

!

76

kaleidoscope earrings

BONUS PATTERN from our Ravelry Page!

BEGINNER LEVEL MATERIALS:

• • • • •

US!10/6.0mm!hook 1!skein!of!any!kind!of!medium! worsted!rainbow!or!mul7! colored!yarn.

1!pair!of!large!thin!bracelets! or!circle!earrings matching!thread!and!needle earring!hooks

METHOD: crochet in the round GAUGE is not important, measured according to the bracelet or earring width.

AbbreviaLons7 SCK!single!crochet DCK!double!crochet TIP:!Do!not!join!rounds,!earring!is! con7nued!in!a!spiral!around. !

instructions...

Start!with!a!magic!loop/ring!and!chain!10!s7tches!in! the!loop.!Close!the!loop!and!pull!7ght.!Weave!in!end! as!you!crochet!the!first!row.

ROW!1:!DC!2x!in!each!of!the!10!s7tches!to!equal!20! s7tches.!Do!not!join!the!row!and!con7nue!right!into! the!next!row,!thus!crea7ng!a!rainbow!spiral.

ROW!2:!DC!en7re!row.!At!the!end,!do!not!join!row! but!con7nue!in!spiral.

ROW!3:!Take!the!bracelet!or!earring!and!either!SC!or!

DC!(depending!on!how!much!space!you!have!leE! between!crochet!piece!and!the!bracelet)!the!final! row!onto!the!earring.!The!way!that!I!did!it!was!to! hold!the!yarn!under!the!earring!while!the!crochet! piece!sits!inside!of!the!bracelet,!while!holding!the! hook!over!it.!This!way!it!traps!the!bracelet!and!

77

sandwiches!it!inKbetween,!closing!off!and!hiding!the!bracelet!inside!of!the!s7tches.

When!you!get!to!the!end!of!the!row,!fasten!off!and!cut!yarn.!Weave!the!yarn!in.!This!works!on! any!size!bracelet!or!earring,!however!you!must!adjust!the!rows!to!fit!a!bigger!or!smaller! earring.!As!you!can!see!from!the!picture,!I!only!had!enough!room!for!3!rows.!

FINISHING!THE!EARRINGS: With!a!needle!and!thread,!thread!the!earring!hooks!into!the!top!of!the!crocheted!piece.!

Repeat!process!for!the!other!earring!and!now!you!have!a!fabulous!pair!of!colorful!giant! hooped!crochet!earrings.

Check Crochet Savvy out on Ravelry for more free patterns! !

78

http://www.raverly.com/groups/knitfab--crochet-savvy-toronto

http://www.knitfabulous.org

!

79

!

80

. . . . . events

!

81

The Mystery

of our Crochet History

As a Savvy ‘nod’ to National Crochet Month, let’s explore...

by Tracy Joyner How$old$is$our$beloved$craft?$ Where$does$it$come$from?$ How$did$it$develop?

Well..%there%are%no%clear%answers%to% any%of%those%questions!% It%is%commonly%accepted%that%there% are%no%surviving%samples%of%crochet% prior%to!1800.!But$it$must$have$existed$ before$that.$$I$can$find$things$as$old$as$ the$1800’s$by$visiting$nearly$any$ antique$mall$in$the$country.

Turns%out%it%may%be%easier%to%find% crochet%in%our%own%personal% histories%prior%to%1800%than%to%find% evidence%of%it%elsewhere.%%If%we%can% find%artifacts%of%kniBing%and% embroidery..and$we$have..then%we%

Historian%and%textile%scholar%Ms.% Lila%de%Chaves%of%Greece%has% concluded%that%Linterlacing%with% loops%was%used%by%the%people%of%the% Neolithic%Age%before%the%discovery% of%the%spinning%wheel%and%as%far% back%as%5,000%years%B.C.L She%adds,%LWe%refer%to%such%pieces% as%knotless%neBing%because%the% fibers%are%interlaced%with%each%other% and%without%the%use%of%knots%...$ identical$to$the$technique$of$ crochet...”%(Talking%Crochet%NewsleBer%% Copyright © 2013. Annie's. All rights reserved.)

So%there%is%evidence%that%Crochet% existed,%but%no%surviving%samples.%I% am%ready%to%accept%that.%It’s%still% curious%that%no%samples%have% survived%for%us.% As%to%the%theories…

should%also%find%crochet..but$we$ don’t.%Does%this%mean%that%it%didn’t% exist? !

The%Crochet%Guild%of%America%links% to%a%report/paper%by%Ruthie%Marks% 82

“History%of%Crochet”%%that%suggests% crochet%evolved%from%La%very%ancient% form%of%embroidery%known%in%Turkey,% India,%Persia%and%North%Africa,%which%

detailed%items%to%decorate%their%homes%or%

reached%Europe%in%the%1700sL.%%It%was% called%Ltambouring,L%from%the%French% word%LtambourL.

things%was%great%and%the%‘Great%Potato% Famine’%meant%hard%times%for%everyone.% It%was%cheaper%to%buy%crocheted%items% from%the%county’s%poor%than%to%purchase% imported%thread%and%supplies%to%make% their%own.%So%our%craft%almost%certainly% brought%in%at%least%a%meager%income%to%a% great%many%households%during%that% time…and%the%intricate%Irish%Lace%was%

This%theory%indicates%that%crochet%existed% prior%to%1700%when%it%reached%Europe.% Tambour%is%a%French%term%meaning% LdrumL According%to%this%report,%La%background% fabric%is%stretched%taut%on%a%frame.%The% working%thread%is%held%underneath%the% fabric.%A%needle%with%a%hook%is%inserted% downward%and%a%loop%of%the%working% thread%drawn%up%through%the%fabric.% With%the%loop%still%on%the%hook,%the%hook% is%then%inserted%a%liBle%farther%along%and% another%loop%of%the%working%thread%is% drawn%up%and%worked%through%the%first% loop%to%form%a%chain%stitch.%

!

their%clothing.%“%(hQp:// penniepackard.hubpages.com/hub/AKBriefKHistoryK ofKCrochet)%The%demand%for%these%finer%

born.%%Or$so$the$story$goes$!

The%earliest%wriBen%reference%to%crochet% comes%from%The%Memoirs%of%a%Highland% Lady%by%Elizabeth%Grant%(1797–1830).%It% refers%to%slip%stitch,%or%Shepherd’s% KniBing.

Lis%Paludan%also%discusses%a%slipbstitch% fabric%called LpjontingL.%The%earliest% examples%date%from%about%1820.%

At%the%end%of%the%18th%century,%the% background%fabric%was%discarded%and% the%stitch%worked%on%its%own.%The%French% called%this%method%Lcrochet%in%the%airL.% Crochet%is%a%French%term%meaning% LhookL..therefore%to%“hook%in%the%air”.

Personally,%my%crochet%developed%from% watching%my%Aunties%and%enjoying%all% the%beautiful%crochet%items%in%their%

It%is%thought%that%Irish%nuns%who%were% trained%in%a%French%convent%introduced% crochet%to%the%poor%in%Ireland%in%the%mid% 1800]s.%%At%that%time%“crochet%was% considered%a%pastime%of%the%upper%class,% whereby%they%could%create%delicate%and%

learned,%I%begged%her%to%teach%me.%I%

homes.%%I%was,%and$still$am,%amazed%at%the % lovely%designs%that%evolved%from%a%single% string%on%their%hooks.%When%my%mother% begged%her%until%my%father%tired%of% listening%to%me%and%said%to%her%“show% her%how”%I$remember$the$conversation.%My% mother%replied%that%there%was%no%way%I%

83

could%grasp%this%..that%I%was%too%liBle.%And%my%father%said%that%it%couldn’t%hurt%to%show% me%how%and%if%I%couldn’t%do%it%then%fine!% But%I%could%do%it%and%I%made%my%first%granny%square%that%day.%%I%was%four%years%old.%I% crocheted%my%mother’s%scraps%until%my%granny%square%was%a%fair%sized%blanket!%I%made%a% ripple%afghan%during%my%middle%to%teen%years%and%it’s%how%I%worked%my%way%through% those%difficult%growing%times.%% I%am%now%the%only%crocheter%in%my%family.%My%Aunts%have%all%passed%away.%%My%mother% long%ago%abandoned%crochet%for%baking%and%basket%making.%My%father%is%a%wood% worker%and%made%our%living%making%custom%pieces.%My%sister%is%a%professional%longb arm%quilter,%my%son%is%a%painter%and%my%daughter%is%a%songbwriter.% I%am%proud%of%them%all%and%our%artistic%liBle%family.%But%my%only%crochet%friends%are% online%despite%the%fact%that%our%craft%is%growing%in%popularity.

Maybe%it’s%time%that%we%all%write%down%our%own%personal%crochet%history%so%there%is%less% to%speculate%about%in%the%future?

!

84

!

85

!

86

Crochet Savvy Magazine www.crochetsavvy.com info@crochetsavvy.com

YOURNAME ADDRESS CITY/STATE/ZIP

!

87