Mikey Magazine: Mar 15, 2016

Mike y

Mar 15th, 2016

In This Issue

Spring has Sprung Crochet Easter Ideas for the Little Ones

Hawt off the Hook with Mikey Heya Crowders:

Easter time is quickly approaching. Here I am as a young child. Easter was never a big event at our home. We would get the traditional chocolate bunny and some wrapped stuff. Myself, being impatient, I would eat the tinfoil around the chocolate eggs.

The Easter Bunny would magically appear in the evenings and leave our baskets somewhere in the house. Knowing that I eat everything in the basket. I couldn’t find my basket anywhere one year. The bunny had forgotten about me until my sister located it. He somehow jumped up and hung it from the ceiling where the plant hanger was supposed to be. The ceiling’s being 10 feet tall in our home. There’s wasn’t anything high enough to get up there to take it down. The horror. Suddenly Easter is ruined as my siblings can have their candy and mine is stuff on the ceiling. Impatiently, I had to wait for my parents to get up and take it down. That rascally rabbit!

Easter reminds me here, at least in Mid-Western Ontario that the snow will soon be leaving. It’s a renewal of life of the flowers and trees that will be blooming about 2 months after Easter. It feels old man winter is losing his hold. I love the smell of thawing grass and soil! It has a sense of new life and the warmer season is quickly coming.

Just in time is our Baby Edition. A sense of renewal with new family members! In this edition, we have worked hard with Yarnspirations to provide many new tutorials and looked into the past for older patterns that are doozies! You know, oldies but goodies! Timeless!

Happy Easter and enjoy the free patterns and ideas we have for you.

Happy Hook’n- Mikey 2

In This Edition

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Contents

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Facebook Shares their Love Jeanne answers some of your Qs

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Mikey’s Videos Library Diva Dan, who just never know!

Hippity Hoppity here comes Easter A smiling child and cute little crochet Easter ideas, what’s not adorable about this edition of the Mikey Magazine.

Often enough bunnies, baby chicks work perfectly for adorableness for Easter time.

We haven’t done baby clothing in a very long time and thought that an Easter Edition would be a perfect time to feature many of our baby ideas plus some new ones. Filming for baby clothing tutorial time. Often we have to do a few test trials before we finally ready to start filming.

Yarnspirations.com recently released Little Forest Friends with another and more extend ed take of our cute furry little friends made into baby clothing. So have a look at some of their neat ideas. The great thing about these pattern are that they are flexible to change the look to suit your style.

Enjoy this Edition and Happy Easter to you all.

- Diva Dan

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Crochet Cruises Updates *NEW* Blogs Knot to be Missed

Easter Ideas Pg 30

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6 NEW Baby Blankets 3 NEW Baby Booties

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Little Peeper Easter Basket

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Easter Egg Hunt Idea

Stitch Stop Updates Pg 10

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Super Adorable Baby Wear

4 pg 29. Perfect Little Gifts!

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Baby Overalls R

ecently released, we could not turn this pattern down! It’s super cute and adorable for both girls and boys!

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his overall pattern is easy to do. The stitch creates awesome interest, if you guessed it, it is the moss stitch.

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f you wish, add the buttons for that added overalls look. Your choice.

We decided to make our overalls look like garden overalls with a flowers for buttons. After-all spring is around the corner.

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ith Easter coming up your imagination is limitless!

Get the Pattern, Videos and Blog

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Chevron Baby Dress H

ey, what can we say?

This month, Waves and Chevrons are hawt of the hook with The Crochet Crowd!

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ith the Stitch is Right Game that crocheters have been loving to do, Imagine taking this baby Chevron Dress to another whole new level with all the new sttiches you have learned.

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his dress is an easy pleasy simple to the dimple dress to make. Mix the colours or use a different yarn and you would have a fabulous new outfit for the newest little girl.

Get the Pattern Video and Blog

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Baby Booties I

t has been a while since we videoed some baby booties.

We did three for your enjoyment.

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ith a dress, shirt or overalls, add these baby booties to the collection. Perfect for that baby shower and or gift for the hospital.

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njoy the three newest videos and patterns release on the Crochet Crowd. From top to bottom, here are the patterns and videos.

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oll Down Booties are super adorable with the roll down look, perfect for that modern baby. Most popular!

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ute booties with Strap using back loops to create a horizontal rib stitch look

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ary Janes are a classic baby booties style. This one uses a with a vertical rib stitch pattern.

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The Roll Down Booties are the top choice for crocheters on The Crochet Crowd. Once we released the video, we had people eager to make them. Excited with the new looks and modern style these booties are perfect for either girls or boys. And they are really not that hard to do.

These baby Booties are done by the following, Anna Nolz, Brigid McHugh Jones. Nicole Lask Williams, Rebecca O’Donnell, Vikki Higginbotham, Maudie McCarthy, Kate Taylor, Jennifer Wallan Kerry Pantle, Elizabeth Welland, Thank you, thank you!! I have not made any booties yet because they intimidate me so much...I really appreciate you doing this video. xoxo!!

- Heather Edwards

Must Look into these! My first grandbaby comes beginning of May! Its a boy!

Thank you! I will have to make a bunch for my baby girl and my sister’s baby boy both due early June.

- Susan Myers

-Jaclyn Rebecca Yay! Making these tonight for my little baby girl. Thank you!

- Kalee Rice Premachuk

Adorable!! And just what I’ve been looking for. You rock, Mikey!

- Rachel Montgomery

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Take it Over the Top O

ut of all the baby sweaters we have done, we think this one is the most interesting with textures and baby cuteness style.

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erfect for Boys and Girls, this pullover is gender neutral. Changing the colours to suit your needs is as easy as 1, 2, 3 for colours.

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he cute little puff stitch add interesting stitchwork to the design.

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he pullover start at the neckline making a bodice and before long you are on the fancy stitchwork.

Get the Pattern, Video and Blog

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Little Sweetie Dress T

his is one of our most popular baby dresses we have ever done.

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on’t let this pattern intimidate you, the directions are easy to follow.

With unique stitch work through out. No wonder this pattern is on our top of our list for the perfect patterns.

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e have made this version in a number of different yarns and no matter what, this pattern look great in all of them.

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he pattern comes in 4 different sizes.

Get the Pattern, Video and Blog

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It’s all about Colour and Waves

Hook It

Are we having Fun with this Game!

Don’t forget, there will be 3 amazing prize giveaways!

Learn new stitches, go random and you never know! Your new SIR might the best project you have ever done! :)

Join The Fun Click Here 10

We can’t believe how strong this game still is! The work and creativity going into The Stitch IS Right is outstanding! Loving all the textures, colours and awesome combinations!

The following have been showing their results, Kelli Kelly, Aldena Richards, Laura Liewellyn, Vanessa Miller Kirkpatrick, Robyn Olszowy, Diane Steffan larson, Angie Lindstrom, Vickie Speegle Tidwell, Mary Lou Hummel Moiger, Judy Showers, Kamerin Gillette Stremel, Donna Bondy. Merrie Eggleston, Maria Catojo Martins, Karen Morgan & Marina Rivera.

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Soften Their World T

his pattern is a surprise pattern in the sense where you don’t really see what the afghan looks like.

Obviously, we are distracted by the puppy dog and child sleeping.

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did a trial swatch to understand the pattern and had no idea what I was getting myself into. Little did I know that it would be a new stitch called the Modified Front Post Double Crochet.

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sing Caron Simply Soft this baby blanket has that soft and luxurious feel yet having texture.

Change the colour as often as you like for each row to create your own style.

Get the Pattern, Video and Blog

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Hooded Blanket W

e did a little tweaking help from the crochet crowders. We make a blanket with an adorable hoodie attached to it.

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t first, we attached the hoodies to the side but with some awesome suggestions, crowders mentioned to covert the hoodie to the corner instead.

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hanks for the suggestion Crowders! We did a little change and we are glad we did.

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e used Bernat Baby Blanket yarn for a quick and easy project.

Get the Pattern and Blog

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Bundle in Blue Blanket T

his is a wonderful Crochet Blanket with a cable style texture but using a shell stitch done horizontally. However when displayed on its side, as seen in the picture, it looks like a lovely and sensitive cable pattern.

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asy to do and lovely to feel, the texture is great to use as a baby blanket.

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or Mikey’s Tutorial, he used Bernat Li’l Tots which create a much faster blanket using a larger crochet hook. Have fun wiht this easy pattern.

Get the Pattern, Videos and Blog

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From the Middle Blanket A

wonderful version of the star Blanket. This Baby Blanket is a round afghan with 10 points around the perimeter.

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he Blanket has 6 revolutions ‘from the middle’ to grow the afghan out therefore allowing the 10 points to form. Once you hit row 7, it is a matter of repeating the pattern without a lot of thought to it.

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sing any baby yarn, this blankets looks great with either solid colours or even variegated yarns.

Get the Pattern, Video and Blog

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Baby Waves Blanket A

great use of variegated baby yarn. Soft and colour for any baby to enjoy! The ripples gives this blanket interest and fun.

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o learn this pattern, it is easy! There is only two rows to remember.

One row to do the wave and the next row is strictly single crochet. Couldn’t be any easier?

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his Blanket will hook up fast. So if you have emergency baby run for gift ideas. Try this pattern out.

Get the Pattern, Videos and Blog

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Easy Baby Afghan T

his easy Baby Blanket is another pattern that suits very well with variegated yarn.

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ou would love this pattern because you only need to learn two rows that repeat after each other.

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he pattern create sa lacy appearance with a light feel perfect for those summer days that will be coming up soon.

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ikey uses a thicker yarn for the blanket but you can fine tune with whatever yarn you love working with.

Get the Pattern, Video and Blog

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Baby’s Easter

Little peeps in a basket done by Donna Wilby

Another Beautiful baby set done by Bridgette Jones

We have a lot of roars for this awesome animal Blanket by Mary Simmons

Love this little baby Easter set created by Jeannie Marchiano

Codie Millgate

These cupcakes are delicious looking by Lindsay Younce

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Now this is one happy bunny with her crochet carrot by Krystal Lynn!

Cute little bunnies all in their basket made by Jaquelyn Yost

Baby’s Easter

Sally’s Duncan’s bunny hat population has exploded. Greta Job!

A basket with Floppy ears. How cute is that Rebecca Edwards!

Crochet Easter eggs with a cute little button by Amy Jo Hettick

What a Fantastic set by Keri Wernecke. Love the dog! and the Catherine stitch blanket

Fionna Campbell has created this beautiful baby set in light grey and pink. Pretty!

Annie Jurcsak’s buuny

Many of these patterns are ideas and inspiration created by the crowders themselves. Also you can go to our Facebook Page, Click ‘Photos’, them ‘Photos Posted by Others’ and scroll down to find what you are looking for. Don’t forget to say you love their Creativity!

Cute as a little Lamb! Adorable lamb hat made by Sherridan Jones!

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Crocodile Stitch Tree T M

his is our Favourite Easter Tree!

ikey’s Crocodile stitch tree for the holidays always comes in handy. With Diva Dan’s touch of decorating from the Dollar Store. We created our table centre piece that visitors always wow without breaking the budget.

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little creativity and it’s like decorating at it’s most fun!

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se a lime and another fun colour for your tree and learn how to do the Crocodile stitch tree!

Get the Pattern, Videos and Blog

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Easter Ideas from other Bloggers

Easter Pillow Doll by SpotConnie.

Hatching Chicks by Amilovers

Bonny Bunny Surprise by Trifles N Treasures

Cute pompom Wreath by Flamingotoes

Easter Pastels Doily by MomsLoveOf Crochet

Easter Lily by Moogly

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Facebook ?s with Jeanne I am trying to expand my boundaries using colour in my crochet projects.

Everyone says to use a colour wheel.

I have no idea how to use one, except to use colours on either side of the colour you have chosen. How do you choose a couple of contrasting colours? I was hoping to get some help so I can do the Wheel project.

Thanks so much! from Cathy

I am trying to make crocheted clothing, especially tops, but having trouble getting them to fit right. Please help. from Miranda First of all, you have to know your measurements. It’s really no different than buying clothes, but instead of knowing that bust size X = clothes size Y, you actually use the bust size measurement to fit the crocheted top to you. For example, if your bust size measures 40” then you need to make sure your top measure 40” around plus about 2” for easement. So if your pattern is made with a front and a back piece stitched at the sides, each piece would need to be 21” wide. I recently made a simple granny square top by making 2 large granny’s that were 21” square. I whipped them together at the shoulders and sides and wore it over a tank top. It’s kind of funky looking top, but I like it. Another great pattern to try is Floral Cami Top. It’s a great way to learn how to fit a top to you and Mikey’s video instructions always make learning fun!

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I learned the color wheel a long time ago and I do refer to it often when choosing colors for projects. The way you are describing is referred to using analogous colors, when using colors that are next to each other on the wheel. Another great way to use the wheel is picking 2 colors opposite each other. Those are called complementary colors. For example, blue and orange are direct opposites of each other and really work well together. There are so many great ways to use the wheel. I found this Color Theory chart online and you might want to take a peek at it to give you even more ways to use it. Color Theory Quick Reference Sheet for Designers.

Jeanne is looking for questions on Facebook to answer.

Blogs ‘Knot To Be Missed Tips

Ideas

Thoughts

Magic Baby Blanket

7 Crochet Cross Patterns to Celebrate Easter

11 Crochet Baby Dress

Baby Sampler Afghan

21 Crocheted Easter Basket Patterns

Fluffy Meringue Baby Blanket 23

Hop a Bunny Basket W

ith Easter around the corner, collecting Easter eggs and filling the basket with chocolate goodness will be the fun for the little ones.

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ith two different styles for these Easter baskets, your imagination for creating these basket can be cute and over the top.

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ere we give you a basic idea and from there, you can create the best Easter basket for all the little in your family.

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ow cute would it be seeing them carrying their basket full of goodies.

Get the Pattern

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Peek a Boo Basket A

long with the bunny basket, the only difference with the this basket is the cute little peep.

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ith another cute idea to the same basket, your imagination for others can be a lot of fun. Maybe a cute little fox, raccoon, a butterfly. Perfect for larger families where everyone can have their very own basket.

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earn how to do this basket as a basic. Fill them up with Easter goodies or even have them as decorations for the table. How cute would that be!

Get the Pattern

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Crochet Cruises Update

Crochet Cruise 2017 October 2017 Carnival Magic Oct. 21-28 Once Upon a Crochet Cruise where a Little Crochet Magic can Happen.

Oct. 28 - Nov. 4, Wicked Step Stitches Crochet Cruise Halloween Monster Bash!

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For all the Information

Come See Us Across Canada Be part of the Stitch Social across Canada Check out our Facebook for all the information and more yet to come! We are super excited to see you this coming summer!

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Easter Egg Bunny/Chick T

hese little crochet easter eggs are the cutest little idea for decorating your home for easter. We think with the little ears, for the bunnies and the V shape beaks for the chicks. is super adorable.

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ake a few of these and hide them around the house for the easter egg hunt. You can also create these for that wonderful table display for the family when they come over for Easter dinner.

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r add them to a wreath to hang on your door.

Get the Pattern

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Mini Sweet Treat Baskets T

his mini baskets is a fast and a simple idea for gifts. Keeping it simple with a little added touch of a scalloped border, this basket is perfect for the Casbury Egg or even a few jellybeans.

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eachers have use this mini basket for their students as gifts. A super idea!

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r even use as a decoration for your Easter wreath, table display or even for your friends that can’t join for the Easter celebrations!

Get The Patten

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Ideas

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Pastel Eggs

Bunny Buddy

Daffodil Bouquet

Lion Pillow

Bunny Basket

Duck Toy

Chocolate Bunny Dishcloth

Bunny Hoodie

Happy Easter Wreath

March roars in like a lion so fierce, The wind so cold, it seems to pierce.

The month rolls on and Spring draws near, And March goes out like a lamb so dear.

Personally I remember this poem by Lorie Hill when I was in Grade 1. We use to make paper lion heads and fluffy cotton ball lambs to reenact this poem. We asked Jeanne to search high and low for some really adorable patterns featuring cute little lambs and lions for you to enjoy reading to your little ones.

Huggable Lion Pillow – just as the name says, a great huggable pillow with a fun Lion look.

Lion Toy – easy pattern, uses fun fur yarn.

Little Lion Toy – a real cute amigurumi project.

Boris the Tiny Lion – this is a really tiny one.

Crochet Lamb Hat – so cute for early Spring.

Lamb Chocolate Egg Cover – to slip over those Cadbury Creme Eggs or even plastic eggs.

Pinky Lamb – this one is definitely pretty in pink.

Friday Sheep – features the bobble stitch and has a cute face.

Sheep Toy – use Caron Simple Soft and a loop stitch for a fun project.

Fun finds from Jeanne.

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MARCH BREAK EVENT...

Any E-Tent yarn order over $75.00 (before tax and shipping) from March 14 to March 20, 2016 at 11:59pm (EST)

will receive...

ANY E-Tent yarn order over $50.00 from July 7th to July 13th, 2015 at 11:59 pm(est) An E-Tent

you receive...“March Break Fun Pack” Surprise Yarn Package...

Spinrite’s E-Tent Try out these patterns from Yarnspirations.com with your new order!

Cotton Cluck Cluck Change Purse

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Using Phentex Flower pot cozies

Sheepish is soft and pretty perfect for over the rainbow coat

Tutorials by Mikey

Sweet High Tops Booties

Stepping Texture Hat

Baby Sweater

Yes Yes Shawl

Kerchief

Blue Lagoon Afghan

If love the teaching, the patterns and the down to earth nature of Mikey, then take the time to subscribe to the Crochet Crowd’s YouTube Channel. You will get updated with all the latest videos that could spark your next project!

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Facebook Picture of the Week

Katie Punch’s son dressed up as King James the 1st from the book The Royal Dinner for World Book Day. She crocheted some of the food that is displayed on the table.

Your contribution to you son’s Dinner display is so wonderful Katie, you truly made him a king! We hope that many people came by and joined him for a lovely time!

Even thou, this may look simple, it is the beautiful act of being part of someone who needs it most. We hope during the Easter season, we take the time to see all of our differences and treat them as no different then who we are. We are all equal and deserve to be love, treat with respect and most importantly to be understood that we all have our stories to tell over Dinner. Thank you Kaite for sharing your photo of your son. :)

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Diva Dan! Now that I am over the hill in age looking back at my baby photos, I cannot help but wonder, life certainly has travel on many roads, experienced many joys and dealt with many personal trials.

Easter as Kids was cute, you got the chocolate bunny, did the Easter egg hunt, wore cute little Easter bunny clothing, I even remember my uncle dressed up as this really horribly scary bunny! But being me, I gave the uncle bunny a good kicking in his ‘Easter basket’... you know, in you know where. Life was good! Seriously, he had it coming. The bunny outfit just gave me a free hall pass to say the bunny scared me! I knew how to turn on the water works when I needed to.

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The most fun I ever had during Easter was the Easter Egg Hunts. Each year, I had all my eggs in the basket over flowing. I could find those eggs no problem, and my friends were envious. I guess that came in handy later life, I can find Michael crochet hooks no problem or I can hide them, depending on my mood swing of the day.

You can see the piano in the photo, I love playing it as a kid. It was my toy that I would rather play with then the GI Joes or farm toys. Mind you, I did play with those too but will deny it if you ask me in person. But, I had more fun training myself how to play and read music. I never had lessons until my teens. My parents were poor farmers and lessons were not in the budget. As soon as I became a teenager, I had to work so that I could pay for a few lessons here and there. Music was very strong for me but I often wished I had the earlier start.

Thinking back, as a child you don’t realize what you are missing, the fear, the judgments and the losses. We develop that later. It’s sad that those negative feelings do come into play as we grow. Easter is a time that reminds me of that. So I ask, that we take the time to love, to encourage and to develop in the most positive way for our friends and families to grow creativity. Whether it is music, art or crochet, it’s okay to come out of your Easter shell to show your true colours Enjoy the time with friends and family in the up coming Easter celebrations. -Diva Dan

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Next Edition A Spring Fling, Flower Power

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