Crochet Chiq

My dear friend Ann Started a blog and posted a free hat pattern that is great for charity projects! Check it out! It's a CROCHET life for me!: THE Quick & Easy Caring Crochet for Charity Hat C... : THE Quick & Easy Caring Crochet for Charity Hat Created by Ann Siggers You will need a US I - 5.5mm sized crochet hook for standa...

I love the idea of Yarn bombing but I hate the idea of the yarn going to waste after the event. I just made one for my son's school and I designed it in a way the all of it can easily be used for items to donate for charity when it's all taken down next week. Here I am installing the smaller of the 2 ribbons I used many shades to give it a fun look. This is made of 3 scarves and will be donated after so no yarn will be wasted! 

My dear friend Ann Siggers put together something amazing! She asked the ladies of her online christian CROCHET group to crochet pink ribbons so they can be donated to breast cancer centers to given out during this month. They all have been blocked and have pins attached.

She started her post saying she is no one really just a girl dealing with anxiety and depression.... How many on you reading this post have felt that way? Laura Pavy  of the Crochet Case who is a mom, and has a business talked the CWA into helping her yarn bomb a stretch of highway that sees lots of tourists four times a year and locals far more often. Above you can see a photo from a local paper in Australia  showing all the lovely ladies involved in this yarn bomb!

Have you heard that this Friday is I Love Yarn Day hashtag #iloveyarnday and see the cool things trending for this event! Stitch and Unwind will be giving away YARN so head over to  I Love Yarn Day  every day this week ( I have a post coming up later this week too!) to make sure you don't miss out on the fun! Yesterday a great yarn giveaway that is easy to enter was posted and today Jennifer of Fiber Flux   shared an adorable SHEEP ornament! Do you have any plans for I love yarn day? Comment below! I know I will be working on a yarn bomb I have coming up to bring awareness to red ribbon week!

Happy Thursday everyone! A fellow crochet blogger asked for blogs to host her for her new book tour! Of course I wanted the chance for my readers to read something fun and new! Below you will see a post on how to crochet Crossed Trebles by Sarah Duggan. Down below is a chance to win her new book hooking for cash, if you would like to make something from your crochet it's a great recourse!   Crocheting a Business Blog Tour - August 1 - November 7, 2013 Crochet Stitch Tutorial: Crossed Trebles

NO it is not a myth! You can knit with just about anything! a few months ago my friend and I were on a double date and our boyfriends looked on in horror and we tried to knit our noodles! Her knitting skills are far more advanced that my own and she managed 3 rows of 4 stitches on one long ramen noodle!  My video comming out on youtube today Sunday the 15 th will show you have to arm knit

I was hoping to get this post up sooner but school seems to be sucking a lot of my time now a days!! I read a paragraph, crochet a row.. repeat!!!!! I just wanted to let everyone know that I will be on the LIVE stream of the Cre8tion crochet tonight. http://cre8tioncrochet.com/cre8tion-crochet-live-tv/ Click the link at 9pm est to watch live or watch it anytime after that! :) Let me know what you think and take time to look at all of Lorene's lovely patterns! She is the official designer for DARN GOOD YARN and on her site you can find a coupon code for dgy :)  

I am floored with EXCITEMENT!!!! It's not every day that one of your crochet mentors messages you to let you know that he loved your pattern enough to make a RED HEART video about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so honored Mikey choose my pattern out of the 1,000's that are available on the redheart.com website! I remember the first time Mikey Instant messaged me I jumped up and down and said I am chatting with THE Mikey!!! Yes the "the" was necessary  at the time I was just a fan and I was happy when I got 5 view on my small blog a day! I had asked him what he thought about my First AFC video and he gave me soo much good advice! fast forward 1.5 years ish and now he filmed one of my designs :)

Happy Monday everyone! I hope evwryone who can is enjoying this Holiday! Today I am wearing a maxi dress I bought a few years ago. I was upset when the beaded strap broke however I was not ready to part with it or fork over the cash to get a new one. My crochet minded brain said..... crochet a new strap and thats exactly what I did with some black worsted weight yarn and a h hook. This is made of ch and hdc around the ring! Have you fixed or improved an outfit with crochet? Comment below and tell us about it!

It's back to school time, both for myself and my oldest son ( he just got into GATE this year and I am so proud!) and in my house this means COFFEE! I was given one of these diy coffee cups and At first I though ooo I could scrapbook something awesome.... But then I though what if I crocheted something?? The cup I have smashed the lace I made with this 2 ply yarn. However I think thread would fit perfectly!!!! SO here is a project anyone even children can do!! Supplies less than one ball of Yarn 3 ply or 2 ply I used Scarps of Vanna's Glamour left over from this pattern ( Oh my CHIQ stars scarf  ) customizable coffee cup Step 1 unscrew the cup Step 2 Starting at the bottom wrap yarn around the cup. Try to wrap closely so there are not hug black gaps, try not to over lap too much so it it not thick. To help it from unraveling when you first start with a 6 inch tail and wrap over it as you go. Step 3 When you reach the top tuck your tail in and screw the cup...

Reading patterns! Learning to read a pattern is almost like learning another language... A skill I thought I would never master! If you can't take a class in person it's a great idea to find a youtube tutorial that also has a pattern you can print ( most sites have a pdf or you can copy and paste into a word doc ) as you watch the tutorial look at what the pattern says and after a few projects if will not seem so daunting!! T he pattern for this video can be found here  You can find the Video and pattern here for A chiq Shell Scarf Crochet Chiq: Shell Stitch Scarf : Simple Shell Stitch Scarf Hey Everyone! Here is a simple scarf that looks a lot harder than it actually is!! I didn't use a pattern t... Also search on Yoube for Crochet Geek , The Crochet Crowd , Bobwilson123 , Bethintx1   Moogly and I know there are lots other out there that post videos and patterns! If you get stuck just ask for help :) How did you learn to read patterns or are you s...

This morning was all about Graphghans however I just came across this super cute Heart in a square free pattern! I wanted to share it with everyone! Anyone else like to do this type of crochet? I'm Hooked!: Heart in Square I : Materials: Worsted weight yarn Crochet hook size 5.00 mm (H) The square is approximately 10x10 inches Chain 39 Rnd 1: dc in the...

In my social media feeds I have noticed an increase in beautiful crochet blankets that are all sc and changes colors to make a picture! I have seen Disney characters, video games themes, symbols for everything from music, sports teams, to logos! I thought it would be fun to interview another woman in this industry whom is super sweet, successful and extremely talented in this area as well as other crochet types!  Here are some interesting facts about tapestry crochet (most tapestry crochet patterns use a graph, to make checkered, hearts and more intricate patterns, I have also seen it called color work, intarsia and knitting refers to it as fair isle ) * note that while they all use graphs some have different ways of changing colors or use sl and hdc in addition to all sc like graphghans do!  Did you know that Mayan men and women in Guatemala use crochet tapestry bags with cultural themes?  While trying to find more info on how graphs first started to be used ...

NETWORK....Network.... NETWORK Meet other bloggers... If you are a facebooker check out  Check out this group  it's full of designers and blogger, wordpress and other platform users that are always willing to help another hooker out! Find other crocheters... Thats who you want to visit your site! Make friends don't just post links over and over because that can be annoying Reach out to directory sites like AFC  For a long time most of my views came from this site! They still account for a huge chunk of my views! Other great sites to google and get to know ( find them on twitter, facebook or the site itself) Crochet at Play Crochet pattern central Favecrafts The Yarn Box Ravelry If you have a good amount of post look and see which yarn brands you tend to use.. It never hurts to ask so try and contact them!

I am starting to go through my yarn and I was wondering how everyone else likes to organize their yarn? I like to keep my brands separate and then I go by color! I also like to keep my more expensive yarns away from my value yarns that way when I go to design a project it's easier to figure out what I need and the cost! Comment below and let me know how you like to! 

For the first one I thought I would share the same basic tips I start all my crochet class with, for experienced crocheters you may already know this, don't worry I every week I will target a different level of crocheter. If you are a beginner you should stay clear of any textured yarn ( except maybe ruffle yarn as those scarves are a easy step into crocheting project click here for my easy pattern ) because it is hard to see your stitches. Learning a new craft is a more enjoyable experience if you take baby steps. So many students would show up in my beginner crochet class with baby sweater patterns and fun texture yarn twice as big as the pattern calls for! When I first started learning ( before I found Mikey and Teresa's videos ) I bought a boucle yarn and could not get it at all!!

Lets start with...... How do you like the look and feel of my site now?? According to Google Analytics ( no matter what platform you use try this out!) my site has less views however more people are clicking on adds and to bloggers clicking on adds is what helps us to continue to provide for a family while offering free patterns, advice and tips! The site also loads way faster! I loved the old format better however with this being more user friendly I think this is a good idea! I would love to know everyone's opinion, leave a comment below! I thought it would be fun for me to share a tip every Tuesday from bloggers and a tip every Thursday for crochet !  Subscribe so you don't miss out! 4 months ago I began meeting with a Life Coach and the topic I choose to focus on is CROCHET CHIQ! My life coach has no arts knowledge at all however she is extremely successful and is a great public speaker.  We meet once a month and she doesn't tell me what to do but asks me que...

in this photo there are 2 books and 4 balls of yarn in the bag *** A huge thank you to my followers!!The revenue from my adds on this blog and my youtube are paying for my books so a HUGE THANK YOU for helping me go back to school***** I am returning to college to finish my degree now that my boys are getting older, so I had to make a cute crochet bag that could hold a text book! Now I have been lining a lot of my projects lately and I need a sewing break! So I didn't line this bag however if you are rough or want to load your bag up with lots of books I recommend you line it with cotton or something stronger. The bag I made has about 8 pounds of books in it and it stretches but can hold about that weight for limited use such as going to class! This bag is perfect to be used to hold your projects, yarn, magazines, and other things all the time for heavy use! 4 ply yarn J / 6 mm hook  and H hook optional ribbon to weave in and out of the hdc ch1 spaces. I used Lion Br...

I didn't want to over load you with Christmas at the beginning of the month so I decided to do it on the last day!!!  Here is a round up of my Christmas patterns and in august I will start adding 2 a month until December including patterns for Hanukkah!  IS there a Holiday theme or gift pattern you would like to see?? Comment below and let me know!!! Click here for pattern The Christmas spirit scarf is a popular pattern all year long and looks great in any color! It is a reader favorite at  AllFreeHolidayCrafts Click here for the pattern This was a popular craft class when I taught at Michaels, its great for all ages and a fun quick cheap way to decorate! They make great table toppers! Click here for the free pattern Go traditional or use a modern theme and make these adorable ornaments! They are quick and simple! click here for pattern Use a toilet paper roll to help this easy pattern keep it's shape! click here for the pattern This was...

supplies: thread motifs or granny square or crochet thread and steel needle to make one mod podge tile ( found in home improvement stores) optional acrylic sealer  spray ( protects your crochet against spills) To make the square in the photo : Aunt Lydia's  fashion thread by coats and clark in 2 colors steel hook Make a magic circle ( dont forget to knot) or chain 4 and sl In color A Round 1 ch3, 2dc,ch2,3dc,ch2,3dc,ch2,3dc,ch2 sl to beginning ch3 In color B Round 2 sl to ch2, ch3 ( in ch2 sp) 2dc,ch2,3dc, ch1,, *in next ch2, 3dc,ch2,3dc,ch1* repeat 2                                 more times sl to beginning ch3. In color A Round 3 sl to ch2 ch3,2dc,ch2,3dc,ch1, in ch1 space dc3, ch1, *in ch2 sp, 3dc,2ch,3dc,ch1, in                                   ch1 sp, 3dc,ch1* repeat 2 more times sli ...

This is super cool! I found this video about knitting with it on youtube  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzsn6EdLr5Y  Also after searching it looks Like Red Heart and a few other brands are coming out with similar "yarns" My grandma asked If I wanted to go to the big joanns a few cities over and heheh you never have to twist my arm to go to a craft store. My local joanns has 1 and a half isles of yarn so I am not a big joanns shopper when it comes to yarn... However I had to start taking pictures when I got to the one in Buena Park I really love the vanna's glamour

I started playing with wire a few years ago before my blog and while I was going through old photos I found this fun project and I wanted to share with everyone how easy this is to make! Supplies: NON WOOD crochet hook size I ( the wire can and pretty fancy hooks don't mix) 1 spool of copper wire any gauge you desire however stick to 18-28 gauge findings, I used a lobster clasp but and will do Gear charms *optional Blow torch, I used a mini one from my creme brulee kit. I found everything at my local craft store in the jewelry section 3 in 1 jewelry tool * however my my first few I used sharp scissors and needle nose pliers * They now have these kits which are cool   to use instead. put about half of you gears in a random order on your wire, randomly pull one up as you chain. I pulled one up about every other chain except for the first and last 4 chains start by making a slip knot leave about 6-8 inches before the slip knot * this will feel awkward now chain...

This pattern has no shaping like other ones I have seen so it is perfect for the beginner! It could be a great way to teach someone to crochet and help them bring awareness to a cause! My friend Ann Siggers ( you may have seen her watermelon twist afghan floating around online.. ) has a Christian facebook group and we as a group will be making these all year in between our other projects so we can give a bunch out during October for Breast Cancer awareness and next year we will most likely pick another cause! What cause are going to make yours for and why? Email me ( crochetchiq@gmail.com)  photo of your ribbon and who it represents and I will post it here for everyone to see. Here are some of the colors and their causes If I have left off one important to you please let me know and I will add it: PINK - Breast Cancer, less commonly know for Birth Parents and childhood cancers as a whole Yellow-   Support our Troops, Suicide, Bladder Cancer, ( a...

Hello everyone just wanted to give you a link to my free pattern on RedHearts Website. Click here to see my pattern I am soo honored and excited to be published on the redheart website! Thank you soo much to everyone who has supported me! Also Check out my new intro video on my youtube!

WOW I am just TOUCHED by the emails and I really enjoyed helping some of you and getting know bit more about you!! I'm sorry I had to pick a winner at random because you all deserve to win but the winner is Patrica Gager!!! She emailed me back right away and loves her bag and has been using it since she made it!! I am have been using mine too!! It made a great toy bag for a recent vacation to palm desert for a family reunion and is prefect for a beach bag! Plus you know I had with me yesterday on the forth!!! Patrica went with the ever exciting $35 dollar giftcard!! Congrats!! What would you buy with a 35 dollar gift card?? Sooo I still have some breath taking yarn and yarn balls from Griffin Hanspund  so drum roll please!! I am going to list 3 names chosen at random the first one of those three to email me or tweet me wins the yarn!!! Michelle B Renee W Kathy M Check back tomorrow to see who won and see photos of everyone's bags!!  ...

I was just browsing other crochet blogs and wow sometimes people are just mean! Just because the pattern is free doesn't mean you should complain to the designer you don't understand it.. and if you don't know what dec. is maybe and advanced pattern is something you should hold off on?? okay rant over.. I don't like seeing mean comments to other designers when the person doesn't know what they are talking about!!! How about we do a nice comment day! if there is a site you have gotten a pattern from you like go leave them some love on their page! and post a link on this post! Here are some sites I learned from , Have I mentioned I learn to crochet completely online?? Teresa Richardson crochet geek Beth Ham- Bethintx1 Mikey aka the crochetcrowd Claire aka Bob Wilson Donna aka Naztazia Laura AKA The Crochet Case ravelry  if you have this check out and leave a comment to those you have completed projects for.. Even send them a message or email!! ...

I read a review on Red Heart and on AllFreeCrochet and I was intrigued to get my hands on a copy and try a few patterns out! I am still working through the book but I wanted to share with you 2 of the animals I have made and as I make more I will share those with you too! so I couldn't find my darning needle and I used my hook to weave everything lol... that's why the face is lacking in detail!  The Harp seal is the 2nd pattern listed in the book and it's quick cute and easy pattern. However read each round completely before you crochet... a few times I almost made a mistake because of the way the pattern was worded and the way it increased. I loved everything about the pattern it's just written different than what I am used to and... I haven't followed a pattern in a while since I normally just figure it out myself. The author of this book is Megan Kreiner ( she calls her crochet MK Crochet, so bonus cool points because she is an MK too!!) Megan is an anim...

So yesterday I was looking around Elizabeth Ham 's facebook group  and some one posted a jacob's ladder style pattern and I thought to myself WOW I could soo do that to make a frumpy tee look fitted and flirty!! Check out my NEW Video HERE This will make your t shirt tighter cut you slits about 3-4 inches long and about 1-2 inches apart using a ruler helps to keep everything straight uses sharp scissors make a difference! in the video you can see i used my trusty Fiscars! Using the hook you pull the loops through each other to create a cable on top. I started from the toop of the shirt. 

This amazing pattern is FREE here on the Crochet Today Website T he magazine has awesome studs but I couldn't find any at my local craft stores. So I found two cute but manly turtle buttons and decided to stitch 1 Cor. 13:13  (  And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love.  ) it! This was a gift to my boyfriend who plays in the worship band at my church and was in despite need of a new guitar strap!  I love how quick and easy this pattern designed by Brenda K. B. Anderson  ( click her name to see her designs on ravely)  is. I made the strap in an evening! I like how the skinny black rows are raised which gives the strap so detailing. What way would you personalize your strap? Comment below!