I get inspiration from all places, even crochet. I saw this beautiful table topper on Pinterest about 8 years ago and saved the photo. I wish I had remembered to save the maker's name (and I'm going to try to track it down in the meantime!) This is a traditional pattern that is updated with fresh, bright colors. Crochet table topper using 60 degree diamonds I was sent a collection of these Benartex fabrics in 2016 and they said "MODERN" to me. They are from the Fabricadabra Collection by Paula Nadelstern. Fabricadabra strips I was going for a modern version of my Seven Sisters pattern , inspired by that crocheted beauty above. I wasn't sure of how I would do it, but I did start cutting the same size diamonds. But FIRST I sewed a 1-1/2" (1" finished) strip of the gray to each of the colors. Then, using my trusty acrylic ruler with the 60 degree lines, I cut my 3-1/2" diamond strips. Diamonds with gray strips I did this with all the colors I was using...

I tend to play with my yarn more in the Winter. I guess because it's warm and snuggly and soft. I am not very creative with what I do - mainly squares, rectangles and circles. Here's something I crocheted in a class at my local library. The teacher is from Italy and is very creative. This little sample was the basis for some weaving we were supposed to do. I didn't want to do it her way! Crocheted basis for some weaving I don't think she was happy about that, but hey - I'm an adult and I just wanted to do something different. I took another project's supplies and used those to let my granddaughter Eva get creative. This is what she did last Saturday. She totally enjoyed this, weaving in and out using VERY fluffy yarn. She took it home and I bet it is a special blanket for one of her Barbies. Fluffy yarn (and some eyelash yarn) woven into sample Another creative thing Patrizia taught us (which I caught onto right away) was this braided headband. Here are a few of...

I love all the needle arts and have dabbled in most of them in the past several decades. One that I took up when in college was crochet. Then, fast forward 35 years and I came back to it! Here are some of my latest projects made with Fair Isle yarn , a new kid on the block! I received a complimentary box of their yarns in January and got busy stitching,  uh, I mean hooking! Got to switch gears from sewing to crochet, right? (There is a big sale on select yarns from November 1 - 21 with 20% off; free shipping over $80.) Sampling of 4 Fair Isle yarns Madeline is 100% acrylic and SO soft. It was easy to work with and I absolutely love this Dahlia color. There is 176 yards and is on sale for the month of November for $3.99 a skein at their website. I started a hat from one end of the skein and a cowl from the other (pretty clever, huh?) Hat and cowl for my granddaughter  Here is the darling little child modeling the hat. Little granddaughter in her Madeline ...

I love yarn; almost as much as I love fabric. I love the texture, the colors, the multitudes of things I can create. And I discovered that I can collect yarn as quickly as I collect fabric. Who says I have to have a plan to buy it? It just looks so pretty sitting on my shelves. And my coffee table. And the stool in my kitchen. And . . . Sometimes I'm given samples and that's the case with this set of four skeins of Fair Isle . I'm not sure how they found me (I'm a quilter, OK?), but I am a serious crocheter and you can't crochet without yarn! Four skeins of Fair Isle yarn This is not the high end yarn you find in specialty yarn shops (though I truly love that, too). This is quality yarn that feels good in my hands, plays nice with my hooks, and is very affordable (which means I can buy more of it!) Let me show you what I made with that green and gold variegated Barclay  (195 yards). The color is called " Surf ." (Surf? It's the middle of wint...

Don't you just love beautiful fabric? I do and always love seeing what Windham Fabrics sends my way. This is the new collection called Aria by Kelly Ventura . Aria Collection by Kelly Ventura I asked my daughter Hilary to select a few pieces so that I could make her a surprise birthday present. She is an avid crocheter like me (she's more so) and I've seen her piles of yarn around her house and I got an idea to make a hook holder. I found a pattern in the latest issue of Make it! Patchwork magazine. It was for knitting needles (we can't knit), but I knew it would work for crochet hooks. Here is a pic of the outside (navy) and the lining (yellow). I used my walking foot to quilt straight lines. The first line I sewed was wobbly because I thought I could do it WITHOUT any guidance. Ha! But I was too lazy to walk to the basement and get my marking chalk. I instead cut 2" wide pieces of freezer paper, ironed them in place, and used those as my stitching guides...