Now that I’ve finished the lacy crochet tunic which I just HAD to do, I am again working on my crochet photo patterns. In addition to doing a piece for a good friend who got married last year (yeah, I know, I’m a little late with the gift giving), I am adding more information to this blog to help you create …
Author: Patrice Walker
→I've been crocheting for over 40 years and blogging since 2004 - two of my favorite things in the world to do besides walking the beaches of windward Oahu, Hawaii.
This post contains affiliate links. Read my Disclosure Policy for more information. Thanks for your support! I call this symbol system the lingua franca of crochet because it allows crochet designers from different language backgrounds to create patterns that everyone can read. I couldn’t find much on the origins of these symbols other than that the Japanese invented their system …
Here in Hawaii, flip flops, or slippers as we call them, are the shoes of choice year round. Currently, I have three pairs to wear outside, and one pair for indoors. Most Hawaiian residents remove their shoes before entering a home, a custom we follow in ours. But I don’t always want to go around barefoot inside and will wear …
Several of my crochet blogging buddies have been publishing articles with a title similar to this one. I’ve enjoyed reading them so much that I thought I’d jump on the bandwagon and write one of my own. Plus, I haven’t published anything since the end of March, and I figured this would be a nice change from what I typically …
I had this grand idea to design and crochet a shawl for my daughter for Christmas 2013. Unfortunately, I didn’t purchase enough yarn, and I started a little too late. In this blog post, I describe how the shawl turned into a scarf, as well as how to avoid my mistakes in designing your own rectangular shawl. Choosing Yarn and …
Around the beginning of 2014 and through mid February, I came down with the flu and had bronchitis twice! Needless to say, I didn’t feel like doing much other than watching TV, reading, and sleeping. On the other hand, while I didn’t feel like crocheting, for some reason I didn’t mind knitting at all (glad I can do both!) and …
80 rows x 72 stitchesI started this piece sometime in late 2013 and thought I would be finished by the beginning of the New Year. Unfortunately, the flu and two bouts of bronchitis kept me from completing it until now. During that sick time, I simply didn’t feel like crocheting, but for some reason I wasn’t averse to knitting. Go …
I was commissioned this past Thursday to create a crocheted piece for the launch of free WiFi at Our Kaka’ako, a project of the Kamehameha Schools encompassing nine city blocks in the Honolulu neighborhood known as Kaka’ako. Our Kaka’ako is “rooted in Hawaiian culture and values” and committed to “empowering creativity, cultivating innovation, and building a truly unique, local community.” …
Susan Dougill of Crochet Addict UK has spotlighted me on her blog by publishing an article I’ve written. It’s about taking someone from little to no crochet skills to successfully completing a pattern. I’ve called it “I Don’t Know How to Crochet But I Want to Make This.” Please check it out, and be sure to catch up with me …
I wanted to have a crochet photo pattern ready for Valentine’s Day. But when I finally found a really nice photo to base the pattern on, I knew it would be impossible for anyone to finish the piece before February 14, unless they worked on it 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Then I thought, “Why not create …
A while back, I received a request from a reader to help her figure out why her granny squares leaned to the right. The Youtube video she used to teach her how to make a granny square had an interesting way of ending and beginning rounds, which I thought might be the cause of the problem (it wasn’t). And while …
Where does the time go when you’re having fun crocheting? Another year has come and gone, so it’s time to reflect on what I accomplished in 2013 and to establish some goals and objectives for 2014. What I Said I would Do in 2013 At the beginning of 2013, I participated in Sara Duggan’s 31 Days of Crochet Business Blogging, …
If you’ve tried to access my blog during the past few weeks and haven’t been able to, it’s because I’ve been having the worst time with the company I was using to host it (which shall remain nameless, but if you won’t to know who to steer clear of, ask me in the comments section below). Now that I’ve migrated …
If you’ve ever wondered if you could turn your love of crochet into a thriving business, Ali Campbell is proof positive that it can be done. Read her guest post to find out how she did it. Hello, my name is Ali Campbell and I live in the UK. I started to crochet at a very young age when crochet …
(I received a review copy of this book from the publisher, Stackpole Books, in exchange for an honest review. Also, the post contains affiliate links. Read my Disclosure Policy for more information. Thanks for your support!) Sweet & Simple Baby Crochet: 35 Adorable Designs for Newborns to 12 Months is the brainchild of crochet designer, Kristi Simpson. Simpson, who taught herself …
A lot of talk has been circulating on the Internet about whether or not it’s okay to “share” (i.e., give away) copies of patterns you’ve purchased. Some think it’s okay to do, on the assumption that, if they’ve purchased a pattern, they have the right to do with it as they see fit, including giving away copies. Not only is …