Today is the fifth day of A Tour through Crochet Country. I hope you’ve had as much fun as Donna and I have had as we’ve checked each day to see what our designers have in store for us during National Crochet Month.
Let’s hop aboard the blog train and head on out to visit with Mary Jane Hall and Lindsey Stephens.
[button link=”http://positivelycrochet.blogspot.com/”]Today’s Stop 1: Visit Mary Jane Hall[/button]
If you’re a crochet fashionista who loves to make and wear trendy crochet clothing and accessories, then you’re probably already familiar with Mary Jane Hall’s designs. Mary Jane has written two books jam-packed with incredible crochet fashions: Positively Crochet!: 50 Fashionable Projects and Inspirational Tips and Crochet That Fits: Shaped Fashions Without Increases or Decreases. Mary Jane has also had numerous patterns featured in other books and magazines.
Here are two of my favorite patterns of Mary Jane’s:
Crochet That Fits
Crochet Today! May/June 2009
My daughter is a college-student at the University of Alabama, where houndstooth is always seen in abundance, in remembrance of football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant’s famous houndstooth hat. One day soon I’ll be making this in black and white.
On a more personal level, her faith in God and spending time with her friends and family are the most important things in Mary Jane’s life. She also enjoys cooking, thrift-store shopping, hiking in the summer, and traveling. She’s also an accomplished singer, a skill of which I’m very envious. She even has a CD of contemporary music coming soon! She is one multi-talented lady!
Mary Jane also appeared on Season 3, Episode 8 of the Knit and Crochet Now TV show. Click here to watch!
[button link=”http://poetryinyarn.com/blog”]Today’s Stop 2: Visit Lindsey Stephens[/button]
I first met designer Lindsey Stephens several years ago when she was a fledgling associate professional designer just getting started in the industry. She’s come a long way since then! Lindsey designs in both crochet and knit, and has had many designs published in magazines, books, and by yarn companies. In addition to teaching crochet, knit, and other neeedlearts classes, Lindsey is also a math teacher. She’s also a fabulous tech editor, perhaps due in part to her background in mathematics!
I absolutely adore this romantic little capelet, which includes instructions for both sockweight and sportweight yarn. It also has an optional beaded neckline and edging, perfect for those of us who can’t get enough sparkle!
Available on Ravelry
If you like amigurumi, you’re going to love this cute little hamster. He’s just too adorable!
Available on Ravelry
Remember Project Night Night!
Don’t forget to think about lending your support to Project Night Night. Whether you choose to spend the month making a blanket or two for a homeless child or make a financial donation, we appreciate any support you can give to this worthy organization.
After you send in your donations, don’t forget to update our NatCroMo charity total spreadsheet. We think it will be fun to see just how much love and caring “the power of the hook” can send to the homeless children supported by Project Night Night.
You can find all the details on how to make donations and how to add those donations to our group totals in our main A Tour through Crochet Country post.
Good-Bye Until Tomorrow
I hope you enjoyed today’s stops visiting with Mary Jane and Lindsey. Please come join us again tomorrow when we’ll visit with Edie Eckman and Shannon Mullett-Bowlsby.
[button link=”http://edieeckman.com/”]Visit Edie Eckman[/button] [button link=”http://shibaguyzdesignz.com/”]Visit Shannon Mullett-Bowlsby[/button]
Our Little Giveaway: Autographed Pattern Postcard
Today’s entries are closed. Winners: Congratulations to Detroitdeb and cshortteach!
Each day of A Tour Through Crochet Country, we’ll be giving away two promo postcards, one to each of two winners. These are only available at our 2013 consumer show booths, and will be autographed by both of us, Amy Shelton and Donna Hulka, co-owners of Crochetville! The postcard includes Amy Shelton’s exclusive X Marks the Spot scarf pattern.
To enter, please leave a comment below answering this question: How did you learn to crochet?
The fine print: Must be 13 or older to enter. Entries must be received by 12:00 midnight Pacific time on the date of this post. Winners will be selected by random drawing and notified by email the following day. Void where prohibited by law.
All photos used with permission or under the Fair Use Exclusion of US copyright law.
My grandmother taught me to crochet when I was 5 or 6 years old. We would crochet together when I spent my summers with her.
My grandmother taught me, I spent the summers with her and she taught me how to sc when I was 5 years old.
A woman I worked with taught me how to do the single crochet stitch so I could make a blanket. (She didn’t show me how to start or finish. She started and finished off my blanket for me.) It wasn’t until the next year that I decided I wanted to learn how to do it all. I went out and bought a book and taught myself everything else. Ever since I’ve been trying to learn everything I could. Now I’m to the point where I say “I wonder what would happen if…” and it turns into more experimentation. 🙂
My mother, who was also left handed like me, started to teach me to crochet when I was 5 years old. I was sick in bed with the measles and bored, so she taught me to do a chain stitch. I made a whole skein of yarn into a chain. Then I went on to learn some more stitches and started to make some strangely shaped potholders. By the time I was about 10, I made my first afghan- granny squares- that my mother put together for me.
Neighbor taught me when I was around 11 years old. I think she was from Eastern Europe and she started a ripple afghan for me. I still have it – it is so lopsided! 🙂 40 years later, with dozens of afghans done, I’m still loving it!
I learned to crochet from my grandmother when I was in grade school. She lived a half block away. I was sent to her house by my mother, not knowing why,but when I got there she taught me how to crochet a granny square. That’s history. I’ve been making all kinds of stuff since.
My grandmother taught me to crochet 45 years ago. The first thing I made was an afghan. I still have it.