You’ve arrived at the annual NatCroMo Blog Tour! What is that, you ask? It’s a virtual celebration of National Crochet Month with new blog content daily throughout March, including featured crochet designers, free patterns, discounts, giveaways, and more.
This year our theme is The Crochet Concert and we are celebrating music as creative inspiration. Each featured designer’s showcase will include an “Opening Act” (a quick or easy pattern); “Intermission” (the designer’s favorite crochet tools, yarn, or books); a “Showstopper” (an impressive or unique pattern); and “Designer’s Choice” (any pattern of the designer’s choice).
See all of this year’s tour here: NatCroMo Blog Tour 2021.
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About Phyllis Serbes
Our featured designer of the day is Phyllis Serbes of Many Creative Gifts. You can find Phyllis’s patterns on Ravelry, LoveCrafts, and Gumroad. She has also published patterns in Inside Crochet magazine.
We are a company designed to help you be thoughtful and true to your giving nature. Phyllis is our founder and chief designer. If you’re a crafter, you know how hard and overwhelming it is to weed through all of the patterns out there when all you want to do is make the perfect baby gift? Imagine easily planning and creating meaningful baby gifts so that you get lots of ooohs and aaaahs at the baby shower (even virtual ones!). Phyllis can help you do that by teaching you how to crochet, providing easy-to-make but sophisticated crochet and knit patterns for baby items, and linking you to some of the best providers of other must-have baby items.
Phyllis’ Special for Our Readers
Visit Phyllis’ blog post celebrating National Crochet Month to get her new free pattern, Coffee Cup Crochet Cosie!
Also, those who purchase her 6-page eGuide to Handcrafted Baby Gifts for $1.99 will receive a coupon for $2.00 off a pattern (that’s right, you make a penny!), redeemable in her Ravelry store, offer good March 14-31, 2021.
Phyllis’s Creative Inspiration
Is music a source of inspiration for your crochet creativity? Or do you listen to music while you crochet? If so, tell us about it. If not, what is something else that helps fuel your creative inspiration?
I have to admit, I am inspired more by the visual than the auditory, but I do love to crochet to music (even when it affects my tension and gauge!). I find that calm, instrumental music helps me relax enough to work my way through a challenging pattern, while disco or 80s music will put me in workout mode, whipping out some simple projects in record time. This year’s theme, though, does have me thinking more about how to use music for crochet inspiration, and I’m really looking forward to reading about what other crochet designers and hobbyists have to say!
Can you recommend one or two songs/pieces of music you find inspirational?
Any of the instrumental albums by Windham Hill.
Designer Showcase: The Opening Act
Pattern name: Crochet Easter Basket (free pattern!)
Get the pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/crochet-easter-basket-4
About the pattern: Get your Easter basket ready with this quick and fun crochet project that utilizes nylon twine from the hardware store! Front post and back post double crochet stitches are used to create a basketweave look to the sides of the basket.
Intermission
Tell us about one (or more) of your favorite crochet-related items.
I love my Boye hooks and the Clover pompom makers!
Designer Showcase: The Showstopper
Pattern name: Rainbows and Diamonds Crochet Shawl
Get the pattern: Available soon in Phyllis’ Ravelry store
About the pattern: This lightweight shawl will be your go-to wrap for the spring and summer! Using an F hook, a pima cotton yarn, and basic stitches and chains, the shawl starts at the long end and finishes at the tip. Follow the row-by-row directions to create multicolored rainbows and diamonds or pick your favorite color for a monochromatic look. This fun project will challenge you a bit at the beginning, but as the shawl progresses, it’ll keep your interest and finish at a satisfying point.
Designer Showcase: Designer’s Choice
Pattern name: The Spumoni Baby Sweater
Get the pattern: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/spumoni-baby-sweater
About the pattern: Baby is so sweet, now she’ll be good enough to eat! Wrap your baby girl in this Italian ice cream inspired sweater that’s easy to make from top down, all in one piece, using the double crochet stitch (with a fun waistline pinwheel stitch). Top off with cherry buttons!
Follow Phyllis Online
Here’s where you can connect with Phyllis online to be sure you don’t miss any of her new designs!
- Website: manycreativegifts.com
- Blog: manycreativegifts.blogspot.com
- Instagram: @phyllisofmcg
- Facebook: @ManyCreativeGifts
- Pinterest: @phyllisofmcg
- Ravelry: Phyllis Serbes – Many Creative Gifts – Ravelry store
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