Archives for July 2014

Winner in 2014 CGOA Design Contest

 -Winner at the Crochet Guild of America 2014 Design Competition

Congrats to Deborah for her winning entry at the CGOA 2014 Design Competition. That’s two years in a row! (See her owl bean bag chair winning entry from 2013 – on Etsy) I may be a little bias since she’s my sister…but I think she totally ROCKS!

3rd Place in the Afghan and Home Decor Category

Toy-Soldier-Christmas-Wreath

Photo: Doris Chan

Title: A Soldier’s Christmas

Soldier’s Christmas Wreath pattern now available on Etsy!

Do you want one of these on your front door this Christmas as much as I do? I (Dana) was blown away with this crocheted Christmas wreath. I really wish you could see it in person it’s so rich in color and texture.

There are a lot of fun details that make this so breathtaking. I love the texture that the crocodile stitch leaves add to the base of the wreath. I’m in love with the soldier (don’t tell my husband) and all the detailing on his jacket. And I adore the scales on the pine cones. I can hardly wait for Deborah to write up this pattern so I can make one of these for my home!

Special Thanks & Links to Other Winners and Entries

cgoa-20

A big thank you once again to Doris Chan for organizing a fabulous design competition. We are super thankful for all the work Doris puts into this annual competition. (And I’m sure she’s thanking Deborah for not sending in another bean bag chair like last year!)

And thank you to the judges: Jenny KingSusan Lowman and Karen Manthey. I’m sure it was a challenge to pick just three winners in each category.

It’s the 20th anniversary of the Crochet Guild of America and some of the designers incorporated that theme into their designs which was fun to see.

Visit Doris Chan’s website for all the winners and entries:

Deborah had two more entries in the competition that didn’t place. See if you can spot them in the slide show!

Soldier Christmas Wreath pattern now available on Etsy!

Published in Crochet More 2014

Crochet-More-2014-CoverPublished in Love of Crochet – Crochet More 2014

Love of Crochet magazine has a summer issue called Crochet More where every project in the issue uses 3 skeins of yarn or less. We have several fun items published in this special issue.

This is also the first time we’ve written an article for a publication. I say we, but it was all Deborah. She highlights the half double crochet (hdc) stitch and the myriad of textures that can be created with that stitch. My personal favorite is the hdc in the round in the back bar.

Spinner Greeting Cards

Spinner-Greeting-Cards

Photo: Love of Crochet Magazine

Send smiles across the miles with some fun spinner cards.

Here, I (Dana) have combined my old love of paper crafting with my new love of crochet and created some fun peek-a-boo greeting cards. If you spin the crocheted element before stuffing in an envelope, they will spin when the recipient opens them!

There is a star, heart and moon applique. The simple design of the card really lets the crocheted pieces shine! This is a fabulous project for your scraps of crochet thread.

Cute and Classic Clutch – Heart in Granny Square

Photo: Love of Crochet Magazine

Photo: Love of Crochet Magazine

The heart in this granny square makes this a clutch you’re going to love to use. It’s the perfect size for storing crochet hooks and tools. Deborah added magnetic snaps to the corners of her bag and uses this bag to store her crochet hooks, scissors and sewing needles.

This is a great stash buster project. It looks fun in mono-chromatic color schemes as well as vivid rainbow colors.

Heart Granny Square Clutch pattern available on Etsy.

HDC Sampler Bag

HDC-Sampler-Bag

Photo: Love of Crochet Magazine

This bag is actually a half double crochet (hdc) stitch sampler! Each section is crocheted with a different technique to create a different texture only using the hdc stitch.

Techniques include: crocheting in the round; crocheting in both loops, back loop, and front loop; crocheting in back bar from the front and from the back.

Crocheting in the back bar is sometimes referred to as the 3rd loop or camel crochet (often created using a single crochet).

Deborah crocheted several swatches that showcase the different textures that can be created using just the hdc. The different textures are created by crocheting in rows vs rounds and by inserting your hook in different places on the stitch. It’s a great tutorial.