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AllFreeCrochet’s Pillow Crochet Along Winners

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Michael and I would like to personally thank everyone who participated in our very first Crochet Along. This was such a fun activity that brought all the crocheters together for a fun time! Even if you did not participate you can make the pillows any time you wish with these tutorials. There were some pretty creative entries. Some of you decided to add little embellishments like flowers, and one of you even turned your pillow into an owl pillow. Adorable! I guess I won’t make you wait any longer…
Three winners were randomly chosen to win one of three gift baskets.

And the Winners Are:

goombi723g with a peach colored pillow.

Karen Durgee Perry with neutral colored pillows.

Flemstica with a rainbow colored pillow.

Please contact us with your mailing information so we can send you your prize! Congratulations!

You can see all of the beautiful photos in our photo gallery!

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AllFreeCrochet’s Pillow Crochet Along Week 3

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Welcome back, crocheters! Today starts the final steps to our Crochet Along; how is your pillow coming along? If you missed week two or you’re a bit behind, don’t worry. You can work up these pillows any time you want. Don’t forget…we’re choosing three lucky winners at random. All you have to do is post your photos in our photo gallery, it’s so easy. Make sure you label your photos as “Crochet Along” so we know that’s your photo entry. Now let’s finish up these pillows.

Two Panels should be constructed. You can mix them up so the pillow has different colors on either side (if you prefer).

 

Attach the two panels together by placing the panels on top of each other.

FOR PILLOW 1 – Create a slip knot and slide onto hook. Slip hook through both panels. I have chosen to slip it between the posts to be consistent. Single crochet the two panels together all the way around.

FOR PILLOW 2 – Create a slip knot and slide onto the hook. Slip the hook through both panels. CH 3, 2 DC into the same corner piece. DC all the way around. I double crocheted between each post on both panels to ensure I was attaching them at the same spot on both panels.

Continue to SC the two together for 3 edges.

Once 3 edges are SC together… Slip in pillow form.

  

Continue to SC the two panels together. Pillow form will be trapped inside.

  

Fasten off and weave in ends. Now you have your beautiful pillow to show off!

Don’t forget there are prizes just for posting pictures. Three winners will be chosen at random, so be sure you post your WIP’s and finished pillows in our online gallery! We will announce the winners on March 12! Thanks for participating!

 

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AllFreeCrochet’s Pillow Crochet Along Week 2

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Welcome back! We are making some fabulous pillows during our Crochet-Along. Based on the instructions for Week 1, you should have your yarn, hook and other materials ready. You should also know which pillow you want to make, if not both. Now we are ready to crochet some great decor!

We will start by making the front and back of the pillow. You can find the pattern below, as well as a video for each pillow. First chain 37 and DC 5th from the hook, then DC all the way across. Be sure you look at the abbreviations and diagram before starting, so you know how the pillow will be made.

Abbreviations:

BEG = Beginning, CH = Chain, HDC = Half Double Crochet, ST – Stitch, SL ST = Slip Stitch, SC = Single Crochet, DC = Double Crochet, TR = Triple Crochet, FPDC = Front Post Double Crochet, BPDC = Back Post Double Crochet

I wanted to show you the repeat pattern. The red lines going up and down are showing you that each basket weave is in sets of 4. The red solid line on the left side is where the pattern is reversed to create the basket weave look.

Here are some things to keep in mind before you begin:

  • The color transition (for the rainbow pillow) will cause wasted yarn as you need to start each at a specific point. This means you have to get to the point in the skein that matches the rest of the skeins to be consistent with the coloring. You might want to buy a 4th skein just in case.
  • When doing the black side of the pillow you will use eyelash and black worsted yarn at the same time.
  • Working with extra skeins at the same time causes you to go a bit slower, which is okay.

Chain 37

Row 1: Dc in the 4th ch from the hook. Dc in every ch across. Turn.

Row 2: Ch2. *FPDC in the next 4 dc, BPDC in the next 4 dc. Repeat from * all the way across and finish with 1 hdc into the top of the stitch below. Turn.

Row 3: Ch2. *BPDC in the next 4 dc, FPDC in the next 4 dc. Repeat from * all the way across and finish with 1 hdc into the top of the stitch below. Turn.

Row 4: Ch2. *FPDC in the next 4 dc, BPDC in the next 4 dc. Repeat from * all the way across and finish with 1 hdc into the top of the stitch below. Turn.

Rows 4-25: Repeat rows 2-4 seven times.

Row 26: Repeat row 2.

Fasten off.

Do a second panel by repeating the above instructions.

Pillow Option 1:



Pillow Option 2:

 

Don’t forget there are prizes just for posting pictures. Three winners will be chosen at random, so be sure you post your WIP’s and finished pillows in our online gallery!

 

Crochet Along Schedule

Week One, Starting February 22 – Gather Materials

Week Two, Starting February 29 – Start Pillow

Week Three, Starting March 7 – Finishing, Assembly and Sharing Photos

March 12th – Announcement of Winners

 

 

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AllFreeCrochet’s Pillow Crochet Along

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Find your favorite yarn and grab a hook, it’s time for AllFreeCrochet’s first ever Crochet Along! With the spring season headed our way we thought it was a great time to start sprucing up your home. Michael Sellick is our Crochet Along cruise director and will be driving the boat on this terrific project. Whether you are a beginner crocheter or a more advanced hooker, you will love joining us on our crochet journey. And if the waters get choppy, we will encourage each other to keep the ship afloat!

The Project

There are two pillow patterns to choose from in our Crochet Along. Each pillow only takes a few hours to make, but since this is a crochet along we’ll only give you bits and pieces of the pattern throughout a three week period of time. You can choose to make one pattern or both, it’s up to you!

How To Participate

Tune in Wednesdays
Every Wednesday, Michael will be here to share the next step in the Crochet Along. We will be posting the instructions as well as videos right here (see video below), so stay tuned.

Post Your Photos & Make Friends
We will be sharing our progress and would love to see yours too on our new online gallery. Our easy to follow tutorial about Flickr will get you started if you aren’t familiar with the site. As your are working up your new pillow(s), we encourage you to post work in progress photos and meet fellow crochet along pals in the process. You can comment on other people’s photos and encourage them as they will you. Once your pillow is complete, be sure to post your finished product in the gallery.

Supply List

Below is the supply list for each pattern. You can also get your supplies through CutRateCrafts at a discounted price! These patterns can be made with a wide variety of materials, so feel free to use what you have on hand or change up the yarn to suit your own style. After all, this is your pillow, so customize this project any way you like. We can’t wait to see what you make!

Materials:

Pillow Option One
Size M/9 mm or N/10mm size Crochet Hook
3 Balls of Red Heart Light & Lofty Wine, 127 g or 4.5 oz size
1 Pillow Form measuring 16″ x 16″
Buy Select Materials at a Discounted Price

 

Pillow Option Two
Size M/9 mm or N/10mm size Crochet Hook
3 to 4 Balls Bernat Mosaic – 100 g or 3.5 oz Psychedelic Color
3 Balls black eye lash yarn – 50 g
1 Red Heart Super Saver – Black 197 g or 7.5 oz
1 Pillow Form measuring 16″ x 16″
Buy Select Materials at a Discounted Price

Crochet Along Schedule

Week One, Starting February 22 – Gather Materials

Week Two, Starting February 29 –  Start Pillow

Week Three, Starting March 7 – Finishing, Assembly and Sharing Photos

March 12th – Announcement of Winners

Prizes

We are so happy to have you all join the fun of our first Crochet Along! To keep the fun going we have a few fun prizes for three lucky winners who will be chosen at random.

How To Enter

  • Post your project, finished or in progress, in our online gallery to be entered.
  •  Open to anyone 18+ in the US or Canada.
  • Photos must be posted by March 11, 2012, 11:59p EST.
Prizes
  • There are three amazing gift baskets to give away!
  • Each one contains three skeins of yarn, three crochet books and a crochet kit.
  • Be sure you post your pictures for a chance to win!

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The Top 100 Free Crochet Patterns of 2011

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Hello, my creative crochet-crazy crowd! I have a thrilling announcement about one of our latest collections of free crochet patterns—designed by you! I’m so excited to reveal the top 100 crochet patterns of 2011 from AllFreeCrochet.com. You chose this collection from the best of the best, and though the competition was fierce, your creative interests revealed the most popular, most fabulous and most frequently fashioned crochet patterns last year. Click here to check out 100 Free Crochet Patterns for Winter: Free Crochet Hat Patterns, Scarves, Blankets and More and see what you chose!

The resounding theme of the collection was that of the winter wonderland. There’s nothing like crochet scarf patterns and crochet hat patterns to prepare you for the elements, and your top winter weather projects are all in this collection. These projects are perfect for keeping nice and toasty amid winter breezes, or just adding an impressive statement to your wardrobe or home décor.

Here’s a sneak peak at all of the amazing projects you chose as your favorites in 2011!

Crochet glove patterns were hands down (get it?) some of the most popular of the projects on AllFreeCrochet.com. Keep your digits dancing and your fingers unfrozen with these easy crochet mittens and gloves. Learn how to crochet gloves and mittens as gifts or personal accessories. If your fingers freeze every time you venture out your door, try Taming the Butterfly Fingerless Gloves. These will help you embrace your inner butterfly and come out of your winter cocoon so you can enjoy the gorgeous falling snow.

Taming the Butterfly Fingerless Gloves
In order to properly optimize brain function, one must keep one’s head toasty and warm at all times—not to mention fashionable. Fortunately, with the collection of free crochet hat patterns in our list of the Top 100 Crochet Patterns of 2011, you can look and feel great regardless of the weather. Try this Quick Fix Winter Hat; it’s perfectly suited for playing in the snow!

Quick Fix Winter Hat

You also revealed that you are huge fans of our phenomenal free crochet scarf patterns!  Fend off unfashionable winter shivers with these lovely handmade scarves. This Asymmetry Scarf Using One Skein will keep your neck nice and warm, as well as display your innate and perfect fashion sense.

Asymmetry Scarf Using One Skein

Even if you’re not a fan of going out and experiencing the elements, you can still enjoy winter with the free crochet afghan patterns you chose in the top 100 projects of 2011 from AllFreeCrochet.com. For a bright and unique accent piece, try Framed Church Windows 6-Inch Square. This phenomenal afghan square looks just like a stained glass window, and it’s colorful charm brightens up your décor.

Framed Church Windows 6-Inch Square

If you’re hankering for more free crochet patterns after seeing this sneak peak, click here to see all of the top 100 projects of 2011 in 100 Free Crochet Patterns for Winter: Free Crochet Hat Patterns, Scarves, Blankets and More!

Have you made anything on this list? Which of these projects is your favorite? I’m a big fan of the Crochet Lace Gloves.  They’re just so elegant! Tell us your favorites in the comments below!

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The Best Free Crochet Patterns From January

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AllFreeCrochet is constantly giving you amazing crochet patterns to try out. In January especially, you the readers, just loved them all! I get it, who doesn’t love free crochet patterns? I know I’ve been trying more and more patterns lately and I’m having a blast doing so. If you missed the patterns from January or you just loved them so much, let’s revisit your favorites:

  1. Hobo Bag
  2. The 5 Minute Flower
  3. Colorful Crocheted Bracelets
  4. Antique Ballet Slippers
  5. Sweet Slipper
  6. Spiky Little Neckwarmer
  7. Quick and Easy Crochet Doll
  8. 5 1/2 Hour Throw
  9. Crocheted Neck Cozy
  10. Crocheted Slippers Moccasin Style
  11. Hand Warmers in Two Sizes
  12. Double Layer Crochet Flower
  13. Crochet Flower with Leaves
  14. Petals Newborn Hat
  15. Circle Scarflette

Which one is your favorite? Log on to the site and leave a comment on your favorite projects. Tell us why it’s your favorite and what color you might crochet it in.

 

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Meet and Make: Nicole Snow

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This week’s Meet and Make designer is Nicole Snow of Darn Good Yarn.

In 2008, Nicole Snow created “Darn Good Yarn” by combining her two passions in life—art and helping others. The idea was simple: created high-quality, beautiful yarn without using child labor… all while helping the women of India and Nepal support their families.

Within a short period of time, Snow and Darn Good Yarn had a passionate following. “To our customers, it isn’t just about high quality fibers,” Snow explains. “It really is about helping people. That’s what separates Darn Good Yarn from the other companies.”

As it turns out, however, helping the women of India and Nepal and their families isn’t the only thing Darn Good Yarn has put its sights. Mother Nature is getting support as well.

About a year ago, Snow was being interviewed for a magazine article and an interesting question came up—“How much waste, if any, has Darn Good Yarn saved?” She pulled out a calculator, ran a few numbers, and came to the conclusion that in 2010, they had removed roughly 4,000 pounds of waste from landfills through their recycled yarns—the equivalent of 106,667 water bottles!

“Our recycled yarns have always been extremely popular,” laughs Snow. “But, in all sincerity, I had never realized exactly how big of an impact the sale of those yarns made! Seeing that impact gave me another goal—in 2012, I wanted to get rid of even more waste.”

A week ago, after running the final numbers, she knew she had reached her goal. In 2011, Darn Good Yarn removed a whopping 6,000 pounds of waste from landfills, or the equivalent of 160,000 water bottles.

Let’s meet Nicole!

10 Fun Facts about Nicole:

1- I’ve moved my house and Darn Good Yarn 10 times in 5 years (I’m finally in Maine)
2- I was an officer in the Air Force
3- I love red wine (until my knitting starts to suffer)
4- I can still do a pretty mean cartwheel
5- I’ve met Josh from the Fabulous Beekman Boys (Yes! He’s totally fab!)
6- I have an almost unhealthy love for the show Absolutely Fabulous…sweetie darling
7- I love to cook humungous meals (like Thanksgiving!)
8- I wanted to be an astronaut when I was little
9- I knew I was going to marry my husband after our first date–we’ve been married for 6 years!
10- I had a dream last week and everything in my dream was yarn bombed!

 

Here’s Nicole’s Project:

An Obi Belt

 

Abbreviations:

WYIF= with yarn in front
WYIB=with yarn in back
CO=Cast on
RS= Right Side
Sl=slip
K=knit
P=purl

Materials:

  • 1 skein of Darn Good Yarn’s Recycled Silk Sari Ribbon in “At the Bahamas”
  • 1 skein of Darn Good Yarn’s Banana Glama(If you ever have questions just email me nicole@darngoodyarn.com)
  • Size 15 needles
  • Optional: Crochet Hook (Q/15mm)

Instructions:

With your size 15 needles and At the Bahamas Reclaimed

Silk Ribbon, CO 11 stitches.

Row 1 (RS): k1, *sl1 wyif, k1; rep from *
Row 2: k1, p1, *sl1 wyib, p1; rep from *, end k1
Repeat row 1 and 2 until your piece measures 26 “.
Bind off. With your crochet hook (or you can use your fingers as well) use both Banana Glama and the remaining at the Bahamas and chain the two lengths of 32” each. Alternately, you can braid two lengths as well. Secure the ends and tie each length to each side of your obi belt as pictured. Weave in ends.

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Red Heart Partners with Jimmy Beans Wool

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Red Heart is proud to be partnering with Jimmy Beans Wool in sponsoring Stitch Mountain at the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) events in Canyons Resort in Park City, UT and Mammoth Mountain, CA.

Jimmy Beans Wool has signed a partnership with USSA to become the first ever-official yarn, knitting and crochet supplier to U.S. Snowboarding and U.S. Freeskiing. This is a great way to build awareness of yarns and the crafting industry, which is where Red Heart comes into play.

Jimmy Beans and Red Heart partnered to create “Stitch Mountain”, a campaign to encourage people to be creative and crafty on and off the slopes. Yarn for the campaign and the athletes will be provided by Red Heart.

“We are thrilled to have created a relationship that will not only publicize the needlearts industry, but also combine two of our passions, yarn and skiing,” said co-owner of Jimmy Beans Wool, Laura Zander.

Jimmy Beans Wool and Red Heart are also sponsoring Olympic silver medalist Lindsey Jacobellis who is a seven-time X Games Champion in snowboardcross, an avid knitter and knitwear designer. She designs and knits hats for her charity, “Hats 4 Hounds,” and will be designing hat patterns exclusively for Jimmy Beans Wool (using Red Heart® yarns).

Both partners will have a sampling tent at Canyons Resort in Park City, UT and Mammoth Mountain, CA.

 

 

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AllFreeCrochet’s Winter Challenge

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Just this week I asked my AllFreeCrochet friends to join me in a Winter Challenge. Because I’ve been going cowl crazy this winter, I asked my friends to post a photo of their latest cowl project, warm scarf, or similar project to our Facebook Page wall. They had to label their photos with “Winter Challenge” in their description when they upload it. This is such a simple and fun challenge, you must join in! The challenge ends January 15, so be sure you share your photos!

Here are some of the pictures people have posted so far:

The cowls I made and started the challenge with:

Scarf posted by Paula:

Scarflette posted by Andrea:

Scarves by ZaneyMay:

Scarf Posted by Wendy:

Cowl Posted by Terry:

Join us in this fun Winter Challenge. Post your pictures today!

 

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AllFreeCrochet’s Martha Stewart Crafts Yarn Giveaway

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This week’s giveaway is some of the most unique yarn I’ve ever seen. If you think Eyelash yarn is crazy then you haven’t come across this Mambo yarn yet. We are giving away three skeins of Martha Stewart Crafts Mambo yarn in zebra from Lion Brand. You can crochet it, knot it or wrap it; make jewelry, turn it into shapes or add it as an edging to an already existing project. Because this yarn is so bulky it makes it easy to work with when crocheting or knitting.

Enter for your chance to win! Contest ends January 18.

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