My now 14 year old daughter has normal intelligence but what amounts to a processing problem (Severe Mixed Orthophonological Literacy Disability). This means that we have spent many years with assessments and help. All of these have been away from home and given our location always 1 – 2 hours from home, and we’ve been doing it 1 to 3 times a week for years.

What has this got to do with crochet? Well as it turns out it has lots to do with it this year. She has progressed and needs a new type of help and the help will be coming to us. That’s right, coming to our home, NO traveling any more. This will make it so much easier on everybody including my daughter who wont have to be extra stressed and tired from traveling. Back to crochet. The nice new specialist will be here Sunday’s for 3.5 hours. This means her and my daughter will need quiet for that time. This in turns means that my eldest, my hubby and I all need to be out of the way.

…You hear that, “out of the way”. This means that I will get 3.5 uninterrupted hours in my craft room that I won’t feel guilty for taking. Hubby gets the same in his office/studio where he has a myriad of things to do, or he can go to the shed. The 21 year old will either be at work or she can get some of her studies done or just mess around in her room (she’s a nerd, if she isn’t at work she will take the opportunity to do uni stuff).

Anyway – for the first time in 10 years there is ‘intervention’ (which is what they politely call special help) that I don’t have to be involved with. Hope that doesn’t sound like bad parenting, she is 14 now and hates me in with her on all these sessions all the time, she gets enough of me when we have to do all the follow up work. She’s actually feeling quite positive about this, probably feeling a bit more independent and in control of what is happening to her.

So back where I started this blurb. I have 3.5 guilt free hours to play with yarn every week. Now I suppose I am going to have to have something to show for my time? I hope so.

Oh, and I have just downloaded Rachel’s “Diamond Eyelet Wrap Sweater” pattern so I should get on to that and show it off!

…guilt free crochet time. Now all I have to figure out is how to get guilt free chocolate consumption and things will be perfect!

What’s that you say? You can’t see it? That’s because it’s invisible! Look again.

There it is, right next to the traditional hdc2tog. This decrease follows the same idea as the invisible sc decrease.

Remember you can roll over the pictures for a left-hand view.

Yarn over as you normally would for an hdc.

Insert your hook into the front loop of the next stitch.

Insert your hook into the front loop of the next stitch.

Yarn over.

Pull through the two front loops.

Yarn over and pull through the three remaining loops.

Need help? Leave a comment below, and I’ll help.

Skill Level:

Finished Size: 4 1/2″ (11 cm) long and 2 1/2″ (6 cm) wide

Materials: Turquoise Medium Worsted Weight Yarn (approximately 50 yards) Crochet Hook H (5 mm) Sewing Needle Sewing Thread 1 Buttons (1/2″ in diameter)

Gauge:
3 sc stitches = 1 inch
3 sc rows = 1 inch

Need help understanding the crochet abbreviations and symbols? Check out the crochet abbreviation chart.

Crochet Pattern: Business Card Holder
Row 1: Ch 14, sc in second ch from hook and in each sc across. 13 sc

Row 2-15: ch 2, sc in each sc across.

Finish off.

Finishing
Fold crocheted square in half and sl st both the left sides together and finish off. Then, sl st the right sides of the business card holder together. Finish off and weave in ends.

Loop and Button Closure
Now, on the top-back of the business card holder, sl st yarn into the 6th ch and then ch 7. Now attach the chain with a sl st into the 7th ch. Finish off. Using a needle and thread sew a button on the front.

Fill with your business cards and you’re finished!

Need help with this project? Jot your question below and I’ll get back with you!

I first heard about freeform crochet when I was exclaiming over a beautiful white shawl, I knew it looked complicated and like nothing I had previously seen, so I asked the lady who made it, what sort of pattern she used and she laughed and told me that she just made it up as she went, then she said she would be happy to show me how to make a scrumble. Well my first reaction was, huh? But then she explained that a scrumble usually starts with one piece, a circle, a square or anything else you would want and then you just start crocheting! You could make up stitches, add different colors and textures and use a variety of hooks to achieve whatever you can possibly imagine, I got incredibly excited when I saw a blue and purple scarf she had made that had beads, feathers, and thin gold ribbons crocheted right into it. Some people compare freeform with sculpting because many freeformers make objects that are 2 or 3 dimensional and while some are very abstract, others are more realistic and recognizable, like a barn scene on a blanket for instance. Thanks to my current obsession with the craft, I found Renate Kirkpatrick’s Freeform Crochet~Knit~Fibre Designs which is a blog that is delightful to read and has a great introduction to freeform (with pictures!) I was very lucky to be able to interview Renate Kirkpatrick, who besides being a very gracious lady is also a teacher, fibre artist, and the author of three crochet books (with a fourth coming soon) and so without further ado here it is:

How did you get started crocheting and when did you get interested in freeform?

I made my first granny square in my mid-teens from an old tattered ‘How to crochet’ pamphlet that I found in an opportunity shop.

In my late twenties when the children were in bed asleep I crocheted granny square rugs (afghans) for fun, relaxation and gifts but I soon became bored with the repetition and began searching for more interesting, challenging patterns. I had never read a pattern before, let alone decipher what the heck all those odd abbreviations meant but, I persevered and, over the years, through trial and error, gained confidence and experience.

Freeform was introduced to me by a student while teaching at a local craft shop and has become my passion and creative joy.

What are some tips that you find useful when crocheting? (Not necessarily freeform)

Read patterns as they are written – so many people (myself included) skim the pattern and presume what’s being said then race ahead only to find ourselves in a muddle – ‘The pattern is wrong…’ well, of course, that does happen sometimes but, more often than not, it’s because we haven’t read it properly.

Trust yourself – if you feel your project is going wrong, stop and have another look at the pattern, there’s a good chance you may have missed something… and isn’t it better to find the mistake on row 2 rather than on row 102?

Take the time to learn the basics – I have a ‘Do you know’ page on my site that covers most of these fundamentals that are often overlooked or taken for granted as ‘obviously known’ in patterns.

Use markers – just the odd piece of thread will do. I know it sounds old-fashioned and fuddy-duddy but, placing a marker in your first/last stitch of row/round, in corner stitches of blocks and for indicating right side of work, will save you lots of time and frustration in the long run… this is especially so for beginners.

Be patient and kind to yourself… it’s only crochet, the world will not end if you can’t figure it out straight away… put your project aside a minute, have a cuppa, take a breath and have another go…

Don’t give up. What seems impossible today might become super easy tomorrow and you’ll wonder what all the fuss and frustration was all about and your sense of achievement will be ever so rewarding.

When you began designing, did you have particular goals? Such as designing a certain type of sweater? Or being published?

For me designing and writing patterns evolved and really came about through the need to stay one step ahead of students and, satisfying the needs of family and friends… Not for a minute did I ever think about being published.

The books came about through tragedy when the store where I was teaching was destroyed by fire… fortunately I still had all my patterns which I put together into manuscripts and, on a whim, submitted (via the net) to publishers. Luckily, Sally Milner Publishing liked what they saw and contracted me for my first 2 books ‘Crochet Techniques’ and ‘Freeform Crochet and Beyond’ and have since published ‘Bring Colour to Crochet’ and the soon to be released 4th book ‘Textured Crochet Lace’.

You do many different types of crafts, including making pottery, rag rugs and paper; do you think these different types of creativity help to inspire your freeform?

I only ever dabbled with pottery. I never owned a wheel or kiln and, to be honest, didn’t go very far beyond hand building but I loved the textures and made some ‘not too bad’ pieces that still adorn my home today. The papermaking is another story… that became a full-time obsession for many years. Then, when I had to give up my workshop, I drifted into Rag Rugging and my love for colour was realized.

Do these past experience influence my freeform? Absolutely! I believe… the 3D textures and forms in pottery, the subtle delicate detail of natural fibre paper and the strong boldness of Rag Rugging are brought to my work whether I’m conscious of it or not but, then again, perhaps that’s more for others to decide.

Your books are full to the brim with useful and interesting ideas and helpful hints, how hard was it to come up with enough to fill even just one book?

I write everything down: questions from students, queries from my blog, my own questions… I then go looking for the answer and find the easiest way of explaining it.

Apart from ‘Freeform Crochet and Beyond’ my books are based on Sampler Rugs (afghans). The sampler is my teaching tool – the reader works their way through the various patterns gaining experience and confidence and end up with a lovely finished project as a bonus.

Some of my samplers have 25 blocks some as many as 64 blocks… it’s a lot of work, working out and writing the patterns and then, drawing the diagrams (charts) but, before you know it, you have enough for a book.

You often talk about color, how important is it to find just the right shades/tones for your work?

Colour came to me slowly… through the Rag Rugging mostly. I was timid at first but you only have to look at nature to see how the oddest colours sit side by side for the most dramatic effects. In my opinion, finding just the right colours is a matter of being brave, jumping right in and having a go…

Is there anything I haven’t asked you about that you would want to add?

As a teacher, there is nothing more satisfying than to have a student come to class lacking confidence and leaving excited, believing they can do it.

As a Freeformer, my best advice is to have a go… beautiful freeform can be created with the most basic skills… incorporate all the things you already know and comfortable with: the weaving, crochet, knitting, felting, quilting, embroidery… never stop asking yourself ‘ I wonder what will happen if I try this or that and, when a project overwhelms, becomes stale or just isn’t going in the direction you had envisaged… put it aside for an hour, a day, a month and come back to it with a fresh eye, you’ll be amazed how quickly your enthusiasm is restored.

Linda Cee is a young adult who enjoys many crafts including crochet, jewelry making, scrap booking and learning to tat. She also enjoys traveling and learning everything she can about history and foreign cultures.

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I get easily distracted, especially when it comes to crocheting. This pattern came to me in 30 minutes which just happens to be the length of time for my evening news broadcast. I used brown yarn because it was closest at hand and I had this wonderful wooden button just hanging out in the pocket of my hoodie. Buttons tend to hang out in my pockets a lot! Enjoy!

Skill Level:

Finished Size: 8″ long (there is some overlap; this fit my 7.5 inch wrist)

Materials: Medium Weight Yarn (small amount) (Yarn used in photo: I Love This Yarn in Brown) Crochet Hook F (3.75 mm) 1 – 1.5 inch shankless button Embroidery Needle

Gauge: not important

Need help understanding the abbreviations and symbols? Check out the crochet abbreviation chart.

Crochet Pattern: Button Cuff Bracelet
Row 1: ch 10, sc in second chain from hook and in each chain across: 9 sc
Row 2: ch 1, turn, working in back loops only, sc in each sc across: 9 sc
Row 3: ch 1, turn, working in front loops only, sc in each sc across: 9 sc
Repeat rows 2 and 3 until the cuff ends overlap by approximately 1/2 inch when wrapped around your wrist. Do not finish off, continue with button hole.

Button Hole:
Row 4: ch 1, turn, sc in first sc, chain 7, skip 7 sc, sc in last sc: 2 sc, 7 ch
Row 5: ch 1, turn, sc in each st across: 9 sc
Finish off. Attach the button to the opposite end of the cuff. Wear and enjoy!

Karen is a stay-at-home mom with 4 children, 2 dogs, and a wonderful husband that puts up with her crafting and his lack of space in the closet. And buttons really do tend to hang out in her pockets.

“There’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.” I realized the truth in this saying while working on the pattern of the Rainbow Coaster by Rachel at Crochet Spot. At first glance, the attraction has been irresistibly strong because of the design. The color combination allows pairing the coaster with any placemat or tablecloth. Aside from the fact that the instructions are reader-friendly, making it is very easy to follow, crocheting a whole set of it added these precious gems into my treasury:

1. A stitch in time saves nine. Making a single mistake in counting in Round 1 spoils the whole plan. Like for this coaster, the 2 sc in each sc around starting in Round 2 provides the foundation of the hexagonal pattern. Making a mistake in the previous row affects the intended formation. This goes to say that every stitch in a row has a purpose and each single stitch counts in the entire project.
2. Practice makes perfect. An old saying, yes, but while working on each piece of the coaster set, I was able to prove it in the area of changing the color of yarn. While it is true that I learned to crochet at an early age, I worked on all my projects using only one color. I came to practice the art of changing threads recently from online literature and tutorials from YouTube. This coaster was a perfect exercise indeed for me to master the craft as the pattern required changing the color of yarn five times.
3. Rhythmic numeric chants lead to mastery. People usually repeat what they say in order to strike a point. Familiar with the idiom that states, “The key to mastery is frequent repetition?” I realized the same is true in crochet. Using repetitive numeric chants that create a rhythm helps one memorize instructions and master patterns more quickly. Let me show you how.

Take a look at the pattern for this Rainbow Coaster:

Round 1: with red, ch 2, 6 sc in second ch from hook, changing to orange in last sc made: 6 sc
Round 2: 2 sc in each sc around, changing to yellow in last sc made: 12 sc
Round 3: (2 sc in next sc, sc in next sc) around, changing to green in last sc made: 18 sc
Round 4: (2 sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc) around, changing to blue in last sc made: 24 sc
Round 5: (2 sc in next sc, sc in next 3 sc) around, changing to purple in last sc made: 30 sc
Round 6: (2 sc in next sc, sc in next 4 sc) around, sl st in next sc, finish off: 36 sc

While working on this, creating a numeric rhythm for pattern directions suddenly popped up in my mind. As if I were in a trance, I couldn’t stop myself from chanting mentally. Here are all the rhythmic chants I used for the coaster:

In Round 2: “One and two, one and two” while executing the “2 sc in each sc around”
In Round 3: “One, two and one. One, two and one” while crocheting the “2 sc in next sc, sc in next sc around”
In Round 4: “One and two, one, one; one and two, one, one” was effective in memorizing the execution of “2 sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc”
In Round 5: “One and two; one, two, three; one and two; one, two, three” for the “2 sc in next sc, sc in next 3 sc”
In Round 6: “One and two; one, two, three, four; One and two; one, two, three, four” for the “2 sc in next sc, sc in next 4 sc”

Chanting this numeric rhythm eliminated the need of referring to the instructions frequently throughout the crochet period. By the time I finished one coaster, I have almost memorized the pattern. Completing the remaining five came a lot faster! This technique helped me finish the whole set in a jiffy!

Now, how about giving the technique a try in any of your other crochet projects and see if, just like me, you also find it helpful. Tell me how fast you can finish your project with and without chanting in rhythm.

Eve is a nurse by profession working in a Cardiac Hospital in the Philippines. Next to cooking, crochet is her hobby, a craft she learned from her mother. Doing picture collages is her other favorite hobby.

Crochet, like any other daily activity, can create rigidity and discomfort in the hands and wrists. With this in mind, here are a few easy exercises to rejuvenate and relax both the hands and wrists.

1. Prayer Hands – Using the familiar position of prayer hands with the thumbs at the middle of the chest. Hold in upright position for a few seconds, then turn your hands downward holding the same position. So the hands are up in prayer position, then down in prayer position. This movement should be felt in the wrists while getting an excellent stretch in the fingers. Do 10-12 repetitions.

2. Shaking Hands – This is simple and fun. Simply hold out the hands in front of the body and shake them. This movement should be felt in the wrists and the hands. Shake your hands for 10-20 seconds.

3. Double Wave – Hold the hands up in front of the body at chest level as if you are about to wave hello or good-bye to someone with fingers spread, then bring the hands down bending at the wrists. Move the hands up, then down. This is similar to the prayer hands exercise, except the hands are not pressed together. This movement should be felt in the wrists while providing a nice stretch for the hands, including the fingers.

While these are just a few great hand and wrist exercises, with a little research, you can find more exercises to help your hands and wrists so you can continue to enjoy your crochet projects with less pain and discomfort.

Have a helpful exercise to ease tension in the hands and wrists? Share it here. We’d love to hear from you.

I love doing my nails, and having something small to stuff a few manicures’ worth of cotton balls in is a lot more convenient and cute than letting them hang loose in my bag of supplies. You can stuff yours with tissues, larger beads, or anything else that will fit or you can stuff it with fiberfill and draw the hole closed for a plain old amigurumi.

Skill Level:

Finished Size:
Body: 3 1/4″ (8.5 cm) diameter
Tentacles: 5 1/2″ (14 cm) long

Materials: Bulky Weight Yarn (40 yards) Stitch Marker (or scrap of contrasting yarn) Crochet Hook H (5.00 mm)

Gauge:
Rounds 1-4 measure 2 1/4″ (5.5 cm) in diameter

Need help understanding the crochet abbreviations and symbols? Check out the crochet abbreviation chart.

Crochet Pattern: Amigurumi Octopus Holder

Body:
Round 1: Make an adjustable ring, 8 sc into ring, place marker: 8 sc
Round 2: 2 sc into each sc around: 16 sc
Round 3: (sc into next sc, 2 sc in next sc) 8 times: 24 sc
Rounds 4 – 9: sc in each sc around: 24 sc
Round 10: (sc in next sc, sc2tog) 8 times: 16 sc
Round 11: sc2tog 8 times, sl st in first sc2tog: 8 sc
Finish off.

Tentacles:
Row 1: Ch 13, 2 sc in 2nd ch from hook and each rem ch: 24 sc
Finish off. Sew tentacles to body. If desired, embroider face on octopus.

Need help while crocheting? Feel free to leave a comment below and I’ll help you out!

To make a a trtr: yo (yarn over) 4 times, insert hook into next st, yo, pull up a loop, (yo, pull through two loops) 5 times.

Here’s the visual breakdown. You can hover over the pictures with your cursor to see the left hand view.

To start your triple treble, yarn over four times. Your work should look like this:

Next, insert your hook into the next stitch.

Yarn over again and pull up a loop. There will be six loops on your hook.

Yarn over and pull your working yarn through two loops five times.

You have now made a triple treble crochet stitch! Do you have a question or need help? Feel free to leave a comment at below and I’ll help you out!