I love the Autumn season. So naturally, I have my favorite seasonal colors of yarn all ready to make some nice scarves, hats, and decorative things for the home. The air is filled with the energy of harvest time. I am excited about getting started with my crochet projects. I grab a skein of multi-colored earth tone, medium worsted yarn and my favorite J-size crochet hook. I begin to crochet a hat from memory.

It comes out all wrong! I examine this so-called crochet hat wondering where I went wrong. Now, I don’t attribute this mistake to the fact that I haven’t crocheted a hat in two years. Oh no! I just dive right in head first from memory.
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According to the National Foundation for the Blind, in 2012, there are over 6 million people (men, women, and children) in the U.S. who have a vision disability. I, too, am considered visually-impaired or legally blind.

However, I have found that this does not mean that you stop living and stop enjoying favorite activities. Quite the contrary! It is still possible to be visually-impaired and still get your crochet on!

Through this life-changing event, you can still find joy in creating crocheted items for yourself and others. Have no fear! Below I am going to share three great tips that can help anyone who is visually-challenged to be able to continue one of their favorite activities: crochet.
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Crochet lovers and book lovers unite!!! This is for crochet enthusiasts who love to read. There’s nothing like a good book, not only during the summer time but all year long. In crochet, bookmark patterns come in a variety of designs that can help you stay on point with your reading. Crocheted bookmarks are excellent gifts as well. One of the cool things about crocheting bookmarks is that most patterns are fairly easy, so you can do them in high volume if you have the time and desire.
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There does not seem to be many summer clothing options for crochet enthusiasts. Yarn is warm. Summer is warm. So, the two do not seem to go together. However, some things we can do with the crochet creations we already have will assist us during the summer months.

Wearing a wrap or a shawl during the summertime in hot weather is just asking for trouble, so what do we do when we want to flaunt our crochet creations in the mid and late summer heat? We use crochet creations we already have for another purpose.

Here are a few helpful, yet funny ideas for you:
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Do you have many great crochet ideas you want to share with others? Are you trying to figure out what to do with all that wonderful information in your crochet journal? Have you ever considered writing a crochet book?

Why write a crochet book? Well, first, it is fun. If crochet is a longtime passion of yours, you are bond to have useful information to share with others. Writing a book on crochet is not just about the technical side of the craft. Oh no! It is a great time to share personal experiences.
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Even with crochet, we run the risk of injury due to the repetitive movements. Ergonomics is not just for corporate office cubicles anymore. We, crocheters, need some help in that area as well.

Repetitive Stress Injuries are happening more and more with crocheters and other crafty folks all over the country, including carpel tunnel issues. Many times, we associate these issues with typing on a keyboard all day, but these conditions can occur under a variety of circumstances.

But the question is – how do we improve this condition and others associated with repetitive movements?

Here are a few things to consider:
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What? Crochet and Scrapbooking? Is it possible? Yes! It’s very possible. Crochet as a craft, as an art is perfect for scrapbooking. In a previous post, I talked about keeping a crochet journal. Crochet scrapbooking is an expansion of the crochet journal idea. It is equally cathartic, yet twice the fun.

If you are already into scrapbooking, you already know the joy it can bring to your life. It’s a wonderful way to keep wonderful memories alive and new, exciting moments vivid.

Scrapbooking as a craft dates back to the mid 1820s, believe it or not. In its original form, scrapbooking is simply taking pictures and newspaper clippings to create a book of memories. It’s like a step up from photo albums.

Here are a few tips on combining crochet and scrapbooking.
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While I have never been to a formal beginner’s crochet class, I have been around a group of people who sat together and worked on their crochet projects. However, there was one person who instructed the others. She was obviously very skilled at what she did and the others in the group hung on to her every word as she gave them the basics of crochet.

When we see the word “class” we tend to think of the desk and chairs, perhaps a large table or desk the teacher sits behind, and everyone sitting around frightened, hoping they will not be called on to come to the blackboard.

One of the things I will share is that a crochet class does not have to be anything formal. If you wish to teach a class on crochet, do not be discouraged by what you would consider to be a ‘lack of knowledge’. More than likely, you’ve been crocheting for a long time and you do have a great amount of knowledge to share with beginners of this craft. You don’t have to possess a degree in order to share the basics of a craft that is near and dear to your heart.

All you have to do is have passion, a desire to share, and a desire to learn as well. Yes! You can learn something while you teach. Actually, teaching is one of the best ways to master something. Teaching offers you the opportunity to remember all that you have learned and along the way you may think about what you’re sharing in a different light.

Meanwhile, here are a few tips to help you get started on your teaching journey.
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Right off the bat, I must say, I am not talking about carry-on luggage here. I want to share some crochet ideas for the items we carry around with us all the time. What we carry around with us all day can be too heavy at times or simply not fashionable. How great would it be to create some things that will help us to carry the items we love and have a stylish look to them as well?

Here are a few ideas for carry-on crochet projects:
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Crochet as a craft is inspiring to our entire lives, yet we can find inspiration to enhance our crochet experiences. One of those inspirational places is within the pages of fiction novels. There’s nothing like sitting down with a good book allowing yourself to get lost in the setting, the people, the places, and the situations the characters get themselves into throughout the book.

I have found that there are several authors out there who not only love to write good books, but apparently they love to crochet as well. Within the pages of their novels, they have added the element of crochet. Some authors who have used crochet as a major theme in their books will even include patterns within the story or in the back pages after the story has ended.
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