Founded in October 2001, The Ships Project is dedicated to sending handmade (crocheted and knit) hats, slippers, and Cool-Ties to Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines deployed across the world in the War on Terror.

Here are some free crochet patterns that you can use when making items for The Ships Project or other projects:
Crochet Pattern: Beanie (using double crochet stitches)
How to Crochet a Beanie (with single crochet)
Easy Adjustable Slippers

If you are interested in donating some of your crocheted items, head on over to The Ships Project site to see their regulations and guidelines for creating items for Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines. The list of needed items is constantly changing so be sure to check the list before you get your hook moving. Visit The Ships Project to learn more.

For more charities to donate your crocheted items to, check out the Crochet Spot Charity page.

As a big THANK YOU to all the the wonderful people who read and visit Crochet Spot everyday, I would like to offer you some flowers! Now, I can’t possible mail everyone flowers, so instead I’m hosting a sale until midnight on April 28, 2010 so that you can purchase any of the crochet flower patterns for 50% off.

Just visit the Crochet Spot Store to get your flower patterns.

There are 6 crochet flower patterns in the Crochet Spot Store: Potted Flower, Flower Bookmarks, Flower Appliques, Calla Lily, Tulip, and Daisy

So, swing on over to the Crochet Spot Store to get your flowers for 50% off before midnight Wednesday, April 28, 2010.

P.S. These flower patterns are great for crocheting Mother’s Day gifts 😉

Last week, I had a giveaway for a free, autographed copy of Cuddly Crochet: Adorable Toys, Hats, and More. There were lots of entries and although there can only be one winner, I’d like to thank everyone for participating.

Drum roll please … the winner is …

Congrats! And big thanks to Random.org for generating the random number for me. The number of comments, newsletter subscribers, and Premium Pattern members where added together, then a random number was chosen from the total number of entries. An email has been sent to the winner, please respond with your mailing address.

If you did not win but would still love a copy of this book, you can mossy on over to Amazon and purchase a copy for yourself. Here’s the link: Purchase My Copy of Cuddly Crochet

To celebrate Stacey Trock’s new book Cuddly Crochet: Adorable Toys, Hats, and More, I received an autographed copy of the book to give away free to a Crochet Spot reader! You have a maximum of 3 entries, one time in each of the listed methods below. A winner will be chosen at random and informed via email. Giveaway ends Wednesday, Apirl 21, 2010 at 12:00 midnight EST. Here are 3 different ways to enter:

1. Comment. Take a sneak peaks of the book here: Cuddly Crochet: Adorable Toys, Hats, and More. Then leave a comment on this post telling me which pattern you like the best! (please, only leave one comment on this post, multiple comments will be deleted)
2. Subscribe to the Crochet Spot Newsletter. (Use the orange box at the top right hand side of this page) If you are already subscribed, then you are already entered via this method.
3. Be a Premium Pattern Member of the Crochet Spot Store. Learn more about membership here: About Premium Pattern Membership
   If you are already a member, then you are already entered via this method.

You may enter in each of the 3 methods listed above to increase your chances of winning!

Good luck everyone 🙂

ENTRIES ARE NOW CLOSED! Thanks for participating. Find out the winner here: Cuddly Crochet Giveaway Winner

A Guest Post by Sue M.

SIBOL is an online knitting and crocheting group with members all across the world. We make ‘Sunshine Blankets’ out of knitted and crocheted squares for the elderly in the UK.

The elderly are sometimes forgotten about often sitting lonely in nursing homes and hospitals as families tend to have very busy lives with limited time to visit. We are hoping that a gift of a handmade blanket will be like ‘a ray of sunshine’ when an elderly person receives one. Sending love and warmth knowing that someone cares about them and that the blanket will bring a smile to their face!

‘Sunshine Blankets’ are to be donated to nursing homes, hospitals and charities in the UK.

If you would like to learn more, or get involved in making squares please visit the SIBOL blog .

‘Lets send some sunshine!’.

Recently I received Stacey Trock’s Cuddly Crochet book in the mail for review. As much as I like to talk about fluffy rainbows and sunshines, below is my complete and honest review of the book, telling you the good, the bad, and the ugly. I have to say that the Cuddly Crochet book has one of the most unique concepts for baby crochet patterns. The book features 10 baby toys, with each toy having either a blanket, hat, or bib to match! That’s a total of 20 crochet patterns. The book is themed around cute stuffed animals: teddy bear, pig, mouse, bunny, and penguin, to name a few. At the end of the book there’s mysterious toy truck. Maybe this is for all the boy babies?

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When you were in 9th grade what did you do? Maybe go to class, hangout with friends, play some sports or join after school clubs. But how many 9th graders do you know, spend time collecting crochet items for those who need it?

From Ewe to You is organized by Hannah Moyles a 9th grader at Wake Forest-Rolesville High School in Wake Forest, North Carolina. Her mission is to provide crocheted or knitted blankets, scarves, booties, and hats to the less fortunate in her community. Isn’t this great?

If you would like to help Hannah help those in her neighborhood, feel free to visit her site: From Ewe to You. On her site you will find a list of items that are needed and an address where you can send them.

I hope Hannah’s story can inspire other 9th graders and crocheters!

Woohoo!

I want to say thanks to everyone who became a fan of Crochet Spot on Facebook. It really means a lot to me that so many people would support this site! So far we have a group of over 1000 people that became a fan.

If you have not already joined me on Facebook, no worries, it’s never too late. Use the button below to join!

Thanks again for all the support folks! It is truly appreciated.

When I started Crochet Spot, everything was written by me, me and me. The Guest Writer Program is my way of spicing things up and giving other bloggers and crafty writers a chance to share their love for crochet, just as I’ve been doing. This is a great opportunity for people to not only share their love for crochet with Crochet Spot readers, but also gain exposure to their website or crochet business. If you are an up and coming crocheter or even a seasoned designer, being a Guest Writer can be an exciting and rewarding experience for you!

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I came across an article today (I wish I came across it sooner) that discussed making plastic mats for Haiti as a part of the post earthquake relief efforts. This idea is similar to the post I wrote featuring Rita Kunc, who crocheted milk bags to make mats for the homeless.

These crocheted plastic mats would also work great in Haiti. In fact, in Haiti’s warm climate, the mats become softer and are easy to clean. By sleeping on these mats as opposed to the ground, it can deter the chances of being bitten by parasites.

For more information about this project, please visit the following link to read the whole article: Mats Aim to Soften the Suffering in Earthquake-Rattled Haiti.