If you’ve spent much time hanging out in the online crochet community, you will at some time or other have run across a list of famous crocheters. Often topping those lists is the illustrious name of Queen Victoria of England, who was not only a committed crocheter herself but such a strong advocate of the craft that some have suggested her patronage was solely responsible for lifting it out of obscurity.

The Morpho Shawlette starts with a half circle beginning and then morphs into a triangular shape. It has longer sides which are perfect for wrapping around the neck during the first crisp evenings of spring. The shawlette can be made into a full sized shawl for those times when more coverage is needed. I chose to use a cashmere yarn and large hook to make it light as air, but it can be made with any combination of hook and yarn.

Entertaining children in the car or at a restaurant can be challenging. Only so many toys can fit in a purse or diaper bag, and the kids are always looking for something new! This cute little portable playset features two finger puppets – a duck and a duckling – and a drawstring duck pond so you can pack the fun along with you in a self-contained little bag.

After the Winter Issue was released, I was contacted by a woman who wanted to know if she could use a different yarn than the ones recommended in the patterns. She had never even heard of some of the suggested yarns, she said, much less have any idea where to find them. She wanted to know if she could substitute with yarns that were locally available.

Slip stitch crochet, an accessible but little-used technique, has tons of unexplored potential as a crochet medium. It’s perfect for making smooth, elastic pieces as well as things that drape. Some people have even compared certain stitches in it to knitting. It was while experimenting with slip stitch crochet that the design for this shawl developed.

By Melissa Mall Model and Photos: Melissa Mall Cherry blossoms and springtime go together like sunshine and happiness. They are my absolute favorite spring blossom. Unfortunately, I have yet to see so much as a single cherry tree here in Arizona – so I’ve made some of my own! These delicate little cherry blossoms have […]

By Bonnie Irene Model and Photos: Bonnie Irene Difficulty: Easy Cold ears are a curse on a blustery spring day, but you can beat the breeze with this easy wide headband embellished with a single rose and leaf. Your ears will be warm while you avoid hat-hair…although it may get a little windblown. Size: One […]

By Kim Driggs Photos: Kim Driggs Difficulty: Easy I love hats. Primarily because I have crazy, uncontrollable, half-curly, half-straight hair that occasionally needs to be covered up. The problem as the weather gets warmer is that sometimes I have to choose between letting everyone see my horrible hair and having a sweaty head under a […]

By Julia Schwartz Photos: Julia Schwartz Difficulty: Experienced The Lacey Japanese Lantern is a concept that I came up with after seeing a lot of different ways to make lamps in do-it-yourself magazines. “Wow, that would be really easy,” I thought. I combined that with crocheted Christmas ornaments, just on a much bigger scale. Since […]