wednesday::weblove

pattern and image found here

As promised, I put together a small list of my very favorite places to indulge my love of yarn and crochet. I didn't put them in any particular order and I visit them all for different things. Whether you are a budding hooker or have been doing it for a long while my hope is that you will find something that makes you swoon. By the way...if you have a suggestion for me...a site you just know I would love, please do share:)

Ok...so I visit Attic 24 at least once a week. It is colorful, happy and real. You can tell how much joy Lucy gets out of crochet and that joy is addicting. She is also very generous when it comes to sharing patterns. They are always simple and straightforward which is wonderful for someone like me who still prefers patterns that are written out.

Sarah London is an Australian based crocheter (is that a word)? She has plenty of simple patterns for sale and I love how she seeks out images of knits on the runway. I think some people believe that crochet is an old person's hobby...but it's not. It can be whatever you want it to be, a pastime, a stress reliever, or a means to make a little money. It's a versatile art.

Alice at Futuregirl is another blog I like to visit. Her site is a bit mixed...devoted to craft as a whole with emphasis on yarn and fabric. Thanks to her I learned to foundation chain which is so very very important if you hate that stiff beginning row that occurs when making a normal row of single crochet.

Teresa is my go to person when it comes to tutorials-you name it, circles, granny squares...her YouTube videos were so easy for me to follow...I still visit her when I forget how to decrease or half double crochet. This was the first site I discovered quite sometime ago when I was learning how to do more than basic single crochet.

The Purl Bee is another one of those sites that combine fiber and fabric art. There's a lot of knitting on this site but plenty of crochet as well. The giant granny square blanket is my favorite. It's a simple pattern that you can make over and over again. They also have a very good crochet basics tutorial illustrated with very pretty pictures.

Sara at TangledHappy has so many colorful ideas and tutorials. The ipod cozy is perfect for beginners and works up really fast for a last minute gift. This is a great site for projects and simple patterns.


And last but certainly not least...a new blog I've added to my rounds. Alice at Crochet with Raymond...lots of pictures, lots of patterns and a peak into her life in beautiful New Zealand.


Now for community and shopping. This will be kind of short. I only belong to Ravelry...I don't know if there are others out there but I know that I like this one. Plenty of links to free patterns and people who love what you love.


As for where I buy yarn...I have a few spots I like locally here in Seattle but I always seem to spend my precious pennies at Joanne's or Michael's. I know it isn't the best yarn but it's usually what I can afford.
I loooove the yarn at Purl Soho but so many of those yummy fibers exceed my pocketbook. I just can't see spending 15 dollars on a skein when a project may call for 12 skeins. That's too much, but definitely okay when I'm making a smaller luxurious gift. If I buy online I usually visit Yarn Market or Knitpicks. Both offer a wide variety of yarns at different price points.


So that's that. I hope you find a little inspiration and keep in mind that many of the patterns and projects found on these sites are the result of many hours of work so please link back to the original site when posting or sharing:)