My Crochet Site

Crafty Deb

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 02:56:32 GMT

"Craftydeb.com � Not always cute and cuddly"

That is the title to this amazing amigurumi crawling site. And I do mean crawling. And slithering. And wiggling, flying, sailing, chirping, farm animals and more!

The pdf downloadable patterns (you�ll need Adobe Acrobat) are totally unique and great for all ages, male or female. If you�re into monsters, rockets, or (sorry Deb) absolutely CUTE and Cuddly stuffies, you�ll find them.

In addition to the paid patterns there are free patterns, one of which is Buster Bunny in case you�re planning for Easter.

Another plus are the tutorials. One that I hadn�t seen yet is the �magic ring.� There are so many eye pleasing pictures of the creatures and the site is super easy to navigate. I like that there isn�t too much clutter to try and get through before you find the goodies.

Craftydeb.com is like watching a new cartoon with faces you recognize, and surprising new ones you�ll enjoy meeting for the first time.

Reviewer, Critic, Hunter or Observer?

Tue, 24 Mar 2009 02:42:22 GMT

Call me what you will. Since I spend so much time online searching for free crochet patterns I thought it would be a logical next step to start writing reviews of the different sites and blogs I come across. These are my own personal opinions and will be honest and candid. If you have or know of a site you�d like to see here, let me know.

One of the first points I want to make is that it�s great to get all the free patterns you can, but there is something to be said for �you get what you pay for.� Not that free patterns are of inferior quality by any means, but in order to increase your crochet skills and create gifts for all the ones you love, you will eventually have to pay for a pattern, or book of patterns. And let�s face it, crochet designers deserve credit for their sweat and tears. Most, if not all, have free patterns they generously donate. If not for those, this website would not exist.

Having said that, I will include in these reviews every type of crochet site I think appropriate for mycrochetsite.com. This will include established designers to the hobby crocheter yet to be published. I hope you�ll enjoy these as much as I enjoy my most enjoyable distraction online � the hunt for crochet patterns.

Here�s my rating system.

J = like it

K = so so

L = phooey

Stumble Lovin'

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:24:55 GMT

Better late than never, right? I recently discovered the website Stumble Upon. Now I can waste even more time getting distracted and ending up who knows where! Actually I have found this site allows me to stay on track a bit better when I'm searching for crochet patterns for you all. I'm also seeing other websites I have an interest in and have discovered a treasure trove of inspiration to do more than I possibly have time or stash for.

I have only touched the tip of the iceberg so to speak but have already located crochet sites that I haven't seen before. I've been working on an update on free patterns, as I do all the time, and should be getting ready to send that out in the next week or so. (Depending on how distracted I get!)

If you haven't tried Stumble Upon, it allows you to choose what content you are interested in and then instead of doing a search engine query, you just click on the Stumble It button in your toolbar and you are taken to sites that interest you. There is also an option to let Stumble Upon know what you do not care for so that content will not come up again. There is a friend feature that I haven't quite figured out. If you already know about this site, and apparently I am the last to know, please leave me a comment on what you think about it! And if you want to look me up as a friend I use the name krisfish.

Happy Stumbling!!

Update

Thu, 29 Jan 2009 18:04:16 GMT

I sent out the latest update yesterday to everyone who has signed up and decided to extend the giveaway until Sunday, Feb. 1st. That gives everyone the weekend to enter and look at the 41 newest links posted to the web site.

I have a question as well. Does anyone have issues with arthritis and how do you overcome them and continue to crochet? I'd love to get some tips and advice!!

Go ahead and leave a comment so you can be entered into the giveaway!!

GIVEAWAY !!!

Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:05:22 GMT

I made a neck warmer from this pattern in a gold worsted weight yarn. It worked up fairly quickly and I was pleased with the results. I intended to give it to someone as a gift, and it was basically refused. Some twenty somethings are picky about what kind of crochet they wear so with only slight hurt feelings, I took it back.

Because it was made as a gift I have decided to by golly gift it! So, here at My Crochet Site we are having a giveaway. Everyone likes free stuff right? I will keep the giveaway open until next Friday which is January 30^th. All you have to do to enter is to leave a comment on this blog. Easy easy and then some more easy right? Personally I like easy and I like free! I'll announce the lucky winner on Monday Feb. 2, 2009. Good Luck!

Scarf Power

Fri, 23 Jan 2009 22:04:20 GMT

I am a thrifty person. I don't go out and spend on things I don't need very often. But when I do, I spend it on the grandkids or on yarn. Last week my husband took me out to a movie which was nice on many levels as we had not been to a movie theater in a couple of years at least. We saw Gran Torino by the way � good flick. Afterwards we were driving by Hobby Lobby and husband says he needs to stop by there to look for a new pot for his office bonsai tree. Being the dutiful wife I agreed that we should absolutely stop and have a look around. Now really, he should have known better. If I'm going in to a store with yarn I will at least look. And touch � I have to touch. Wouldn't you?

I found some yarn on sale (my favorite-sale yarn) and as soon as I touched it I knew I had to have it. It's made in Turkey with a label of Yarn Bee. It's a lofty bulky type, perfect for a scarf. After making so many gifts for Christmas for everyone else I decided this would be the perfect project as a gift to me! I made a scarf and I just love it. I'd wear it all the time if I could. It's so soft and ya know, touchable. Yum!

I did not use a pattern. After looking around I decided to keep it simple and work it up in a double crochet. I think I started with a foundation of 13 and then eye balled the length.

I took a picture. Actually I took a bunch of pictures and decided to edit it to take out my face and most of my not so lovely bathroom walls. I hate having my picture taken in the first place because I never take a good one and besides I needed make up and to lose about 30 pounds, neither of which was going to happen today!

Stay tuned � I'm planning a giveaway soon!

Not so Christmas list

Sun, 11 Jan 2009 00:35:42 GMT

I had big plans to put out an update before Christmas with lots of patterns for quick and easy gifts. No no, don�t look � they aren�t there. Well � at least not yet. I have the list started and I hate to waste a good list so I�ll add it soon and it will just have to suffice as quick and easy gifts for any time.

I spent the last couple of weeks before Christmas crocheting up a storm! I made six pair of slippers for the older kids and adults. Then I made about four pair for baby Ava. I used this pattern for the big kids, and this pattern for the baby�s. I also made one pair of slipper/socks for my 8 year old grandson, which were kind of wonky. I just don�t have the talent to change a pattern to make it bigger or smaller. I do best when I just follow the pattern exactly. Same goes for cooking. I can follow recipes or I can make something no one wants to eat. Not even the dog. Seriously.

So I�m curious � what did you crochet for the holidays? I hope your holiday season was good and the new year will be crochetlicious. (yah, I just made that up)

Happy 2009!

Ava and her slippers

Christmas Gift Wrapping anyone?

Sat, 06 Dec 2008 03:32:37 GMT

Hello, my name is Kris and I am a procrastinator.

Not something I'm totally proud of and sometimes it even comes in handy. For instance when I take my time shoveling the snow from the sidewalk. Sometimes I get lucky and the temps warm up enough to melt it.

One thing I tend to put off is Christmas shopping. I dread the thought of going out on a budget demanding scavenger hunt and hoping I find just the right gifts for each person on my list. As a rule, I don't like shopping anyway, anytime. If I was a bajillionaire I would hire someone to do all of my shopping. All of it.

A few years ago I did 90% of my shopping online and it was wonderful. Everything was delivered to my front door and all I had to do was wrap. Yeah me! I also got some good deals, and because I was able to compare products online I was able to pick the perfect (or almost) gift for everyone.

This year I decided to take advantage of Cyber Monday and do some shopping. I used the links on my own site to go to Amazon and Etoys and was able to get all my toy shopping done in about an hour. Not bad and I saved a ton of gas.

I ordered on Monday and by Friday I had EVERYTHING I ordered. My only hiccup was to distract the two grandkids that were here when UPS delivered. Thank goodness the kids were not able to figure out what was in the boxes. No bags to "accidentally" see through. I just took the boxes to the basement and wrapped.

I'm so tickled with myself!! I didn't have to drive, fight traffic, fight crowds and I probably saved 1/3 of what I would have spent.

Do you have any shopping tips you'd like to share? Happy Holiday shopping and may your trips to the store or to your computer be successful.

Old Ladies Crochet

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:57:57 GMT

I was thinking. That's something I rarely let myself do because my mind tends to wander and get lost and then who knows how long it will take to get back to where I started. Someone could make a million if they'd invent a GPS for the mind. Heck, I'd buy two.

I did it anyway � think � and had the thought that "only old ladies crochet." Yes, I know that is a false statement. First of all I don't consider myself old and I certainly crochet.

Is it just me or does the term crochet equal grandma rocking in her chair with her yarn and hook? I think I'm still somewhat old fashioned or my mind would have warped to this century and pictured how crochet truly is.

Crochet is a constant evolving art form that adapts and re-creates itself over time. I have a book from the 1970's that I picked up a few years ago at a used book store. I still get a kick out of the styles from that era and how it has now become "retro." I still refer to it now and then, creating something that back then was a garish green and orange and with only a change of those colors, make something that fits in with today's scheme and style. How perfect is that?

I love that crochet is timeless. Like women are timeless. We may age but we share so much and it doesn't really matter how old our brains are. I love that we "get" each other, ya know?

42 New Links Added

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 22:22:02 GMT

The latest update to the website has been made - with 42 new links to free patterns!

I had such fun doing the update this time. I read several new blogs, found lots of inspiration for projects I want to do and I did some re-arranging of the pages. I got rid of a lot of ads, which I hate anyway, but since I do make a couple of cents every 6 months or so, they are a necessary evil. I'm still trying to justify to my husband why I needed my own domain name! Men just don't understand.

I'm sitting here after absolutely stuffing myself as full as I could with Thanksgiving dinner! YUM. I did no cooking so I enjoyed it even more. I would have helped, but there was no room for me in the kitchen. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Big thanks to Hubby, son, daughter and daughter in law for making a perfect meal. AND, the best part - I didn't have to clean up either!! Now that's something to be thankful for.

I realize even though times are tough and the world is not a very nice place sometimes that I have so much to be thankful for this year and every year. I have my family, a roof over my head, heat on cold nights, food on the table and most of my mind still intact. Not too shabby. As the saying goes "things could be worse." I'm thankful they're not. I hope you all have something to be thankful for this year and as always - THANK you for taking an interest in my site.