The Crochet Architect

February 22, 2018

Learning New Things!

Last month, I learned something new. It’s called “Bobbin Lace” and I LOVE it! Bobbin Lace is made with dozens of wooden bobbins. The thread is wound on the bobbins, then the bobbins are crossed and twisted to make the pattern. Of course, there’s much more to it than that, but that’s the basic idea of how to make bobbin lace.

I’ve been wanting to learn bobbin lace for many years. When the class was offered at my local yarn shop, Fiber Creek in Prescott, AZ at the beginning of January, I jumped at the chance to learn it! The Bobbin Lace teacher, Verla, was very good and encouraging! She supplied everything we needed to use in the class.

Here’s a photo of me learning bobbin lace in the class last month:

Bobbin Lace takes a very long time to make. The bookmark that I made in class took about 4 1/2 hours to make! Here’s a photo of my finished bookmark:

It’s not perfect, but I learned a TON making it!

There are many styles of Bobbin Lace. Two of my favorites are Russian and Brugge (or Bruges) Bobbin Lace. If the words “Brugge” or “Bruges” look familiar, it’s because it’s the original bobbin lace from Belgium that inspired the Crochet Bruges Lace technique that I’ve taught and designed in for a number of years! Here are a few photos from my Bobbin Lace teacher’s board in the class I took from her:

Both of these styles of Bobbin Lace are made with “tapes”, just the same as Crochet Bruges Lace. Here is a photo of a crocheted Bruges Lace piece that I designed in the last 10 years:

Can you see the similarities between the Bobbin Lace and the crochet Bruges Lace? They’re both made with tapes. Of course, the crochet method is much faster than the bobbin lace method, but I love them both the same!

In case you’re wondering, this crochet Bruges Lace doily is published in the book/leaflet called “Crochet Beyond the Basics” by Rita Weiss and yours truly in 2014. This book is still available for purchase in print or as a digital download through Leisure Arts, the publisher, here or in print through Amazon here. I designed another crochet Bruges Lace piece for this book. Here’s that piece:

If you’d like to learn how to do Crochet Bruges Lace, I’m teaching it at 2 places this year:

At the Interweave Yarn Fest in Loveland, Colorado in April and at the CGOA Conference in Portland, Oregon in July. You can read about the Interweave Yarn fest here and register for my Yarn Fest class here. You can read a little about the CGOA Conference and find out who’s teaching classes here, but the class listings won’t be publicized until around the middle of March.

Back to Bobbin Lace! Here’s a photo of the first Russian Bobbin Lace doily that I made a few weeks ago:

And here’s a photo of my 2nd Russian Bobbin Lace doily in progress:

What do you think? Have you ever wanted to learn to do Bobbin Lace? Or do you already know how to make bobbin lace? Do you want to learn to do Crochet Bruges Lace? I’d love to have you in my Bruges Lace classes in Colorado or Portland this year! And I’d love to hear what you think about bobbin lace and/or crochet Bruges Lace!

Happy crocheting, knitting, tatting and bobbin lace making!

Susan

January 19, 2018

I’m Teaching Again!

Who loves learning new crochet techniques? I certainly do! And I love teaching new crochet techniques, too!

I’m super excited to announce that I’m teaching 6 crochet classes at the 2018 Interweave Yarn Fest in Loveland, Colorado from April 12-15! Woohoo!!! This will be my first time teaching there and I can’t wait to meet new crocheters, see crocheters who I already know, see the yarny goodness in the marketplace and have lots of fun!

Here are the 6 crochet classes that I’ll be teaching at this year’s Yarn Fest:

Intermeshing Crochet

Thur., April 12 from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

I learned this fascinating crochet technique over 10 years ago and I really enjoy it! The front and back of Intermeshing Crochet pieces usually look different because of how and where you make your stitches. It’s a really, really cool technique! It’s the same technique as in the “Interlocking Crochet” book by Tanis Galik. If you’ve tried this technique on your own and you can’t understand it, I’d be happy to help you figure it out in this class!

Beginning Bruges

Thur., April 12 from 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM

I’ve enjoyed the Bruges Lace crochet technique for many, many years! I LOVE anything lacy and this technique is lots of fun! It looks very much like the Bruges Bobbin Lace that’s so intricate and time-consuming. I just learned to do bobbin lace (2 weeks ago) and soon I’ll be able to do “real” Bruges Lace with bobbins instead of a crochet hook! But I still love to do Bruges Lace in crochet! This technique can be done with yarn instead of crochet thread for those who aren’t comfortable with smaller crochet hooks and crochet thread.

Irish Crochet Intro

Fri., April 13 from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

I’ve been crocheting doilies with crochet thread for decades now, some of them in Irish Crochet! While my good friend, Kathryn White, was working on her Irish Crochet book for Annie’s about 5 years ago, she taught me some more Irish Crochet (she’s an expert in Irish Crochet)! I’ll be sharing what I’ve learned with you in this class!

Magical Mosaic Crochet

Fri., April 13 from 1:30 PM – 4:30 PM

I can’t remember how long ago I learned mosaic crochet. There are so many variations on how to work mosaic crochet. Each one has its strengths and weaknesses (like is it reversible, how many stitches can you work in a row, are they anchored, etc). I started working on a new crochet design a few weeks ago with some mosaic crochet in it and I enjoy this technique very much. I’m sure you will, too!

Fantastic Filet

Sat., April 14 from 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM (6-hour class)

I’ve done Filet Crochet for almost as long as I’ve been crocheting (over 40 years now)! I absolutely LOVE this crochet technique! You don’t have to enjoy thread crochet to enjoy the Filet Crochet technique. I’ve made filet afghans, shawls and more with this technique (using yarn)! In this 6-hour class, I’ll teach you everything you need to know to be successful with basic filet crochet, as well as more advanced filet crochet (like increases, decreases, diagonals and lots more!).

Polish Star

Sun., April 15 from 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

This is one of the slightly newer crochet techniques to me. It’s a lot of fun and I enjoy it, too! You work basic crochet stitches according to the pattern. Then you weave the loops to create the Polish Stars! It’s so much fun to see the stars take shape right before your eyes! If you’ve ever seen this technique and wanted to give it a try, I’d love to have you in this class!

To read more about my classes and all the fabulous classes being offered this year, check out this link. To read more about the Interweave Yarn Fest, check out this link.

I hope to see many of my friends and meet new friends there! If you read this blog post and you sign up for some of my classes, please drop me a note and let me know! Or tell me in class!

See you in Loveland!

Happy crocheting,

Susan

December 21, 2017December 21, 2017

Christmas Gift

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! I hope you’re all enjoying some wonderful time with your families and friends. I’ve been taking part in the Indie Design Gift-a-long on Ravelry and having a great time! I’ve finished 7 projects and I have one remaining project to finish by the end of the year to complete an Opadoo (I should be able to make it in time)! To learn more about the Gift-a-long, check out the Ravelry group here. To find out more about my finished projects (like the yarns I used and links to the designer’s pattern pages), check out my projects page on Ravelry here.

I thought I’d share photos of my 7 finished projects with you now. I also have a few gifts/discounts for you at the end of this blog post.

These are my 7 finished projects:

1. Week Before Christmas hat by Mary Renji

2. Pretty Spiffy Tuxedo Baby Bib by Darleen Hopkins

3. Coffee Cup Cozy by Heddi Craft (knit)

4. Grace and Lace Fingerless Mitts by Lilia Vanini (knit)

5. Lace Labyrinth shawl by 10 Hours or Less

6. Entrechat by Lisa Chemery (knit)

7. Mosaic Slippers by Arella Seaton (knit)

This is the project (#8) that I’m currently working on to finish up by the end of the month. It’s the Seeds to Flowers Cowl by Kristina Vilimaite. Isn’t it a gorgeous design? I have a good start on it and if nothing slows me down, I think I’ll get it done in plenty of time to “Tame the Opadoo”!

So that’s what I’ve been doing for the past month! What about you? Are you crocheting and/or knitting gifts for Christmas this year? I enjoy crocheting and knitting for others, especially when they appreciate the time and effort that went into the gift!

Here is my holiday gift to you! Use the code “gift2017” (from today through the end of the year) on this website to receive 25% off all crochet patterns that I have available here on The Crochet Architect.

As an added bonus, the designer of the “Lace Labyrinth” shawl/scarf above (10 Hours or Less) has given me a special code to pass along to my followers to receive a 20% discount on all of their regular-priced crochet and knitting patterns. The code is “CrochetArchitect” and can be used in their Ravelry store. I LOVED crocheting my Lace Labyrinth and I LOVE so many of the “10 Hours or Less” patterns!

I’ve learned a lot from knitting and crocheting these 7 projects and I’m learning a few more things by knitting the last project. They’re all fabulous designs and I’m so glad that I’ve participated in the annual GAL!

I wish you a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Happy crocheting,

Susan

November 21, 2017November 21, 2017

GAL, CAL and KAL Info

Do you know what the terms GAL, CAL and KAL mean? They’re gift-a-long, crochet-a-long and knit-a-long, respectively. So what does that mean? It means that many crocheters and knitters get together either in person or online to crochet or knit the same pattern (or sometimes different patterns). What is so special about these CAL’s, KAL’s and GAL’s? Well, they create a sense of community, encouragement and helping each other out. If someone has a question about the pattern that many people are crocheting or knitting (or a particular yarn they’re using or thinking about using), it’s the perfect place to ask questions!

Starting tonight at 8:00 pm US EST, I’m participating in the 5th Annual Indie Design Gift-A-Long on Ravelry. You may be asking yourself, “What’s so special about this Ravelry group?”. It’s a wonderful place to meet other croheters and knitters, to encourage each other and to ooh and aah at other people’s completed projects! Last year, I participated in the GAL for the first time and I had a blast! I was both a participating designer and knitter. During the GAL, I knit 2 projects from 2 wonderful patterns by 2 different Ravelry knitting designers whose patterns I’d never used before! These were the 2 projects I knit last year:

The top project is a Schaumkronen, designed by SimoneKereit. The bottom project is a No-Brainer One-Skeiner, designed by Susan Ashcroft. Both of these patterns were absolutely fabulous! I thoroughly enjoyed knitting them and learned a few things at the same time.

I have 20 crochet and knit patterns that I’m including this year in the GAL (that’s twice as many as last year). Here is a collage with all 20 patterns in it:

Each of these 20 crochet or knitting patterns will be discounted 25% during the sale period (from 8:00 pm US EST tonight, Nov. 21, to 11:59 pm US EST on Nov. 28). To see my sale patterns closer and to take part in the sale, check out my Ravelry GAL bundle here.

There are over 300 participating knit and crochet designers taking part in the GAL this year. Each designer has between 10 and 20 of their patterns discounted during the one week sale period, so that’s a lot of SALE patterns!!!

To find out more about the GAL and everything that’s going on in it, check out the official Ravelry GAL group here.

I hope you enjoy taking part in the GAL as much as I enjoyed it last year (and I’ll be enjoying it again this year)!

Happy crocheting (and knitting),

Susan Lowman

October 26, 2017

Scarves, scarves and more scarves!!!

Just in time for the cooler weather, here is another crochet scarf pattern for your stitching pleasure! Announcing my “Hitch a Ride Scarf”.

This scarf is so much fun to crochet! And it uses just one skein of sport weight or worsted weight yarn (250-300 yards). The finished scarf measures 60″ long x 14″ wide with the one skein. If you desire a longer and/or wider scarf, simply use 2 skeins of yarn instead. The scarf starts out at the narrow end and gets wider as you add more rows. With the construction of this scarf, you can make your scarf as long and wide as you desire (and have enough yarn to make). Simply stop crocheting when you reach the desired size of your scarf.

The stitch pattern is a 2-row repeat, so it’s easy to memorize. The pattern includes written instructions, as well a symbol crochet charts for the scarf and 2 options for the last row, in case you’re running out of yarn!

I love color-changing yarns and this pattern looks fabulous in many types of color-changing yarn! Here are a few more of these scarves that I whipped up in a matter of 1-2 days each:

I just LOVE this scarf and the colors of these yarns (and I think you will, too)!!!

You can find this new crochet scarf pattern for $4.95 on the pattern page here.

Happy crocheting (and I hope you stay warm this winter)!

Susan

October 13, 2017

Is it a Cowl or a Shawl?

I’ve been having a really fun time lately designing more accessories for you! I hope you’ve all been well and are having a good time crocheting some fabulous projects!

At the end of last year, I took part in the Ravelry Indie Design Gift-A-Long (GAL) as both a designer and a crocheting/knitting participant! It was so much fun and I learned a lot!!! One of the things I noticed in the knit/crochet patterns that were part of the GAL, was some designs that are a hybrid between a cowl and a shawl. I LOVE this concept and I knit a beautiful shawlette/cowlette during the GAL last year.

This year, I set out to design a crochet hybrid, which I’m calling a cowlette. I’ve made 3 of them so far and they work up quite quickly! I designed my cowlette pattern with super fine (sock) weight yarn for lots of drape! The fabulous part about these hybrid cowls/shawls is that they don’t fall off when worn, like shawls can sometimes! So without further ado, here is my newest crochet design, the Cozy Cowlette:

As you can see, this cowlette is made in the traditional triangle shape. It’s worked from the front, center neck edge down to the bottom. It starts in rows, but changes into joined rounds about 2/3 of the way down. There are 2 versions of this pattern: the one-color version and the two-color version. I love them both! Here is a photo of the back of one of them:

For the two-color version, I used a portion of 2 skeins of Loops & Threads Woolike yarn from my local Michaels store. This yarn is 85% acrylic and 15% nylon, has 678 yards and costs just $3 (unless you use a discount coupon and get it for even less)! With this many yards, you can make 2 cowlettes with just 2 skeins total! This yarn has lots of bounce, too! Of course, you can use any yarn of the same weight that you desire for your cowlette!

For the one-color version, I used some generic acrylic yarn that I purchased at the Knit & Crochet Show several years ago. I added some tiny beads that I had in my stash to the bottom edge, which you can see here:

One-color Cozy Cowlette edging with beads

You can purchase the Cozy Cowlette pattern for just $4.95 here.

I hope you’re enjoying the change in weather and are looking forward to crocheting some new accessories for Fall and Winter this year! I love the fun crochet accessories that can be made and worn during the cooler times of the year!!!

Happy crocheting,

Susan

October 2, 2017October 2, 2017

Delicious Yarns!

Have you seen some of the new color-changing yarns that are available in the US now? They’re gorgeous! I’ve been enjoying color-changing yarns for quite some time now. It’s hard to resist buying the newer yarns because the colors are so pretty! A week ago, I gave in to the urge to buy more yarn (again)! Here are some of the yarns I’ve been buying lately:

Have you seen the new Caron Cakes yarns? I think they’re only available at Michaels Craft stores. They came out last year (or the year before) with the basic Caron Cakes yarn, which is worsted weight and has 383 yds. Now they have Caron Cupcakes (the ones on the far left and right with the pompoms on top in the photo above). These cakes are light weight (#3) yarn with 244 yds per cake. There is a knit or crochet hat pattern on the inside of the yarn label. The pompom will look great on the top, if I make these into baby hats!

Then they have the Caron Big Cakes (the blue one in the photo), which is worsted weight, just like the basic Caron Cakes yarn (the Big Cakes looks and feels slightly thinner than the basic Caron Cakes yarn, though). The Big Cakes has 603 yds. The basic Caron Cakes yarn (the tan one in the photo) is 80% acrylic and 20% wool. The new Big Cakes and the Cupcakes are 100% acrylic. There is also a Tea Cakes and a Sprinkle Cakes, which I held off on buying this time around (what self-control I have!!!)!

Here are some of the Red Heart yarns that I’ve bought. I’ve been crocheting (and designing) with the Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable for several years now (the left and right skeins in the photo above). I love the colors they have and they work perfectly for my One-Skein Cowl patterns!

The center skein of yarn is the new Red Heart Super Saver Stripes. It is a worsted weight yarn with 236 yds (100% acrylic). I saw this yarn at my local Walmart last month and this color spoke to me! So I listened and added it to my collection of color-changing yarn! I LOVE the colors in this skein! I don’t know yet what I’ll design with it, but I will definitely enjoy the colors while I’m working with it (I love just looking at the colors in the skein, too)!

Lion Brand Mandala yarn

This cake is the new Lion Brand Mandala yarn. I saw this yarn on the same day last month at my local Walmart. It spoke to me, too! This yarn is another light weight yarn (#3). It is also 100% acrylic and has 590 yds in it. That’s enough for a nice, drapey crochet project (probably an accessory)!

Here’s a new design that I saw in the recent issue of Crochet! magazine (Winter 2017) that uses the Lion Brand Mandala yarn. It’s designed by Karen McKenna and is made with one skein of the #216 Sphinx colorway. Isn’t it gorgeous?

It’s a good thing that I like to crochet because I’ve found that acrylic yarn isn’t as good for knitting as it is for crochet! And I LOVE getting lots of yardage for my money, too!

I’m looking forward to designing some delicious crochet patterns with these yarns!

What draws you to a particular yarn? Is it the colors, like me? Is it the fiber content? Is it the yardage? Is it the price? Or is it something else?

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing these new yarns. And I hope I haven’t enabled you too much to buy more yarn than you’ll ever use in your lifetime!!!

Happy crocheting,

Susan

August 21, 2017

2017 CGOA Conference Afterglow!

I’ve been back from the CGOA Conference in Chicago for 3 weeks now and I thought I’d share some of the highlights of the conference this year for me!

I taught 6 crochet classes this year: Beginning and Intermediate Filet Crochet, Beginning and Intermediate Bruges Lace Crochet and 2 classes of Invisible Repairs. For more information about any of these classes, check out my previous blog post here. My smallest class had 11 students and my largest class was sold out at 25 students! I had the best students in each of my classes this year! I met so many nice, encouraging, friendly crocheters in every class and at every event!!! My dog had run into my left foot the Saturday before the conference, giving me a huge bruise and a very tender foot, so I was hobbling around a lot before and during the conference. My students were very understanding and let me sit down a lot, bringing their crochet pieces and questions to me most of the time! I thoroughly enjoyed meeting each student and sharing my crochet knowledge with them!!!

Here are some photos of my happy students from each class:

Left Side of Beginning Bruges Lace class on Wed night

Right Side of Beginning Bruges Lace class on Wed night

Left Side of Beginning Filet Crochet class on Thur AM

Right Side of Beginning Filet Crochet class on Thur AM

Some students in Invisible Repairs class on Fri AM

All students in Invisible Repairs class on Fri PM

Left Side of Intermediate Filet Crochet class on Sat AM

Right Side of Intermediate Filet Crochet class on Sat AM

Left Side of Intermediate Bruges Lace class on Sat PM

Right Side of Intermediate Bruges Lace class on Sat PM

You probably can’t notice from the small size of these photos that one of my students took all 5 of my classes this year! Her name is Robin and she’s a wonderful crocheter and student! Here we both are in the last class:

Here’s another student, Gwen, from that same class wearing her amazing crochet lace top that she made:

And here is Corina from my afternoon Invisible Repairs class:

Corina is from Romania. She had contacted me through Ravelry a week before the conference asking a question about one of my designs. I noticed that she lived locally to Chicago and told her about the conference. I had no idea that she would actually attend the conference, let alone take one of my classes! And it was her birthday, too! Happy belated birthday, Corina!

I hope to see all of my students at next year’s CGOA Conference to be held in Portland, Oregon from July 25-28, 2018.

Another fun event at the conference, besides classes, is the Design Competition. I entered a shawl that I designed this year and I won an Honorable Mention! Here’s the shawl, which I’ve named Blazing Embers Lace Shawl. I designed it based upon a really pretty doily that I crocheted a number of years ago. Obviously this isn’t a doily! I’m pleased with how it turned out and will self-publish the pattern one of these days/weeks/months/years, when I get the chance!!!

Here’s a photo of the Design Competition display at the conference:

The Design Competition display was set up in the same room as the crochet lounge, which was sponsored by Red Heart Yarn. Red Heart set up an amazing display, designed and crocheted by Gina Rose Gallina called Queen Bee. Here’s that amazing display, along with Gina herself:

Queen Bee display with Gina Rose Gallina

At the end of the conference, on Saturday night, we had our banquet and fashion show, which is always so much fun! We also had the induction ceremony for this year’s CGOA Jean Leinhauser Crochet Hall of Fame award. This year, the award went to Carol Alexander, who was a crochet designer for many years before becoming the editor of Crochet! magazine (a magazine published by Annie’s). Here’s Carol giving her acceptance speech:

2017 CGOA Hall of Fame winner, Carol Alexander

And here’s the loot from the goody bag that I came home with this year! What a haul!!!

If you’ve never been to a CGOA Conference, I hope you’ll take the plunge and attend one (or more)! You’ll learn so much, meet awesome crocheters and make life-long friends!

Until next time!

Happy crocheting,

Susan

July 18, 2017

Crochet Toys for Babies and Toddlers

I hope everyone is having a wonderful summer and enjoying lots of sun, relaxation and a vacation or two! A few weeks ago, my husband, middle son, daughter-in-law, granddaughter and I went up to Idaho to visit my dad and step-mom. We stayed at Zion National Park on the way up and at Yellowstone National Park on the way back. It was lots of fun, we saw some beautiful animals and we made some great memories! One of the memories was more scary than fun, though! The 2 propane tanks came off our travel trailer while driving to Yellowstone! One of the tanks disappeared completely and the other was hanging on, scraping on the road and sparking! We feel very blessed that God had His angels keeping us safe. This could have had disastrous results, since propane can explode!

Now that I’m back from vacation, I’m busy getting ready for the CGOA Conference, where I’ll be teaching 5 (or 6) crochet classes next week! Since one of the teachers can’t make it to the conference, several of the teachers with sold out classes were asked if they could teach another class to fill in for her classes, which were cancelled. I said I’d be happy to teach my sold out Invisible Repairs class a 2nd time, so I’m scheduled to teach it both Friday morning and Friday afternoon at the conference! If you weren’t able to get into the Friday morning class, you are in luck! Now you can sign up at the conference for the Friday afternoon class (a repeat of the morning class) and pay the pre-registration price there! If you’re planning to take my new Friday afternoon class, please check out the homework for the class and get it done before the afternoon class. You can find the homework here. I hope to see you at the conference!!!

I thought I’d take a little break from printing class handouts today and share some fun baby toys to crochet with you! I crocheted 3 baby toys in the past few months for my granddaughter, Rubekah (Ruru for short)! They were all lots of fun to make.

First is the “Into the Jungle” stacking animal rings designed by Cindy Cseh. The pattern was available in the April, June and August 2013 issues of Crochet World magazine. I knew when I saw the pattern that I wanted to make it for a grandchild some day! So earlier this year, I set out to make it. It’s not for the faint of heart, but it’s a lot of fun to see my granddaughter play with it! You can see more photos of this fun project on my Ravelry project page here.

The 2nd is the Amish Puzzle Ball by Dedri Uys. This pattern is so much fun to make and put together! This is a FREE pattern that you can find here. I LOVE this pattern and I’ll probably make several more, just for fun!

The 3rd project that I crocheted for my granddaughter is also by Dedri Uys. It is the Crochet Dinosaur Puzzle that is in Dedri’s book, Amamani Puzzle Balls, by Annie’s. This project was somewhere between the complexity of the Amish Puzzle Ball and the Into the Jungle stacking animals! The pattern was great and easy to follow! You can see all of the patterns in this book here.

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing these 3 crochet baby toy projects and are inspired to crochet some toys for your favorite baby very soon!

Happy crocheting,

Susan

June 16, 2017

Announcing a New Crochet Stitch!

Are you a crocheter who likes to try new and different things to challenge yourself? Do you ever wonder if there are any new crochet stitches or techniques out there? Well, I’m here to tell you that there definitely ARE!!! I’d like to tell you about a new crochet stitch that I think you’re going to LOVE!

A few months ago, a new designer on Ravelry named Jen Dettelbach, contacted me and asked about a crochet stitch that she’s been using. She wasn’t quite sure if it was a new stitch or something that has already been used. She contacted CGOA (the Crochet Guild of America) and CYC (Craft Yarn Council) about her stitch and one of them suggested that she contact me. After looking at Jen’s stitch and understanding what she had done, I realized that I had never seen a stitch like Jen’s! I decided to ask Edie Eckman about it, just to make sure. She hadn’t seen it either and suggested that we ask Dora Ohrenstein about it. So I contacted Dora about the stitch and she hadn’t seen it either!

Without further ado, let me introduce you to Jen’s “Bolster Stitch”!

These are some cute crochet baskets that Jen Dettelbach has designed. She sells the finished baskets and patterns, in her Etsy shop here. Jen uses her Bolster Stitch in these baskets, which gives the baskets more stability so they don’t fall over and lose their contents. Jen’s stitch is NOT a post stitch or bullion stitch, although it looks similar to these stitches.

To find out more about Jen’s Bolster Stitch, check out her blog/website here.

It’s so exciting to see a new crochet stitch and enjoy the creativity of other crochet designers!

Over 10 years ago, I invented a new crochet stitch that I call an “Anchored Dc”. I invented it for use in Mosaic Crochet so the stitches wouldn’t flop around if more than 1 vertical stitch was crocheted in a row. I’ve used it in several designs over the years. One of these was my ABCs Rug, which was published in the August 2007 issue of Annie’s Hooked on Crochet magazine.

Another was my Mosaic Basketweave Placemat. It has been published in 2 places. The first is in the Leisure Arts book #6321, “Crochet Beyond the Basics”. You can see most of the projects in this book here. The other is on the Red Heart website here.

I also used my Anchored Dc in a crochet pattern that I self-published in 2015: my “Crochet Mosaic Scarf”. You can see more about this pattern here.

I really enjoy playing around with crochet and seeing what I can come up with! And I enjoy sharing my designs with other crochet enthusiasts like YOU!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at 2 new crochet stitches!

Happy crocheting,

Susan