Do you enjoy crocheting for the holidays? I definitely do! During the past 15 years, I’ve designed quite a few heart-shaped crochet patterns! So in honor of Valentine’s Day, I’ve compiled a list of my published Valentine’s Day and/or heart-shaped crochet patterns for you (and a few are FREE, too!). If you’re like me, you’re looking for a new heart-shaped crochet pattern to make for this Valentine’s Day (before it’s here and gone!). Why not crochet something for your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day?
Valentine Placemat Set
1. Valentine Placemat Set (published in the Feb. 2010 issue of Crochet World magazine). This filet placemat set was made with size 20 cotton crochet thread.
Wiggly Hearts Rug
2. Wiggly Hearts Rug (published in the Feb. 2010 issue of Crochet World magazine). This rug was made with Red Heart Super Saver and LusterSheen yarns.
Heart Swag
3. Heart Swag (published in the Feb. 2010 issue of Crochet World magazine). This swag was made with size 10 cotton crochet thread.
Filet Heart Coaster
4. Filet Heart Coaster (available for purchase on my website here). This coaster is made with size 10 cotton crochet thread.
Heart Coaster
5. Heart Coaster (FREE pattern download on my website here). This coaster is made with worsted weight cotton yarn.
Valentine Earrings
6. Valentine Earrings (published in the Jan/Feb 2011 issue of Crochet Today! magazine). These earrings were made with size 10 cotton crochet thread.
Justify my Love Coasters
7. Justify my Love Coasters (published in the Jan/Feb 2013 issue of Crochet Today! magazine). These coasters were made with Red Heart Super Saver yarn).
Wiggly Valentine Hot Pad & Coaster Set
8. Wiggly Valentine Hot Pad & Coaster Set (available for purchase on my website here). This set is made with size 10 cotton crochet thread.
Bruges Lace Heart Centerpiece
9. Bruges Lace Heart Centerpiece (published in “Crochet Beyond the Basics” book in 2014 by Rita Weiss and Susan Lowman, published by Leisure Arts). This centerpiece is made with size 10 cotton crochet thread.
Easy Cell Phone Cosy & Heart-Shaped Key Fob
10. Easy Cell Phone Cosy & Heart-Shaped Key Fob (FREE pattern on the Red Heart UK website here). This set uses Red Heart Detroit Color yarn, which is a 100% acrylic, light weight yarn (#3) that is available in the UK. If you live in the US, you could easily substitute Red Heart Anne Geddes Baby yarn or Red Heart Baby TLC yarn instead.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at my Valentine’s Day and heart-shaped crochet patterns. There are TONS of other published Valentine’s Day and heart crochet patterns out there by many talented crochet designers. Why not find the perfect pattern and start your Valentine’s Day crochet project(s) now (before it’s too late!). And if you’d like to learn a new crochet technique (such as wiggly crochet, filet crochet or Bruges Lace crochet) at the same time, what are you waiting for? Start learning something new right now!
With only 2 weeks left until Christmas, these One-Skein Scarves are perfect for some last minute gifts! The crochet patterns are available separately or as a “special value” set. They’re sure to please many friends and family members on your holiday list!
Each of our “One-Skein Scarves” patterns includes a symbol crochet chart for those of you who are “visual learners”, like me. As always, each pattern includes the finished size, skill level, materials list, gauge, abbreviations used in the pattern, special abbreviations and full written instructions.
Autumn Romance Scarf
The Autumn Romance Scarf was inspired by the beautiful colors of Patons Kroy Socks FX that I saw in my local yarn store. I knew I simply had to design something beautiful with it! It’s a one-skein scarf worked from one end to the other. Then some fringe is added at each end. There is no edging involved in this scarf. It’s a quick project and I absolutely LOVE the colors of this yarn!
Glamour Scarf
The Glamour Scarf was something I decided to design with a skein of Vanna’s Glamour yarn one day. It’s another quick project with an easy stitch pattern to memorize. It’s worked in 2 halves, from the center to each end of the scarf, making each end symmetrical. The scarf includes a simple edging to finish it off. And the shimmer in this yarn is wonderful!
Pediwick Scarf
The Pediwick Scarf is made in a beautiful shade of green, but you can make your Pediwick Scarf in any color you desire, of course! It’s also made in 2 halves, from the center to each end. This scarf doesn’t require an edging, since the edges are so straight already. It has a nice stitch pattern on the ends, finishing it off nicely.
Whether you choose one of these scarves or all 3 of them, I’m sure you’re going to love crocheting them up in a jiffy! Each scarf pattern is available for $3.95, or the set of all 3 One-Skein Scarves patterns is available for the special price of $7.95. That’s like getting the 3rd pattern for free! To see more about these new scarf patterns, visit our “Pattern” page here.
I hope you’ll enjoy these One-Skein Scarf patterns and will share photos of your scarves with me. I’d love to see what creative scarves you make with these patterns!
I’ve been busy working on more crochet patterns for you. Introducing my newest crochet pattern, “Bear Mitts”. Right now, this pattern is only sized for teens through adults (it’s not available in a child’s size yet, but I’ll work on that as time allows). What teenager or young adult (or “young-at-heart” adult, for that matter) wouldn’t love some adorable bear mitts in their stocking this Christmas? Without further delay, here is my bear mitts pattern for your crocheting pleasure:
Bear Mitts
I’d like to tell you a little about this crochet pattern. I got the inspiration earlier this year when my middle son and his wife were here visiting from China. My daughter-in-law brought some adorable bear mitts with her from China and once I saw them, I fell in love with them! Here’s a photo of the original bear mitts from China:
Chinese Bear Mitts design inspiration
Aren’t they adorable? I think they’re so cute! Anyway, I decided within a few minutes of seeing them that I’d design some crocheted bear mitts similar to them. And I’m glad I did.
These bear mitts are a lot of fun to make! The head, muzzle and arms are made just like amigurumi pieces and are stuffed to keep their shape. The mitt body piece is made from the top to the bottom with the yellow dress on the front worked at the same time as the brown body. The skirt ruffle and collar are worked separately, then sewn onto the body afterward. The head and ears are separate pieces, too. Because the original Chinese bear mitts had the top of the arms sewn to the side of the face, I decided I’d do this, too, so they don’t flop around while being worn. I didn’t like the way the feet were coming out in crochet, so I decided my crocheted bear mitts didn’t need feet (besides, the fingers sticking out at the bottom can be the bear’s “legs”!). I chose to use safety eyes and noses because I like the look of them, but you could embroider the faces on your bear mitts, if you choose. This is how they look worn:
Bear Mitts worn
They’re really fun to wear! If you don’t care for the yellow dress, you can simply make your bear mitts with a different color of dress (it’s absolutely your choice on that part of the pattern)! And if you’d like to embellish your bear mitts with buttons or bows, I think they’d look great with those, as well (I think a bow at the top of the head or off to one side would be adorable!).
The 16-page written pattern for these Bear Mitts includes many photos of the individual pieces for ease of identification and construction.
As always, if you have a question about one of my patterns, I provide free pattern support for all of my patterns here at The Crochet Architect. I learn as much from my customers’ questions as they do from my answers (and I always welcome questions). That’s how we all learn, right?
If you’re an intermediate crocheter (or an adventurous beginner), I hope you’ll give these bear mitts a try. They’re great for helping to keep your hands and wrists warm! And they’re very stylish, too! You can find the pattern right here for sale on our pattern page.
We all love scarves for keeping our necks warm during the cold winter months! I know I do! But there’s one thing even better than a scarf because it doesn’t fall off easily or become crooked with wear. That item is a “cowl”! If you’ve never heard of a cowl, it’s basically the same thing as an “infinity scarf”, which is a scarf that is joined together at the ends into one big, long tube. There are no ends to be concerned about being straight or even when wearing it. You just put the cowl over your head and wrap it around your neck once or twice, depending on your preference of length and neck warmth! And presto! You have a beautiful and functional accessory to proudly wear or give as a gift. And it’s one of those gifts that doesn’t have to be a certain size, too!!!
This year, I started designing lots of scarves and cowls, since they’re a lot of fun to crochet and wear (and don’t require sizing!). I recently had my first cowl design published in the Dec. 2014 issue of Crochet World magazine and I have a new cowl pattern for you right here on The Crochet Architect. It’s called the “Unforgettable Ripple Cowl”, named after the Red Heart Boutique “Unforgettable” yarn that I chose for this cowl. This yarn comes in some absolutely “gorgeous” colors! It’s 100% acrylic, so it’s machine washable, which is a big plus for anything you might get dirty (not that I get my cowls dirty, but it could happen and I want to make sure I can get it clean without felting it)! I really enjoy crocheting with this soft, squishy yarn. Anyway, here is my new cowl design:
Unforgettable Ripple Cowl
Aren’t the colors pretty? I chose a ripple stitch pattern for this design because I like the way the changing colors are shown off to their best advantage. It’s also an easy pattern to memorize and crochet, as well as being quick to make! This cowl uses only 1 skein of the Unforgettable yarn, making it an economical project, too. There is only 1 seam to sew to join the bottom and top edges to form the tube-shaped cowl, as well as 2 tails to weave in (that’s not bad considering all the beautiful colors that change on their own!).
Here’s a photo of the cowl worn doubled:
Unforgettable Ripple Cowl worn doubled
I’m really going to enjoy wearing this cowl during the winter, which isn’t too far off now (we had our first frost on Sunday night, so winter is right around the corner here in the higher elevations of Arizona!).
Have you started any new scarf or cowl patterns lately before winter hits where you live? Do you have someone on your Christmas list who loves scarves and cowls?
To purchase the “Unforgettable Ripple Cowl” pattern, just check out our “patterns” page!
It’s time to get ready for winter and what better way than by crocheting a new scarf! Here, for your crocheting pleasure, is the newest scarf pattern at The Crochet Architect: our “Stained Glass Snowflake Scarf”!
Stained Glass Snowflake Scarf
This scarf may look complicated, but it’s not. It is worked in rows of single crochet, all on the right side with color changes. There are long tails at the beginning and end of each row to turn into the fringe when you’re all done crocheting this beauty! And we all know what that means, right? NO TAILS TO WEAVE IN!!! Do I hear a “hallelujah”?
Stained Glass Snowflake Scarf
If you’ve seen my “It Takes All Colors Snowflakes” afghan on the Mainly Crochet website and you’re not quite ready to jump into a large afghan project, this scarf is the thing for you. It is worked the same way as my snowflake afghan, but is much faster to make. In case you missed seeing it last month, here is a photo of my snowflake afghan:
It Takes All Colors Snowflakes afghan
As you can see, the afghan and scarf look very much alike, except the afghan has more rows of snowflakes and the scarf has more snowflakes wide (10 snowflakes, to be exact). They’re made the exact same way, which makes it nice. If you like my snowflake afghan and are intimidated by its size, why not try making the snowflake scarf instead. Then when you have the confidence, you can move up to making the snowflake afghan! The snowflake afghan pattern is available on the Mainly Crochet website here. If you haven’t heard of Mainly Crochet, it’s a digital crochet magazine that is available to subscribers. You can get all the information about their service on their website.
So what types of projects are you going to crochet this fall/winter? Are you going to make some afghans or scarves? How about a sweater? It’s a lot of fun to crochet new projects and give them as gifts (for those recipients who appreciate them, of course!).
To purchase the Stained Glass Snowflake Scarf pattern, just check out our “patterns” page!
What do you like most about crochet? Are you someone who loves the textures that you can make in crochet with a solid color of yarn? I definitely do! One of the crochet techniques that uses a lot of crochet stitches with texture is Celtic crochet.
I’d like to share some information about a book that I recently got by Bonnie Barker, who I met at the CGOA Conference this year in July. Bonnie is a sweet person and has a lot of talent, both in crochet and in music. Bonnie wrote the lyrics for a song called “Ripping Out is Hard to Do” that she, Jennifer Ryan (another crochet designer) and Terri Mitchell (Bonnie’s neighbor) performed at the conference this year. Here’s a photo of the 3 of them performing this song:
From left to right: Terri, Jennifer and Bonnie
The song was a “riot”!!! Bonnie wrote the parody lyrics, which were sung to the tune of “Breaking Up is Hard to Do” by Neil Sedaka. As you can see in the photo, Bonnie played the guitar, Jennifer sang the song and Terri did the silly acting out of the words. What a hoot!!!
Now back to some crochet seriousness! Bonnie has a new crochet book this year called “Contemporary Celtic Crochet”, published by Fons & Porter Books (an imprint of F&W). Here’s a photo of the front cover of the book:
This 128 page book retails for $24.99 in the US and contains 24 designs, from scarves to sweaters, vests, baby blankets, sweater wraps and much more. I’ve never seen a sweater wrap before and perhaps you haven’t, either. I’ll explain what a sweater wrap is later on in this blog post. But for now, I’d like to tell you a little about this book and share photos of my favorite designs in it with you so you can decide if this book is something you’d like to add to your crochet library.
One of my favorite projects in this book is the Kells Cabled Sweater. It’s a V-neck sweater with a beautiful edging along the bottom of the sleeves and sweater. The sleeves are loose and comfortable looking in the photo. See for yourself:
Doesn’t this look like a comfortable sweater? It definitely does to me!
Here are a few photos of another one of my favorite projects in this book:
This is the Baby Feet Baby Blanket. Aren’t these baby feet adorable? I don’t think I’ve ever seen baby feet on a baby blanket like this before! This is a pattern that I’ll definitely be looking closer at when my grandchildren start arriving (hint, hint!).
Okay, so what is a sweater wrap? According to Bonnie’s book, she first saw this style of garment while visiting the west coast of Ireland. Bonnie says in the book, “A sweater wrap is a wrap that thinks and acts like a sweater. It is a practical choice when you don’t want to wear a sweater, yet a stole alone is just not quite warm enough. The added back panel attached to the stole keeps you just as warm as you want to be.” Here are some photos of one of the 4 sweater wraps in the book, modeled by one of Bonnie’s daughters:
I think the bottom edging on this sweater wrap is really nice! Each of the 4 sweater wraps is made with different Celtic Crochet stitches. They’re all very nice and don’t require any shaping, like sweaters do, so they’d be much easier to crochet.
Here’s the other baby blanket in this book:
This is the Hialeah Honey Baby Blanket. It sure has LOTS of texture!!!
And here is the backpack and purse, which I really like, too:
The backpack and purse have a basket weave pattern to them.
Bonnie even included a Celtic Cross Afghan in the book. Here is a photo of that afghan (and a coordinating pillow right above it) with a lot of texture, as well:
This is a really nice looking afghan and I love the edging on it, too! Since I’m a Christian, this afghan has a lot of meaning to me.
Unfortunately, I can’t show you photos of all the projects in this book. But I can tell you that there are 36 pages of instructions and step-by-step photos of how to crochet the special stitches and Celtic stitches in this book. These stitches include the arrow, baby feet toe popcorns, back post and front post double crochet, back post and front post treble crochet, basket weave, braided cable, buttonholes, cable, Celtic cross, Celtic weave, diamond, honeycomb, knotted fringe, knurl, low back ridge, low front ridge, popcorn, front post and back post ribbing, shadow box, shell with picot, single crochet ribbing, wheat, woven and more! These stitch instructions are fabulous!!!
Bonnie and her husband, Craig, traveled to Ireland on a business trip in 2012. The inspiration for Bonnie’s designs in this book came from that trip. Here is a photo of Bonnie and Craig in Ireland:
Bonnie also included some photos in her Celtic Crochet book of places in Ireland that she and Craig visited on their trip. It looks like a beautiful country!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at “Contemporary Celtic Crochet”. You can see and purchase the book on Amazon here or through Interweave here. To read about Bonnie and follow her designing career, check out her website here.
Have you ever wondered where designers get the inspiration for their designs? Well, inspiration comes from many places. For me, it can come from seeing something in a store, on a website or in a book. It can also come from seeing a garment or accessory that someone is wearing. My newest design, “It Takes All Colors Snowflakes” afghan, was inspired by a knitted sweater in my own closet! I don’t always get inspired by my sweaters, but this sweater was truly inspiring to me! It’s an older sweater and has seen its better days, especially around the bottom of the sleeves. But I love the snowflake pattern on it and the bright colors that were used, so I knew I had to use this design in a crochet pattern someday. Here’s a photo of the sweater (and a close up photo of it) for you to see:
Snowflake Sweater inspirationClose Up of Snowflake Sweater
Here are photos of my snowflake afghan to compare to the sweater:
It Takes All Colors Snowflakes afghan
Close Up of Snowflakes afghan
I used 8 colors (plus black) of Red Heart “With Love” yarn to make this afghan. It’s worked in the Fair Isle crochet technique in which each row is worked on the right side. The tails are all turned into fringe on the left and right edges afterward, so there are no tails/ends to weave in (yahoo!). Fair Isle crochet is a great technique that yields a fabulous finished design! And since the non-working color is worked over instead of being carried across the back, the afghan is reversible, too! Here is a close up photo of a section on the back of the afghan to see:
Back of Snowflake Afghan
You can find this pattern on the Mainly Crochet website here. If you’re not familiar with Mainly Crochet, it’s an online magazine started by Michele Maks, the former editor for Crochet World magazine. I met Michele in person at a CGOA Conference (possibly in 2009, but I could be wrong about the year!). Michele purchased quite a few of my crochet patterns during the years that she was the editor of Crochet World! She started out as a designer several decades ago, before she was the editor for Crochet World magazine. She’s a fabulous designer and a great magazine editor with a keen eye! A few years after leaving Crochet World, Michele decided to start her own online magazine called “Mainly Crochet”. The Mainly Crochet website went live in the summer of 2013 and has been going strong ever since! It is a subscription magazine that costs $24 per year. There are over 190 patterns on the website now. They’re all accessible to paid subscribers to download as PDF files onto their computers or tablets. Mainly Crochet has a lot of fabulous patterns by many talented designers! There are patterns for all skill levels and for all types of projects: from afghans to accessories to doilies and lots more! Check it out!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at the inspiration behind my “It Takes All Colors Snowflakes” afghan design and will give this crochet technique a try.
I’ve been busy designing lots of scarves this past 6 months and I’ve had a blast with them! I have one of the patterns ready for your crocheting pleasure. This scarf is called “Easy Rainbow Scarf” because it’s an “easy” pattern and because of the rainbow colors I used to crochet it! I just love rainbows, don’t you? Here’s a photo of the scarf:
Easy Rainbow Scarf
As you can see, the scarf is completely reversible, thanks to the special stitch worked in the black rows. This scarf, as shown, measures 4 ½” wide x 54” long, plus the fringe. However, the size is adjustable in width by working more or less rows and in length by working more or less repeats across the rows. So you can make your scarf whatever size you desire!
I used 6 colors (plus black) of Caron Simply Soft yarn to make this scarf, but you can use as few as 2 colors to make your scarf, if you wish. I used worsted weight yarn for this scarf, but feel free to use a heavier or lighter weight yarn instead to make your scarves. This is a great pattern for using up scraps of yarn, since only 25 yards of each color are required (for each colored strip in the scarf), plus 175 yards of black, to make the scarf the size shown. You can use whatever colors you like to coordinate with your outfits, coats or jackets.
This scarf is quick and easy to make. The skill level is “easy”, so if you haven’t been crocheting for very long or simply want an easy pattern to make, this scarf fits the bill!
Easy Rainbow Scarf close up
If you’re new to working more than one crochet stitch in a pattern, have no fear! The pattern is easy to follow and includes full instructions for making the scarf with the fringe. It also includes close-up photos of the scarf and fringe, instructions and step-by-step photos for working in the back bump of the foundation chain, making a Long double crochet (Ldc), starting a row (joining) with a sc or a hdc and making the fringe. And there are no yarn tails to weave in, since the tails are included into the fringe!
If you already know how to make a chain, single crochet, half double crochet and double crochet, as well as how to read and follow a crochet pattern, you’re ready to make this scarf. If you’re eager to learn something new and enjoy making new, unique projects, it’s time to get started on this fun scarf today! And Christmas is coming, so this is the perfect time to get started on those Christmas gifts for the loved ones on your list!
This pattern is available right here at The Crochet Architect as an instant PDF download for $4.95. And, as always, I’m available to answer any questions you may have about any of our patterns while you’re making the items. If you find a mistake, please let me know right away so I can correct it. I strive to create fun, error-free patterns for your enjoyment!
A few months ago, I got 2 new crochet leaflets: “Quick & Easy Crochet Cowls” by Stitches ‘n Stuff (Sue Childress & Frances Hughes) and “Cute Crochet Rugs for Kids” by Tara Cousins, both by Annie’s. I’ve made some crocheted rugs before, but I’d never made a crocheted cowl before, until recently (I know, I’m a little behind the times!).
What is it about cowls that appeals to so many fiber lovers these days? And why are there so many different sizes that can be made? There are short, narrow cowls that just drape around your neck like a wide necklace all the way up to long, wide cowls that can go around your neck several times and also fit over your head. They can even be made much like triangular scarves, but worn backwards with the wide edge at the front and tied or buttoned in the back! Cowls can be made from many different fibers and weights of yarn, from super fine to chunky, too!
There are 6 projects in this Annie’s cowl book (4 easy and 2 intermediate skill levels). The cowls range from being made in many narrow rows, to less rows with more width in the rows, to a triangular shape. Some are made in solid yarns and others are made in multi-colored yarns. Some have popcorns, shells, V-stitches or clusters for lots of choices. And there are lots of different sizes to choose from, as well. Here are photos of the front cover and a few of my favorite cowls in the book:
Quick & Easy Crochet Cowls front coverBohemian CowlSummer Sorbet Cowl
This is a really nice leaflet and I look forward to making some of the cowls in it. In fact, I’ve already taken the plunge and designed a hooded cowl for a major crochet magazine (I’m sorry, but I have to keep the name of the magazine and month of the issue a secret for now). It was really fun to design and I love the colors in the yarn! It’s very soft and fluffy, which I think will be great for the winter! You can find this cowl book for sale at Annie’s here.
The rug book for kids that I got has 7 different rugs: a dinosaur, elephant, turtle, monkey, ladybug, butterfly and an owl. All of the rugs in the book were made with Deborah Norville Everyday Soft Worsted Solids, which is a medium weight acrylic yarn. I’m sure you could substitute any worsted weight acrylic yarn if you have lots of another brand in your stash! Here are photos of the front cover and some of my favorite rugs in the book:
Cute Crochet Rugs for Kids front coverGranny Shell Turtle RugSpots the Ladybug RugMischievous Monkey Rug
These are really cute and I bet kids will just love them! Of course, my kids are too old for rugs like these (my 3 sons are all in their 20’s). But perhaps when I have grandkids (hint, hint!), I can crochet them some fun rugs like these! You can see all of the rugs in the book on the Annie’s website here.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this look at 2 new crochet leaflets with lots of new crochet patterns in them.
I recently met a crochet designer through the internet. Her name is Kristi Simpson and she’s a very talented crochet designer. She has a website and an Etsy shop. To celebrate the release of her new book, “Mommy & Me Crocheted Hats”, published by Stackpole Books, I’d like to do my first “blog interview” with Kristi today. You can see and order this book on Amazon here. I’ll share a few photos of my favorite hats in her book toward the bottom of this blog post, too.
Kristi Simpson
S: How long have you been crocheting?
K: I have been crocheting for 6-7 years! Wow! Time flies!
S: How long have you been designing?
K: I have been designing for 5 years…but I have only been selling designs since 2010. I knew shortly after I learned to crochet that I wasn’t happy with a lot of just plain designs. I wanted to make functional things cute and so I was determined to design things that were fun and cute to crochet. I now have over 350 designs.
S: What are your favorite things to crochet or design?
K: Obviously I have a soft spot for babies and small children. My husband and I have 5 inspirational children: Jacob, Kimberly, Allison, James and Ryan that keep us on our toes! They inspire me to keep my designs fresh, and kid friendly. I understand what it means to be on a budget, but still want all of the ‘cute’ designs for my little ones….and now I make them!…but when it comes down to patterns, I know there’s a demand for all ages. My new book is about giving everyone a chance to jump in on the fun and having cute hats to wear!!
S: Where/when/how do you get your design inspiration?
K: I honestly LOVE to go yarn shopping. I might walk out with 1 skein…and on the fun days my husband is with me, I might walk out with 10 (I love it when he goes!). He is my biggest support and encourages me to try new designs and yarns! The colors, textures and different weights of yarn will jump out at me and even though I might have an idea in my head, it becomes more real when I can see the yarns. Now, I will never ever say I have enough yarn– and my husband knows that. Ha!
Also, my family inspires me. They know my passion for crocheting and even when we shop in the mall, they’ll bring a jacket or a fabric headband and say– look at this! I am a huge fan of magazine clipping! I have a 3 ring binder with taped down ideas from sales papers, store ads and what others would call ‘junk mail’. I love to see what’s in season and what’s in store for the next! I also have a separate notebook that I jot down my ideas and sketch them out so that I can return to them when specific inspiration hits!
S: Do you use your children as models for your crochet patterns?
K: Yes, all the time! My kids’ ages range from 5 year old twins to 14 and 16 year old daughters…. I never miss that opportunity to use them. Plus, they love seeing their photo online!
S: Do you have a favorite color, yarn brand or yarn weight to use in your designs?
K: One? I have to pick JUST one? Right now I would say it is Yarn Bee, “Hint of Silk” in Oriental Teal. It’s so luxurious! It is 85% Bamboo and 15% silk. It is classified as a weight 4 yarn, but to me it is on the thinner side of the scale. However, it’s perfect for clothing, hats and the new baby–it’s SO SOFT! If you were to ask me last week, I would have said Red Heart Soft in purple…. I can never pick JUST ONE!
S: What does RAKJ stand for?
K: Have you ever tried to pronounce RAKJ? Well, I’m sure you had a tongue twisting try and made some sneeze-like sounds….but it’s actually pretty simple: R-A-K-J. It is our family initials! Ryan, Allison, Kristi, Kim, Jason, James and Jacob!
S: What else can you tell us about your Mommy & Me Crocheted Hats book?
K: The book was a blast to design. I not only managed the patterns in this book but also the photography. It was amazing to have every day people model the hats. I mean, not only models wear them! I enjoyed the ‘almost candid’ theme, and it was so much fun! Not only photographing the hats, but seeing the mom and child (or sometimes grandma or dad!) playing together and being sweet! It is something that I will always remember. I hope the photos make you smile and giggle… and inspire you to make a few sets for you AND your friends and family!
Well, that’s it for the interview with Kristi. I hope you enjoyed getting to know Kristi a little bit. I definitely enjoyed interviewing her! I look forward to many more wonderful designs from Kristi in the future.
I can’t imagine having a career AND raising 5 kids! My 3 sons are grown and out on their own now. My life was very busy while my husband and I were raising them, with all of the things they did in school, sports, Boy/Cub Scouts, church and more! It makes me dizzy just to think about my crazy, busy schedule back then!
As promised, here are photos of some of my favorite hats in Kristi’s new book (and a photo of the cover of the book, too):
Wouldn’t the pirate hat be great to wear on National “Talk Like a Pirate Day”? And what little boy doesn’t want to have a beard? I think the Elf hat is really cute. It could be made with red and white for a Santa hat without the added chain spaces in the last round of the hat. If your little girl (or a little girl you know) likes to wear her hair in pigtails, then the pigtail hat is perfect (with holes to poke the pigtails through)! Since I LOVE snowmen, the snowman hat is great, especially with the ear muffs! And if I had a baby girl, I’d definitely want matching heart beanies for us!
These hat patterns come in multiple sizes and different skill levels, so there’s something for everyone. And with 30 hats to choose from, you’re sure to find some hats that you’d like to make. The book retails for $19.95 in the US and $22.95 in Canada.
You can see all of the hats/projects in this book on the Stackpole website here.
