Crochet Extra - February 2021 - Crochet Australia

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And so we begin the last month of summer! It brings a mixture of emotions for me – I’ll miss the warm days to spend outside in the garden and at the beach, but I’m also glad with being able to crochet and play with different yarns and my wintery projects. And this year I’m excited with three new winter yarns coming our way:

Sierra wool/acrylic blend from Patons – variegated yarn which crochets upbeautifully
Brushtrokes nylon/acrylic hand dyed yarn from Cleckheaton – beautiful and soft for baby outfits and blankets
Superb 4 – 100% acrylic yarn now available in 4 ply from Fiddlesticks (we already have the 8 ply, and the 4ply is just as soft). Perfect also for baby outfits and blankets. These should be arriving in store towards the middle of March but are available for pre-order.

If you come into the store ask to see and feel the yarn and sample projects.

Finally we have back in stock the edgeit tools – the easiest tool for piercing holes in towels and washers when you want to crochet an edge. Sadly we are still having issues getting hemstitched handkerchiefs – but we are not giving up! We’ve also been able to reorder Bamboo Soft and this should be back in store within the week.

Are you or someone you know looking to enhance their crochet skills? Join one of our monthly workshops – either instore or live online. This month we begin the Venus Racerback Tank Top – a great edition to any wardrobe.

See them all here

Until next time

Lynda

Theme— Crocheting with Cotton

Last month I mentioned how much I love to crochet in summer with cotton. I had quite a few questions come from this about what type of things you can crochet with cotton, and what else can you crochet with cotton apart from doilies?

While crocheting doilies with cotton thread is still popular, there have been significant developments in cotton over the years resulting in cotton yarn being available in a large range of thicknesses and colours. Being a natural fibre like wool it is ideal for a wide range of projects.

Household items – Cotton is hard-wearing and durable making it ideal for household items such as dishcloths, towel tops, rugs, pillows, throws and baskets. T-shirt yarn, Finch, Create Handmade and Catona are all suitable for these items.

Garments – Cotton as a natural fibre, absorbs moisture and is breathable, making it suitable almost all year round. Tank tops, crop tops, bikinis, shawls, light cover ups, skirts and dresses in particular make up nicely in cotton. Organicon, Catona, Sunkissed, Camilla Batik, Almina, Dalia, and Petra result in soft garments, as does the cotton/bamboo blends – Cedar and Bamboo soft. Remember cotton gets softer as it is washed. Cotton/acrylic blends such as Whirl and Stone Washed can also be used to give a little more warmth and elasticity.

Accessories – Bags, belts, jewellery, scarves can be made with a variety of cotton. Finch, Catona and Create Handmade are great for bags and belts. Petra, Catona, Almina, are great for belts and scarves while Babylo, Lizbeth and Maxi can be used for jewellery and similar accessories. Having no elasticity items tend to keep their shape.

Baby – Cotton is suitable for babywear as a soft natural fibre. This is often a good alternative to wool, as many babies can be allergic to wool. Booties, clothes, light blankets and toys made using cotton are also easy to care for. Organicon, Sunkissed, Cedar, Bamboo Soft, Almina, Petra make soft, easy to care for items.

We give an overview of our range of cottons and a selection of patterns in this newsletter. But if you are looking for something easy to try using cotton for the first time – try this mop head. by Knots of Rainbows.

Tip of the Month

Understanding Cotton

Cotton as a natural fibre is very versitile for crocheting and knitting. However there are different types of cotton on the market, reflecting the treatments they have gone through (or lack of treatment). Read our tip to understand these processes cotton can go through so you can select the right cotton for your project.

Product of the Month

Market Bag Kit

Ditch the plastic bag and crochet yourself (or others) a bag for market day. Durable and re-usable you’ll find you can’t just stop at one. This kit includes a pattern book with 8 styles of bags, plus 6 balls of Finch 10 ply cotton. This should give you enough to make 2 bags.

The pattern book has 8 stylish and trendy bags ready to stitch using worsted-weight cotton yarn and one made using strips of plastic bags! Designs are made using different crochet techniques such as filet, Tunisian, and several specialty stitches. Sizes range from 12″ x 15″ to 20″ x 20″ all excluding handles. Skill Level: Easy to Intermediate. 22 pages using US terminology.