Crochet Extra - March 2024 - Crochet Australia

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What a topsy turvy month we’ve had here – one day steaming hot and humid, the next flooding, the next we’ve got a cardigan on (lbeit not for long). As we say goodbye to Summer it is certainly putting on a show. As Autumn begins to arrive, so too do the Easter and school holidays – hence our theme this month – easy travel crafting

Here at Crochet Australia we’ve been moving stock around and creating some ’empty’ shelves in preparation for our new yarns The Queensland Collection Coastal Cotton Ocean Mist – a beautiful multicolour 10ply cotton that matches perfectly with the Fiddlesticks Finch 10 ply cotton. I can’t wait until it arrives! Hopefully in the coming weeks.

It’s now just 1 month until the Crochet Tournament starts! Have you registered yet? Or if you’ve registered, got your yarn packs? Our tournament yarn packs have been flying out the door, but we still have all colourways left to select. Ocean has been very popular and we’ve just received more stock of these colours! Which one is your favourite colourway?

If you live here on the Sunshine Coast and want to learn to crochet or know somebody who does, I will be leading classes on Saturdays in March at the QCWA Palmwoods Hall, beginning 9 March. Email: palmwoodscwa@gmail.com for information and bookings. These classes have been subsidised by the Sunshine Coast Council – so a great time become creative.

Of course we also offer learn to crochet classes in store – Tuesday afternoons 12.30 – 2.30. We also run the Crochet Clinic along side it where you can come for specific help on any project or with any crochet technique you are struggling with.

A little closer to home I will also be conducting a crochet workshop at the QCWA Yandina Hall on Friday 15th March. We will be making the Hip To Be Square Hanger designed by Live Love Crochet Shaz. So come along and meet some fellow crocheters and have some fun with us.

This month we have finalised the plans for the Sunshine Coast Crochet Retreat in August – unfortunately we have had some people cancel and so 5 spots have become available. If you have wanted to go, now’s your chance.

The end of this month is Easter and we will be closed for Good Friday and Easter Monday to take our own break. To help you get a head start on easter crafting, we have featured easter projects for crochet, knit and tat below.

And of course don’t forget our classes for this month – the phone carrier and crocheting a cactus! They also make perfect alternative Easter gifts!

Until next time

Lynda

Theme— Easy Travel Craft

It’s not long now until Easter will be here – and this generally means travelling for many people, as it coincides with the beginning of school holidays in many states, or just to get away for that extra long weekend. Easter travelling brings back memories from my childhood where it didn’t matter where we went – it always rained! I’m sure that’s why I tend to stay at home for Easter now.

If you are like me, going away just means getting a number of small portable projects ready to take with me. Of course small portable projects are also important at all times for me – what about you? I mean you never know when you will be waiting for something or someone, or you will have some free time where you can squeeze out some stitches.

Good projects for travelling are small things, such as socks, gloves, hats, tops, baby clothes, motifs or bags and accessories and small items for the home – eg coasters, towel tops or baskets. It is best to take something that is easy to do, as you are likely to be interrupted often, or will be regularly ‘picking up and putting down’ your work. If the pattern I am using is in a book, I take a copy of it so it is easy to pack and take out in small spaces. Or i take a copy on my iPad. The iPad is good as I can store several patterns there (because I always need more than one project for the whole trip).

Keeping your projects together is also important and having the essential accessories from your tool kits, rather than taking them all. This is particularly true when flying. The No Mess Bags, Yarn totes, project bags, and hook cases help to keep it all together. And of course travel scissors (short blunt tip), and pendant cutters can be most useful as they aren’t considered dangerous!

Of course flying and crafting include a number of other considerations – for example, I limit projects to those that require one colour rather than multiple colours so I don’t have to take too much in my carry on luggage. And yes you can currently take crochet hooks and knitting needles in your carry on bags (But always check with the airline before you travel to confirm the rules haven’t changed). It is also a good idea to print out the airline rules for discussion with the security officers if needed. But more importantly you can take your good hooks and needles such as Clover/Tulip. I always take my good clover hooks – but only take the hook size(s) needed for the project you are working on. I have a small crochet hook holder for this purpose – about the size of a toothbrush holder. Avoid taking the finer pointed steel hooks used for finer thread work, as these can be considered dangerous.

Even tatting shuttles can be taken on board. But avoid taking the metal shuttles, and those with the fine steel hooks. I’ve read many an article of tatters having to explain to security and attendants what the shuttles are and what tatting is – so be prepared to get your work out and display it.

We feature this month just some of the books and patterns, in our range that are suitable for travelling – it was hard to choose which ones to feature there are so many. We also have a great selection of kits that come with the yarn, and pattern for a complete project. Not to mention our huge range of accessories that will get you enjoying creating on the go.

A great travel project and something useful for travelling is this tic tac toe game board/bag designed by Tales of a Crafty Mommy

Book of the Month

Baby Hats

By Annastasia Cruz

10 hats to crochet for any baby – dainty or playful, winter or summer. Each design is sized for 3, 6 and 12 months old, and are quick and easy to make, making them the perfect travel project. Superb 8, Superb tweed, Merino Soft or Stone Washed are all suitable yarns to make these hats.
The book includes links to online technique tutorials if needed.

32 pages American terminologyﾠ

Tip of the Month – Foundation Chain Stitch Count not Correct?

How frustrating is it when you have made a long foundation chain and spent considerable time crocheting the first row only to find when you get to the end of row/round 1 that you had miscounted your chains? Read our tip for techniques to avoid having to undo that whole first row or round.