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Crochet Extra – March 2023
Summer is officially over! That’s what I’ve heard anyhow. It doesn’t much feel like it here on the Sunshine Coast, but watching the cooler nights emerge in the South, I can see winter is definitely on its way. But that means plenty of crochet time ahead.
The Crochet Guild of Australia has announced their second conference to be held in June 2023. This three-day event will take place in the heart of Sydney and will feature a variety of workshops, presentations, and demonstrations from some of the biggest names in the crochet world. I will be hosting a workshop – Mastering Crochet Cables. I love cables as they had texture to any item, and the best thing is they are not as hard as you think! I’ll be looking at techniques for creating ‘standing cables’ and ‘travelling cables’. So get in and get your tickets, as I hear they are selling fast. Visit their website for details – here.
Price pressures are continuing with Suppliers once again increasing their prices. Accordingly we have been reviewing our own prices, and there will be a price increase on certain brands from April—namely DMC, Scheepjes and Clover.
Do you know someone on the Sunshine Coast looking to learn to crochet? I will be leading a three week Learn To Crochet course with the Palmwoods QCWA during March. This will begin Saturday March 11th. The full details can be found on their facebook page – here
It’s now just 30 days until the Crochet Tournament for 2023 begins. Have you got
your ticket to board? If you’ve got your ticket have you got your yarn organised? Full details can be found here.
Easter and Mothers Day are just around the corner, have you thought about what you will be making to treat your Mother, or mother-like figure? Any of the beautiful mandalas we feature this month will make excellent gifts.
Our classes kicked off strong for 2023,with the mosaic crochet Hide & Seek Giraffe Bag. Join us for these classes—Monday 7pm online via zoom, or Tuesdays and Wednesdays in store. This month, we have two classes you can join:
Teefa Turtle First two weeks of March
Beaded Jewel earrings second two weeks of March
In April we will be getting ready for winter with the Hooded Cowl. This cowl has a difference as it uses the Crocodile Stitch—a beautifully textured and warm stitch perfect for winter warmth.
Until next time
Lynda
Until next time
Lynda
Theme—Mandala March
When I think of Mandalas I think of beautiful colours and pretty stitch patterns that brighten a room and add a sense of peace to an area.
‘Mandala’ simply means circles. They signify the meaning of life in relationship to the cosmos, and are often portrayed as the moon, the earth, the sun and planets – a bit like the circle of life. They are often used in meditation, which given crocheting itself is a form of relaxation and meditation, it is the perfect combination.
As a crocheter, the mandala has become very on trend offering some truly stunning designs with great stitch definition, texture and skill building techniques. A finished piece can give the maker a truly satisfied feeling when complete.
And the mandala can be turned into almost anything – they can be used as doilies, dream catchers, cushion covers, jug covers, coasters, floor rugs, jewellery, bags, and even jackets. Add them to a ring and they make an excellent wall hanging, background to a mirror or even a clock. Or starch them and turn them into a decorative bowl. The list of uses is endless!
I’ve also heard mandalas referred to as the doilies of the 21st century. Instead of using the traditional fine threads, using the heavier yarns modernises these beautiful patterns.
Any yarn can be used to create your mandala, and should be governed by the end project. I love to use cotton to make these, as they don’t stretch like acrylic. The fiddlesticks Wren – 8 ply cotton works up beautiful with a natural finish, and of course we used the Fiddlesticks Finch 10 ply to complete a mandala floor rug in our classes last year. And of course you can’t go past the Scheepjes catona with its extensive colour range and bright colours – and with the 10g balls, they are perfect for mixing colours.
When faced with such a choice, it can be daunting to choose colours – this is where the handy colour wheel comes in. It’s worth its’ weight in gold when selecting a colour plan. See our tip on Selecting Colours here
Mandalas really are a versatile crochet design. In the following sections we’ve
highlighted some of the pattern books available, kits and other tools to create beautiful mandalas. I am also excited with the new mandala kits we’ve created working with some of the gorgeous mandala patterns created by Emily Penn from The Loopy Stitch. Or you could try this free pattern from Emily – Bubble-O-Fun Mandala
Tip of the Month – Master the Art of Flat Circles
Are your circles ruffled? Domed? Pointed? Read more to master the art of getting a flat circle every time
Book of the Month
Mindful Mandala Afghans
By Lion Brand Company
This is a collection of 10 artsy afghans based on mandalas that anyone can do.ﾠ Each design has clearly written instructions and diagrams for the final layout to put the mandalas together.ﾠ Some of the more complex designs also include symbol diagrams. The designs range from the one piece circle afghan to combinations of stars and circles, triangles and squares to create beautifully shaped and colourful afghans.
48 pages using US terminology.
