Crochet Link Love: Best Posts of the Week

If you’ve got some downtime to catch up on crochet news, you might want to check out these links that I thought were the best of the week.

Something Special

It’s time for the 4th Annual Where Bloggers Create blog party where many bloggers join together to show off photos of their creative spaces. Wonderful eye candy! A post I’ve already seen and love comes from Creative Carmelina – she has such a great sense of style!

Best in Crochet

• Wedding Shawl: Fairytale Craft Story. I loved this post by @kpwerker about the joy of crocheting for people who will appreciate what you make!
• 5 Tips for Crocheting Cables. I love how cables look so I’m happy to see these tips and encouragement from @CrochetMe.
• Top 7 Crochet Jobs. @momwithahook wrote an eZine article highlighting seven different ways that crocheters can get paid.
• There is a Spark of Creativity in Anyone. This is @whipup guest post by @KissKus, who has used crochet to get through tough times in life.
• CGOA Design Winners. Jimmy Beans Wool has the recap of the winning designs from CGOA 2012 in case you missed seeing them before. Such beautiful work here! Congrats to @ReCrochetions for taking the grand prize with the gorgeous Rowan vest.
• Bleuette Doll. By Hook, By Hand shares the history of the Bluette Doll and her experiences of trying to recreate the doll in crochet.
• If Wallis Simpson Crocheted. I love how Crochetbug worked some history in to her story about running out of stitch markers.
• Insights on Expertise and Learning Knitting and Crochet. I love this smart post from @freshstitches in large part because she used the info from a book I recently enjoyed (Moonwalking with Einstein) and applied it to crochet even though the connection wouldn’t immediately be obvious. Smart. Also be sure to check out this week’s @freshstitches podcast if you’re a podcast fan.

Beautiful Crocheted Creations

@winkieflash is busy making super cute overlay crochet mandalas. Did you see my roundup awhile back on the best crochet mandalas? This one would give those a run for their money.

Gorgeous crochet blanket by Finnish blogger Tiina (click through to see detailed photos … I just had to share this cute one because I loved the styling of it!) Props to SF Girl by Bay which is where I saw the link to this post this week in a photo roundup of handcrafted homes that is filled with pretty things worth taking a look at as well.

Crochet paintings of Pocky by @TwinkieChan. Little known fact – for a few months in my mid-twenties I worked as the assistant to an artist who sold his work at anime conventions around the country, which is where I was introduced to Pocky. I kind of fell in love with this Japanese cookie candy.

Greedy for Colour is making crochet bonsai trees. Awesome.

Top Crochet Interviews

• Q&A with Allison Hoffman. @CrochetToday has an interview with an amigurumi gal
• Interview with Sharon Silverman. Another great Underground Crafter interview with a crochet expert.

Crochet HowTos

• How to Crochet over Flip Flops. @CrochetKitten shares a tutorial for this DIY craft that’s so hot right now. There was actually another good crochet tutorial on this over at Petals to Picots as well for people who want floral flip flops.
• How to Crochet the Sidebar Stitch. A video tutorial from @newstitchaday for a stitch I didn’t know!
• How to Crochet on the Edge of Clothing. Nice photo-filled tutorial from Just Be Happy.

New Crochet Patterns

• Crochet Watermelon Coin Purse. Seriously cute free crochet pattern from Repeat Crafter Me.
• Motif Pendants. A new crochet pattern for sale from Crochet by Faye for making mix-and-match motif pendants.
• From the Middle Bolero. A cute new crochet pattern from The Sunroom.
• Amigurumi Frog. A new crochet pattern to buy from AllSoCute. It really is cute.

Best Crochet Videos of the Week

I usually only find one video to share each week and sometimes not even that but this week was apparently a video week because there was tons I had to share!

Best in Entertainment: Ravelry, an animated Crochet Character story by Evil Crochet Genius; it was posted last year but I saw it because it was highlighted this week on the Crafty Crafty blog

Best Video Interview: @lionbrandyarns interview with Robyn Chachula about her Unexpected Afghans book

Best in HowTos: @crochetgeek explains “what chain to work in and why the first chain will not work.”

Yarn

• How Homespun Yarn is Made. @lionbrandyarns shared a behind the scenes look with readers this week
• Keep Yarn Organized: Learn How to Wind a Center Pull Ball by Hand . Thanks for the yarn organization tip @lionbrandyarns
• Have You Tried Buffalo Fiber? Stitch and Unwind tells us a little bit about it.
• Bare Hare Yarn Dyeing. @knitpicks shares their dyeing adventure with this wool/angora blend yarn and some good links to yarn dyeing info.

And Some Special Thanks

• To Linda over at ElevenHandmade for spreading the news about my post on 8 Latvian Crochet Blogs.
• To @CrochetMe for sharing my post about the Top Crochet Patterns to Purchase Online