Kathryn - Crochet Patterns, How to, Stitches, Guides and more

Inspiration: Doily on Canvas Art

Last Updated on: October 18, 2022 by Kathryn

What would you do with a stack of doilies right now if you were at your most creative?

San Diego Clinic Helps Women Launch Crochet Businesses

Last Updated on: October 18, 2022 by Kathryn

Under a free microcredit program, women gather weekly to crochet, sew and make jewelry, purses and other items that they can sell personally or through boutiques.

10 Best Free Vintage Crochet Patterns of the 1930s

Last Updated on: October 18, 2022 by Kathryn

Some of my regular blog series are on hold for another week while I re-organize Crochet Concupiscence. Don’t worry; they’ll be back! I’m just going through some organizational hiccups. One of the series that will return soon is my 50 Years of Crochet series, in which I’ve been looking (so far) at 1930s crochet. When it returns we’ll be looking at 1938 crochet but in the meantime I thought I’d roundup some of the best free 1930s crochet patterns available online.

1. 1930s Crochet Hat Pattern

There are a lot of really great 1930s crochet hat patterns available free online. I’ll have to do a complete roundup of just vintage hat patterns one of these days. But we’ll kick it off with this 1931 crochet hat pattern published in The Western Mail.

2. 1930s Crochet Sweater Pattern

I love this detailed 1934 crochet sweater top with matching belt and ascot.

5 Mamachee Crochet Patterns to Pretty Up Your Feet

Last Updated on: October 18, 2022 by Kathryn

Mamachee offers all different types of crochet patterns but today what I want to highlight are her great patterns for crochet socks, crochet shoes and crochet slippers. Here are five of my favorite Mamachee crochet patterns for the feet:

1. Crochet Chloe Slippers

This style is available as a pattern for babies and girls as well as a pattern for adult women. I think they’re adorable crochet shoes!

2. Crochet Cabled Boots

These crochet boots designed with cables look like they are fun to make and comfy to wear! These are available in kid sizes as well as adult sizes.

3. Crochet Flip Flops

Crochet Texting Mitts (Review, Interview, Blog Tour and Giveaway!)

Last Updated on: September 20, 2023 by Kathryn

Crochet designer Andee Graves has a new Leisure Arts pattern booklet out called Texting Mitts. It’s filled eight different patterns for fingerless gloves that you can use to stay stylish, warm and still able to use all of the texting devices that require your fingers to be free. Today I’ll tell you a little more about the book, let Andee tell you about in her own words through an interview I did with her and then you can enter below to win your own copy as part of the blog tour for this new publication.

About Texting Mitts

Texting mitts, also known as fingerless gloves or fingerless mitts, are easy to crochet and offer the opportunity to add both function and style to your wardrobe. Andee Graves has designed eight different versions, all made with super fine weight yarn, and they’ve been compiled into her first complete crochet pattern book. The book, published by Leisure Arts, offers patterns for beginners as well as intermediate skill crocheters.

5 things I liked about this book when checking it out:

Crochet Basics: How to SC, HDC, DC and TR

Last Updated on: October 18, 2022 by Kathryn

Early on in the writing of this blog I put together a series of How To posts for the basic crochet stitches, so I thought that today I’d aggregate those all in one space here for people who want them. Below you will find written instructions, images, video tutorials, links and more for the sc, hdc, dc and tr. Enjoy!

How to Single Crochet Stitch

Single crochet looks like this! image source

One of the most basic things that you learn when you first start learning how to crochet is how to single crochet. When looking at crochet patterns, the crochet abbreviation for single crochet is (sc).

Written instructions for how to crochet single crochet

Crochet the length of foundation chain that you want to use.
Turn the piece so that you are ready to start your single crochet.
Insert the crochet hook into the second chain away from the hook.
Yarn over.
Pull through the chain.
Yarn over again.
There will be two loops on the chain at this point. Pull the yarn through both of these loops.

That’s it; that’s single crochet. Of course, those are just the instructions for the first row on a turning chain. The instructions are slightly different if you’re working into another row of single crochet, but they aren’t too different. They are as follows:

Turn your piece so that you are ready to begin your next row of single crochet.
Chain one before doing anything else. This is your turning chain.
Insert the hook into the first stitch of the row (the single crochet that is immediately next to the turning chain you’ve just created).
Yarn over.
Pull through the stitch.
Yarn over.
Pull through both loops on the chain.

Pictures of how to single crochet

Not everyone learns well from written instructions. It might help to look at these pictures of how to single crochet that come from TLC:

Video instructions for how to single crochet

Interview with a Crocheter: Mumbles Mummy

Last Updated on: September 20, 2023 by Kathryn

Beth of Mumbles Mummy has been crocheting for about three years. She loves the idea of wrapping those she loves up in something warm. She now also makes custom items on request. Today she shares her experiences with us in an interview about her work and crafting life.

Q: I guess we should start with this basics, right? Tell us a little bit about yourself.

Mumbles Mummy: I’m a 30 year old WAHM of two. I love the fact that I’m a “hooker”. It’s definitely an ice breaker when meeting new people! I’m finally using my creativity to make me happy and enable me to spend time with my kids. I never want to return to a 9 to 5 job knowing that this other life is possible.

Q: I know you have been crocheting for about three years. How did you learn to crochet? What inspired you to start?

Mumbles Mummy: Yes, I learned to crochet on the 15th January, 2010. It was the day my daughter was due to be born; (she arrived late!) The first thing I made was a granny square blanket for her cot. I literally picked up a hook and some yarn and tried to copy the shapes of the stitches on a granny blanket I owned at the time.

My mum tried several times before to show me but I just couldn’t do it. I crochet very differently to the way she does. Amusingly, I didn’t find tutorials until I’d taught myself various different stitches from a book I bought in a charity shop. Bobwilson123 is EPIC for those who want to learn. Her tutorials are clear and easy to follow.

Initially, I just wanted to make something for my daughter. This being my first child, I was excited, bored of waiting, anxious to meet her, and determined to be one of those wonderful mums who makes things for their kids and cooked everything from scratch. I had made a knitted blanket for her early in the pregnancy but found it slow, frustrating and very, very dull. I just wanted to have something that would distract me from how long my daughter was making me wait for a cuddle. LOL.

As time passed, I made a few items for my daughter, including a fab dress that I designed myself, but just here and there, not an obsession. It was only during the later pregnancy with my son that things really took off for Mumbles Mummy.

Q: Where did the name Mumbles Mummy come from?