Week 6 of The 52 Week Crochet Challenge

Red Berry's 52 Week Crochet Challenge has been so much fun! It is not just crocheting something, it is challenging you on so many levels. Some of the challenges have been "Start a crochet notebook, journal, scrapbook, or blog."; "Who taught you to crochet?"; "Celebrate Spring by crocheting a flower, or make a project that has a flower motif or theme".

I look forward to each weeks' challenge and it keeps me focused at a time that my brain feels like I need duct tape to keep everything in! Lol.

This week's Challenge is Spring Cleaning! Normally I avoid anything that utilizes the word "cleaning", but the challenge is a little more detailed... "Spring Cleaning. This week it is time to organize your yarn. How do you do it? By color, type, weight?"

I am OCD - I sort it by all those examples!

My daughter-in-law and I are in the middle of moving into our craft room, so at this moment all the yarn is on cheap plastic shelves with boxes. And that works just fine for now until we work in there for a while and figure out what our "style" of working together is.



The yarn is sorted first by type/weight (in our case mostly Red Heart 4 ply worsted), then by colour.

Kristy likes to use what I call "the fun yarn". (the bulky yarns on the left)

           And I macrame, so that is on the same shelves too, in smaller boxes.






WIP's and frogging projects are on the bottom shelf. 


Here are some of my WIP's, in baggies, boxes, baskets, or clear plastic bags.

Yo-yo's to use up the smaller pieces of yarn.

"Scrap" granny squares

Crocheted towel toppers. This is in a basket so I can just grab and go.

I used to store my yarns in socks, it made them easier to take places and kept dust, hair, etc off them. It also took care of the "tail" for me - I would just tuck it into the fold. I need more socks though.








What about you? How do you store your yarn?

EW

Week 4 of the 52 Week Crochet Challenge

Week 4's Challenge is "How did you learn to crochet or who taught you?"

I learned to crochet from my great grandmother.

She taught me all kinds of things, but when I sit down and crochet I always remember her and have to smile. The first stitch she taught me was the chain stitch when I was 4. and I learned that quick! I had a chain stitch going from one end of the house to the other!

Once I showed her how well I knew how to do it (I am sure it was more along the lines of once she was tired of constantly tripping over the chain.) She showed me how to make a granny square, which to this day is my favorite motif.

From that point on I was always crocheting something!

How did you learn to crochet? Do you have any fond memories of learning a craft? crochet, knitting, sewing, music, cooking?

EW

Scared of Art Journal's?

Remember this week's Challenge is to make a Crochet Journal. Which I have started, but there are many kinds of Journals.

Recipe Journals (I touched on in this post)
Craft Journals (like my Crochet Journal)
Art Journals
Daily Journals
Bible Journals
Garden Journals
Nature Journals
Bird Journals
Health Journals
Science Journals (Leonardo Da Vinci)

Do you get the idea? I know I will probably hear about this; but, to me, Scrapbooks, Journals, Smash Books, etc are all Journals of some sort :)

Well, Art Journals SCARE me. I love them, but was always saying "no, I can't draw a straight line" Stick figures aren't exactly considered "art"! And then I came across this free e-course

Kristal Norton

I am only half way through the course and I am enjoying it immensely! Each lesson is short and to the point and doesn't take more than 10 minutes to read or watch.  And the e-course is FREE!

Check it out and give it a shot! Especially if you are wanting to make a Journal but feel you don't have the time or talent to make one!

If you take the e-course please let me know what you think too! I have placed the Badge to the right in my blog or click the image above for the information and sign-up page.

EW


P.S. I am not receiving any kind of compensation for this post, these are my opinions only and want to share what I find and enjoy.

Just Because

Just because it was inspirational to me...

unDeniably Domestic

Recipe Journals

What got me interested in making my journals interesting and fun (which I kept putting off till the Challenge kick started me) was from when I made recipe binders for my children once they hit about 14ish. I took note of what dinners they liked and wrote down the recipe for them and family recipes/traditions and any story that went with them. I kept adding to the binder throughout the years till they moved out. But no pics whatsoever.

They loved the recipe binders that I gave them when they moved out on their own, but when I got hold of my daughters binder a couple of months ago (because she asked if I could redo it as it had been damaged in "storage" mentioned here) I realized it was BORING. I go through my cookbooks and look at the pictures for inspiration. They could not do this with what I gave them AND I would get phone calls on techniques:

"Mom what do you mean "fold"?"
"Are biscuits supposed to be so runny?"
"What is 'Cream shortening, sugar and egg?'"

So I got the idea of taking pictures of some of the meals and processes to help them.

Kind of like this:

Stamp4Joy/

I like the idea of "Digital Scrapbooking" as it isn't bulky and can put each page into a plastic sleeve and they can still add to their book as they find recipes on their own.

So I have been taking pictures as I cook (which unfortunately is NOT often - DIL is a wonderful cook!)
and finding free interesting digital pictures.

From Scrapbookscrapbook.com

They have a BUNCH more on this site!

What other kind of journal can you think of?
EW

BAMCAL and 52 Week Challenge Update

Hi ya'll!

Just thought I would give you a preview of my progress with the afghan I am making  for my friend :)

These are the 12 inch blocks

And these are the 6 inch blocks

I still have green, blue, lavender, and peach to do. But the main colour is Aran, kind of an off white colour with the pastels as highlights. I am having so much fun with the CAL's and the Challenge!

52 Week Crochet Challenge

Red Berry Crochet's  52 Week Challenge has some new blogs added. Check out the "52 Week Challenge Blog Roll" links to the right to see the new updates. As more bloggers join I will keep the Blog Roll updated - Check-em out!

EW

52 Week Challenge

Red Berry Crochet is hosting a 52 Week Challenge beginning this week in honor of March being National Crochet Month!      (The start of the Challenge was March 5th)

Just go to her blog Red Berry Crochet and follow the directions to join, it is easy peasy!

The challenges are varied, interesting, and a few I can't wait for the week to arrive! And BONUS - I have already met some wonderful people with the same interests :)

The First Challenge was:  "How do you celebrate National Crochet Month?" That was a stumper; I had no idea it was National Crochet Month! Hehe, so I joined the Challenge!

Here are some of the Blogs already involved - take a stroll and have fun!

Our Host Red Berry Crochet/

Erika's Crafts Corner

(un)Deniably Domestic

I like To Hook

New To Blogging

By Word And Stitch