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Announcing the Premiere of Stitch Makers Live Virtual Crochet Conference!

It’s been hard to keep quiet about this one, but now I can tell you about it!

What is Stitch Makers Live?

This post contains affiliate links, which is how I make money from teaching. Please buy your tickets from this site.

Stitch Makers Live is a 3-day virtual event for crocheters. It’s all the fun of a crochet conference from the comfort of your home!

Join 11 crochet bloggers and teachers LIVE on Facebook throughout the event. We’ll be hanging out with you, teaching and answering questions.

The LIVE portion runs Thursday, September 19 through Saturday September 21, 2019.

What Do I Get?

  • 15+ LIVE virtual classes with industry experts
  • Exclusive bonus crochet pattern with each class (15+ patterns)
  • Discussion and socializing with other attendees and teachers
  • A virtual party at the end of the event
  • Full access to the recordings for one full year

And you’re invited!

Early Bird Tickets are only $55 now through Monday, September 2.

After Labor Day ticket prices will increase to $80, so buy now to lock in the lower price.

Tell Me More

Our experts are passionate about sharing their love of crochet with others. Whether your goal is to improve your skills in hat making, gather the bravery to begin your first sweater, or dive into short rows, our goal is to help you. We have handpicked these teachers and designers to bring you the best instructors on a variety of crochet topics.

Getting to an in-person conference can be a barrier for some crocheters. You want to improve your skills and meet new people, but work, family life and budget constraints can make that impossible. Stitch Makers Live is the affordable alternative, because you’re only paying for the classes, not for flights, hotel rooms, restaurant food, and so on.

Stitch Makers Live is the only crochet-only online conference, and we’d love you to be part of the excitement.

How Does Stitch Makers Live Work?

When you buy a ticket to Stitch Makers Live you’ll get access to a private Facebook group that is only open to Stitch Makers Live participants and teachers.

The event runs September 19-21. The live video classes and interaction with the teachers will take place on the private Facebook group. Instructors will be teaching and interacting with you from 11:00 am until 8:00 pm Eastern each of those days.

And we’ll be having a virtual party from 7:30 pm until 9:00 pm Eastern on Saturday night, September 21!

Edie, What Will You Be Doing?

I’ll be teaching techniques from The Village Hat pattern. You’ll learn my tips for great-looking crocheted motifs and join-as-you-go techniques. The Village Hat pattern includes both charted and text instructions, and it’s free with your Stitch Makers Live attendance.


Want to buy a yarn pack so you can make the hat using the same yarn I did? You can! It’s available now from Wonderland Yarns.

Buy the Yarn Button

Other teachers and topics include:

Teacher collage
Logo collage
  • Tamara Kelly of Moogly: Plan Your Projects Perfectly with Weight and Gauge Basics and Fabulous Crochet Sweaters are Simple with Finishing Techniques
  • Mary Beth Temple of Hooked for Life Publishing: Hop on the Tunisian Trend with Basics from a Professional Teacher and Level Up Your Projects with Surface Crochet Techniques
  • Alexis Middleton of Persia Lou: Build Better Crochet Baskets with Rope or Cord and this Crafty Star
  • Marie Segares of Underground Crafter: Conquer Amigurumi with Tips and Tricks for All Those Bits and Get Slouch Hat Savvy with Crochet Tips from an Urban Designer
  • Andee Graves of Mamas 2 Hands: Master the Tricks to Create Easy Perfect Crochet Spirals
  • Jessie Rayot of Jessie at Home: Produce Perfect Granny Squares Every Time with these Clever Tips
  • Pia Thadani of Stitches n Scraps: Stretch Your Crochet Skills with Elastic Waistbands for Wearables
  • Linda Dean of Linda Dean Crochet: Fall in Love with Crochet Short Rows for Wonderful Shaping
  • Julie Desjardins of Accrochet: Success with Crochet Socks Can Be Yours – Start with the Basics
  • Courtney Whitehead of Creations by Courtney: Handy Help for Hat Makers – Both Top Down and Bottom Up

Join Stitch Makers Live

Have I convinced you about how excited I am to be a part of this brand-new venture? After all, I get to share my love of crochet from the comfort of my home, too!

Won’t you please join us? I can’t wait to see you there!

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Crochet Pattern: Crimson Cowl

Crimson Cowl Universal Yarn designed by Edie Eckman

Get ready for the cooler days of fall with my newest design for Universal Yarn: the Crimson Cowl. The cowl is shaped to drape gently around the neck and to sit lovingly over the shoulders.

The Yarn

Fine Weight Yarn-2 Craft Yarn Council

Fibra Natura’s Cashmere Lusso from Universal Yarn is a luxurious blend of virgin cashmere and recycled cashmere. You can feel good about using yarn with recycled fiber, and the yarn feels great against the skin.

Cashmere yarn is lightweight but warm, and is lovely to crochet with.

 

You’ll need just a single skein in either this beautiful Anthurium color or one of the other on-trend colors available.

 

The Pattern

Crimson Cowl designed by Edie Eckman for Universal Yarn

There are no tricky stitches here. Just chains, single and double crochets worked in the round and fanning out to create a lovely drape from the neck down. Use a size H-8 (5 mm) hook or whatever size you need to get gauge.

The pattern for the Crimson Cowl is free at Universal Yarn’s website. The pattern is both written and charted.

 

Get the Pattern

Other Projects

For other small crochet projects to keep your neck and shoulders warm, check out these patterns. Hint: They all have text AND charted instructions.

Bobble Fringe Scarf

Cascade of Color Scarf

Easy-to-Wear Cowl

 

 

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Free Knitting Pattern: Quick & Easy Summer Placemats

Easy Summer Placemats Free Knitting Pattern by Edie Eckman
Easy Summer Placemats Free Knitting Pattern designed by Edie Eckman

Brighten up your summer with these quick and easy summer placemats. They are a perfect first project for beginning knitters, and they make a great house-warming gift for new neighbors.

This post may contain affiliate links, which help support me but don’t cost you anything extra.

The Yarn

Craft Yarn Council Size 5 yarn icon

Bulky-weight yarn makes the knitting go fast! Lion Brand Rewind Tape Yarn is fun to work with. Because of its construction, it’s less bulky than you would think, and it imparts a great texture to the fabric.

 

Lion Brand Rewind Tape Yarn

I love the exuberant colors that I used, but you can also choose from more muted shades to suit your taste. The instructions below are for two placemats in different main colors. If you want to make four placemats, two of each color shown, with a yellow stripe on each, you’ll need two balls each of the blue and pink, and one ball of the yellow.

 

The Pattern

Garter stitch is about as basic as a knitting stitch can be, and that’s all you need to know to knit these placemats! Minimal pattern-reading is required, and gauge doesn’t even matter all that much.

Easy Summer Placemats Free Knitting Pattern designed by Edie Eckman

Quick & Easy Summer Placemats

One size: 16″ x 13″/40.6 x 33 cm

Materials
Lion Brand Rewind Tape Yarn (70% polyester/30% viscose, 3.5 oz / 100 g, 242 yd / 221 m), 1 ball each color 148 Fish Bowl (A), color 195 Think Pink (B), and color 157 Make Lemonade (C) [See note above about yarn amounts for multiple placemats.]

US Size 10.5 / 6.5 mm knitting needles

Stitch marker or piece of waste yarn

Gauge
13 sts and 22 rows = 4″ / 10 cm in garter stitch (knit every row)
Gauge is not crucial in this project.
Watch How to Measure Gauge in Knitted Garter Stitch for more information.

Pattern Notes
Leave a 6″ / 15 cm tail for weaving in each time you begin and end a yarn.

Beginning knitters will want to knit the pattern exactly as written. More experienced knitters may create a slip-stitch selvedge by slipping the last stitch of each row knitwise with yarn in front.

Abbreviations
k: knit
RS: right side
st(s): stitch(es)
WS: wrong side

Instructions
With A, long-tail cast-on 42 sts. Knit 1 WS row. Turn work, and place a marker or piece of waste yarn on this side to indicate that the side is the right side.

Knit every row until piece measures 13″ / 33 cm from cast-on edge, ending with a WS row. Cut A, leaving a 6″ / 15 cm tail for weaving in.

With C, knit 10 rows (5 garter stitch ridges). Cut C.

With B, knit 2 rows (1 garter stitch ridge). Cut B.

With A, knit 6 rows (3 garter stitch ridges). Bind off.

Weave in ends.

Make a second placemat, substituting B for A and A for B in the instructions above.

Other Projects

Check out these other easy knitting patterns:

Blue Springs Double Cowl

Easy Quick-Knit One-Skein Tea Cozy

Molly Hat

Stoneybrook Shawlette

Zig Zag Eyelet Scarf

 

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Oliver Baby Blanket Free Crochet Pattern

Oliver Baby Blanket

Oliver Baby Blanket Free Crochet Pattern

Wrap your little one in love with the easy and practical Oliver Baby Blanket.  The free crochet pattern is right here on the blog, but you have the option of purchasing a pattern that offers stitch charts.

The all-over stitch pattern makes this cozy blanket a relaxing project for all skill levels. One-row stripes in three colors allow you to carry the yarn up the side without cutting, so you only have a few ends to weave in.


This post contains affiliate links which may provide me a small income if you buy something, but don’t cost you anything extra.

Every Which Way Crochet BordersUse the instructions for the simple edging provided, or customize the blanket with your own choice of border from Around the Corner Crochet Borders or Every Which Way Crochet Borders.

The Yarn

Craft Yarn Council Yarn Symbol 3Light Weight Yarn is the perfect choice for a baby blanket. Choose your favorite three colors to match your nursery decor. 

Bernat Softee Baby is a 100% acrylic yarn soft and easy to crochet, and it goes in the washing machine, which is so important for a baby blanket!

The Pattern

The free crochet pattern instructions follow, with all the information you need to make the blanket. If you’d like a printable PDF pattern which includes full color stitch charts for the blanket and border, you can buy the premium pattern from Ravelry.

The PDF pattern is also available from LoveCrafts.com.

Oliver Baby Blanket

One Size, Finished Dimensions: 34″/86 cm square

Materials

Light Weight Yarn (CYC #3): approximately 362 yds/331 m each of colors A, B and C. Sample used Bernat Softee Baby (100% acrylic, 5 oz/140 g, 362 yd/331 m), 1 skein each #30010 Little Mouse (A), #30008 Antique White (B), and #30201 Aqua (C)

Size H-8/5 mm crochet hook or size to obtain correct gauge

Gauge

17  sts and 11 rows = 4″ /10 cm in Half Double Crochet Seed Stitch

To save time, take time to check gauge.

Pattern Notes

To change color at the end of a row, work the last stitch of the row until 2 loops remain on the hook, yarn over with the new color and pull the new color through the remaining 2 loops to complete the stitch. Watch How to Change Colors in Crochet for a video tutorial.

Carry the yarn up the side as you work.

Abbreviations

ch: chain

hdc: half double crochet

rep: repeat

RS: right side

sc: single crochet

st(s): stitch(es)

standing sc: Beginning with a slip knot on the hook, work a single crochet in the stitch or space indicated. Watch How to Work Standing Single Crochet.

X-st (crossed st): Skip 1 st, dc in next st; dc in skipped st, keeping st just made to the front. Watch How to Work Crossed Double Crochet (3 Ways).

Half Double Crochet Seed Stitch

Oliver Baby Blanket Free Crochet Pattern half double crochet seed stitch With A, loosely chain a multiple of 2 + 1. Work 1 row each of A, B, C throughout. 

Foundation Row (RS): Hdc in 3rd ch from hook (skipped chs count as hdc), *ch 1, skip 1 ch, hdc in next ch; rep from * across, changing to B on last st, turn.

Row 1: Ch 2 (counts as hdc here and throughout), *hdc in next ch-1 space, ch 1; rep from * across, ending hdc in top of turning ch, changing to next color on last st, turn.

Rep Row 1 for pattern.

Instructions

With A, chain 139.

Work Half Double Crochet Seed Stitch Foundation Row—70 hdc, 68 ch-1 spaces.

Continue in Half Double Crochet Seed Stitch until piece measures 32″/81 cm.

Fasten off. Weave in ends.

Border

Oliver Baby Blanket Crochet Pattern closeup of corner

The premium pattern has stitch charts, which makes following the border instructions much easier!

Rnd 1: With B and RS facing, standing sc in first st of last row, [single crochet 136 sts evenly spaced along edge to corner st, 3 sc in corner st] 3 times, single crochet 136 sts evenly spaced along edge to corner st, 2 st in same st as beginning, join with slip st to first sc. Place a marker in each corner st. You should have 138 sts along each side, plus 4 marked corner sts.

Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in each st around, placing 3 sc in each marked corner st and moving marker up to center st of corner as you work, join with slip st to first sc—140 sc each side, 4 corner sts. Fasten off B.

Rnd 3: Refer to stitch diagram to aid with placement of stitches. With A, standing dc in first st to left of any corner st (to right of corner st for left-handers), dc in corner st, keeping st just made to the front (first X-st complete); *X-st across, placing first dc of last X-st in corner sc; ch 2**; X-st in same corner sc and next st; rep from * around, ending last rep at ** , join with slip st in top of dc. Fasten off A.

Rnd 4: Work in the space between the dcs on each X-st. With C, standing sc in any ch-2 corner space, *[(sc, ch 3, sc) in next X-st, sc in next X-st] to corner**, sc in corner space; rep from * around, ending last rep at **, join with slip st to first sc.

Fasten off. Weave in ends.  

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Flame Stitch Crochet Stitch Pattern

Show your colors with the Flame Stitch crochet stitch pattern! There are several variations of this stitch, but they are all great ways to use different yarn colors. Try it in vibrant hues, or more subtle gradient shades.

This pattern uses American crochet terminology. You’ll be using single crochet, double crochet, and long double crochet (also know as spike double crochet). Watch the video below for more details.

This post contains affiliate links, which won’t cost you anything extra but may provide a small income to me.

You’ll need at least thee colors of yarn, in any weight, and a hook in an appropriate size for the yarn.  The yarn I’m using is Red Heart Chic Sheep by Marly Bird. I’m using a 5.5 mm Clover Amour crochet hook.

Flame Stitch

Flame Stitch stitch chart

Worked in three colors: A, B and C.

With A, chain a multiple of 4 + 2.

Set-Up Row 1 (WS): Working in back bumps of chains, sc in 2nd ch from hook, *ch 3, skip 3 ch, sc in next ch; rep from * across, changing to B on last st, turn.

Set-Up Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as dc throughout), *dc in next ch-space, skip 1 ch of foundation ch, dc in back bump of next foundation ch; dc in same ch-3 space**, ch 1; rep from * to last st, ending last rep at **, dc in last sc, turn.

Row 1 (WS): Ch 1, sc in first dc, ch 1, skip 1 dc, sc in next dc, *ch 3, skip (dc, ch 1, dc), sc in next dc; rep from * to last 2 sts, ch 1, skip 1 dc, sc in last st changing to C, turn.

Row 2: Ch 3, dc in next ch-1 space, *ch 1, skip 1 sc, dc in next ch-3 space, dc in next sc 2 rows below, enclosing the ch-3 and ch-1 spaces, dc in same ch-3 space; rep from * to last 3 sts, ch 1, skip 1 sc, dc in next ch-1 space, dc in last st, turn.

Row 3: Ch 1, sc in first dc, *ch 3, skip (dc, ch 1, dc), sc in next dc; rep from * across, changing to A on last st, turn.

Row 4: Ch 3, *dc in next ch-3 space, dc in next sc 2 rows below, dc in same ch-3 space; rep from * to last st, dc in last st, turn.

Repeat Rows 1-4, continuing in established A, B, C color sequence, for desired length. End with a RS row.

Last row (WS):  Ch 1, [sc in each dc and long dc, and long dc in sc 1 row below each ch-1 space] across. Fasten off. Cut other two colors.

Love this stitch? Want to see it in action? Want to learn more crochet techniques like this? The Skill-Builder Crochet Blanket pattern offers lots of opportunity to grow your crocheting skills. Written text with helpful notes, video tutorials and charts combine to make it easy to learn more than you ever knew.

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River Heights Shawl Crochet Pattern

River Heights Shawl closeup of one end

Crochet the River Heights Shawl to wear now and all summer long! Warm weather calls for a lightweight wrap that will keep the chill off in the air conditioning or on cooler evenings. In this generously sized yet feather-weight shawl, the stitch pattern grows, creating gentle sawtooth edgings on two of the three sides.

River Heights Shawl-wingspan

This post contains affiliate links.

The Yarn

I used Red Heart It’s a Wrap, a fingering weight 50% cotton/50% acrylic yarn. It comes in a single 1100 yd /1006 m cake and you’ll need most of the skein. The color pictured is Comedy, but there are more subtle colorways to choose from, if that’s more your style.

Please note, however, that there is a difference in weight and in length between It’s a Wrap and It’s a Wrap Rainbow. You can use It’s a Wrap Rainbow, but you’ll need to use a larger hook and fewer repeats of the stitch pattern. Your gauge and finished size will be different.

Although the pattern is designed for a color-changing yarn, you can substitute any of a similar fingering-weight yarn for a custom look. Make it with multiple colors, or in a single color. This design can handle it!

The Pattern

River Heights Shawl crochet pattern first page

Intermediate and advanced crocheters will enjoy making this carefree wrap. Beginning crocheters willing to stretch their skills will be happy to see how it takes them to the next level.

It uses only the most basic of crochet stitches: chain, single crochet and double crochet.

Both text and charted instructions guide you on your way. American crochet terminology is used throughout.

Photographer Kellie Nuss did a great job of demonstrating the drape of this shawl and the many ways you can wear it. I can’t wait to wear my River Heights Shawl now that the weather is warm. How about you?

River Heights Shawl closeup of one end
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For more crocheted shawls, see the Three Pines Shawl and the Eulerian Triangles Shawl.