The Most Special Kind of Crochet!

I have to be honest that I've always been just a little envious of the people that share the love of crochet with their families. So often you hear that someone learned to crochet from their grandmother or their mother. Having learned to crochet from my second grade teacher, I was the lone stitcher in my family. I knew that my great-grandmother had crocheted and while I did have her in my life briefly, she passed on when I was about 10 years old. When I had two daughters of my own, I thought for sure that I would finally be able to pass on my love of all things fibery but that was not to be either. Sigh.

Earlier this year, my mom showed me a tote box full of crochet items that my great-grandmother had made. I had no idea that these even existed and was so thrilled for the discovery. We didn't go through the items and only peeked at them through the clear box. I have no idea why. My mother said when she was gone that she wanted me to have them. Sadly, neither of us knew that would be just a few short months later.

So yesterday, I went through the box for the first time. It was an amazing experience to hold these pieces in my hands knowing that my great-grandmother had created them! They are beautiful works of art that are somewhere around a hundred years old! I am so thankful that my mother took care of them all these years but it's sad that they were tucked away in a box. I plan to block them and starch the gorgeous ruffles to put them on display to be enjoyed. Oh, and I think it's pretty obvious to see where I get my love of complexity!

And now....I would like to share them with you!

 

 

Cable Crochet Made Easy by Bonnie Barker book review

I recently had the pleasure of reviewing Bonnie Barker's new cable book which is nothing short of spectacular! If you have always loved cables, this is the book for you. If you've never done cables but always wanted to try, this is the book for you too! Not only is there a wide variety of beautiful designs but every single pattern includes a link to a video tutorial! Cable patterns can be wordy and confusing on paper so Bonnie will SHOW you how to create them! 

The book contains patterns for 2 hats, 4 scarves (including one that can be made larger as a shawl), a cowl and cuffs, 2 ponchos, a baby blanket, a throw with matching pillow, a bottle cover, mittens with a matching headband, a stole and a shrug. Like I said, something for everyone!

                       

                     

I had a difficult time deciding which pattern I wanted to try first but I ended up going with the Abigal Scarf. Even though I have been crocheting for hundreds of years, I learned 2 new stitches in this pattern which was really exciting for me. While working the Celtic Weave, there were a number of different ways I might have interpreted the instructions so it was extremely helpful to pop over to the video tutorial for Bonnie to show me exactly how the stitch was to be made. I love the versatility of this design. Different yarn weights with different sized hooks all create a marvelous new look and this is the pattern that includes instructions to keep going if you wish and turn your scarf into a shawl!

I love all the little personal touches in this book that show Bonnie's beautiful heart. All the glory is given to God from the first page to the last! This compilation was a labor of love that included Bonnie's husband, children and friends and in spite of all the hard work that clearly went into this book, you can see and feel that they had a wonderful time producing it together. 

If you can't wait to get your own copy of this amazing book, it is now available on Amazon. You can also visit Bonnie at Bonnie Bay Crochet to see more of her incredible creations!