Crochet Chic: Haute Crochet Scarves, Hats & BagsBy Francine Toukou, published by Lark Books (November 1, 2007)

Firstly, this is a hardcover book, and that gets my vote straight away. I love hardcover books, not only because they look and feel so nice, but because wear well over time.

Sometimes it seems that a book has a whole heap of amazing things in it, but only one or two patterns that people would feel comfortable wearing in public, or that people would be happy to buy in the supplies for and take the time to make. The patterns in this book are very usable, lots of bags and scarves - and some more unusual patterns such as the Victoria Collar.

This book gets another big tick from me since it looks as if most, if not all of the projects work up very quickly. Crochet is great for that anyhow, but team up a quick technique with a speedy pattern and I am very satisfied. Another big plus is that all of the projects are made using crochet, but not many of them look like they are crocheted. Don’t get me wrong, I am a big fan of the one hook method of playing with yarn, but so many patterns look like granny squares all sewn together, or seem to be made into things that don’t hang or wear well. I can forgive the two patterns in this book that ARE actually made of granny squares all joined together because the rest of the projects use a combination of embellishments (pom poms, fringes, ruffles, flowers, appliqué, bobbles or a contrasting edge), a variety of yarns (mohair, ribbon yarns) and techniques (felting), and of course well written and designed patterns to create items that look and feel gorgeous.

In addition to seducing the reader with so many great projects, this book goes on to educate any reader new to crochet as to actually HOW to do the stitches and techniques used for the projects. This section includes information on the very basics of crochet, how to do the stitches mentioned, how to join things together, and how to make the embellishments. It even has a section on garment care and keeping your projects looking nice. On top of all this, it has another section that includes handy information on gauge, hooks and different kinds of yarn.

This is a stylish book full of projects that are quick, easy - it is well designed to showcase the projects and to make it easy for people to make them.

About the author: Kate is a busy mother of three (soon to be four) and has far too many craft projects on the go at any one time. These could include, but are not limited to, crochet, sewing, dyeing, paper making, spinning, felting and bookbinding. Kate has challenges in the areas of finishing things, saying no and craft supplies storage. She also has a very very patient and tolerant husband.

This is great! You could try and preprint photographs onto paper to create a folded photo album. Link.

– If you have any tutorials you’ve created or found please feel free to email them
to whipup.tutorials[@]gmail.com

Mary Jane has a free pattern available for this 4th of July hat.

This is a super idea! You could dye all sorts of trims this way, old doilies, shoelaces? Link via WeeWonderfuls.

How cool is this!? Over 25 live tutorials in their Virtual Labs. Everything from Print Gocco, Metal etching, cupcake night, fabric dying and paper crafts. Here’s a link to the schedule so you don’t miss out. There’s also an RSS feed at the bottom of the How-To page so you can subscribe.

Great article over at Craft::Boom. Link.

One of the most effective ways to get exposure for your craft business/book/brand etc. is to submit articles to magazines. The number of folks who will get to read your article could be potentially HUGE depending on the circulation numbers of the magazine…

– If you have any tutorials you’ve created or found please feel free to email them
to whipup.tutorials[@]gmail.com

Applications for the 3rd annual Strange Folk Festival are being accepted now until July 6th. The 2008 show is on September 27-28 10am-4/5pm. This event is juried, and we will be choosing 120 vendors. There is no fee to apply. The vendor fee will be $65.

Relaunching Australia’s indy glossy by, for and about girls: fully ad-free and with a no-waste policy: lip magazine relaunches as an ad-free “mook” – and introduces a no-waste policy – once again proving that YOUNG WOMEN DO IT BETTER. Canberra-based lip magazine is relaunching with its 15th issue and is now making use of print-on-demand technologies in an effort to reduce print waste and production costs.

Craft PDX: A Block Party | Sunday, July 13, 11 AM-6 PM | North Park Blocks - NW 8th & Davis:
Free and open to the public Attended last summer by more than 8,000 participants, Craft PDX allows people of all ages to get creative, have fun and connect through craft. Find live music, food and art activities outside on the park, including raku pottery and the Stitch-o-Rama embroidery project. See artist demos by local craft guilds and the Museum of Glass, and step inside the Museum for lectures and artist talks

its how-to month at Etsy Labs: kicking off a month-long series of live how-tos in the Virtual Labs to introduce people to some new crafting skills.

Vote for - 27 finalists of the 4th annual NEXT BIG THING design competition! (click on thumb to view all the finalists)

Great site, dig through the other pages for more goodies.Link.

Great detailed tutorial, I’ve always found these tricky. Link.

Link.

Safe way to dye yarn with little people.Link.

Great gift idea for a crafty lady or man in your life. You could make some with self covered buttons as well. link

Self portrait challenge is a self portrait community website - an online community of people participating in a continuous artistic self-expressive art project.

Taking self portraits challenges peoples personal boundaries, it frees up inhibitions and this site creates a venue for people who would not normally be able to speak freely about their selves.

The July challenge SKILL might interest whipup readers:

What are you good at: show us in pictures. Do you use your hands to work - do you have a workshop or a studio or office - what tools do you use? What are your talents - are you good at performing? are you an excellent liar or jokester? do you have a secret skill - can you juggle or take off your underwear without removing your clothes? are you good at sports, dancing or walking a tight rope? Are you a good parent, a good listener, skilled at washing the dishes? Do your skills lie in the more esoteric - are you good at magic, excellent at conversation, skilled at love? Or do your talents lie in a more practical direction - are you a fantastic cook a wonderful hostel - a domestic goddess? Do you have a green thumb, can you paint like a demon or crochet like your grandmother? Do you have a talent for numbers or are you really efficient at plaiting hair? tell all…

To participate you need to sign up - then after you have blogged your abilities on your own website - upload the permalink at spc.

[disclaimer: this is another project run by me]

Great idea! Link.

Clear visual instructions for this tutorial. Link.

I don’t reckon you have to be under 3 to enjoy one of these? Link.

love this image from Kelp! knits

of her sock progress

This a sweet idea. Link.

Link.

KNITTING NATION is ongoing, collaborative performance and site-specific installation project. … The project functions as a commentary on how humans interact with machines, global manufacturing, trade and labor, iconography, and fashion.

The first phase of KNITTING NATION, (2005) “Knitting During Wartime” … inspired me to explore the history of knitting in the United States, especially around times of war, and to use the piece to comment on the knitting we are doing during our current wartime experience.

Phase 2 (2006) a six-day residency during Fashion Week … [the performance consisted of a] rotating trio of knitters functioning in a studio setting, who made multiples of sweaters that went directly onto garment racks and were presented for sale to the public in the same space.

KNITTING NATION phase 3 was also highly experimental, machines and knitters … created repeating, sequential stripe patterns. … Each knitter would rotate position in the line, … thereby shifting the patterns across the expanse of the lengths of knit yardage that were generated from four straight hours of knitting. … The piece functioned for me as a game of chance, and revealed new ideas about how intuition, gravity and light affect color and pattern in knit material. I was also stricken anew by the idea of KNITTING NATION as a type of “happening”, drawing spectators into the buzz of activity, where the sound and motion both stimulated and transfixed the participants as well as the audience.

Phase 4 of the project will occur in June in New York, and will bring a new conversation to the piece around sexuality, gender and fetish, with costumes and connections between the makers and what is made. [the goal] is to create a knitwear version of the “pride flag” — the rainbow-hued banner designed by San Francisco artist Gilbert Baker. Originally created in 1978, the flag has since become a popular symbol of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered and queer community, or LGBTQ for short. {quote and image from Providence Journal}

[the bulk of this text is from an extract of the knitting nation manifesto and and the phase 1-3 images are taken from Liz Collins website] [via craftzine]