EtsyHooker of the Week --- CapeCodConsignments

Smittens or Lovers Mittens Crochet Pattern PDF

Sandy, of CapeCodConsignments, is our EtsyHooker of the Week. With patterns like these smittens, you can see why her fellow hookers love her so much. Three fellow teammates had lovely things to say about her.

Doris, of Honey Bee Crochet, had this to say about her:

She has a lovely shop with the most adorable baby items, very colorful and well made
She is a great fellow team mate who helps me with questions I have or just lends her support by including me in her many Treasuries that she makes for the Hookers team. Not only is she my fellow team mate, but I'm her customer too and have purchased cotton yarns from her and every transaction was a very pleasant experience.
She is an all around lovely person to work with, a great team member and friend. (Did I mention she builds a lot of Treasuries for the EtsyHookers team?)

PDF Fluffy Bunny Hat Crochet Pattern for Infants to Adults

Be sure to click the photo above to see the listing for this bunny hat. Sandy has an adorable baby photo in her listing, but since we are surprising her I did not want to post the baby photo without permission. This hat would be absolutely adorable for Easter time, especially.

Nora, of NoraDora, seconded the nomination with these words:

I too have had transactions with Sandy and she is a very caring person always willing to help. She is the Queen of Treasuries and always lets you know when she included you in one of them. We are so fortunate to have Sandy join our team ...a real team player! and Yes...the items in her shop are AWESOME!

Infant Firefighter Bootie
For those who do not crochet, Sandy also has lovely items for sale, such as the fireman booties as well as giraffe and bear coccoons, infant hats, chokers, and home decor items.

Deja, of JacquiJCrochet, wrote:

I agree with nominating Sandy. I have bought her patterns and they are great!! Plus she has great treasuries that she features fellow members in constantly.

EtsyHooker of the Week - lauraslefthook

As a special surprise this week Laura of lauraslefthook is our featured


















tsyHooker of the Week!




Her Etsy shop is filled with adorable stuffed letter pillows like the one pictured above, and are available in every letter! These pillows would be a terrific way to decorate a bedroom spelled out with a child’s name. She also has hand puppets like this very cute frog prince.



Her shop also has many other items, like her gorgeous Christmas ornaments, with hand folded papers and a crocheted top, perfect for trimming your tree.



And for some items that would make great stocking stuffers, don’t miss her Tawashi scrubbers and hair accessories.




Nominated by Nora (noradora) and seconded by myself, Laura is a truly dedicated team member who has been an EtsyHooker right from the beginning. Laura is the creator of the EtsyHooker of the Week, which she so kindly posted on her personal blog until our team blog came about. She now manages our team blog, keeping it current and hopping. Thank you very much Laura for all you do for our team, and congratulations on being named the EtsyHooker of the Week!

The Mighty Oak - winner of the Creative Challenge No. 4 - Congrats valeriesgallery!

Voting ended today on our EtsyHookers Creative Challenge No. 4. Members were asked to create a comfort crochet item for Home and Hearth using autumn colors in their creation. We had some amazing entries! Voted best entry for this Challenge is The Mighty Oak felted bowl by Valerie of valeriesgallery. Her lovely design is a felted bowl on which she hand needlefelted the oak tree with rovings. It captured the theme of this Challenge beautifully! Her listing also includes this description about her inspiration for the creation of this entry.

“As I look out my living room window I am greatful to have a marvelous view of several aged maple tree that turn an amazing color in the fall. Although this bowl is an oak tree, I find comfort in knowing that nature will continue to show us her beauty no matter what life throws at us. For me, the bowl symbolizes rhythm, beauty and consistancy within the ever changing seasons.”

Please take a moment to visit valeriesgallery and see all of the beautiful items she has to offer. From her specialty gorgeous felted bowls to baby booties, hair ponies, clutches, knit items, and more, you’ll be sure to find something lovely that you’ll want to make your own.

Felted Booties

Pussy Willows Felted Clutch

Felted Ponies Set

Congratulations Valerie for winning the Home and Hearth Hooker Challenge!

I would like to thank Doris of SturmDM for creating this theme. And thank you to all the members who participated and entered - you are all amazingly talented winners! And a very big shout out goes to everyone who took a moment to view the entries and vote for their favorite - thank you for supporting our EtsyHookers team!

EtsyHooker of the Week --- Crochet Bouquet

Crochet Bouquet is a shop full of flowers. Whenever I see an item from this shop, I think of my wedding because I made the flowers for my husband to wear on his lapel. I think those are the last thread flowers I made, so I really admire the ability of those who can make small items like these. For those who can, you may purchase patterns for flowers from Crochet Bouquet like those above.



For those who do not crochet, Crochet Bouquet has many lovely flowers that can be purchased for home decor or as a great gift that will last much longer than a fresh cut flower. There are individual flowers, like the rose above, or bouquets of flowers.



In addition, Crochet Bouquet has many appliques available to purchase for use in scrapbooking, sewing projects, or whatever other way you may use them.

EtsyHooker of the Week --- Crochet Creations by Cowgirlcrysi

Cowgirlcrysi is an active member of our team who has shared one of her patterns for Pattern of the Month. She offers a variety of items in her shop, including the above hat and scarf set in a favorite color of many girls.


This scarf is another that would be a hit in my family. It looks fuzzy and warm.


Even though I have made soap savers before, I never would have thought of suggesting it be hung outside for hand washing after gardening. What a great idea!

Cowgirlcrysi also has afghans, bags, hair accessories, and more in her shop.

EtsyHooker of the Week --- Bubblegirlknits

Wouldn't this backpack be perfect for a little girl for school or perhaps ballet lessons? Bubblegirlknits has plenty of crocheted items in her shop, despite her shop name. She has chosen a lovely color palette for her items that gives her shop an overall cohesive appearance.

Available in various sizes and colors in her shop, Bubblegirl has some adorable hats like this one. I can see my three year old with one like this on her head, especially in purple.

For the new baby, Bubblegirl has a few lovely blankets with delicate edging with ribbon woven around. This yellow one really catches my eye.

Sam Nations' Version of Pattern of the Month

Sam Nation wrote:

I followed it just as it was written, hook size and everything. I used this hollywood fx yarn that I just had to have, but now can't make anything look right with. I thought it might look cool with my brown hair.This was my first time doing the pattern of the month, it's fun!

Thanks
Sam
CFMF Crochet

EtsyHooker Profile ---- Jaybird Designs

I met Jennifer a while back on another crochet board and was just stunned by her designing talent. I remember how open and sharing she was with information and advise and it's because of her that I joined etsy. I wasn't at all surprised when she announced that she was going to be published because for anyone who's visited her shop, you can't help falling in love with the clean lines and unique color combinations that seem to jump off the page.

Of the 21 items listed, 11 are patterns which are sure to provide you with a unique custom item for those of you who choose to make it yourself. One of my favorite patterns is the "Girl's Triangle Summer Halter and Hat". Just darling!


This roll-brimmed hat is another example of Jennifer's designing skills and creativity:


You'll find purses, shawls, baby items, yarn and a category Jennifer calls, "everything else". :)

This black beaded shawl is sooooo pretty and would add just the right amount of flair to that little whatever color dress you need to spice up!



Jennifer has been designing patterns for a year now and has been published in Crochet Today and Crochet World magazines. You can see more of her unique style at www.jaybird-designs.com or on her flickr account.



I'm sure that Grand Junction, CO is proud of you, Jennifer. And I'm proud to call you a friend!


Jacqueline
Uniquely Ewe

North Autumn Crafts' Version of the Pattern of the Month

Marie wrote:

I used a 4mm hook which is between a 5/F and 6/G and Double Knit / Light worsted acrylic yarn. I had to make 42 SC around my hair bobble as it was so big compared to the yarn that I was using but I think it has given it a good ruffled texture.

As you can see it came out just large enough to fill the palm of my hand.

Happy Hooking!

EtsyHooker of the Week --- Mountainside Crochet

Mountainside Crochet has some really cute and original amigurumi and stuffed creations in her shop. The above bikini beach girl comes with her own matching towel.


Just in time for school, you can find a cute pencil shaped rug for your child's schoolwork space or room. Mountainside also has another rug in the shape of a spaceship currently available in her shop.

One of my favorites from Mountainside's shop is the Doo-Dad, probably because it is so colorful and it reminds me of a character in The Phantom Tollbooth. This would make a great gift for a small child because it would be much easier to catch and grab than a round ball.

Bubblegirlknits' Version of the Pattern of the Month

Lisa says:

I love this pattern, it's so quick and easy to follow! I made the scrunchi for my 3 yr old daughter, although getting her to pose for a picture was a challenge. I used a pink cotton worsted weight yarn and did 28 sc in the first round like Julie did, other than that it's exactly the same as in the pattern.



Thanks for the great pattern, look forward to doing more!

RedBerry's Version of August Pattern of the Month

Julie says:

I followed Kim's pattern exactly for my scrunchie, except I made 28 beg sc. I used Yarn Bee Soft Delight in Black color #1103.
I love how large this scrunchie is (5 1/2 inches (14 cm) across). It really shows nicely and would look great no matter what hair type you have.

EtsyHooker of the Week --- Karmacrochet

These simple and cute lip balm holders (with lip balm included) from Karmacrochet are just the thing to help you keep track of your lip balm in your purse. With their bright colors, they would be cute for girls to attach to their backpacks for back to school.



With fall just around the corner in this hemisphere, you can find some lovely orange items in the kitchen and bath section of Karmacrochet's shop. The dishcloths above are vibrant and useful.



Karmacrochet also has several lovely afghans in sized for adult and babies. The one above hints at the autumn colors that will be upon us before we know it.

Pattern of the Month --- CROCHET "SCRUNCII" PONYTAIL HOLDER

Here's an original pattern that I would like to share with everyone. It's very simple and very quick. I designed this pattern when i first started crocheting many years ago.

CROCHET "SCRUNCII" PONYTAIL HOLDER
By: Kim Luxich "The Colorful Bee"

Materials:
Size I hook
cotton thread or yarn
elastic ponytail holder
(pony beads) *optional*

**please note** pony beads must be strung onto yarn before starting project if you wish to add them on last round**
Directions:
Rnd 1: join yarn around band with a SL . do 26 SC around the band. join with a SL to first SC. Do Not Turn

Rnd 2: (CH 5, skip next SC, SC in next SC) around to end. join with SL in same ST as beg CH 5.

Rnd 3: SC in next 5 SP, CH 3 (DC, CH 2, 2DC) in same CH 5 SP. *(2DC, CH2, 2DC) in next CH 5 SP. Repeat from * around to end. join with a SL in top of beg CH 3. Fasten off.

**Note to Rnd 3** Pony beads can be added as an option on this round. Simply work as described above sliding 1 pony bead into each CH 2 space!

I hope that you all enjoy this pattern and I can't wait to see all the different variations from you wonderful artists!

EtsyHooker Profile --- The Colorful Bee

If you are looking for a place to shop that features cute, yet inexpensive novelty gift items, then look no further.

The Colorful Bee features crocheted novelty purses, hair accessories, doilies and much more. Most items are priced under $25.00 and are ready to be shipped out ASAP.

Custom colors are available and custom orders are accepted. (see website for details)

All items are made with lots of love by me *The Colorful Bee* in my home.

Holiday decor and gifts coming in late summer! Start your holiday shopping early to avoid the mad rush later on!

Look for my "Jumpstart to Christmas Sale" in October. Great gift ideas and great pricing during this event!

Kim Luxich

*The Colorful Bee*

EtsyHooker of the Week ---- Smudgekitty

Smudgekitty has found a really cute model for her beaded beanie hat. It grabs your attention and then you get to check out the lovely crochet and bead work in this hat.



One of Smudgekitty's best sellers are her eye makeup remover pads and matching bag. She has several sets of these on sale right now in her "Stash Busting Sale" section.



I think my favorite in Smudgekitty's shop is this set of amigurumi for your favorite movie goer. It makes me crave popcorn, a soda, and holding hands in the theater.

Team Versions of July Pattern of the Month

RedBerryCrochet took up the challenge to create a cell phone bag based upon cowgirlcrysi's pattern. Since we all tend to have a little different gauge, here is RedBerryCrochet's interpretation of cowgirlcrysi's pattern for her phone:
Materials:
Size G (4.0 mm) hook, acrylic worsted weight yarn, 7/8" button
Gauge - 4dc = 1"
Finished size 3 5/8" wide (including edging), 3 1/2" tall with a 14 1/2" strap.
Directions:
Row 1 (RS): ch 13, dc in 4th ch from hook and in each across. (11 dc incl ch 3)
Row 2-14: work even in dc.
Row 15: ch 1, turn, sc in next 5 dc, (sl st, ch 20 for button loop, sl st) in next st, sc in next 5 dc. Fasten off.
Turn so WS is facing and fold Row 1 up to Row 15. Starting at bottom right corner, sc evenly through both thicknesses to top. Ch 60 for strap. Sc evenly again through both thicknesses on other side. Fasten off, weave in ends, sew button to front.




The Colorful Bee (aka Kim) also took up the challenge to create a cell phone holder. Her version is very colorful, just like her shop name. She has an Apple I-Phone, so she changed the pattern to make it fit her phone; she also designed it for the phone to lay on its side.

Kim used worsted weight cotton yarn and a size H hook. Her pouch is 16 double crochets wide and 12 rows long. Instead of sewing her holder closed, she chose to single crochet all the way around with a medium length single crochet strap.

Crochet Pattern of the Month --- Cell Phone Bag

Thanks to Crystal of Crochet Creations by Cowgirlcrysi, the EtsyHookers blog has its first pattern of the month. Make one and share a photo with the team and we will add your version to the blog!

Cell Phone Bag

Materials:

Sugar and Cream cotton yarn (or other worsted weight cotton yarn)

button

tapestry / yarn needle

H- hook

I have a LG phone slim phone, so this is based on that sized phone.

Directions:

Chain 24 and measure chain across the phone to see if its wide enough; if its not add a few ch stitches and check to see if it's wide enough. When it is wide enough across, add 4 more chains to make room for a seam.

Dc 28 stitches (or number of chains needed for width),chain 2. Turn.

Make 30 rows of dc. (Check against phone to see if it is twice the length of the phone itself. If it is continue until it is, ending with an even number of rows. Tie off; weave in ends.

Fold the piece in half; it should be long enough for the phone to be covered front and back. With a yarn needle sew the sides up leaving the top open.

Make a strap to carry by chain stitching the length you want it to be. Tie ends off and sew to the pouch.
Turn piece right side out.

You can add a button like I did or use yarn to make tie top .

The example is done with Sugar and Cream in lime.

Embellish with fun fur or whatever. The sky's the limit :)

created by crystal calandra

Trends: Food

If you've been browsing the Etsy Hookers' shops lately, you'll have noticed an interesting trend: crochet food.



Not in a million years would I have imagined how popular crocheted food would become. I wonder when this started. What genius looked at a ball of purple yarn and thought, "Grapes"? Whoever it was, they started something. You can find just about every kind of food: donuts, popcorn, bananas and the ever popular cupcakes. Mmmm...cupcakes.



Anyway,it's too bad my daughter has outgrown the play food stage. Child's Play Crochet's chocolate chip cookies look good enough to eat! Some members' food items look like pieces of art. Have a gander at Yarnyums Fruit Tart. Wowie! I can just see that under glass as a conversation piece. Some are fashionable, like MayRae Crochet n Knit's Berry Wristlet. So cute. Some are just plan funny, like Home Hooked's Frightened Fruit Kabob. There is something for every taste (hahaha!).



If you're in the mood to cook something up yourself, there are a few Etsy Hookers selling patterns for food, like this cute egg potholder from Red Berry Crochet.




Anybody else hungry?


--
Chris

A Hello from CaperChris

Since this is my first post for the Etsy Hookers blog, I thought I'd introduce myself and my shop. I'm Christina, the owner of CaperChris Creations. I'm a stay-at-home Mom who loves to craft. I've tried just about anything I could get my hands on: knitting, sewing, scrapbooking, cross-stitch and, of course, crochet. My shop has, at this point in time, crocheted and sewn items. I might add other items, depending on what inspires me.

Inspiration. It's a tricky thing. You never know when the mood to create something different will strike and sometimes I wonder if it will ever strike again. I am most often inspired by nature and am lucky enough to live in a place famous for natural beauty: Nova Scotia, Canada (if you have no idea where that is, see my map :) ). My scarf, Sailor's Delight, has all the colours of a sunset over the Bras D'Or Lakes in summer. We have soak up as much of summer as we can around here, they aren't long. I have other ideas kicking around in my head based on things I've seen out walking or hiking. I just need more hours in a day to create.



My daughter is another source of inspiration. Children have such imaginations; you never know what's going to come out of their mouths. Bunny Foo-Foo and the Goon is based on a song my daughter sang around the house. I wondered what Bunny Foo-Foo would look like, so set out to create her.

I'm an obsessed reader. Other than crafting, my spare time is spent reading. Historical fiction and classic literature are my favorites. Sometimes a character inspires me to create an object and sometimes the object reminds me of a character. While making a choker, I thought, "I can see Anna Karenina wearing this" and so I named it for her.

I'm amazed at the talent on Etsy and can spend hours just poking around in other shops. A colour, a technique, etc, can spark my imagination. Just looking at other artists and admiring what they do helps me to create. I especially love prints and ephemera.

So, what inspires you?