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Crochet Extra – July 2023
Winter is now in full swing and my we have had some cold evenings and mornings. My scarf, beanie and gloves have been used a lot for my morning walks with Roxi. There are many outdoor events this month so I can see me wearing these a lot more too.
This weekend alone there is Knitfest Yarn & Fibrearts Festival in Maleny – the theme for 2023 is Wild Women – and the Heritage Makers Fair in Gympie. Later this month Jumpers & Jazz in Warwick also kicks off – it’s Queensland’s quirkiest yarnbombing & jazz winter festival.
Further afield there is the Australian Sheep & Wool Show in Bendigo for a great celebration of the wool and wearable art.
A little closer to home we have at long last received more copies of the book Round & Round The Crochet Hook by Emily Littlefair. This is Emily’s first book, with her second book due out on the 7th July – Making Mandalas. We are lucky enough here to have Emily coming to the shop on Friday 14th July for a book signing event. Come along for the evening from 5.30 to 7.30pm, purchase your copy of the book from us and have it signed by Emily! 
If you can’t make it, for a limited time only purchase the book and spend an additional $50 and we will have your book signed by Emily. Pre-orders are now open for this.
The plans for the Crochet Retreat here on the Sunshine Coast are finalised and our yarn orders arriving in the coming days. Due to it’s popularity we are looking at holding a second Crochet Retreat in NSW in May 2024. We are waiting on information from venues – and once this is finalised we will have this event open for registration. So keep an eye out for the details.
In the meantime we have our inaugural LAL (Learn a long) kicking off this month. We will embark on a journey through the magical “Pandora’s World” to learn new stitches and techniques to create a beautifully textured design of your choice. It all kicks off soon – so don’t delay. Get all the details here.
On the product front, we have several new books, patterns and kits. The pattern for the Bay of Shells Bag which we were doing in class this month is now available, as is the kit for you to make your own. We also have the patterns for the marvellous wall hangings that were part of the 2023 Crochet Retreat now available for sale along with kits to make your own.
For those who love the DMC cotton threads, stock up on your Cebelia! We have been advised that the Cebelia cotton thread colours have been discontinued. We restocked as many of the colours in sizes 10 and 20 as we could, but once they have gone we can’t replace them. To help us clear out this stock we have the colours on special this month for just $10.00 a ball – you don’t want to miss out! Get yours now.
Next week we begin our July classes to make this beautifully patterned skirt – Springtime Soiree designed by Elsharah Hebbard. Made with a whirl and/or whirlette it will become your go-to skirt. Join our classes Monday nights online, Tuesday mornings in store or Wednesday evenings in store.
Until next time
Lynda
Theme— Afghans/Blankets to Warm Your Soul
What a wonderful time of the year it is. Winter on the Sunshine Coast is a such a special experience…. with our days cool but toasty and warm in the sun followed by the night temperature dropping so that we can make the most or our winter woollies.
One of our favourite items to make for this time of the year is an Afghan/Blanket. Something that you can use to decorate your cosy couch or bed and as the cool air sneaks in you can snuggle up and keep the chills at bay.
There are so many Afghan/blanket patterns out there that suit all skill levels and offer a wide range of crochet stitches and techniques along with different textures. Blankets can be a real statement piece in your home, office, car, caravan or favourite space.
Afghans and blankets are often passed down through the family as heirlooms so it is important to use a good quality, non-pilling yarn that will wash easily and stand the test of time. Not to mention you don’t want all your beautiful work falling apart. Some of the favourites for blankets that we stock in store are Scheepjes Stonewashed 8 ply cotton acrylic blend, Fiddlestick Finch 10ply, Patons Sierra 8ply variegated wool acrylic blend, Fiddlestick Superb 8ply and 4 ply acrylic non pilling yarn. Something to suit any project.
Or if you are wanting to make a unique blanket join our Inaugural LAL (crochet Learn-A-Long). The LAL is exclusive to Crochet Australia. Join us and enter Pandora’s World to learn how to make a beautifully textured blanket, wrap or scarf that will take your crochet skills to the next level and give you a pattern bundle that you can use to mix and match and create your own personal and unique pieces. Definitely worth registering for this one and join in the fun… you won’t be disappointed.
As we are now in the cooler winter months, we see many “Christmas in July” functions popping up around us. At Crochet Australia we find this is a great reminder to start getting your handmade Christmas gifts organised and in the making. Or make yourself a cute Santa hat or festive earrings to wear to one of these functions.
We have a lovely range of patterns, books and kits to get your festive spirits going and, well on your way, to making some wonderful gifts for family, friends and co-workers. Also, a Christmas Afghan is something that can bring cheer to your festivities year after year. So, take a look at our “look what we found section” in the newsletter for more inspiration.
For that extra special touch, add tassels or pom poms your Afghan creations. We have the perfect tools to help you get creative. Clover pom pom and tassel makers are an easy and effective tool to create beautiful pom poms and tassels every time.
Often with Afghan\Blanket creations you need stitch markers, and we have our full range of stitch markers in again so if your couch has eaten your stock up like mine does then we have some that will replace them in a jiffy. Combine this with a good ergonomic crochet hook, row counter, scissors and tape measure and you have yourself a magical setup to tackle any Afghan/blanket pattern.
If you need help putting your colourways together, we can help you that too!
Not sure where to start? This 6-day Kid Blanket by Betty McKnit is worthy of a go – it combines the ripple stitch and granny stitch for something that can be cherished for years to come.
Product of the Month
Crochet Club
By Designers from the Australian Yarn Company 12 colourful throws to get you through the year. Patterns range in skill levels from beginning to advanced and use 8ply yarn. All designs have both written instructions and symbol diagrams .
Australian terminology 30 pages
Customer Corner
Thank you everyone for sending in pictures of what you have been making in the past quarter. We feature below some comments and masterpieces submitted by customers. Send us a photo of your masterpiece (by the submissions page, email or on our facebook page), telling us which book it came from and which yarn or thread you used, and be in the draw to win a $25 voucher in October 2023 (see conditions on our website). Please also add any tips you’ve picked up when making them. Congratulations to Caroline G for winning this quarter’s voucher – submitting a photo of her Waffle-icious Cardigan.
