Magazine – Mamas2Hands

Wrapped in Crochet

May 5, 2022"I Like Crochet", Crochet, Crochet Design, MagazineLeave a Comment

Summer is just around the corner and it’s time to make something special to wrap around your shoulders when you need a bit of warmth in the air conditioning or to ward off the chilly breeze when walking on the beach.

My latest design the “Pavona Wrap” for “I Like Crochet” is an ideal pretty layer to make for yourself or as a gift. Crocheted in Universal Yarns “Bamboo Pop” the combination of cotton and bamboo rayon is cool against your skin when temperatures start to climb, but provides just a touch of warmth when needed.

The wrap used a semi-solid lace pattern in the main body with open lace stripes on the ends to add a strong graphic finish. It is crocheted in 2 pieces off of a central foundation.

You can find the pattern on at ILikeCrochet.com in the June 2022 issue of their online magazine.

Lots of New Designs

November 13, 2021November 13, 2021"Crochet! Magazine", "I Like Crochet", Crochet, Crochet World, MagazineLeave a Comment

As many of you have noticed the blog has been rather quiet the past couple of months. Fortunately I had signed up to do some hops and tours with other designer friends or I may not have posted anything at all.

What have I been doing instead of blogging you may ask? I’ve been working on a bunch of freelance designs for magazines. I’ve been designing a number of pieces for “Crochet World”, “Crochet! Magazine” and “ILikeCrochet.com”.

White sofa with 2 pillows in corner. 1 pillow is solid cream color with 3 textured diamond shapes showing. Second pillow in front is all textured with cream color square in center surrounded by squares of dark gray, taupe, dark gray and cream.

Plenty of Clusters Pillow Set in the August 2021 issue of Crochet World. This is a pattern for 2 different square pillows that are covered with texture using my favorite textural stitch; the cluster bobble. I’ve been playing with cluster bobbles a lot lately, so you’ll be seeing them in my freelance patterns and my indie pattern line over the next 6 months.

Background is a white brick wall with a white lap and candle in left corner. Foreground is a white sofa with a red square pillow sitting on top of a green textured blanket on the seat of sofa. In center of image and in front of red pillow is a round white pillow with a textured round bright green circle topped by a a red 3d bow creating a Christmas wreath on the pillow.

Jolly Wreath Pillow in the Fall 2021 Crochet World: Have a Happy Crochet Christmas special issue. More bobbles for nubbly wreath on a cuddly round pillow to decorate for Christmastime in your home.

Black model with long wavy hair wearing a light aqua colored jacket with her hands pulled up near the base of her neck. On her hands are white fingerless mitts with thumb gussets. Mitts have a simple ribbed textured pattern running lengthwise.

Falling Snow Fingerless Mitts in the Autumn 2021 Crochet! Quick and Easy Crochet special issue. Do you need a quick gift for the holidays? These are the perfect project. Worked with just 1 skein of Berroco “Ultra Wool Chunky”, you can finish a pair in just a couple hours.

Caucasian model with should length brown hair and a dark green long sleeve shirt looking down Around her neck is golden yellow lacy cowl with points along the bottom edge.

The One Skein Mathilde Cowl in the August 2021 issue of ILikeCrochet.com online magazine. This fun cowl has lace points on one side. As the name suggests it uses just one skein of Berroco Ultra Wool worsted weight, so it is a quick project to work up. You can make it in all your favorite colors.

Lovely Lace Ponchette in the Winter 2021 issue of Crochet! Magazine. Designed in one of my favorite yarns, Berroco “Folio”. This is a super soft yarn with great warmth, so this lacy layer is perfect for a cozy cover-up as the temperatures drop.

Glacier Wrap in the December 2021 issue of Crochet World magazine. Another fun lacy pattern that uses cluster stitches for visual texture. Worked from the center out both ends are finished with a pretty pointed border.

If you missed these issues when they were on the newsstand you can get back issues on the Annie’s Website or on the ILikeCrochet.com website.

I have more freelance designs that will be coming out over the next 9 months, so keep an eye out here on the blog for me to share about those as well as some new designs in my indie pattern line.

LaJolla Swoncho

June 25, 2021June 24, 2021"I Like Crochet", Crochet Design, Magazine2 Comments

For those of you that haven’t seen it yet, my latest design for the online crochet magazine “I Like Crochet” is available in their June 2021 issue. In fact it is the design on the cover of this issue. This is the “La Jolla Swoncho” made with King Cole Yarns “Finesse” a lovely blend of cotton and silk for the perfect summer layer.

This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation (at no added cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links.

I loved designing this swoncho, the lace work is interesting yet simple enough that you’ll have the repeats memorized quickly. The shaping is a more classic poncho with the sleeves worked off the bottom edge. This makes for a flowing fit that works for many body types.

You can find the pattern at the “I Like Crochet” website here.

Ready for Summer Crocheting?

April 27, 2021May 7, 2021Crochet Design, Crochet World, Magazine7 Comments

I know I’m really ready for the warmer season to be here. But what does that mean for crocheting?

Definitely isn’t the time for crocheting big afghans, fortunately the June 2021 issue of Crochet World Magazine has some great ideas for summer crocheting.

Included in this issue is my “Shells by the Sea Wrap” design. This design uses solid and lacy shell stitches to create a fun wrap that can be tied around your hips as a swimsuit cover-up, or wrapped around your shoulders when the air-conditioning is a little too chilly.

I love Universal Yarns “Bamboo Pop” for this wrap. It is a great weight yarn that combines bamboo rayon and cotton for terrific stitch definition and breathable drape. The contrast between the 2 fibers gives a lovely subtle light play between the matte and shiny.

Update May 7, 2021: I discovered there was a misprint in the magazine in Row 1 of the Body of the Wrap. The instructions for the row say: “Row 1: Turn to back of work along flat side of Foundation Strip,”
It should say: “Row 1: Turn to work back along flat side of Foundation Strip,”

One Skein Joy Slippers

August 8, 2020"I Like Crochet", Crochet, Crochet Design, M2H Designs Ravelry Shop, Magazine, TeachingLeave a Comment

Image of finished slippers with pom pom decoration.

Every Christmas morning when I was a child my whole family always received hand-knitted slippers from my mom. We wore them until they were nearly tattered or we had outgrown them. In honor of that memory I designed the “One Skein Joy Slippers” in crochet. The first pair I made were a gift for my mom for Christmas 2017.

You only need one skein of Berocco Worsted Weight Ultra Wool to make a pair of slippers that fit a US Women’s size 7.5/8. They were originally published in the December 2018 issue of the online magazine “I Like Crochet”, the pattern is now available for sell in my Ravelry Shop. The PDF version of the pattern includes stitch charts and photo tutorials to help you successfully crochet up some slippers for yourself.

I will also be teaching this project as a Zoom class thru the Longmont Yarn Shoppe in late October. I’ll provide the link to class registration here as soon as it is available. The class will be taught in two 1.5 hour segments to give students time to complete work between classes and will be called “Crochet Slippers 101”. I will also be teaching a follow-up class, “Crochet Slippers 102” later in November that will expand on this pattern so you can work the slippers for various sizes of feet.

Evening Stroll Beaded Earwarmer

December 21, 2019"I Like Crochet", Crochet, Crochet Design, OnlineLeave a Comment

Christmas is just 3 days away, not counting today, and you may need to make some last minute gifts. Check out the December issue of “I Like Crochet” online for some fun quick gift projects to crochet up.

You’ll see a new version of my Morning Walk Earwarmer, “Evening Stroll Beaded Earwarmer”. This beaded version gives a festive touch for wearing when you are out looking at Christmas lights. Or a great way to add some bling to your bundled up look for New Year’s Eve.

I love earwarmers. Especially when I had long hair I would wear wide to narrow ones. I would have the wide part in front and my hair pulled thru the opening with the narrow part on the back of my neck. Was really great when I was skiing for keeping my hair out of my face and ears warm at the same time.

Earwarmers are also great when a hat would be too warm as well as fitting in your coat pocket easier than a hat.

The pictured sample took approximately 52 grams of Anzula’s “It Could Be Worsted” merino/silk blend and used 68 beads. If you are really in a time crunch or a little short on yarn you can eliminate 1 repeat (2 rounds) of the rounds for a slightly narrower band.

The pattern used both the stringing method and “hoist-on” method of adding beads. If you need help with those beading techniques you can see my tutorials here in these posts: Stringing method – “Celebrating Crochet by Teaching” , and Hoist-on Method – “Making a Pendant”.

If you are looking for some really super quick gift projects, check out my blog post from this summer about snowflakes and my little wreath pin. These projects also are a great way to decorate your holiday packages.

Spring is Here!

May 7, 2019June 8, 2019"I Like Crochet", Coloring, Crochet Design, Hooks, MagazineLeave a Comment

It is finally feeling like spring time up here on my mountain. I can almost believe that summer is just around the corner. Down in town I’ve been seeing lots of butterflies, so I thought this coloring page would be perfect for celebrating the change in seasons.

butterfly-and-flower1 Download

For those of you that are more interested in crochet than coloring, you will be happy to know I have a new design published in the June 2019 issue of “I Like Crochet” online magazine.

This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links.

This is the “Shoreline Cold Shoulder Tee” worked in King Cole’s “Vogue” cotton yarn. Available in a wide range of lovely colors this yarn worked up great for this sweet little girl’s tee. Though worked in a simple linen stitch this is an advance level project.

You can subscribe to the “I Like Crochet” magazine and get this and many other wonderful crochet patterns as well as informative “how to” articles and other crochet themed content. Click here to go to the “I Like Crochet” subscription page.

I crocheted the sample with my Clover Amour hook. These are some of my favorite hooks to work with. I spend a lot of hours crocheting and find this to be a good match for my hands. If you can’t find them locally you can purchase them on Amazon.com, just click on the photo above and it will take you right to them.

Reading the Pattern

February 26, 2019March 5, 2019"I Like Crochet", Crochet, How Tos, Magazine1 Comment

Sierra Swoncho – I Like Crochet – February 2019

This past week I seem to be getting a few messages about my “Sierra Swoncho” pattern that was published in the February 2019 issue of “I Like Crochet”. It is marked as an intermediate skill level pattern, and uses a simple stitch pattern and increases for the majority of the garment.

One thing that is really key in working this pattern (and any pattern for that matter) is reading carefully thru the information at the beginning of the pattern like abbreviations, special stitches, and pattern notes before jumping into the pattern instructions.

For this design in particular, I used stitch marker placement to simplify the pattern instructions. So reading carefully for where you place the stitch markers is very important.

I also designed it with the option of changing the bust sizing. Often in garment patterns it is assumed that a small sized garment is for a small bust, and that a large size garment is for the largest size bust. As my readers know women’s bodies come in an endless variety of sizes, including large busted small women and small busted large women. I wanted this design to reflect that variety.

The other thing that seems to be confusing some folks is my stacked rows foundation that creates the neckline. For those of you that are struggling with that my blog post: “2 by 2 Cowl pattern” may be of some help. I also have a video on my YouTube Channel that demonstrates working a stacked rows foundation.

I hope these tips will help those of you that may be struggling with this pattern.

A little Romance

September 16, 2018"I Like Crochet", Crochet Design, Magazine1 Comment

The leaves are changing colors up here on my mountain and my thoughts are turning to warmer layers to crochet and wear. Just in time for my latest design for “I Like Crochet” magazine the Tied & True Cardigan.

I paired lace and satin ribbons in an open-sided kimono style cardigan for a design that is romantic, light and effortless. This pattern is ideal for first time garment makers as the project features no shaping but achieves stunning results. It’s worked in Berroco’s Ultra Fine Alpaca to create beautiful drape in the fabric.

This was my road trip project during our Spring Break trip, once you get the stitch pattern memorized it is a great one for some relaxing crochet with a pretty finish at hem and cuffs.

I really loved finishing it off with the ribbon ties at the wrists and fronts.

If you don’t have a subscription to “I Like Crochet” you might want to check out some of the new options they are offering for subscription services. You can get the Gold Club membership for half off currently, that is less than $24 for an amazing amount of content. Click here to see the options available.

Ring Around the Posies

March 5, 2018March 2, 2018"I Like Crochet", Celebrating, Crochet Design, NatCroMo, Online6 Comments

Springtime is in the air, today it is warmer up here on my mountain and the snow is melting. Of course it’s all a bluff as we will likely have more lots more snow before we are completely finished with winter weather. In the meanwhile it is time to celebrate my latest published pattern “Ring Around the Posies Skirt”, worked in Designing Vashti’s: Lotus Yarn, in the April issue of “I Like Crochet” online magazine.

This skirt is one of my most ambitious designs to be published so far. It’s an advanced level project written in 5 sizes and will definitely build your skills. The most challenging aspect is the floral motif hemline, so I created placement and joining illustrations to help. These are offered as downloads in the sidebar of the pattern page.

This design includes a center back zipper. I have an article on adding a zipper to your crochet project in the same issue to help with this aspect. If you haven’t had a chance to get a subscription to “I Like Crochet” it is a great way to celebrate National Crochet Month. Every issue is full of a variety of fun and exciting projects and your subscription allows you access to all the previous published issues as well.