It is Official! I am Going Back to Thread Crochet!

Hello crochet friends and fellow bloggers! When I started this blog in 2011, it was mostly about thread crochet! I even had a feature called Doily of the Week, and each new week I displayed a new doily that I crocheted the week before! 

I was also crocheting many other projects with thread, such as bookmarks, lace edgings, tablecloths, etc. 

Then I started moving on to other types of crochet. For instance, I've made tons of baby blankets and baby hats! The next phase was lacy scarves and shawls! And I did all kinds of other crochet projects! 

 But now it's time to go back! 

I recently purchased a big ball of Aunt Lydia's classic crochet thread size 10, pulled out my 1.6 mm steel hook, and started stitching! 

But I didn't stop there! Since this is a new chapter of my crochet journey, I started a brand new YouTube channel to keep me motivated, and to share my projects with my viewers and followers! 

I named the new channel White Thread Crochet! 

If you are interested to learn more about this lacy motif, which was the very first project on my new channel, you can watch my video on YouTube! 

The Best Cotton Yarn for Crochet

Those of you who have been following my blog and Youtube channel for a while know that I am a big fan of YarnArt Begonia yarn, which is a 100% mercerized cotton, category 2 yarn! 

I have made many projects with this yarn in the past, the biggest one being this romantic summer dress!

And just recently I ordered this yarn in a slightly different color!

I bought five skeins of this lavender shade for only $15.96 (plus sales tax) on Amazon!

With the cost of yarn constantly going up, I was surprised to find this deal! I don't think the price will remain this low for long, so I am going to stock up on this yarn, which means you will see more crochet projects made with this yarn on my blog and my channel in the future!

In fact, I am using this yarn in a beautiful deep ocean color for my current crochet project! I hope to finish it soon and share the pattern and tutorial with you!

Check out YarnArt Begonia yarn on Amazon! 

Thread Crochet, Lacy Fans Stitch, Crochet Pattern and Video Tutorial

It had been a very long time since I crocheted with thread! And I really miss it! 

After all, that's how this blog of mine started back in 2011. Back then I was crocheting tons of doilies and wanted to archive all of them, so this blog came around. 

With time I switched to other types of crochet, but I have always had a special place in my heart for thread crochet! 

And now I'm going back to it! 

There is something magical and very romantic about thread crochet! 

The stitches are small and delicate. It takes much longer to complete a project with thread rather than yarn, but the final result is always outstanding!

The stitch that I'm sharing in this post is very simple, with only four repeating rows. It can be worked with yarn as well. 

But when worked with thread, its simplicity is just stunning! 

I can see a beautiful table runner worked in this stitch! 

Or a loosely fit summer top! You know the kind where you work two panels and simply do the shoulder and side seams! Simple, but elegant! 

I think this is a useful stitch to have in one's collection of crochet lacy stitches, whether you are going to make it with thread or yarn! 

 

As always, the free video tutorial is available on my Youtube channel. 

And the written pattern can be purchased for only a few dollars from my Etsy and Ravelry shops. 

It's a Pika Doll! Ploxglem Crochet Kit for Beginners Review

It's hard to believe that even though I have crocheted for over three decades, I had never made an amigurumi! Until now! 

Ploxglem offered me to review their Pika Doll Crochet Kit for Beginners, and I gladly accepted their offer!  

I will start with the materials! The kit includes everything you will need to complete the project: the pattern, yarn, crochet hook, a pair of safety eyes, a tapestry needle, stitch markers, and stuffing!

The yarn is a tube yarn, which is easy to crochet with and creates a dense, strong fabric, which is perfect for amigurumi projects! 

The pattern is well written and super easy to follow! 

Working on this project was quite magical!

Once I added the pair of safety eyes, it felt like my Pika doll is becoming alive! It brought me such childish joy and excitement! 

And when I embroidered the tiny nose and the rose cheeks, it felt like the Pika doll is looking at me and saying: Hello!

This would be such a wonderful project to complete with your child or grandchild! 

Even if the child cannot help with the stitching, there are so many other things they can help with! Like stuffing on figuring out where to place the eyes or embroider the cheeks!

No matter what your crochet skill level is, you will enjoy completing this project! 

All you need to know is how to make chains, single crochets, and slip stitches, and how to make basic stitching with a needle! That's all you need! 

After I finished my Pika doll, I had plenty of materials left. So you don't need to worry about not having enough yarn or stuffing! 

I gave the finished Pika doll to my youngest son, and he absolutely loved it! He asked me to put it on a keychain, so he could hang it from his school backpack. 

And there it is, dangling together with Super Mario or other characters.

I want to say thank you to Ploxglem for creating this wonderful kit, and for giving me an opportunity to review it! 

I enjoyed completing this project, and my son loved the finished Pika doll!

You can find Pika doll kit, as well as other amigurumi kits from Ploxglem on Amazon! 

Crochet Lacy Square for a Tablecloth, a Baby Blanket, a Summer Top, etc. Crochet Pattern and Free Video Tutorial

Here is an easy to crochet lacy square that only has two repeating rounds, and is so addictive! 

Once you start crocheting it, you won't be able to put down your hook! I guarantee you that! 

And whatever you choose to make with this design (a tablecloth, a baby blanket, a summer top, etc), it will be simply stunning! 

This is a very easy pattern, and the best part of it is you can use any yarn and corresponding hook size of your choice! 

I would not recommend variegated yarns, but self-striping yarns, as well as solid color yarns, will work! 

As for me, I really like crocheting with mercerized cotton, so I made this sample square with YarnArt Begonia yarn and a steal hook size 1.6 mm.

See this yarn on Amazon! 

See steal hook size 1.6 mm on Amazon! 

 

As always, I have a free video tutorial for this project on my YouTube channel! 

And the written version of the pattern is available on Etsy and Ravelry. 

Happy crocheting! 

Gray, White, and Blue Stripes Baby Blanket, Crochet Pattern and Tutorial, Skill Level EASY

It had been ages since I crocheted a baby blanket! There are tons of baby blanket patterns on my blog, as I used to make a lot of them in the past! 

But then I shifted towards other crochet projects, and only would crochet a baby blanket if I was commissioned to do so. 

But now I had a reason to make this one! 

There is going to be a new baby in my extended family! It's going to be a baby boy, who is due to arrive in September! 

So, of course, I had to make a baby blanket! 

I used the yarn that I already had in my stash - Soft Baby Steps by Lion Brand. But I also had to use another skein of gray yarn as I only had four skeins of Soft Baby Steps. I'm not sure what that other skein of yarn was. It didn't have the label, but it was the same in thickness, though slightly different in shade. 

As you can see in the photos, I alternated the gray stripes for a symmetric look. 

Overall, I think it turned out pretty good! 

And the with the cost of yarn (and the cost of living in general) nowadays, I think it was quite clever of me! :) 

To achieve those beautiful vertical stripes, I crocheted the blanket along the length, not along the width. In other words, my starting chain was the length of the blanket. 

I worked with a hook size H (5 mm). 

The finished measurements are about 40 by 33 inches. 

 This is a very easy and enjoyable pattern with only one row repeat. It is suitable for beginners! 

Intermediate and advanced crocheters would love this pattern too! It's just so relaxing! And sometimes that's what an advanced crocheter wants - an easygoing, no-brainer pattern! 

The video tutorial is on my YouTube channel:

And the written pattern is on Etsy and Ravelry.