Category: Uncategorized

There are affiliate links below, if you are unsure of what affiliate links are please go to “Disclosures/Disclaimers” and “Privacy Policy” at the top of my HOME page. Affiliate links basically allow me to receive a very small referral fee, but only if you make purchases. Just because you go to the link doesn’t mean that I will receive a referral fee.  Thank you so much for considering my affiliate links; I really appreciate it!

I am not an affiliate for J.T. House Crochet School.  Any link that you see on my blog that goes to J.T. House is a non-affiliate link. Julia Tushnicka who is the creator of the Crochet Magazines contacted me. She sent me a free magazine in exchange for reviewing her crochet magazine on YouTube 7Feb19:

I absolutely love my magazine. As most of you know, I rarely use such tiny crochet hooks. I attempted some of her crochet designs with larger crochet hooks.

I use a modified Crochet Cinderella Flower design as a kitchen hot pad.

I used I Love this Cotton yarn in the picture above.

In the picture above, I used her Avery Flower crochet design. I used my 3.25mm crochet hook. Finished Avery Flower Measuring 4″ x 2.5.”

I love the thread yarn that I chose to make it with. It is hard to see it in the picture, but the thread yarn has a metallic sparkle to it. I found this thread yarn at Hobby Lobby. It is called Hilaza Rustica Omega Eclat 10 thread yarn. I loved it so much that I purchased 2 more for storage.

I think that the thread yarn worked perfectly with a 3.25mm crochet hook. The above picture is part of the Crochet Flower Cinderella pattern by JT House Magazine issue 01. Since I am using a larger crochet hook and a different style of thread yarn, it comes out slightly different, but I am able to follow along with her pattern.  If I use her crochet design as embellishment, I will modify it slightly. What I really love is how she shows how to create new crochet techniques that you may not have used, or thought of, before.

The above picture is of the Crochet Flower Cinderella pattern slightly modified. I used a larger crochet hook and my “I Love this Cotton” yarn to create a hot pad out of the design. I use it in my kitchen.

I may use some of her crochet techniques as crochet embellishment on my future crochet projects. I will refer people to her magazine if they like the crochet embellishments. I am not an affiliate. I received the magazine for free to try, and I love it, which is why I was happy to make a YouTube video tutorial about Julia, her crochet work, and her site.

If you are able to use the smaller crochet hooks, and her style of yarn, you may love some of her crochet kits. As some of you may know, I rarely go smaller than a 3.25mm crochet hook. That is just my preference. However, I am going to attempt her Crochet Top Elina package which will include the yarn and a 1.75mm crochet hook!!! I will post more about it here. I just ordered the package today 30Mar19.

After I made the order, JTHouse immediately sent me the complete course via email!!!! I created a file folder on my computer to hold the course. JT House gives you complete details regarding how to access your crochet course. I had to download the app “Dropbox” on my phone and computer in order to access the crochet course files. Dropbox was downloaded for free. Also, I was informed that I should receive my crochet yarn kit to make the Crochet Top Elina within a couple of weeks. I will make a YouTube video of the yarn kit when I receive it. 🙂  31Mar19

I received my yarn kit from JTHouse Crochet School! It felt like Christmas opening it up!!! I love it!!

Update 9Jun20. I am almost finished with all of the motifs for the top Elina. I am still not a fan of the tiny crochet hooks, but I love all of the motifs. I have decided that I would rather use the motifs to make a bag instead of the top Elina. I have learned a lot by making the fun motifs!

 

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I am slowly going to be working on her crochet course, but I will put pictures of some of the finished motifs.

 

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As I was making my crochet motifs for the Top Elina, I discovered this amazing magnifying device. I especially love it while I am relaxing and crocheting while watching television. It has a light on it too! It is battery operated. I love mine!! If you would like to check it out, I have provided affiliate links for you. Click here, or the picture below to go directly to the affiliate link.

I have made a lot of progress with my Top Elina!! I can’t wait until I can put the gorgeous pieces together!!

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I plan on making a bag with the motifs instead of the top. Last updated 9Jun20

There are affiliate links below, if you are unsure of what affiliate links are please go to “Disclosures/Disclaimers” and “Privacy Policy” at the top of my HOME page. Affiliate links basically allow me to receive a very small referral fee, but only if you make purchases. Just because you go to the link doesn’t mean that I will receive a referral fee.

The above picture is not my craft room. I found the picture online. I liked the way that she used the white bins to hold her yarns. Unfortunately, I don’t have a room dedicated to just my crochet. Some of you may find that surprising considering the amount of crocheting that I do. However, I have taken over a couple of closets, space under beds, space in the garage, space in the guest room, and I have a craft room that doubles as a weight room for my hubby…lol..This may sound familiar to other crocheters. I have seen jokes about how we crocheters collect yarn like other people may collect shoes. For me it is true, I use the hanging closet shoe storage bins for yarn:

Click on the above picture, or here, to go directly to the affiliate link.  Prime eligible.

Spring cleaning/organizing is always a great idea. You don’t want to let the yarn take over your house. Also, if you don’t know what yarn you have, it is easy to just buy more, which will compound the yarn storage problem.

Another storage problem that I had was craft ribbons. I could never find the color ribbon, that I wanted, when I wanted it. So, in 2016 I made a YouTube video tutorial showing how I organized my craft ribbons using a hanger:

An Easy Way to Organize Your Craft Ribbons

The method worked well, but I would end up leaving the empty ribbon spool on the hanger, and I would have to untie it to add more ribbon spools. This year, I upgraded to a better method.

Click on the picture above, or here, to go to the affiliate link.

This hanging bag fits perfectly in your closet and it doesn’t use much space at all! I dedicate mine to mostly ribbons. I don’t have the one displayed in the picture, but I have a similar one. I like the one in the picture because it has a storage area that looks like it would work perfectly for crochet hooks!!! LOL! Now, I never have a problem finding the color ribbon that I want, I don’t waste money on ribbons, and I am easily able to replace the ribbon spool if I run out. It also looks chic hanging in my closet.

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This year, I was starting to collect a lot of items near my computer station: journal, crochet patterns, crochet books, pens, and electronic cords etc… So, I began a search for a little carrying caddy/organizer. That is when I discovered the diaper caddy/organizer. I have the exact one in the picture above, and I love it! It sits on my computer station (kitchen table..LOL), and I can carry it easily to put it away when I am finished. I love it.

If I think of other great storage tips that have helped me, I will place them here. Last updated 30Mar19.

There are affiliate links below, if you are unsure of what affiliate links are please go to “Disclosures/Disclaimers” and “Privacy Policy” at the top of my HOME page. Affiliate links basically allow me to receive a very small referral fee, but only if you make purchases. Just because you go to the link doesn’t mean that I will receive a referral fee.

Jodie R. is a Helenmay Crochet Special Donor member, from the year 2018, who requested a Tunisian Crochet Cardinal Bird Hot Pad YouTube video tutorial that was made for a beginner to follow along. Jodie wanted to make the Tunisian Crochet Cardinal Bird Hot Pad as a Christmas gift and at the same time, she wants to learn how to Tunisian Crochet. I told her that the video tutorial probably wouldn’t be completed in time for Christmas 2018, but it is now available for Christmas 2019. One of the benefits of being a Helenmay Crochet Special Donor Member is that members can make crochet requests. If you would like to see what crochet requests have been made and what the waiting list looks like, here is the direct link:

Helenmay Crochet What are You Making Next?

If you would like to learn more about how to become a Helenmay Crochet Special Donor Member and what benefits members receive, here is the direct link:

Helenmay Crochet Special Donor Members

GENERAL MATERIALS

• Free PDF downloadable graph:

Tunisian Crochet Cardinal Bird

For those of you that have difficulty distinguishing the different colors, you may like this free stitch fiddle graph that I created:

Cardinal Bird Graphstitchfiddle

• One 5.75mm, 5.00mm, or 6.00mm Tunisian Crochet hook

The complete Tunisian Crochet Hook set for an awesome price and prime eligible!! Click on the picture above, or here, to go directly to the affiliate link.

• Pencil Grip. You will see me use these in the video tutorial. I love them!

Click on the picture above, or here, to go directly to the affiliate link.

Optional: You can also use a safety doll eye instead of using your yarn for an eye. I show both methods in part 3 video tutorial.

I wouldn’t recommend using a safety doll eye if you plan on making a Tunisian Crochet Cardinal Hotpad, because it probably wouldn’t work well for setting warm/hot pots on. A Tawashi, or dishcloth, should be fine. I am making a Tunisian Crochet Cardinal Pillow out of the one that I used a safety doll eye on.  If you like the safety doll eye that I used, I used a 10mm green safety doll eye from Glass Eyes Online (I am not an affiliate) or you may like 6060 eyes (I am not an affiliate)

The size of your Tunisian Crochet Cardinal Block without a border is approximately 10″ width by 12″ height.

I really love how my Crochet Cardinal Throw Pillows turned out!!!

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Part 1 video tutorial:

Part 2 video tutorial:

Part 3 video tutorial:

Part 4 video tutorial:

There are affiliate links below, if you are unsure of what affiliate links are please go to “Disclosures/Disclaimers” and “Privacy Policy” at the top of my HOME page. Affiliate links basically allow me to receive a very small referral fee, but only if you make purchases. Just because you go to the link doesn’t mean that I will receive a referral fee.

Learn how to Filet Crochet and at the same time make a wonderful gift for yourself or someone else!

From Wikipedia: “Filet crochet is a type of crocheted fabric. This type of crocheted lace is gridlike because it uses only two crochet stitches: the chain stitch and the double crochet stitch.”

In my YouTube video, I used a graph of a rabbit to make a Hotpad/potholder and/or Tawashi (Dishcloth). Here is the free PDF download for the rabbit graph:

Crochet Filet Rabbit Graph

Crochet Quick Easy Filet Rabbit Hot Pad or Tawashi Dishcloth YouTube video tutorial Part 1 of 2:

Part 2 of 2 video tutorial with the free recipes towards the end of the video tutorial:

 

I had fun making my own Easter Card to go with my Easter gifts this year

Do you like the same baking tray that I used in the Part 2 of 2 video tutorial?

Click on the picture above, or here, to go directly to the affiliate link. Prime eligible.

Do you need blank cards?

 

Click on the picture above, or here, to go directly to the affiliate link. Prime eligible.

If you want the free PDF downloads for the recipes in my Part 2 of 2 videos, here they are:

How to naturally dye eggs

Delicious Carrot Cake Recipe

 

I used a glue stick to attach the recipes to my card stock:

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Enjoy!! I hope that you will share pictures with me on Facebook or you can contact me via my blog. Go to the top of my blog’s HOME page for my Contact link.

 

 

There are affiliate links below, if you are unsure of what affiliate links are please go to “Disclosures/Disclaimers” and “Privacy Policy” at the top of my HOME page. Affiliate links basically allow me to receive a very small referral fee, but only if you make purchases. Just because you go to the link doesn’t mean that I will receive a referral fee.

I went to the library one day and decided to look in the crafting section. I found a fun craft book that talked about making Pomander’s! A definition for Pomander is: “a mixture of aromatic substances enclosed in a perforated bag or box and used to scent clothes.” When I started making mine, I thought that it would be a fun craft to share with others that may not of heard of them either. According to Wikipedia, Pomander’s were first mentioned in literature in the mid-thirteenth century. I will be showing the modern style of Pomander that functions to freshen the air.

In my YouTube video tutorial I will be showing how to make the Pomander towards the end of the video tutorial. I want to put my Pomander’s into a crochet bag. So, in the beginning of the video tutorial, I show how I modified my Crochet Vegetable/market bag to make it smaller. I also show a new crochet stitch for the top of the bag, and I show how to make a crochet tie for the top of the crochet bag.

Here is the YouTube video tutorial for my original Crochet Vegetable/Market bag that I made my father on Father’s Day in the year 2016:

Here is the video tutorial that shows how to make the Pomander and the new Crochet Stitch for the top of your Crochet Bags. You are going to love the new colored yarn that I chose for this project:

You can hang beautiful Pomander Artificial Flowers next to your homemade citrus Pomander’s too!

Click on the picture above, or here, to go directly to the affiliate link to purchase. They come in a variety of colors to choose from and Prime eligible!!!

Do you need PVA glue to attach your ribbon to your finished Pomander? Click on the picture above, or here, to go directly to the affiliate link.

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I had one Pomander that remained. The others had mold. I plan on making more closer to Christmas.

Here are some helpful hints, if you want to make your Pomander’s last longer:

1. Before you place your whole cloves, try spraying your citrus with 50:50 mix of Distilled white vinegar and water. I found online that this has helped prevent molding.
2. Use Oris root in your spice mix to make the scent last longer. I haven’t tried this yet, but I plan on trying it for my Christmas Pomander’s.

Click on the picture above, or here, to go directly to the affiliate link.

 

Last updated 19Apr19.