You crazy knook!

Holy moley. Crocheters unite at the fabulousness of the latest release from Leisure Arts. The Kook!

I cannot even tell you how many times I have had the following converstion:

"Liz, you should really start knitting. Teach yourself how to knit. Just do it. Why aren't you teaching yourself how to knit yet? What's your problem? JUST KNIT ALREADY!"

Seriously. I've been putting an insane amount of pressure on myself to figure out how to knit. Why? Because it's totally different than crocheting and I could really expand my product. owever, to me, knitting is like driving a manual car. It takes too many limbs to operate. Something that requires that many body parts to just get started is...well, pointless to me. Call me a quitter, but this lady needs things streamlined and easy. Oh well.

I thought I would never learn to knit until I stumbed across the Knook!

That's right. I can crochet and make something knit-like. Yes please! Sign me up!

Now, you might be saying to yourself, how can it be that different? Here's a perfect example:

One of Leisure Art's free patterns for the knook is this sampler scarf:

What I adore about this product is that you get the best of both worlds. The beauty of crochet stitches with the fabric-like, classic beauty of knits.

I'm still a work in progress over here with the knook, but I wil certainly post updates later this week(end)!

Note: I am not affiliated with Leisure Arts in any way. I just love the brilliance of this product!

xo,
Liz

P.S. I am dying to know what projects you are working on! Tell me in the comments!

Chic Statement Scarf Class Review!

Last Sunday, my close friend and fellow "hooker", Karla, and I taught an entry level crochet class trhrough The Muse. The final product? A chic statement scarf!

We had 16 people attend our class on a beautiful spring-like Sunday afternoon at Kevin and Margaret Hluch's gorgeous studio in Frederick. (You may remember that part of my bachelorette party was hosted at this studio!)

We joined together, enjoyed a few glasses of wine, learned how to crochet, and had some beautiful final products. Here are a few photos from The Muse's blog post about the class!

You can also read Chrissy Gemmill's review of the class and see more photos at her blog!

Hooray for new crocheters!

Get Connected!

This month is bringing a major blog makeover to Donna's Decembers with the help of a very talented gal. Once we're ready with our fresh look, you'll have available links to all the ways you can connect with us in a pretty little toolbar. Until then, I'm gonna kick it oldschool.

Did you know that Donna's Decembers is on Facebook? mmhmmmmmmm. Follow us!

If you're not into Facebook, but you're into love, you can also follow us on Blog Lovin'. That's right. Spread the love!

And if you're into more instant gratification, you can also watch us tweet on Twitter :)

See... we can be bffs in just a matter of minutes :)

Anywho... it's Thursday and for that I am incredibly thankful. I have a whole load of errands to run after work (including a HUGE inventory drop off at The Muse for 1st Saturday). Don't forget it's your last weekend to sign up for my statement scarf crochet class! You can call or stop in to The Muse to sign up!

xo,

Liz

Granny Square help!

I think it's safe to say that I am obsessed with yarn. Truly. So now that the nights are a little colder and I'm constantly thinking about ways to make my home cozier, my constant go-to is Granny Squares. I wanted to share a bit of this obsession with you.

Here's a lovely Granny Square tutorial for the newbies! The Purl Bee is such a great resource and provides beautiful pictures to make sure you have a clear picture of what you're project should look like (which I think is key to any good DIY).

A while ago, Holly from Create Loves posted on one of my favorite blogs, A Beautiful Mess this adorable DIY Granny Square neck warmer. Go forth and enjoy!

Instead of crocheting 70 or 80 individual granny squares to make an afghan, what about one continuous granny square? I made one of these for a student a few months ago here.

Check out The Purl Bee again for this DIY.

Are you as obsessed as me yet? Hmm?

If you don't know how to crochet, make sure you check out my Learn How to Crochet post for additional resources!

Want to Learn How to Crochet?

It's pretty obvious that crochet is my favorite craft and hobby. I was lucky enough to have my grandmother near by to teach me and help me through complicated patterns and so forth. However, I know there might be many of you who want to learn and/or improve your skills, but don't know where to turn! Well--I have compiled a few helpful resources for you!
I introduce you to Lion Brand Yarn's Learning Center. This has been my favorite resource as I have been stumbling through various motifs and fancy lingo. Not only are there videos, but also pictures! So it doesn't make a difference if you're an audio or visual learner (or both) everything is right here for you! (Hint: Lion Brand yarn is also my favorite yarn. It's so perfect for nearly every project AND their color palettes are the best to boot.

My second resource, that is also incredible and very helpful in numerous ways is Ravelry. It's a network for crocheters and knitters everywhere (sorta like facebook)! Not only are there THOUSANDS of patterns, but if you pick up a yarn you adore but have no idea what pattern to make--go to the PATTERNS tab, throw in the type of yarn you have and wah-lah, it'll give you a huge assortment of patterns based upon what others have posted! It's a dream world for crafters out there who have found a goldmine of yarn at a thriftstore or various other outlet and have no idea what to do with it!

Bethnitx1over at Youtube also has an awesome crochet channel that you can watch and learn from. She's very slow, which is helpful for beginners. Check her out if the Lion Brand videos aren't working for you!
The hardest part of crocheting is figuring out how to handle the yarn and hook at the same time. Many people find keeping a balanced tension very hard... and it is. But practice really does make perfect, and it's always worth a second go around if you've tried before but didn't have the best of resources to use!
Also, if you have any crochet specific questions you would like to ask, feel free to leave me a comment at any time!
Peace, love, and yarn!