Checkout these great crochet books, movie and TV DVDs (some are so new they aren't published yet! pre-order them at amazon.com
Crochet Me, the book (see Kim Werker's post about it!): Crochet Me: Designs to Fuel the Crochet Revolution.
And to feed my fascination with Japan: Knit Kimono: 18 Designs with Simple Shapes.
And, if I ever get into knitting: The Twisted Sisters Knit Sweaters: A Knit-to-Fit Workshop.
I decided to do something different - way different - this time! These are men I find very attractive...
Got a link to add? Please leave a comment indicating the URL - Thank you! Looking for links to crocheted or knitted reversible afghan patterns for baby or larger.
Keep in mind: patterns for baby blankets can be made larger for cuddle-up-on-the-couch afghans, bedspreads; and larger blankets can be made smaller for babies.
Note that a crocheting with a double-ended crochet hook, crochenit / crocheknit / cro-hook, and Tunisian crochet will produce double-sided, reversible patterns.
Most, if not all, of the patterns linked to below are free.
[Updated March 26, 2007] A few more links added thanks to EugeneClarence at Crochetville.
[Update May 16, 2007 - No need to pay high prices for the Six-Pointed Star Afghan pattern!!! Here's my 6-point to 12-point to 24-point round ripple afghan. You can do this with any 6-point round ripple afghan pattern.]
Due to the recent popularity of round ripple afghans (for babies and adults!), including the Six-Pointed Star Afghan pattern by Sandra J. Smith (leaflet #87A50 - pictured to the right; I do not have this pattern) and other round ripple afghan patterns, I decided to make this list of links for round afghan patterns.
Got a link to add? Please leave a comment indicating the URL - Thank you! Looking for links to crocheted or knitted round afghan patterns for baby or larger.
Keep in mind: patterns for baby blankets can be made larger for bedspreads or cuddle-up-on-the-couch afghans, patterns for larger afghans can be made smaller for baby blanket. Flat round tablecloth patterns can be used... Round rug patterns... Doily patterns without large open spaces...
Most, if not all, of the patterns linked to below are free.
[Update April 26, 2008, July 3 & 14, 2008 - Added a few links!]
A fellow crocheter at the college emailed me to ask "Where you do you usually donate your crocheted items?" I thought I would respond here too for others.
...
It has varied, but all are in the area where I live. Instead of spending money on postage to send items away, I've chosen to concentrate on local organizations (that way, I can buy more yarn!).
I crochet lap-size (wheelchair-size) blankets and give 'em away in November or December. The first year I donated the blankets to a small hospital; the next two years to a small, needy convalescent/nursing home; and last year to a church.
There are many ways to donate handmade goods. Warm hats and scarves to homeless shelters. Afghan squares for Warm Up America (http://www.warmupamerica.com/) through Michaels Craft Store (http://www.michaels.com/). Dog-size, cat-size blankets to animal shelters (Hugs for Homeless Animals http://www.h4ha.org/). Project Linus (http://www.blankiedepo.org/). Baby blankets, layette sets, booties, caps to premie wards in hospitals. Colorful toys, soft hats, blankets to children in hospitals. Very soft chemo caps for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy (http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/cancercaps.html).
More ideas/links are at Crochet 'n' More - Charity Links (http://www.crochetnmore.com/123charitylinks.htm).
So much yarn, so many projects, so little time...
A woman at work gave me a large bag of mixed yarns, including skeins of Wintuk in colors that coordinate well together so I decided to use them on this ripple - gotta divert from the granny square addiction sometimes...!
I made these last week - they're getting a lot of wear in the warm weather! They're cute! I made them for when I do my walking to absorb random drops of sweat, but I wear them a lot around the house too.
This is cool!
Random Stripe Generator - "generate random stripe patterns for knitting sweaters, scarves, blankets, etc."
If I had time and energy and desire, I would write a program to generate Fibonacci sequence or Lucas number stripes with an option to repeat from X to Y and/or go up and down from A to B.
Fibonacci sequence examples:
1 1 2 3 5 8 13 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 ...1 1 2 3 5 8 13 8 5 3 2 1 2 3 5 8 13 ... (photo 1)1 1 2 3 5 8 13 13 8 5 3 2 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 ... (photo 2)1 1 2 3 5 8 13 8 5 3 2 1 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 ...1 1 2 3 5 8 13 13 8 5 3 2 1 1 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 ...3 5 8 13 21 3 5 8 13 21 ...3 5 8 13 21 13 8 5 3 2 3 5 8 13 21 ...3 5 8 13 21 21 13 8 5 3 2 3 5 8 13 21 ...3 5 8 13 21 13 8 5 3 2 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 ...3 5 8 13 21 21 13 8 5 3 2 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 ...3 5 8 13 21 13 8 5 3 2 1 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 ...3 5 8 13 21 21 13 8 5 3 2 1 1 1 1 2 3 5 8 13 21 ...
Spring fever arrived with the gorgeous weather the Bay Area has been having the past week or so. It culminated today in having to leave work early to enjoy this Friday afternoon! I plan to clean out and re-organize the linen closet when I'm done here.
I've been eyeing ads for gardening tools: flowers, plants, fertilizer, soil... but have so far resisted the impulse to buy until I know I can settle the plants into the ground. You see, buying the supplies and doing the work aren't the same thing! Ah-hem... quilting supplies... knitting supplies...
I have 2 sets of Clover Soft Touch Crochet Hooks, sizes C-J, which I love using. I recently learned about the Crochet Lite crochet hooks, which have the Soft Touch style handle (also from Clover). The Crochet Lite hooks range in size from C-K and have a battery-operated light (with an on/off switch) that can be used when working with dark yarns. Last week, I bought a K hook (6.5 mm) on eBay and it arrived tonight, along with another package containing the Boye knitting needle set!
I decided on the Boye NeedleMaster Interchangeable Needle System and last night bought a brand new still-in-package set on eBay for just over $35.00 including shipping - about half the retail cost. I decided on this interchangeable knitting needle set because the tips are metal, the size range is good (2-15), and each size is a different color.
As I photographed completed projects this morning, Jasmine (aka Jaz) decided she wanted to help me by pointing out details in the Cluster and Lace Granny Square Lap Blanket - and then Cleo, of course, had to jump in to help with the Burgundy Shells Scarf!
I wanted to do some patterns from 280 Crochet Shell Patterns so I decided to make this scarf.
[Update March 17, 2007] I decided the scarf needed something more, so last night I added border #26 from 50 Crocheted Afghan Borders on each end. Much better!
I had only 2 skeins of the very bulky Patons Canadiana yarn so I was limited in what I could make. This octagon blanket started started as a baby blanket last December but there wasn't enough yarn to make it large enough. I put it aside until I either bought more Canadiana yarn or pulled it apart for another project or... Yesterday I decided to just finish it off, hide the yarn ends, and call it an Octagon Cat Blanket. Jaz very kindly agreed to model the blanket on her bed today.
Size: 9 inches x 80 inchesAfter another false start with the scarf, I finally settled on a series of crocheted rows and a crochet hook size that worked for this scarf - not too tight so the yarn is cuddly soft, not too many holes, no detailed stitches that disappear in the nobby yarn. The idea was to surround a row of dc or hdc with sc and to not follow a dc-sc series with another dc row (this prevented too many holes that occur with a K hook and a dc stitch). The short pieces of yarn pulled out of the Jazzy Beach Wrap were used for the behind-the-neck area; longer pieces were used for the blocked sections.
For my about 5-foot 3-inch body, the scarf was much much too long the first day I wore it - and it stretched as the day went on! Hanging 2-3 inches below my knees when not wrapped around my neck) made me feel like I was going to trip on the ends! So, I shortened the scarf by about by about 10-12 inches. 80 inches long is much better!
After finishing the Calico Lap Blanket, there was still a bunch of red, pink, and white left so I started making squares with cluster centers surrounded by lacy white.
Confession: I am a "tool" junkie. Crochet hooks, patterns, yarn... Gardening tools... Quilting and sewing tools, fabric, books, measuring instruments, thread... And now, it seems, knitting...
I've been looking at interchangeable knitting needles, trying to figure out which type would be best for me. I like and use aluminum crochet hooks - specifically the very ergonomic Clover Soft Touch. My main knitting-related project interest at this time is making socks, which will require small needle sizes. I will probably want to knit afghans and sweaters, but my wrists cannot 
handle the weight of a crochet project hanging on long double-ended or tunisian crochet hooks so I want to avoid knitting projects hanging on straight knitting needles.
Online reviews (especially this one) of Denise Interchangeable Knitting Needles are very favorable. My main hesitation with buying a set of these is that the tips are light grey resin (plastic) not metal. In addition, the smallest size is 5 and knitting socks requires smaller needles (0-3 I understand depending on the yarn and pattern). 
A personal negative here is that the cables are my least favorite colors: blue or pink. The pink set costs a little more but includes a donation to support breast cancer research (the cost difference is not a factor). Denise customer support is reported to be excellent. Plastic is airline safe. Size 17 and 19 needle tips are available ala carte but not sizes smaller than 5.
Online reviews of the Boye NeedleMaster Interchangeable Needle System are favorable for the most part. Includes sizes 2-15, and smaller circular (not interchangeable) needles are available ala carte in 0 and 1 (as well as other sizes). The tips are metal, not plastic, in a different color for each size - and, for me, color makes using the tools more interesting. The most frequent complaints are that the connections can come loose (the Denise set is much better) and sometimes the connections aren't smooth enough so yarn doesn't easily slip over them (again, the Denise set is better). I gave Mom a set of these many many years ago as a gift. She frequently uses them and loves 'em. She reports no problem with yarn getting stuck on the connections.
Knit Picks Options are another type of interchangeable knitting needles. These are nickel-plated, sleek and very pointy. I'm not sure whether "pointy" is a quality I seek as a beginning knitter. The smallest size is 4, but smaller circular (not interchangeable) needles are also available ala carte in 0, 1, 2 and 3 (and other sizes). The case and plastic pockets don't look and aren't reported to be durable. A personal bonus for me is that the cables are my favorite color: purple.
I've read that plastic or bamboo or wood needles are good for beginning sock knitters since yarn slides off less easily than with metal needles.
Some of the reviews I read:
http://www.knittersreview.com/tools.asp
http://www.knittersreview.com/article_tool.asp?article=/review/product/030424_a.asp
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEsummer03/FEATdenise.html
http://www.knittersreview.com/forum/
(Most links open new window.)
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