Crochet

Patterns, projects and techniques

CAN YOU STAND ANOTHER CONTEST?

by

This time, I’ve got a batch of booklets for you.  I’ve been clearing out magazines and leaflets from my stash.  I have found duplicates aplenty!  So, I’m willing to part with them.

ann-pattern-club-05091

This first batch includes 7 digest sized booklets (like the one pictured above).  Six are Annie’s Pattern Club (the one above is one of the magazines in this batch) magazines and one is Creative Hands ‘Ripple Afghan’ booklet.  These are not all crochet patterns, but there is plenty of crochet in them.  Also, if you knit, there are a few knitting patterns included.

So, what do you have to do to win these?  Well, I can’t make it too easy.

First, when you enter by posting a comment here, you also need to email me privately with your snail mail address.  I’ve had too much trouble tracking down winners in the past.  I’d prefer to be able to just mail the prize to the winner.  Easier for you, too.  You may well get a surprise in the mail, then, if you aren’t a regular reader.  So, that’s rule #1 – ENTER A COMMENT AND EMAIL YOUR SNAIL MAIL ADDRESS AND NAME TO ME WITH YOUR COMMENT. ([email protected])

Second, to actually enter the contest, you need to list a crochet technique that has not previously been mentioned by an earlier entrant.  No duplicates.  So, you could mention sc, dc, hdc, camel crochet, catherine’s wheel, etc.  There are plenty of crochet stitches, motifs, patterns, and terms.  Including a link to a picture of the entry may well give you an edge.  Let’s see how many we can list.

I’ll select the winner from amidst the entries.  Last contest had well over 100 entries.  One entry per email address please!

Contest opens today (May 21) and will end on Monday, June 15.  Winner will be announced shortly after the end of the contest.  I look forward to seeing how many different entries we can come up with!

Comments

  1. Yes, I can stand another contest, especially if I have a chance of winning! Thanks for the chance!

  2. Joined Arches. This stitch combination is shown on the April 30th page of 365 crochet Stitches a year calendar

  7. how about the Alicia Stitch
    http://crochet.about.com/library/weekly/aa012404.html
    or the Star Stitch
    http://crochet.about.com/library/blstar_stitch.htm?once=true&
    or the Moss Stitch, or a linked stitch, or any of the long stitches, such as long DC, Sc, or some might call it an extended stitch.

    I have a book of 1080 crochet stitches, in Chinese, and everything is shown in Graph. But since I do not read Chinese, I do not know the name of stitches. Some are motifs, some are Tunisian Crochet stitches, but otherwise, it’s all crochet.

  9. my first love was the pine apple stitch when I first used this stitch it was to make a doily and omg i was so happy about how perrty the pattern came out.

  11. I love doing the Shell stitch…5 double crochets in the next stitch..skip 2 stitchs and single crochet in the next stitch. And you do the next row shells in the single crochet of the previous. Baby blankets look nice and go quickly. And the Shell stitch makes a nice border too. Just make a shell of seven to eight double crochets for the corners. I know I blew my chances by being long winded…Thank-you for offering all these great books. I have some old workbaskets.

    Laura D.
    a crochet hook and a past menapausal Lady are dangerous weapons.

  12. I like using stitches with texture, so FPDC and BPDC, won’t list them all. Let others use some of them.

  15. I love the half double crochet. It makes the item crochet faster than single crochet and has less holes than double.

  16. I have a lot of favorite stitches, but right now I’m loving filet crochet, which is a combination of chain, single crochet and double crochet (although I supposed you could do it with treble crochet, etc.) – I’ve also done filet crochet with a popcorn stitch for a baby blanket and that’s turned out so cute. A picture of my latest filet crochet attempt, the last name of my newly married friend in a frame with sea shells that I picked up at the beach on their wedding day: http://www.flickr.com/photos/silvermari/3543181997/

  27. My favorite starting point is the magic circle and the favorite stitch would be DC because it makes a gorgeous wave pattern.

    MariAngel on Ravelry

  32. I amfjust getting started with my crafts.So I would be excited to win the books.thanks

  33. I like double crochet and shell stitch. Working on a riipple blanket in single crochet an dit is taking forever!
    Thanks for your contests!

  36. My new “favorite” is the CrochetCable…found it on LionBrand’s site under their Stitchfinder. Dunno why they call it “cable”, but it’s a cool stitch and lots of fun to do…works up great!

  37. I think that my new favorite stitch would have to be the Rabbit Ears stitch. I love the look of it, and it is fun to do (but that could be because it is new to me). Here is a link: http://crochetmagazine.com/inthisissue.php
    If you scroll down to where it says “In Stitches”, it is the pink sample. This was the only picture I could find. Anyways, good luck to everyone, and thanks for this opportunity! -Sabrina

  39. I absolutely love the diagonal box stitch. It is fast, easy and with different size hooks can llok very different. I recently made a baby blanket out ofit and baby stripes yarn. I was told by several family members that it ws the most beautiful of all the blankets I have made. Try it sometime. Just google Diagonal Box stitch. More simple than it initially looks.

  40. Hey, I love contests! This is my first visit to your site and I am bookmarking so I can come back…I like your site very much. Well, good luck to me in your contest 🙂 Thank you for the opportunity.

  41. I’ve tried many stitches and love many of them, one of my favorite is the Love Knot Stitch. I’ve used it to make several shawls and the Firefly Scarf, and my next attempt is going to be trying to turn that Firefly Scarf pattern into a wrap. Shouldn’t be to tough, just make it wider and that should do the trick

  42. I lke the reverisable stitch when you do a dc, sc,sc in one row then in the next u do ac in the dc, and dc in the sc of the prevouss ro nd keep repeating it. It makes a thick pattern.

    Marnie Sledge
    75 E. Isabella St.
    Lebanon, OR 97355

  44. The lowly slip stitch. Not fancy or super special or even decorative, but very useful to join motifs, to move discreetly along an edge in a pattern, or in a new book I have seen to make things.

    http://www.crochetcabana.com/crochet_dictionary.htm

    I just learned to join grannies (I have been making them for 35 yrs or so and never seen this joining method)and it makes such a neat joining.

    So here’s to the slip stitch!

    Nancy in South Texas

  46. My favorite stitch that hasn’t been listed or at least I didn’t see it listed is the reverse single crochet.. I love how it creates the looped around border–especially for non frilly things..

  47. For some crazy reason i love to do the single crochet maybe because with 3 boys i need something that really mindless to do espically if they start to fight about something I can run break it up and do what i love crocheting

  49. I love to make o row of 3dc clusters, a row of dc’s and a row of sc’s. then by varying the color/order I can come up with endless possibilities for patterns.

  50. Hi. My name is Sharleen. I am a crochetaholic.
    I have been in love with crochet for 41 hears now. I love to try new (and old) things. I am always looking for a new stash of patterns. If I were to win them in your contest my husband would love you forever as it would keep me out of JoAnns for a while. At least away from their pattern books. Thanks for the opportunity!

    My favorite stitch is Solomon’s knot. It is easy and creates a beautiful look.

    Sharleen

Have you read?

Red Melt The Ice Slouch Beanie Crochet Pattern Review

Some crochet projects are made simply because we need a warm hat. Some are made because we need a quick gift, a stash-busting project, or something easy to work on while watching television. And then there are crochet projects that carry a message.

This Red Slouch Beanie Crochet Pattern PDF sits firmly in that last category.

Inspired by the Melt the ICE craftivism movement, this red crochet beanie is more than just a wearable winter accessory. It is a handmade political statement — soft, practical, visible, and rooted in the long tradition of protest through craft.

You can find the Red Slouch Beanie Crochet Pattern PDF here.

Crochet as Protest

Crafters have always had a way of saying things with their hands. Quilts have carried coded messages, embroidery has documented women’s lives, banners have marched through the streets, and yarn crafts have wrapped public spaces in colour and defiance.

This beanie belongs to that same creative lineage.

The phrase Melt the ICE gives this pattern its political edge. It connects the humble red crochet hat to conversations around immigration enforcement, detention, family separation, human rights, community care, and the role ordinary people can play in public protest.

And that is what makes this pattern interesting. It is not loud in the way a placard is loud, but it is visible. A red handmade hat catches the eye. It invites questions. It gives the maker a way to wear their values without needing to shout over anyone.

Sometimes craftivism works because it is disarming. People expect political protest to be hard-edged, but handmade work brings something different to the conversation. It says, “I cared enough to make this stitch by stitch.”

About the Pattern

The pattern itself is beginner-friendly and refreshingly straightforward. The hat is worked flat in rows, then seamed and gathered to create a relaxed slouch beanie shape. That makes it especially approachable for crocheters who are still building confidence with wearable projects.

Instead of needing to work in the round or fuss with crown shaping from the start, you are essentially making a rectangle and turning it into a hat. I love that kind of construction because it gives beginners a real sense of achievement. You are not just practising stitches — you end up with something wearable and meaningful.

The design uses a textured crochet fabric, giving the finished beanie a cozy, slightly chunky look. The slouchy shape keeps it casual and modern, while the bold red colour gives it that unmistakable activist feel.

Why Red Matters

The red yarn is not just a colour choice here. It is part of the visual language of the project.

Red is urgent. Red is warm. Red is visible in a crowd. It can suggest anger, love, warning, solidarity, courage, and care all at once. For a political crochet project, that matters.

A red slouch beanie can be worn to rallies, community events, mutual aid gatherings, craftivism meet-ups, or simply out in everyday life as a quiet statement of support. It is one of those pieces that can be as bold or as subtle as the wearer wants it to be.

Of course, you could make the pattern in any colour, but for the Melt the ICE inspiration, red feels intentional. It gives the hat its message before a single word is spoken.