HodgePodge Crochet Pillow Showdown WINNER!!

Curious to know who won the HodgePodge Crochet Pillow Showdown and nab some deep discounts on these fabulous patterns??

Head on over to the HodgePodge Crochet Website to read all about it and don’t forget to update your bookmarks so you don’t miss out on any future content!! 

http://hodgepodgecrochet.net/2015/08/hodgepodge-crochet-pillow-showdown-winner/

Remembering Wink

#MandalasforWink

The HodgePodge Crochet Community has spent the last two days reflecting and creating mandalas in memory of Marinke, the creative powerhouse behind A Creative Being, who lost her battle with depression and was taken from us too soon.

We love you Wink and know that you’ve touched each and every one of us and will never, ever, be forgotten. ❤

Please, if your loved one is severely depressed, prepare yourself for the possibility that at some point he or she may feel suicidal. Take all signs of suicidal behavior seriously, and act immediately.

Take action if necessary:

• Talk to the person about your concern. Ask if he or she has been thinking about committing suicide or has a plan for how to commit suicide. Having an actual plan indicates a higher likelihood of attempting suicide.
• Seek help. Contact the person’s doctor, mental health provider or other health care professional. Let other family members or close friends know what’s going on.
• Call a suicide hotline number. In the United States, you can reach the toll-free, 24-hour hot line of the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255 to talk to a trained counselor. Use that same number and press 1 to reach the Veterans Crisis Line.
• Make sure the person is in a safe environment. Eliminate things that could be used to commit suicide. For example, remove or lock up firearms, other weapons and medications.
• Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately if the person may be in danger of self-harm or suicide. Make sure someone stays with that person at all times.

For more information, please visit: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/depression/in-depth/depression/art-20045943

WHERE TO FIND WINK AROUND THE WEB
http://www.acreativebeing.com/
https://twitter.com/acreativebeing
http://www.ravelry.com/designers/marinke-slump
https://www.facebook.com/acreativebeing
https://instagram.com/acreativebeing
https://www.pinterest.com/acreativebeing

#MandalasForWink: A collection in flickr of crochet mandalas created by the HodgePodge Crochet Community to celebrate the life of Wink. ❤

The Pattern Pack: April 2015 GO GREEN!

I am super thrilled to announce that HodgePodge Crochet is this month’s EXCLUSIVE design in The Pattern Pack GO GREEN edition!!!

Within the pages of this edition you will find my exclusive design for the Framed Hook Holder! I’ve been sitting on this project for a long while now and am so happy to have finally written it. Now I have a place where I can display all of my favorite hooks and markers that is both functional (I’ll never lose a hook or marker again!) and beautifully displayed. It’s also a great conversation starter and is perfect for every size hook I own from the smallest thread hooks to the biggest covered hooks!

This issue is also packed full with other amazing designs, all of which embrace the theme of living a green lifestyle and using our yarn to create beautiful things that are also eco-friendly!

Click the link >> http://www.thepatternpack.com/this-months-pack/ << to find out how to get your copy today!

Spotlight on Kreinik: How to Cover a Crochet Hook with Thread!

A while back I blogged about getting a box of goodies from Kreinik and since getting it, I’ve been SO BUSY that I haven’t had a chance to pull any of these yummies out of their wrappers and put them through their paces!

But I was determined to shut out the world and play with this box of goodies and make something I’ve had bouncing around in my head for a while now… Covered crochet hooks!

What you need to make your own:

• Polymer clay. One block in any color. Make sure you pick up more if you are planning on covering thousands of hooks!! Also, if you already own some clay and happen to have some scrap lying around, this is the project you want to use it on!
• A crochet hook (any size)
• Kreinik thread in your favorite color. DO NOT use acrylic yarn for this project as it will melt and possibly catch fire and burn down your neighborhood…
• An oven (I use a toaster oven for all of my polymer clay projects but you can use your regular oven as well).
• A tray, aluminum foil, heavy cardstock or really thick paper you can bend, and a small amount of fiberfil.
• A bowl of icy water.
• Optional: e6000 glue and a few wooden toothpicks.

How to make your hook! 

Begin by rolling some clay into a sausage shape:

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Press your thread down the center of the log:

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CAREFULLY place your hook over the top of the thread and press down evenly until your hook is in the center of the log:

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Pinch the clay together and roll until the hook is covered and the seam is smooth:

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Take your time wrapping the yarn around the hook making sure you keep it even and don’t overlap or leave gaps where the clay is poking out.

When you are done, use a small amount of clay to hold the ends in place by pushing into place where the thread both begins and ends. Make sure you have left some of the clay surrounding the hook visible on both the top and the bottom because clay will only stick to clay and not to thread!

Take your time and make this neat because you will see this part when the hook is done baking and you don’t want anything that will distract the eye from your gorgeous thread!

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Bake according to package instructions but BEFORE you bake, line your tray with aluminum foil and bend your cardstock into an M shape. Place a small amount of fiberfil in the center of the cardstock M and place your hook on top; then bake. Paper and fiberfil will not ignite in your oven unless introduced to a flame so take care that nothing is touching the heating elements in your oven!!

As soon as your hook is done baking, take it out and plunge it into a bowl of icy water. It will make your finished piece stronger.

After a few minutes, take out your hook and let it dry. If you’ve wrapped it correctly there shouldn’t be any gaps, loose thread, or anything moving on you at all and you’re ready to crochet! If you didn’t manage to wrap your hook correctly and you have some loose threads, you can still save all of your hard work!

Grab your e6000 and, starting at the top of your hook, dab on some glue. You have some wiggle room here but it’s best to work in small sections so that the glue doesn’t dry before you can arrange your thread.

Using a toothpick, stick down your thread, swirling as you go. Take care not to touch the glue so that it will dry clear and not get cloudy.

Alternate spreading glue and winding yarn all the way down the length of the polymer clay (going right over the first layer of thread) until you reach the bottom. Place some glue around the bottom of your hook, snip the thread, and make sure that you have a good bond so that nothing unravels. Place upright to dry!

I’d love to see your finished hooks and if you’d like to share, head on over to the HodgePodge Crochet page on facebook to drop me a pic! You can also tweet me @TheHodgeCrochet (or use the twitter box to the right) and instagram me @hodgepodgecrochet!

Don’t forget to click that button to FOLLOW HODGEPODGE before you leave so you don’t miss out on anything that’s coming up!

A Wee Bit O’ Irish, Crochet and Craft Style!

On The Hook Boutique has put together an AWESOME roundup and it has me all inspired to go out and squeeze someone Irish! ❤ ❤

On The Hook Boutique

  I am a lover of all things Irish, partly because it’s my heritage (part of it, I’m a true Heinz 57 kinda gal.) I love Irish music, dance, I LOVE the sound of Gaelic and stories of Faeries and the beautiful country it comes from.  A lot rough and rugged, but with warmth and love and always a Pint!

Here are a few fun crochet patterns and crafts I’ve rounded up just to have a little fun in preparation for St. Paddy’s Day! Saint Patrick’s Day means something different all over the world, but here in the states it is a chance for fun and frivolity and all things green.

This beautiful Four leaf clover barefoot sandal pattern from the lovely Kiley of Daughter of Dance is a wonderful addition to your footwear.  A little wearable Irish Pride!

   

Four Leaf Clover Barefoot Sandals

You can find Kiley…

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