Hancock Fabrics Coupons - Good Ones!

Hancock Fabrics is having a Martin Luther King Jr. sale, and they have some good discount deals going on.  If you need to stock up on craft supplies, now is the time to do it!  These coupons are good through Sunday, January 15, 2012.

$10 off of $50 purchase - online code MLK10
$25 off of $100 purchase - online code MLK25
$50 off of $200 purchase - online code MLK50

These coupon deals can also be used in-store.  For the printable coupons, click here! 

Great Crochet Resource

As I pursue my crocheting adventures, I continue to come across many great web resources. I happened upon this little gem of a website, and I already know that it will be one that I frequent quite often. It contains some really neat stitch patterns (FREE!!!), as well as motifs, that will help me as I try to design my own crocheted items. I am somewhat of a dreamy crocheter most days, LOL, as I see visions of what I want to crochet, but can never quite find the right pattern, or have no idea how to sit down and figure it out. This website I found will definitely be helpful in my needlework endeavors, and once I finish my current crochet project, I fully intend to get to work using the information from this website. Now that I have given great fanfare to the website, I shall reveal it to you :)

www.mypicot.com

Another Free Patterns Website

I came across this website in a crocheting pattern book I am currently using. I went to check it out, and I have just found lots more projects to keep me busy (if I get around to it!). It has free patterns for beading, crafts, crochet, cross stitch, knitting, paper crafts, plastic canvas, quilting, and sewing. These free patterns can be found at www.freepatterns.com . Happy crafting!!!

Printable Hobby Lobby Coupon

In lieu of the Christmas craft post I previously did, I thought I would post a link for a printable coupon for Hobby Lobby. It's for 40% off, and you can use one per day on regularly priced items. Here it is:

http://www.hobbylobby.com/weekly/coupon.cfm

Christmas in July?

If you are someone who likes to make your Christmas gifts, it might be a good time to start planning and thinking about what you would like to make. I find that not only does making gifts save alot of money, but people really appreciate the personal touch you put into it. And it really is the perfect thing to give someone who already has everything! I have found it easier to make my gifts over the years, because I have morphed my expectations into reasonable ones instead of grandiose ones (for example, there is no way I will be able to make an afghan for everyone on my list).

Smaller projects enable you to give nice gifts, and to be able to make several items. Some ideas for those who do needlework (knitting/crocheting) are doilies, hats, gloves, scarves, slippers, socks, hair pieces, potholders, dishcloths, etc. I have also made things like homemade jams/jellies for gifts (which go nicely with potholders or dishcloths as a gift). My kids have been begging me to crochet them some stuffed animals (they have seen the pattern books in the store, LOL). That just might make it onto my Christmas project list as well! To be even more thrifty, use a free pattern from http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/ or http://www.ravelry.com/ . They have tons of patterns and ideas! My only problem is choosing which ones to use!

If you start your projects now and stick with it, you should have Christmas covered by the time it gets here, and you will have less stress because most of it will be done by the time the season rolls around so you can focus on enjoying family and friends. Go forth and craft in peace!

P.S. The picture comes from www.clipartheaven.com .

More Free Crochet Patterns, Plus Knitting!

I almost cannot believe it took me this long to discover an awesome website, chock full of free patterns! I just recently became a member of an online knitting/crocheting community. It is called www.ravelry.com . I have already been browsing through all the patterns they have available, tons of them! They offer knitting patterns too. There are also plenty of patterns available to purchase as well. But there is no shortage of free patterns! It is free to join the group. Head on over and sign up today if you want to enter a needleworkers paradise!

Cute Potholders to Crochet - Gift Idea!

I found this incredibly cute potholder pattern through http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/ . I was going to try a few other patterns I found there, but after trying this one I am hooked! (No pun intended!) It is a simple cobble stitch to get the textured look, and then layered with a picot edge trim. The pattern is called "Maryanne's Potholder" and it can be found at http://dishclothboutique.20m.com/cpatterns/maryannespholder.html .


In the pattern, it suggests using some yarn to hold the pieces together while joining the two sides. I personally found it easier to just use four safety pins, one at each corner, and remove them after the project is finished. I have made these in quite a few color combinations, my personal favorite is a cream color with a darker contrasting color. The beige ones are nice too, though.


These little cuties can be whipped up quickly and would make a great Christmas gift, or any other kind of gift you might want to give. I plan on giving them in matching pairs. They would go nicely along with a jar of homemade jam or jelly, if you happen to have some on hand. I have tons of chokecherry jelly that I made in preparation for Christmas, so that's what I will be giving out to many unsuspecting family members (unless they are reading my blog, which will leave them suspecting) along with these dainty, yet hefty, potholders.

Free Crochet Patterns

It is getting to be that time of year when thinking about holiday gifts becomes more of a priority. I have been to several crafting stores today to look at pattern books for crocheting gifts. This year, I am more into slippers and socks. In past years, I have crocheted scarves, gloves, hats, afghans, etc.

My problem is that I like one pattern in each book, but I probably wouldn't use the rest of them. I hate to spend the money to buy a whole pattern book for just one pattern that I will use. I decided I would come home and look for some crocheting patterns on the internet and see what I could come up with. At least then, I can find one pattern I like, and I am not out $10 or more dollars for buying the pattern book.

The website www.crochetpatterncentral.com/index.php has many, many, many free patterns, plus links to other free patterns. To see what kind of patterns are available on this website, click on the "site index" option at the bottom of the webpage. Their website says they have thousands of free patterns available. You're sure to get some new ideas for projects just by browsing around there! The picture on this page is actually their logo. What a neat website!