Another Online Class, Coming Soon!

I was in the studio at Annie's yesterday filming another cool online crochet class! It was so great to work with the team again. I'll keep you posted when I hear of the launch date.

Late night pre-class prep. 

The Indiana sky is big. 

I brought Chickee to the studio with me this time! 

A sneak peek at swatches. 

Here's the link to my other classes while you wait for this one to be revealed. 

Give the Gift of FUN this Holiday Season

How do you feel when you create a crocheted item? Happy? Satisfied? Proud?

Did you have FUN making it? Of course you did!

Why not pass along your love of crochet to someone this Holiday?



Learn to Crochet Class DVD

Also, our school and Church often have Basket Raffles... why not throw in a copy of the DVD, a few untouched skeins of yarn from your Stash and a few hooks? I do this for our Summer Festival every year and it's always a big hit.

Will you give Crochet related gifts this year? What kind? Tell me your plans maybe it will help me brainstorm for my own friends and family.

Online Class Review: Crocheting with Beads

Robin at Crochet Nirvana did a very thorough review of my Annie's Online class, Crocheting with Beads!  Read all about her adventures and get a time-limited discount code.

Thank you Robin!

Thank YOU!

You have to read what a nice student wrote about my Annie's Online Class, "Learn to Crochet"....

"Hi Ellen, I just wanted to let you know that I have tried to learn how to crochet unsuccessfully for about 3 years now. Thanks to this class and the excellent way you have taught it, I have finally successfully completed my first project! Because I took this class, I learned that I had been doing everything wrong and that's why nothing I made ever turned out right. I mean, I couldnt even make a swatch look good before I took this class. LOL. Anyway, because of the washcloth project, I now have a very strong understanding of how to do these stitches and I just wanted to let you know that it really benefited me. Thanks!"

Isn't that nice?  Thank you for the nice compliment! It made my day and I had to share!

  This class and my other class, Crocheting with Beads are both available online (where you can ask questions) or as a DVD. Find both versions at AnniesCatalog.com

What was I thinking? Mystic Fog Scarf

 The Mystic Fog Beaded Scarf is one of the 6 Crochet projects in my Annie's Online class, Crocheting with Beads.

What was I thinking?  I was thinking about the fog we get here on the River in Southern Ohio. Universal Swiss Mohair was the perfect yarn for this project. Warm and weightless both substantial and airy at the same time.  For this scarf, you will pre-string the beads and they will hang on the yarn like droplets of moisture on the curtain of fog.

In my online classes, I always want to teach as much as I can. So in addition to learning  how to crochet the beads on to double crochets (for this project), this scarf also teaches how to read a symbol diagram.  I'm thinking, after learning the technique, you might also know how to put a keyhole in other row projects.  

 I was thinking with this scarf, that I wanted an easy to memorize stitch pattern.  I wanted a pattern that you could customize and place the keyhole wherever and whenever you want it.  It would be very easy to make the scarf longer.  I love the ascot length though.  It's very instant gratification. Also, beads do add weight to a project. When you have a light (not heavy) yarn, you don't want to pull it down too much and take away it's lofty nature.

That's 6 projects and all the techniques you can use over and over in all your crochet projects for $24.95. In other projects, beads are added to single crochet to hang on both the wrong side and right side of the crocheted fabric.  I also teach "hitched on" beading when you add beads to the crochet as you go instead of pre-stringing them. I like that technique too and liken it to "painting" with beads.

Would you like a few more details about the project? See the Ravelry project page for the Mystic Fog Scarf.  For more details on my two online classes, Crocheting with Beads and Learn to Crochet ($19.95) go to AnniesCatalog.com and click on "online classes".  Photos of all the projects and a preview of the classes are there.

Learn to Crochet!

My new Annie's Online Class is LIVE!

I know you all already know how to crochet, but here's a comprehensive class for beginners. Give it as a gift! Watch it to test your knowledge base.  All those friends who tell you, "I'd like to learn" and "Will you teach me?" Send them my way! Watch it to get FIVE crochet projects, full instructions both written and symbols. Lefties, don't be shy, I demonstrate stitches for you too!

http://www.anniescatalog.com/onlineclasses/detail.html?code=CDV01

Review Learn Bruges Lace, Enter to win

If you have any kind words to say about my crochet book Learn Bruges Lace would you please say them on an Amazon review? While I’m a junkie for kind words, I’m really asking because it helps consumers find the book and order with confidence to have some reviews to look at.
Anyone who gives a kind review on Amazon, come back here and let me know and you will be ENTERED to win a prize… (I don’t know what yet… what would you like? yarn? books? patterns? tools?)

 Entries will be taken until January 2nd, 2013, midnight, EST. Anyone can enter, but if someone from outside of the US and Canada wins, your prize will have to be digital in nature, rather than something that has to be shipped. YOU MUST: Post a comment on this post or on my Ravelry group  with your first name, last initial and a location to help identify you from others. You may also offer what type of prize you would like to win from the suggestions above, I'll see if I can accommodate. But you can only enter one Review on Amazon, so you'll only be entered to win one time.

Here’s the link to the Amazon Page:
http://www.amazon.com/Learn-Bruges-Lace-Ellen-Gormley/dp/1596355476/ref=la_B00403OCDO_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1355927822&sr=1-2

The Winner will be announced on January 3, 2013. The winner will need to contact me at Ellen@GoCrochet.com by January 7, 2013 with your email and shipping address. 
This is my Christmas wish! Thanks for participating.

Fashions to Flaunt Crochet GIVEAWAY

I had the fun of meeting Jenny King this past September in Reno, Nevada at the Knit & Crochet Show and Crochet Guild of America conference.  She blew in from Australia like a breath of fresh air entertaining us all with her stories of the local wildlife in her hometown.

 Fashions to Flaunt, is all garments and accessories crocheted with Noro yarns! (yum).  There are 48 pages, 17 projects including the stitch guide and basic crochet instructions.

 In the book, you'll find this fascinating Crisscross vest. There is a second vest, 5 scarves, 3 shawls, 4 wraps, a pair of slippers, a hat and THIS.... awesome Stripy Skirt.

 The skirt is totally cute.  All the items are pretty loose and drape-y.  The fitted items are the skirt, hat and slippers. The rest of the garments are totally forgiving to both gauge and figure, though you will want to keep gauge for best results.  Many of the items have very interesting construction.  The photography is modern and fresh and done by Scott Campbell, the same photographer who did my book, Learn Bruges Lace. 

You'll love the familiar stitches in Jenny's book.  You'll see shells, traditional dc-3 groupings, filet mesh and v-sts put together with interesting shapes and fantastic yarns.

Giveaway Details: 3 readers will each win 1 copy of Jenny King’s Fashions to Flaunt Crocheted with Noro Yarns + 1 ball Noro Silk Garden super fine (sock) weight yarn (13/4 oz/110 yds/50g per ball) #304 hot pink/turquoise/lime (enough yarn to complete the popular Bobble Scarf featured in the book). Please leave a comment on THIS post or in "Jenny King 'Fashions to Flaunt' Giveaway" thread on Ravelry by Thursday night 11:59pm EST with your first name and town/village or identifying detail. (You may also enter BOTH places, for two entries, but may only win once). The winners will be announced here and the Ravelry thread on FRIDAY 12/15/12. The winners need to email me with your postal address by Monday 12/17/12.  THREE winners will be randomly drawn from the comments.

Go here to order your copy of Jenny’s book: http://bit.ly/TC0vhM

Go here to order Noro Yarn from Annie’s: http://bit.ly/RxJfev

Go here to “Like” the Annie’s Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/AnniesCatalog

Crocheting with Beads Online Class Coupon!

TODAY!  Here's a discount code for my Annie's online class "Crocheting with Beads"

SAVE $5 on today's featured class: Crocheting With Beads. Use keycode EXL4657 at checkout, but hurry, because offer expires Dec. 6, 2012, at 12 midnight ET.

 

Go here to watch a free preview video & to order the class.

Go here for offer details.

Cyber Monday Crochet

It's Cyber Monday!  Are you shopping for great crochet deals?

Check out my Online Class "Crocheting With Beads"

or great deals on CROCHET
  Use keycode EXK15CR to get $5 off a $15 crochet purchase at Annie's 

Or use this link to shop on Craftsy for great deals on classes.

We had a really nice Thanksgiving.  I'm so proud of myself, I ran the 10K Thanksgiving Day Race for the first time.  I really didn't think I was ready, but my friend Anne made it impossible to say no by having an answer for all of my logistical concerns.  I finished 7 minutes faster than my goal, so I was thrilled. Of course, I haven't run since. LOL. I took off a few days to recover, and then it got cold, and today is kinda busy.... 
I hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving!

If you aren't shopping, are you crocheting? I am!

Chanel Cape Revealed!

Take a look at my crocheted Chanel style cape in the new issue of Crochet! Winter 2012. It is one of the very rare times I was able to crochet with black!  (Have you ever noticed how rare it is for a model to be wearing black? Crochet just doesn't photograph well in solid black). But this red and black faux houndstooth really is sharp. :)

I made a little video of me designing this cape... let's see if I can imbed it here. It's a special 2 min video addition of "What was I thinking".   Yes, I cut off most of my face, but I was ok with that and I wanted you to see me sketching.

Annie's Crochet Classes!

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Give it a peek. I had a great time taping the class Crocheting with Beads. Also check out Kim Guzman's Tunisian crochet classes. More classes are being added all the time. Once you buy them, they are yours to access whenever, forever. They come with a money back guarantee. You get all the patterns associated with the class and the ability to ask questions!  If nothing else, check out my hair and nails, I did it special for the taping!