Jill Wright, Author at Marly Bird

WeCrochet, (crochet.com) recently launched a WeCrochet Designer Spotlight series that features various designers and their work. They’re highlighting some of the most popular designers, and guess who’s featuring in May? Me! Marly Bird! As you know, I’m a knitting and crochet designer. I call myself BiCrafty! And, I’ve been sharing my skills and expertise with my followers for many years.

WeCrochet Designer Spotlight on Marly Bird, smiling wearing black and white framed glasses, black tee shirt, and grey knit shawl, with green bushes in background.

Who Are WeCrochet?

In case you didn’t know, WeCrochet is an online platform. It was launched in 2019 by KnitPicks, which is well-known for its yarns and knitting patterns. WeCrochet and KnitPicks are related in the sense that they’re sister companies owned by the same parent company, Crafts Americana. However, WeCrochet is specifically designed for crochet enthusiasts. They offer a full range of crochet tools and crochet patterns, not to mention a fantastic range of yarns. Though KnitPicks and WeCrochet yarns are essentially the same, sometimes it’s nicer to buy from a company that’s crochet-friendly. Right?

WeCrochet offers a wide variety of crochet patterns by many designers. Read their yarn reviews and skill-building resources, and then there’s all the crochet equipment you could ever need. They also produce a WeCrochet magazine and a WeCrochet podcast. Here you’ll find even more information on crochet designs, yarn lines (skeins, hanks, and balls), and other designer insights. There’s also a blog, a learning center, and a podcast that provides education and insights into the world of crochet.

The WeCrochet website offers freebies and hosts giveaways from time to time. Users can also find information on yarn use, hook size suggestions, and in-depth yarn label information. Overall, WeCrochet is an excellent platform for crochet enthusiasts offering patterns, yarns, skill-building resources, and designer collaborations galore. If dyeing yarn is your thing, you can find ‘bare’ yarns free of color to create the colorways you want.

Facebook, Blogging, And Reviews…Oh, My…

Did you know the WeCrochet team also hosts a weekly live broadcast on Facebook at 12:30pm ET (9:30am PT)? Join the chat, discover new products and collections, and meet great guests! They also offer a Product Spotlight. They choose something special from interesting crochet-related businesses to highlight on their website.

The company also operates the Loopy Lamb blog and hosts giveaways. They feature staff projects and host special guests on their podcasts. As a part of the maker program, WeCrochet provides product reviews and pattern errata for its users. Additionally, they frequently post wallpaper images and offer freebies like stitch guides and tutorials. Make sure to sign up with your email address to stay updated.

WeCrochet and Crafts Americana offers crochet enthusiasts and anyone who loves yarn an authentic crochet community. I’m sure you’ll be making repeat visits to Crochet.com.

WeCrochet And Me!

I’ve been working with WeCrochet for a while now, though our partnership began long ago at TNNA. The National Needlearts Association, unfortunately, no longer exists. I met several people over my designing career from other magazines, websites, etc., who now work at WeCrochet. These connections include:

Stacey Winklepleck consistently showed up at TNNA for networking and her love of yarn.
Jen Burt, who was a previous editor of Love of Crochet Magazine (I created a LOT of designs for Jen).
Katelyn, who used to work with me, just to name a few.

Now, I’ve created some exclusive designs for my website using KnitPicks/WeCrochet yarns – I just love them! You’ll find WeCrochet featured me on a video segment earlier this year, live-streaming my Game Day Mystery Make Along. It’s great having connections all across the industry so we can work together in all kinds of ways.

Designer Spotlight Marly Bird for WeCrochet - Get 30% off Marly Bird Patterns on the WeCrochet website May 1-31, 2023

Yarns Galore!

I’ll be talking more about the WeCrochet yarns during May since that’s my Designer Spotlight month. I’ll blog about many of their yarns, including worsted weight yarns, cotton, highland wool, superwash wool, and merino, amongst others. They even offer different package sizes, so you can get several yarn hanks or skeins in one pack! You might just find me sharing yarn review info about:

Hawthorne
WOTA
Cotlin
Swish *Marly’s Favorite!
Chroma
Twill
Brava
City Tweed *Another Favorite!

You’ll just have to wait and see… By the way…isn’t Snuggle Puff a great name? That yarn has Pima cotton in it…but you’ll find out more soon.

Fashion & Function…Patterns & Projects

You know I’ve designed a wide range of fashionable and functional crochet items like hats, scarves, tops, and shawls. Everyone wants shawl patterns!

You know how well Marly Bird designs are known for creativity, simplicity, colorwork, and elegance.

And did I mention color?

In the WeCrochet Designer Spotlight, you’ll see some of my Marly Bird designs in some of my favorite WeCrochet yarns. They’re just for you, my avid crochet enthusiasts.

Whether a beginner or an advanced crocheter, you’re bound to find a pattern you’ll love hooking. Don’t forget many of my patterns come with helpful instructional crochet videos. You’ll find my tips and tricks for crocheting are accessible and easy to follow. This makes them perfect for those who are starting out or if you just need a refresher.

There’s Always More To Learn

Thanks to WeCrochet’s Designer Spotlight series, you crochet enthusiasts can discover more about me and my designs in WeCrochet yarns. Learn about other designers and their crochet projects, and be inspired to take your crochet skills to the next level.

So you see, my history with WeCrochet has been a fruitful partnership. We’ve worked together on all kinds of projects over the years, and we’ll continue for a long time, yet. I’m certain of it.

Designer Showcase Marly Bird, image of Marly wearing the Calor Wrap. Paragraph about Marly Bird.

So, What Is The ‘WeCrochet Designer Spotlight’?

The Wecrochet Designer Spotlight is a program that showcases the work of talented crochet designers from around the world. The goal is to provide a space for independent designers to showcase their creations and share their passion for crochet. The Wecrochet Designer Spotlight idea came about when the team at Wecrochet noticed an increasing interest in the crochet community. They wanted unique and original designs. Knitters and crocheters alike were looking for new and exciting patterns to challenge their skills and inspire them to create beautiful and functional items. To meet this demand, Wecrochet created a program to highlight the work of talented designers in the community.

Featuring…

The Wecrochet Designer Spotlight program features a variety of crochet designers including some of my best friends. Many of their designs range from hats and cowls to blankets and amigurumi. These patterns are available for purchase through the Wecrochet website. Customers can choose from a range of yarns and colors to suit their preferences.

The program also offers yarn and product reviews. Find tutorials on crochet stitches, hook sizes, and yarn weights. Look for tips and tricks for designing and creating unique crochet projects. Crocheters can also register for the WeCrochet email newsletter to receive the latest news and updates, giveaways, and freebies.

WeCrochet Designer Spotlight on Marly Bird, smiling wearing black and white framed glasses, black tee shirt, and grey knit shawl, sitting in a denim chair and knitting. White ikea shelf full of colorful yarn behind her.

Why Spotlight Designers?

The Wecrochet Designer Spotlight recognizes and promotes talented crochet designers and encourages creativity and innovation within the community. It offers a unique opportunity for designers to showcase their work, connect with other crocheters, and gain valuable exposure in the industry. The program serves as a valuable resource for anyone interested in croche. It provides access to diverse patterns and designs that cater to different skill levels and preferences. The Wecrochet Designer Spotlight is a celebration of the artistry and passion behind crochet. It paves the way for a vibrant and inclusive crochet community.

Published Marly Bird Designs In WeCrochet Yarns

I wanted to share a few of the designs I’ve already produced for WeCrochet. You may find that you’ve already made one or more. Check them out…you might find there’s more that you just can’t live without! Got your crochet hooks ready? Read on…

Crochet pillow pattern - cream main color cable patternw ith pink trim. Pillow on denim blue chair with yarn hanks to lower right corner (pink, blue, lavender, mint colored yarn - Marly Bird.

Bonnie Billow Pillow

City Tweed Chevron Cowl

Confetti Dots Granny Blanket

Ginger Snap Hooded Scarf

Hamilton Crochet Cardigan shown on a mannequin. The cardigan is made in color teal, cold and off white, long sleeved and drape front - Marly Bird

Hamilton Crochet Cardigan Pattern

Inishmore Cable Blanket

Rylan Cable Cowl

Snow Day Throw

Calor Lacy Wrap

Pelargonium Motif Shawl

Hvita Slippers

Bavaria Hat & Mittens - rippled and striped in grey, plum, lilac, pink, light pink yarn. 2 hats in similar colorways, one with grey fur and one with plum fur pompom. Mittens below with plum yarn as main color. White background.

Bavaria Hat and Mittens

Fernanda Motif Shawl

Cinnamon Heart Hat

In case you don’t already know, MarlyBird.com offers a host of free resources for crochet enthusiasts. Included are video tutorials and patterns for purchase, tips, techniques, and loads of free patterns. And don’t forget the hosting of several special events throughout the year. WeCrochet has been involved in several of these: Game Day, Tournament of Stitches, Turkey Trot, and the BiCrafty Bootcamp.

Below are a few examples of the last TOS we did using Hawthorne yarn and Comfy Fingering. These patterns will be published with a few different options.

Coming soon: Course/Collection in the Marly Bird House called Stitch Switch
Coming sooner: Ad-Free pdf’s of each individual pattern without the “choose your own adventure” option.

Samples finished from the 2022 Tournament of Stitches with Marly Bird. 6 samples of Crochet, Tunisian and Knitting Shawls in Hawthorne Yarn from WeCrochet - KnitPicks - Marly Bird

WeCrochet Yarns And New Marly Bird Designs

New Marly Bird designs are coming out soon in WeCrochet Yarns, which are sure to excite any crochet enthusiast. I’ve designed charming and quirky amigurumi creatures, gorgeous new shawls, a vest, and a cropped sweater (can’t wait to show you these). These designs showcase some of the newest additions to the WeCrochet yarn line, including Hawthorne. These designs, as always, come with comprehensive tech-edited crochet patterns, yarn recommendations, fiber content, yarn weight, yardage, hook size, charts, and schematics if needed. You’ll find links within the pattern PDFs to purchase your yarn and specific helpful crochet tools. No hunting required.

You can also crochet these adorable Apricot Lane Creatures using WeCrochet Yarns:

Alden the Owl Amigurumi

Felix the Fox

Grab a crochet hook and get those muscles in shape because we have some awesome offerings coming very soon!

Don’t forget crochet gauge is very important!

Stay tuned for more!

Whether or not you’re a beginner, you’ll come across repeats in knit and crochet patterns. If you’ve been crafting for a while, you’ll recognize there are specific ways and methods of pattern writing.

It seems that each publisher or yarn company has a slightly different style. It’s especially obvious to designers who work with several companies. Once a company accepts a design, they’ll send a style sheet, so the designer knows how the company wants the patterns written.

Though there are subtle differences, on the whole, they look pretty much the same to knitters or crocheters.

Image of blue and grey knit sample and turquoise crochet sample with pattern repeat symbols.

So, let’s look at some ways you may have seen repeats in knit and crochet patterns.

I don’t have enough stitches!

A standard error in written pattern repeats is when the repeats shown add up to more stitches than you have on the needle. This is usually because the first written section of the pattern between the * and ; isn’t added to the stitch count. Here’s what I mean.

I’m showing this example in knit, but the same goes for crochet.

Let’s say your pattern repeat (sometimes written as pat rep or patt rep) is 8 sts + 3, you’ve cast on 27 sts, and your first pattern row looks like this:

Row 1: K4, p3, *k5, p3; rep from * twice, k4.

If you add up the stitches mentioned in this row, it comes to 35 sts, but you only have 27. That’s because you’ve already worked one pattern repeat between the * and ; before the repeat is even mentioned.

Writing correct repeats in knit and crochet patterns

There are a few ways to write this, so the stitch count and pattern are correct.

Row 1: K4, p3, *k5, p3; rep from * once, k4.

Breaking down the stitches into groups, we have 7 sts before the *, 8 sts between the * and ;, one repeat = 8 sts, and 4 sts to end the row.

7 + 8 + 8 + 4 = 27 sts

Here are four other ways you might see this row written which are also correct.

Row 1: K4, p3, *k5, p3; rep from * once more, k4.
Row 1: K4, p3, *k5, p3; rep from * to last 4 sts, k4.
Row 1: K4, p3, *k5, p3; rep from * to last 4 sts, knit across.
Row 1: K4, p3, *k5, p3; rep from * to last 4 sts, knit to end.

In these examples, the pattern doesn’t always tell you how many times to repeat the stitches between the * and ;, but you know you have to work in pattern to the last 4 sts, then knit the final 4.

You’ll find asterisks (*) and semicolons (;) are the most common method of showing repeats in knitting and crochet patterns.

What about shorter stitch repeats within rows.

You’ll see stitch repeats within rows in both knit and crochet patterns. You’ll spot these groupings of stitch repeats within square brackets [ ] or parentheses, also known as round brackets ( ). These square or round brackets surround a group of stitches that you must work a defined number of times before moving along the row. You may see multiple brackets in one row, each with its own number of repetitions.

In crochet patterns, you may see a group of stitches within the brackets, including where you should work these defined stitches, i.e., in a specific stitch or space. Depending on the pattern, the placement instructions for the bracketed stitches can be inside or outside of the brackets.

Let’s check out some examples.

Here’s a knit row to set up a cable pattern:

Row 1: *K1, [p2, k2] twice, p2, k1, [p2, k2] twice, p2; rep from *, end k1.

Notice in this row, the * is right at the beginning. You have two separate bracketed instructions (each with a repeat number) separated by individual instructions. At the ;, you repeat the whole string from the beginning *.

Now, let’s look at a crochet row with brackets.

Ch 3, dc in each of next 2 dc, [2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc] in next dc, dc in each of next 2 dc, dc in 3rd ch of ch 3.

Here you’ll notice there are stitch instructions inside the brackets. Instead of a repeat number after the brackets, we see where these stitches should be worked.

More repeats in crochet

Curly brackets look like this { }, and you’ll usually find them in crochet patterns where we need even more brackets to define a complete stitch pattern or unit. This is where we get to use brackets inside of brackets.

I’ll show you what that means here, where I describe how to work a crochet shell with a repetitive stitch pattern.

{[dc, ch 1] 3 times, dc} in next ch-1 sp.

The square brackets inside show you the repeated stitches, which you then follow with the last dc. You’ll see that the curly brackets enclose the complete shell instructions. After the curly brackets, you find out where to work this shell.

Image of 2 swatches - blue and grey knit, turquoise crochet - with knit and crochet repeat symbols.

Recognizing repeats on charts

Charts are fabulous visuals showing how your knitting or crochet will look and also how it’s formed.

You’ll see symbols for each stitch inside a grid on knitting charts. A solid colored line around the outside of a block of stitches marks the repeat. And you’ll see a legend telling you what each symbol means in terms of which stitch to use. You’ll also see how to read the chart depending on whether you work your project flat or in the round.

Crochet charts are only slightly different in that there is no grid since crochet stitches or combinations of stitches are all different shapes, widths, and heights. The stitch repeat is still marked with either a solid outline or a colored block overlay, and you’ll still see a legend, so you’ll know what each symbol means.

Working flat in knit or crochet, you’ll read right to left on Right Side (RS) rows and then left to right on Wrong Side (WS) rows.

In the round, you’ll work from right to left on every round. An easy way to spot ‘in the round’ charts is that all the row numbers are on the right side of the chart. If you’re working flat, you’ll see the row numbers alternate on both sides of the chart.

By where the foundation chain begins, you can tell if the first row of a crochet pattern is a right side or wrong side row. If the chain starts at the left, your first row will be an RS row. If your foundation chain begins at the right, your first row will be a WS row.

Whether knitting or crocheting, charts always show the Right Side of your work.

Now to practice reading repeats

So, now that you’re armed with enough information to understand repeats in knit and crochet, it’s time to put your knowledge into practice. Check out the links below for some fun projects and some samples of charts and how to read them.

Here’s a pattern for the Double Dip Ribbed Knit Hat.

And this is the YouTube video to accompany the Double Dip Hat Pattern. If you prefer to watch how it’s done, check it out.

Crocheters – how about the Lacy Crochet Shawl – Feather & Fan Wave?

And here’s the Feather & Fan Crochet Shawl accompanying video (Part 1.)

If you want even more pattern choices, check out the Marly Bird Ravelry Store!

Repeats in Knit and Crochet || Tips & Techniques