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How to Foundation Single Crochet

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Marly Bird teaches how to crochet foundation single crochetMany times I hear that the starting chain of a project is slightly tighter than the rest of the gauge, making the project more narrow at the start. I will hear that the starting edge is not as stretchy as it should be for a project. One of the ways to avoid these issues is to use a foundation single crochet. Let me show you how to foundation single crochet in one of the new Red Heart Yarn’s FREE patterns.

Another bonus of using the the foundation single crochet start is that you will have a beautiful V stitch edge. This is a very useful way to start when you want to crochet into the bottom of your work and for getting a stretch starting edge.

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Free Bulky Crochet Messy Bun Hat: Chunky Monkey!

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Get a Free Bulky Crochet Messy Bun Hat Pattern today! It’s quick to make, fun to wear, and a perfect last-minute gift! The Chunky Monkey Bulky Hat pattern is the newest accessory off my hook (my daughter named the pattern).

Super Bulky yarn isn’t always my go-to for hats. But since time is speeding by as I make last-minute gifts, I reached for Red Heart Grande yarn. I decided it was going to be a hat. The crazy thing is, today, I went to a department store and saw a lot of super bulky hats for sale. As I was eyeing the hats, a group of teenage girls began to “ooh and ahhh” all about the hats. Three of them walked away to purchase one each. So, I guess there must be a market 🙂

Learn how to make this wonderful hat that only uses 1 ball of each color. The Free Bulky Crochet Messy Bun Hat is not only cute but very quick! It’s a great gift for your loved one. A  great addition to your craft fair wares, and an awesome addition to your own wardrobe.

Free Crochet Messy Bun Hat Ribbed for Him and Her by Marly Bird

Add to favorites and queue the Free Bulky Crochet Messy Bun Hat Pattern, “Chunky Monkey Bulky Hat“ pattern on Ravelry
**This post includes affiliate links**

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Let’s Meet Mary Scott Huff

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Let’s Meet Mary Scott Huff

Let’s Meet Mary Scott Huff on the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird today. Mary Scott Huff is the author of six knitting books: The New Stranded Colorwork, Teach Yourself Visually Color Knitting, Fun and Fantastical Hats to Knit, Fun and Fantastical Slippers to Knit,The Creative Kids Photo Guide to Knitting, and The Mitten Handbook. An Information Technology refugee, Mary now leads a yarn-centered life. The many friends she’s found along the way have helped her become an internationally-recognized designer, teacher and author. A native of the Pacific Northwest, Mary shares a wee little house there with her husband, two children, some Scottish Terriers, and more yarn than is strictly necessary.

You can join Mary on her adventures playing with string at MaryScottHuff.com, and her Ravelry Designer page. She keeps a very low profile online so if you like what she spoke about, I would recommend you sign up for her updates on the front page of her website. To purchase ANY of Mary’s books, use Marly’s #AffiliateCode for Amazon, or Teach Yourself Knitting Visually, or Fun and Fantastical Hats to Knit.

If you missed this when it is live, no worries, there is video from the Birds of a Feather Studio on Marly’s Facebook page or the audio episode where it aired originally: https://www.blogtalkradio.com/yarnthing/2017/03/14/mary-scott-huff

The Mountain Mist Poncho Crochet Pattern

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I have just added a NEW pattern to my Ravelry store, Mountain Mist Poncho Crochet Pattern! This pattern was originally featured in Love of Crochet, in their Winter 2014 issue. I just got the rights back to this pattern and have added it to my Ravelry store so that everyone can enjoy it. My NEW patten: The Mountain Mist Poncho is the perfect layering piece. (Make sure you read to the end for a limited time special offer) *affiliate links in post*

One of the great things about the Mountain Mist Poncho is that it can be worn as a poncho or as a wrap. The Mountain Mist Poncho Crochet Pattern is a great pattern for those that want to expand their skills. The familiar part of this pattern is that it is a long rectangle, there is no shaping in this pattern, so you can think of it as an oversized scarf. The skill building comes from working on the cables and lace sections. This is a one size fits most pattern. If you look at the two images you will see how the poncho fits differently depending on your size.

Sometimes I hear that cables are scary but I have both a written and charted pattern for you to help you get through the cable section. Although I don’t have a video tutorial for this pattern you can check out my video with Creativebug about crochet cables. In this video you can practice on a small swatch to understand the concept of crochet cables and then apply it to the Mountain Mist Poncho Crochet Pattern. [Read more…]

Learn about Harrison Richards Furls Crochet

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Learn about Harrison Richards Furls Crochet. The man behind the sexy and sleek hooks was the guest on the Yarn Thing Podcast with Marly Bird today and told us the story about his amazing crochet hook. Harrison’s first visit of what we hope will be many more.

Harrison Richards (image from Crochet Savvy Magazine)
Harrison Richards
(image from @Crochet Savvy Magazine)

We don’t often visit with folks who have British accents (Northampton, England), so listening to his background story was lovely to hear. He attended St Andrews in Austin, Texas, which teaches K-12. While there he decided he wanted have a creative business where he would travel worldwide and provide a really cool product. He crocheted and knit, and in high school he made crochet hooks for his high school sweetheart, and sold a few to other friends. In college, he began tons of crochet hooks and sold them on Etsy. In two days he had a LARGE order for Loop (shop in the UK) and Furls Crochet was born. [Read more…]

Yarn Review-Red Heart Scrubby Sparkle

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Yarn Review with Marly Bird of Red Hearts Scrubby SparkleThis week on my Facebook page I had a Facebook Live yarn review of Red Heart Scrubby Sparkle. Be sure to like my Facebook page and turn on the live notifications if you missed this one.

Many of you already love Red Heart Scrubby and now you can love it in a whole new way with Red Heart Scrubby Sparkle. This yarn is perfect for small gifts for the holidays. Many people use the Scrubby line of yarn to make dishcloths but there are other things that you can make with it. [Read more…]