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All About Annies Craft Festival with Kara Gott Warner

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All About Annies Craft Festival with Kara Gott Warner made for a SPECIAL Wednesday episode of the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird.

KARA_GOTT_WARNER_115_2Kara says she began knitting at about age 12, it was her grandmother that taught her. She lost interest as kids do, until about early 20’s. Kara worked in the garment industry of New York City and found a yarn shop that drew her like Mecca. ‘Her peeps’ welcomed her, and she realized she wanted to learn more about knitting and design. Later on, she attended a TNNA and met Michele Fortune, Executive Vice President of Annies, who has become her boss. [Read more…]

Teacher, Designer and Blogger Kellie Nuss

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Teacher, Designer and Blogger Kellie Nuss was our guest today on the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird. It’s was a wonderful thing to get this busy, busy lady to make time for us in her busy, busy day.

IMG_3149-2We’re being redundant but it’s not an exaggeration. Married at 19, having 5 kids before age 30 (2 while hubby was in Law School) she says she got to a point where she just needed to get out of the house. She went to her local yarn store and begged to be allowed to help and became a Saturday Shop Girl at The Weaver’s Place. They noticed that she was great at helping customers with their tricky problems and had her start teaching. One of those at the shop sent her info to XRX Books to help at Stitches Expos, and in 2005 when it was in Atlantic City, which began her career teaching across the country. [Read more…]

Blooming Granny Square

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Let’s make the Blooming Granny Square Square! You are nearing the finish line, way to go! This square combines All The Colors! It is the focal point to the entire blanket. This is the ninth and final block in the Crochet Stitch Sampler Baby Blanket CAL Sponsored by Red Heart Yarns and hosted by Marly Bird.

You can click here for the first square, here for the second square, here for the third square, here for the fourth square, here for the fifth square, here for the sixth square, here for the seventh square, here for the eighth square.

Where is the Full Pattern?

During the Crochet-along (CAL) you will be able to get the written and chart instructions as well as the HD Video tutorial for the next step in the Crochet Stitch Sampler Blanket every Tuesday and Thursday. The full pattern will not be posted until the end of the CAL.

GET FULL CAL DETAILS HERE

Get a little help from your friends!

Follow along and complete each step with my help as well as the wonderful group of other Marly Bird CAL members in the Facebook Group. In the group you can post pictures, ask questions and get general crochet support.

I’m ready! Let’s get this party started!

[Read more…]

Knitwear Designer and Teacher Sarah Peasley

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Knitwear Designer and Teacher Sarah Peasley was the guest today on the Yarn Thing podcast with Marly Bird. headshotcolorIMG_4630

Sarah Peasley says she’s been knitting for as long as she can remember but no one can remember who taught her. Her mom knits and that’s the only person around who would have taught her, Sarah remembers knitting for her dolls. She does know how to crochet but feels knitting is more intuitive for her. Sarah says it wasn’t an obsession until after she’d had her son….

She took a job through a typing service and was placed in auto parts plant in Michigan. Sarah took an aptitude test and was placed there as computer programmer. [Read more…]

Catherine’s Wheel Crochet Stitch

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Let’s make the Catherine’s Wheel Crochet Stitch Square! You are nearing the finish line, way to go! This is your second two color stitch and it is a fun one! This is the eighth block in the Crochet Stitch Sampler Baby Blanket CAL Sponsored by Red Heart Yarns and hosted by Marly Bird.

You can click here for the first square, here for the second square, here for the third square, here for the fourth square, here for the fifth square, here for the sixth square, here for the seventh square.

The Catherine's Wheel Crochet Stitch is the 8th block in the #Free Crochet Stitch Sampler Baby Blanket by Marly Bird. Available at www.MarlyBird.com

Where is the Full Pattern?

During the Crochet-along (CAL) you will be able to get the written and chart instructions as well as the HD Video tutorial for the next step in the Crochet Stitch Sampler Blanket every Tuesday and Thursday. The full pattern will not be posted until the end of the CAL.

GET FULL CAL DETAILS HERE

Get a little help from your friends!

Follow along and complete each step with my help as well as the wonderful group of other Marly Bird CAL members in the Facebook Group. In the group you can post pictures, ask questions and get general crochet support.

I’m ready! Let’s get this party started!

[Read more…]

Never Gonna Stop Square

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IMG_7691_1Never Gonna Stop Square

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So, why am I publishing a crochet granny square motif? Well, I was asked to be a part of the 2015 American Crochet Afghan Crochet-along. For the entire year of 2015 participating designers publish a square pattern that is free and measures 12″ (30.48 cm) using heavy worsted weight yarn (aran weight in UK).

You can learn more about this fun crochet-along please click here. No Stopping Me Now Shawl Pattern #Free by Marly Bird

The name is Never Gonna Stop Square because this is the same stitch pattern I used in the No Stopping Me Now Shawl which is a free pattern by me!  (see image to the right)

In the meantime, here is the information about the Never Gonna Stop Square! 

FREE Crochet Square Information

Size

Finishes sample is approx. 12” (30.48cm) square.

Materials

Yarn Red Heart, “With Love” (100% acrylic, 370 yds / 338m, 198g / 7 oz):

White #1001 (A) – 1 skein

Hot Pink #1701 (B) – 1 skein

Black #1012 (C) – 1 skein

Boysenberry #1907 (D) — 1 skein

Or colors of your choice

Hook Size J-9 (6 mm) hook or size required for gauge

Notions Removable stitch markers, yarn needle

Notes

To change colors, work last st of row to final yo, yo with new color and complete last st.

Special Stitches

CL (cluster): * Yo, pull up a loop in indicated st, yo and draw through 2 loops on hook, rep from * once more, yo and draw through all 3 loops on hook.

Shell: CL, (ch 2, CL) twice all in same st or sp.

Abbreviations

beg – begin(ning)

ch – chain

dc – double crochet

rep – repeat

RS – right side

sc – single crochet

st – stitch

tr – triple (treble) crochet

WS – wrong side

Yo – yarn over

 

Square Pattern

Using A, Use magic loop.
Row 1: Ch 7 (counts as 1 tr and 3 ch), (dc, ch 3, 2 tr, ch 3, dc, ch 3, tr) twice, all in magic loop, join with a sl st to 4th ch of original ch-7. Do Not Turn. Pull Magic Loop Closed.

Notice: At this point in the square it is hard to have any orientation so let me help a bit. The treble stitches are placed at the corner of the square now and throughout. As you work more rows you will see the shells build along the sides of the square and the center corner stitches will always be the treble crochet (for the row 5 repeat) and the single crochet (for the row 4 repeat).

Row 2: Ch 1, * sc in first tr, shell (see Special Stitches) in next dc, sc in each of 2 tr, shell in next dc, sc in tr; rep from * once more, join with a sl st to first sc, changing to B in last st.

Row 3: Ch 7 (counts as 1 tr and 3 ch), dc in first sc, * ch 3, sc in center CL of shell, ch 3, (dc, ch 3, tr) in next sc, (tr, ch 3, dc) in next sc, ch 3, sc in center CL of shell, ch 3, (dc, ch 3, tr) in next sc **, (tr, ch 3, dc) in next sc; rep from *  once more ending at **, join with a sl st to the 4th ch of the beginning ch-7.

Row 4: Ch 1, sc in first tr, shell in next dc, * sc in next sc, shell in next dc; rep from * to corner 2 tr, sc in each of 2 corner tr, shell in next dc **, rep between * and ** twice more, then from * to * once, sc in last corner tr, join with a sl st to the first sc, changing to next color in last st.

Row 5: Ch 7 (counts as 1 tr and 3 ch), * dc in sc, ch 3, sc in center CL of shell, ch 3; rep from * to 2 corner sc, (dc, ch 3, tr) in next sc, (tr, ch 3, dc) in next sc, ch 3, sc in center CL  of shell, ch 3 **, rep between * and ** twice more, then from * to * once, (dc, ch 3, tr) in last corner sc, join with a sl st to 4th ch of beginning ch-7.

Row 6: Repeat row 4

Row 7: Repeat row 5

Row 8: Repeat row 4

Row 9: Repeat row 5

Row 10: Repeat row 4

Row 11: Repeat row 5

Row 12: Ch 1, sc in tr, 2 sc in ch-3 sp, * sc in next st, 2 sc in ch-3 sp; rep from * to corner 2tr, 2 sc in tr, ch 1, 2 sc in tr, 2 sc in ch-3 sp **; rep from * to ** twice more, then from * to * once, 2 sc in last corner tr, ch 1, join with a sl st to first sc. Finish off.

Finishing

Weave in ends.

I hope you enjoy Never Gonna Stop Square free crochet granny motif pattern! It was super fun to crochet – and fast too!

If doing all the color changes is something you don’t want to do, consider using a long color changing yarn instead of the solids.

Yarns from knitpicks.com

Written pattern copyright Marly Bird 2015, all rights reserved. Please do not reprint or repost this pattern, but please do link to this page to share this pattern with others. To print this pattern for personal use, please use Print Friendly button at the bottom of the pattern. Thank you to Red Heart Yarns for providing the yarn for this pattern!