New Patterns NOW Available in Ad-Free PDF! Check out The Pattern Shop

Creative Crochet Projects Book Review

By Leave a Comment

Book reviews on the Marly Bird site are written by team member Kathryn unless otherwise noted. Kathryn also writes book reviews for Happily Hooked Digital Magazine. This review of Stephanie Pokorny’s Creative Crochet Projects originally appeared in the August 2021 issue of that magazine. Get the book.

DISCLOSURE: This post contains affiliate links. I receive commission from those sales.

creative crochet projects

Crochet blogger/ designer Stephanie Pokorny creates mesmerizing, whimsical crochet creations. I think of her as a true crochet artist. So, of course, I was intrigued and excited when I was browsing through my library and discovered that she has a recent crochet pattern book.

“Creative Crochet Projects: 12 Playful Projects for Beginners and Beyond” is exactly what the title says it should be. It does not disappoint. The book is filled with playfulness, joy, and color.

What To Expect from Creative Crochet Projects

Honestly, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect before I browsed through this crochet book. Whenever I think of Stephanie, I think of her Marie Antoinette-style crochet wig. I think of costumes and imagination and magic. Of course, I was sure that her crochet patterns for the book would be interesting … I just wondered how those huge ideas would translate down to projects easy enough for beginners. But, never fear, she did a great job of that.

Inspirational, Creative Crochet Wearables

The first set of crochet patterns in Creative Crochet Projects is all about wearables. This is the part that I personally find to be lots of fun. Stephanie has taken her world (her site is Crochetverse) and distilled it down into a few fun, wearable projects that are also relatively easy to crochet.

Finger Crochet Scarves

She starts this section off with finger crochet scarves. Finger crochet is a great way to really immerse yourself in the tactile joy of the craft. Additionally, you can easily teach kids to finger crochet, so you can get the whole family involved in this project. Huge poms at the ends of the scarves add that extra touch that Stephanie is known for.

Additional Crochet Accessories

There are a few other accessories in this section. Her Bubble Hue Shift Hat is one of the standout pieces. Its rich with color and texture. There are clusters in rainbow stripes topped up with a big fun pom. Craft and fashion are both supposed to be fun and Stephanie really embodies that in her work.

Crochet Owl Wrap

Which brings us to my favorite piece in the whole book: The Asymmetric Owl Wrap. As you know if you’re familiar with Stephanie’s work and/or read the aforementioned June 2020 feature, she really stands out for her costume pieces. In fact, when asked back then what inspires her, she said:

“I am inspired by imagination, costuming, color, shapes, and graphics that POP! I love to be able to transform with crochet in the sense that when I put it on it creates a mood or feeling. Brightly colored rainbow pieces make me happy. Costume pieces allow the imagination to run wild. My favorite thing is that we can literally create ANYTHING we want. Crochet is magical in that it can be so much more than a flat object. I view my yarn as a sculpting tool more than anything else. How can I use this fiber to build and mold and layer to achieve my goals?”

Taking Costumes to Wearable Pieces

crochet owl wrap by stephanie pokorny

When I look at the owl wrap in Creative Crochet Projects, I see all of that inspiration distilled down to something wearable. It’s one of those pieces that is a little bit costume – it’s got an owl hood after all – but is also totally functional. You don’t have to wear it to a costume party; you can absolutely wear it as a fun every day piece.

The Fun of Playtime Projects

The second half of the book is a selection of crochet projects that are meant for kids (or adults?) to play with. This, again, embraces the beautiful tactile nature of the craft of crochet. In the 2020 interview, before Stephanie listed all of those other inspirations that I already shared above, she said that she’s most inspired by her kids. This is a mom who makes things that her kids want, drawing inspiration from their imaginations as much as hers. You can see that in the pieces here.

Children’s Crochet Food and Kitchen Playmat

stephanie pokorny quote

The Rollaway Kitchen Playmat is a great example from this part of the book. It’s a crochet mat that has stove burners and dials, soap, a kitchen sink with bubbles, and lots of other kitchen fun crafted on to it. It’s colorful and tactile. And yet, it all rolls up into one easy piece for storage. It’s great for little kids to play with, pretending to make dinner alongside as you do, and yet quick to put away.

Foldable burgers and hot dogs as well as a sliceable watermelon offer more fun projects to make for kids. The watermelon is designed as a play toy for kids but I have to note that it looks to be the right size for a comfy whimsical pillow that would look great on many couches. These aren’t the kinds of crochet patterns that you can find just anywhere. They’re one of a kind and truly original, which is why it’s worth checking out the book.

Crochet Mobile for Kids

My personal favorite from this part of the book is the Bee-Unified Mobile. It’s a children’s mobile designed with a beehive as well as bees and flowers that hang off of it. I can see it mesmerizing children as it hangs over their cribs. However, I also think it makes a really fun art piece for adult décor as well. Bees are important and this is a great conversation starter.

Well-Written, Clear Book for Beginners

crochet book review

Creative Crochet Projects truly is a book that works for beginners. It has tons of information about yarn types, hook sizes, how to crochet even basic stitches, changing colors in crochet and more. Throughout the book are helpful lessons that apply to specific projects, such as How to Work a Chainless Foundation Row for the Bubble Hue Shift Hat. There are detailed written instructions as well as clear photo instructions.

Stephanie mentioned in that previous interview that she always asks her pattern testers to be really hard on her. Then she corrects her patterns accordingly, adding notes where necessary to make sure everything is clear. You can see that effort come through in these finished patterns.

You Might Also Like:

If you love to read about crochet, knitting, and yarn, then make sure to check out these lists:

Warm Chevron Crochet Hat Pattern

By Leave a Comment

Are you looking for a really warm, cozy, beautiful crochet hat pattern? If so, I’d like to make sure that you know about my Wings of Hope hat. I originally designed this pattern back in October 2020 to raise awareness about pancreatic cancer. That’s why I designed it in shades of purple, the color for this cause. However, you can obviously crochet this hat in any color combination that works for you. It’s a variation on a chevron crochet hat pattern that an adventurous beginner could complete.

chevron crochet hat pattern for pancreatic cancer awareness

What Do You Need to Know to Complete This Hat?

I believe that an adventurous beginner can complete this crochet hat pattern, especially since I’ve created a full video tutorial to help you along the way. (Scroll down for that.) Here’s what you’ll need to know or learn in order to finish the chevron crochet hat pattern:

  • Basic crochet stitches
  • How to crochet in the round
  • How to decrease in single crochet and double crochet
  • Working around the post of a stitch, specifically back post single crochet (BPSC)

If you can do those things, or you’re willing to learn with video assistance, then you can crochet this warm winter hat.

Wings of Hope Hat by Marly Bird Ad Free PDF and Free Pattern On Website

What Is The Chevron Pattern?

Chevron is a really popular graphic pattern that you find in everything from flooring to furniture design. Chevrons are v-shaped designs, usually in short rows repeated over and over. There are many different ways to create chevrons using crochet. This hat uses a variation that looks like little wings, which is part of the reason that this is called the Wings Of Hope Hat.

Cozy, Warm Winter Hat Pattern

You can crochet really lacy hats to wear in warm weather as well as really dense hats to keep you warm in the winter. This chevron crochet hat pattern falls into the latter category. You’ll use those single crochet post stitches to make a dense brim that fits close to the head in a way that is comfy, cozy, and keeps you very warm. Then you’ll use single crochet stitches throughout the rest of the hat. This is a nice dense stitch that keeps cold air away from your head. Top it off with the optional pom pom for that winter look that just says, “yes, I’m so cozy.

Get The Chevron Crochet Hat Pattern

wings of hope hat chevron crochet pattern

You can get the free version of this pattern here on the website or get an ad-free PDF over on Ravelry.

Looking for the instructional video tutorial? Here it is:

You Might Also Like:

Move The Needle: Yarns from an Unlikely Entrepreneur

By Leave a Comment

Book reviews on the Marly Bird site are written by team member Kathryn unless otherwise noted. Today’s book review is of Move The Needle: Yarns from an Unlikely Entrepreneur by Shelley Brander.

Shelley Brander has a successful, creative job in the advertising business when life threw her some curve balls and opportunities and she decided to switch gears and open a yarn store. That led to more yarn stores, more opportunities, scaling back, zigzagging, and moving forward. The Loops Yarn Store led to Knit Stars, as well as the Move the Needle Movement. This book is the story of that journey.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. I receive a percentage of sales from those links. Your price doesn’t change. This is a great way to support the free content on my site. Thank you!

move the needle craft book review

Falling In Love With Yarn

There is a lot of smart information about this book about the business of yarn. It also has a lot to share about about women-owned small businesses, the challenges of entrepreneurship, turning your hobby into a job and more. It’s all valuable information. But it all starts with the best part, which is that the author is clearly in love with yarn. And her stories of falling in love with yarn are a delight.

I believe wholly in craft as therapy, so I immediately noticed the ways in which she mentions this along her yarn journey. For example, there’s a whole section devoted to her stress and anxiety she felt during her third pregnancy and how only knitting could calm her down, even in the delivery room between pushing! She discusses how the tactile nature of the yarn and the repetitive motion of the needles helped her get through labor.

In other parts of the book she talks about the creative process. She explores the idea of knitting as “painting with yarn.” She could take “nothing” and make something and it was beautiful and satisfying. This, combined with the endless ways to change up a pattern to make it your own (such as through yarn color choices), made it a satisfying creative outlet for her.

Building a Yarn Store For Everyone

How do you feel when you enter your local yarn store? Hopefully, you feel welcome. You see people sitting in there crafting and know that you can ask them for assistance. You get excited to share what you’re working on, get information about the latest yarns, etc. In my experience, we’ve come a long way towards welcoming all different types of people. For example, many yarn stores used to have a snobby attitude towards crocheters, deterring them from shopping at those places, something that has shifted a bit in recent years. That said, we also have a long way to go.

When Shelley was starting out, she experienced some negativity. For example, she took her children into a yarn store. The other people there were appalled that she would bring them with her. They treated her terribly. When she started her own yarn store, she was deeply committed to making it welcoming and inviting for everyone. She wanted it to be accessible and to reflect the joy people take in crafting. This would set her store apart from others. When other stores weren’t doing so, she made yarn winders available so that people could choose luxury yarn and not have to figure out how to wind it at home. She says that she wanted people who came to her store to feel like “yarn should be the happiest part of your day.”

yarn quote

Some Solid Business Sense From Move The Needle

Brander wasn’t successful by pure luck or even just because of her passion. She was also willing to learn how to do business. Here are a few tips from her journey:

  • Perfection is the enemy of progress. You can learn this through knitting or crochet; if you’re not willing to make mistakes and frog your work then you’re not going to get very far in learning the craft. The lesson applies to business as well.
  • Stick to a creative plan. Put a lot of thought into it. Stick to it. You might have to pivot down the road but don’t rush to pivot too quickly. Trust your gut as well as the evidence. Eventually you will know that you do have to frog or unravel your plans and that’s okay but give it time to work out the kinks first.
  • Advocate for yourself, especially financially. The knitting/crochet/yarn business is heavily dominated by women who in our society have often been deterred from advocating for financial compensation for their work. She gives the example of knitters who say, “oh you don’t have to pay me much for that sweater, I just made it while watching TV.” This downplays our value, the value of the craft, and the value of handmade items. Don’t underestimate your value.
  • Work on deals that are good for everyone. First, advocate for yourself. But then try to find ways to make that a win for everyone involved whether that’s your customers, the people your collaborate with, your social media fans, or your family.
  • Find mentors. We all need them.

Favorite Illustration From Move The Needle

stitches are like people illustration from move the needle book

She goes on to say that when a stitch is happy, it’s neither pulling tightly on the stitch next to it nor laying there loose. Many lessons that apply to yarn also apply to life.

Final Fun Fact From Move The Needle

There’s a moving section about the experience that Shelley and her family have with their dog. The dog’s name is Purl. As you may know, Marly has a dog named Purl as well. Meet the pets on the Marly Bird team here.

Get the Book

move the needle book

You Might Also Like:

If you love to read about crochet, knitting, and yarn, then make sure to check out these lists:

Lantern Moon by Knitter’s Pride

By Leave a Comment

Our friends at Knitter’s Pride have recently acquired the brand rights for Lantern Moon and its range of knitting and crochet products! They relaunched the brand in mid-December and we are loving the products that they’ve gifted us to try!

Disclosure: This review may contain affiliate links, for which I earn commission on sales. Your price doesn’t change. Thank you for your support! Although we received products in exchange for a review, the opinions here are entirely our own.

History of Lantern Moon

The name Lantern Moon may ring a bell to you. In the early 2000’s, the line was distinguished by its elegant design, the beauty of its materials and its support of indigenous craft and the people that produced it in Vietnam.

Due to production issues, the needles were no longer able to be produced in Vietnam but that’s where Knitter’s Pride was able to jump in and help. They’ve pulled production into their facilities and are working closely with the original brand creators, Joel and Sharon Woodcock, to ensure the integrity of the designs is maintained.

Knitter's Pride relaunches Lantern Moon brand
pictured: BeQuest Tunisian Set, Mindy Sleeve

Lantern Moon’s Exquisite Knitting Needles and Crochet Hooks

The elegant and contemporary needles and hooks are made of ebony wood. It is a premium ebony with a polished, tight grain that is extremely resilient and smooth for an enjoyable knitting/crochet experience. The fixed and interchangeable needles have a smooth join featuring kink-free cords.

In other words, Lantern Moon needles and hooks are high-quality. You’ll enjoy the glide of the yarn against the wood as you work. It will make your crafting experience easier and more delightful. When Knitter’s Pride took over Lantern Moon production, they made sure to retain that high quality.

Moreover, these are beautiful products. Therefore, if you’re the type of crafter who enjoys displaying your tools when you aren’t using them, then you’re going to take pleasure in these products.

Lantern Moon by Knitter's Pride
pictured: Meadow Drawstring Bag

Lantern Moon Storage Bags and Accessories

In addition to the beautiful needles and hooks, there are beautiful storage bags and accessories! For example, the Meadow Drawstring Bag is adorable. It is the perfect size for a project on-the-go! Pack up projects that you want to take with you to work on in lines and during a commute.

Similarly, the Mindy Sleeve is the perfect storage for darning needles and embroidery scissors with its magnetic clasp! The size, design, and style are all exactly right. If you enjoy having your craft supplies well-organized inside of beautiful storage products, then you’ll want to make sure to check out this section of Lantern Moon by Knitter’s Pride.

Lantern Moon by Knitter's Pride products for knitters and crocheters
pictured: Tunisian BeQuest set, Mindy Sleeve, Stitch Marker Pouch

Other Cute Things

Honestly, if you’re ready to do some treat-yourself shopping, you’ll find so much good stuff over at Lantern Moon by Knitter’s Pride. There are adorable tassel stitch markers in beautiful jewel tones! A sock monkey tape measure and an adorable sheep accessory holder round out the helpful tools that every knitter and crocheter needs. If you like cute, but still grown-up, fun supplies that are also high-quality because you take your craft seriously, then you’ll want to check out what they have to offer. We here at Marly Bird were glad we got that oportunity.

Sock Monkey Tape Measure
knitting and crochet supplies and storage
tassel stitch markers

Honesty, we here at team Marly Bird are so excited by this relaunch and hope that you all enjoy these products as much as we are! What will be the first thing you grab?!

You Might Also Like:

Charming Crochet Slouchy Hat Free Pattern (with Video Tutorial)

By Leave a Comment

I have made a lot of knitting and crochet tutorial videos over the years. Of course, most of these are for my own designs. However, I’ve also had the opportunity to do tutorial videos for a diverse range of Red Heart/ Yarnspirations patterns by other designers. I love helping you learn how to make different things in this way. One of my most popular crochet tutorial videos is for the Red Heart Charming Crochet Slouchy Hat free pattern.

Crochet Slouchy Hat Free Pattern

Crochet Slouchy Hat Video Tutorial

I’ll tell you all about the pattern below. However, if you’re already ready to dig in, here’s the video tutorial:

Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable Waves

This crochet slouchy hat free pattern calls for Red Heart Boutique Unforgettable Waves yarn. This is a really unique yarn. It’s from the Unforgettable family, of course, which is a popular yarn line. It has the same beautiful colorway magic that people have come to expect from this line. It’s soft and luscious with lovely drape, just like the original Unforgettable. You can still machine wash and dry this yarn. And it’s still a worsted weight yarn.

So, what makes it different from the regular Unforgettable? Unforgettable Waves is a Thick and Thin Yarn. So, although it’s worsted weight, some parts are thinner and some parts are thicker. This creates such a terrific texture as you work. It is absolutely perfect for a crochet slouchy hat free pattern, so I can absolutely see why designer Cristina Mershon chose this yarn.

More About Charming Crochet Slouchy Hat Free Pattern

You’ll crochet the brim of this hat in slip stitch rows. Then you’ll join the brim into a loop. From there, you’ll continue working up to the crown, crocheting in rounds. The body of the hat is worked in the easy, but effective, V-stitch, which showcases the thick and thin nature of the yarn perfectly. This hat is rich in both texture and color, making it a truly perfect accessory for dressing up a casual outfit. And since it’s a slouchy hat, it’s great for covering up a bad hair day.

You can see all that you need to see about the specific details of how to work the pattern in the video tutorial. It’s considered an easy level crochet pattern, and I’m confident that you can handle it!

Get The Pattern

The Red Heart Charming Crochet Slouchy Hat free pattern is available over on Yarnspirations.

Charming Crochet Slouchy Hat Free Pattern

You Might Also Like:

Quick Faux Fur Crochet Mittens You’ll Want to Wear All Winter

By Leave a Comment

As soon as I posted a photo of these faux fur crochet mittens on social media, you all started asking for the pattern. They’re just impossible to resist, aren’t they? Heck, my mom tried to steal mine! They are fuzzy and cozy and comfortable and warm, which are all of the things that we crave when the weather gets cold. Moreover, they work up super quickly. You can start them right now and wear them a few hours later.

Quick, Easy Faux Fur Crochet Mittens Pattern

This is an easy pattern. You’ll use single crochet to work this design. The nature of the yarn and that dense stitch creates such super warm and cozy mittens. Of course, you’ll do a bit of shaping to get the fingers and thumbs right, but an adventurous beginner should be able to complete this pattern.

faux fur mittens crochet pattern

It’s All About The Yarn

The simple shaping and stitches of these faux fur crochet mittens allow the yarn to be the star of the show. In this pattern, you’ll actually use two different yarns at the same time. You’ll hold them together as you crochet, working a double-stranded design that adds warmth, density, and speed to the project.

The main star of the project is Red Heart Hygge Fur, which is a bulky weight faux fur yarn. That’s where you get the look of the furry, fuzzy, comfy mittens. However, you’ll work simultaneously with Red Heart Hygge Charm, which is a worsted weight yarn. This makes the mittens thick and durable. Additionally, some people find it challenging to crochet with faux fur; holding that second strand with it makes it easier to grasp onto your hook.

The Hygge Fur yarn comes in more than one dozen rich solid colors. Choose the one you love the most. Then, when you realize how fast this pattern truly works up, choose to make a pair in every color! They’re a great winter charity donation item too!

More About The Faux Fur Crochet Mittens

These mittens are designed for four different teen/adult sizes – small through XL.

As you’ll see in the pattern notes, I’ve offered a smart tip for making sure that your mittens are definitely matching: work them at the same time. In other words, work a section of the right mitten then work a section of the left mitten and back and forth until you have finished two mittens. This allows you to see that your tension/gauge aren’t changing as you work, makes the mittens match each other into a perfect set, and also keeps you interested in the project as you move back and forth.

Because of this recommendation, I also recommend that you get two balls of each yarn. The mittens only require one ball per pair. However, it’s easier to work one mitten on one and the other on a second one, right? And this gives you the opportunity to go ahead and make two pairs!

Get The Pattern

You can get the free Fur Real Mittens pattern here on the blog or purchase an ad-free version on Ravelry.

crochet mittens in faux fur

You Might Also Like: