New Crochet Pattern at KnittingGuru

Brand New This Week -  the 'Round the Loop Crochet Scarf Pattern. It's super-fast and easy to crochet. The stitches used are chain, slip stitch and half double crochet. You'll be surprised at the intricate texture you'll achieve using these simple stitches. Even a new crocheter could make one of these in an evening.

The scarves shown are made with Paton's Roving - a soft wool unplied yarn, and Web's Berkshire Bulky - a wool and alpaca singles yarn. Because of the pattern's openness, the yarn texture really stands out so that the scarf looks very different in these two yarns. Suggestions for ways to vary the scarf are given in the instructions. An effective substitute for the bulky yarns, for example, is to use knitting worsted doubled.

These scarves don't take much yarn at all. With one skein of each color, you'll have enough yarn left over to make a matching hat.

You can get your pattern here at Craftsy or Etsy.

I hope you'll enjoy making this quick scarf! Please comment or ask me questions below.

Variety is the Spice of Life

I like a lot of variety in life. When I knit or crochet something, I try to design it so that it may be worn many ways. My customers feel the same way I do and appreciate the versatility of their KnittingGuru designs.

The Tangerine Sherbet Swirl Summer Scarf exemplifies this philosophy. The addition of a removable tasseled drawstring allows the scarf to be worn gathered as a ruffled cowl, tied at the neck or lower, or tied casually without the drawstring. That's lots of variety for one small scarf!

The Tangerine Swirl Summer Scarf is available at my Etsy shop.

Floral Forms Inspire Fiber Art Jewelry

Flowers are an inspiring source for many kinds of crocheted and knitted jewelry. If you pick a simple floral shape, you can interpret it in thread crochet using perle cotton or embroidery floss. Stitched with tiny hooks, these threads will be dense and will keep their shape. You can wash the rings by hand so they will last indefinitely. 

I'm very fond of Zinnias. They come in many colors and shapes and always look quite bold. I began with a pretty zinnia in gold, orange, and hot pink. First I crocheted the flower. It took shape beginning with a circle and proceeding outward in tendrils of variegated color. Then I crocheted the band in a cotton and metallic dark gold perle cotton. I securely attached the flower to the band. This dramatic ring weighs almost nothing but packs a big visual punch. I hope you like it as much as I do!

This ring is available now at my Etsy shop. Each of my fiber art jewelry pieces is one-of-a-kind so when this ring sells, I could only approximate a similar one.

There's a nifty little app available at Sherwyn-Williams that lets you separate out the colors from a picture you have. Here's what I came up with for the Zinnia: 

 That was a little harsh for me so I ended up choosing these colors in floss for the ring:

 They're similar shades but with a more predominant red/peach tone for the flower's center. 

I hope you enjoy the spring and summer flowers and look to them for inspiration as I do. Please leave your thoughts, comments, etc. below and join in the conversation!

How to Crochet Floral Jewelry

My flower garden is a great joy and one of the major sources of inspiration for my fiber art jewelry as well as my knitted and crocheted accessories. Each of my pieces begins with an image. In the case of this necklace, the image was of the humble morning glory. I'd like to invite you to share in my design process for making this piece.

Once the image is determined, I gather my materials: *crochet hooks *threads in cotton, bamboo and silk *beads and other findings. I then experiment with shapes. I'm not seeking to duplicate nature, but to interpret it in order to design versatile wearable art. The Morning Glory may be worn as a long lariat, a doubled and twisted choker, and even as a dainty looking headband. This is made with fine threads, but it's crocheted so tightly that it's very durable and even hand washable to last for many years.

Many people view morning glories as weeds because they're so invasive. I go after them in my garden too, but they're so lovely that I wanted to preserve them in this necklace. You can find my Morning Glory Lariat / Choker / Headband in my Etsy shop. To see all of my current Fiber Art Jewelry please click here.  I'd be glad to speak with you about any questions you may have about this work. Just comment below to begin the discussion.

DIY Fred Astaire Scarf Pattern

I'm really happy to say that after being included in dozens of treasuries on Etsy, my Fred Astaire Scarf is now going to a new home!

I've always been a big fan of the debonaire Mr. Astaire and chose to include him in my series of knitwear dedicated to Old Time Movie Star Idols. Now that the scarf has a new owner, I've published a pattern so that even really new crocheters can make this fast and simple scarf. The pattern includes many suggestions for yarn and color variations, so there's no need to stick with the black and gray I chose for Fred.

You can get this pattern at Craftsy Have fun making several of these for yourself or to give as holiday gifts. The scarf only takes a few hours and a small amount of yarn, so it's perfect for unique, inexpensive presents.

Starfish DIY

This is an update on my crocheted starfish. I had a lot of requests so I put together a pattern that includes the starfish brooch, earrings and ring.

You can find it at Etsy and also at Craftsy

The pattern shows all three starfish designs in turquoise, but I'm now working on some coral/apricot/tangerine starfish and really they look good in so many colors.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. I always love to speak knitting and crochet, even though my patterns are always written in simple English.

Starfish Are a Preview of Summer Beaches

My Turquoise Starfish Brooch

and Ring are a call to the sea.











I've loved poetry from my earliest years, most likely because of the music of its rhythms. I definitely remember learning this poem by heart when I was still quite young:

This is meter right out of Homer and moves the spirit for sure!

Starfish combine both the sea and the stars and also are wonderful design elements. A year or so ago I made a Turquoise Starfish Ring --

I used Perle cotton #5 to make it and it's been in quite a few Etsy treasuries. Then a few months ago, a customer asked me to make a starfish brooch --

Can you see the starfish impression on the shell? The brooch is made with a DK weight mercerized cotton.


On my worktable right now is a starfish earring I've designed. This is made with variegated embroidery floss and the tiniest hook I could get to work with that easily separated thread. I'll mount these on silver plated ear wires.

You can find the ring in my Etsy shop and the brooch here. finished them. I'm also making a PDF crochet pattern for these enticing creatures that will be coming soon. I wish I could be on the beach right now smelling the salty air and hearing the waves while I do my design work.

Happy Earth Day!

I'm a high volume user of Facebook -- http://www.facebook.com/KnittingGuru
and frequently use Twitter -- http://www.twitter.com/KnittingGuru

But -- I've been really bad about writing in my blog. I keep making promises to myself to do better, but never seem to find the time.

However, as a user and lover of natural fibers, I have to wish you all a Happy Earth Day!

To celebrate I'm having a one day sale today on my

Eco Friendly Go Green Dishcloth Pattern
Regularly $8.00
Today $5.00
Please contact me and I'll post a reserved listing for you at the sale price.



These dishcloths last for years, are simple to make, and help the earth by saving paper towel waste. You only need 6 ounces of inexpensive cotton yarn to make all 6 dishcloths. They're simple enough for a beginning knitter. The pattern is 8 pages and includes close up photos of each cloth, charts, and instructions written in English - not "Knitspeak"! Plus - if you have any questions about the pattern or the knitting, you'll have email access to the designer (me)!

You'll find the pattern at http://www.etsy.com/listing/45256133/go-green-dishcloth-knitting-pattern-and