giveaway + "inspired crochet" magazine deal

A blog post on a Saturday? That must mean there's something special going on - if you guessed "giveaway", then you'd be right!

You might not know it from the snowy weather lately, but spring is pretty much here. A time for cleaning, planting, romance, and our favorite - crocheting in spring-inspired colors.

Not inspired? Then make sure to check out "Inspired Crochet", a magazine with crochet patterns from your favorite online designers - all in one place! If that's not enough, it also includes special articles, tips, and anything else your heart desires.

Click on the images below for some sneak peeks:

Is your interest piqued yet? If not, then check out what's coming up in April:

Subscription Deal

That said, here's where the fun comes in. I've been working with "Inspired Crochet" to offer you an 8-month subscription for the price of 6. If you're like me, nothing brings you more joy than getting crafty little goodies in my mail, so this is perfect. Click here to subscribe if you're ready to take the plunge.

Enter the Contest

That said, I'm sure some of you would like to "try it on for size", so to speak, before investing. That's why they're letting me offer two winners a FREE issues of their choice. Sound good? Then just follow the instructions below to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck, everyone, and I sincerely hope you take advantage of this great offer. And thanks to "Inspired Crochet" for letting me help spread the news and promote their fun publication :D

super secret crochet project in progress

I started this super top secret project last night. Can you guess what it is?

Let me know what you think in the comments below. I'm still waiting for one final supply in the mail, but will reveal what it is after adding the finishing touches ;)

Notice the hint of sparkle. Will I ever complete a project without shimmer? NOPE!

Who doesn't love a good guessing game?

the one in which i whine about cabin fever

I don't know what to write about, but feel compelled to update.  So here's a photo of a hat I made for the craft show I went to back in November:

It's my own pattern based off a design I created for a custom order back in the day.  I had always wanted to try the pattern out with hot pink and black, and I think it came out pretty swell.  You can add this pattern to my list of "patterns I've been promising to type up and post for your enjoyment" that grows longer by the week :)

My crafting mojo is still in the toilet. Fun imagery, I know.  I've been drawing and painting a lot more lately, which isn't helping the cause, plus I've been working diligently on the Laera Shawl knit-a-long over at Craftsy.  It's been my TV-watching project while I catch up on ever season of "Merlin" on HuluPlus (Bradley James is apparently my new guilty pleasure).  I hope they get Season 5 soon because I'll be done with the whole series within the next couple weeks.

Otherwise, I have no motivation.  I thought I'd jump all over craft time once I graduated from my MBA program, but I guess I needed an extra long vacation.  My energy is zapped - really, truly zapped.  At least my fascination with craft beer has returned - this has led to some fun nights out.  Then this weekend, we'll be visiting some friends near Baltimore, which should be fun and help battle my cabin fever.  I think that's my problem - I can't wait for the weather to get warmer so I can sit on our porch and get some sun!

stolen pattern alert - lots of WAHHHH

Over the past 24 hours, I've received several messages from some fellow crafters notifying me that Los Angeles Needlework Patterns has not only stolen two of my free patterns, but they are also selling them.  This goes for a bunch of other indie designers in the fiber and sewing industries.

I don't know who I feel sorrier for - +Dixie Champoux for making money off other people's work, or the customers she's ripping off by selling free patterns.

But if I've learned nothing else, it's that the crafting business community is one of the best to be in.  The way we've all rushed to each other's aid, notifying other designers that their work has been stolen, and sicking our legions on the site's Twitter account has been amazing.  I mean, I don't normally advocate fighting on the internet, but this one has me peeved.  I'm not even concerned about someone else getting credit for my designs - it's annoying, but whatever.  The part that irks me is... how many people are paying for patterns that they can otherwise get for free?

Okay, enough ranting for a Monday morning.  There are already enough things to rant about on Mondays without questioning shady people's motives.  I just wanted to put this out there in case you've ever purchased anything from that website and to warn you to never purchase anything from them.  Ever.

in progress: stamped cross stitch project

Hello, crafty friends!

It's been a few weeks since I've updated the blog and I've received a bunch of messages - some kind and some not-so-kind - reminding me that I've been absent.  I apologize.

The good news is my life is returning to some semblance of order.  I've graduated from my MBA program, the new puppy is settled into our new home, my car is finally repaired, and I have my crafting mojo back.  After school and the holidays ended, I wanted to do nothing.  So I read a couple books and got addicted to the game "Heroes of Order & Chaos" on my iPad.  As fun as that was, being unproductive gets old.

I've started working on crocheted bookmarks for a swap, which I'm almost done with.  It's a hairpin lace project, so it's been fun and different.  Plus, I'm using sparkly yarn - you can't go wrong!

I also started a cross-stitching project.  Here's where I am with that:

Photo of stamped cross stitch kit purchased at ACMoore

As you can see, not very far.  I don't think the cross-stitching world is my forte.  I just don't have the patience, I want immediate results, and I really dislike having the pull the strands of thread apart every time I change colors - which is often.

I don't hate it, though.  I do have fun when I sit down and work on it; however, I need more than just an hour here and there to make any progress, and that's all the time I've had recently.

I have more projects to share with you in the coming days.  I will try to respond to all your messages and comments quickly - thanks for your patience as I get to each of you :)