A Gift of Semi-Homemade Gloves

I have a complicated relationship with handmade gifts.  Personally, I love them.  I love making them, I love receiving them.  If someone takes the time and effort (and cost!  Why do non-artsy people assume that yarn and other supplies are cheap? Ugh.  I warned you this relationship was complicated...) I feel lucky to get a gift with such a personal connection.

My family didn't have a lot of money when my sister and I were little, so my mom made a lot of our family's Christmas presents. I thought that everyone's mom made presents for the whole family.  Hats for everyone!  Scarves!  The year of the broomstick lace sweater was a little rough, but only because my awkward 11-year-old body managed to snag it on EVERYTHING!!!  I never thought it was weird that my doll didn't look just exactly the same as my friends' dolls, and it was extra cool because I knew that my mom had made it just for me... That, and my dad, who did not much care for the style of Cabbage Patch Dolls had painted beautiful, super realistic eyes on my sister and my dolls, to match our own eye colors.  It was pretty awesome.

There is a faction of family members, no matter how much they try to understand craftsy-arty people, who just would rather have the $15 you spent in material costs.  I had an aunt that was like that, and I have a sneaking suspicion that several of my extended family members are less-than-thrilled with my handcrafted creations.  In the past, I've tried to fight against it, but this year I'm releasing myself from the constant need to prove myself to others... 

Instead, I'm proposing an alternative.  How about a hierarchy of handmade gifts?  

Top Tier: 

People who really appreciate the time/energy/expense/sacrifice get the really good stuff 

Think yummy-soft sweaters, warm and snuggly blankets, ANY hat (even an easy one!),  a Tardis bag that took you 5 hours to crochet the Police Call Box strap...

Middle Tier:  

People who appreciate the thought behind a handmade gift (but don't really get why you'd want to make presents in the first place) get thoughtful, but not-quite-as-good gifts 

Think coasters and mug wraps, soap dispenser covers, gorgeous handmade ornaments, juggling balls...

Bottom Tier:

People who don't like a gift if it wasn't bought in a 'real' store

They get coal.  Just a chunk of coal.  I think of it as Crafter Justice...

Okay, what do you think?  I am SURE I'm not alone on this one...

I've got a project today that is awesome dazzling super-cool Middle-Tier-easy.  You get all the "I can't believe you made this!" good feelings, with none of the "I don't have enough time to finish this!" stress.  

You're welcome.

I love the idea of making gloves.  Crocheting, by hand, a warm pair of hand-covers, there's something poetic and romantic about that idea.  It also sounds like a crap-ton of work (but, I would SO appreciate it if I got some as a gift... Not a hint, but I'm just sayin' that that, my friends, is a gift of love.  Top Tier all the way!) But I was at Target the other day, and they had the cheapy stretchy gloves so flippin' cheap that I couldn't leave the store without them.  They were, like, two pair for a dollar-fifty.  You can't beat that price!  

Of course, they look like cheapy stretchy gloves... But I can fix that.

If you are part of the (over 1300!) Super Amazing Dynamos who have a copy of my latest book, Crochet Dynamite: Fun and Games (available at Amazon.com in the Kindle Store. You don't need a Kindle, they have FREE software for your computer/iPad/smart phone/techie awesome devices. Plus, if you're an Amazon Prime Memeber, you can borrow it for FREE!! Ahem, back to the post...) you've read about my latest love, Craft Cord.  It's like embroidery floss that doesn't come apart.  It's about the same size as the Size 3 crochet thread that I adore, but it comes in bright, multi-packs of awesome colors that I just can't find in crochet thread.  And it's cheap like embroidery floss!  

So I grabbed up a few 10-yard skeins of my Craft Cord (sometimes called Craft Thread, it's marketed to the Tween friendship-bracelet-making community) and made some granny squares!  I stitched them on and voila! the gloves look fancy and sort-of-handmade, but in a good way, like probably everyone will think you bought them at a 'real' store (whatever that means! Coal, I tell you, they all get COAL!!!).

Semi-Handmade Gloves

will fit most hands belonging to your Top- and Middle-Tier friends and family members

Supplies:

A pair of cheapy, stretchy bargain gloves

3 different colored skeins of Craft Cord (or you could use embroidery floss, but buy extra of the outer round color)

Size C crochet hook

Yarn needle

Scissors

Straight pins (like for sewing) *optional, but helpful

Magic Loop Granny Square

approximately 1 3/4" square

(make 2)

**I switched color with every round, but for the ease of pattern reading I didn't include that in the instructions**

R1: start a magic loop and ch 3 (counts as the first dc), 2 dc, ch 2, (3 dc, ch 2) 3 times, pull loop tight and sl st to 3rd starting ch to finish round. (4 ch space corners)

R2: 2 sl st across the next 2 dc to get to the next corner, ch 3 in corner loop (counts as the first dc), (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in the same corner, [ch 2, (3 dc, 2 ch, 3 dc in the next corner)] 3 times, ch 2, sl st to 3rd starting ch to finish round.

R3: 2 sl st across the next 2 dc to get to the next ch space, ch 3 in ch space (counts as the first dc), 2 dc, ch 2, (3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in the next corner, [ch 2, 3 dc in next ch space, ch 2, (3 dc, 2 ch, 3 dc in the next corner)] 3 times, ch 2, sl st to 3rd starting ch to finish round.

Finish off.  Weave in ends.

Center the finished square on the back of the glove (make sure that you have them facing correctly to make a right AND a left glove, don't just grab them willy-nilly or you'll end up with two lefties... Ahem, not that I did that...) and pin it in place.  You can try it on at this point (CAREFULLY so you don't get stuck) and see if you like the placement, if you'd like.  My design aesthetic likes the square set back a little more towards the wrist cuff, but you're welcome to place it anywhere you like.  Now grab your needle and outer color cord/thread and stitch it down.  I stitched it using the back loops of the final round, but if you've got a way you like sewing embellishments on, go for it.

Then do the other one and you're done!  Easy-peasy, right?  And your Middle-Tier friends won't know the difference!  LOL!!!

xoxo

Holiday Bow Master Class

So my friend Teeni, over at Mad Crochet Lab, is pretty awesome.  She and I were chatting on Facebook yesterday (come join the party, I'm always looking for new friends!  You can Friend me HERE or click on the Like button over on the right side over there...) and she showed me this amazing lariat that she had made that incorporated my Holiday Bow pattern into it.  Well, you know me, I almost freaked out because it was so cool, and demanded that she post about it on her site so everyone else could see too.

So, if you'd like to see it (and get the instructions to make the coolest holiday accessory this season!) you should go over and check it out HERE!!!! It's cool.  I'll wait...

But, wait, there's more.  She's put up a Facebook video showing you a (better and easier) way of making the bow loops.  It will blow your mind.  Seriously.  It's on my timeline right now, so if you want to pop over there to watch it you can.

Or you should be able to access it here:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=297109150405863&set=vb.240759026040876&type=2&theater

And while you're there, show Mad Crochet Lab some love and Like her too!  She's funny and clever and a great person to know.  Plus, next time I do a post like this, you'll get to be all, "I saw that 45 minutes ago!"

xoxo

A Gift of Good-Looking Presents!

I made some holiday bows last week!  And look at my normally-dead lawn!  I was so excited that it's green right now, I had to run out and take pictures on it.  Uh, if the picture above looks weird, I took it myself, of my feet, and then flipped it around so that it didn't look like that was what I did... Don't the bows look Photoshopped?  I swear, the bows are really on my sneakers, I think it came out weird because I pumped up the color and fixed the exposure a little on PicMonkey...

So this all came about because my friend Teeni, over at the Mad Crochet Lab, hosted a holiday collaborative project this year called the Virtual Handmade Holiday Craft Collaboration, where she helped us all create an amazing Virtual Holiday Wreath!  Awesomesauce!  I loved that while it was a holiday project, she specifically mentioned that this was a non-denominational wreath, and not to create any religious holiday ornaments.  Not that I would have chosen a particularly Jesus-y project anyway, but it was fun to stretch my imagination to create something new that said "Holiday Spirit" without screaming "Christmas"!!!

At first I considered 'winter-themed' projects, but crochet snowflakes boggle my brain.  I put them in the doily category, beautiful thread, starchy and COMPLICATED.  I wanted to make something easy and fun, and most of all, FAST!  I just got my shipment of holiday wrapping paper from the fundraiser at Mimsey's school, so I've been thinking about getting started with the oodles of wrapping that I'm going to do over the next couple of weeks.  That, of course, got me thinking about decorating the packages, and a really cute bow I saw on Pinterest that was made out of strips of paper cut from kid art.

I had to try it in crochet!  Like, right that minute!!  And it worked! Yippee, it was a holiday miracle!  I shot some pictures and sent them off to the Mad Crochet Lab!

Then I started the process of fine-tuning the pattern to be able to write it out for you.  I think I've make nearly a dozen, trying to figure out the best way to put them together.  But I think I've finally got it, and I took a TON of pictures to help clarify the instructions.   So, if you'd like to make a holiday bow (or ten!) read on!

The Holiday Bow
Supplies:
I used worsted weight yarn and an F hook for most of these bows, but it is completely adjustable to the size of whatever yarn you choose.  For a sport weight yarn use a D hook.  For a Bulky yarn, I would try an I hook to start.   You pretty much can't screw this one up, but tighter stitches will look better than loose ones.  The bow above was made with cotton yarn, but for the tutorial, I used Red Heart Shimmer in Red.

**A quick note about the pattern:  The bow is made up of three long strips of 3-stitch-wide crochet and one short strip.  I have chained between the strips to keep them all together in my project bag, and so that I remember that I've done all of the strips before I switch to another yarn.  Do not let the chains confuse you, it's just so that the strips don't get lost, and it saves time from having to finish off and weave in ends between strips. Okay? Okay!***

ch 4
R1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in each ch across (3 st)
R2-8: ch 1, sc in each st across (3 st)
R9: ch 10 (this will leave a gap between strips), sc in 2nd ch from hook, 2 sc (3 st)
R10-32: ch 1, 3 sc (3 st)
R33: ch 10, sc in 2nd ch from hook, 2 sc (3 st)
R34-56: ch 1, 3 sc (3 st)
R57: ch 10, sc in 2nd ch from hook, 2 sc (3 st)
R58-80:  ch 1, 3 sc (3 st)
Fasten off.  It should look like this:

The first time you make this, you should cut the strips apart, and weave in all the ends.  Your strips should now look like this:

Kinda looks like crinkly bacon, huh?

Start with one of the long pieces.  See how it's twisting?  We're going to use that to our advantage!

Start with one end.  Using the 'natural' twist of the strip, curl the top around and down onto the back of the piece.  It will look like this:

Ooh, did you notice my fancy nails?
Mims got fantastic grades on her very first report card, so we had a special Mommy/Daughter manicure day!
I got the gel polish, so we'll see how long it lasts... It was AWESOME to leave with DRY nails, though!

Stitch it down on the back of the strip.  It will look like this on the front:

Following the twist of the strip (which should twist the opposite direction this time!) twist the other end of the strip around and down onto the back of the strip.  It won't quite meet in the center, there should be a little space between the ends.  Stitch it down so the piece now looks like this:

Repeat with the other 2 long strips, so you've got three pieces that look like this:

Now you're ready to start putting your bow together!  Stack the strips on top of each other, little pockets UP.  You may have to do a little fiddling with this part to find the combination that looks best.

Once you've got them the way that you like, stitch them in place!  When you're done, it should look like this:

Now grab your center piece!

Fold it around so that the two short ends meet, and it makes a little tube.  Tuck it into the center of the bow so it looks like this:

Stitch it into place!  Weave in any loose ends! Add a bobby pin on the back (or safety pin!) so that you can attach it to everything!!

**Okay, so now that you know the 'right' way to make the Holiday Bow, I'm going to tell you the cheater way.  You don't actually have to stitch any of this if you use a hot glue gun.  Just glue all the ends down, glue the long strips together, glue the little strip into the middle.  You can crank them out in a couple of minutes!

And when you get REALLY good, you don't even have to cut the strips apart before you assemble the bow.  The last 5 bows I made I just covered up the extra chains by hiding them between layers.  I swear, they don't show at all!  It will cut another 5 minutes off your production time if you don't have to cut all the pieces apart and weave in all those ends.  Awesome, right?  But so confusing for a first timer!!  So make a couple the 'right' way, so that you get the hang of it, and then cheat, cheat, cheat away for the rest!  I promise, I won't tell!**

Why would you need more than one bow?  Because you can use them for everything!!!

So, going clockwise from the top, you can:
-add a bow to a crochet hat (like my ebook exclusive, Prim's Hat)!
-wear a bow as a festive pin!
-attach a bow to a headband (looks cute on adults too!)
-attach a couple bows to the laces of your sneakers!
-put a bow on the front of a soap dispenser cover!
-sticky-tape a pair of bows onto your fake Costco Uggs!
-hang bows from your artificial Christmas tree that your husband bought you the first year you guys were married!
-use bows to top all of your gifts!

I hope you have a ton of fun with this one!  I know that I have!!!

A special thanks goes out to all of the other Virtual Handmade Holiday Craft Collaborators:
-Teeni from Mad Crochet Lab
-Kim from Kim's Sticks and Strings
-Kim from Wolly Toons
-Liz from Crochet Creations by Liz
-Janice Howe-Palmer
-Amanda from Itchy Crochet
-Kate from Crafted Whimzies
-Amiguruthi

xoxo

Update 12/10/12:  Teeni, from Mad Crochet Lab, posted a video on how to make the bow loops.  It's mind blowing!  And she made a cute lariat using the bow as a focal point!  I wrote about it HERE with all the links!

A Gift of Peppermint Soap and Quasi-Vintage Holly!

Sooo, you know how I adore Bath and Body Works foaming hand soaps?  Well, I do.  A lot. Did you know that they currently have TWO different peppermint foaming hand soaps?  I know, awesome, right?!  It's like infusing holiday spirit directly into my skin every time I wash my hands!!!  I love it!  

You know I love this soap when I buy them by the bag full!  In fact, one of my very first free patterns was a foaming hand soap dispenser cover, and I've been fine tuning it ever since.  Well, you will be happy to hear that finally I think I've broken the code and come up with a perfectly sized cover that's only 15 rows long!  Awesome!  I can whip one of these babies up so fast that I can change them out for every holiday, including Squirrel Appreciation Day (January 21st, but don't worry, I'll remind you when it gets closer!).

Or, I suppose, the quick pattern would make these into some pretty awesome handmade-but-not-TOO-handmade Christmas gifts that pretty much everyone on your gift list would adore... *wink!* So, if you'd like to make a bunch for your home, or for awesome holiday gifts, keep reading!

The Best Bath and Body Works Foaming Hand Soap Dispenser Cover (so far!)
Supplies:
Worsted weight yarn in 2 colors (I used Lily's Original Sugar N Cream 100% cotton in White and Sage Green)
Size G hook
Yarn needle
Scissors

**I alternated colors every row, starting with white.  I did NOT add the color changes in the pattern for pattern reading ease**

ch 26.  Being careful not to twist chain, sl st to first ch to close loop.
R1: ch 2, hdc in the back loop of each ch around, sl st to first st to close round (26 st)
R2-5: ch 2, hdc in each st around, sl st to first st to close round (26 st)
R6: ch 2, (hdc next 2 st tog, 11 hdc) 2 times, sl st to first st to close round (24 st)
R7: ch 2, hdc in each st around, sl st to first st to close round (24 st)
R8: ch 2, (hdc next 2 st tog, 10 hdc) 2 times, sl st to first st to close round (22 st)
R9: ch 2, hdc in each st around, sl st to first st to close round (22 st)
R10: ch 2, (hdc next 2 st tog, 9 hdc) 2 times, sl st to first st to close round (20 st)
R11: ch 2, hdc in each st around, sl st to first st to close round (20 st)
R12: ch 2, (hdc next 2 st tog, 8 hdc) 2 times (18 st)
R13: ch 2, hdc in each st around, sl st to first st to close round (18 st)
R14: ch 2, (hdc next 2 st tog, 7 hdc) 2 times (16 st)
R15: ch 2, hdc in each st around, sl st to first st to close round (16 st)
Fasten off.  Weave in ends.  Slip cover over soap dispenser and enjoy the pepperminty goodness!

But wait, there's more!  I live in an old farmhouse.  I think I've mentioned that before.  I love it, but we have push button light switches, 4 doors into (and out of!) the kitchen, and no central air conditioning.  The good part is that we've got some awesome crazy antique awesomeness, like a hair collector (never heard of one?  It's a little porcelain bowl that has a lid with a hole in it.  Women used to collect their hair every day after brushing it, and collect it in these little bowls to use later for stuffing pin cushions.), and some really fun vintage holiday ornaments.

I decorated our tree this week, and became completely inspired by the glitter and felt ornaments of the past and just desperately needed to make some of my own.  So, if you'd like to add some quasi-vintage flair to your soap dispenser cover (or hats, or packages!) you can make some too!  Honestly, the hardest part is waiting for the glitter glue to dry!

Quasi-Vintage Holly Decoration
Supplies:
Green felt - 1 sheet of eco-felt will make at least ten 2-leaf decorations
3/8" red pom-poms
3/8" grosgrain ribbon (I used red, but if you've got white it would look cute too!)
Red glitter glue
Crystal Gel fabric paint (or iridescent glitter glue)
Scissors
Hot glue (or fabric glue)
A bobby pin, safety pin, or other item to put on the back of your decoration to attach it to other things
Parchment paper (optional)

**Junior Dynamos, please don't use the hot glue gun without adult supervision! Be safe!**

 Cut some holly shapes out of the felt.  I recommend drawing several holly leaves onto a sheet of paper and then picking the one you like best to use as a pattern.  The leaf is really just a series of U-shapes that meet to form the spikey points. It's so simple, I didn't upload a template for you to print out.  This is a really simple, basic shape.

I made my leaves in a variety of sizes, with the smallest about 1 1/2" long, and the largest about 2 1/2" long.  They look better if you don't make the leaves all the same size.  Don't worry if your leaves look a little wonky, no one is going to even notice!  We're going to distract everyone with the next step.

This would be a good time to lay out a sheet of parchment paper, if you're using it.  It will protect your work surface, and if you get a little crazy with the glitter glue in the next step, the glue won't stick to the surface and you can just cut off any wayward glitter (instead of it being forever glued to the top of the table!).

Now grab your Crystal Gel fabric paint squeezy bottle (or iridescent glitter glue) and draw a holly leaf shape on top of the holly leaves that you just cut out!  Kinda follow the outline of the leaf, but don't worry if it's not perfect.  Once it dries, it will get all sparkly and no one will even notice.  Add a line in the center to finish the leaf.  Set the wet leaves aside and wait for them to dry (maybe up to 24 hours, depending on the weather).

Once your leaves are dry (don't they look awesome?!), match them up with another leaf and using your handy-dandy glue gun (or fabric glue for those of you who want blister-free fingers this holiday season) glue them together at the base of the leaves. Glue 3 of the red pom-poms in a cluster just above where you've attached the leaves together (leaving a small area below to attach a bow in the next step).  Once your glue is dry, and everything is safe to handle again, use your red glitter glue and add some glitter to the tops of the pom-poms and on the leaves underneath the pom-poms.  Vintage-y awesomeness!

Using your grosgrain ribbon, make a bow!  I used about 12" of ribbon for each bow, but if you'd like your bows to have shorter tails, you can use much less ribbon for each bow.  You can heat seal the cut ends of the ribbon by running the flame of a lit match over them for, like, 2 seconds.  That will keep them from fraying!  Attach your bow using hot glue (or fabric glue) in the little space you left below the holly berries.  You can actually attach the bow going either way, so that the holly sprig is up, or hangs down.  Whatever you prefer!  Both look cute!

Attach a bobby pin, or safety pin, or pin back to the back using whatever method your prefer.  I glued the bobby pins on mine, so that I could attach them to hats and soap dispenser covers.

You're done!  Attach away!  Show off your vintage flair and awesome holiday style!

xoxo

These FREE projects were sponsored by Crochet Dynamite ebooks!  Perfect for your new holiday tablets and ereaders!

Do you love my free patterns?  

Support an independent designer!  

My ebooks are available in the Kindle Store on Amazon!  

(And the Kindle software is FREE for your computer, tablet, smart phone and other techie devices!!!)

Go HERE to check them out! 
And, my books are part of the Kindle Lending Library,
so if you're an Amazon Prime Member, you can download them for free!
Check them out and try before you buy!!!

Thanks! xoxo Jaime

Lovely Donations this Week!

Whew!  I am probably the only person on the planet who is saying "Thank goodness it's December, because now I can relax!"  Ahahahaha!

I want to send out a great big Thank You!! to everyone who downloaded my new ebook, Crochet Dynamite: Fun and Games, this week.  I really, really appreciate it!  I was able to give away nearly 1,300 copies of the new book!  Awesomesauce!!!

An even bigger THANKS goes out to Vic, 1tigermom, and Choppy for taking the time to review it on Amazon!  As an independent, self-published crochet designer those reviews mean the world to me!  (and a extra shout out to Knitalatte for the awesome review today on my previous book, Crochet Dynamite: Gifts for Your Besties, also available in the Kindle Store on Amazon.com).

I also got some amazing donations this week for the charity project that I'm doing with Kristy Belton Bleau.  I am really, really overwhelmed by the generosity from my friends around the globe!  (Oh yeah, I said around the GLOBE!)

My friend Carol from MALAYSIA (!!! Yippee!!!!) sent us the most gorgeous butterflies!

All of the butterflies are so gorgeous, but I just wanted to point out how adorable the butterflies with the pearls are!  Awesome idea!

My friend Stacey from Indiana sent gift-wrapped donations that were so beautiful I hated to unwrap them to shoot pictures!

It felt like Christmas when I opened up Stacey's donations!

You guys know my friend NyanPon from NyanPon's Knits and Crochet?  She sent us the most amazing box that, like, exploded open with awesomeness!!!  (Psst! Go check out her blog, she's got a ton of cool - and free - patterns too!)

The center picture is all of the items together,
and the outer pictures are close-ups of the items!

And a very special Thank You goes out to my 91-year-old Mema who donated 2 hand knit scarves!  I'm going to put up her (chunky yarn, huge needles) pattern later this month!

Check out the "To Make a Crochet Donation" button in my sidebar if you're interested in donating finished items to this project (and to check out our awesome donation stats!).

TODAY, I'm putting up a new page filled with amazing people who have agreed to take commissions based on my designs.  These Dynamos are all incredibly sweet and talented people, and I'm listing them in order of their response.  If you're feeling overwhelmed by your holiday gift list, why not hire one (or two!) of them to make your stocking stuffers?  Keychain Lipbalm Holders anyone? ;D

Ah, now that all of that is done, I can get back to designing new awesome patterns!  I've got two that I'm adding this week (hint: check out the blog header!), so check back later!

xoxo

p.s. Thank you for all of the kind words, prayers, and support last month when my Mema got so sick.  It has been very challenging to find a balance between my life here, and my life online.  I so appreciate all of the love that has poured out of this community!  You guys are absolutely the best! Love, love, love to you all.

Fun and Games - My new ebook is OUT!!!

It's rainy and cold, and I'm just getting over being sick, so of course that means that I've been without a voice for the last 3 days.  Thankfully, it's just a little cold because I let myself get run down, and not FULL BLOWN PLAGUE!!!  I'm kinda bummed that I've pretty much ensured my demise in the 12/21/12 Mayan-Zombiepocolypse, but maybe the survivors in a thousand years will unearth my computer, laugh at it's primitive technology and then use it as a wave skimmer... :D

But seriously, it is rainy and sad outside, and I really don't have a voice, but I'm not really bummed out.  Why?  Because my new book (you know, the one that I didn't tell you about... Oh, shoot.  Blog fail.) is available in the Kindle store!  And it's chock-full of awesome indoor games that are perfect for a day like today, when the weather just makes you want to stay inside with a warm mug of cocoa and chuck bean bags at your children... Or is that just me... Okay, so don't aim for their heads...

Click HERE to check it out!

There are other projects in it too!  In fact, there are 10 patterns for 7 different projects that I've never shown anyone before.  How's that for awesome?!  It's an all exclusive pattern book, only available through the Kindle store!

You'll get patterns for:
-Juggling Balls and Hackey Sacks
-A Travel Chess and Checkers set
-A Flying Disk (you know, an indoor Frisbee! Safe for all but the very-most-schmancy living rooms!  And yes, it flies awesome outdoors too!)
-Family Game Night Snack Mats (perfect for little snacks, clean up is as simple as throwing them in with your next load of kitchen laundry)
-Poker Chips
-A Foxtail (Hackey Sack with a long tail to hurl it LOOOOONG distances! Uh, not indoor safe.)
-A Bean Bag Target Game (and the bean bags can also be used as Hopscotch Markers!  Woot!)


But wait!  There's more!  (Heh, I feel like I'm selling Ginsu Knives here! Or that awesome knife that can cut through a soda can AND a tomato... Wait, that's Ginsu too, right?)  You CAN get my new amazing book today because you can't wait another minute to start making awesome holiday presents for, like, everyone you know, BUT if you wait until tomorrow, you can GET IT FOR FREE!!!!

Yep, you don't have to shell out $2.99 of your hard earned cash for all of these amazing patterns!  You're special!  You're a Dynamo, and that means something around here!!!  The free promotion is running all day TOMORROW (Friday, November 30th), from Midnight PST to 11:59pm PST. So grab it then!  Tell your friends and family!  Brag about your freebie on Facebook!  Remind your crafty co-workers that they don't need a Kindle ereader, the software is FREE for their computers, laptops, tablets and smart phones!!!  Share the love!!!  (And remind them to LIKE Crochet Dynamite on Facebook, and sign up for emails, so that they'll get notified in the future too!!!)

As with all of my books, this is an exciting experiment into the world of self-publishing, so if you'd like to review it on Amazon (so that other smart, creative, and beautiful crocheters like you can find it and come join us) I would love that.  Or, if you believe in the "if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" school of thought (thank you, by the way, that makes me love you more!) then would you be willing to shoot me an email at CrochetDynamite@gmail.com to tell me what I've done wrong?  I try every time to produce the absolutely highest quality books that I am capable of, so your input is extremely valuable!

xoxo

Thank you to everyone who has sent me contact information for my new "Buy Finished Items" page!  I am currently working on it, and hopefully will have it ready to go this weekend!  Love, love, love and giant e-hugs to you all!
xo Jaime

A question for you Pro Crocheters...

Hi Dynamos!

Recently I've received a few different emails from people who want to commission me to do crochet projects.  They love my designs, and very sweetly ask if I'd make things for them.  I want to, but I'm a busy bee over here in Crochet Dynamite Central.

Now, I know that some of you have Etsy shops and are full time crocheters to support your families.  I LOVE that.  (btw, like I've told some of you before, if you want to use any of my designs, you're more than welcome to...) I was wondering what you guys thought about doing some sort of information exchange on the site, so that the people who needed crochet projects made could get in touch with the people who crochet for a living?  (my passion is designing and writing, and I just don't have the time or energy to get into the production side of the crochet world)

I was thinking about starting with a page dedicated to people who are selling items made from my designs (amongst their other items... I don't need you to be ALL Crochet Dynamite... LOL!!!!) so that I can direct interested paying customers your way.  What do you think?  Free advertising for you, and I don't have to feel bad that I just don't have the ability to make the items myself.  I would feel really good about it, because it breaks my heart to say no to anyone...

So is anyone interested in taking this community to the next level?  Email me directly (CrochetDynamite@gmail.com) if you want to be included in my list, and let me know if you have a shop that actually sells items from this site, or if you'd be willing to do special requests (even if you don't normally 'stock' my designs).    In the interest of sending all traffic your way, I'm going to take down my Sample Shop (its moderate success has been more stressful than I expected -- I'm just going back to donating everything...).

Anyone have an opinion?  Is there a better way to do this? You guys know I love to experiment...

xoxo

... It looks like my new ebook, Crochet Dynamite: Fun and Games, is on track to come out this Friday as a Kindle exclusive...  It's my first book with ALL NEW PATTERNS that have not been published anywhere else!! (More experimenting!!)  I'm so excited by how awesome it's turned out, that it's going to be available for FREE for the first day... So mark your Google Calendars and tweet your friends!!  Friday, November 30th!!  Free!!  So if you haven't already, go download the free Kindle Reader for your computer, tablet, smart phone or other awesome techie device that lets you download apps.  So much free goodness, you won't want to miss it!!!
xo Jaime