Yarn Review: Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Yarn

Today’s review is going to be on Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Yarn. This yarn is 100% acrylic and considered a 4-worsted weight yarn. This yarn has been compared to Red Heart Super Saver, but it’s much softer. For the crocheters out there, the recommended hook size is a size I-9, while the recommended needle size for knitters is a size US 8.

The color selection for this brand is AMAZING! There are so many different solid and variegated colors to choose from that it is hard to not pick them all. There are bright in-your-face colors and also subtle neutral colors. The colors even have some sheen to them, much like Caron Simply Soft. For a store brand yarn, I was very impressed with the color selection. Each solid color is 7 oz. while the variegated colors are 5 oz. This yarn is machine washable.

I HIGHLY recommend using this yarn for a variety of projects such as hats, scarves, blankets, and sweaters. You won’t be disappointed in the quality or the softness of this brand.

Be sure to check out and subscribe to my blog for all future projects, hauls, and much more. As always, thanks for stopping by!

Yarn Review: Deborah Norville Everyday Yarn

Today I will be reviewing Deborah Norville Everyday yarn. This yarn is considered a 4-worsted weight premium 100% acrylic yarn. The yarn label says that it is anti-pilling. For the crocheters out there, the recommended hook size is a size I-9. The recommended needle size for knitters is a size US 8. Each solid skein is 4 oz. while the variegated colors are 3.5 oz. This collection comes in a beautiful array of colors and is one of the softest yarns I have ever used. It is machine washable.I absolutely LOVE this yarn!! I love the richness of each solid color and love the combinations of the variegated colors. The solid colors pair up well to match the variegated colors. I have used this yarn for a variety of different projects such as hats and baby blankets. I bought a TON of this yarn a while back when it was on sale at Joann Fabrics for $1.99. Working with this yarn is an absolute dream as it glides easily on your crochet hook and is very soft to work with. This is one of my go-to yarns. I HIGHLY recommend picking up a few skeins and trying it out yourself. You won’t be disappointed. If you are looking for a soft acrylic yarn, this is the yarn for you!

Pattern Credits: Divine Hat and Granny Stripe Blanket

Be sure to check out and subscribe to my blog for all future projects, hauls, and much more. As always, thanks for stopping by!

Caron Cake Crochet Blanket Pattern

Hey everyone!

In my last post, I talked about my review of the Caron Cake yarn. This yarn has definitely made a name for itself in the yarn community, to the point where some Michaels stores are running out faster than they can put these on the shelf. After picking up a couple to start with, I decided to make my very own crochet pattern. Since I love making baby blankets, I thought it was very fitting to make a blanket using these Caron Cakes.

I was looking through my Crochet Stitch Dictionary book, which I have a review on, to help me decide which stitch to use. I decided to go with the V-stitch. I found this stitch to be very pretty, but very simple. I ended up using 3 Caron Cakes in the colorway Bumbleberry. The finished baby blanket measures to be a total of 43” x 36”.

If you are interested in making this baby blanket, please see below for the free pattern.

Yarn-Caron Cake in Bumbleberry (I used 3 cakes)

Hook: I-9

Blanket measures: 43” x 36”

PATTERN:

Ch 130 +2 for foundation chain

Row 1: 2 DC in 4^th ch from hook, *skip next ch, 2 DC in next ch; rep from * to last 2 ch, skip next ch, 1 DC in last ch, ch 3 and turn.

Row 2: *Skip next 2 sts, 2 DC between 2^nd skipped st and next st; rep from * to last 2 sts, skip 1 st, 1 DC in turning ch, ch 3 and turn.

Row 3 and on: repeat row 2 until desired length

And there you go! I hope you enjoyed this pattern. If you have tried this pattern, or made something similar, please let me know in the comments below.

Be sure to check out and subscribe to my blog for all future projects, hauls, and much more. As always, thanks for stopping by!

Why I Crochet for Charity

Crocheting for charity can be a wonderful thing as you know you are making something for someone in need. It’s also a great opportunity to give back if you want to do something other than giving a monetary donation. Many people feel fulfilled if they are able to help someone out, even in a small gesture by donating a hat, scarf, or other handmade item. Whatever the reason for crocheting for charity, this is a great way to help make a difference in the world.

I started donating my crochet items to charities for a few years. I know I have the talent to make things, but after having my crochet items pile up, I thought it was time to do something about it. After all, there are only so many family members you can crochet things for, especially if you have a small family like I do. While I do sell most of my crochet items at craft fairs, and I’m trying to get more involved in Etsy, I wanted to also donate some of my items as well.

Donating my crochet items to charity gives me a chance to work on different stitches and patterns that I’m just learning and practicing.  The more you practice a stitch, the better you will get at them. Plus it’s an opportunity to give someone in need one of my crochet items rather than my items piling up in my closet.

I have donated to a few different charities over the years, one being the American Heart Association. They are looking for red newborn hats, which will then be given to babies born in hospitals during the month of February. This is to support American Heart Month. I have donated hats to them a couple of times. However, this year they have so many hats that they are not requesting anymore. I’m sure it’s different for every state, but this is what I found out this year in the state of Illinois.

Warm Up America is another charity I have donated to. This charity is looking for baby blankets to help warm newborns born in Parkland Hospital. Participants can also crochet or knit 7”x9” squares that will then be sewn into a baby blanket. This is a great opportunity for someone like me who loves making blankets.

Another charity I have donated to is Comfort for Critters. This charity is about providing comfort to animals living in shelters awaiting their forever home in the form of a pet bed. This will give the animal some comfort but also provide something familiar to them. Once that animal is adopted, the pet bed will go with them as they adjust to their new home. This is probably one of my favorite charities to donate to as I love animals. I probably have donated over 100 pet mats to them this year alone! As someone with a rescue animal myself, this means a great deal to me.

Have you donated to charity? Which charities have you donated to? Let me know in the comments below.

Be sure to check out and subscribe to my blog for all future projects, hauls, and much more. As always, thanks for stopping by!

What is Your Favorite Project to Make?

This is a tough one as I tend to go through phases of crocheting different projects. I latch onto one idea and crochet the same thing over and over until something else piques my interest. However, there is always one thing I tend to go back to and have the urge to make.

With that being said, my favorite project to make is blankets. I don’t know what it is about blankets that I like, but I really enjoy making them. I know a lot of people don’t like making blankets often because they can be quite tedious, but I find them enjoyable. Of course, I don’t need any more blankets around the house, but I still find myself gravitating towards making another one.

I guess it’s because there are so many different patterns, colors, and designs you can do to make up a blanket. I can get lost in the sea of beautiful crocheted blankets I find online or on different TV shows. I’m often saying “crocheted blanket” every time I spot one on TV.

Anyway, what is your favorite project to crochet? Leave a comment below. Be sure to check out and subscribe to my blog for all future projects, hauls, and much more. As always, thanks for stopping by!

Yarn Haul-Bernat Softee Baby

Hi everyone!

Today’s yarn haul features some baby yarn. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m focusing on making lots of baby items, specifically blankets.  I have always been obsessed with crocheting blankets as they are one of my favorite things to crochet. The yarn featured here will used to make a few different blankets and hopefully some baby sweaters and hats as well.

This first brand I picked up is Bernat Softee Baby in the colors mint and white. I really like working with this yarn as it is super soft and has a nice sheen to it. I have a review of this yarn, which you can read here.  I have been obsessing over the color combination of white, gray, and mint for a while now, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to finally get into making a blanket using these colors. In fact, my whole first collection will feature these three colors in them, which I’m hoping to have completed by this October. The soft gray color I used is from the Loops & Threads line called Snuggly Wuggly, which you can find at Michaels. I purchased 8 skeins of each of these three colors.

Be sure to check out and subscribe to my blog for all future projects, hauls, and much more. As always, thanks for stopping by!

Completed Bernat Baby Blanket

Hi everyone!

As promised, here is my finished baby blanket using the Bernat Baby Blanket yarn. For a full review of this yarn, please visit my previous post here.

This finished blanket measures 47” x 44”. I used a simple V-stitch to complete this blanket.  I really love how this baby blanket turned out. Because it’s a super bulky weight yarn, it works up fast. I was able to complete this blanket in a few days.  Of course, it’s also super soft and squishy. I definitely have to make a blanket for myself of out this yarn!

Be sure to check out and subscribe to my blog for all future projects, hauls, and much more. As always, thanks for stopping by!

Mint, White, Gray Chevron Baby Blanket

Hi everyone!

Here is my finished chevron baby blanket. For this blanket, I used Bernat Softee Baby Yarn in the colors white and mint and Loops & Threads Snuggly Wuggly Yarn in soft gray. The completed blanket measures 47” x 36”. I used a size H-8 crochet hook and a total of one full skein of each color and a little extra of a second skein of each color. This blanket is available on my Etsy Shop if you are interested in purchasing it.

What I love about this blanket is how soft it is. I really enjoyed making this blanket and using these colors. I think they are perfect together and will complement any baby nursery. It is also a gender neutral baby blanket. Again, the blanket is very soft and cuddly and would be perfect for your little bundle of joy.

If you are interested in purchasing this blanket, or another chevron baby blanket in another color, please visit my Etsy Shop.

Be sure to check out and subscribe to my blog for all future projects, hauls, and much more. As always, thanks for stopping by!

Announcement

Hi everyone and welcome to my new blog!

My name is Amanda, the crochet-addict behind this blog. With this blog, I will be talking about all things crochet: current projects, reviews on yarn, hooks, and crochet books, and more.

I first learned how to crochet when I was a teenager. I found some yarn and crochet hooks in a bag at the back of my mom’s linen closet. I had no idea what you could do with this yarn, but I was intrigued and wanted to learn more. One day I was asked to join a crochet club that was starting up in my neighborhood. I met like-minded people that wanted to learn how to crochet as well. At first, I was all thumbs as I struggled to hold the crochet hook the right way as well as the yarn. I could feel my hands tensing up as I tempted to make chains and my first few stitches. Eventually I got the hang of it and finished my first scarf. Even though it wasn’t perfect, I was proud that I finished something. I guess you can say I’ve been ‘hooked’ ever since.

FOR MY FIRST ANNOUNCEMENT….

I now have an Etsy Shop!

When you visit my Etsy Shop, you will find handmade, crochet baby items. I have baby blankets, baby sweaters, and newborn hats available. I have different colors to choose from, depending on what you are looking for. I can even custom make an item for you if you don’t see any color combinations you like, so just ask. Be sure to check back on my Etsy Shop for new products and future promotions.

I hope you find what I have to say interesting. I hope you will learn about different yarn brands you might not have tried before or learn something new about crochet in general. Either way, I hope you will visit again soon. Feel free to leave me a comment or fill out the “Contact Me” page listed on the index at the top of the page.

Take care!

~Amanda