Our Winter Issue

I like to read the credits of television shows and movies. I don't know why, perhaps it harkens back to my days when I was a crew member on school shows and college TV programs; the visual enjoyment of the show isn't complete without seeing the names of the actors, directors, producers and everyone else down to the hair and makeup artists. What can I say?...I'm a detail-oriented woman. (This quirk is very helpful at trivia games!)

So in keeping with this obsession, I read the names of who-does-what in Crochet World and Crochet! magazines and it never surprises me to see this pattern byline repeatedly: “Design by Michele Wilcox.” Michele and I have been friends for many years through our work. In getting to know her personally and professionally, I can see why her patterns are popular and appear often in these magazines. They're usually rated as “beginner,” “confident beginner,” or “easy” skill levels and are often quick to make. They vary from blankets and scarves, toys, dolls and figures to hats and all kinds of holiday decor, even unusual objects such as cupcake favors for showers! I can personally attest to the pleasure of stitching her designs as I made one of her more spectacular pieces, Enchanting Unicorn for Red Heart (www.yarnspirations.com), as a baby gift. Her husband, Dick, lovingly described why Michele's designs, especially animals and dolls of people, are special: “The thing she does the best is the character she gives to everything she makes, especially the faces.” She's truly a natural at her craft and loves what she does.

Read the entire article in our April 2023 issue!

Some of the recent yarn releases from Círculo Yarns are simply incredible for summertime projects. These four in particular come in gorgeous colors and I recommend trying them out for your next project.

La Belle is a worsted-weight yarn that is made up of 60 percent cotton and 40 percent acrylic. You get 213 yards in a ball and Círculo offers 20 beautiful colors in this line. There are tans and browns, greens and grays, and pinks and purples, all of which have a matte finish. The shade pictured is number 3768, which is a lovely rosy mauve.

This yarn is so soft and squishy. It may be a cotton, but it’s definitely warmer than other cotton yarn offered on the market. It would be incredible for home decor pieces and accessories too.

Luar is also a worsted-weight yarn, but this one is 100 percent acrylic. It’s silky smooth with a bit of a shine to it and feels a lot like an anti-pilling acrylic. Each skein is 169.5 yards, and you can choose between 17 incredible colors. Our swatch was made with shade 8797, which is a charcoal gray.

This skein comes with an Easy-Pull-Center tab, and it made the whole experience of using it that much better. Crocheting with it was a dream. There was no splitting, and the yarn is so soft and smooth that you just don’t want to put it down. It’s an incredible yarn for garments, especially for spring and summer projects. Luar is light and creates a fabric that drapes delightfully.

The Sugar Cane line is so much fun. This is a DK-weight yarn that’s made of 100 percent viscose from sugar cane plants. It’s a renewable fiber that’s biodegradable and requires very little energy during the production process. That means it’s better for our environment than most yarns! You get 153 yards in each hank, and, for now, it’s offered in 10 tones. This is shade 7083, which is a soft tan, almost taupe.

This yarn is silky smooth with a really gorgeous shine to it. It has more of a shine than Luar does, and it’s somehow even softer than Luar. It glides through your fingers as you’re working with it and it’s cool to the touch, so this really is perfect for summer garments. And the drape—this yarn creates an incredible drape! It feels luxurious and is sure to be a fast favorite for wearables.

Apolo Eco may be the most versatile in this list because it comes in DK-weight, light worsted-weight and worsted-weight options. The DK-weight balls come with 342 yards (which is what this swatch was created with), the light worsted-weight balls come with 228 yards, and the worsted-weight balls come with 171 yards. There are 18 shades currently offered with this yarn, and Círculo did a great job of creating a nice variety of tones. This is 5276, which is a bright aqua.

Apolo Eco is 85 percent cotton and is blended with 15 percent other recycled fibers. It feels like you would expect a cotton yarn to feel and has a bit of a scratchy texture to it, but it’s still soft for a recycled yarn.

If you haven’t already used Círculo’s yarn for one of your projects, I highly recommend it! You can check out all of their yarn at www.circuloyarns.com.