The August 2020 issue of Crochet World is now available as a digital download here and will be available at your favorite craft and book store beginning June 23. With 25 great projects, you’ll be happily stitching all summer long!

We’ve included a chapter of fun, easy projects in our Stress-Free Crochet section–perfect for those moments when you just want to unwind.

Make the Sun & Shadow Table Runner and add a touch of summer to your table decor.

The Woven Pillow would make a nice comfy addition to your favorite chair.

Or crochet the Margo Shawl in a pretty variegated yarn. The 2-row repeat means you’ll have the pattern memorized in no time!

You’ll find other fast and fun projects in this issue, too. Make a set of Soup Bowl Cozys to leave by the microwave for warming up leftovers.

The Beautiful Baby headbands and scrunchies are not only quick to make, but would make the perfect birthday gift for a special little girl.

Have your tried Mosaic Crochet? Mosaic crochet is a technique where you can create
tons of colorful geometric patterns, but you only have to work with one color per row!

This is achieved by working one to two rows skipping stitches in a sequential pattern, then filling in the skipped stitches with an alternate color on the next row.

It is really quite fun and addictive! We’ve included two photo tutorials and a few easy projects to get you going.

Start by making the Mosaic Tiles Place Mat to get the hang of it, and then progress on to the gorgeous Morocco Mosaic Afghan!

We’ve also included an article about Hat Not Hate, an anti-bullying campaign launched by Lion Brand Yarn Company and their brand ambassador, Shira Blumenthal. The campaign raises anti-bullying awareness by distributing blue hats to school-aged children each October. We’ve included 2 hat patterns so you can join in this worthwhile cause.

You won’t want to miss out on all the great patterns, tutorials and articles, so make sure to get your copy soon! Or better yet, subscribe here and never miss a single issue!

In the June 2020 issue of Crochet World, Lena Skvagerson is featured in the Designer Spotlight.

Her adorable, “Top-Down Baby Cardi,” is the perfect cardi for a new baby, with sizes up to 24 months, crocheted in DK-weight yarn. This pattern is easy to crochet and fun to personalize to your little one’s liking. The design is worked in one piece from the top down which eliminates sewing separate pieces together.

As Annie’s lead designer, Lena designs afghans, hats, tunics, shawls, coaster, moccasins, cardigans, scarves, and so much more! If you can dream it, Lena has probably crocheted it!

Now that you’ve seen her work, let me introduce you to Lena Skvagerson as she expounds on how she joined Annie’s Publishing.

“I am a Swede living with my family on the Central Coast of California. My career in the yarn industry began when I started working for Drops, a Scandinavian yarn and design company, which ended up lasting 25+ years! After my move to California a decade ago, I connected with the loveliest people at Annie’s and began doing some design work for them. Designing led to an offer to work on the production team of the Knit and Crochet Now TV. After that, I was hired as the in-house, lead designer for Annie’s Signature Designs collection.

My role with Knit and Crochet Now TV has changed over the years, and currently, I co-produce, co-host the show, and serve as one of the knit and crochet experts! I absolutely love all my roles on the show and would have a difficult time giving even one of them up! As a producer, I am involved in all aspects of planning, including which projects we will feature on each episode and which one of our talented designers will demonstrate each new technique. We film all the episodes during one week each spring, and I love being in the studio during those busy, hectic, and creative days of filming! I also enjoy the marketing and promotion once the season begins each fall on PBS and Create TV. I’m so excited and proud to be part of this amazing project, as our show is the only knit and crochet show on public television here in the US. You can find out more about the show at here.

One of my most significant responsibilities at Annie’s is being the lead designer for our seasonal lookbook, developing our own in-house line of pattern collections. My goal is to create a captivating lifestyle experience for our customers, offering unique patterns only to be found at Annie’s. For the last five years, we have successfully launched the Signature Design Collection both digitally and in print to rave reviews. We also have a dedicated website exclusively for the Annie’s Signature Designs collections.

When planning for new designs, I gather inspiration from all that I see around me. I am inspired by urban fashions and trends, often keeping track of fashion ideas I find from all over the world. When I get a feeling that consumers want a particular style or pattern, or when I see something I would love to wear myself, I can’t wait to get going and grab my crochet hooks and yarn!

In addition to all my creative work for the TV show and our collections, I love designing for our crochet magazines, Crochet World and Crochet!, and Annie’s exclusive pattern books. I also work on video classes for Annie’s.  I recently designed two afghans for our popular kit clubs.

As you can tell, there is never a dull moment around me, and if you run into me, I most likely will have yarn and a hook in my hands!”

The June issue of Crochet World is now available as a digital download here and will be on the newsstand soon!

This issue is filled with small, quick and easy projects perfect for summertime stitching.

Make a set of Rainbow Cloud Coasters for warm-weather entertaining,

or surprise the kids with these cute Summer Fun Freezies!

The Quilted Pot Holder Set is a great way to use up scraps.

If you are ready to take on a larger project, you may want to crochet the Shades of Cool Throw. The pattern is easy to memorize and is a great way to use up odd skeins of worsted-weight yarn.

We’ve included 5 projects perfect for baby and toddler gifts, too. The Baby Giraffe Set would make a great shower gift.

The Top-Down Cardi is also a fun one-piece project. There are no seams to sew and the results are super cute!

You’ll find tempting projects to make for yourself, too.

The Over the Rainbow Wrap is crocheted in a colorful self-striping yarn using the Corner-to-Corner technique. If you have not tried a C2C project before, this is perfect for newbies!

The Alison Pullover may just be your new go-to top! A pretty lacy yoke adds a summery touch to this very wearable style.

You’ll find 26 projects in this issue to keep you stitching all summer long. Get your copy here, or look for the June issue at your favorite craft or book store.

The April 2020 issue of Crochet World is on sale digitally here and will be arriving at your favorite craft or bookstore soon.

This issue is packed with a great variety of stitching projects just perfect for spring!

In the Corner-To-Corner chapter you’ll find projects easy enough for C-2-C newbies, like the Striped C-2-C Pillow or the Touches of Spring Runner.

And a few projects with some interesting variations for those wanting to try something new. I love the Somersault Throw and the Corner-to Corner Openwork Throw.

We’ve also included a chapter of great Stash-Busting Crochet! Most of us could use some help with yarn management and we’ve found some clever and different ways to help you reduce your stash in this chapter! Use up cotton scraps and make a set of the Fiesta Place Mats. Or crochet the Woven Scrap Scarf. What a clever way to use up novelty yarns and the small bits in your stash beautifully.

The Striation Shawl is not only a fun way to use up scraps but you’ll love adding this new fashion accessory to your wardrobe this spring.

We’ve also included four throws, three projects for Baby, two thread doilies and 3 great tops to crochet just in time for warmer weather.

Click here to see all 22 projects in this issue. And remember to look for your issue at your favorite craft or bookstore beginning February 25.

The new Signature Design Collection is here! Just in time for spring, you’ll find 15 exciting new designs for your wardrobe and 6 gorgeous afghans and throws to make for your home.

Lena Skvagerson, Lead Designer for Annie’s Signature Collection shares her inspiration behind the beautiful designs, “In the 1800s, lace was used by royalty the world over and had an enormous impact on the reasons why crochet became so popular, and has remained so.

In fact, crochet was originally developed for the purpose of imitating the more expensive and time-consuming laces, making it affordable for non-royals.

Lace uses the same stitches we use in our everyday stitching; it is just balanced out with open spaces that create a light fabric that has amazing drape. As you will see in our Spring 2020 collection, lace combined with modern yarns creates fresh designs perfect for spring and summer!”

All of these designs are intended to be reflect the beauty of crochet lace while keeping the core values and principles of Annie’s Signature Designs intact – providing you with a relaxing and fun crafting experience while making garments and home accessories that fit your lifestyle.

All patterns are available individually and many include the option of purchasing the yarn used, so you know your results will be stunning!

Click here to see the entire spring collection.