Hello everyone! Tara here—

Mother’s Day is coming up fast!

If you’re like me, then you probably love giving the mothers in your life something that’s handmade. And, if you’re really like me, then you haven’t even started to make your gifts yet.

We’re officially 4 days away and the time crunch has begun to make the perfect present.

Here are some projects you can make in a flash that any mom would love:

# 1: Valentine Treat Bag

Valentine Treat Bag By Elisa’s Crochet

Stick a chocolate bar (or three) in this cute little heart treat bag for a gift Mom will really love!

# 2: The Braided Cable Cowl

Braided Cable Cowl by Jennifer E. Ryan

This cowl is perfect for chilly spring mornings, and stitches up quickly. It goes with any outfit so it will become one of Mom’s favorites in a flash.

# 3: Beginner Toe-Up Crochet Socks

Beginner Toe-Up Crochet Socks by Rohn Strong

Who doesn’t love socks? This pair is great for beginners and is sure to bring a bright spot of joy to Mom’s day.

# 4: The Grace Scarf

Grace Scarf by Mary Chisak

Mom can wear this scarf with any outfit or tie it on her purse for a beautiful pop of color and texture!

# 5: The Tahitian Nights Shawl

Tahitian Nights Shawl by Rohn Strong

Shawls are always a favorite, and this one whips up fast. The self-striping yarn gives you the color you want and doesn’t leave you with ends to weave in.

# 6: A Pocketful of Nature

A Pocketful of Nature By Jackie Daugherty

These gorgeous plant baskets are sure to brighten any mom’s day! Give them with her favorite herbs or succulents already planted inside, or use them as baskets and fill them with her favorite craft supplies.

# 7: Ramsey Gansey Baskets

Ramsey Gansey Baskets By Lena Skvagerson for Annie’s Signature Designs

Is there such a thing as too many baskets? Fill these with snacks, candles, and other little gifts Mom loves for a practical gift she’ll use all the time.

# 8: The Bee Happy Carryall Bag

Bee Happy Carryall Bag By Maria Isabel

This bag is too cute to ignore and it’s perfect for summer! The best part: it stitches up quicker than you would think because it’s made with bulky-weight yarn.

# 9: The Ecru Summer Poncho

Ecru Summer Poncho By Tia Edwards

You can stitch up this fun and lacy poncho in no-time. It’s perfect for spring days and cool summer nights and Mom is guaranteed to love it.

# 10: The Wonky Heart Pocket Scarf

Wonky Heart Pocket Scarf By Tracy Collins

This scarf is perfect for the moms that hate having to carry their purses—the large pockets can fit their necessities and they can leave their heavy bags at home. The neutral colors of this scarf look great with any outfit, and the hearts are lovely touches.

What is your go-to Mother’s Day gift?

– Tara Orchard, Editor of Crochet! Magazine

Need more inspiration? Check out Annie’s Craft Store for more incredible crochet patterns! 

Our cover projects are the Beach Waves Blanket by designer Alessandra Hayden and the Sea Turtle Pillow by Heather Singell

Our June issue went live on newsstands this week. If you haven’t managed to get this issue in your hands, you need to rush out and get a copy today. It is just packed full of super amazing patterns. In the hot months of June, many folks take off for the water as a cool down, and even if you don’t, we wanted to bring that vibe into your home. The Beach Waves Blanket on the cover of the image in its repeating wave pattern design and gorgeous watery summer hues is the perfect project to showcase the theme of this issue. And then we just couldn’t resist the super adorable Sea Turtle Pillow to accompany the blanket on the cover. This little cutie is perfect for dressing up your couch or for cuddling while taking a nap this summer.

When choosing the projects for this issue, my first thought was I want to bring you variety. So we have mug rugs, a rug, a place mat, a table runner, towels, a pillow, can cozies, a couple of afghans, a stuffie and a couple of games. Not to mention simple color change projects (ie stripes), corner-to-corner crochet and tapestry crochet add even more variety to the mix. Then the goal was that they really needed to feature a waterfront theme. You will find fish appliqués, a sailor (dog), a sand dollar, a sea turtle, waves, starfish, sea gulls, anchors, oars, a sailboat, a life preserver and flip flops! Next, if it couldn’t feature a direct water theme, I wanted it to have those beachy, watery colors. The table runner’s sand color and repeating pattern definitely makes me think of sand on the beach. The shades of blue and tan in the mug rugs, can cozies and flying disk evoke the look of the beach and the water along its shores.

We carry this color theme into our Just Threads chapter, where I tried to stick with colors that make me think of the outdoors. Gemma R. Owens’ Summer Sunset Doily incorporates all the colors of the setting sun and similar shades are apparent in the next 2 squares of the Resplendent Squares series. While the Pineapple Parfait Doily by Joyce Geisler make me think of, well literally, parfaits and ice cream. And Olga Shalaeva’s Jade Doily reminds me of a soft grassy color I might see while lounging by the fire in my backyard.

This issue is also about relaxation and unwinding after a hard day of work. The remaining projects all were chosen with those thoughts in mind.  An organized desk when sitting down to do bills or work on your next crochet project is a must and Debra Arch’s Cuppa Crochet Carryall gives you way to do just that while using one of the gazillion coffee cups you probably having sitting around your house…or is that just me? And then you can make a lovely set for evenings reading: a bookmark, coaster and wine coaster.

We finish off the issue with lovely blankets and throws designed to create a beautiful relaxing environment or to keep you cozy warm (when someone else in the house is freezing you out) while chilling in the evening. The Cozy Garden Coverlet by Jennifer Olivarez is a definite labor of love that will add beauty and style to your bedroom and is sure to become an heirloom piece you will pass one down for generations. The Daydream Blanket features an eye-catching repeating mosaic pattern creating an extra thick layer of warmth for cool summer evenings. And the Cushy Cable Throw will have you wrapped in soft squishy luxury while hanging out on the porch on late summer nights. Don’t miss Bonnie’s how to video tutorials with this throw as well! They will make stitching this up go super easy for you.

Be sure to grab your copy on newsstands now! Or head here and subscribe so that you never miss an issue!

—Britt Schmiesing, editor

Hello everyone! Tara here—

Do you collect crochet patterns?

There are so many incredible patterns out there, and it’s hard not to pick up every pattern you fall in love with. But buying individual patterns can get expensive quickly, especially if you’re like me and you grab them faster than you can make them.

What if I told you that there was an online resource that has over 1,450 patterns and it lets you download as many patterns as you want for free?

It’s Annie’s Creative Studio, and it’s an incredible site for any crafter.

Not only does it have hundreds of patterns like the gorgeous hooded sweater below, but there are also videos that go with the patterns to make any project easier! Some of the videos are right next to the patterns, but others are in a section called Learn, Make, Create!. Each pattern is very clearly labeled with skill levels so you know with a quick glance just how difficult it’s going to be.

Weekend Casual Hooded Sweater by Melissa Leapman

Another really fun category to check out is Crochet Skill Builders. Some of the videos are for specific stitches, but others pair with projects like Penny’s Hook & Yarn Tote Bag and teach you new techniques. For Penny’s Tote, you learn Tunisian Crochet in the Round!

Penny’s Hook & Yarn Tote Bag by Sandy Walker

My favorite category by far is Knit & Crochet Now!. I don’t have cable, so I can’t catch the newest episodes of Knit & Crochet Now! on PBS or Create TV, so it’s wonderful being able to watch episodes whenever I want—and re-watch it whenever I need to. With your subscription, you have access to all 12 seasons—over 150 episodes!

There are product review videos, tutorials on how to measure yourself (which is essential when you make any kind of wearable), and classes on the different types of fibers. It’s a dream for any crocheter.

But Annie’s Creative Studio is not just for crochet. There are how-to tutorials and classes taught by industry experts on knitting, quilting, sewing, home decorating, and general crafts. There are even videos on easy ways to organize and unclutter, which are some of my favorites to watch.

Another video that’s a must watch in the next two weeks teaches you how to host for Mother’s Day events. Mother’s Day is coming up quick: it’s May 8th this year!

And the best part: You get a FREE 15-day trial! That’s 15 days to watch as many videos and download as many patterns as you can to see if Annie’s Creative Studio is worth subscribing to (it is). If you’re still not sure, you can take a video tour of the website and check it out.

Have you looked into Annie’s Creative Studio yet?

– Tara Orchard, Editor of Crochet! Magazine

I wanted to create a series for Crochet World: A project where a little bit of it appears in each issue of the magazine for a year. We have had a few of these in the past and they are super fun to see each new iteration and to see how folks are creating there own. For this latest series, I wanted it to be a thread design because I know we have a lot of loyal followers that love thread work. It also needed to be versatile. What is more versatile then crochet squares? They can be used for soooo many things. I had a few brainstorming sessions with one of our top thread designers, Gemma R. Owen, and the Resplendent Squares were born.

Endless possibilities!

Starting with the February 2022 issue, two squares and an assembly diagram will be featured in each issue. Each square is worked in a multicolored version and a plain natural version featuring size 10 crochet cotton from Lizbeth. (You can pick out your favorite threads and colors here or here!) When you are all done you will have 24 squares to create something amazing with like the table runner version in the magazine. We wanted each issue to also feature a different assembly diagram so that folks can see the myriad of possibilities these squares provide you. Work one and you have a coaster. Join twelve you have a place mat or pillow front. Join them in two long rows for a long slender table runner. Join them in a cross shape for a gorgeous centerpiece. Sew four together, add a lining and zipper and you have a cute little pouch or purse. Add them as embellishments to a top. Really the possibilities are infinitesimal!

Squares 5 & 6

In the upcoming June issue, we feature two lovely squares in beautiful summer shades of peach, blue and yellow. Don’t be afraid to play around with colors and choose options that fit your home decor. Also don’t think this is just for thread. The squares can translate to a heavier weight of yarn. But keep in mind, you will need to play around with hook sizes until you find the one that works best with the yarn you chose. If your hook doesn’t match up quite right, as you work the instructions your square will ruffle or pinch together. So if you decide to go the route of non-thread, just keep in mind you may need to do a bit of tweaking along the way to make things work.

Two of my squares in Omega Abuela No 6.

I am working mine up in Omega Abuela No 6 cotton yarn. It is a bit heavier than a size 10 thread and easier for my eyes to see the stitches. I am using a C hook so far for most of them. Pictured at the left are two of my natural squares. I haven’t decided exactly how I am going to use my squares. I kind of want to see what you all come up with before I make my final decision. So that we can all see what each other is creating be sure to use the following hashtag on your social media accounts: #resplendentsquares.

—Britt Schmiesing, editor

Hello everyone! Tara here—

Are you ready for spring?

I know the official first day of spring was March 20^th here in the Northern Hemisphere, but we’ve had some cold weather since then and it hasn’t really felt like spring lately.

Things are finally starting to warm up though, so it’s only fitting that your wardrobe should too!

Here are some incredible pieces that you have to have this spring:

# 1: The Samsara Lace Pullover

Samsara Pullover by Lena Skvagerson for Annie’s Signature Designs

You can wear this top with anything: jeans, slacks, or a skirt. You can even wear it over a dress or jumpsuit! The neutral color is flattering and really makes the different stitches pop against any outfit!

#2: The Grab ‘N’ Go Bucket Hat

Grab ‘N’ Go Bucket Hat by The Hat & I

Bucket hats are back! This easy-to-wear accessory has been showing up everywhere, and it’s easy to understand why. This design is perfect for a day at the park or beach!

#3: The Game Day Hoodie

Game Day Hoodie by Lena Skvagerson for Annie’s Signature Designs

With spring comes rain and baseball. This hoodie is perfect to keep handy for cold, rainy days, especially if you spend your days in the stands!

#4: The Willowy Crochet Vest

Willowy Crochet Vest by Tammy Hildebrand for Annie’s Signature Designs

Vests are one of the top trending styles and are considered a new wardrobe staple. Like this vest, they can add a beautiful light layer to any outfit and are incredible transitional pieces. This Willowy Vest will look just as good over a tank top as it will a turtleneck.

#5: The Coral Sunset Shawl

Coral Sunset Shawl by Lena Skvagerson for Annie’s Signature Designs

You really can’t go wrong with a shawl, and shawls that have incredible texture and softly-changing colors are always a favorite. Wear this like a regular shawl (like in the photo) or as a scarf, and add a pop of color to any outfit!

#6: The Bias Loop Scarf

Bias Loop Scarf by Ana D

I’m am a firm believer that you can never have enough infinity scarves, and this one is a must-have. It’s worked in rows with a stunning patch of openwork stitches, and it’s sewn together once you’ve finished it. Put it on and loop it over your head again for extra warmth!

#7: The Waterfalls Sleeved Ruana

Waterfalls Sleeved Ruana by Andee Graves

Ruanas, like ponchos and capes, are also on the must-have list. They’re so comfortable (often called wearable blankets) and look good over any outfit. This ruana is a gorgeous, trending lilac with small bursts of color scattered throughout and sleeves to help keep your arms warm. It’s one of our favorites!

What are your spring must-haves?

– Tara Orchard, Editor of Crochet! Magazine

Need more inspiration? Check out Annie’s Craft Store for more incredible crochet patterns!