I Passed

For the past several months I have been working on the Certified Crochet Instructor Program through the Craft Yarn Council.

I'm pleased to let you know that I have officially passed  Part I which consisted of four lessons and numerous swatches.  The first four lesson covered beginning crochet. The concepts and techniques covered included the foundation chain, single crochet, half double crochet, double crochet, front and back loops , and increases and decreases for both single crochet and double crochet.

Textured stitches included: crochet ribs, clusters, popcorns, ripples, square and hexagon motifs.

My most challenging assignment was to create a beginner spiral project. I designed a ski hat, which I shared in an earlier blog post.

My assigned reviewer, Barb Van Elsen, provided a phone critique of my work to this point. She was pleased with the swatches that I submitted. She offered words of encouragement and several good teaching tips for teaching beginning crochet.

Now it is onward and upward to complete  the second half of the program which covers teaching intermediate crochet.  I'm well on my way. I  am working on  lesson seven and will be sharing those swatches with you in this blog as soon as I have them completed.

Lesson Six

I'm still working through the Craft Yarn's Council Certified Crochet instructors program. I just finished lesson six which covered

• between stitches
• around the post stitches
• multi-color crochet using three different techniques
• carried yarn method
• woven yarn method
• crossed yarn method  (otherwise known as intarsia)

I'm still waiting to hear back on  lesson's one through four.  Six lessons down, two more to go!

Swatches for lesson #6, Intarsia, between stitches, carrying multi-colors and post stitches

Lesson 5

I have finally completed lesson five on my way to being a certified crochet instructor.  The first four lessons are in the hands of my assigned reviewer, and I'm anxiously awaiting her  feedback.

In lesson five the emphasis is on working with finer threads and filet crochet. Triple crochet is also introduced

The essay portion of this assignment covered how to teach triple crochet, and filet crochet and common problems.

Published - (Almost)

Very exciting news to share. Quick and Easy Crochet Magazine has accepted my CurlyQ hat and scarf for publication in either the Sept/Oct or Nov/Dec 2011 issue of the magazine. The editor has seen photos, and if she likes the finished model "in person" as well as she likes the picture the deal is done.

Now I have to crochet a model to send to the editor, and write up the instructions.  I know the instructions are written on a legal pad somewhere around here. Now where did I put that legal pad, and I need more yarn.  Hobby Lobby here I come.

Here is a picture of the set.

A New Book In My Library

Have you ever wished that you could sit down with a Master Crocheter, and learn at the knee of the Master?  Well I have, and  I think I have found  the next best thing, The Crochet Master Class, Lessons and projects from Today's top crocheters by  Jean Leinhauser and Rita Weiss.

This book is not for beginners, but crochet artists that want to stretch themselves by learning new techniques like hairpin lace, tapestry crochet, woven crochet, tunisian crochet, filet crochet, double-ended crochet, overlay crochet, bruges crochet, painted crochet, free-form crochet,  bead crochet, Fashion crochet,  Irish crochet and wire crochet. The bullion stitch are tassels are also included. It makes me tired just to list them all.

Some of these techniques I am familiar with like filet crochet, and tunisian crochet, but I have limited to no experience with the others.

The book includes pictures and stories about the featured artists along with their patterns.I want to experiment with all the techniques, but haven't made up my mind where to start. What a nice problem to have.  So much yarn, so little time.

I definitely recommend this book for your crochet library too.  I found my copy at a local Barnes and Noble store, but it is also widely available online.

Lesson Four

While watching the movie Wall Street last night, I finished Lesson Four in the Craft Yarn Council's Certified Teachers Program. Now I'm ready to submit my lesson plan book for evaluation and review.


Lesson Four is the last lesson for this session. and consisted of working a square motif, a hexagon motif, and designing a beginner spiral project with written instructions. My spiral beginner project is a ski cap.  I hope you like it. There is still plenty of winter left so make a couple, one for yourself, and one to give away.

As promised, I'm sharing pictures and the written instructions for the ski cap. This project can be completed in an evening, maybe two for beginners.

Spiral Ski Hat

Vanna’s Choice Yarn, Grey Marble – 2 skeins

H hook

Skill Level : Beginner

Size: will fit an average size head 21 to 22 inches in circumference

Gauge: 14sc = 4 inches, 16 rows = 4 inches

Stitches used:

sc – single crochet

dc – double crochet

Special Instructions: Do not join rounds. Place a stitch marker at the beginning of each round, move the stitch marker up each round as it is worked to mark the first stitch in each round.

ch 6 join with a slip stitch to the first chain to form a ring

Rnd 1. Work 10sc in the ring. Do not join. Place a stitch marker in the first sc (10sc)

Rnd 2.  2dc in each stitch around (20dc) (NOTE move the stitch marker to first stitch in the 2^nd round to mark the beginning of the new round. Continue to move the marker in this manner for all remaining rnds)

Rnd 3.* sc in first stitch, 2sc in next stitch, repeat from * around (30sc)

Rnd 4. *dc in next 2 stitches, 2dc in next stitch, repeat from * around (40dc)

Rnd 5. *sc in next 3 stitches, 2sc in next stitch, repeat from * around (50 sc)

Rnd 6. *dc in next 4 stitches, 2dc in next stitch, repeat from * around (60dc)

Rnd 7. *sc in next 5 stitches, 2sc in next stitch, repeat from * around (70sc)

Rnd 8. dc in each stitch around (70dc)

Rnd 9. sc in each stitch around (70sc)

Rnd 10-28 repeat Rnd 9 (70sc)

Rnd 29. sc in each stitch around, join with a slip stitch to first sc and finish off.

Weave in ends. Fold bottom end of ski cap up 2 to 3 inches  to form a cuff around the cap.

Curly Q Hat and Scarf

A few weeks ago I completed a scarf and hat using Red Heart's new Curly Q yarn. The other day, I talked my sister into modeling the set so that I could take pictures for the soon to be written pattern. The pattern is already written, but it is written on a yellow legal pad. There is danger that if I don't transcribe the pattern soon, I won't be able to decipher my own notes.

 

My plan was to self publish, but while driving home from the photo shoot, I decided to submit the hat and scarf to Red Heart for publication.  The submission is on its way to South Carolina as we speak.  Wish me luck.  If Red Heart  doesn't agree to publish, then never fear, the pattern will be available in my Etsy Store, and in my Ravelry Patterns.

The wait begins.