While doing the Thing A Day Challenge for February, I’ve run across a ton of beautiful crochet heart patterns – all for free. These are all first rate designs given freely by the creators. Thanks to each and every one of you for sharing so generously with the crafting community. Since I definitely want to keep track of all these fantastic patterns and tutorials, I thought I’d put them in one place for easy reference. Bookmarking didn’t seem sufficient since I wanted to share the designs and give a shout out to the designers. And of course, what better place to keep track of my life stuff than on my blog, right? Hope you enjoy my little round up of some fantastic crochet and knit designs from some really dynamic designers. As I’ve gotten absolutely obsessed with crocheting and knitting hearts and flowers, I’ll be continually adding to this round up, so bookmark it and subscribe to our rss feed. Stay tuned for a Crochet and Knit Flower Pattern Round Up!
Wanting to make some really small Valentine’s hearts, Julie Kundhi of julie-k whipped up this cute little pattern. Visit her etsy shop at kundhicreative where she’s presently hosting a Flowers for Haiti sale. Proceeds from all flower pins will be donated to Doctors Without Borders.
Anna of Mochimochi Land offers up these cutesy little Amigurumi style hearts. They’re fast and easy. You’ll find yourself knitting a bunch these for friends, family and luvas!
This free pattern is courtesy of Cocoa Cream’s Craft Closet. I know you just want to grab your nearest yarn and get started on these. They are just too lovely. And do stop by Cocoa Cream Crochet’s etsy shop for some more crochet pleasure.
I found that learning the Magic Ring was a great alternative to starting crochet in the round. Here’s an excellent video from KawaiiGurumi. Although she’s targeting Amigurumi artists, this tutorial works for anyone working in the round, and was by far the most clear that I found. I had my Magic Ring first time around. Thanks for sharing. P.S. If you’re interested in learning amigurumi crochet KawaiiGurumi has an entire Youtube channel on How to Amigurumi!
Coming to us from Bella Dia is this charming little (or big, who’s counting?) Heart Garland. Cassi Griffin has written a tutorial that is extremely detailed and pleasing to the eye with tons and tons of close up pictures. This tutorial was a breeze to follow. Recommended for beginners. This was one of the first hearts I was able to make without a hitch – no mistakes at all. Thanks, Cassi, for a marvelous tutorial! Oh and BTW, Cassie also makes the cutest one-of-a-kind little mushroom houses. You’ve got to take a peek!
This free pattern is an original from RoxyCraft. This one got me started on the Amigurumi craze. If you haven’t been bitten yet, check out Roxycraft’s collection of free patterns. These make up so quick and are so much fun. They’re absolutely addictive!
It’s really another Amigurumi heart, but I like to compare different patterns. Sometimes just a little twist in phrasing can help you understand a pattern so much better. This one comes from Sandra who creates limited edition or one-of-a-kind Pepika Dolls.
Mandy of Little Birdie Secrets teaches you how to crochet these little lovelies with embroidery floss in a great 4 minute video with assurances you’ll be making them in 2. Check out her site to see how she’s incorporated these hearts on cards and scrapbook pages as well as on baby accessories. She’s also got a how-to crochet a flower video that I’m eternally grateful for.
Knit this heart, from Renee Blixt of Suite 101, using any size hook and any type yarn. Make appliqués, pillows, sachets, and more. I made this. Very fast and easy.
Here’s another amigurumi style heart that Patricia Kruep of Little Berry Studio so graciously shared here on Instructables. Look how cute these look in that cup. Thank You Patricia.
Thank you, Jill of Wool’s Happenin’ for sharing this cute little knit heart dishcloth. I think this cutey pie would brighten up any kitchen all year long, not just Valentine’s Day. While you’re knitting this up, don’t forget to congratulate Jill on following her passion and focusing full time on her business, Starstruck Cat Design, which offers one of a kind hand-crafted items. Good luck in all your endeavors, Jill!
Hi, my name is Ramona, and I’m about to embark on a full year of the Creative Every Day Challenge (#CED2010 on twitter). I admit that I am powerless over my creative dalliances, and that my life has become pretty much un-freaking-manageable because of them. I have come to believe that a Power greater than myself has led me to this group of over 400 creatives, and that the challenge of being creative every day just might restore me to some semblance of sanity. Or at least that’s the plan.
Ok, there. That’s off my chest. Are you satisfied? I’ve at least taken the first step to admitting that what I’m doing just ain’t working for me. What did Einstein say about insanity? That the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results”? Yeah, that’s me. Beating my head against the same wall over and over, doing it in my own little vacuum, and refusing to reach out. Well, call it serendipity, synchronicity, or the Universe just catching my prayer and lobbing a great tool with great people back at me. My mission, should I choose to accept it (and I do), is to make the most of this opportunity. To learn to go with my own Flow. To not compare myself or my work to others. To not be so intimidated by the “real” artists. To admit to myself that I am creative in my own special way, and that I do indeed have something to give to the World.
Here’s a cool site I came across recently. Located at 3609 Butler Street in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Equita(Italian for fairness)
is a design-conscious shop showcasing the finest in green, sweatshop-free and Fair Trade essentials for the body and home.
They are virtually a one-stop green source offering ethical fashion and footwear; green home decor; sustainable furniture; fair trade & eco handbags and jewelry; organic & fair trade body care; ethical baby clothing; fair trade sport and wellness gear; and specialty gourmet treats.
I’m finding the site as alluring as their brick & mortar shop must be. I could stay on it forever. It’s chock full of interesting information about the products, how and where they are produced, and reads almost like a love novel. They offer a number of items made in the USA and are supporting many Fair Trade cooperatives around the world.
Prices run the gamut. The Soap Pebbles (Gift Assortment), pictured above, are produced by the Arghand Cooperative in Afghanistan, and goes for $16.00. This cooperative, which includes men and women, was founded in 2005 by former NPR reporter Sarah Chayes, and is committed to providing women with dignified employment remunerated at a fair level, as well as an equal share in the decision-making process. More importantly, supporting their efforts offers a viable alternative to opium production. You owe it to yourself to pop over to Equita just to enjoy the titillating sensory description of the ingedients: cold pressed wild pistachio, pomegranate, wild almond, steeped licorice root, the essence of the “Kandahar Rose”… Trust me, you just have to check it out.
The Cyrilla Arm Chair by PURE, left, goes for $2,100 with embroidery, $1,860 without, and is designed
…to reduce your carbon footprint and improve indoor quality… The company produces high quality contemporary furniture pieces using sustainable materials that will not off-gas or leach chemicals into the air.
Out of my league, but it is to die for, isn’t it? And who knew about the off-gases from furniture?
I hate to continually quote from another site, but Equita expresses the essence of ethical living in such a succinct, yet all-encompassing manner, that I can’t help but present it here in its entirety:
Ethical living invites us to look behind the tall, wide curtain of consumer culture to clearly view the factory floors, forests, farm fields and people that lie on the other side. It is conscious, informed, open-eyed living that takes into account the impact of our choices on the environment and human rights; a continuing call to action that demands we acknowledge our connection to nature and participate in the movement for social change.
More than a fleeting trend, it is an accessible way of living that recognizes the urgency of global environmental and social problems and supports real, sustainable alternatives. Ethical living allows us to break out of our role as passive consumers, and harness the tremendous power that our choices, purchases and daily habits wield us. We can accomplish this by consuming consciously and by choosing Fair Trade, organic and green options wherever possible.
Above and beyond promoting a more conscious and aware form of consumerism, ethical living asks that we dig deeper, that we live compassionately, work to affect change and become active members of our communities by taking concrete action – recycling, supporting local enterprises, reducing energy consumption, alleviating social injustice and encouraging companies to be more accountable for their actions remain critical ways that everyone can participate equally.
In short, an increasing number of people find themselves asking a larger philosophical question that begs to be answered: though many of us have more wealth, possessions, technological advancements, status and choices than ever, are we moving in the right direction as a people? Are we promoters of justice? Do we smartly allocate our limited resources? Are we considerate of others? Are we living ethically? Rather than a manifesto or set of strict guidelines, ethical living asks that we take simple steps to encourage awareness of and a sense of conscience about one’s actions in hope of helping everyone live better.
I encourage everyone to check out Equita. They’re not only offering high quality sustainable goods made to high ethical standards, but are doing a lot of good in the process. You should also visit their blog, Nitty Gritty to stay up-to-date on
news, information and dialogue on The Essentials for Ethical Living: environmentalism, green design, the local economy, fair trade, social consciousness, and, yes, ethical shopping.
May much success come to this principle-driven company, and may it serve as a model for others striving to participate in this ever-growing movement for change.
When looking for inspired creatives who epitomize the ethical eco-friendly movement, I didn’t have to go far. Call it serendipity, synchronicity or the Universe conspiring to lend me a hand starting this blog. I stumbled upon Tara Swiger of Blonde Chicken Boutique while reading Gary Vaynerchuk’s new book, Crush It! I didn’t rush to the computer to look up every featured blogger highlighted in Gary’s book, but when you come across a name like Blonde Chicken Boutique doesn’t that compel you to find out what on earth they might be up to?
Wel,l Tara is up to her eyeballs in yarn. And she does a lot more than just sell the most beautiful, mouth watering skeins of puffiness I’ve ever had the pleasure of drooling over – and that’s just the pictures on her site. I haven’t had a chance yet to order any, but with names like Chocolate-Covered Cherries, Candy Apple, Thin Mint, Pumpkin Chocolate Chip what is a mere mortal to do but start scrounging for more discretionary income. Universe, are You listening??
Tara does all the yarn dyeing, spinning, photographing and writing while her husband, Jay serves as the shipping and design department.
Tara started Blonde Chicken Boutique in 2006 when she discovered a lack of beautiful, colorful, eco-friendly yarns. Tara’s passion is to
provide all fiber artists with yarn that will make them feel good, knowing their creative endeavors are sustaining a healthier, gentler world.
Over at Blonde Chicken Boutique you can learn so much more about how Tara works with local farmers in the Tennessee area, getting to know the characteristics of each individual sheep (or is that lamb) and carrying those characteristics through the spinning process for the fiber artists to be connected to. Tara explains it much better:
I want to connect with farmers, share their passion for their animals with fiber artists who are equally passionate about their yarn. Building a community of fiber growers and fiber users is my main goal in everything I do here at Blonde Chicken Boutique. I’m ever-reaching towards that goal by offering the LocalSpun Club, talking about the farmers on the blog and selling their fiber in the Boutique.
Tara makes all her yarn at home, in Johnson City, TN. As she describes:
in the very tippy tip of TN, where it pokes between VA and NC.
She dyes in big pots in her kitchen while listening to NPR and crafty podcasts like Stash & Burn, Cast-On, CraftyPod, CraftSanity. She spins in the living room, usually snuggled in with Beau the pup. Tara playfully cautions
Spinning requires long hours of sitting and while it’s great for quiet meditation, a girl (and her patient husband) can only take so much quiet. For that reason, we watch copious amounts of TV and movies, most recently Buffy (yeah, we’re late to the game), Battlestar Gallactica, How I Met Your Mother, The Office & Lost.
So take a peak at Blonde Chicken Boutique for a sensory-overloaded journey of home spun yarn from farm to fiber, and learn how an ethical eco-friendly business should and can be run. Enjoy!
Well, someone had to come up with one, right? I got to talk to Drew from E. Gluck Corporation Friday after I noticed their add in Accessories Magazine for an eco-friendly watch. Mind you, this is an old school company. They’ve been in the watch business since the 1950’s. Their brands include Armitron, Anne Klein New York, AK Anne Klein, Lucky Brand, Badgley Mischka, JLO by Jennifer Lopez, and now the Sprout. Suggested retail price is $30. Not too shabby. This could fall into the ‘being green on a budget’ category if you’ve got some discretionary income. For those on a tight budget it could still be realized with some penny pinching. I’m just not sure of the impact. I think it’s a good idea if you’re already in the market for a watch. If you have to make the purchase, might as well make it green. However, I wonder how it would weigh against buying a used watch. I can see this becoming the next Swatch, but I hope not. Wear your eco-friendly watches responsibly! It’s quirky enough to become a trend and appeal to several demographic segmentations.
I’m waiting on the pdf with specs and sourcing. Will post about that later. I don’t know anything about the company. If anyone does, please let us know. I will say, they’ve got great customer service. I was put through to a live person, a VP no less, on the first try who was eager to explain the new concept. Quite refreshing.
What do you think of an eco-friendly watch? Check out more colors at Sprout Watches.
Wanting to make some really small Valentine’s hearts, Julie Kundhi of julie-k whipped up this cute little pattern. Visit her etsy shop at kundhicreative where she’s presently hosting a Flowers for Haiti sale. Proceeds from all flower pins will be donated to Doctors Without Borders.
Anna of Mochimochi Land offers up these cutesy little Amigurumi style hearts. They’re fast and easy. You’ll find yourself knitting a bunch these for friends, family and luvas!
This free pattern is courtesy of Cocoa Cream’s Craft Closet. I know you just want to grab your nearest yarn and get started on these. They are just too lovely. And do stop by Cocoa Cream Crochet’s etsy shop for some more crochet pleasure.
Here’s another amigurumi style heart that Patricia Kruep of Little Berry Studio so graciously shared here on Instructables. Look how cute these look in that cup. Thank You Patricia.
Thank you, Jill of Wool’s Happenin’ for sharing this cute little knit heart dishcloth. I think this cutey pie would brighten up any kitchen all year long, not just Valentine’s Day. While you’re knitting this up, don’t forget to congratulate Jill on following her passion and focusing full time on her business, Starstruck Cat Design, which offers one of a kind hand-crafted items. Good luck in all your endeavors, Jill!
Here’s a cool site I came across recently. Located at 3609 Butler Street in the Lawrenceville neighborhood of Pittsburgh, 
Well, someone had to come up with one, right? I got to talk to Drew from 
