Missblonde winner of Kitchilicious!

Heather the Hippo
Originally uploaded by chemicallyblonde

Missblonde is our Kitchilicious winner this week! This lovely hippo named Heather started life as a Lion Brand pattern...It can be found on the Lionbrand website.

Ok this is just too cute! I really do need to trot over to that site to check out all the fun toys and stuffed goodies :)

Missyboo! You have SET OUR PICOT FREE!

Cables Interrupted
Originally uploaded by New Missyboo

Hookalueiah! Oh my, for all that is fuzzy, warm and wonderful, our dear member Missyboo out did herself in this GORGEOUS Cabled CROCHET sweater!

The pattern is called : Cables Interrupted by Jane Snedden Peever and is from More Crocheted Aran Sweaters!

AMAZING!

Missyboo you have been awarded the Set My Picot Free Award for crocheted excellence!

Hooks Raised! CLF SALUTE!

Licraftgal This is HOOKILICIOUS!

cathedral rose afghan
Originally uploaded by craftgal1061

The hookilicious award goes to Licraftgal, a member of the CLF on Ravelry!

Wow! This pattern is called Cathedral Rose Afghan and is from Annie's Attic...

Amazing and well done!

Beautiful work, and what a cool shape, texture, and INSPIRING!

National Crochet Month: March

Minions! It is almost upon us, the fated 31 days of nationally celebrated hooking!

That's right, March is National Crochet Month... On ravelry we are planning a NatCroMoParty check it out in the Crochet Liberation Front Headquarters Group...

What can you do to celebrate crochet?

1) Wear your crochet! Let people see how great you are!

2) St. Paddy's day and Easter fall in March this year make fun things for friends, family, charity!

3) As local businesses (cafes, stores etc), libaries etc to let you display some great crochet information.

4) Teach someone to crochet

5) Learn something new and post it on your blog

6) Blog every day in March about Crochet!

Why? Well, heck and darn if we don't root a toot toot our own craft-wise horns who will?

Fiber Art & Crochet...Marketing

Marketing to Crochet Enthusiasts 101.

Fiber arts Festivals, retreats, yarn stores, LEND ME YOUR EARS (I promise I will give them back).

You want to know why crocheters don't come to events, or when they do they sit in their own corners?

Because it is blatantly obvious that crochet is "out" in a large portion of the fiber population's mind. I don't know how that happened, but I'm about to get really rude if I keep hearing the tired statements about crochet when I go to events and gatherings.

It is amazing, vendors say crocheters don't spend money on their items. My response is a) Crocheters aren't even here! Why? Because they are not marketed to, to begin with and they are made to feel less than comfortable when they do attend gatherings on the off chance they brave an LYS.

How to market to crocheters:

1) People who crochet, especially crochet only, do not associate what they do with knitting. Therefore the words "knitting" ,"knit","Needle" mean zip, zero and nada to a crocheter (unless they are bi-crafty). Crochet uses hooks, and we do not knit. So, believe it or not, many crocheters don't even go into yarn stores because so many are named for the pointy stick past time that many hooksters don't even realise they can go buy yarn in those stores!
(Crazy? Well, would you think to buy a car in a place called Boat World?)

2) The myths about crochet get old: Crocheters do more than make doilies and edging. We are not stuck in the 1970's. Crochet is NOT limited. And there are plenty of brilliant teachers available to teach wonderful, technical and exciting classes. And yes, we do in general spend money if there are things we want to buy. (That is a future article.)

3) Advertise if you can in local crafting newletters and magazines. Let large crochet groups know about your event. Notices in libraries, shops and other venues that people frequent.
Heck, if you are having an event, let the CLF know! We'll help you plug it to crocheters.

4) Crocheters are not lesser, or lower class than knitters. Regardless of what the history of crochet may or may not be, no one has really been able to give diffinitive proof of it in my book, today crocheters come from every walk of life, every country, all beliefs, pocket book sizes and in both genders.

So, festivals, retreats, and gatherings if it has to do with fiber arts, then include crochet too! We're a fiber art as well!

Remember, the CLF would much rather have you on our NICE list :) (We don't keep a naughty list).

Hooks Raised CLF Salute.

Crochet Friendly LYS List!

We at the CLF believe that we need to put our money where our mouth is! That's right, if someone IS crochet friendly, give them your business!

This is the current list of Crochet Friendly LYS as compiled by our dear member and moderator Smurf/Alison! She's a gem and I owe her much thanks for her organisational skills!

All recommendations here have been made by members of the Crochet Liberation Front!

Don’t see your favourite crochet-friendly LYS listed? Come and sing their praises here!! (Last updated 15 Feb 08)
Stores are ordered by state/region, then city, then store name.
USA
AL - Serendipity Needleworks, Tuscaloosa
AZ - Yarn N More, Phoenix
AZ - Tempe Yarn and Fiber, Tempe
AZ - Kiwi Knitting Co., Tucson
AZ - Purls, Tucson
AZ - Tucson Yarn Company, Tucson
CA - Ewe-phoric Yarns, Arnold
CA - Yarnology, Arroyo Grande
CA - Unwind, Burbank
CA - Babetta’s Yarn & Gifts, Fair Oaks
CA - The Yarn Boutique, Lafayette
CA - Lakeside Knits, Lakeside
CA - A Mano Yarn Center, Los Angeles
CA - The Knitter’s Studio, Menlo Park
CA - Unraveled Yarn, Monrovia
CA - The Stitch Cafe, North Hollywood
CA - Rumpelstiltskin, Sacramento
CA - Artfibers, San Fransisco
CA - Cottage Yarns, South San Fransisco
CA - Imagiknit, San Fransisco
CA - Commuknity, San Jose
CA - The Knitting Room, San Jose
CA - Betty’s Fabrics, San Luis Obispo
CA - Nine Rubies, San Mateo
CA - Simply Knitting, Santa Clarita
CA - The Village Spinning and Weaving Shop, Solvang
CA - Purlescence Yarn, Sunnyvale
CA - Temecula Valley Yarn Company, Temecula
CA - Fashion-Knit, Walnut Creek
CO - The Recycled Lamb, Lakewood
CO - Knit Knack, Old Town Arvada
CO - Colorado Fiber Arts, Pueblo
CT - Sit ‘n Knit Too, Old Wethersfield
CT - Sit ‘n Knit, West Hartford
CT - Creative Fibers, Windsor
DC - Stitch DC, Capitol Hill
FL - Uncommon Threads, Palm Harbor
GA - The Knitting Emporium, Kennesaw
GA - The Whole Nine Yarns, Woodstock
IL - Gene Ann’s Yarn Shop, Barrington
IL - Needleworks, Champaign
IL - Mosaic Yarn Studio, Des Plaines
IL - Ewe Knit, Normal
IL - Wool Warp & Wheel, Richmond
IN - Stitches & Scones, Westfield
KS - Yarn, Hutchinson
KS - The Yarn Barn, Lawrence
KS - Twist Yarn Shop, Wichita
KS - Heritage Hut, Wichita
KY - Stone’s Throw Artisans, Georgetown
KY - Sophie’s Fine Yarn Shoppe, Louisville
MA - Windsor Button, Boston
MA - A Good Yarn, Brookline
MA - Webs, Northampton
MD - Fiberworks, Ashton
MD - Knitters Nest, Eldersburg
MD - Keep Me In Stitches!, Frederick
MD - Woolwinders, Rockville
ME - The Irish Ewe, Norway
MI - Lavender & Peonies, DeWitt
MI - Woven Art, East Lansing
MN - Bella Lana, Minneapolis
MO - The Studio Knitting & Needlepoint, Kansas City
MS - Double Ewe Yarn Shop, Circle Pines
MS - Yarns Downtown, Columbus
MS - That Yarn Shop, Hernando
MT - Stix, Bozeman
NC - The Tail Spinner, Richlands
NC - Spin A Yarn…Weave A Web, Warrensville
NE - The Yarn Shop, Lincoln
NH - The Elegant Ewe, Concord
NH - Ewe’ll Love It, Nashua
NJ - Stix N Stitches, Montclair
NJ - Knit-A-Bit, Westfield
NY - Alfred Knitting Studio, Alfred Station
NY - Downtown Yarns, NYC
NY - Habu Textiles, NYC
NY - Knitty City, NYC
NY - School Products, NYC
NY - Seaport Yarn, NYC
NY - The Yarn Connection, NYC
NY - The Knitting Cove, Port Jefferson
NY - 3-Corner Field Farm, Shushan
NY - Catskill Merino, Swan Lake
OH - Knitters’ Mercantile, Columbus
OH - Miss Chickpea’s Funky Fibers, Hudson
OH - Cast on Cafe, Willoughby
OR - Rose & Ram Knit Shop & Studio, Independence
OR - Nestucca Bay Yarns, Lincoln City
PA - Olga’s Living With Art, Coudersport
PA - Bloomin Yarns, McMurray
PA - Valknitz, Montoursville
PA - Loop, Philadelphia
PA - Nangellini, Philadelphia
PA - Rosie’s Yarn Cellar, Philadelphia
PA - Sophie’s Yarns, Philadelphia
PA - Natural Stitches, Pittsburgh
PA - Glory-ous Knits, Watsonville
SD - Athena’s Fiber, Sioux Falls
TX - Yarn Heaven, Arlington
TX - Hill Country Weavers, Austin
TX - Bluebonnet Yarn Shoppe, Cedar Park
TX - Knitivity Dyed Yarns, Houston
TX - Yarntopia, Katy
TX - Stitches N Stuff, Longview
TX - The Knitting Nook, North Richland Hills
TX - Yarnivore, San Antonio
TX - Apple Leef Farm, Van Alstyne
VA - Capital Yarns, Chantilly
VA - Aylin’s Woolgatherer, Falls Church
VA - Old Towne Needleworks, Manassas
WA - Hilltop Yarn East, Bellevue
WA - Knot Just Yarn, Burlington
WA - Yorkshire Yarns, Lakewood
WA - Let It Rain Yarn, Mukilteo
WA - Hilltop Yarn, Seattle
WA - A Dropped Stitch, Sequim
WI - Loops And Links, De Pere
WI - Needles N Pins, Delavan
WI - The Dragonfly Yarn Shop, Janesville
WI - The Shaggy Sheep, Manitowoc
WI - Spin, Sturgeon Bay
Australia - NSW - Tapestry Craft, Sydney
Canada
AB - Make One Yarn Studio, Calgary
AB - Wool Revival, Edmonton
BC - Birkeland Brothers Wool, Vancouver
BC - Homecraft Importers, Vancouver
BC - Urban Yarns, Vancouver
ON - The Purple Purl, Toronto
Germany
Die Luftmasche in Trier
Die Maschenkunst in Köln
Nach Strick und Faden in Dresden
Ireland - Celtic Memory Yarns, Cork
Wales - Yarns N Yarns, Penarth


Online:
Asciano Fiber Arts Tools, USA
Crochet Guild of America, USA
Crown Mountain Fibers, USA
Ernst Finely Crafted Glass,USA
Frugal Knitting Haus, USA
Knitting Asylum Yarns, USA
Patternworks, USA
Sonny & Shear, USA
SpinBlessing, USA
Stitch Diva, USA
Foreign Strand, UK
Kay’s Creative Crochet, UK

Elleemmiss You Have Set Our Picot Free!

100_0236
Originally uploaded by weirdsoup

WOW! This is a phenominal Bolero Cardigan!
Well made!

Elleemmiss is a CLF Minion and she crocheted this lovely piece using the pattern: Comfy Cardi by Robyn Chachula

Her notes are excellent, a must check out in the Ravelry Projects!

Elleemmiss you have been awarded the SET MY PICOT FREE AWARD!