Happy Easter!

I will be  out of town this weekend, spending Easter with my family, so I will not be having a contest this week. 
I hope you all will have a glorious and happy Easter!
Love,
Ann

And the Winner Is:

Betty

Betty, if you will send me an email and let me know which pattern you would like, I will get it  right out to you. 

Thank you to everyone who entered!

A Contest and Crocheting for Babies

I love making doilies and potholders, but I have to admit, there is just something really special to me about crocheting for a baby. I cannot even count all of the blankets, caps, jackets and booties I have made through the years, and I loved making them all. 

I know I am not alone; many people have told me they learned to crochet by making a gift for a special baby, and sometimes that was the only time they ever crocheted. If you look at the crochet pattern sellers on Etsy, some of the ones who have the most sales specialize in booties, caps and the cute little cocoons that are so popular right now.
But I am a threadie, and I guess I am old fashioned; and I really love the dainty look of baby items made from thread. 

Ribbon and Lace Baby Booties

 I recently designed a set of baby booties that also incorporate ribbon weaving. They were a lot of fun to make, not so much fun to write the pattern for! 

There are three different styles of booties included in the pattern. 

But, it is Friday, so how about a contest? I will give one person their choice of any pdf pattern on my site, bellacrochet.com. 

I will select the winner at random, and send out the patterns in the morning (Saturday.) I will post the name of the winner here, so be sure to check back in the morning to see if you won. 

Also, if you post anonymously, please be sure I have a way to identify you (at least give your first name or a nick name in your comment; I have no way of knowing who is posting.)
To enter, just leave a comment answering this question: 
What is your favorite thing to crochet? (Doilies, afghans, baby items, etc.)

This contest is now closed. 

Please check back next Friday for my weekly contest.

And the Winner Is:

  Eileen Chrisjohn

Eileen, if you will send me an email  and let me know which pattern you would like, I will get it  right out to you.  

I think the most unhappy I ever was with a completed project was a baby blanket I made years ago, not long after I learned to crochet. I worked on it for several months before my  son Josh was born in 1978. I made it from a 'bargain' acrylic yarn, all I could afford at the time. The yarn  didn't seem too bad when I was working with it, and I was proud of how the blanket turned out. But after I washed it, it became so itchy and scratchy feeling that I didn't even want it to touch my baby. I tried using fabric softener, but nothing helped. I wish I had used a better quality yarn to make it; I felt like all of the time I put into making it had gone to waste. 

Friday Contest (and knowing when to stop!)

Back in the Fall, I started working on a set of mini-doilies. They were quick and fun to make, and I was designing a couple every week or so. They were almost ready for testing, I just had to do some finishing touches on them, and do the photography.  I put them aside until after the Holidays, but after the first of the year I got busy with a new cape design. When I finally got back to my mini doilies, I decided I didn't like the colors I had been using, and remade most of them in a new color scheme. While I was working on the last one, I had an idea for another doily, which didn't really fit in with the rest of them, but was just too cute not to try. 

And while I was working on that one, I thought of another one I just had to make. 

And then, when I was shopping for a birthday gift for my daughter Robyn, I saw something that gave me an idea for a really awesome little doily, something I had never tried before. I came home and started working on it right away. It took me over a week, but I finally got it right, and I think it will be the 'star' of the set.  But, it doesn't quite fit in with all of the rest of the doilies. So I will have to re-do some of them. 

I am beginning to wonder if this set will ever get finished!

But I went through the same thing when I designed my "Ripples, Ruffles and Roses" doilies a few years ago. 

I guess that is just my designing process. 

Ripples, Ruffles, and Roses Doilies

 But, it is Friday, so how about a contest? I will give one person their choice of any pdf pattern on my site, bellacrochet.com. 

I will select the winner at random, and send out the patterns in the morning (Saturday.) I will post the name of the winner here, so be sure to check back in the morning to see if you won. 

Also, if you post anonymously, please be sure I have a way to identify you (at least give your first name or a nick name in your comment; I have no way of knowing who is posting.)
To enter, just leave a comment answering this question: 
Have you ever finished a project, and then wished you had done something about it differently? 

This contest is now closed. 

Please check back next Friday for my weekly contest.

And the Winner Is:

 Denise  

Denise, if you will send me an email and let me know which pattern you would like, I will get it  right out to you. 

I would like to thank all of you who have written me, asking if I was okay during the time I have been away. It means a lot to me to know that you care about my well being, and I appreciate it greatly. I will try to not go so long between posts in the future!

Well, hello again! How about a contest?

Easter Bonnet Sachet

Hi Friends! I haven't posted in a while, but I thought this would be a great day to have a contest, since Spring and Easter are just around the corner.

Enchanting Easter Basket

I have been working on several projects this year; a new cape with cuffs design, a set of vintage-look mini doilies, and I have also been re-writing and testing a couple of my older pattern  sets for re-release.

Springtime Tea Cup Bouquet

I hope you have been having a good year so far!
So, on to the contest! This week, I will give one person their choice of any pdf pattern on my site, bellacrochet.com. 
I will select the winner at random, and send out the patterns in the morning (Saturday.) I will post the name of the winner here, so be sure to check back in the morning to see if you won. 

Also, if you post anonymously, please be sure I have a way to identify you (at least give your first name or a nick name in your comment; I have no way of knowing who is posting.)
To enter, just leave a comment answering this question: 
What is your favorite part of Springtime?

This contest is now closed. 

Please check back next Friday for my weekly contest.