Thankful for Color The colors of the rainbow, the colors of flowers, the colors of trees through summer and fall. Oh how they all just amaze me. They all have their place and they all bring different feelings to mind. Do you have a favorite? My favorite color is purple. Not just any shade of purple though. I love the deep rich comforting color that just makes me think "LOVE". It's also my birthstone so that may be why I'm attached to it. It is also the reason I chose the "A Round the Flower Garden Afghan" to be my pattern for today. When it comes to color in my crochet designs, I typically design with someone specific in mind and try to use colors that I know they'll enjoy. THAT is what I love about crochet! I can wip up a pattern in my favorite color and YOU can wip up the same pattern in your favorite color and it just works perfectly. Thank heavens we don't all have to use only blue!!! Special $1 crochet pattern offer for 24 hour Below are the crochet patterns we chose to offer for just $1 for the next 24 hours Click on each link and use code Colors3 to enjoy the discount **Refunds will not be given for improper use of the code. Please verify that your total for each pattern is just $1 PRIOR to completing your order** (code expires 11/15/18 @ 6am MST)
Here's a REALLY quick link to all 4 patterns on Ravelry (click on the image below 
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Thankful for Birthdays Birthdays are something we should all celebrate. I'm not meaning the big parties with balloons and gifts and a ton of attention. Those things are nice, but not what's important. It's a time to celebrate life, to celebrate who you are, to appreciate someone important and amazing - and that's you! I was born in February and every year on my birthday, my grandpa would tell me the story of how he was building the addition on my parents house and the winter was really bad that year. When my mom's due date was close, they worried about how they would get her to the hospital which is about 30 miles away. There was talk about taking her on a snowmobile to the next town (heaven help her if that had happened!) It was always fun to hear their thoughts surrounding the day I was born and to know that others were willing to help her out if needed. Thankfully, the weather cooperated and everything turned out ok. To give you an idea of where I grew up, this photo is a beautiful shot of my hometown. Winters were brutal back then and there were many, many days where we were snowed in. Snow drifts where HUGE which made for fun sledding!   As each of my 4 girls were born, I've tried to remember the events surrounding their day. I like to tell them about how we felt and how we knew their little personalities and how they are each beautifully unique. I was a single mom with my oldest daughter and she was so tiny and sweet and looked just like a porcelain doll. She was my little buddy for years and I appreciate that time together. My 2nd daughter was the 1st baby for my husband and it was so sweet to watch him with her when she was first born. He would talk to her while I was pregnant and she would turn her head to listen to him. My 3rd, well, she did NOT like her dad! He would try to talk to her while I was pregnant too and she would immediately flip to kick him away. The first year, she was such a mama's girl and it was a big struggle for me to do the simple every day tasks. And my 4th is definitely the most energetic. She was constantly twisting and turning and kicking while I was pregnant and we teased that she would be part of a circus. She's still our little ball of energy and we love every minute of it. Each one filled our hearts with more love than we could imagine and each of them mean the world to us. Fast forward 22 years from that photo above... My oldest daughter is due this month and you may be reading this as I'm holding my new grandson. I am going to be a grandma!!!! I'm so excited to record the events of the day that my new little first grandchild enters this world. I want him to know how loved and special he is. No matter your background, I want you to know... We ALL have something in common! We ALL have birthdays. We ALL are unique. We ALL are important. We ALL have a story. We ALL can celebrate that we are here. Though our lives may be very different, we still have some things in common. I for one am glad that you are here! I hope that you will take a moment to think to yourself on your birthday - "I am unique", "I am important", "I am the best me there is" because you absolutely are!!! Now, for the $1 crochet patterns of the dayBelow are the crochet patterns we chose to offer for just $1 for the next 24 hours Click on each link and use code 2Bday to enjoy the discount **Refunds will not be given for improper use of the code. Please verify that your total for each pattern is just $1 PRIOR to completing your order** (code expires 11/14/18 @ 6am MST)
Thankful for Friends Welcome to the first day in our 10 Days of Thanksgiving Crochet Event! I'm so excited that you've joined us and hope that you'll join in and comment with your thoughts and things you're thankful for too. If you're not familiar with this event, you can find out all the details HERE.  Today, we are celebrating friends. I have SO many thoughts on friends but I'll try to keep it simple and just share a few things. Remember WAY back (at least for me, it seems like a long time ago) when we were kids and life was simple? I grew up in a small town in Northern Utah that was quiet, surrounded by mountains and life was great. I had a handful of friends to hang out with and we'd roam around town and ride our bikes for miles (seriously, we got our exercise in!). Some days, it would be fun to go back to that carefree life! As the teen years come, friendships change and we struggle to find ourselves - who we are, where we belong and who is still important in our lives. Some people remain friends after graduating though most of us go our separate ways. I've met some wonderful people over the years through different activities I've been involved in and various jobs I've had. Life is crazy! It gets hard to keep in touch with everyone and we lose contact with many once again. I still have a few wonderful friends who I follow on social media and enjoy seeing where life is taking each of them. If they needed help, I'd still be there in a heartbeat.
I began designing back in 2011 and started selling my patterns in 2012. Since joining the crochet community, I've met many amazing and talented women who are now considered wonderful friends. There are many designers who I enjoy chatting with now and then and some who have since quit designing and moved on to other adventures. I still send them a quick message now and then to let them know I'm thinking of them and hope that all is well. I sincerely wish them the best in their new direction in life. There are a few designers that I've had the opportunity to build strong friendships with. I value their friendship, their knowledge, their honesty, their time and their support for me. In an industry that can be very supportive for communities and rally behind big events, I've also seen some negative effects, lack of respect, back biting and lack of ethics that have been really sad to observe. It's been really nice this past year or 2 having a fun group of ladies to work with and avoid those drama situations. I want to give a big shout out to my designer friends who are always there to brainstorm ideas, build our businesses together, give honest feedback and just cheer each other on through our successes. Thanks to Heidi of Snappy Tots, Christine of Sweet Potato 3, Kristine of Ambassador Crochet and Jennifer of Crochet by Jennifer for being amazing friends!!!!! I hope you have some friends just as awesome as these ladies! Comment and let us know who you enjoy being around and consider your friends.
Special $1 crochet pattern offer for 24 hour Below are the crochet patterns we chose to offer for just $1 for the next 24 hours when you use code BFF1 **Refunds will not be given for improper use of the code. Please verify that your total for each pattern is just $1 PRIOR to completing your order** (code expires 11/13/18 @ 6am MST)  Are you ready for another new crochet pattern release? I can't tell you how hard it was to keep all of these new designs secret! This is the new Queen of Hearts Bolster Pillow crochet pattern. Here is a little information so you know what you're getting: ~Includes many photos for stitch placement AND a stitch chart for those who prefer charts ~ Includes instructions to crochet your own 6"x16" bolster pillow form if you don't want to purchase one ~ The detailed center section is worked first in rows and then the sides are worked directly around the edges ~ The ends are open so you can easily remove the pillow cover for washing or swapping out for various colors or patterns Skill Level: Intermediate Terms: US crochet terminology Materials: Caron Simply Soft 4ww yarn or similar such as Red Heart Soft or Bernat Satin 385 yards Taupe, 108-451 yards White (108 yards for cover only, 343 yards pillow base only) Stitch markers 6”x16” Bolster Pillow OR 1 - 1.5 pounds Polly Fill Stuffing Finished Size: 6” diameter x 21” wide (Fits a 6” x 16” Bolster) Hook: Sizes E, H & K Gauge: (H hook) 13 dc & 7 rows = 4” Stitches/Abbreviations: ch - chain, CL - cluster, FP - Front Post, st(s) - stitch(es), sl st - slip stitch, yo - yarn over, sc - single crochet, hdc - half double crochet, dc - double crochet, dtr - double treble crochet RS - right side, WS - wrong side Special Stitches: Foundation Chain: If you’re unfamiliar with how to work foundation chains, this photo tutorial may help http://craftingfriendsdesigns.blogspot.com/2014/12/hdc-chainless-foundation.html (IF you prefer working the basic chain, you can do so by chaining the required amount +2, turn and hdc in 2nd chain from hook and each chain across) Front Post Double Treble Cluster (FPdtrCL): *Yo 3x, insert hook from front to back to front of indicated st, yo, pull up a loop, [yo and pull through 2 loops on hook]3x,* repeat from *to* 2 more times, yo and pull through all 4 loops on hook 2-dc Cluster (2-dc CL): (uses one st), [yo, insert hook into st indicated, yo and pull up a loop, yo and draw through 2 loops on hook]2x, yo and pull through all 3 loops on hook Double Crochet 2 together (dc2tog): yo, insert hook in indicated st, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops on hook, yo, insert hook in next st, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops on hook, yo, pull through all 3 loops on hook Beginning Standing stitches: These stitches are used to start each row in place of a turning chain If you are unfamiliar with working these stitches, you can find a video tutorial here: http://jessieathome.com/crochet-techniques-chainless-row-turns-sc-hdc-dc/ Note: If you prefer to use turning chains, chain the amount needed for the first stitch height and then work a regular sc, hdc or dc in the very first stitch as written. Do not use the chain as a stitch. Standing sc: At the end of the previous row, remove loop from hook, turn work, insert hook in loop, insert hook in very first st, yo and pull through, yo and pull through 2 loops on hook Standing dc: At the end of the previous row, remove loop from hook, turn work, insert hook in loop, lengthen loop to height of dc, holding loop on hook, wrap hook from front to back around loop, insert hook from front to back of very first st, yo and pull up a loop (3 loops on hook), yo and pull through 2 loops on hook, yo and pull through remaining 2 loops on hook Reverse sc: Working from left to right, insert hook from front to back in next stitch to the right, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 2 loops on hook Single Crochet 2 together (sc2tog): Insert hook in indicated stitch, yo and pull up a loop, insert hook into next indicated stitch, yo and pull up a loop, yo and pull through all 3 loops on hook New release special offer |
| We want this to be a moment for all of us to take a breath, chill and get to know each other. This is a chance for all of us to slow down a little, grab a cup of hot cocoa, coffee or other favorite beverage, snuggle in the most comfy afghan and relax on the couch for a visit. Of course, there has to be crochet involved! Last year's event was fantastic and it was fun to hear all of your comments and stories as you visited each day. This year, I invited the same amazing ladies to join me for our 2nd Annual 10 Days of Thanksgiving Crochet Event. I'm thrilled to let you know that all 3 crochet designers will be joining us again! |  Side note... I'll be sipping mint cocoa and probably have some type of chocolate treat on hand too |
What to expect...
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Kate Wagstaff
Hey there! Thank you for joining my blog here at Crafting Friends Designs. Grab your hook, some yarn and get comfy as we crochet some fun, unique and beautiful projects together.
I'm Kate and crochet is my passion. I've been crocheting for 30+ years and as you can see from the selection of designs on my site, blankets are my obsession. I absolutely love creating something that will wrap my love around friends and family when they're in need of comfort.
Having 4 beautiful girls of my own has also inspired many infant, toddler and child size dresses. They are my biggest cheerleaders and have enjoyed wearing the things I've made them.
If you love what you see, please leave a comment and let me know!
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