Macra-Made Plant Container Basket

Premier® Macra-Made is a polyester and acrylic yarn that is perfect for home decor projects like this Plant Cover, pattern found here. This cover is perfect for holding potted plants and can be crocheted to fit any size plant pot from the smallest up to a very large one. You can also use Macra-Made to crochet a container to use for just about anything you'd like. Because of it's bulky weight and texture, Macra-Made is great for making structured bags, baskets, accessories or even jewelry. 

Watch the Right-Handed Video Lesson

Watch the Left-Handed Video Lesson

As its name implies, Macra-Made is also perfect for macrame projects. One project that we really like is the Awareness Bracelets. You can read more about those here.

Here are the links to products and videos contained in this post:

Pattern

Yarn

Right-Handed Video

Left-Handed Video

Starry Night Bauble Necklace

Premier® Spangle^TM is the perfect yarn for making jewelry and accessories. But did you know that you can combine it with Starry Night® to make even more beautiful jewelry? We've combined these two favorite yarns to make this gorgeous Bauble Necklace, pattern found here. 

Starry Night is a number 5 bulky weight ribbon yarn that comes in 9 beautiful colors. We've used it in the past for arm knitting, where we also combined it with other yarns. For the Bauble Necklace, Starry Night comprises the actual bauble or puff stitches. Spangle is then used to crochet the border around the baubles and to make the button closure. You can make the necklace as long or short as you would like. You can also make a bracelet!

Watch the Right-Handed Video Lesson:

Watch the Left-Handed Video Lesson:

The Spangle Ribbon Necklace is another accessory project you may enjoy. You can read more about it here.

Here are the quick links to products and videos contained in this post:

Pattern

Starry Night Yarn

Spangle Yarn

Right-Handed Video Lesson

Left-Handed Video Lesson

Razzle Dazzle Easter Eggs

 Are you getting ready for Easter? We have already shown you two different Easter baskets, a small one that will hold jellybeans or other small candies, and a larger one that is big enough to hold Easter eggs. Now it's time to make the eggs for your large Easter basket.

You will be making covers for plastic Easter eggs. We have two different patterns for making Easter egg covers. The pattern we will be showing you in the video is for crocheted Easter eggs, and can be found here.

 Our crocheted Easter eggs can be made with several different yarns, including Ever Soft, Hipster, Serenity Chunky (we used Serenity Chunky Sequins for the blue egg shown above) or Afternoon Cotton. The trick is to make the beginning crocheted circle the same size as the opening of the large side of your plastic egg. Crochet hook size is going to depend on what type of yarn you are using, and gauge is not important on this project.

Watch the Right-Handed Video Tutorial:

 
Watch the Left-Handed Video Tutorial:

There is also a pattern for knitting your Easter egg covers that can be found here. Again, you may use any of the yarns mentioned above, and your knitting needle size will depend on what yarn you are using. Whatever yarn and construction method you choose, you will love your Easter egg covers.

If you haven't made your Easter basket yet, you can find out how to make a Serenity Chunky Easter Basket here.

Here are the quick links to products and videos contained in this post:

Pattern for crochet eggs

Pattern for knitted eggs

Ever Soft Yarn

Hipster Yarn

Serenity Chunky Sequin Yarn

Afternoon Cotton Yarn

Right-Handed Video Lesson

Left-Handed Video Lesson

Baby Squares Blanket Crochet Challenge Sponsored by Maggie's Crochet and Premier Yarns

Enter the Baby Squares Blanket Crochet Challenge by April 23, 2014 11:59PM EST.

Please join us in our next Crochet Challenge sponsored by Maggie's Crochet and Premier® Yarns.

To join the fun, crochet a blanket using our Free Baby Squares Blanket Crochet Pattern and email us a photo of your creation!


Enter a photo to win $50 value of Premier Yarns! Please read the Baby Squares Blanket Crochet Challenge Rules & Submission Guidelines

SUGGESTED MATERIALS

Ever Soft Yarn

Deborah Norville Serenity Baby Yarn Home Cotton Grande

RSVP to the Facebook event page for challenge updates and to post your in-progress photos.
We would also love to see your photos posted to www.Facebook.com/MaggiesCrochet or www.Facebook.com/PremierYarn so those not participating in the challenge can see your beautiful creations!

Take a look at the entries from previous challenges - everyone did an amazing job!

Earth Rug Challenge

Arm Knit Challenge
Enchant Scarf Crochet Challenge
PomPom Hat Mini Challenge

Christmas Stocking Mini Challenge

Blooming Granny Square Challenge

Thanks for reading - we can't wait to see your projects!

Primo Cutie Bug Cardi

Have you ever tried to make a sweater, but had trouble sewing it together after all of the pieces where completed? This adorable Cutie Bug Cardi sweater, pattern found here, is crocheted in one piece starting from the neckline. This type of garment construction is called top-down with raglan sleeves. A raglan sleeve is simply a sleeve that continues in one piece from the neck of the garment down to the end of the sleeve and does not have a shoulder seam. And because the body of the sweater is worked all at once, you don't have a side seam either! Top-down raglan construction is one of the easiest ways to crochet or knit a sweater. If you've never tried it, here's your chance.

This is a larger project than those we normally feature, but I'm sure you will agree that the results are worth the effort. This children's sweater is adorable, isn't it? For this project we've chosen Primo® yarn from Premier.

Primo is an easy care, anti-pilling acrylic yarn that is perfect for new moms and lasting heirloom projects. It's springy twist offers great stitch definition and amazing softness. Primo comes in a collection of 13 spring and pastel colors for beautiful baby and kids knits.  This project has directions for sizes 6 months through 6 years.

You will need a size H crochet hook, yarn needle and 3 buttons. Ready to get started?

Watch the Right-Handed Video Tutorial:

Watch the Left-Handed Video Tutorial:

Ever Soft is another soft acrylic yarn that is great for baby and kids projects like the Ever Soft Baby Squares Blanket. Click here to read more about it.

Here are the quick links to products and videos contained in this post:

Pattern

Yarn

Right-Handed Video

Left-Handed Video

Zoo Keeper Frog Hat - Free Crochet Pattern

You may remember a while back when we introduced you to the Bunny Hat. Now it's time to introduce you to the Zookeeper Frog Hat, pattern found here. You will love this googly-eyed frog;
he is SO CUTE!!!

Like the Bunny Hat, the Frog Hat can be made in three different sizes, from infant to adult. The body, earflaps and fringe portions of the hat are made exactly like the Bunny Hat, so you will see video of the Bunny Hat for those portions of the pattern. The big googly eyes of the Frog Hat are made separately and sewn on.

This is an intermediate level project that uses Hush® Yarn. Hush is a #5 bulky weight yarn that comes in 13 soft, cuddly colors. Hush is perfect for children's apparel, and because its a bulky yarn, your projects will work up quickly.

Watch the Right-Handed Video Tutorial:

Watch the Left-Handed Video Tutorial:

Would you like to see the Bunny Hat? Just click here.

Here are the quick links to products and videos contained in this post:

Pattern

Yarn

Right-Handed Video

Left-Handed Video

Macra-Made Awareness Bracelets

Awareness bracelets and ribbons are everywhere, and you can support your favorite cause with a handmade awareness bracelet. Macra-Made from Premier Yarns combines the durability of polyester with the saturated color of acrylic to create a palette ideal for for home decor & accessories,  structured bags, baskets, accessories, jewelry and macrame projects like the awareness bracelet. You can find the pattern for awareness bracelets here.

There are a great number of causes that have adopted a color or color combination to represent their cause. Here is a partial list of causes and their corresponding Macra-Made colors:

Macra-Made Awareness Colors

White – Innocence, victims of terrorism, peace, lung cancer

Black – POW-MIA

Espresso – Anti-tobacco

Butter – Support our troops

Papaya – Uterine Cancer

Curacao Coral – Breast Cancer

Platinum – Diabetes, Brain cancer

Smoke Blue – Prostate cancer/mens health

Blue Topaz – Child Abuse Prevention, Arthritis, Free speech

Sprout – Organ donation, Depression, Mental Health, Lymphoma

Watch the Right-Handed Video Tutorial:

Watch the Left-Handed Video Tutorial:

Here are the quick links to products and videos contained in this post:

Pattern

Yarn

Right-Handed Video

Left-Handed Video

Lola the Bunny

Children love stuffed animals, and with Easter coming up soon, why not crochet a stuffed bunny? Meet Lola the Bunny, pattern found here. Lola is really a friendly bunny, but she doesn't like having her picture taken so she looks a little bit sad. But, with a couple of extra stitches, you can make Lola a happy bunny so she can spread her happiness and cheer to her new friends.

We've chosen Deborah Norville's Everyday Soft Worsted yarn for this project. Everyday comes in 35 colors so you can make Lola in practically any color you'd like. Whatever color you choose, you are sure to love Lola the Bunny.

Watch the Right-Handed Video Tutorial

Watch the Left-Handed Video Tutorial

Here are the quick links to products and videos contained in this post.

Pattern

Yarn

Right-Handed Video

 Left-Handed Video