It's getting close to the holidays and I want to show my appreciation for all of you by reducing the price of my pdf patterns by 25%! 


sale is for limited time

As for me, I'm going to hunker down for the final push on my next book. I am going to take Thursday off and enjoy Thanksgiving with family though. Hooray! Once I wake up from the turkey coma I'll be right back to work!

This is how Miss Chandler is spending the holidays...



Have a great weekend!!

        

I decided to go backwards with The Book process.  I was working diligently on the one project that needed the most attention (a full length dress) but wasn't feeling like I was going to make the December 1st deadline no matter how hard I worked.  I have my wonderful stitchers working on the other big projects too, so I know that it will get done, but I just hadn't seen any evidence. 

So Friday I changed my strategy and hauled out the projects that were "almost" finished (many times I have stitchers work the major pieces of a project, then I assemble and add the final touches) and got to work.  One by one over the weekend I saw several of the projects finish and now just need to write the final patterns before shipping it all to the publisher.  Still lots to do but there is much to be said for little victories!

I have to get back to work on some more little victories, and here are some crafty links from around the web to keep you busy too!!

Vickie Howell-Craft.Rock.Love
Make cool, graphic wall art using Ed Roth's Stencil Decor kit and a little imagination!

The Impatient Crafter
Madge makes a festive Patchwork Paper decoupaged letter for your teen's bedroom door in this week's post for iLoveToCreate.

The Artful Crafter
Eileen shares directions for some lovely polymer clay Thanksgiving napkin rings. You have a choice of one embellished with a cute clay turkey or a more formal looking ring stamped with a fall motif.

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
How to make a Sweater Surgery Light up Christmas tree inspired by The Lampshade Lady's Guide to Lighting Up Your Life.

Mixed Media Artist
Would you ever do an art show where you knew you wouldn't sell anything?

Farm Girl Roots, City Girl Style
How did you get introduced to your hobby? Linda shares the story on how she learned to quilt and where those skills have gotten her.

Crafty Princess Diaries
Tammy reviews a new book full of unique and earth-friendly ways to wrap your gifts this holiday season using scarves.

Cathie Filian
Cathie shows you how to make a kid's felt book. The books are perfect for airplane trips, car rides and rainy days. They make great gifts!

Aileen's Musings
Aileen's on a mission to win a trip to NYC and to see the Martha Stewart show! Check out her under $20.00 Christmas project on Michael's craft site and rate it to help her win!

About.com Cross Stitch
Connie's added a new pattern collection - Four Ways to Say Peace. These designs will make great holiday ornaments.

About Family Crafts
Come play along with this Make-It-Over craft challenge! What can you make out of candy? This is a great way to use up any leftover Halloween candy.

        

I'm currently face-down in the final push for my next book!  And at the same time putting together some exciting stuff for 2010 (announcement soon, I promise! ).  Thank you so much for being patient as my blogging had to be put on hold until I get past the final deadlines.

I do update via Twitter and Facebook each day so feel free to follow me there too!

 


Cleocatra is ready for me to ship all these projects out of here!!

        

Halloween is coming up and I thought I would revisit this spooky crochet pattern.  You can make it for your little one to carry or leave off the handle and it becomes a creepy-cute candy dish!

I Want My Mummy!



The pattern is free so click away!

I Want My Mummy by The Crochet Dude

        

It's scurry scurry around here lately.  Not only is Quilt Market in town I am also running around getting ready to head to the studio to film the next season of Knit & Crochet Today!  I just dropped off my wardrobe at the cleaners so everything will look crisp on camera, I'm busy working on the step outs for the demos that I'm doing (step outs are all the little in process pieces that make the magic of television happen so that I can demo each step in making the final project).  And I got my hair did:


Looks better in person than in this self-portrait.  I hope.

Spring Time!

Actually, it's time for me to teach at the yarn shop in Spring, TX called Twisted Yarns from 9:30 am to 11:30 am this Saturday.  For more information check out their website:  

The Crochet Dude at Twisted Yarns

And if you can't make the workshop be sure to stop by for the meet and greet/booksigning from 11:30 am to 12:45 pm!

        

Yes my friends it is October and you know what that means?!  That's right it's the high season for crafting.  What with Halloween on the horizon and then Thanksgivings, and then all the gift giving holidays coming up it's time to get out your hooks, needles, glue guns, and glitter, and get to crafting. No pressure or anything. Anywho....

To get your started here are some crafty links:

The Impatient Crafter
Halloween is right around the corner and Madge kicks off the season with a stunningly spooky mixed media necklace and a bonus short story sure to send shivers up your spine!

The Artful Crafter
CD Ghosts – what an economical and easy project for Halloween. Let the kids make several to hang from a porch or trees to delight of your Trick or Treaters.

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
A Buzzing Beaded Bead Bail using a wonderful tutorial from the book- Seed Bead Fusion by Rachel Nelson-Smith

Mixed Media Artist
Cyndi shares the profiles of some spectacular mixed media artists, including our own Aileen Roberts!

Farm Girl Roots, City Girl Style
A back pack resurfaces and reminds Linda that she hasn't shared this project on her blog yet!

Cross Stitch at About.com
Connie has a free quick-to-stitch pattern that reminds you to "Let Your Light Shine".

Crafty Princess Diaries
No Brainer Crochet Squares - Tammy shows off some of the crochet squares she makes for comfort-ghans.

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
At Craftside there are posts on how to have fun with word play and spice up your art, draw a pattern for a full size witch hat and make a tiny one, make a silverware spider and make a gather from a serged edge without a differential feed.

Cathie Filian
Cathie shows you how to alter kids’ clothing into fun Halloween costumes.

Aileen's Musings
Need a little Halloween inspiration? Check out Aileen's past Halloween posts and get yourself revved up for Halloween!

About Family Crafts
Find a way to creatively celebrate everyday during the month of October by consulting this list of special days.

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Have a great weekend everyone!  I'm going to go eat a salad...

        

My friends over at Wright's let me have some breast cancer awareness pink ribbon appliques so I could do a giveaway (it's October dontcha know - breast cancer awareness month!).  But then I thought, wouldn't it be cool to also give away a pattern for a pink purse?  In that spirit I just designed this little ditty that I'm calling "Pink Ribbing" - (get it? pink ribbon - pink ribbin).  Anywho....



You can download the pattern here for free:  Pink Ribbing by The Crochet Dude

Show Your Support

Now for the second part of the giveaway.  You can enter to win all these applique's AND also the exact handle that I used for the Pink Ribbing purse so you can make your own too! 



Here is how to enter:  no purchase is necessary to enter, however you do have to download my free purse pattern (which requires registration to fool the Innernet robots that are trying to ruin everything for the rest of us.  I'm just saying.)  Anywho. When you download my pattern Lulu sends you a thank-you email from me.  Simply forward me that email to show that you downloaded the pattern and voila, you are entered!

Just shoot me now. Lulu changed how they do the download you no longer have to register to get free patterns there, and therefore there is no receipt to send me. Soooooooo, just leave a comment (BE SURE TO INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDY PLEASE) and tell me what cause(s) is important to you and how you support it!

I will close the contest in one week so enter soon!

        

I had mentioned on Facebook and Twitter yesterday that I was getting ready to shoot the next season of Knit and Crochet Today by eating lots of green salads and hitting the gym every day.  A dude's gotta do what a dude's gotta do and as much as I love PBS I sure wish they had those Oprah-cams that take off ten pounds instead of the traditional ones that put ON ten pounds.

Anywho...

Several people posted that they had missed last season's episodes and I had heard a rumor that they may put them on the magic Innernet machine some day.  So a quick google later and I was pleased as punch to discover that the entire last season of Knit and Crochet Today is available online!  You can boogie over to the Detroit PBS website and see Brett, Maggie, Kristin, Robyn and me do our thing on the screen. 

Knit and Crochet Today on demand



Hairdid

I just got back from getting my hair did for my super secret meeting tomorrow.  I needed it cut badly and the person I go to does a great job.  Now I have to iron a shirt, eat a salad, set the alarm, print out some boarding passes, de-flea the cats, and figure out why my garage door has decided to stop opening. 

Impatience is a Virtue

Crafter extraodinaire Margot Potter of The Impatient Crafter fame did a nice review of my new pattern books today.  Head on over and check it out, but most of all check out all of Madge's wonderful blog.  She is amazing!!

The Impatient Crafter Blog

        

I'm back from a little time away - unfortunately there was a death in the family and I needed to stay and help with the arrangements, etc.  I worked remotely but was unable to blog.  I'm back in the studio now and hopefully will be caught up, say in a week or three.  If you've emailed me I will do my best to respond soon!

Among other things to do we are getting ready to shoot the next season of Knit and Crochet Today (PBS - check your local listings), and I have a CGOA board meeting this week to prepare for, and I have a super secret meeting in another city this week which means I have to get a haircut and lose 10 pounds by tomorrow, of course there is the book project I haven't mentioned previously that is due VERY soon, and I also have another super secret yet so exciting I might explode soon project that I'm just about to sign a contract on so stay tuned, and don't even get me started about the holidays... they arrive so quickly...

Anwho, for now I want to direct you to Vickie Howell's blog where she has posted the interview she did with me recently about the line of patterns.  Enjoy! =)

The Crochet Dude on Vickie Howell's Blog

        

I got up at 3:30 am to take a friend to the airport and boy are my arms tired.  Wait, I think I'm so exhausted that I got the set up from one joke and the punchline from another juxtaposed.  Anywho, I did indeed go to the airport that early in the morning and please Houstonites who the heck is on the road at  4 am on a Saturday morning that there was such traffic?  And yes Los Angeles we don't know traffic here but nonetheless...

Before I go take an afternoon nap I want to share some cool crafty links I've found from around the world wide Innernets.  Have fun!

About Family Crafts
September is National Sewing Month! Why not celebrating by making one or more of these easy sewing projects.

Aileen's Musings
Have you heard the term Altered Art or Altered Artist and wondered what exactly that means? Aileen has given her explanation of what Altered art is and how YOU too can become an Altered Artist!

Alexa Westerfield a.k.a. Swelldesigner
It's the return of "Terrorific Tuesdays" on Swelldesigner's blog! Learn about how you can participate in all the fun, spooky Halloween action!

Cathie Filian
Melt up some soy wax and make some easy candles with Cathie.

Craftside-A behind-the-scenes peek at a crafty world
Craftside's got a fun skull quilt tutorial inspired by a quilt in the new book Quilting Art, how-to's on painting rocks like skulls, eyes and more for Halloween, tips for re-purposing in the studio and the correct terms for the parts of a book.

Crafty Princess Diaries
Tammy shows the beginnings of a baby blanket in progress, a super easy crochet project to consider for those who make charity items.

CraftyPod
Check out Sister Diane's newest ebook - Creating a Blog Audience: An Unconventional Marketing Guide

Cross Stitch at About.com
Do you find solace in your stitching? Vote in the poll, read the comments, and share your own experiences.

Farm Girl Roots, City Girl Style
I may have to tackle a t-shirt quilt---I'm getting ideas from all directions.

Mixed Media Artist
Cyndi has a copy of "The Art of Fabric Collage" to give away!

Naughty Secretary Club
Jen is in the midst of wrapping paper week with clever how-to idea, uses for wrapping paper that have nothing to do with gifts & a Wrapagami book giveaway.

Stefanie Girard's Sweater Surgery
How to make a Cone Candy Holder Candelabra inspired by a pretty project from Paperie for Inspired Living by Karen Bartolomei

The Artful Crafter
Do you know how to make a secret box book? It's not hard - well - except on your fingers. Eileen shows you how. She took lots of photos since she won't be able to type for a while. LOL.

The Impatient Crafter
Get your teens ready for Back to School with these recycled denim book covers from The Impatient Crafter for I Love to Create!

Vickie Howell-Craft.Rock.Love
Join Vickie & Lands' End for a Twitter Party to celebrate the FeelGood campaign to benefit the homeless!

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