March is National Crochet Month!

I could have called this post "Crochet Resolution", because that is what the projects jumbled together in the above picture are a result of. My New Year's Crochet Resolution. I decided to go shopping in my stash this year. (That doesn't mean that I won't buy any yarn, it just means that I will use some of my stash - to make room for new yarns!) My resolution: each month, at least, no matter how busy I am, I will pick one of my bags or storage boxes of yarn, and crochet something(s) using all the yarn that's in it. It can be anything - a sweater, a tote, a scarf, an afghan. Whatever. I can make it for me, or for my pattern line - Emerald Isle Designs - or for a present. I can do more than one box or bag of yarn a month, if I have time. And, I will try to donate yarn to local groups that make projects for charities. And, I will finish some of my unfinished projects.

The jumbled mess in the picture is what I've done so far. There is a finished sweater on the bottom of the pile. And a finished scarf (soon to be in my pattern line), and two totes that have to be felted. Then, there is another sweater that has to have an edging crocheted on, and the ends woven in, and one more tote that needs the ends woven in, also. (This is slated for my pattern line, too.) The two totes that need felting - they are projects that I had almost completed - and I just had to crochet the straps. The design is in the pattern line - Grab & Go Tote. The sweater that's finished - I started and completed it in February. It's my Go To Sweater #1, from my pattern line. The other sweater is also from my pattern line - Go To Sweater #3. So - I have 2 new patterns, and 6 projects completed, or just about completed. And I donated 3 bags of yarn. Not bad for 2 months!

What, you may ask, does this have to do with National Crochet Month? I'm declaring this year National Crochet Year! I'm going to continue using up my stash, finishing my unfinished projects, crocheting in public whenever I can, supporting yarn companies by buying yarn, supporting designers by buying their books and publications, and promoting all of the needlearts. And I urge you to do the same. Whew! It looks like we have our work cut out for us! :-)