Hey Reader 👋

Happy Friday friends!

So apparently I'm just a granny square person now. lol

Today's free pattern makes three squares in a row I've put out lately and trust me, there are more to come. I guess I've entered my "collect every granny square known to humankind" phase of life.

(It probably has something to do with perimenopause. Doesn't everything at this point in life? 🤣)

Once I get all the important square patterns on the blog/YouTube, I'll move on to things you can actually make with all these lovely squares.

Also, I'm almost finished with a new coiled basket tutorial that I'm absolutely loving! It uses this GORGEOUS wool yarn, plus Bobbiny braided cord and OMG. Soon, grasshopper.

But back to the this week's square: this pattern is for you if you love the classic granny look but wish it didn't have quite so many big open holes.

It works up fast, it's super beginner friendly, and as per usual with these granny squares, there's a free printable pattern and a video to go with it.

Check it out below! 👇

📌 ON THE BLOG

✨ The At Least Mostly Solid Granny Square ⬇️

Here's what I actually love about this one: it's not trying to be fancy.

If you've ever made a regular granny square and gotten annoyed by all the gaps, this gives you that same classic look with way fewer holes.

(Not zero holes, to be clear. It's more "mostly solid" than truly solid, the holes hang out in the corners and center. I've got a SUPER solid one coming for you in the near future that really does close it all up, but this is the easy in-between.)

It's perfect for blankets, bags, sweaters, anything you don't want to be super holey.

Quick tip: skip the magic ring.

I start mine with a simple chain-4 joined into a ring instead, and it's so much less fiddly, especially if magic rings make you want to fling your yarn across the room.

Not to mention, it's waaay less likely to come undone in the wash, which is absolutely the worst thing ever.

(And yes, I know you can do a double magic ring, which is more secure. But I just find the chain 4 ring to be quicker and easier and requires less figuring out which part to tighten first, which always takes me longer than I care to admit.)

The full written pattern, the video walk-through, and the free printable PDF are all waiting in the post.

CRYSTAL'S TIP OF THE WEEK

🧶 Comfy hooks = crochet is actually fun instead of painful and torturous

Lately I have been crocheting a lot.

Like a lot lot.

And if there's one thing I've learned, its that using an uncomfortable hook just generally sucks.

Especially as I'm getting... sigh... older (but not old! at least that's what my kids tell me, lol) it's gotta be ergonomic or it ain't happening.

I've gone through a few hooks in the last year or so, and here's the ones I keep coming back to time and time again:

• ​Clover Amour Hooks: These are AMAZING. Simple, soft handles, smooth stitching, these are great. Grab the whole set and you'll save some money (unlike me, who keeps buying random hook sizes one at a time...)
• ​Clover Etimo Hooks: OK, these are my super favorite, and honestly I would love them even more than the Amour hooks, but they don't come in half sizes (like 5.5 mm that I've been using all month). Truthfully though, the Amour's are just as good, these just look cooler, lol.
• ​Furls Wooden Streamline Hooks: You wanna get fancy? Because we can get fancy. These wooden hooks are kind of like the fun splurge hooks. I mean, they have all kinds of resin and metal hooks too in lots of pretty colors and designs, but I'm sorta a crunchy granola natural kinda gal at least most of the time, so I gravitate toward the wood hooks. (But I'm still using my non-organic Amour's and Etimos too, lol.) Bonus points: the wood hooks are super light. Some people say the metal ones they sell are a bit heavy.

📌 MAKER'S PICK

Macrame mandalas, anyone?

If you're looking for a cool macrame project to try that's way easier than it looks, you gotta give macrame mandalas a go.

They look super complex and jaw-dropping, but the truth is you just have to figure out one little segment of the mandala "pie", and then you just repeat that around however many more times!

I've got a bunch of cool mandala patterns for you to check out right here. Come take a look!

That's it for this week!

I'm gonna get back to my coiled basket, my coffee, and my awesome window suction cup hummingbird feeder that is providing lots of entertainment (and distracting me and making writing this email take twice as long as normal, lol.)

I hope you have a fantastic weekend and I'll talk to you again soon,

Oh hey, P.S. Another quick reminder, if you're free June 16-17, come hang out at Creator Summer Camp.

It's a free, 2-day online event with 18 makers teaching all kinds of crafts, and I'm one of them. I'm teaching a beginner-friendly outdoor macrame plant hanger. It's a nice, chunky two-color one made to hold an 18" hanging basket.

Each day's sessions are free to watch for 24 hours, so you can pop in whenever works that day. I'm pretty sure my presentation is on the first day. Grab your free ticket here →​

This email may contain affiliate links, which means I will receive a small commission if you purchase through my link at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see full disclosure here.​

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