Rainy Sunday Knitters: The Best Cheerleaders a Girl Could Ask For

I am so very lucky to have such a loving and uplifting fiber group to visit each week. These ladies (some not pictured) have been so supportive of me as a friends and also through my whole book writing process. Recently, Toni and CJ worked to put together a lovely Ravelry post for our group. Thank you, RSK! You are all wonderful. And special thanks to Toni and CJ!

Nature's Gifts Crochet Book Giveaway Winner

It's that time! It's time to announce the winner of a signed copy of my first book, Nature's Gifts for Baby. The winner is...

Congratulations, Jordane! I'll be contacting you to get your contact information. Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway for supporting me on social media.

Help The Crochet Crowd by Providing Closed Captioning

The Crochet Crowd has many free video tutorials that are beloved by crocheters the world over. However, they need our help to make the videos accessible to all and even more valuable. Here is an opportunity to do something nice for the crochet community by helping to provide closed captioning. Read all about it on their website to learn more.

Crochet on Prisma

Many of my friends have been having fun on the Prisma app lately. I wanted to get in on it, too! I had a hunch that crochet would look pretty cool through the filters, and I was right. Check it out below, then go experiment yourself.

Giveaway: My First Book, Nature's Gifts for Baby

I am still glowing over the recent publication of my first book, Nature's Gifts for Baby. From the conception of the idea to holding the finished book in my hand, the whole process took about two years. It is fabulously rewarding to see it in print.

Today, I'd like to celebrate with you by offering up a signed copy of the book for giveaway. Hook up these seven adorable projects yourself with your very own book! I'll even write whatever you want in it :p

See below for details on entering the giveaway.

To enter the giveaway, simply complete these two steps:

1 - Share this blog post (or a picture of my book cover) on any of the following social media platforms: Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

2 - Send an email to illuminatecrochet@gmail.com with the subject line "Book Giveaway" proving that you shared it. A link to your post or a screenshot of it would both work.

And guess what? This time, multiple shares count! You can send a separate entry email for each social media platform for more chances to win. This giveaway is open in all countries.

The deadline for entries is Monday, August 22nd 2016 at 11:59pm. The winner will be announced on Tuesday the 23rd. Now, get out there and share to win!

Review: Bali Sky Yarn from Mango Moon

Today I'll be reviewing Bali Sky yarn from Mango Moon. Disclaimer: I received this complimentary yarn in exchange for a review. I am not being paid to write this review and everything shared here is my real opinion.

Bali Sky is a very unique yarn. It is made from recycled sarongs, so it is good for the environment. It is also made by spinners in Indonesia who financially benefit from the fair business practices of Mango Moon Yarns. Very nice! Also, how cute is it that they sent me some tea with my yarn?

The yarn is very colorful and exciting. It is also very strong, so I decided to test it by working up several small projects that benefit from strength. Sometimes it can be interesting to figure out what to do with such an exciting yarn, so here are some ideas.

First, I crocheted a coaster. It turned out tight and sturdy, just as I thought it might. A set of these would be really cool, or I could have kept going and made a neat place mat that could sit under a decorative vase or similar.

Next, I knit a simple garter stitch headband. It turned out really funky and fun! The color striping came out much more rainbow-y than when I crocheted with it. Granted, I was working in rows instead of rounds. The colorway I was playing with is called Dawn.

Then, I really wanted to test the strength of the yarn, so I crocheted a mesh drawstring bag. The resulting bag is very unique and colorful and certainly lives up to my strength expectations. A wider base could easily give you a stand-out market bag.

Finally, I had just enough yarn left to work up a little crochet bracelet. If you gave one of these to a bunch of your friends, each one would be unique and different. You could even add beads.

I was pleasantly surprised with how far the single skein went. I love where the yarn comes from, how it looks, and what you can do with it. However, the one big drawback was the twisting. The yarn tended to twist up as I crocheted with it, making it so I had to stop and untwist it periodically throughout each crochet project. When I was knitting with it, the problem was much less pronounced. I do want to acknowledge that each skein is different and that the yarn came pre-wound for me, so it is possible that the twisting was a result of something that wouldn't affect other skeins. If you are dedicated to crocheting with it despite the twisting, the resulting projects are bold and exciting. If you want to knit with it, I'd say you have little to worry about.

I am looking forward to deciding who to gift the above projects to! Thank you to Mango Moon for the chance to work with such cool yarn.

Yarn is Everywhere

In addition to just having my book printed (YAY!), I was also recently promoted at my day job. I am now a campus manager instead of a teacher, which is kind of like a principal on a small scale.

I was reviewing some ads that came in the other day, looking to see if any of the items would be useful, and I happened to find a bunch of yarn pom poms for sale. Not sure what they would be used for, but they look fun!

Have you found yarn in unexpected places?