My Contribution to Mandalas for Marinke

In another post I talked about Mandalas for Marinke, a collaborative project that is being organize by Kathryn Vercillo. Her goal is to raise awareness about depression and to honor Wink, a crochet designer who recently took her own life.

I decided to use an unlabeled, vibrant, variegated yarn for my contribution in the hopes of inspiring happiness. Though I know all too well that one can't just simply choose to be happy, especially in the grips of depression, surrounding oneself with beauty and light can take the edge off for a while. I started with one of Marinke's patterns and then branched off and did a bit of freehand to finish my mandala.

If you are interested in participating in the project, keep in mind that your mandala needs to be postmarked by October 15th.

Mandalas for Marinke

So, there's an important event going on in the fiber world right now that I've been too quiet about. Mandalas for Marinke is a project that is being compiled by Kathryn Vercillo of Crochet Concupiscence. Her goal is to raise awareness and support for depression and those who struggle with it. This has all happened in the wake of the suicide of Wink, a crochet personality who struggled with depression. I have struggled with depression myself, so I can deeply appreciate the message behind this collaborative project.

To participate in the project all you need to do is craft one of Wink's crochet mandala designs and then send it to Kathryn. She has recently extended the postmark deadline to October 15th. I will be following suit and crafting a mandala to send as well. Here are all of the details for the project.

If you are out there struggling with depression, you are not alone. Sometimes life can feel overwhelming or even empty. There are people out there who care about you, people who understand, and people who can help. If you are someone who is looking to understand depression so that you can be more helpful to your friends and loved ones, I think that these comics by Allie Brosh are a great place to start.

Four Ways to Start a Crochet Circle

Something that's awesome about crochet is how easy it is to work in the round. Hats, motifs, amigurumi, and much more can all easily be started as a circle. Did you know there are several different ways to start a crochet circle? I'm sure there are more, since crochet is so flexible and ever-expanding, but today I'm going to teach you four ways to start a crochet circle so you can work in the round.

Number One: The Chain 2 Method

Start by chaining 2.

Skip the first stitch (the one closest to the hook) and work your first round into the second stitch.

Number Two: The Chain 4 Method

Start by chaining 4.

Slip stitch into the last chain stitch (the first chain stitch you created) to form a ring. Now you're ready to create a turning chain of the appropriate height and then work your first round into the center of the chain ring.

Here you can see my hook inserted through the middle of the ring.

Here you can see my first round underway. The hole left in the center of this circle will be larger than if you used the chain 2 method, which could be either desirable or undesirable depending on the project.

Number Three: The Magic Circle Method

This is my very favorite method of starting a circle. I have a full, in-depth tutorial available here. The hole left using this method is barely noticeable at all.

Number Four: The Formed Ring Method

Did you know that you can crochet onto any ring? You can! Metal, plastic, wood -- they're all fair game. Just slip stitch right onto the ring and crochet away. If you need a crochet circle with a wide center and a lot of strength, consider using a preformed ring.