CROCHET BLOG | PATTERN DESIGNER | SELLER
Hello, my name is Lenore Berry-Zaragosa, also known as StrawberryCouture. I am the proud owner and founder of the StrawberryCouture Etsy store, which I established back in 2006. My Etsy store specializes in selling crochet hat patterns, and since 2020, I've been blogging full-time about my crocheting methods and the stitches I use for my patterns.
My passion for crocheting was sparked by my beloved grandmother, a retired educator who spent her final years crocheting something for everyone in our family. As a young child, I remember latch hooking rugs while my grandmother crocheted blankets. We even earned the nickname of the "craft hookers"!
Aside from crocheting, I also sewed clothing as a hobby during my college years from 1989-1991. My life took a different turn after my second year of college when I served in the United States Army as a cook for five years. The Army was a tough but valuable learning experience where I learned the importance of hard work and customer service. I even served a 1-year tour in Korea as a specialist, which taught me the value of respectful communication.
After my time in the Army, I ventured into entrepreneurship by starting two small businesses. My first business was a home-based sewing business called “Custom Fitting Designs,” where I created custom clothes for a small clientele.
Throughout my crochet journey, I've managed to develop and master a range of crochet techniques and methods. I love sharing my knowledge with others through my video tutorials, where I cover various topics such as how to work the double crochet stitch, creating the Mobius chain, and single crocheting in a twisted chain.
I also explain how to crochet the ribbed stitch in the round and the basic chain stitches. My goal is to share my passion for crocheting with the world and inspire others to explore this wonderful craft
The crocheting methods I employed on Etsy are described on this page. Since 2006, I have sold there. I wrote about my PDF patterns while hand-crocheting real hats. I sell my patterns and blog about my skills full-time from 2020 to the present. It's good to concentrate on activities I enjoy.
My grandma introduced me to homemade crafts when I was a young child and she is the one who introduced me to crochet. Grandma, a retired educator, spent her final years crocheting something for everyone. I latch hooked rugs while she crocheted blankets. We purchased the yarn we needed. We were known to others as the craft hookers.
For my strawberrycouture Etsy store, I provide explanations and answers regarding the crocheting methods I employ in my hat patterns. In my tutorials, I demonstrate chain stitching and crocheting magic circles. What makes a good business name for crochet?
StrawberryCouture on Etsy
PDF Downloadable Pattern. Shop, Download, Crochet, Enjoy!
PDF Downloadable Pattern. Shop, Download, Crochet, Enjoy!
PDF Downloadable Pattern. Shop, Download, Crochet, Enjoy!
As a hobby, I sewed clothing. Shapes and colors started to appear gradually in my thoughts. They took up much of my college study time (1989-1991). I did not consider crafts to be a secular industry.
After my second year of college, I held a variety of jobs. I worked as a cook for the United States Army for five years. I learned to work hard from it. After every meal, we had to finish a production schedule. For instance, we needed to determine how many pounds of beef we would need to prepare for 500 guests.
To order food rations, determine the number of individuals to feed. Observe the directions on the recipe card. Our mess hall was inspected. To ensure we complied with guidelines, think of a cafeteria. Check to see if the food was at the proper temperature. However, temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees F are dangerous. Ensure that nobody becomes ill, above all. The importance of customer service. Through this experience, I learned the importance of client satisfaction. True grit gets results!
I served a 1-year tour in Korea as a specialist, the rank of E-4. I worked the job of a sergeant. This is equivalent to a boss in the civilian world. Bosses in general still have to answer to a higher boss. It taught me how to talk to people. I can't talk down to them any old way I want. Treat people with respect and communicate with them.
After serving in the US Army, I started two failed small businesses. The first one was a small home-based sewing business called “Custom Fitting Designs”. We lived in government living quarters. My husband still served in the army by this time. I created custom clothes for a small clientele. An officer’s wife brought me her fabric and sewing pattern for a formal dress to wear at an Officer's Ball with her husband.
Learn How to Single Crochet Stitch Step By Step Beginner Course Lesson
Learning how to single crochet stitch is one of the most popular stitches used in crochet. This is a beginner lesson to create beautiful patterns and textures. In this tutorial, we’ll show you how to do it step by step. This video shows you how to single crochet stitch step-by-step. Watch our video on how to single crochet stitch and learn how to create beautiful designs.
0:00 - Intro How to Single Crochet
0:11 - Insert your crochet hook.
0:15 - Under the horizontal 2 loops.
0:18 - Yarn over.
0:23 - Pull the yarn through.
0:25 - 2 loops sit on your crochet hook
0:29 - Yarn over.
0:31 - Pull through the 2 loops.
0:40 - Repeat
1:28 - You completed the row.
How to Increase A Single Crochet Stitch With This Easy Technique
How to increase a single crochet in crochet? We've got some great tips on how to increase single crochet stitches. You're going to love these easy increases for single crochet stitch. We've got an easy step-by-step tutorial here!
00:00 - The process of increasing a single crochet stitch begins. The first step is to insert the crochet hook into the space underneath the two loops. After pulling the yarn through the space from the back to the front, you'll have two loops on your crochet hook. Yarn over and pull through both loops. Repeat this action in the same space.
01:08 - Having increased stitches in the row, the work is turned to the back side. Then a chain is made, followed by a single crochet stitch in the first space. In the following stitch, single crochets are worked into every space. The stitches appear tighter as two of them sit inside a single space.
02:05 - As the work continues, the row gets completed. Afterward, the work is turned back to the front side, showcasing a well-emphasized pattern of stitches.
02:28 - The tutorial moves to showing how to crochet a ruffled edge for a rippling effect by repeating certain steps.
04:37, this ruffled row is completed.
How to Work the Double Crochet Stitch Beginner Course Lesson
In this video tutorial, I'll show you how to work the double crochet stitch. You'll be able to create beautiful crochet projects like these ones. Watch our free video tutorials on how to work the double crochets stitch.
0:00 - The introduction begins with an explanation on how to double crochet. This covers all the basic techniques that will be used throughout the tutorial.
0:25 - Here, the focus is on executing the yarn over, pulling through loops, and repeating these steps. This segment provides details about the actual double crochet process.
1:30 - At this point, the tutorial covers how to turn the work and chain stitches. It then begins discussing how to double crochet into the first space of the new row.
2:14 - The tutorial concludes with the completion of a row and a discussion about the emphasis of the worked row when working on the back side.
How to Increase Double Crochet Stitch
0:00 - Introduction and first stitch of a new row.
0:06 - Start with chain 2, double crochet 1, and yarn pulling technique from back to front underneath horizontal double strands, creating 2 loops.
0:09 - Continue with yarn over actions and loop management. You'll have 3 loops on your hook and will pull through first 2 loops and then the last 2.
0:14 - The same step is repeated in the same space, contributing to the shape and size of the row, making it wider than the previous one.
0:20 - Repeat of all the steps in other spaces, turning of the work, chain 2 and reinforcement of the increased double crochet stitches.
0:24 - Demonstration of double crochet in first space, observing the flowy look from the front, and yarn over technique with a double crochet in each space.
0:33 - Further progress by turning the work again, ending with the readiness to repeat the same 2 steps or proceed with just double crochet in each row.
0:47 - Conclusion of the tutorial summarizing the techniques used to create the double crochet stitch and mentioning future possibilities for repeating the steps or opting for double crochet in each row.
00:00 - Introduction to Twisting in the Chain
- Addressed the issue of twisting in the chain and offered a solution to prevent it, by focusing on the chain throughout the process and turning it gently to avoid twists.
00:43 - Creating the Mobius Chain
- Detailed the steps for creating a Mobius chain, including the half twist, crocheting in the top V's, and the importance of the movement in a circular or spiral flow.
02:59 - Single Crocheting in a Twisted Chain
- Outlined the process of single crocheting in a twisted chain, the importance of identification and crocheting in the top horizontal loop, and the need for the chain to be twisted as the work progresses.
05:12 - Conclusion and Tips
- Highlighted the beauty and uniqueness of the Mobius Twist, the importance of using the tail as a guide, and encouraged practice to master the technique.
The video, "How to Crochet the Ribbed Stitch in the Round" by . It uses 2 strands of worsted weight yarn and a 6.50mm crochet hook. The tutorial explains how to create a chain, make a magic circle with single crochet stitches, and build the work in rounds. It emphasizes on techniques like yarn over, pull through loops, counting stitches, and slip stitch. A front post is created by inserting the crochet hook around the vertical post and using yarn overs to create loops. The video walks through creating multiple rounds, each time highlighting how to create the ribbed stitch effect, maintaining a flat circle without rippling. Each round involves repeating the same steps and not increasing stitches, hence forming a V shape with the stitches.
Chain stitches are one of the most basic crochet techniques. In this tutorial, we'll show you how to do them. You don't have to be an expert crocheter to master these stitches. These stitches are easy to learn and fun to practice.
Chain Stitch Crocheting Techniques
00:00 - Intro
00:05 - How to Start a Crochet Project
⋅ To start a crochet project, you'll need to use the chain stitch.
⋅ Before beginning any project, you need to take the tail from your yarn skin.
⋅ Hold your tail with your last two fingers' ring finger and pinky.
⋅ Hold the crochet hook with any crochet hook and wrap the yarn around it twice.
⋅ Now you will see two wrapped around single strands.
⋅ With the yarn already in the hook, you will pull it through the second wrap around.
⋅ Now, the yarn is already wrapped around once on your crochet hook.
01:07 - The Chain Stitch
⋅ Yarn over and pull through the loop.
⋅ Yarn over again and pull through the loop.
⋅ Yarn over and pull through the loop again.
⋅ Continue to do so until your project tells you how many chains to make.
01:37 - Visualizing the Chain Stitch
Here's how it looks so far, notice the top has V shapes whereas the back has bumps.
shop, download, crochet it today, enjoy!
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CROCHET HALF TWIST CHAIN
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"A decade and a half ago, a woman named Anne from Pennsylvania asked this Texas-based craftsman to create a unique hat - one that bloomed like a rose. The journey of this custom-made hat, from concept to creation, is a story of creativity, patience, and passion.
In the vast expanse of creativity, ideas grow like wildflowers. They can be plentiful and overwhelming, but the beauty is in the picking and pruning. This rose hat was one such idea, sprouting from the fertile ground of Anne's imagination and nurtured by my skill and enthusiasm.
The hat, crafted meticulously over two weeks, is more than just a headpiece. It's a rose in full bloom, a testament to the beauty that springs from collaboration and dedication. It wasn't an easy journey - there were countless revisions and adjustments, several mailed packages of carefully selected yarn, and numerous conversations about the perfect length and weight of the hat. But the end result, as Anne exclaimed, was simply "BEAUTIFUL!!!"
This creative journey spanned miles and time zones, from Texas to Pennsylvania, thanks to the magic of Etsy. It's a testament to the power of connection, the beauty of creativity, and the joy of seeing an idea come to life. From the pink rose hat on the left, to the stunning rose-shaped hat worn by Anne, it's clear that when we embrace creativity and communication, the possibilities are endless.
*Unraveling The Art of Crochet: A Complete Guide For Beginners
Dive into the world of crochet, learn about its benefits, master the art of creating patterns, discover essential tools, and understand how to become a successful crochet designer.
What is Crochet and What are the Benefits of Using it?
Crochet is simply the art of slipping a loop through another loop with a hook to create a fabric-like surface. It's not only easy but also forgiving; if you make a mistake, you can easily unravel your work and start over.
This is where crochet has an advantage over knitting. Fixing a mistake in knitting can be tricky, especially if you have a dropped stitch. But with a crochet hook, you can easily pull a loop through another loop and fix the problem. Want to learn more about this? Check out this helpful guide on [Ravelry] (www.ravelry.com.
A Beginner's Guide to Creating Your Own Patterns
Starting with crochet can seem daunting with all the yarns, crochet hook sizes, stitches, and abbreviations to remember. But don't worry, websites like [AllFreeCrochet](www.allfreecrochet.com) have beginner-friendly patterns to help you get started.
Crochet Tools & Materials You Need
Besides crochet hooks and yarn, there are other supplies that can make your crochet experience easier, such as gauge counters, tapestry needles, stitch markers, and digital row counters. [Crochet.com](www.crochet.com) has a great selection of crochet supplies.
How To Become A Successful Crochet Designer
Becoming a crochet designer requires knowledge of techniques, crochet hook sizes, yarn textures, and stitches. You also need to develop your own style and build an audience. As you progress, consider selling your patterns on platforms like Etsy, Shopify, Ravelry, or Craftsy.
Conclusion
The journey to becoming a successful crochet designer requires time, patience, and a love for crochet. Keep practicing, keep learning, and you'll get there. Stay tuned for more articles that will complement your crochet journey.
Wonderful and helpful crochet blogs to look
1. [Moogly Blog] (https://www.mooglyblog.com) - A great source of crochet patterns and inspiration, including baby sweaters, hats, and more.
2. [Repeat Crafter Me Blogs] (https://www.repeatcrafterme.com) - Sarah's patterns are inspirational and colorful. There are fantastic ideas for holidays, for kids to wear and accessories.
3. [TL Yarn Crafts Blogging](https://www.tlycblog.com) - Toni’s designs are delightful, like the Veronica Cocoon Cardi, an oversized blanket sweater.
4. [Hopeful Honey Crochet Bloggers] (https://www.hopefulhoney.com) - Olivia is where makers gather to make crochet cool again and to change the world one stitch at a time.
5. [Whistle and Ivy] (https://www.whistleandivy.com) - Bethany’s passion for crochet clearly shows the dedication she has to creating so many beautiful patterns.
6. [All About Ami] (https://www.allaboutami.com) - Stephanie loves to crochet Amigurumi. She’s been making them since she was 10, and the love of making them has grown stronger.
7. [The Stitchin Mommy] (https://www.thestitchinmommy.com) - Amy Ramnarine is a freelance crochet designer and the owner/blogger behind The Stitchin’ Mommy. She has been crocheting since 2009 and knitting on and off since 2010