A Moment to Give Thanks...

Seems so very strange that this holiday has come around so quickly....again. It's been another year of blessing accompanied by loss. I'll never forget one of my favorite pastors saying, "You only need to live long enough to experience loss and suffering," and he was right. Still, the grace of God has been there to sustain every second of it. Without further ado, here's my thankful list for 2021:

10. I'm thankful for hands that continue to be able to function well and allow me to do what I love.

 

 9. To have an excellent computer and working internet to stay connected with those I love, as well as enabling me to engage with my crochet community, especially while living away from home at times.

8. To be able to purchase a fun, and much needed car this year to enable more flexible travel for my family and me.

 

7. I'm thankful that the roaming deer on our property left my impatiens alone long enough for me to enjoy them this year! 

6. For my first grand baby who is securely in our Heavenly Father's hands (I will get to hold you on your side of Heaven one day...), and for complete restoration of my daughter's health.

5. For my local church and the provision of a church family's farm so that we could meet to worship the Lord outside every Sunday. (Our rented space at a local school has been unavailable due to Covid-19 for 1 1/2 years.)

4. For you, my crochet friends both near and far. Your encouragement and support have lifted me in so many ways this past year - in ways that language just cannot express.

 

3. For my wonderful children and their spouses, along with all the joy and purpose they bring to my life. Especially thankful that those who struggled with Covid-19 recovered completely.

 

2. For an amazing husband of 33 years who has never once complained about living with a creative person who happens to have an abundant love and supply of yarn. He is patient beyond degree!

 

1. My #1 problem of all time, of being a condemned sinner in need of forgiveness, has been taken care of by Jesus when He died for my sins on the cross at Calvary. Psalm 103 expresses better than I can say:

"The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him."

Wishing you and yours a very meaningful Thanksgiving.

New Way to Watch Bonnie's Videos!

We are very happy to announce that there is a better way to watch the best of Bonnie's video tutorials on a brand new subscriber based platform! This will enable you to watch excellent crochet instruction on all of your devices, totally ad, commercial and spam free. We have worked very hard to build this new site and currently have more than 66 hours of videos - that's 66 hours of right-handed, and an additional 66 hours of left-handed content - available now, with many more to come. This platform has videos suitable for the absolute beginner, as well as many projects for seasoned crocheters looking for a fun challenge.

Bonnie's Winter Cabled Throw coming early in 2021 to WATCH.BonnieBayCrochet.com!

This will be the home of Bonnie's newly designed cabling designs that she currently is working on, and plans to release early in 2021. These will not be available on her public YouTube channel, but only on this channel and/or through the purchase of the written pattern. 

Gift subscriptions are also available should you be looking for a special gift for the crocheter in your life! Should you have any questions at all about this new platform, you can always contact us at bonniebay@me.com

Thanksgiving 2020: Top 10 Reasons to Still Give Thanks!

As we all look forward to this unusual year to conclude (to say the very least), I wanted to take a look back on the unexpected blessings this time has brought to my family and me. While this is only the tip of the proverbial iceburg, here's my list of the top 10 reasons to still give thanks...

 

10. I give thanks that to people like you, Bonnie Bay Crochet has been able to continue to grow and allow me to become full-time in my design work so I can concentrate exclusively on bringing you more quality crochet content.

9. I give thanks that we are living in a world with an internet that works most of the time, allowing us to work and connect with those we love in a time when we aren't able to visit in person. This has enabled me to continue my work as usual, and connect with my children on a daily basis.

8. I give thanks for Chick-fil-A, who has become the employer of several of my children & their spouses over the years, and especially during this time while their industry (film) was completely shut down, leaving them without a source of income. Eat more chicken ya'll!!

7. I give thanks that none of the ER trips for members of our family resulted in longterm hospital stays, and ended on a happy note and a return trip home.

6. I have gained a thankful spirit for many things in this world that I have previously taken for granted, such as the the availability of staples in our home such as toilet paper and paper towels! It's funny how seeing stacks of these items at my local Costco and Walmart stores bring me an uncanny source of happiness now!

5. I give thanks for my friend Stephanie of Good Loops Yarn who more than 1 1/2 years ago insist that I begin a weekly LIVE program on my channel. Neither of us had any idea of how this would become such a needed social connection in our lives. For those who join me from week to week on Friday Fun LIVE, please know that you have helped me to get through 2020 with joy in my heart and an extra hop in my step! You are all part of my family now! (Tears of happiness as I type this...)

4. I give thanks for the special time of getting to know my wonderful mother-in-law and that she is still able to live in her home where we can care for her, especially during this pandemic.

3. I give thanks that our family now has a beautiful new addition with my new daughter-in-law Sarah! We are all looking forward to the day when we can gather as a family to celebrate together!

2. Oddly enough, I give thanks for the many months of living separately from the one I love most on this earth,my dear husband Craig. My affections and appreciation for him have only deepened, even after more than 32 happy years. I can't wait to take a trip with him to a place far, far away once this pandemic is over!!

1. My #1 problem of all time, of being a condemned sinner in need of forgiveness, has been taken care of by Jesus when He died for my sins on the cross at Calvary. Psalm 103 expresses better than I can say:

"The LORD is merciful and gracious,slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth,so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him."

I sincerely wish you a most meaningful time with your loved ones as you gather together in person and via the internet and give thanks!

2 New 2020 CALs: My First Crocheted Sweater, and the Colorful Cables Throw

I can't believe it has been 10 months since my last blog post! Life has been especially full and busy this year, but part of that activity has been spent trying to bring more quality content to you via my Bonnie Bay Crochet channel. For the latest, up to date information, please join me every Friday at Noon EST for Friday Fun LIVE with Bonnie! This has become the highlight of my week connecting with many of you in a LIVE format. 

Starting next Monday, January 13, 2020, I will be starting the "My First Crocheted Sweater" CAL with the motto, "Just because it's your first crocheted sweater, it doesn't have to LOOK like it's your first crocheted sweater!" This crochet along will consist of 2 videos released one week apart. You will be free to comment and ask any questions in the comment section on YouTube and on my Bonnie Bay Crochet Facebook page. I've made this project as easy as possible without compromising the quality of the design. I believe than any confident beginner and above will be able to enjoy and be successful completing this design. Purchase of the written pattern is highly recommended, especially with all the needed sizing information that will not be included in the videos (in order to avoid confusion). The pattern can be purchased in my on-line Love Crafts store here.

So, what will you need? For this design I chose a higher quality yarn called City Tweed DK by Knit Picks. This yarn is 55% Merino wool, 25% Superfine alpaca, 20% Donegal tweed, 123 yds/50 g per ball. You will need 13 (14, 16, 17, 19, 20) skeins for sizes S (M, L, XL, 2X, 3X). You are free to use any other DK weight yarn for this project. Just be sure you have the proper amount of yardage for your size: 1550 (1722, 1894, 2066, 2238, 2410) yds.

 You can use my affiliate link (I do benefit in a small way, but won't cost you any more) here to order this yarn directly from Knit Picks.

COLORFUL CABLES THROW REVEAL!!!

February 3, 2020 marks the beginning of the Colorful Cables Throw! I am super excited about this new colorful design which is also a great way for many of you to learn some new ways of crocheting cables! This throw features 14 Aran/Celtic style textured stitches, many of which have been a part of many of my crochet designs over the past 10 years. 

For this design you will need 2 - 10 packs of Love Craft's Paint Box Aran weight yarn. This yarn is often on sale and very resonably priced. Here is my affiliate link for this yarn. (Won't cost you any more, but I do benefit in a small way.)It was highly recommended to me by a friend and my experience has confirmed the quality to me first hand. 

If the color way you desire is not in stock, please communicate to them (by checking the appropriate box on their site) to be contacted when available. I used the color way "Wanderlust" for my throw, which includes 10 different colors. You may wish 10 colors of another color way, or fewer colors, or even one solid color. It is really up to you! In the pattern I will be providing a diagram so that you can "fill in the blank" and design your own color scheme should you like. Of course you are also free to use any worsted weight yarn of your choice. This could also be a great project for leftover stash yarn to use up all those extra skeins!

The CAL will consist of 4 videos, one for each Monday in February on my Bonnie Bay Crochet YouTube channel. The written pattern will be made available soon in my LoveCrafts.com on-line store. 

The Tree of Life Afghan Crochet Along Schedule

The proposed schedule of our crochet along is listed below. As you can see it starts off slowly in the first 3 weeks to allow time for learning, but then picks up speed in the later portion.

I would love to see your progress but will ask you to post photos that are in keeping with each week's schedule. In other words, let’s save the completed afghan photos for later in the crochet along. We want to come alongside one another in the week by week progression, and these are the photos that we want to see!

I am so looking forward to seeing the various colors you all have chosen. You can post all photos to my Bonnie Bay Crochet Facebook page. Should you ever have questions on these assignments, please post these here as well. You may very well be helping someone else to understand by doing so! Here’s the schedule:

Sept. 3: Week 1/Video #1 Foundation chain&rows, Tree Pattern Rows 1-16

Sept. 10: Week 2/Video #2 Tree Pattern Rows 17-30

Sept. 17: Week 3/Video #3 Tree Pattern Rows 31-40

Sept. 24: Week 4/Video #4 Tree Pattern Rows 41-55 + sc rows

Oct. 1: Week 5/Video #5 Divider, Flowers Pattern, Divider + sc rows

Oct. 8: Week 6/Video #6 Tree Pattern Rows 1-55

Oct. 15: Week 7/Video #7 Perimeter Rounds, Leaves and Finishing

You can download a copy of the free pattern courtesy of Lion Brand Yarns here.

You can always contact me via my facebook page or directly at bonniebay@me.com. 

My Top 10 Reasons Why I LOVE the CGOA Conferences...

As my plane begins its bumpy descent around the latest of summer thunderheads, I am reflecting on the glorious time….yes, GLORIOUS time at this year’s CGOA Conference in Portland, Oregon, and I don’t use this word lightly. If you’ve never attended a crochet event like this before, I encourage you to mark your calendar for next year’s event which will be held in Manchester, NH from July 10-13. You won’t be disappointed! I’ve been able to attend a number of these since my first conference in 2011, and I always come away encouraged and full of new ideas!

 

Here are my top 10 reasons in descending order, of why I go and why I can’t wait for the next one:

 

10. Pulling away from my normal routine and traveling to a new place… This year the conference was held in Portland, Oregon, a state that I had never visited before. It was amazing flying in from the east and seeing the beautiful sights such as Mt. Hood, and Mt. St. Helens in the distance in the next state over. I was also able to add a short visit with my aunt and uncle who live in the beautiful state of Arizona!

9. The 2019 CGOA Crochet Design Contest… It is always inspiring to see the entries that other crochets design for this contest. The contest is open to everyone and significant monetary prizes are awarded to the winners. Even if you are not able to travel to a conference, you are welcome to enter this contest for a change to win one of these prizes!

 

8. CGOA Annual Meeting… If you don’t like boring meetings, don’t worry, this isn’t one of them! This year’s meeting, faithfully led by Linda Dean, moved right along with much laughter and enjoyment. You will be quickly caught up on on the business for the year and see the vision cast for the future. This is also when we get to find out the destination for the next year’s conference!

7. Shopping in the Yarn Market… You never know what new goodies are just around the corner at the yarn market, and this year was no different! I got to meet new vendors selling unique products that I had never seen before. I found a new gradient yarn supplier who dyes yarn that allows you to create your own endless choice of colors. I alway enjoy looking at mugs with yarn sayings, and don’t forget your free shopping bags!

 

6. Free Yarn Samples and Yarn Tasting… You really never know where and when yarn samples will show up! This year the first 200 attendees to The Excellence in Crochet Meeting received a bag FULL of samples from participating yarn companies! I had so much in may bag that I literally couldn’t pack it all in my luggage and had to share with others who had more space. I trust that these skeins got good homes and will soon be blessing another!

 

5. Meeting Your Favorite Crochet Authors & Designers… This year I was able to get my signed copy of One Piece Knits by Margaret Hubert! It is always wonderful to speak with this little lady who just happens to be a GIANT in the fiber world - of both crochet & knit! Whenever she speaks, I do all I can to listen so I can learn from the best! I also had the joy of meeting and talking with Marly Bird of Red Heart Yarns. If you don’t know who this lady is yet, you need to! She is just as wonderful in real life as she appears in her Red Heart Yarn videos!

 

4. Fastest Fingers Crochet Contest… This was the first time I have experienced this at a conference, and I’m happy to say that I actually won! It was a lot of fun to participate both in the first and then the final round. At the rate my heart was beating for the finals, I can say in all truthfulness that I now know how crocheting can become an aerobic sport! You can check out the entire video here:

 

3. Crochet Classes… As always, there were many different and interesting crochet classes offered, some in 3 hour formats, and others all day (6 hours). This was my very first time to teach on a national level and I had blast! I taught 12 hours of classes, all on how to crochet cables (of course), and loved, loved, loved doing it! I was astounded at the level of proficiency of many of the students which allowed me to cover all the material in my syllabus. We even had a bit of fun with silly fiber songs and free giveaways on the hourly breaks to keep the blood circulating!

(Photo courtesy of CGOA) 

2. CGOA Banquet & Fashion Show… This was the first time in several years that I wasn’t volunteering behind the scenes and was able to watch the fashion show after being served a delicious 3 course meal. We listened to a fastening lecture by Pauline Turner, this year’s inductee into the CGOA Hall of Fame. After that it was a parade of beautiful and unique crochet designs up and down the runway! This is always fun filled as the audience oohs and ahs at these, and occasionally cheers with some special enthusiastic real-life models! If you do attend a conference, you are very much welcome to participate as a model…and models of all sizes are welcome and needed!

 

1. Making and Rekindling Crochet Friendships from Around the Country and the World!!! I saved the best for last. Words are inadequate to describe the love that goes around to everyone at these events! I hope to see you there next year!

 

Help with the Chevrons & Diamonds Throw: Row Chart

In order to help those who are following along with the crochet along on my Bonnie Bay Crochet YouTube channel, I've compiled a list of Rows 31-198 so that you can check off your progress as you go, and know which rows of the corresponding charts that you will need. 

For those of you who would be interested in joining us, the introduction video to this CAL can be found here.   

You can download the free pattern, courtesy of Red Heart Yarns here.

Here is the chart of rows that you will need for Row 31 and onward: