Halloween CAL 2015

September 25, 2015October 16, 2015 ~ Megan Barclay ~ 1 Comment

That’s right! Hookabee’s first ever crochet-along (CAL) is starting next week! From October 2nd until the 31st, come join me in crocheting lots of ghosts and owls for a BOO + HOO Halloween CAL.

I will be releasing two new patterns for the occasion, and one is free! Meet Grimm the Ghost:

You can also make little owls during the CAL with my new Little Koko the Owl pattern:

And of course, you can also make my original big Koko the Owl for the CAL as well.

Stick with traditional owl colours, or have fun creating Halloween themed owls by changing up the colours.

The CAL will take place in the hookabee ravelry group. Join the group then join the fun by going to the BOO + HOO Halloween CAL thread. Each ghost or owl ami you make and share will count as an entry into a draw to win prizes, including a physical prize that will get mailed out to you! But you will have to wait to find out what it will be 😛

For the first two weeks of the CAL (Oct 2-16) both the original and little Koko patterns will be on sale for 20% off, so this is the perfect time to grab one.

I won’t be releasing the new patterns until October 2nd, but here is a list of the materials you will need for each pattern if you want to prepare ahead of time:

Grimm the Ghost:

E US (3.5 mm) hook
worsted weight yarn, approximately 45 yds (41 m)
two 15 mm plastic safety eyes

Little Koko the Owl:

E US (3.5 mm) hook
worsted weight yarn, approximately:
- body colour: 63 yds (58 m)
- beak and feet colour: 2.7 yds (2.5 m)
- eyes and belly feathers colour: 10 yds (9.5 m)
two 15 mm plastic safety eyes

Koko the Owl:

G US (4 mm) hook
worsted weight yarn, approximately:
- body colour: 242 yds (221 m)
- beak and feet colour: 9 yds (8 m)
- eyes and belly feathers colour: 31 yds ( 28 m)
two 21 mm plastic safety eyes

Plus, for all of them:

yarn/tapestry needle
removable stitch markers
polyester fiberfill stuffing

Hope to see you all there! Help spread the word so others can join in 🙂

Don’t forget to sign up for my amigurumi newsletter to receive emails filled with ami fun. You can also follow me on facebook, twitter, instagram, and pinterest to keep up to date on all things hookabee.

Until next time,

The ultimate amigurumi CAL

July 17, 2015August 8, 2015 ~ Megan Barclay ~ 1 Comment

At the start of this month a great crochet-along (CAL) began on ravelry that is all about amis: the Ami-Along. Didn’t know about it until now? Don’t worry!! It is still going on and won’t stop until the end of August.

Don’t know what a CAL is? Basically, a group of crocheters make the same thing (could be the exact same pattern, or simply a theme) and cheer each other on as they complete projects. Members of the group have fun sharing photos as they work on their projects, as well as a photo of their finished item so everyone can admire it! CALs are also a great place to ask any questions you might have about the specific pattern you are working on, or any general crochet questions. There are always people in a CAL group that are willing to help a fellow crocheter out, and have the know-how to do so, too.

You can discover some great new designers by joining a CAL. This current Ami-along includes patterns from 14 different amigurumi designers (including myself). Some designers even have knit ami patterns, so really, it is a KAL (knit along), too.

One of the best things about a CAL? The possibility of winning a prize! Many CALs include prizes for some of the lucky participants. There are a limited number of prizes, but the more projects you finish and share to the group, the greater chance you have of winning one. I know for this Ami-along, there are many many patterns to win, as well as some physical items that will be mailed out. You could win a hookabee pattern if you join in!

So if you love making amigurumis and plan on making some this summer, head on over to ravelry and join the Ami-along group! There are already over 250 members and more joining every day. Some members have already started sharing their hookabee creations!

Until next time,

An introduction to Ravelry

March 4, 2015October 16, 2015 ~ Megan Barclay ~ 1 Comment

I just started using the website Ravelry more extensively this year. If you are unfamiliar with the platform, it is a community for fellow crocheters and knitters to interact and share everything about their craft. Actually, it is more than that – it is so many things it is hard to describe in just one sentence.

There is so much you can do on this website, I am still learning everything! As a quick overview, here are some of things you can do on Ravelry:

Manage your stash of yarn and make a list of every skein of yarn you own and how much you have.
Maintain an inventory of all your hooks and needles.
Keep track of all your projects, both what you are currently working on, what you have completed, and what you plan to work on.
Make a collection of all the patterns you own in a “library”.
Join (multiple) groups of like minded crocheters and knitters to discuss anything and everything (including local meet-ups and clubs).
Buy and sell knit and crochet patterns and ebooks.
Read and write reviews for patterns and yarns.
Check out other members’ creations and “favorite” them (similar to “like” on facebook).
Share your blog posts on your profile, and check out other blogs.
Make new friends!

My favourite things about Ravelry:

(1) The ability to keep track of all the crochet projects I have made. When I want to look back and see what pattern and yarn I used for a particular project I made previously, all I need to do is look it up on ravelry! When you add a project to your profile, you can add the exact yarn you used, how much of the yarn you needed, what hook size you used, any alterations you made to the pattern, as well as photos.

(2) I am a bit of a snoop and I like looking at the projects of other members, especially if it something from a pattern I am considering using. I can see what yarn they used and see how it turned out by looking at their photos. I can also see if they ran into any problems with the pattern, which helps me make my final decision on whether I want to invest my time and yarn into the project.

(3) I really like having a place to store all the patterns I come across and want to save for future projects. On a daily basis I find patterns I really want to make, but just can’t at that moment. I don’t want to forget about them, so I find the patterns in the ravelry database (which so far has had EVERY pattern I have searched for) and add them to my favourites to go back to later.

(4) I especially love how I can sell my patterns on a platform in which all the members are into yarn crafts (a very targeted audience!), but is still open enough to allow non-members to buy patterns, too (you don’t need to sign up to Ravelry to purchase a pattern from me!).

(5) And finally, I am really excited to use Ravelry as a place to connect with my customers who have bought one of my patterns. I started a hookabee group page on Ravelry for people to ask questions and share their finished hookabee creations. I hope to create a fun community there as hookabee grows!

If you are new to ravelry, don’t be overwhelmed by all that you can do on the site. Take your time exploring it and discovering all that is possible. Read forums and check out the Ravelry 101 help guides (click on the question mark tab on the ravelry website).

The site opens up so many opportunities to sell your own patterns, buy from other designers, organize your crochet projects, and to simply meet like minded people with a similar love for the yarn arts! Ravelry is a great community to be part of, and it is FREE to join. Crazy!

Until next time,