Needlecrafts - Knit,Crochet | Canada Day Accessories

"I am Canadian", a popular Molson beer ad in 2000 starred a man named Joe: an average Canadian, standing in a movie theatre, with a cinema screen behind him showing different images relating to Canadian culture.
This year on July 1st is Canada's 150th birthday and I am a proud Canadian.
The family will be up north at the cottage celebrating my brother-in-law's milestone birthday and a nephew's engagement. Good times!
The project patterns in this post show off the flag and the beautiful maple leaf.
A coffee sleeve for our famous "Timmies" to enjoy with Timbits on the way up to the cottage.
A beanie to wear on boat rides and cooler evenings and an Ipad cover.
Small quick projects to inspire you to stitch some Canadian pride.

Click on images of past posts featuring easy sweater patterns for beginners

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Happy Knitting and Crocheting!

Needlecrafts - Crochet Happy Baby Blankets

Canadians love their cottages and the summer trek "up north". Even though my husband and I have never owned a cottage, we are lucky enough to be in a large family and have friends where many opportunities come our way to enjoy the "cottage culture". This is a perfect time to enjoy reading a good mystery novel (I love them) and working on small portable crafts.
Making squares of joyful colors is indeed the life, sitting on a dock, sipping on wine and catching up on news. In the dead of winter these little blasts of color will be cheerful, sunny and welcome.
Pick the brightest shades, kids love them and are instantly attracted to saturated color.
Choose from all the simple shapes. Make a large granny square or eye catching bullseye squares. It's all good!
Read further for ideas, free patterns and tutorials. Helpful videos also will help you to make that happy blanket.

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Needlecrafts | Vintage Inspired Knit Pattern

Inspiration is everywhere...vintage patterns have always been a great source.
Ultimately it's not about reproducing the same shape or overall design but inevitably something catches your eye inspiring you to express what you see in a fresh, new way.
In this instance, the large diamond pattern became my point of interest but not in a heavily repeated design.
Using the pattern as the border along a boat neck allows the lovely line of diamonds to be the focus and flatter the neckline.
Choosing which way to work the lace diamond was another consideration as each method produces a slight variance in the lace.
Everything else in the design is kept simple and easy to knit.
The free pattern is written in one size, ample for a small/medium or a slightly more fitted large in a worsted weight.

They say that diamonds are a girl's best friend. Enjoy!

Video Tutorial | K2tog - knit 2 together

Video Tutorial | yo, k1, sl1, psso - yarn over, knit 1, slip 1, pass slip stitch over

Click on images of past posts featuring easy sweater patterns for beginners

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Happy Crocheting!

New | Daria McGuire Crochet Patterns

Design ideas and implementing them has been a way of life for me or rather a life force. Creative stitchery, sewing, knitting, crochet and jewelry were always important outlets for my creativity.
Diary of a Creative Fanatic started as a vehicle to find and curate projects throughout the web that looked at traditional crafts in a fresh way.
All this exploration inspired me to start designing again starting with crochet.
Well here is the first installment of four garments for the summer, but worked in blends or pure wool will take you into the cooler seasons.
Boulevard | a flowy, swing-style cardigan with a generous shawl collar you'll wear with everything.
Brooklyn | a flattering hi-low style with an eyecatching central cable and raised boatneck collar.
Rosegarden | a poncho pullover with feminine roses trailing up the front yet casual enough for t-shirt and jeans.
Reflection | two colors in open, lace patterns in a t-shirt shape makes it easy to wear out for date night or casual.

Links on the images below will take you to the patterns on Etsy .

Purchase patterns by clicking on images below

Happy Crocheting!

Needlecrafts - Crochet, Messenger Bag

After six years of solid posting, this break was certainly welcome.
Posting is a joy, exploring the web for new ideas for crafting and being able to provide free patterns to support those designs.
Taking time to recharge one's batteries is also vital for maintaining the creativity involved.
The decision to create a collection of crochet patterns has been on my mind for some time.
Even though I enjoy working and designing knit, crochet and needlepoint, I decided to start with crochet designs.
This undertaking takes time, discipline and energy which is why my posting has been somewhat sporadic.
In the meantime I'm posting a free pattern for a messenger bag, which I find to be one of the most useful bags to own.
You will note the shoulder strap is not crocheted although you could work one up easily.
In previous posts I've mentioned how much I love thrifting so this happens to be a strap from a thrifting expedition. We're lucky in this city to have so many large thrift stores such as Value Village and Talize.
The strap cost me all of 3 bucks, a bargain.
The button is vintage, again part of my vast collection of buttons.

Make your new spring bag out of the suggested yarn or any bulky yarn you like. Enjoy!

Video Tutorial | Front Post Single Crochet Stitch

Click on images of past posts featuring different styles ofbags

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Happy Crocheting!

Needlecrafts - Knit,Crochet - Messy Bun Hats

Multicolor crochet bunhat | free pattern available here Grey back seam knit bunhat | Pinterest - inspiration only Blue ponytail crochet bunhat | free pattern available here

There's a new hat fashion in town - The Messy Bun Beanie. Styles have cropped up all over social media in a big way. It's always amusing to see something old become popular again with a sexy new name. Doesn't a "messy bun beanie" sound so much more interesting than an old ponytail hat. As a kid I wore these hats and remember all too well in my teaching days the little girls at recess with "holey hats". Like all fashions, they come and go waiting to be re-invented or as we say today "rebranded". There are 3 styles - a hat without the last few rows on top, a hat with a back seam partially sewn up or a few stitches in a row at the back, cast off or chained over to create a simple hole. But in the end all these styles serve a purpose allowing long hair to swing freely and not be bunched up inside a close-fitting hat. Read further for patterns that may inspire you to knit and/or crochet different versions of this holey hat.

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Needlecrafts - Crochet, Weekend Hookups

Solid basic beanie | free pattern available here
Simple patterned basic beanie | free pattern available here

Side gather | free pattern available here
Spumoni | free pattern available here
Ring of clusters | free pattern available here
In a twist | free pattern available here

Blackout | free pattern available here
Biggy ribs| free pattern available here
Creamy delight | free pattern available here
Plum perfect | free pattern available here

Simply ribbed | free pattern available here
Cable on the side| free pattern available here
Basketweave | free pattern available here
Ribs in step | free pattern available here

Getting a "headstart" on making gifts this season has never been easier.
Our family has for some time traditionally used the "Secret Santa" method for family gift giving.
On Thanksgiving, names are pulled for whom you'll buy a gift. There is a limit and unfortunately has devolved to gift cards.
My sister-in-law's family has decided to draw names but gifts have to be handmade.
This is a great idea and Josie is knitting a scarf for her niece's boyfriend. Some members of her family became worried, thinking they had no DIY or crafting expertise.
But in the end, this forces one to be creative and I believe the recipient is much more appreciative of what's been created.
All those trinkets that money can buy are lovely and definitely an easy gift to think about, but creativity has so much more value.

The quick and easy hats and headbands featured above are definitely a project to be made in a weekend and hopefully enjoyed for years to come.

Happy Crocheting!

Needlecrafts - Knit,Crochet - Vests Gone Sideways

Large image | Pinterest Ribbed knit wrap vest | free pattern available here

Nothing simpler to knit or crochet than a large rectangle with two slits for armholes et voilà you have a sleeveless wrap vest. The only things to consider are how long you want the vest, how big a rolled collar you want and how deep the armholes will be. Length can be determined from the bottom of the armhole to where you want the vest to stop. The deeper the armhole, the more the vest will drop. Do you like to wrap with a large collar (I do) or do you prefer the neck edge away from the face. A sleeveless wrap vest is great to throw on over another sweater, a light jacket making it a great accessory you'll want in different weights of yarn. The holiday season has pretty much creeped up on us but you still have some time to make one of these as a gift for yourself or someone special in the family. Think about texture and yarns with sparkle. Plain stocking stitch for bulkier yarns or simple relief stitches for lighter weights. Read further for different ideas to inspire you and how to get you started on your project gone sideways.

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Needlecrafts - Crochet, Floral Fantasies

All inspirational images | Pinterest

Flowers needn't be sweet and cloying as you can see from the forecast trends. Think of backgrounds such as the actual headwrap and the neckwarmer in black, navy, grey, dark purple and even camouflage green. The flowers themselves pop out and make a statement while the background color fades into the neckline of your coat or the hair. For the most part, we have a tendency to choose lighter colors for the background whether it's cream or a pastel. Choosing a dark background gives the accessory a sophisticated air and quite frankly looks more expensive. Note that some of the patterns are for pillows but dear crocheters don't stress, you can stop whenever the flower looks big enough. Remember in this case bigger is better. These are quick and easy gifts to give yourself or the fashionistas in the family Read further and find the perfect flower to bloom on a headwrap, scarf or neckwarmer.

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Needlecrafts - Knit,Crochet - Sharf, Scarf and Shrug

Inspirational image | Pinterest

It's amazing how many shrug ideas I've come across that are different and practical but at the same time give you creative license to make it your own by modifying the design to suit your needs. Here is an idea where you can knit or crochet both the shrug and scarf or just one or the other. Think about attaching a purchased scarf you may have to a shrug you'd like to make. Gather all your scrap yarn, make a shrug or scarf or both if you have enough. Make the scarf long enough to wrap around your neck or shorter to button at the front. The sharf, a funny name I coined for this design is easy to wear because the shrug holds the scarf in place. On a grey winter day, it'll keep you warm as you're reading a novel or like me binge watching a series while crocheting. Read further for different ideas to inspire you and free patterns for both shrugs and scarves.

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