Interweave is the company that brings you Interweave Knits, Beadwork, and Interweave Crochet magazine, to name a few.

We are dedicated to meeting the needs of every craft enthusiast who wants information and instruction on their chosen subject: knitting, crocheting, sewing, jewelry making and beading, quilting, weaving, spinning, drawing, and fine art.  We offer a wide variety of media especially created for YOU. Our store stocks books, magazines, DVDs, materials and hosts an extensive database of patterns, projects and ebooks. Our different online departments: Art, Beading/Jewelry, Calendars, Crochet, Fiber Arts. Knitting, Mixed Media, Needlework, Quilting, Sewing, Spinning, and Weaving, cover a range of subject matters.  We offer various levels of instruction in beading, knitting, sewing, quilting and weaving that will appeal to both the person who might be just learning to knit for example to the wool enthusiast who needs to find projects for specialist handspun yarns.

The free ebooks are:

Felted Knitting Patterns

Beadwork Beading Patterns for Seed Beads

Drawing Basics: 26 Free Beginner Drawing Techniques to Learn How to Draw

4 Fine sewing Techniques from Quilting Arts

Five Free Crochet Patterns for Beautiful Handmade Gifts

5 Stone Cutting Techniques and Projects

To obtain the books just enter your email address in the box and click on the red button to download.

But there is another type of charity that doesn’t get as much notice – The Special Olympics.  This year the Special Olympics has created a website devoted to the Scarf Project.  This is a way for knitters and crocheters to provide all Special Olympics participants with a scarf made just for them using Red Heart Yarn.  Red Heart Yarn is a sponsor of the 2011 Special Olympics USA Scarf Project.

The following information is from the 2011 Special Olympics USA Scarf Project Media Resource News Release.  I couldn’t explain it any better!

Special Olympics is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering individuals with intellectual disabilities to become physically fit, productive and respected members of society through sports training and competition.

Handmade scarves donated as a result of the 2011 Special Olympics USA Scarf Project will be a symbol of unity, support, compassion and empowerment, as the Special Olympics athletes, coaches, families, volunteers and supporters wear them with pride in knowing they have become part of the Special Olympics family.

The idea for a scarf project resulted from an opportunity to provide a gift of welcome for the athletes of the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games held in Boise, Idaho. A call went out for 5,000 Red Heart delft blue & white scarves, and by Games time nearly 60,000 scarves had arrived from every state in the U.S. and from 12 countries around the world. (watch the video to the left of this article)

Special Olympics Idaho, then, carried on the tradition with their own state scarf project in 2010, and again the knitting and crocheting communities opened their hearts and put their needles and hooks to work. Over 2,100 Red Heart cherry red and grey heather scarves arrived from 48 states in just five weeks for the Idaho State Winter Games, and the celebration of unity began as they were presented to the athletes, coaches, families, volunteers and supporters during the Opening Ceremony – for all to wear throughout the Games.

Now in 2011, the Special Olympics USA Scarf Project is spreading its wings and going national! You can now choose any of the 33 participating Special Olympics Programs to support! Our goal is to give knitters and crocheters the power to select which Program they want to support and help create an unprecedented sense of unity, support and community for the athletes and the Special Olympics Movement as a whole.

There are some Special Olympics State Programs (for example: Washington and Michigan) that have created their own individual scarf projects, which may have different colors, deadlines, etc.  While these are completely separate from the Special Olympics USA Scarf Project, they support certain State Programs and therefore we encourage you to consider supporting both the Special Olympics USA Scarf Project and scarf projects from individual State Programs.

For more information on official colors, deadlines and participating Special Olympics Programs, visit the Scarf Project Guidelines page, or please refer to Frequently Asked Questions.

Visit the Project Guidelines page to choose your state and start your project!  If you can’t knit or crochet, the Special Olympics has a special page to accept monatry contriubtions.

Visit your local yarn shop to purchase your supplies.  The official yarn colors of Red Heart® Super Saver 886-Blue & Red Heart® Super Saver 512-Turqua can be purchased at your favorite crafts stores around the country as well as at Walmart or Shop Red Heart. Check with your local independent retailers to confirm that the designated Red Heart® Yarn is in stock

Jean Greenhowe’s Halloween Ghosties is a group of five cute little ghosts made from scraps of yarn and stuffing.  They are knitted in garter stitch and they stand up by themselves.  The smallest ghost has 12 stitches and 19 rows all worked on 4mm [No 8, USA6] knitting.  Jean has lots of cute little designs on her website.  The ghosts are about half way down the page and the download is in PDF format.

Julie Hunter writes a blog called “This Cosy Life” where she blogs and posts her knitting designs.  Julie has quite a few really darling patterns.  The pumpkin pattern is called “Great Pumpkin” and is a free download.  While there, look at her other designs!

How about a knitted Elvis wig? Simon Thackray came up with the idea and Sidar Yarn Company designed the pattern.  This knitted Elvis wig was specifically designed by Sirdar to be worn by the passengers on the world’s first North Yorkshire Elvis Bus Tour.

For really bad hair days, you might want to knit up this Hallow wig. Makes great use of all that funky colored acrylic yarn you might have.  Or maybe you are looking for a witch’s hat?  This pattern is created by Margaret Radcliff, the author of The Knitting Answer Book.

Knitting on the Net has several adorable Halloween patterns. If you knit for Barbie dolls, here is a Barbie Halloween Witch Outfit that any little (or big) girl would love.  Small children love unusual hats, like this adorable pumpkin hat. The hat can be worn the fall season, not just for Halloween.  For older children, a Skull Cap Beanie may be just the item to finish their costume.

The Jelly Yarn website has two free patterns using their glow-in-the-dark yarn.  The glow-in-the-dark treat bag is an excellent use for this yarn to protect your children while walking during the dusk hours.

If you like to felt your projects, here is a Felted Halloween Basket that can be used as a trick-or-treat bag.  This basket uses Cascade 220, a 100% Peruvian highland wool that felts very nicely.

Making dishcloths if a fast and easy way to decorate for Halloween.  The Batty dishcloth and Lacy Jack-O-Lantern dishcloth can be whipped up in an evening.

There is only 5 weeks until Halloween; it’s time to get those needles clicking

Other Halloween articles you may be interested in:

Décor and more – Halloween patterns to knit

Halloween crafts and patterns

Last minute Halloween costume ideas

Image via Wikipedia

JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores are sponsoring a crafting for Charity contest. This contest allows you to use your creativity to craft and design, and your passion to support your favorite charity at the same time. Your crafting skills can win a $1500 JoAnn gift card for you and your charity has the opportunity to win a cash prize.

Start crafting August 15, 2010 and continue through October 30, 2010, purchasing your supplies from your local JoAnn Fabric and Craft store.  You must enter online at the contest entry site. Additional information and rules are here.

If you need inspiration, JoAnn’s website offers free patterns and ideas to get the creative juices flowing.

Once you have purchased your materials, start making your donations to your favorite organization. Entries will be judged on creativity, quality & functionality of the item for the chosen organization. The top 5 entries will each win a $1,500 JoAnn gift card.  Your charity can win one of three prizes ranging from $15,000 -$50,000.

Submit photos of each item you have created and donated. The more you craft and give, the better it is for the cause that’s closest to your heart..

Starting November 7, 2010, and through December 4, 2010, you can vote at Joann.com® for your favorite charity. The three charitable causes receiving the most entries will become Craft for a Cause finalists.

In the Detroit area, there is a long list of JoAnn Fabric and Craft Stores available. Click here for the current flyer.

If you have a blog or wish to promote this contest, banners and ads are available for your use.

Related Articles

• Craft for Good, not Evil: Crafting as Volunteering (craftingagreenworld.com)
• Forbes Names Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores One of America’s Most Trustworthy Companies (eon.businesswire.com)
• Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores Promotes ‘Take Time to Craft A Memory’ In Celebration of National Craft Month (eon.businesswire.com)
• Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores Presents New Inspiration for DIY Brides (eon.businesswire.com)

The colors are available in a large selection of solids and variegated. Featured at the parent company, Coats and Clark, you can find free patterns to make a one or two ball scarf, purse, or baby blanket.

Currently, Red Heart is revamping their website, so be sure to use the Coats and Clark site for now to look for your free patterns. While at either site, be sure to sign up for Coats and Clark and Red Heart newsletters to be the first to know about new products and additional free patterns.

Pomp-a-Doodle is available at your local  Joann Fabric and Craft Stores, and Michaels.

Color Me Cute copyright Bernat®

Bernat^® is committed to providing their customers with the best yarn and project ideas. They would like to invite you to participate in a  survey, and in return for your generous time and feedback, you will receive your choice of two Bernat^® Pattern Books (a $4.99 retail value each). These Pattern Books are shown at the survey site .  Your Bernat® Pattern Books will be emailed to the email address you specify, between August 15-31, 2010. The Bernat® Pattern Books are in PDF format and approximately 250-700 KB.

Participation in their survey is greatly valued and will help the company serve you better in the future. The survey is available for completion until August 2, 2010.

Hi Laura,
I’m one of the writers for the crafting and DIY website FaveCrafts.com and our blog FaveCraftsBlog.com. We offer hundreds of  free craft projects, tutorials, home décor ideas and more in every area of crafting.

I came across your articles on the knitting examiner site and noticed you love to craft. Below is our most recent press release I thought you would be interested in. Please feel free to post it and share with your readers.

Thanks!

Give a DIY Gift this Father’s Day
Find 10 Father’s Day craft projects from bloggers in this new eBook, available for free download at FaveCrafts.com.

June 4, 2010—Northbrook, IL—The approach of Father’s Day (June 20, 2010) sees many Americans looking for unique gifts for Dad. The popular craft website www.FaveCrafts.com has published a special Father’s Day craft eBook with 10 homemade gift projects designed by craft bloggers. The Father’s Day Crafts: Blogger Edition 2010 eBook is free to download at FaveCrafts.com.

Father’s Day is an important opportunity to celebrate fatherhood, show appreciation to fathers and commemorate fathers and forefathers who have passed away. Father’s Day commonly involves the giving of gifts to fathers. Unfortunately, nearly half of fathers surveyed in a recent telephone survey only pretended to like a Father’s Day gift. According to the survey conducted by Wakefield Research on behalf of Western Union, the most common Father’s day gifts are ties, cologne, books and golf balls. Purchasing one of these items is not likely to impress Dad.

Americans celebrating Father’s Day can find better success with heartfelt, homemade presents. The Father’s Day Crafts: Blogger Edition 2010 eBook includes 10 different homemade gift ideas from 10 different craft bloggers. Projects include simple sewing, like the Stitched Leather Keychain (pg.6) and thrifty crafts using household materials like the Upcycled Back Scratcher (pg.14). Gift-givers can save money and find the perfect project for any skill level in the eBook.

FaveCrafts.com regularly compiles free craft eBooks with the contributions of talented craft bloggers, including yearly “Blogger Editions” for all major holidays and gift-giving occasions. Contributors to the eBook are credited within the eBook and in a special “round-up” blog post linking to all participating blogs. Craft bloggers and general crafters can become Featured Designers at FaveCrafts, with their own profile page, by contributing two or more craft projects to the website.

The Father’s Day Crafts: Blogger Edition 2010 can be downloaded for FREE. Website visitors can also select “Father’s Day” on the FaveCrafts homepage to find the eBook.

Contact:

Caley Walsh
Editorial Director
FaveCrafts.com
FaveCrafts.com is a property of Prime Publishing LLC

About FaveCrafts.com:

FaveCrafts.com is an exciting resource for all things craft – from expert tips to project ideas for every style and skill level. We also publish Quick & Crafty, a free e-mail newsletter, publish crafting eBooks, and create crafting related product promotions, contests and giveaways.

Prime Publishing LLC was established in 1995 as a traditional niche book publishing company. Today, we are an Internet Media Company that operates web site communities and e-mail newsletters in niche areas such as crafting and cooking.

Debbie’s current project is sending out a call to all her caring, generous readers to pick up their needles and crochet hooks to join her in making items to help infants and children in need across the country. Debbie feels that this initiative is worthy of our time, talent and yarn. Debbie’s project is called Knit1, Bless2. The national charities supported by this effort to help these precious, needy children will be Project Linus, Newborns In Need and Binky Patrol.

As part of Knit1, Bless2, Leisure Arts is making Knit Along With Debbie Macomber, A Charity Guide For Knitters available from March 1 to May 1, 2010, at LeisureArts.com at a special price of $12.50 ($4.45 off the regular retail price of $16.95. Enter Coupon Code DMACB.) The collection includes patterns and information for a variety of organizations. All of Ms. Macomber’s  proceeds from her licensed products, including the Leisure Arts Knit Along series, go to charity.

To join in this project, you need to sign up at Ms. Macomber’s  webpage, Knit1, Bless2.  There is a special tag that you need to print out and attach to the garment, allowing you to designate the charity of your choice.  The projects need to be completed and mailed in by May 31, 2010.

It will be very interesting to read about the final tally of items gathered by this project.  Ms. Macomber has a database of 75,000 fans gathered from book signings and those who have signed her guest book at her website.

Here is a fun video about the creation of The Truly Terrible Horrible Sweater. . . That Grandma Knit.  The pattern is available for free at Ms. Macomber’s website.

Ravelympic logo by zzwhitejd

Today the Winter Olympics start in Vancouver, BC.  and the Ravelympics will start at Ravelry.

What is the Ravelympics you ask?  The event is online at the social knitting  website called Ravelry.  The website  started out with knitters and has evolved to include fiber fanatics of all kinds – spinners, weavers, crocheters and pattern developers, not to mention all manner of suppliers including yarn manufacturers and magazines.

Ravelympics is two weeks of focused, intense personal & team challenges to tackle while watching the Olympics.  Ravelryites picked projects to start or complete, joined groups and posted projects.  The fun begins with “casting on” at the opening ceremonies of the games and ends when the torch is  extinguished.  This mad group is composed of over 8,711 participants from around the globe that have one goal in mind – to complete the projects they  posted while watching world-class sporting events.

By the time this is over there will be a large mass of projects completed, personal goals achieved and hopefully Gold medals for America!