Vickie Howell's Blog: Vickie Howell's Website

Crochet Curlicue Wreath

Nostalgia gets a new life on a larger scale and with lush, jumbo yarn. This wintery wreath is crocheted using layered, half-double crocheted spirals (you know, those same ones used for clown doll legs in the 70’s & 80’s) for a vintage vibe that brings a little kitsch for any holiday sitch.
Have fun and don’t forget to tag @vickiehowell with #curlicuewreath with your finished wreath!

Interested in getting access to the PDF version of the pattern and the recording of the live video tutorial? Join Stitchwell Social Club for that … and so much more!

 

Downloadable Pattern PDF available with membership to Stitchwell Social Club

MATERIALS

LARGE VERSION

2 hanks, Amano Yana XL (100% Fine Highland Wool; 200g/54 yds), in color Blanca – or any Jumbo 7 weight yarn.

Size US P/Q (15 mm) hook

Wide ribbon OR about 1/4 yd of holiday fabric & coordinating thread

Wire hanger or armature wire & cutter

SMALL VERSION

Scraps of any weight yarn and corresponding size hook

Narrow ribbon

Tapestry needle

GAUGE

LARGE: 2 hdc clusters x 4 rows = 4″ / 10 cm

SMALL: Will vary based on yarn and hook choice.

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

LARGE: Approx. 12″ / 30 cm diameter

SMALL: Will vary based on yarn and hook choice.

NOTE:

The pattern is written for the LARGE version. To make smaller versions, simply crochet a chain that’s 2″-3″ longer than you’d like the circumference of your wreath to be, PLUS 2 stitches.

DIRECTIONS (Make 2)

Crochet a 40″ chain.

Row 1: 2 hdc in 3rd ch from hook (with chains you’ll now have 3 hdc in the same space), 3 hdc in every st to end.

Fasten off, leaving a long tail on one of your pieces for seaming.

Curlicues complete!

ASSEMBLY:

Fit both curlicues together so they become one, thicker spiral. Take care to ensure that the individual coils are relatively uniform in size.

 

Not ready for this project, yet? Bookmark it for when you are!

 FINISHING

LARGE

• Cut a piece of wire at least 4″ longer than your piece.

• Insert wire through the center of the entire curlicue; bend piece into a circle; wrap wire ends around itself to secure. Trim wire, if necessary.

• Using fingers and the yarn tail, whipstitch the two curlicue ends together.

• RIBBON BOW: Tie a bow around the sewn portion.

• If hanging, attach a piece of ribbon or twine for a hanger.

OPTIONAL: Sew a Fabric Bow

If you choose to make a fabric bow, I recommend using this tutorial and template by Rosery Apparel.

Using either a needle and thread or hot glue gun, attach bow over the sewn portion.

SMALL  

Work same as for LARGE, excluding wire and fabric bow. Use a tapestry needle instead of fingers, for all yarn weights below bulky.

Looking for more cute, Christmas in July knit and crochet projects? Get more inspiration from these posts!

 

The post Crochet Curlicue Wreath | Christmas in July appeared first on Vickie Howell.

Moodring Wrapghan MAL Has Launched!

When I first came up with the idea of a summer-long, mental health temperature blanket knit and crochet-along, I honestly wasn’t sure how it would be received. Although it’s changing, historically, caring for our emotional well-being has not been valued or talked about in the way that physical health has always been a part of the societal conversation.

For me, knitting and crochet can tell stories, just as pen and paper might, but with yarn and needles—and that yarn acts as a common thread connecting us to a world of others who, too, are looking for community and self-care. It makes sense, then, that a blanket could be used as a journal of sorts, chronicling the patterns of our feelings and offering moments of introspection.

So, the ​Moodring Wrapghan MAL​ for knitters and crocheters was born, and yesterday, it officially launched. To say that I’m surprised that 450+ (and counting) stitchers have shown up to this self-care, community exercise is an understatement. Last night, at the live Zoom launch event, as folks from three different countries and many states across the U.S. shared their gratitude for having something like this event to focus on, it became abundantly clear that the mental health benefits of our crafts abound.

Get the Patterns

Patterns and tutorials for four versions of the Moodring Wrapghan, a summer-sized blanket/wrap, are now live and free to all who participate. If you’re interested and not already signed up, it’s not too late. I’ve built several “gap days” into our 90-day schedule so stitchers can start, stop, and catch up as their schedule allows.

This event is open to the public and is hosted on my community platform, Stitchwell Social Club. Any of the plans, including the free one, will give you access to join. Want access to all of the ​Stitchwell Social Club: Self-Care Summer​ community events and benefits, too? Be sure to choose the S. Weller or Stitchwell Council options.

To learn more and join go → HERE.

Thanks to all who are already part of the Moodring MAL community. I’m so happy to have you there!

xx,

Vickie

The post Moodring Wrapghan MAL Has Launched! appeared first on Vickie Howell.

 

 How Knitting Changed My ADHD Journey (without me even knowing I was on one)

Knitting for mental health has been a topic of discussion for some years now. Repetitive movements, soft materials, and a sense of accomplishment are all contributors to the benefits of craft for our well-being. Knitting and crochet as an invaluable tool for those with ADHD, though, is a less explored topic. I’m hoping to change that.  Walk with me for a minute while I share a little about the journey I only recently became aware that I was on.

Over the past 20-ish years of my career as a professional knitter, I’ve carved a path that is uniquely mine—one that thrives on creative agility and self-expression. It requires a myriad of modalities and boundless strategizing and pivoting, with no clear path or singular definition of success. This allows me to make it up as I go along and offers a more graceful (less socially awkward) entry point—thanks to the commonality of craft—to build community through connection with people from all walks of life around the world. It gives me the ability to have an idea, see it come to fruition relatively quickly, and put something positive out into the world, while also redefining the power of what was once looked down upon as “women’s work.”

ADHD, Knitting, and Me

It wasn’t until a few months ago, after being diagnosed with ADHD as a middle-aged woman, that I fully realized how some yarn and needles have been at the forefront of my coping skills. They’ve helped with everything from dealing with the antsiness at the park with my first child to feeling suffocated by the thought of a monotonous job. Knitting changed my ADHD journey without me even knowing it. Honestly, my mind is kind of blown.

So, I have questions—and now my decades-long mission to spread empowerment through creativity has found intersectionality with a desire to use fiber crafting as a gateway. I aim to piece together a patchwork of information, support, and creative coping strategies for women with ADHD. Questions get answered through conversations, and my chat with Tracy on an episode of her podcast “ADHD for Smart-Ass Women” was, for me, the first step toward exploring how we work—and also, how we can work for each other.

Knowledge is power, my neurodivergent sisters, and we are powerful. I hope you’ll give the episode a listen.

 

Continuing the Conversation About Knitting for Mental Health

I believe that one of the greatest gifts knitting and crochet can give is bringing together humans from all different backgrounds. The commonality of fiber-craft opens the people connection gateway, allowing us — even if it is unwittingly — to build our own diverse networks. Those groups offer a breadth of knowledge and experience that we might never otherwise tap into if it weren’t for the unique space that craft creates. Certainly, that’s been the case for me, and it’s my goal to nurture that phenomenon whenever possible.

ADD, Knitting & We 

To continue the conversation about everything from late diagnosis and creative coping skills to the emotional benefits of crochet and knitting for mental health, I’ve started an ADHD & We group within Stitchwell Social Club. It’s a private, safe space for neurodivergent knitters and the like to candidly share stories and swap information.

Are you a fiber crafter with ADHD, or curious about learning more? Please join us. Simply become a Stitchwell Social Club Member, where you’ll be able to access the ADHD & We “room”. 

Here’s to education and commiseration!

The post How Knitting Changed My ADHD Journey (without me even knowing I was on one) appeared first on Vickie Howell.

Mood Ring Make-Along

Join my free summer Mood Ring Make-along! It’s a “wrapghan” sized mental health blanket for knitters and crocheters.

This project offers a fresh take on the temperature blanket trend. Each day, record your mood using the Feeling Wheel’s six core emotions. We’ll turn these emotions into colors for a special blanket.

The event starts on June 26th and is open to everyone. It happens in a free space on my community platform, Stitchwell Social Club—no membership needed. Click below to learn more and join us!

 

Mood Ring MAL x Purl Soho

I’m also partnering with Purl Soho as an affiliate. I’ve created three color palettes for inspiration. Feel free to pick your own yarn—stash diving is fine, too! If you use Cotton Chirp, though, please use my link. Support two women-owned businesses with one click!

You’ll need approximately 2 balls of each color. More info is in the Welcome Packet downloadable from the MAL page.

 

MOODY MERCH!
I’m experimenting with offering print-on-demand products on my website including, Mood Ring Make-Along tote bags, and Moody Maker Merch.
​
Get the goods HERE.

The post Mood Ring Make-Along | Mental Health Temperature Blanket appeared first on Vickie Howell.

Intuitive Log Cabin Knitting & CrochetThis month on Stitchwell Social Club we’re focused on patchwork. For the latest, mini-workshop we explored intuitive Log Cabin knitting and crochet (a great gateway to freestyle stitching), and a basic template for creating unique washcloths using this method.Check out this workshop and all of the benefits of Stitchwell Social Club ↓

 The objective of intuitive stitching is to release the need to follow specific instructions for a uniform result and instead allow yourself to meander a bit with your knitting and crochet. An expanded form of this method would be to use multiple stitch types and yarns to stitch every which way creating whatever shape emerges. When applied to log cabin knitting and crocheting, however, this process is more modular, using “logs” to build upon one another to create blocks.

Traditionally, log cabin blocks begin at the center building outward by rotating the piece 180 degrees, picking up stitches with a new color along the center log (usually square, or combination of rectangles to create a square), stitching X amount of rows then, repeating that process (with the same amount of rows) as you work around in a spiral. 

In this lesson, we’ll begin the process with a square or rectangle of any size but that log may not be the piece’s center. Instead, you’ll use a new color to pick up stitches at any site or edge of the piece and work as many rows as feels right to you. There’s no uniformity in rotating or row count, you just build as your stitch-play takes you.

What you’ll learn from this tutorial: •What is traditional Log Cabin knitting & crochet•How to knit and crochet blocks intuitively•What knit stitch works best for log cabin knitting•What crochet stitches work best for log cabin crocheting•How to join new colors.•How to work stitches along the sides of pieces.•How what materials you’ll need to make a washcloth using this method.

For written instructions, template PDF, to earn a completion badge, and access more mini-workshops, join Stitchwell Social Club.

Let’s do this! 

The post Intuitive Log Cabin Knitting & Crochet appeared first on Vickie Howell.

Community is built upon connections made by common interests, in our case fiber crafts, and also by witnessing each other’s stories. This month in Stitchwell Social Club we’re celebrating not only the patchwork trend in fashion and home decor and the lasting power of pieced fabric, but also the power of memories made by a “make-do” craft.

Although quilting wasn’t a big part of my childhood, patchwork certainly was. Textile leftovers were rarely wasted in our house (there’s a whole season of green velveteen family outfits to prove it!), so piecing together bright swatches of various fabrics made sense. When I was quite young my mom patiently taught me how to cut rectangles and squares (using construction paper “patterns”) out of remnants from dresses, nightgowns, and doll clothes, then hand-stitch the scraps of fabric together and finish with yarn tying layers into place to make a blanket for my doll. For me, it represents stories (each fabric square its own) within the story of the experience making it.

I, of course, am not the only one to carry pieces of my past within the patchwork of a project. Recently, I asked our Stitchwell Social Club to share their favorite stories, and here are some of their contributions.Patchwork Memories  My grandma made a patchwork blanket for me when I was born. She died soon after and though I did not have the opportunity to know her I still wrap it around me when I miss my family. — Kalani, Stitchwell Social Club Member

My grandma, mom, sister, and aunts were all quilters. I have dabbled, too. I remember my sister giving me an old quilt she still had that our grandma made with all different fabrics from her old “housecoats,” as she called them, in a myriad of different colored patchwork blocks. I slept under it for years. Even though it’s now falling apart, I still have it put away as a keepsake. — Kristin, Stitchwell Social Club Member 

My great-grandmother made quilts by hand. She used whatever scraps of old clothing fabric she would have. I was always amazed at how perfect they looked. Unfortunately, when she passed, I was not able to get one before the rest of the family took everything from her house. —  Kerrie , Stitchwell Social Club Member   My grandmother was a teacher, and back in those days a popular teacher gift was handkerchiefs. She was not a quilter herself, but she had many quilts made from the handkerchiefs and I’m super happy to have one of them! — Sarah, Stitchwell Social Club Member     My mom adored quilts and after she passed my brothers and I chose our favorites and had our children choose as well.  Mine is a double wedding ring pattern that I have always adored. — Laurie, Stitchwell Social Club Member

I can remember visiting my great-aunt and uncle’s farm in the summer. They raised my mother after her mother died. We would spend a week there. Every bed had patchwork quilts. My mother would tell us how they had the quilt frame hanging down from the ceiling, and neighbors would come for the quilting bee. She would point out which pieces were from old clothing, flour sacks, and other materials that were recycled. Most were the patch style, but I remember seeing the flying geese pattern, the Ohio star, and a wedding ring quilt. — Regina , Stitchwell Social Club Member   My Raggedy Anne doll [with patchwork dress] that was made for me when I was little and I still have her  — Nicole, Stitchwell Social Club Member         This post was fueled by Stitchwell Social Club member stories magic. I’d love for you to come be a part of it!  

 

The post A Patchwork of Memories appeared first on Vickie Howell.

My Next Make

You guys! One of my goals after closing YarnYAY! and no longer being burnt out from having 80-hour work weeks has been to find my way back to loving yarn-crafting again. Building the more inclusive and intimate experience of ​Stitchwell Social Club​ has been one way to do that. The other, though, is finally taking a moment to knit from someone else’s patterns, simply for pleasure. So, for the first time ever, I’m joining a ​KAL​ that’s not my own Amy Small is a longtime friend who’s been a guest on ​The Knit Show​, has been part of two YarnYAY! boxes, and supplied me with yarn for two of my books and many other projects. I am a big fan of her company and love her as a person. All that to say, as of this morning, I’m part of the ​Knit Collage Spring KAL​. Twenty years into being a professional knitter, I don’t get a lt of firsts, so I’m excited!

There were so many gorgeous projects to choose from, but I decided to go with the ​Every Day Yay Embroidered Cardi ​because A.) I love a multi-craft project and B.) between Austin weather and irregular, middle-aged lady body temperatures, I prefer garments I can layer. If those sound like practical reasons, you’re right. Not to worry, though, I evened that out by choosing a palette that’s anything but!

Join Me?

The other, never-before thing I’m doing is becoming a Knit Collage affiliate. Over the years, countless companies have asked if I was interested in their programs, but I was always busy collaborating with many brands, so it wouldn’t have made sense. Now, though, I figure, why not team up with a brand I’ve genuinely loved for almost a decade?

Technically, the KAL/CAL kit sales closed last month, but Amy graciously offered to ​keep them open​ through May 7th for my community only (literally, y’all are the only ones who will be able to get to the collection now.) If you’re interested in any of the thirteen project options to choose from, we can work on our projects together in the Knit Collage Community. No pressure, but if you’re interested, please use ​my link​ to purchase so you’re certain to have access. Thank you!

The KAL/CAL official start date is May 6th, so there’s still time to participate (even if you start a wee bit later, you’ll still have access to all of the classes that accompany each garment) to ​order your supplies ​and join us. I can hardly wait for my kit to come, and to KAL with you all!

xx,

Vickie

The post Join me for the Knit Collage KAL! appeared first on Vickie Howell.

  

Knitting Trends Free Session

Knitting Trends 2025 mini-session. Recently, I was asked to put together a report for an industry organization and thought it would be fun to now share a version of it with my yarn-craft community.

Ever wondered what knitting techniques, garments and styles are popular right now, and what outside aesthetics and culture might influence that popularity?

 

 

Please join me this Saturday, May 3rd at 11amCT for a FREE Zoom session when I’ll give a snapshot of the Knitting Trends of 2025. Hope to see you there! → RSVP HERE Do you love a theme, too? Then you’ll feel at home in my new club for knitters and crocheters, Stitchwell Social Club.

Every month we use a trend-based theme as the launching pad for inspiration and education and use it as a touch point for our workshops, practice projects, discussions, and beyond. Learn more about Stitchwell Social Club and this month’s theme. Go HERE.

  

The post Knitting Trends 2025 | Free Session! appeared first on Vickie Howell.

Crochet Yo-Yo Coasters

This month on Stitchwell Social Club we’ve been playing with knitting and crocheting lines and circles, using interesting and less-common techniques. I’ve had the most fun with the latest Stitchwell LIVE episode (livestreamed within the club) during which I taught how to crochet yo-yos. These are quick-and-easy little bits, perfect for scrap yarn all all weights. I’ve made a bunch using leftover fingering weight and sock yarns, but the two I crocheted using super-bulky yarn might be my fave. They’re so squishy! They also happen to make great (and, adorable) coasters. Bookmark this project for host gifts, paired with you’re favorite coffee or tea. Have fun! 

Watch a full tutorial with a trial membership to Stitchwell Social Club. Try it here.

MATERIALS

1 ball Knit Picks Tuff Puff (100% Wool; 44 yds/100 gr) — or equvilent weight super bulky weight yarn

Size US M/N (9 mm) hook

FINISHED SIZE

5½”/14 cm diameter

GAUGE

Not important for this practice project.

ABBREVIATIONSSPECIAL STITCHES

Dtr = Double Triple Crochet
YO 3 times, insert hook in stitch and pull up loop, [yo and pull through 2 loops] four times.

Tr2tog = Triple crochet 2 stitches together
*YO 2 times, insert hook into stitch and pull up a loop [yo and pull through 2 loops] twice; rep from * in next st, yo and pull through remaining 3 loops. 

DIRECTIONS (Make 2)

Ch 5; join rnd with a sl st in the first ch. — ring formed

Rnd 1: Ch 5, dtr in center of ring seventeen times; join rnd with a sl st in the top of beg-ch. 
–18 sts.

Rnd 2: Ch 4, tr in next st, *Tr2tog; rep from * around; join rnd with a sl st in the top of beg-ch. 
–9sts

Fasten off.

FINISHING

Stuff tails inside of yo-yo.

 

 

The post Crochet Yo-Yo Coasters appeared first on Vickie Howell.

[image error]

This project was originally posted in 2010 in partnership with I Love to Create. 

BUNNY BOTS

Rabbits are nice but robots are (dare I say) cooler–this year add a little techie love to a traditional bunny to make the kids a Bunny Bot plushie for their Easter basket! Here’s how. 

MATERIALS
Grey Felt
Poly or Bamboo Stuffing
Sewing Machine & Grey Thread
Fashion Graffiti Fabric Paint Tagger (in either color: Soho, Merge or Taxicab)

Fabric Marker (Black)Tulip Matte Fabric Paint (White)Fine Tip Paint BrushOptional: Embroidery Needle & Floss (Silver & Light Blue)Optional: Wooden Skewer How-ToCut front & back pieces for the head, body, legs, arms & ears (see photo below for examples.) Use Fabric Paint Tagger to color in the center of the front ear pieces, and a square on the front body piece. Let dry. Use Fabric Marker to draw a robot-y face on front head piece and the frequency modulator line on the body front. Using needle & floss, embroider detailing on the body & eyes (optional).Sew Bunny Bot together using a top stitch & 1/4″ seam allowance; stuffing all pieces (except the ears) as you go along.Note: If you don’t want your Robbit to be all flopsy-mopsy, insert a wooden skewer through the stuffing in the body & head. 

 

Blue Bunny Bot  

 

Pink Bunny Bot  

 

Yellow Bunny Bot  Beep-beep, hippity-hop–Happy Easter!  

The post Project Flashback: Bunny Bots appeared first on Vickie Howell.