Announcing: Stardust Melodies Crochet Along

Announcing (for real this time):

The Stardust Melodies Crochet Along from Polly Plum! An afghan crochet along of sweet, soft, touchable squares like a lullaby of yarn that you can wrap around your loved ones.

Each of the twenty-four squares is an all new original design that is rich in visual and actual texture inspired by a favorite song.

Teaser photo courtesy of Courtney Laube – Thank you Courtney!

CAL Details

The event begins on Thursday, May 18, 2017 and runs for 13 weeks. Two squares will be released each week on Mondays and Thursdays. On the last week we will address joining and add a border.

You can follow along with the event in several ways, but the best action is always in the Polly Plum Pattern Posse Facebook group. You can also follow along with the blog posts here on everytrickonthehook.com; follow Every Trick on the Hook on Facebook; or join Polly’s Place on Ravelry.

This crochet along has both a free and a paid pattern option. Here’s how it works:

• Twelve of the squares will be free and available here on everytrickonthehook.com. The free squares will also have free video tutorials available on YouTube. The free squares are more than enough to make an awesome afghan or a precious baby blanket with no obligation to buy anything. Free squares will be released on Mondays.
• The other twelve squares will be available through a Ravelry.com eBook purchase (click here to see the eBook on Ravelry, scroll down this post for a discount code). Your purchase includes printable PDFs of all 24 patterns (that’s the 12 paid patterns AND the 12 free patterns). The PDFs will contain the written pattern instructions and specially designed charts for each square (they will not be traditional crochet charts, but very similar). You’ll also have special access to video tutorials of the additional twelve blocks (access will require a YouTube account). eBook exclusive squares will be released on Thursdays.

To crochet along with the event you can make just the free squares, just the paid squares, a mixture of both, or all of them. It’s entirely up to you! In the next blog post we’ll expand on how to plan your crochet along afghan, choose your afghan size and the number of squares to make, and plan your colors.

Close up sneak peek!

The crochet along will be a semi-mystery. You’ll know exactly what you’re making but you only get to see some of the patterns before they are released. Most of them will remain secret until their release date, but so that you know what you’re getting yourself into you get to see sneak peeks before the start of the event.

Here are some more details about the squares:

• All of the designs are intended to be made in a single color to emphasize the texture of the stitches. This doesn’t mean you can’t change colors mid-pattern, just that I can’t guarantee your results if you do. This will give you an afghan with a color blocked effect (depending, of course, on the number of colors you choose – we’ll talk more in the next blog post).
• All of the squares are made in the round – not in rows.
• The designs are based on stitching into front and back loops individually to layer stitches in interesting textures.
• The textures in the free squares resemble stitch patterns. In fact, they can be easily repeated like other stitch patterns to make large squares of pretty much any size.
• The free squares are suitable for beginners and even very new crocheters (and remember there will be videos too!)
• The patterns in the eBook use a greater variety of stitches and are more like singular compositions. They are not necessarily patterns you’ll want to try to grow to a larger size.
• The eBook patterns are also more challenging. However, if you’re still relatively new to crochet and feeling feisty give them a try – I’ll be providing video tutorials for these too.
• The video tutorials for the free squares will be free for all and accessible on YouTube.
• The video tutorials for the eBook squares will be accessible only to those who purchased an eBook and will REQUIRE (I can’t do anything about this part) a YouTube account. Instructions for accessing the videos will be provided in the eBook.

Another sneak peek!

To dip your toes in the water/your hook in the yarn, the very first free square is available and is named “Begin the Beguine.” A video tutorial for this square will be up later this week. If you purchase the eBook – remember – you’ll get a printable PDF of this pattern along with a chart to help visual stitch placement. This is a very easy square, the chart might not be super helpful for this one, but it will be a good place to start and see how I’ve designed the charts and prepare you for the more complicated squares that are coming.

“Begin the Beguine”

Discounts

Of course there is a discount for buying during the pre-sale! A big discount, actually. Use the coupon code “stardust” on Ravelry for 50% off the ebook. (Click here to buy now.) (EDIT: discounted price good for pre-sale only, so, through May 18, 2017. After that discount is $6 off through July 3, 2017 and after that $3 off through the end of the CAL on August 13, 2017.)

There will also be a discount during the crochet along period, but it won’t be as big.

The patterns exclusive to the eBook will not be offered for sale individually now or in the future.

That’s all the information I have for you today!! As I stated earlier… this week will bring us another blog post on planning the size and colors for your afghan and we’ll also learn how to keep an eye on our own personal gauge to make sure our squares come out the correct size. Also coming this week is the first video tutorial for the Begin the Beguine block.

Feel free to ask any questions! I’ll do my best to answer as soon as possible.

Please check out the Patterns page here on Every Trick on the Hook or my Ravelry store to see more of my patterns, both free and paid.

The best way to keep up with my goings-on is to follow Every Trick on the Hook on Facebook. You can also message me there, post on the wall, and follow my posts for the latest news.

If you’re looking for a more interactive Facebook experience, join the Polly Plum Pattern Posse Facebook group. We’re a fun and supportive group. Really! There’s so much help there that chances are your question will be answered by someone before I even see it. It’s the best place to go with a question. It’s also a great place to share your Polly Plum makes and see what others are making.

If Facebook isn’t your thing you can also join the Ravelry group – Polly’s Place or follow @polly_plum_crochet on Instagram.