Hi everyone,
Two years ago we ran an advent meditation crochet
along through our blog. We got a lot of positive feedback, and several people
asked us if we would do it again. 2018 was too busy for the two of us (Michelle
welcomed her first child into the world, and Anne moved country); however, in
2019 we are game again.
We love Advent, the time before Christmas, but we do
know that it can be a very hectic and stressful time. So why add
something to do during this time, you might ask. Well, we had
the idea that because life is so hectic during these days, it is all the more
important to take some time to calm down and to focus. So, the idea of the
Advent Meditation was born.
For us, crochet can be like a meditation, that is, a
time where you live in the moment because you focus on the task at hand and
don't let your mind wander. However, when one follows a written pattern, it is
very easy to get distracted (hello phone, hello family, hello housework... you
get the picture). It is also easy to skip ahead, to read ahead, and thus not
focus on the task at hand (in this case, the row or round you are working on).
While thinking about this dilemma, Michelle had the idea of a crochet
meditation podcast, that is, a pattern that can only be heard but not read.
In the meditation podcast, each pattern is read
out, and one has to crochet the rows/rounds as one listens to the
instructions. No worries, it is not read at super speed but at a decent crochet
time (we had it tested).
We will post the links and extra information for each
meditation here on the blog, so make sure to come back by the 1st of December!
This post is not the start of the CAL; it is designed
to answer frequently asked questions and to offer an overview of the overall
setup.
Two small personal notes beforehand
(1) Please
note that we are offering this crochet meditation CAL for free in our spare
time. We will not be able to answer your questions at any time of the day.
Living in two different time zones (Australia and Europe) means that we cover a
decent chunk of the days; however, we also have a life and will definitely not
always be online or available even if we are awake. Furthermore, there is a
chance that technical difficulties might occur (they did last time). We ask you
to notify us if they do, but we also ask you to be patient with us. To be
honest, people complaining in pretty mean words is not a big motivation to set
these kinds of things up for free (and it has happened in the past).
(2) We
are Stylecraft Blogstars, which means that Stylecraft sent us the yarn we used
for this CAL for free. We are under no obligation to say anything nice about
their yarns or use their yarns. If we do so (and we do), it is because it is
our own opinion. Furthermore, we will be active in the Stylecraft Make-Along
Group on Facebook. Feel free to join, but it is not an obligation to do so
if you want to participate in this CAL.
FAQ
What will we crochet?
We will crochet a set of 4 different Christmas
tree decorations. So there is a nice side effect aside from taking some time
for yourself to relax: you will crochet a Christmas tree decoration set which
you could give away as a Christmas present!
Will there be a written pattern or a
graph?
There will be no written pattern. There will be no graph.
There will be nothing which you can see. Nada. You will have
to listen to create the pattern. For anything other than the basic stitches (chain, slipstitch, single crochet, double crochet, treble crochet) we will have a stitch guide in the blog post too.
How do I participate?
Every week, we will post the YouTube link in a separate post on the CBW blog.
Once you get the link, you will have
to find the time to listen and crochet as you listen to the meditation.
Where can I get the file?
We don’t own/rent file storage space
for the file. Last time, we tried googledrive (which maxed out after too many
downloads within the first 30 minutes) and a free file sharer (which had a lot
of advertisement, not all of it on topics we were comfortable with
“promoting”). So this time, we will upload the file to YouTube only.
We do know that YouTube is a mild
inconvenience to some of you as you cannot download the file. However, you have
to understand that we don’t have the funds to rent proper file storage space as
we offer this CAL for free and in our spare time.
Do I have to pay something to participate?
No! However, you have probably read/heard about the devastating bushfires in Australia this year. If you have something to give, we ask you to donate for the bushfire victims of the bushfires east of Armidale in Australia (know as the Bees Nest Fires). The donations are managed by Rotary Australia World Community Service, an organisation we trust. Plus, if you're Australian, donations over $2 are tax deductible.
What do I need?
About 50gr of DK/8 ply yarn.
We have crocheted the patterns with
cotton yarn (using Stylecraft Classique Cotton DK) and acrylic yarn (Stylecraft Stardust). Both work, but the “end
product” looks a bit different. Cotton results in a bit more texture, whereas
acrylic was a bit prettier in regards to the colours.
You will also need a 4.5mm crochet
hook, scissors and a yarn needle.
How many meditation podcasts will
there be?
Four. One in each week of Advent.
How long is each podcast?
Each podcast is less than 30 minutes long - Michelle can make three or four
of each decoration in that time, so we are confident you will be able to make
one!
When will the meditation podcasts
be published?
Each Sunday of Advent: 1 December, 8 December, 15 December and 22 December
Will there be pictures of the
decorations available beforehand?
No. We want you to focus on the process
and not to think ahead what might come next. We fear that a picture might
be a distraction. We will probably publish pictures one or two days after the
podcast episode was released.
Can I post pictures of my finished
items?
Of course! In fact, please do - we looovvee to
see what you made with our patterns. If you're on Instagram or Facebook, please
use the hashtag #cbwadvent, so we can find your pictures easily.
Furthermore, we will be active in the
Stylecraft
Make-Along group. We do, however, ask you to post your pictures in the
assigned post only (it will have SPOILER in the text), so that others are not
“spoilered” by your pictures.
Are the patterns hard to follow?
No, at least we don't think so. They are
suitable for intermediate beginners, but not for total beginners. That is, you
need to know how to crochet specific stitches and be able to crochet at a
steady pace. Don't forget you can always pause the podcast to catch up, or
rewind and listen again. We will also post a list of the stitches used
beforehand and we will include links to tutorials, so you can check them out
beforehand.
For those of you who participated in
2017, please note that the patterns are a bit more difficult than last time.
If you want to want to work on
slightly easier patterns, you can also check out the 2017 meditation as well.
Which crochet terms will you use?
U.S. crochet terms.
What if I find a mistake in the
pattern?
Please contact us right away, so we can start an
errata list. We try very, very hard not to have any mistakes in the pattern,
but oh well, it might happen – we are only humans after all.
