Yarn Off Crochet Design Challenge – May 2023
If you love seeing new free crochet patterns and you love a friendly design competition, then you’ve come to the right place!
Welcome to our May 2023, Yarn Off Crochet Design Challenge!
What is a Yarn Off?
Have you ever seen The Great British Bake Off? It’s a baking competition show where bakers tackle a new baking skill each week.
A Yarn Off is similar to a bake off. Each designer will be using the same basic “ingredients” to create their new crochet design.
Yarn Off Basics
Each designer will be using the same “Basic Ingredients”:
- Same Yarn
- Same Yarn Color
- Same Project Category / Theme
Sonya & I will begin with the same basic ingredients and then mix in our own creative juices.
We choose the yarn, color of yarn, and project category together.
- For example, if we choose “bag” as our category, then both of us will design a bag using the same yarn.
We will choose our own hook sizes and stitches. We can also add embellishments, if we’d like.
We also won’t know anything about each other’s designs! They are kept secret until the voting begins!
Who is Participating in this Yarn Off?
Sonya from Blackstone Designs and Jennifer from A Crocheted Simplicity!
Sonya and I have been hosting crochet alongs and other crochet community events together for the past several years, so we thought we would shake it up a little!
What yarn will we be using?
For this round of Yarn Off we will be using an old classic cotton yarn, Lily Sugar n’ Cream in the colorway Ecru.
Lily Sugar’n Cream Cotton yarn is a natural, 100% USA-grown cotton yarn. It’s a versatile worsted weight yarn, that’s great for small projects like dishcloths and hand towels, to home décor, and even accessories. I love to use it for crochet bags!
Available in a wide variety of colors, including neutrals, brights, and pastels. It’s machine washable and dryable for easy care.
I’ve made many crochet bags and totes with Lily Sugar n’ Cream throughout the years and I have loved how easy it is to clean them when they get a little dirty. I’ve thrown them in the washer and they come out looking like new!
I prefer to hang dry my bags after washing, but this yarn is safe for the dryer.
Yarn Off Schedule
How often we host these Yarn Off Crochet Designs Challenges will largely depend on you!
If you like them and we see lots of community participation, we will host them every other month!
So make sure to leave comments on posts, join in the voting, share with your friends…etc.
Yarn Off Schedule of Events – May 2023
- Today, May 18, 2023: Yarn Reveal & Review
- Monday, May 22, 2023: Projects Revealed & Voting Begins
- Thursday, May 25, 2023: Voting Closes; Winner Revealed; Prize Winners Announced; New Crochet Patterns Released & Free Crochet Along Begins!
- Thursday, May 25 – Thursday, June 1, 2023: Join us for a Free Crochet Along! (see Crochet Along Info below)
Crochet Along Info
How do I join the Crochet Along?
- Join both designer’s community groups on Facebook so you can crochet along with us! It’s also a great place to ask questions, look for inspiration, and help others with their projects. To join, click the names of the groups below:
- Crochet Along
- Crochet 1 or both of the new Yarn Off May 2023 CAL designs we release. You can make as many as you’d like and each will gain you another entry.
- Each pattern will be available free on the respective designer’s blogs.
- Enter to Win Prizes
- After you’ve finish a project, post a photo of your finished item in that designer’s Facebook group to claim your free pattern of choice from the designer and be entered to win One of Two $25 Gift Cards to Amazon!
- The more projects you complete, the greater your chances are of winning!
- Earn Bonus Entries
- Show off your WIPS & finished projects on social media using the hashtag: #YarnOffMay2023
- Create a project page on Ravelry.
Materials We’ll be Using
- Jennifer – A Crocheted Simplicity – Crochet Plant Hanger Pattern
- Yarn: Lily Sugar n’ Cream ( 1 ball)
- Crochet Hooks: H/8/5.00mm & G/6/4.00mm
- Notions: Yarn Needle; Scissors, Stitch Markers
- Optional Materials: (1) 50mm Wooden Ring; (4) Wooden Beads with 10mm inner hole
- Sonya – Blackstone Designs
- Yarn: Lily Sugar n’ Cream ( 2 balls)
- Crochet Hook: K/10.5/6.50mm
- 8″ Metal Ring
- Notions: Yarn Needle; Scissors, Stitch Markers
- Optional Materials: 10″ Basswood Round / Wood Slice / Tray (recommended); 2″ Wooden Ring; Tassel Maker
Did I Mention there will be prizes?
For this Yarn Off, Sonya & I are each sponsoring a $25 Amazon Gift Card to one winner. So in total, we will be giving away (2) $25 Amazon Gift Cards!
Results!
Voting has ended! Thank you for participating in this Yarn Off by voting!
We hope you’ll join us for the crochet along!
The crochet patterns will be available on our blogs this afternoon!
Join us for the Yarn Off Crochet Along!
See ALL crochet along info in this post above the voting widget!
What do you Think About the Yarn Off Crochet Design Challenge?
Would you like to see more? Let us know in the comments!
I’ll meet you back here on Monday for the BIG reveal!
This is a great idea!!
This sounds like fun. I can’t wait to see what you both make. Best wishes Barbara
OM Yarn balls!! this sounds exciting! It will be fun to see each creation and even feed off the challenge to create something myself! I can’t wait! Good Luck Ladies, your patterns are always awesome!
O M G ! That sounds like so much fun! Good luck!
Looking forward to doing this, my first project like this. I enjoy working with Sugar N Cream, made many things with cotton yarn. AnnMarie
Sounds like an awesome Yarn Off! I love the Sugar & Cream cotton yarn in particular! So excited for the voting to begin!
So glad to see you designing again!
<3 <3 <3
Sounds like fun! Thank you!
These are alot of fun!
Fun! I am excited to see what’s next.
Yes I’d love to c more yarn offs I love em
I loved the first one and I’m so excited to see what kind of magic you design this time. Thank you for creating such a fun way to see and receive really great patterns. I can’t wait…🥰
Would love to participate, however I don’t have that shade of Lilly Sugar and Cream. I have other shades in my stash.
Hi Natalie,
For the Yarn Off, it’s just a friendly design challenge between Sonya & I. All you need to do is vote next week. 🙂
I may do a Mini Crochet Along for my design after the designs are released though, if there’s enough interest in that. But you could use whatever color you’d like. 🙂
Jennifer
Looking forward to seeing your projects
This sounds like a lot of fun. Can’t wait to see the entries.
Love the idea. Looking forward to seeing the designs.
I’m not sure if I understand it completely. But if it’s crochet, can’t go wrong.
Sonya & I will be using the same exact yarn and will have to make the same exact thing. So if our theme was a bag, we both have to make a bag using the same yarn. But we can choose whatever stitches and hook sizes etc. Does that make sense?
P.S. This theme isn’t a bag though. 🙂
This should be fun!
What a fun idea. I will be looking forward to the design.
I LOVE this….and with two of my favorite designers! 😉
looking forward as this is such a great idea
Sounds fun. I’m looking forward to seeing what you each come up with. Enjoy.
I love this idea!!! Something fresh and new to watch and inspire. Please keep doing these!
Am so excited. Can’t wait to see what each of you will be creating.
I found this just in time! Looking forward to seeing the designs and voting. Good luck!
I love this idea!
Yes, I think a yarn off will be fun especially to see what you both create.
I love this friendly competition where the true winners are your fans/followers! You are both such talented designers it is hard to choose a favorite!
So excited to crochet along with you all!
I’d love to see more of these yarn off events! It’s really fun to see how differently designers think when given a subject to design. I enjoy these simple and small projects. The camaraderie in in these groups during a crochet-a-long is fun. It is always to fun join in with two of my favorite designers.
I couldn’t agree with you more, Heidi! Crochet along events are a lot of fun!
Sounds like a lot of fun. Looking forward to seeing the results
What a fun idea! I really love both, so it was hard to vote for 1!
The designs are great! I wouldn’t mind having these on my porch.
I like the flexibility of maybe not crocheting the hanging part for each time I crochet the planter basket, so that the planters on my lower level can match the hanging planters. I like the spacing of the crochet basket part; it allows for easier drying if I spill when watering, for example, and a netted appearance is always attractive.
So much fun! Bonus, we get to do a CAL at the end!
I voted!
Just voted & excited to CAL!
I voted! It was a hard choice; they’re both so good!!
I voted; it was difficult to pick a favorite. I really like design features of both. My sister loves hanging baskets of plants around her house; she may receive one of each..maybe more; she’s a great sister.
I voted! I asked my ither half, because I couldn’t pick. he liked both. but picked one! I’d love to make both though!!
I voted and look forward to see which one won.