If your cat or kitten is your best friend, you want to make something for her/him for Christmas, right? Fortunately, you can whip up a crochet gift rather quickly. Here are some ideas for the furry feline in your life — and all of these patterns are free: 
Crochet chicken (or other bird) – Perfect for stuffing with catnip
Kitty sweater – Because what cat doesn’t just love to wear clothes?
Catnip mouse – More catnip
Snuggle tubbie – Although meant to provide a safe and comfortable place for shelter animals, this is great for any pet  
Octo-puss toy – Great for using up scraps
Want more kitty? Be sure to hop over to …read more

I just posted about the fab new book that a group of my designer friends and I have just released: Belt Book
and orders 
as well as a note of advice about self publishing: Myra’s class 
Here’s the belt that I designed for the book:
Autumn Leaves:

I made the leaf buckle, too. I  actually made it several times.
First time, I made it in brass.
That didn’t feel right.
Then I realized – this belt is about ~leaves~  Duh!
So I made the buckle in wood, and was really happy with it.
Unfortunately, so was our little dog.  The cats obviously knocked the belt down, because the dog shot …read more

Last summer, at the Knit and Crochet show in Manchester, NH, a group of designers that have become friends over the years got together for lunch.
We decided that we should put together a book and self publish it. It’s taken a lot longer than we expected, but it’s really wonderful.
Crocheted belt book
Here’s the press release:
NEW DESIGNER PUBLISHING GROUP ANNOUNCES
INNOVATIVE FIRST RELEASE:
CROCHET BELTS FROM THE HIP
Raw, Uncensored Designs Straight From Today’s Designer

STRAIGHT FROM TODAY’S DESIGNERS (SFTD), a designer-based self-publishing group, announces a new venture that heralds the future of crochet patterns: Designers going direct to their public. …read more

Over tea, coffee, deserts and great conversation a bunch of designers got together and decided to self publish a book of belt designs.
I posted about that in Press Release.
We’ve learned a lot in the process, so we’re going to keep at it. We’ll be announcing another new book quite soon. Stay tuned!
A note to other designers: We are still in Beta mode, so we’re not accepting design submissions from other designers.
BUT ! We really encourage other designers to try their hand at this, too.
If you want to learn how to self publish, and are …read more