FREE PATTERN FREE-FOR-ALL

Did you see the latest announcement from LionBrand.com that all their patterns, and there are thousands, are now FREE?

LB free one 0809

http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/80243AD.html

This is a boon to us – and a GREAT way for a company to sell a lot of yarn. As you all know by now, I’m swimming in yarn. I don’t need to buy any. But, when did need ever have anything to do with YAS (yarn acquisition syndrome)?

Well, my yarn Donnybrook is upon me. I’ll be buying no more yarn for a while. Gotta use up or give away this HUGE stash before I expend more income on yarn that just sits, staring at me, yelling ‘nanny boo boo – you need to crochooo’.

No kidding! Doesn’t your yarn yell at you? Also, I believe that all the colors and textures I don’t LOVE get together in the dark of night or closet or plastic tub and MATE TO CREATE MORE skeins like them. I mean, how much orange yarn does one PINK person need? I didn’t buy all that orange yarn – ummm, or did I? Well, if I actually bought it, it was at a thrift store or a garage sale. Really! Tune out now if you don’t believe me. Non-believers are unwelcome here…..

But, I digress. Back to free patterns. Lest you run out of items to crochet, here are some sites you must visit. Cuidado! Warning! Caution! These sites are ALL addictive. You’ll spend way too much of your crochet time surfing these sites. But, a crocheter’s gotta get inspiration from somewhere, right? So here goes:

If you haven’t spent a month browsing this site, you’re don’t REALLY have PAS (pattern acquisition syndrome):

http://www.myhq.com/public/c/r/crochetpoet/

Same goes for these:

http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/

http://home.inreach.com/marthac/links.html

And, here are a few others that I enjoy visiting:

http://momsloveofcrochet.com/doilypatterns.html

http://www.littleprojectscrafts.com/freepatterns.htm

http://jaybird-designs.com/shop/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=14

http://www.cbel.com/crochet_crafts/

Whew! That’s all for now. More soon. Now, go forth and surf!

Read These Next

Human brains are pretty amazing, allowing us to think, feel, create, communicate, move and more. But humans aren’t the only animals with cool brains, as Crab Museum explains in the book The No-Brainer Brain Explainer (illustrated by Bruno Valasse).

This book, aimed at kids in grades 1-4, is colorful and silly but also educational about how brains actually work, with billions of neurons sending electrical and chemical signals around the body.

“Everything we think, feel and experience comes from an electrical relay race, with neurons passing chemical batons to each other,” the book says. “The constant chatter of billions of brain cells creates your entire world.”

The book compares the brains of mammals to those of crabs (the book is “written” by a crab after all) and notes that crabs have fewer neurons and of course are much smaller, but they have separate parts of their brains that control their eyes and their legs. Crabs are also capable of remembering things, using tools and solving puzzles.

Some animals’ brains allow them to know more about their world in different ways from humans, such as spiders being sensitive to vibrations in their webs and catfish having an amazing sense of taste, with taste sensors all over their bodies.

It notes that 95 percent of brain activity goes toward things we do unconsciously, like breathing, walking and catching a ball flying toward us. It also talks about dreams, memory, how our emotions try to predict the future, where brains came from and fun facts about brains. For example, did you know a sperm whale is believed to have the biggest brain of any creature that’s even lived? Their brains weigh 18 pounds, compared to just 2.5 pounds for humans.

Information on what creatures have the smallest brains, the toughest brains, the most brains and those who actually eat their own brains will delight kids (and maybe gross them out a little bit). They’ll also enjoy learning about the mycelium network of fungi, which is like a brain without a body, and slime molds, which are like a brain without a brain.

It ends talking about why human brains are so special because we’ve found ways to work together, communicate and build communities on a scale bigger than any other animal.

Kids and adults alike will enjoy this colorful, silly and informational book about brains!

About the book: 64 pages, hardcover. Published 2026 by Wide Eyed Editions. Suggested retail price $19.99.

Read These Next

Have you read?