You've got your yarn, your hooks, and are ready to sit down and start creating that beautiful piece from the pattern you just purchased.  You turn to page 44 and start looking at the pattern... what the heck is HDC?  What direction am I supposed to be working?  There's something that looks like Egyptian hieroglyphics on the next page... what have I done? GAH!!

Fear not intrepid crocheter!  Shannon Mullett-Bowlsby and Craftsy are here to give you all the answers to finding, reading, and understanding crochet patterns.

Yep, Shannon and the folks at Craftsy have been working on another FAB crochet class and this one is all about Reading & Understanding Crochet Patterns.  In fact that's what its called, "Reading & Understanding Crochet Patterns" (direct and to the point!).

This course  was created to teach new crocheters all the skills you need to read and successfully navigate crochet patterns. This will also be a FAB reference tool for the "I've been reading crochet patterns for fourty years" experienced stitchers. Regardless of your skill level you'll be learning tons about the in's and out's of crochet pattern reading and you'll be able to keep the class as an instant reference tool anytime you need it!

You will learn by watching Shannon complete each stitch, while at the same time seeing the stitch's name, abbreviation, and chart symbols on your screen, so you'll recognize them in multiple formats... That's just the start!

You get to apply what you are learning right away by making the "Modern Sampler Scarf" pattern that comes with the course.  Shannon helps you with reading the written pattern AND the chart and how it all translates into actual stitches and rows.  Before you know it you'll be piecing together your own sampler scarf with stitches so true they must have been blessed by a Pink Fairy Armadillo  (which incidentally is a real animal… GAH!). I'll be there with you every step of the way!   

When you’ve completed the entire course, you'll be shocked by how easily you can read through crochet patterns and get to stitching more and more advanced pieces.  Don’t worry about forgetting any of the tips and techniques because the BEST part of all Craftsy classes is you can watch them whenever, and wherever you like and you can watch them as often as you like since your purchase never expires! Have a few minutes to watch a segment? Need to go back and see one of our tips & tricks again? Want to watch that technique one more time to get it juuuuust right? You can do ALL that with a Craftsy class because you own it forever!

To celebrate the release of this new class the FAB folks at Craftsy are giving away a free enrollment to Reading & Understanding Crochet Patterns with Shannon Mullet-Bowlsby to one lucky person.  To enter, click on the special link below and be whisked away to register for a chance to win my new class on Craftsy for free!

Yes I said FREE!  

The winner will be chosen at random the morning of April 18, 2016 so You need to register to win before it launches April 18th!   What are you waiting for?  You did read that we're giving this away right?  Enter Now! Yes, now… stop reading and enter… We'll wait right here while you enter to win.

ADDED BONUS: As a Craftsy student you have exclusive access to me personally in our virtual Craftsy classroom. If you have questions or want to show off your FAB stitches, you will always know where to find me. I'll be right there to help out and celebrate with you!

We also have a lot of fun in my classes... I mean a LOT of fun… So click that button and get your entries in today!

See you in the Craftsy classroom!

Inspiration… weeks of work… elbow grease… the occasional tear… They’ve all gone into making perfect handmade item. It’s finished! Time to show it off on social media or sell it online; but alas, photography is not a skill you’ve honed. Now what? 

It’s time to pull out your phone… Your smartphone camera is the ideal tool for taking that perfect shot of your handiwork; compact, powerful, and almost always found in your front pocket. It’s capable of capturing any special moment. You only need to learn to harness its full potential. 

In my course you will learn the basics of how Smartphone cameras work, find the right light for photographing any handmade project, create a professional environment for taking your photos, explore a few downloadable apps to assist you in your quest for the perfect photo, and I’ll give you one sure-fire tip that is certain to take your photos from drab to FAB.

I’ve spent the past 10 years learning how to take breathtaking photographs of handmade items on any camera. Come and learn the simple techniques you can use to get professional quality photos of your handmade projects with your Smartphone.
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The class runs from March 15th – May 9th 2016, and covers topics such as: 

• Intro to Smartphone Use 
• Get to Know Your Smartphone Camera
• How to Manage Light & Other Useful Tools
• Composition, Creativity, & Personal Style
  
• Lightboxes, Swoops, & Backgrounds
• Editing Your Photos
• File Types, Sizing, Compression, & Storage
  
• Final Thoughts from a Professional Photographer
  

To make learning simple and because we know you're going to want to practice each technique before going on to the next, only one segment will be released weekly.  You'll never feel pressured to sit down and try to absorb everything one evening. You can register anytime during these weeks but I recommend you register now to take full advantage of the time available to re-watch previous lessons. Here's an added bonus... I'll be monitoring the forum/gallery, answering your questions and giving feedback to all your posted projects.