Annotated Bibliography:
Primary:
Serrano, Maria. Personal interview. 29 Jan. 2013.
Maria is my mentor and has been crocheting for almost 20 years now. She has had experience with donating her items that she has created. During the interview we talked about different styles of crocheting and which would be easier to complete quickly when working on a large scale, such as with making multiple blankets in a short period of time. Also about how I should go about asking for donation from SLA students. She works at A.C. Moore so that would give me access to other avid crocheters in Philly whom I can interview for my Capstone project.
Anonymous. Telephone interview. 27 Jan. 2013.
This is a woman I meet at A.C Moore. She didn't want her name to be known. She has been an avid crocheter for 30 something years and she was the one who told me about Bev's Country Cottage. She has sent many of her item to the charity. Mostly she talked about the charity and how much she loves just being able to send crocheted and knitted items throughout the entire year. They are warm and always in need especially with preemies, soldiers overseas, and senior citizens.
Clark, Khalil. Personal interview. 31 Jan. 2013.
We talked about different stitches and how to use them to make a blanket. Specifically we talked about the granny stitch and how adding or taking away a stitch makes the blanket tighter or looser. This is important because if the blanket is going to be used often, I don’t want it to come apart the moment it gets touched. He helped me modify the instruction I was given to make a granny square blanket, so that it would hold up through use.
M., Janice. Personal interview. 31 Jan. 2013.
Janice was helpful in making the stitches that I can already do, look polished. I may have been crocheting for many years but it helps to have someone who has been doing it for a long time just give you some refreshers. According to her, I wasn't doing the double stitch correctly which is why the size of the rows was never consistent in the blanket. So she just told me how to touch it up so that it would look more presentable and not look lumpy.
How to Roll a Skein of Yarn into a Ball. YouTube. YouTube, 26 Dec. 2011. Web. 27 Jan. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4urVrYmo7EU>.
Re-rolling a skein of yarn into a ball makes it less likely to knot when working on a project. So the process of making the item will go a lot smoother when you don't have to constantly stop to undo a knot. Sometimes it can take up to an hour and a half to re-roll a skein of yarn when the entire thing is a knot. All of the blankets that I will make, I will start out by re-rolling the skein of yarn into a manageable ball.
Forever Warm. January 25, 2013. Forever Warm, 2013.
<https://www.foreverwarm.org.
The creator of Forever Warm had a stillbirth. She went online to find support and when she saw that there was a lack of good support forums, so she created this organization. Its main purpose is to show other parents that a complete stranger cared enough to create something for their lost child. Many blankets are kept in memory of their child but others prefer to bury the child in the blankets. This is one of the charities I plan to donate to. They have pages of items that are currently needed and links to other charities that their blankets have been sent to.
Bev's Country Cottage. January 25, 2013. Bev's Country Cottage, 2012. <http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/>
Bev’s Country Cottage is an organization that promotes the creation of crocheted and knitted items so that they can be donated to people in need of them. That is only one section of the organization. They also create doll clothes. The donated item are given to soldiers, preemies, the parents who had a stillbirth or a baby lost to SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and senior citizens in homes. This is one of the charities that I plan to donate to. They also have pages that tell which items they are currently in need of but they will accept anything year round.
Beers, Robin. "How To Crochet: Blanket Stitch." Crochet Spot. N.p., 12 Apr. 2011. Web. 25 Jan. 2013.
The blanket stitch is one of the most common stitches used to create, well, blankets. It looks presentable and polished but because the stitch looks complicated, it looks like it took more time than it actually did. Though the instruction are easy and serve as a good refresher for me. The pictures along side the written instructions make it user friendly for anyone trying to learn how to do the blanket stitch. At least one of the blankets I create will use this stitch.
Annie. "How to Double Crochet." Annie's Crafts. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2013. <http://www.anniescatalog.com/crochet/content.html?content_id=55>.
This site serves as a refresher to beginners and experts in crocheting. It shows how to double crochet, which is more complicated than the single crochet. The video along with the written instruction make it a good source. Most of my blankets will use the double stitch
A Yarnified Life." A Yarnified Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2013. <http://ayarnifiedlife.wordpress.com/slip-stitch-crochet/>.
The slip stitch can seem complicated to beginners but it is helpful when you don't have much yarn to work with. Because of it's complicated look, it is ideal when creating an item for someone else that may be put on display. The stitch can be used to make blankets, sweaters, hats, scarves, etc. This site was helpful in creating one of my blankets.
"Increasing and Decreasing in Crochet {free Crochet Tutorial}." My Merry Messy Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2013. <http://mymerrymessylife.com/2012/09/increasing-and-decreasing-in-crochet-free-crochet-tutorial-2.html>.
Depending the type of item that you would want to create, you would increase or decrease the number of stitches you use. This is used in the blanket stitch and can be used when using a double stitch blanket. The site is helpful because it uses pictures along side written instructions. Although the site uses a circular pattern as an example, the same concept applies to any other pattern. This stitch will
"Crochet Geek - Crochet Traditional Granny Square." YouTube. YouTube, 11 Feb. 2009. Web. 01 Feb. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11Wh7IOT9BI>.
This is a video teaching the viewer how to crochet granny squares. It is well explained and goes at a slow enough pace where the viewer can follow along, either just by watching or while crocheting. Since I was having trouble with the stitch, I had to research the pattern a few times in a lot of different medium. Each one supplemented the other. At least two of the blankets that I make will be made using the granny stitch. Maybe more if I can perfect the stitch.
Secondary:
Hatter, Kathryn. "How to Donate Crocheted Items." EHow. Demand Media, 13 May 2011. Web. 27 Jan. 2013. <http://www.ehow.com/how_8414039_donate-crocheted-items.html>.
This basically tells people how to go about finding a charity to donate to. It is pretty straightforward and simple. Although I didn't personally follow it, there may be other people who would like to know how I went about finding a place to donate to. It’s similar to the process I used and could be helpful to others who would like to donate their crochet items to a charity. I don’t see why anyone would have to google, “how to donate crocheted items.”
Gardner, Sue, ed. A to Z of Crochet: The Ultimate Guide for the Beginner to Advanced Crocheter [. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
This book is a basic overview of everything about crocheting. Including the type of hook to use to the types of yarn that work well with certain types of stitches. It can be used as a guide for beginners or as a fresher for avid crocheters. But it shouldn’t be used by itself. It is helpful to have many books to work from because not every book explains a stitch the same way. This book should be a starter for beginners, not the only resource.
Keim, Cecily, and Kim P. Werker. Teach Yourself Visually Crochet. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Pub., 2011. Print.
This book is helpful in addition to other crocheting books because not every book explains stitches the same way. Some people are visual learners so this would be a book for them. It has many picture instruction on not only basic patterns but more complex ones too. The book is also perfect for beginners because of the visual aspect of the instructions. This book can be used as a starter along with others or used alone because it is instructions with pictures.
Primary:
Serrano, Maria. Personal interview. 29 Jan. 2013.
Maria is my mentor and has been crocheting for almost 20 years now. She has had experience with donating her items that she has created. During the interview we talked about different styles of crocheting and which would be easier to complete quickly when working on a large scale, such as with making multiple blankets in a short period of time. Also about how I should go about asking for donation from SLA students. She works at A.C. Moore so that would give me access to other avid crocheters in Philly whom I can interview for my Capstone project.
Anonymous. Telephone interview. 27 Jan. 2013.
This is a woman I meet at A.C Moore. She didn't want her name to be known. She has been an avid crocheter for 30 something years and she was the one who told me about Bev's Country Cottage. She has sent many of her item to the charity. Mostly she talked about the charity and how much she loves just being able to send crocheted and knitted items throughout the entire year. They are warm and always in need especially with preemies, soldiers overseas, and senior citizens.
Clark, Khalil. Personal interview. 31 Jan. 2013.
We talked about different stitches and how to use them to make a blanket. Specifically we talked about the granny stitch and how adding or taking away a stitch makes the blanket tighter or looser. This is important because if the blanket is going to be used often, I don’t want it to come apart the moment it gets touched. He helped me modify the instruction I was given to make a granny square blanket, so that it would hold up through use.
M., Janice. Personal interview. 31 Jan. 2013.
Janice was helpful in making the stitches that I can already do, look polished. I may have been crocheting for many years but it helps to have someone who has been doing it for a long time just give you some refreshers. According to her, I wasn't doing the double stitch correctly which is why the size of the rows was never consistent in the blanket. So she just told me how to touch it up so that it would look more presentable and not look lumpy.
How to Roll a Skein of Yarn into a Ball. YouTube. YouTube, 26 Dec. 2011. Web. 27 Jan. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4urVrYmo7EU>.
Re-rolling a skein of yarn into a ball makes it less likely to knot when working on a project. So the process of making the item will go a lot smoother when you don't have to constantly stop to undo a knot. Sometimes it can take up to an hour and a half to re-roll a skein of yarn when the entire thing is a knot. All of the blankets that I will make, I will start out by re-rolling the skein of yarn into a manageable ball.
Forever Warm. January 25, 2013. Forever Warm, 2013.
<https://www.foreverwarm.org.
The creator of Forever Warm had a stillbirth. She went online to find support and when she saw that there was a lack of good support forums, so she created this organization. Its main purpose is to show other parents that a complete stranger cared enough to create something for their lost child. Many blankets are kept in memory of their child but others prefer to bury the child in the blankets. This is one of the charities I plan to donate to. They have pages of items that are currently needed and links to other charities that their blankets have been sent to.
Bev's Country Cottage. January 25, 2013. Bev's Country Cottage, 2012. <http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/>
Bev’s Country Cottage is an organization that promotes the creation of crocheted and knitted items so that they can be donated to people in need of them. That is only one section of the organization. They also create doll clothes. The donated item are given to soldiers, preemies, the parents who had a stillbirth or a baby lost to SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and senior citizens in homes. This is one of the charities that I plan to donate to. They also have pages that tell which items they are currently in need of but they will accept anything year round.
Beers, Robin. "How To Crochet: Blanket Stitch." Crochet Spot. N.p., 12 Apr. 2011. Web. 25 Jan. 2013.
The blanket stitch is one of the most common stitches used to create, well, blankets. It looks presentable and polished but because the stitch looks complicated, it looks like it took more time than it actually did. Though the instruction are easy and serve as a good refresher for me. The pictures along side the written instructions make it user friendly for anyone trying to learn how to do the blanket stitch. At least one of the blankets I create will use this stitch.
Annie. "How to Double Crochet." Annie's Crafts. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Jan. 2013. <http://www.anniescatalog.com/crochet/content.html?content_id=55>.
This site serves as a refresher to beginners and experts in crocheting. It shows how to double crochet, which is more complicated than the single crochet. The video along with the written instruction make it a good source. Most of my blankets will use the double stitch
A Yarnified Life." A Yarnified Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2013. <http://ayarnifiedlife.wordpress.com/slip-stitch-crochet/>.
The slip stitch can seem complicated to beginners but it is helpful when you don't have much yarn to work with. Because of it's complicated look, it is ideal when creating an item for someone else that may be put on display. The stitch can be used to make blankets, sweaters, hats, scarves, etc. This site was helpful in creating one of my blankets.
"Increasing and Decreasing in Crochet {free Crochet Tutorial}." My Merry Messy Life. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 Feb. 2013. <http://mymerrymessylife.com/2012/09/increasing-and-decreasing-in-crochet-free-crochet-tutorial-2.html>.
Depending the type of item that you would want to create, you would increase or decrease the number of stitches you use. This is used in the blanket stitch and can be used when using a double stitch blanket. The site is helpful because it uses pictures along side written instructions. Although the site uses a circular pattern as an example, the same concept applies to any other pattern. This stitch will
"Crochet Geek - Crochet Traditional Granny Square." YouTube. YouTube, 11 Feb. 2009. Web. 01 Feb. 2013. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11Wh7IOT9BI>.
This is a video teaching the viewer how to crochet granny squares. It is well explained and goes at a slow enough pace where the viewer can follow along, either just by watching or while crocheting. Since I was having trouble with the stitch, I had to research the pattern a few times in a lot of different medium. Each one supplemented the other. At least two of the blankets that I make will be made using the granny stitch. Maybe more if I can perfect the stitch.
Secondary:
Hatter, Kathryn. "How to Donate Crocheted Items." EHow. Demand Media, 13 May 2011. Web. 27 Jan. 2013. <http://www.ehow.com/how_8414039_donate-crocheted-items.html>.
This basically tells people how to go about finding a charity to donate to. It is pretty straightforward and simple. Although I didn't personally follow it, there may be other people who would like to know how I went about finding a place to donate to. It’s similar to the process I used and could be helpful to others who would like to donate their crochet items to a charity. I don’t see why anyone would have to google, “how to donate crocheted items.”
Gardner, Sue, ed. A to Z of Crochet: The Ultimate Guide for the Beginner to Advanced Crocheter [. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.
This book is a basic overview of everything about crocheting. Including the type of hook to use to the types of yarn that work well with certain types of stitches. It can be used as a guide for beginners or as a fresher for avid crocheters. But it shouldn’t be used by itself. It is helpful to have many books to work from because not every book explains a stitch the same way. This book should be a starter for beginners, not the only resource.
Keim, Cecily, and Kim P. Werker. Teach Yourself Visually Crochet. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley Pub., 2011. Print.
This book is helpful in addition to other crocheting books because not every book explains stitches the same way. Some people are visual learners so this would be a book for them. It has many picture instruction on not only basic patterns but more complex ones too. The book is also perfect for beginners because of the visual aspect of the instructions. This book can be used as a starter along with others or used alone because it is instructions with pictures.