CrochEt Cetera by Connie Lee

I've been crafting in one way or another since my mother first allowed me to use scissors. Paper dolls, noodle art, perler bead fridge magnets, and popsicle stick art were just a few of my early favorites. When I got a little older, I took up drawing, a little acrylic painting, and with the help of one of my friend's mother, cross stitching, which I absolutely loved. My grandmother taught me how to make jewelry using the same technique she uses to make rosaries and when I was about twelve, my mother made me learn to crochet, which I hated because she had me make a doily, which I saw absolutely no point in. Through high school and college, I found little to no time for crafts of any sort, unfortunately, but after an eleven month deployment with the Army to Kuwait, I realized that I missed it quite a bit. I relearned how to crochet upon my return and did a few custom pieces of jewelry as well, but it wasn't until after I got married in May of 2009 that I really began to get back to my creative roots. Thanks to my wonderful husband, who is amazingly supportive of my attempt at becoming a starving artist, I have once again fully embraced my love of creating with my hands, primarily in the form of fiber arts. I spend most of my time crocheting (around the housework and whatnot), primarily custom orders and special projects, and have recently discovered the joys of designing my own patterns, which I hope to be the next chapter in my creative journey.

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Airplane crocheting today! What's your favorite type of project to travel with? Yarn is Pond Life from @thing4string #handdyedyarn #newcrochetproject #crochettexture #texturedcrochet https://www.instagram.com/p/Cpqs0RxJYp-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Just some more cool vegetation from my #CecilyCowl photo shoot. Do you see that little pop of orange in there? It's my fave. Discovering and exploring tiny details like the color and texture of this lichenized fungi growing on a rock is one of those little moments that light up my day! I'll be sending out an email tomorrow talking more about some of the details of Cecily, including links to a few tutorials for special stitches used in the pattern, like post stitches, the linen stitch, and the spike stitch. Are there any of those you haven't tried yet? They create such great texture details, y'all! You should definitely give them a try. Sign up for my newsletter at https://www.crochetcetera.com/newsletter to get the tutorials sent straight to your inbox! https://www.instagram.com/p/CpEQ_w3pi4j/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Psst. The #CecilyCowl gets her public debut tomorrow! Are you on my newsletter? If not, sign up to get that sweet VIP 20% discount on new releases! You'll also get a one time BOGO code in your welcome letter, and yes! You CAN use it for Cecily! https://www.crochetcetera.com/newsletter Featured yarn is Fortitude DK from @forbiddenfiberco (my sample used about 450 yards) #forbiddenfiberco #crochetpattern #handkerchiefcowl #trianglecowl #texturedcrochet #crochettexture #crochetcowl #linenstitch https://www.instagram.com/p/Co-BbcLLL-3/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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I just love it when the yarn does all the colorwork for me, don't you!? What's your favorite self-striping yarn? This stunner is from @urthyarns. Pattern coming soon! (Currently available as a pattern preview on Patreon) https://www.instagram.com/p/Col5polLQeA/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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I just cannot get over this luscious pile of birdseye speedwell in my backyard! That GREEN! Those adorably tiny blue-purple flowers! In the desert!! #adventuresatfortirwin #birdseyespeedwell #californiawildflowers https://www.instagram.com/p/CoduA9fpamg/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Gave my pretty little pothos a new home tonight! I've managed to keep her alive since a friend sent me home with her a few months ago, so I decided to upgrade her domicile and my decor at the same time with this perfect little frame from @modernbotanicalshop! Hopefully she likes it because I adore them both!! Perhaps I'll figure out this green thumb thing yet. Maybe I just needed to discover plants that can grow in water! #modernbotanical #pothosplant #hydroponics https://www.instagram.com/p/CoWKCSCLJeh/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Have you heard? @mooritmag number 4, the Sweet Shop issue, is available for preorders!! This super fun collection has so many cool and cute colors and designs and I can't wait to see it in person - it's going to be like a party on the page! This is my favorite photo by @rscott_shoots of my included design, Slice of Life. And yes there are two of them! The one on the left features yarn from @brazenstitchery in Citrus Delight and the one on the right is Candy Yum Yum from @plankandstella. Aren't they fun!? Read more about Slice of Life and preorder your print or digital copy of this gorgeous crochet magazine at https://mooritmag.com/pages/slice-of-life #sliceoflifewrap #moorit #crochetpattern #crochetcetera #brazenstitchery #plankandstella #crochetwrap #crochetscarf #crochetmagazine #newcrochetpattern https://www.instagram.com/p/CoOBZt3PHz-/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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First brittlebush in bloom sighting of the year! And it's been at it for a while, too. I just adore these sunny yellow flowers on their silvery green mounds of desert loving stubbornness, ha ha. I can't grow these things from seeds for squat but they sure do thrive cropping up in the strangest of places. Spring is on the way, y'all! #brittlebush #californiadesert #mojavedesert #californiawildflowers #adventuresatfortirwin https://www.instagram.com/p/CoIQw0sv0qo/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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When you look inside your project bag and it's just the most scrumptious pile of color and texture imaginable! These colors are giving me life right now in the elbow of the coldest weeks of winter here in the Mojave Desert. Thevsun still shines, though, and boy does it make these colors shine right along with it! What brings you joy in the grip of the deepest winds of winter? Yarn is from @urthyarns, purchased at @yarnmatters. Pattern is in progress! https://www.instagram.com/p/CnxrnJCvigQ/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Nature/texture appreciation post. This is a picture of the bark on the mulberry tree in my front yard. Now, that might sound pretty normal a thing to have for most folks, but y'all. I live in the desert. And I have a gorgeous, magical, silvery-barked deciduous tree in my front yard. In the desert! Yes, yes, we live on post. And we live in one of, if not the oldest neighborhoods on post. We have trees. And grass! Sort of. And the Army probably spent loads of money and resources planting and nurturing these trees. And the grass, too. But this amazing tree shelters birds of all kinds: finches and sparrows and orioles and hummingbirds and whatever birds happen to be passing through. I mean, can you imagine what an oasis this place must be for migrating birds!? It offers us shade when the temperature outside soars well over 100 degrees fahrenheit during the summers. I got to watch its silvery white batk turn brown as a rare winter rain soaked through its bark recently. Children climb up into its strong embrace to play and adventure and imagine. I love this tree, y'all. Can you just imagine the stories it could tell? Do you have memories of a special tree in your life? Comment below to share! https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnsn3ZZP1IR/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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I ran by my favorite twisty tree today and paused to take a picture. I need to do that more often. Pause. Ejoy the moment. Take the picture. Even if people driving by wonder what in the hell you're doing! https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnm10Yxvoce/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Adoring all the color shifts in this yarn from @urthyarns! (purchased at @yarnmatters) #crochettexture #texturedetail #designinprogress #urthyarns https://www.instagram.com/p/CnkrhqoSO8x/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Time to show off my singular baking success of the year again! Of the things in the sweet category, that is. Cakes are ... my nemesis. Along with sewing. They are a duo to be reckoned with! Yet somehow I can pull off cupcakes once a year for my son. So, ta da!! https://www.instagram.com/p/CnIXHt6ST5u/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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What has brought you JOY this year? What could you let go of to help you find more joy? Or what's a way, right now, that you could experience a tiny moment of joy? Do you KNOW what brings you joy?? I have been chasing joy for the past 12 months; it was my word of the year. And it was such a wonderful way to remind myself to pause and enjoy the little moments even more than I already tried to do. I would even stop and ask myself, particularly on days when I was feeling resistant to the "shoulds", what do I WANT to do instead? And then I would (usually) go do that thing! Do you choose a word of the year? Whether or not you do, I challenge you to reflect on some of the things you would like to let go of. And then consider what would negate those things. When I asked myself this question during a workshop with @amberbonnici the resounding answer was JOY. Which means I've been on the right track and that it will continue to serve me well to carry joy along with me into the new year, right alongside my new word! #findyourjoy #whatbringsyoujoy #joyfull https://www.instagram.com/p/Cmhx9ENPTnE/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Snowflakes of all sizes! I've got size 10 thread with a 1.65 mm crochet hook on the far left there (it's the hardest one to make!) and then I used a B hook (2.25 mm) for the size 5 thread and a C hook (2.75 mm) for the size 3 thread, which is what I'll be demonstrating with for the online class I'm working on (coming soon!). Are you still furiosly making things for your holiday gifting? Or are you one of those folks who gets all their shopping and making done early?? Pattern: Star Snowflake, available in my Ravelry shop (getting an upgrade soon, so snag it at the old price now!) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmXaQYJS-vo/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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I just opened up this gorgeous little painting from @susan.nethercote! So tickled to add another original work to my collection from an artist I admire! #susannethercote #originalartwork #supportsmallbusiness https://www.instagram.com/p/CmUzMBJS7sK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

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Did you know it's been TEN YEARS since my very first pattern was published in a magazine? Help me celebrate the decennial of the Star Snowflake by learning to make one of your own during a live workshop on December 17th! Sign up to be the first to know when registration is open and get an exclusive discount! https://www.crochetcetera.com/opt-in-page #starsnowflake #crochetsnowflake #threadcrochet #crochetworkshop #crochetcetera #onlinecrochetclass #crochetclass #learntocrochet #crochetwithconnie https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl0HLayrvbx/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=