Little editorial note… I published this post about a week ago but I discovered that the fancy website widget that emails the blog post out to my over 5000 subscribers wasn’t working! Eep! And you can’t go without the July news! So, I’m republishing the post… apologies to the (few) folks who read it the first time!
Usually, summer is a slow time in the crochet world, but not here at FreshStitches! Summer is the time when you might head out on vacation, find a bit of time by the pool or want to curl inside in the comfort of the air conditioning… with a crochet project in your hand! Am I right?

Sunshine shown with 16mm round comic eyes
(and for those of you reading in the Southern Hemisphere, by all means, grab a hook and snuggle inside to enjoy the winter!)
The biggest news is that Ami Club members unanimously voted to turn the monthly newsletter into a public one for all FreshStitches blog readers! Hooray! Aren’t they the sweetest? So, I hope you enjoy!
In this post, you’ll find out all kinds of news and I’ll share my favorite links that I’ve found this month!
New 18mm color eyes!

I’m always working to bring you the best selection of craft eyes, so I’m delighted to announce that I’ve expanded the shop to include 18mm color eyes!
They’re available in the same, beautiful colors as the 12mm and 8mm color eyes (starting off with Pale Blue, Green and Brown: the 3 most popular colors).
Although I don’t have an exclusivity arrangement with the factory, I haven’t seen these offered in any other shop! Many other pearlescent eyes are hand-painted, which means they are much more expensive. And all of my craft eyes have ridged posts, which allows for the plastic washer to click on tightly and securely.
And Ami Club members get 10% off their entire eyes purchase: all the time! Just one of the many perks of the Club!
July Pattern
I really love July’s exclusive pattern… Stanley the Stingray!

Isn’t he a cutie? This pattern contains 3 brand new videos, including how to use stitch markers so you don’t need to count to do his shaping!
This pattern goes away on August 1st, so make sure to login and download your copy!
Update – the pattern is no longer exclusive to Ami Club members. Get the Stanley the Stingray pattern here.
Kepler the Lion CAL!
Our regular Crochet-a-long began today… and we’re making Kepler the Lion!

All Ami Club members have Kepler available in their downloads, go grab him and start crocheting!
The CAL ends on August 31st, and everyone who posts their finished photo to the FO thread is entered to win a prize! The prize this month is 2 skeins of yarn and a project bag… squee!
50% off Featured Patterns
Every month, Ami Club members receive 50% off featured patterns. This month, the featured patterns are: Frankie the Lobster, Jay the Bird and Murray the Squirrel.


Check the forums for the 50% off discount code for July! Good on one or all three patterns!
Can you Loop Stitch?
I just love the tail on Murray the Squirrel, but I know a lot of people find the loop stitch intimidating. You don’t have to!

Pop over to this blog post for a step-by-step photo tutorial and a video for how to do it!
If you’ve tried the loop stitch before, but the loops came apart, don’t worry! The post shows you how to prevent that from happening! (The photo above is the spoiler- you have to make sure you’re grabbing both sides of the new loop with your hook. It’s a very common mistake to just grab one!)
Ebook: Creating different shapes
The monthly ebook download for Ami Club members is about how to create different base shapes for your amigurumi.

The stingray pattern for this month (and this robot!) were created using a square as the basic shape (instead of our usual circle). These combinations are so fun to experiment with!
If playing with different shapes gets your juices flowing, then you’ll love my Amigurumi: Design Your Own Monster class on Craftsy!
Fave Links
Lots of stuff is happening! It’s hard to keep up with it all! So, I’ve rounded up a few things that I thought you’d want to see.
As a boring side note, if you live in Los Angeles County, you’ll notice that sales tax went up on July 1st. Doesn’t affect any customers outside the county!
Speaking of enamel pins, who would be interested in new pins with my new Nelson logo? Which is your fave? Reply in the comments!

Can’t wait to hear from you… and hope you have an amazing July!
Best,
Stacey