Where Creativity Is American Made...Merit Badge Adventure 2023
We hope you will have fun participating in this new adventure.
In order to obtain your various badges, you will need to:
1) take a workshop,
2) work on a badge in your class or
3) show your proficiency as listed in the Proficiency Requirements.
Proficiency can be shown in the form of recently knit or crocheted samples, such as a garment/ item you have made in the method, or a wash cloth/ dish cloth, baby afghan, sweater, or swatches as listed.
Due to the number of badges and folks participating, you will need to make an appointment to have your proficiency checked; we will not be able to check you off on a badge on a ‘drop-in’ basis.
If you are taking a Workshop, or working on your badge in class, you will be checked off at the end of the workshop or class.
SIGN UP HERE!
Click here to review Prize levels
Both Knit & Crochet
Beading is lovely added to either knitted or crochet items. Make some fingerless mitts with beadwork, or add beads to the cuff of your sock or on another garment or item.
Blocking helps to make your finished project look so professional. Take a blocking/finishing workshop. Or bring in an item of yours ready to be blocked and show us how to do it here.
Bobbles add a fun element to your project. Add bobbles to a wash cloth/ dish cloth or some other item.
Cables, expressively textured motifs that look like raised columns twisting around each other, criss-crossing, or meandering across planes of knitted/crochet fabric. The best part they can be crochet or knit…. Create a cabled hat, mitts, sweater or dish/wash cloth.
Crochet Colorwork Motif 4 Ways: Mosaic, Stranded, Tapestry, and Intarsia – … bring us a sample of 2 of these. Knitters we need to see stranded or intarsia work. Samples can be wash/dish cloth, mitts, hats or socks.
Though technically knitted little ones are not considered Amigurumi, they can be made in knit as well. Bring us a toy or a doll sample you have made.
Frogging or tinking we all do it at one time or another…. Crocheters you have it easy working for this badge! Bring in a sample that you need to fix, rip out and rework it or better yet, take a workshop and learn how to do it correctly!
Corner to corner makes it so easy to ensure you have enough yarn to complete your project!! Make a wash/dish cloth or an afghan.
Besides being the directions for your project, patterns give you a lot of information about your project. Take a pattern reading workshop, or come in and read the pattern to us.
Pompoms are a fun way to finish off a hat. Many are showing up on scarves and shawls as well. Bring in a pompom you have made or come make a pompom @ the shop.
Sweater Champion … yes, you need to make a sweater and learn to make adjustments to fit yourself or the person you will be giving it to. Join a KAL, Cocoknits Workshop or make a sweater in your current class.
Yes socks can be knit or crocheted…. Have you finished a pair? Bring them in and show us. Were you here for the Happily Knitting Socks event that we hosted – finish those up and earn your medal! Socks can be taught in any class & we will have a workshop on HKS technique for the heel!
Knitting
Must be able to perform 4 different knit Cast-ons and Cast-offs & explain when they would best be used; and which not to use in certain circumstances. One method needs to be the Tubular cast on. Take a workshop or demonstrate how you did these and present them in the form of sample swatches.
Present an item you made or a wash/dish cloth.
Mitered Squares are a great way to use up leftover yarn. Make a sleeve style bag such as a tablet cover, or an afghan/ blanket of mitered squares.
Mosaic knitting is a simple colorwork technique where you knit with two colors independently. Intricate geometric designs are achieved by slipping certain stitches without knitting them. Take a Mosaic Workshop or bring in an item you have made using mosaic stitch.
Short rows are totally optional, but they make for much smoother edges for curved edges that need to be seamed. Take a Short Row workshop, or show us samples of 3 different types of short rows, and a piece that has short rows in it or a seamed piece.
Lace knitting is a style of knitting characterized by stable "holes" in the fabric arranged with consideration of aesthetic value. Have you added lace to a project? Bring it in for show & tell!
Work in the round and then cut your project to create an opening – Lopi sweaters use this method for their cardigans. Yes, this creates panic for a lot of folks but it really is not that bad. Come make a mug sleeve and learn this unique technique!
Crochet
Filet crochet is a crochet technique that combines “open mesh” stitches and “closed mesh” stitches to create visual images. Take a workshop or bring in a sample of a piece you have made in filet work.
Granny squares are everywhere! Make a wash/ dish cloth or some other project using these fun squares while mixing up the granny pattern. At least two different patterns need to be in your sample.
Tunisian Crochet is a fun stitch! Did you take Anne’s workshop? Bring in your project and earn a badge…. Missed the workshop, she will be offering it again so be sure to register for it!
Other Option Badges
Maer offers several Needle Felted classes. If you have taken one, bring in your project for show and tell, otherwise, sign up for a class!
Time to put Ravelry to work for you – it is an amazing FREE program! Ann offers workshops so register for one, or come in and show us your account.
Janet teaches several weaving workshops, mostly table runners, placemats or scarves. IF you have taken one, bring in your project for show and tell, otherwise, sign up for a class!
Social Badges
Post a picture of yourself knitting/ crocheting in public. Be sure your Craftworks project bag is visible! Our FB and IG name is CraftworksNboro, or hashtag us. #CraftworksNboro and use #MeritBadge
Post a picture of yourself knitting/ crocheting while traveling this summer. Be sure your Craftworks project bag is visible in front of some landmark or another yarn shop – all outside of MA! Our FB and IG name is CraftworksNboro, or hashtag us. #CraftworksNboro and use #MeritBadge
Purchase 4 or more skeins of yarn @ one time, including 2 different weights of yarn …. And curate your collection!
Yarn Crawls – there are several going on this summer – did you come across one on your travels? Bring us a copy of the passport or join one of ours: Fiberside Chat Virtual Summer Crawl, Greater Boston Yarn Crawl and I believe we will be participating in the Have a Ball Fall Crawl again in September.