“I am sure that you are all with me on saying a BIG Thank you to “The E Team”. Faye, Heather, Lesley and Moira have provided amazing support and I could not have done this without them. Thank you ladies.🍸🍸🍸🍸for all of you and your favourite waiters.” – Helen
It goes without saying that I don’t think any of the team could have survived the CAL if it hadn’t been for the encouragement of dear ole Johnny and the support from the handsome Jason, who did try and join the group. Unfortunately we didn’t let him in because he hadn’t bought the pattern.
As someone who asked many questions, thank you all for your patience….even if you are answering the same question for the 4,375,987 time 🙂. All of you (Helen included,) did a great job, many many thanks 🙂 – Moira
MinnoNathalieJohnelleKaren
EnidAlisonTinaStacyColletteBethEster
Do you feel like you may not be experienced enough to make the Secret Garden? Here are some words of encouragement from those who have finished.
The most used bit of advice
I’d only been crocheting a year when I started this. Explanations are step by step. Read it really carefully stitch by stitch and you’ll be fine. You’ll learn loads and have such a sense of satisfaction when done. I found it more fiddly than difficult, easy stitches just in peculiar combinations. Honest. Good luck and have fun xx – Holly
Steph Anne
Not difficult, very time consuming but the result is amazing! Read the pattern carefully, count every single stitch and don’t be afraid to ask for help! 14 weeks, a couple of headaches, a letter to the tail fairy, offerings to the tail goddess and a few voodoo dolls and voila…. this little piece of art is done!!! Thank you Helen Free for this beauty, it’s been an incredible journey!! Cannot wait for Space Odyssey! Helen Free…. it’s Fall yet!- Rosanna
Rosanna
You ‘can’ achieve it. I’ve been crocheting for less than a year and completed it. It’s amazing. Follow all the advice above and ask for help if you need it. Best of luck and enjoy the learning journey x – Anne
Anne
I’m officially finished. My one bee I’ve made looked horrible, so I’ve cheated. Good luck to everyone on this beautiful journey and best wishes to all those done. This was a wonderful project. – D’Juana
D`Juana
Finished. Thank you, Helen for a delightful ride. Now I have some beading commissions to do before my next CAL. – Sandy
Sandy
Slowly, slowly my garden starts to blossom 😊 – Mary
This week Helen released the second block pattern, it’s a dragonfly, my second favourite animal. My first being the butterfly and I’ve made loads of those already. I haven’t been able to take part much this week as I have been working on a commission, so I am sharing lots of feedback from the Facebook group instead.
The mini butterflies block was released a fortnight ago and progress has been great. With now more than 450 participants across Facebook, Ravelry, Instagram and email.
Helen and the team have been excited and enthralled by the photographs and feedback.
The community that is evolving on Facebook is a lovely space to share progress, and everyone has been supportive of each other. With participants from 11 different time zones there is pretty much always someone online to talk to. The group have been very supportive with the more experienced crocheter’s offering help, hints, tips and support to those who are just starting out in the crochet community.
Block 2 was released at the beginning of the week and many have already begun creating it. But before I share any of the progress on the new block I wanted to give you a look back over some of the other mini butterflies along with feedback from members of the Facebook group.
JohnelleBarbara
Just when Barbara was all but ready to give up, everyone all pulled together and helped her along, and what a great job she made on her first butterfly block.
Well done for sticking at it.
Holly
And Barbara isn’t the only one to have found the new skills and techniques a little challenging. Holly also made good progress and finished her block.
There have been a large number of new crocheter’s to join us on the journey, but I am so pleased that they have persevered. I am also very proud of all those who got together and helped out by pointing people in the right direction towards the support photographs and videos.
Rainbow Valley Crochet released her first crochet-a-long on 16th January 2017, after a couple of month’s of excitement and pre-sales reaching over 400 crochet enthusiasts world wide. The Secret Garden blanket began last summer with just a conversation (all the best idea’s start this way) among friends and soon developed into the creation of garden blocks with as little sewing as possible. The excitement began when Helen shared the image below in a very large online crochet group, having no idea how much interest it would bring.
Rainbow Valley Crochet Secret Garden CAL
Helen quickly set about getting a test team together so that the idea could develop further and with as few teething problems as possible. I joined the team with Heather and Lesley, and later on Moira. All of us testing the block patterns to ensure that they were correct and pin-pointing any potential problem area’s. This gave Helen the opportunity to create photo tutorials for each block.
During this time, interest continued to grow and we saw an increase of visitors to the Rainbow Valley Crochet Facebook page. Helen then decided to do a pre-release pattern sales and with the option of purchasing yarn packs via her website in order to gauge the level of interest.
On release day, Helen emailed more than 400 participants directing them toward the support group. WOW! None of us were expecting such a huge number. I couldn’t believe it, but I have been telling Helen for a long time that she is a yarn artist and very talented indeed. But you can be the judge of that.
🍸
I don’t think any of the team could have survived the CAL if it hadn’t been for the encouragement of dear ole Johnny and the support from the handsome Jason, who did try and join the group. Unfortunately we didn’t let him in because he hadn’t bought the pattern.🙂. All of you (Helen included,) did a great job, many many thanks
😊 – Mary
