JULY NEWSLETTER

Hello, my crochet friends!

I’d like to extend an early Happy Independence Day to my friends here in the U.S. With the holiday this weekend, I thought I’d send this newsletter a little early. I have so much to share with you this week, so I’ll keep this intro short!

Most importantly, my first Christmas in July event starts today! And I’m sharing another new video tutorial to kick everything off and get us ready for this year’s pattern collection.

But it’s not all about Christmas! Behind the scenes, I’ve been making progress on my Wildflower Project, and today, I have an update on the next pattern in the series. If you love crocheting flowers as much as I do, you’ll want to read on to see what’s coming next.

I’m also excited for you to see an amazing Butterfly Waltz Baby Blanket by this month’s Maker Spotlight, Bailey. Be sure to read to the end. You won’t want to miss it!

Christmas in July Starts Today!

I’m so excited to open the doors to my first Christmas in July event. I’ve got so much in store for you! Think of this as a month-long crochet celebration filled with new patterns, tutorials, giveaways, and plenty of festive surprises.

Throughout the month, I’ll be releasing a series of brand-new Trinity Stitch patterns that showcase different techniques, shaping methods, and creative possibilities for this versatile stitch, all wrapped up in projects you can make to decorate your home or give to the special people in your life. Because as makers, we all know, it’s never too early to start working on our handmade gift list. The first pattern, the Trinity Christmas Stocking, arrives on July 10, with additional releases following each week throughout the month.

And that’s only the beginning. I have a few extra surprises planned along the way!

All new patterns will be 40% off for the first 72 hours. If you miss a launch sale, don't worry! Your Christmas in July Subscriber Pass gives you 20% off any pattern in the collection throughout the month. Simply enter the code CIJ2026 at checkout to redeem your Subscriber Pass discount.

A Free Pattern!

I can’t wait for you to see what I have planned for the finale at the end of the month. After releasing three brand-new patterns, I have one last treat in store. On July 31, I’ll reveal one more pattern. And best of all, newsletter subscribers will receive it for free!

Giveaways Too!

Throughout July, each weekly newsletter — July 1, July 10, July 17, and July 24 — will include a fun question. Simply reply with your answer for that week to earn one entry into my Christmas in July Giveaway.

To keep things fair and simple… Each eligible reply constitutes one entry. Limit one entry per person per weekly giveaway email (duplicate replies within the same week will not create additional entries). Entries will close on July 30, and three winners will be selected at random and announced in the July 31 newsletter.*

• Mistletoe Prize: Your choice of 1 free pattern from the 2026 Christmas in July Collection

• Holly Prize: Your choice of 2 free patterns from the 2026 Christmas in July Collection

• Poinsettia Grand Prize: The complete Christmas in July Collection (all 3 patterns)

Let’s get the ball rolling with our first Crochet Christmas Question.

~ What’s your favorite item to crochet for the holidays? ~

Just reply to this email to answer, and you’ll be automatically entered.

Then, be sure to stay on the lookout for the next newsletter on Friday, July 10, for the new Trinity Christmas Stocking pattern and your next chance to enter!

*Official Giveaway Terms: I want to keep this giveaway fun and fair for everyone! Please take a moment to review these terms. Open to legal U.S. residents, age 18 or older. Entries limited to one reply per subscriber per week. Each eligible reply constitutes one entry. All eligible entries will be assigned a number. Winners will be chosen by random number generator, contacted via email, and announced in the July 31, 2026, newsletter. No purchase necessary to enter or win.

This giveaway is sponsored by Jennifer Olivarez Designs (“Sponsor”). This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed, administered by, or associated with Squarespace or any other platform used to distribute or host this promotion.

Email addresses will be used solely for the purpose of administering this giveaway and will not be shared or used for any other purpose.

New Video Tutorial: Trinity Stitch in Turned Rounds

Last week, I released a new video tutorial covering the basics of Trinity Stitch and two different methods for working the stitch in rows. This week, I’m sharing a new tutorial that covers how to work the stitch in turned rounds. In this video, we’ll compare turned rounds with right-side-only methods, then walk through the first two rounds while covering stitch placement, alignment, and troubleshooting tips to help you create beautifully textured Trinity Stitch projects with confidence.

The Trinity Stitch is a beautiful stitch made with single crochet 3 together (sc3tog) clusters and chain-1 spaces. The resulting fabric is dense, reversible, and has a wonderful texture that is often compared to tiny stars or flowers. It’s an ideal stitch for blankets, pillows, dishcloths, and cozy cold-weather accessories.

This tutorial is perfect for confident beginners and is designed to support my Trinity Stitch crochet patterns, including the Trinity Christmas Stocking and Mittens coming later this month!

Watch the tutorial on YouTube → https://youtu.be/SNo861OzRhg

Wildflower Update: Columbine Is Ready for Testing

I know it’s been a little while since I gave an update on the Wildflower Project. It had to take a backseat this past month while we got everything ready for Christmas in July, but it’s never far from my mind. In fact, I’m pleased to say that we’re still on track. The columbine pattern sailed through tech editing and is now ready for testing.

Truth be told, the pattern for the flower itself hasn’t changed much since I first designed it four years ago. It’s the motif part that has always caused me trouble. Looking back at all the iterations of the design, I think I just needed to grow a little more as a designer before I could see the right solution. It feels so good to finally land on a motif design that works elegantly, is straightforward to execute, and does the flower justice. I’m so thankful to my tech editor, Randy, for helping me turn my ideas into clear and thoughtful instructions. I’m really proud of this design and I can’t wait to get it into testing later this month.

If you’re interested in testing the columbine applique and motif, be sure to join our Ravelry group and look for the call for testers to be posted on July 25.

Stop by the Ravelry Group. We’d love to see you there! → https://www.ravelry.com/groups/designs-by-jennifer-olivarez

Worth Sharing

Protect Yourself from Fake Crochet Patterns

Fake crochet pattern listings are becoming increasingly difficult to spot, and unfortunately, they hurt both crocheters and designers alike. Before purchasing a pattern from a shop you don’t already know and trust, it’s worth taking a few minutes to learn the warning signs.

After discovering an Etsy shop using her photos to sell a fake pattern, crochet designer Toni Lipsey put together an excellent guide explaining what to look for, along with practical tips to help you shop with confidence.

You can read her blog post and watch the accompanying video here → https://tlycblog.com/how-to-spot-fake-crochet-patterns/

Maker Spotlight

This month’s Maker Spotlight celebrates a beautiful Butterfly Waltz Baby Blanket crocheted by Bailey.

Ever since releasing the Butterfly Waltz Baby Blanket pattern, I’ve wanted to see someone transform the butterfly motifs into monarchs. So when I spotted Bailey’s blanket on Etsy, I was overjoyed. The stitch work is excellent, and the color placement is perfection. Congratulations, Bailey, on creating such a beautiful interpretation of the design!

Bailey was kind enough to share how the monarch butterflies were created:

“I used Loops and Threads twist love cotton in colors: gold, black and cream! It’s so soft and gives a great texture that I thought would add nicely to the overall look of the blanket!

As far as alterations to the pattern, the only difference I made [was] to make the monarchs. For RND 8, I used the black instead of continuing with color A. Then when I was finished, I added, with black, slip stitches along the bottom wing edge. The slip stitches made the back a little harder to clean up, but weaving in and knotting helped!”

Thank you again, Bailey, for allowing me to share your work in this newsletter. Your blanket turned out absolutely stunning!

If you’d like to make a Butterfly Waltz Baby Blanket of your own, you can find the pattern here: https://jenniferolivarez.com/butterfly-waltz-baby-blanket.

To be featured in a future newsletter, email your project photos to crochet@JenniferOlivarez.com — or create a project page on Ravelry to share your yarn choices, notes, and photos!

Thank you for subscribing to my newsletter!

Having you in my crochet circle means so much to me. This newsletter is sent on the first Friday of the month. Additional special mailings are sent each Friday after that, featuring new patterns, new stitch tutorials, tips and tricks, hot topics in the yarn industry, book and yarn reviews, and a peek into my design process. But I’ll only send you crochet content that I think you will enjoy. In the meantime, you can contact me by replying to this email or crochet@JenniferOlivarez.com. I would love to hear from you!

You are receiving this email because you signed up for my weekly newsletter through my website or when you made a purchase. If at any point you decide that you no longer wish to receive these mailings, you may unsubscribe using the link below.