Long time since I posted any new patterns. I have been preoccupied with finishing some Elsa and Anna hats. You can see them here and here.
Today's pattern is an easy one and all you need to know is how to Single Crochet in rows to create this scarf. It uses 1 skein of Lion Brand Landscapes yarn in Tropics, which is a self-variegated yarn (Color A) and about 1/2 a skein of Red Heart Soft in Black (Color B). If you decide to use any two other colors, this scarf would still work, but the effect would be different. I got the inspiration to create this from seeing a knitted scarf my BFF made for a local yarn store recently!
PATTERN:
1. Chain 21 using the Black (Color B) yarn. 1SC in 2nd loop from hook and 1 SC across in each chain loop (20 stitches). Chain 1 and turn.
2. 1 SC in each stitch across. In the last stitch, join in Color A, but do not cut off Color B. Chain 1 with Color A and turn.
3. Bring over Color B across to the other side and continue with Color A. 1 SC in each stitch across to the end. Chain 1 and turn.
4. 1 SC in each stitch across. In the last stitch, join in Color B, but do not cut off Color A. Chain 1 with Color B and turn.
5. Bring over Color A across to the other side and continue with Color B. 1 SC in each stitch across to the end and turn.
Repeat Steps 2-5 until you run out of yarn!! You are welcome to make the scarf as long as you like by adding more yarn. The only suggestion I have is to start and finish the scarf with the same color to maintain uniformity.
For all you seasoned crocheters, out there, the pattern is simple - 2 rows in SC of each color!! Voila!!
For the longest time, I have been working on checkerboard throws for my sons. I used the pattern from Redheart.com on how to create a Checkerboard Throw, to create them.
Since my sons are young, I decided to make the throw multicolored. After I completed the first 20 squares, I went ahead and put them together to create one throw. Perhaps I crochet more tightly than the authors of the pattern, but the throw barely works for my 2-year old.
I had 8 patterned squares that I had already made for my next throw and no desire to create 28 more squares to create a big enough throw for my older son. He suggested I just string them out like a scarf and he would use it since he loved the textures on each square. I created the borders and the connections using a single crochet joining method shown in the video below from YouTube:
I forgot to take a picture of all the eight squares joined up and laid out, but this is a picture of the next step.
I loved his suggestion and created a string of the 8 squares only to realize that was too long to go around his neck comfortably. The textures in the squares made it difficult to double wrap the scarf around his neck. In a flash of inspiration, I went ahead and folded over one square at each end to create "pockets".
After I made the pockets, I realized that this makes the scarf collapsible into one of the corner pockets to create a "pillow". Just fold up each square upon the next square until you reach the end pocket.
Now, you can simply "tuck in" the folded squares inside the pocket to get a pillow!
Pillow/Scarf combination!
The beauty of this style of scarf is that it allows him to go out without gloves since his hands remain toasty inside of the pockets. Moreover, he can fold it back up himself (he is 6 years old) into a pillow for easily putting it in his backpack at school, thereby minimizing the risk of misplacing it! He can also use the pockets to put his hat/gloves/other "secret" items in it!! LOL.
His verdict on the final product: BEST SCARF IN THE WORLD! I will take that compliment and own it! Ha!!
Double Crochet (DC) is an easy stitch and once you start using it, you will realize how quickly you can work up crochet projects. This is why I LOVE the DC stitch the most, among all other crochet stitches. I have found that in UK terms, DC is referred to as a TRC or treble stitch.
It is important to note that if you are creating items for warmth (hats, sweaters, shawls, etc.) or closed effect (purses, wallets, etc.), the DC stitch can create a fabric that is "holey." It might be a good idea to remember this while looking for quick patterns, since you might want to consider lining the item (depending upon what you are going to use it for). I have created many purses, shawls, and hats using the DC stitch. I have lined a few of them, but for most of them, I like to use thicker yarn (size 5 or 6, bulky or super bulky) so that I can avoid the lining, what with my "brilliant" sewing skills and all!
Another reason why I love the DC stitch more than any of the others is that it is the usual stitch of choice for designers who use "shells" of any type or different raised textures for their crochet patterns. Some of the more popular crochet designs out there right now heavily depend upon creating shells, front-post double crochet (FPDC), back-post double crochet (BPDC), crocodile stitches, popcorn stitches, etc. ALL of these, and more require the knowledge of DC since it is various types of DC stitches that create the look of all these fantastic stitches.
So, how do you create a DC stitch. Here is a quick video that I refer to when I teach others how to crochet. Remember, like all new things, this stitch requires a little practice when you first start out, and making a simple dishcloth using the DC stitch will allow you to practice the stitch perfectly.
If you want to create a simple DC dishcloth, use a yarn you are comfortable with (cotton yarns are really good for this) and a Hook size H (or whatever you have on hand).
Start by chaining 24 and DC into the fourth stitch from the hook. Then DC into every chain and at the end of the row, you should have 21 stitches created. Chain 3 and turn the work over. DC into the next stitch and proceed until the end of the row. Chain 3 again, turn the work and DC until the end of the row. Create as many rows like this as you like (I suggest 12 for a square shape), but it will depend on how loosely you crochet.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Make sure to DC into the third chain loop of the previous row in each row. A common mistake for beginners is to forget to create the end stitch in the rows by doing a DC into the third chain of the previous row. This creates an ever-shrinking fabric because you effectively lose a stitch in every row. When I first started crocheting, I made it a point to count my stitches after completing every row. This really helped my work from becoming triangular!
Easy
45-minute Cell-phone Essential Purse
-By Sarita Kumar
This pattern is also available for free on Ravelry
DESCRIPTION:
I made
this purse because I wanted to experiment with texture by chaining up the yarn
and creating something using chained yarn. I basically created this on the fly,
but I tried to recapture the steps to share because the outcome is very cute
and handy. It can fit a regular cellphone and a wallet for adults.It can
also be made as a purse for little girls... And the best part? It busts some
stash yarn in less than 45 minutes from start to finish!!
Just
remember, the purse will need to be finished in one piece since you cannot cut
off chains :).
YARN: Dale of
Norway/Dalegarn in gold (pure wool). If you want to use a thicker yarn, you can skip steps 1 and 2 of the pattern and directly proceed to creating the purse. It will work up fairly quickly!
HOOKS: J and K;
NEEDLES:
yarn needle to finish ends.
BUTTON: any
decorative button or make your own.
STITCHES:
CH: chain
DC: double crochet
SC: single crochet
SCJ: Join sides using SC in back
loop of each stitch on one side and front loop of each corresponding stitch on
the other side.
PATTERN:
1.Create
CH with J hook using all the yarn, so that you have a long length of chains.
Wind it up into a ball and continue.
2.Using the chained yarn, and K hook, CH21.
3.DC
in third CH from hook and DC across. Turn. (19 stitches).
4.Next
4 rows: CH3 and skip one stitch, DC across. Turn. (19 stitches in each row)
5.Fold
at the 8th stitch length and SCJ on that side.
6.To
reach over to other side, SC across the bottom of the fold and SCJ up the other
side.
7.Continue
SC on the side and top of flap and use remaining chains as the handle by attaching
back over to the other edge.
8.Attach
button and use the DC space on side as a button loop. VOILA!!
For both my sons, one of their favorite books is Dr. Seuss' There's a Wocket in My Pocket. My younger son, a toddler, has taken fancy to the character of Ghair that hides under the chair. He has been obsessed with the character to the point where my husband joked and told me to "crochet him a Ghair one day, just to surprise him."
I wasn't sure if the type of yarn it would take to make a "furry" toy would be easy to crochet or knit with, but I decided to keep my eyes and ears open for a green yarn that would serve the purpose. A few days ago, Mikey from The Crochet Crowd mentioned that Bernat made a yarn called Tizzy. A short shopping trip to Michael's Store and I found it in green!!
I don't have an actual pattern written out for the Ghair because it is difficult to keep track of stitches when using the Tizzy yarn. It was easy to work it up, and I literally free-handed the head, body, limbs, and tail for the Ghair. I made two tiny pom-poms using the Fork technique with black yarn for the Ghair's eyes and crocheted a small black triangle for the nose.
Here are some pictures of the Ghair!
If you would like a rough and ready pattern for this, please comment or send me an email and I will be more than happy to write one up for you.
I typically use this blog only to share Crochet-related videos and patterns that I like and/or create. However, given that I do have a grade-schooler in my house and a toddler, I need a spot to post things I create for them as well. I figured, this is as good a place as any!
I decided to introduce my first grader early to multiplication. He is learning fast, and I figured it was time to introduce him to the visual aspect of multiplication where he "sees" the numbers rather than deriving or observing them.
I created these two sheets because I don't want to introduce him to the 11-20 tables until he masters the 1-10 tables first. I have shaded the numbers in the file that are perfect squares to a add a little additional dimension to the visual learning process. If you would like the Excel file that I created these in, please comment/email me and I will gladly send you a copy.
Feel free to print out these pictures (HINT: If you copy and paste the full size picture into a MS Word file, each one will fit on one page; and it allows you to resize and print them much more easily than printing as a photo.)
One of the reasons why, in my opinion, crochet is significantly easier and quicker than knitting is due to the ease of creating seamless objects or creating work in the round. In my earlier posts, I have talked about how to crochet the Single Crochet stitch. Here, I would like to introduce you to a world of crocheting in the round.
The following video covers the basics of joining stitches in the round in the base chain round and beyond. Even though the video shows the joining of a chain 4, the same method applies to any number of chains.
You will need a size I hook and a yarn needle for weaving in ends.
I did not use a gauge for this pattern. I recommend using a check as you go method to ensure it fits around your head before you start Row 3.
PATTERN:
Row 1: Chain 70 and join last loop to the first chain with a slip stitch (SS) making sure you don't twist the chain. Place a marker in the SS.
Row 2: Start by doing a single crochet (SC) in each loop but don't join the last SC to the first SC. Move marker to the space between the last and first stitches.
Row 3: SC all around the 70 stitches and move marker to the end. (Make sure that the cowl will fit over your head. If not, go back to row 1 and increase the number of stitches accordingly.)
Rows 4-22: Repeat Row 3 (you can stop at your desired width).
Slip stitch into the stitch at the end of the marker and fasten off. Use the yarn needle to finish cleanly.
The picture looks a little different because I used the Chainless Foundation method to start the cowl and worked row 22 after turning my work to match the loop at the top.
