A Whopping Yarn Shopping List (and Slurpees)

Last night I was dying to have a Slurpee from 7-Eleven... but what fun is it to go alone so I persuaded my three brothers to come with me. That in itself would not have been difficult, but of course I had to surprise them, since it is not every day I have a Slurpee craving. So I told them that I needed them to come with me to Joann Fabrics to help me buy yarn. This was true as Joann's only allows you to use one of each coupon type in a transaction. I had more coupons than I could use, because an extreme coupon-ing friend of mine gave us 6 Joann's flyers from the paper.

Somehow whenever I go to the craft store I find myself lost in a pile of wondrous hobbies... I needed a list or one way or another I will forget something or begin to stack clearance fibers into my basket. So I dug out my handy dandy embroidery floss organizer that I had never used and put a scrap of each yarn that I needed onto it.

Whopping yarn shopping list: Put yarn that you need on floss organizer

Sure I could have just written out a list the yarns but this way I did not get to the store and wonder "what in the world was I thinking when I said light brown or sock monkey grey". As a yarn enthusiast I saw the bit of yarn and said "Oh! That was the yarn I used for such and such a project that I'm going to make again." or "Well, I know they don't sell that yarn anymore but since I'm starting a new project I can use this yarn over here that looks just like it!"

Even better yet I was able to make a game of it for my bros. I just pulled off one scrap of yarn for each of them and ask them to find one that was like it. First one back won! (of course with a no running rule.) This worked fantastic and my eight ("and a half" as he would say.) year old brother loved it!... the 18 and 15 year olds were not so thrilled but enjoyed it. Once we found the yarn I doled out the coupons and a few bucks, check out and headed down the street to 7-Eleven. On the way I heard the story of how the cashier had asked my brother what he was going to make. (lol, don't you just love how friendly they are at Joann Fabrics?) He replied that he was "going to knit or crochet something." I'm not sure if she believed him or not as she did make any remark in return. We then joked about how he could have claimed he was making hand-grenade cozies and other unrealistic guyish stuff.

My Spoils

I was glad to come home with my spoils in one hand, a Slurpee in the other and a belly full of laughter.

Lady Bug Baby Hat

Lately I've been a having a blast making little baby hats. Since they're so quick and easy I can usually finish one each morning. Most of them only take two to four hours (depending on how complex it is). When I realized how similar a lot of the patterns are I began making a plethora of designs, which means that I will be posting more baby hat patterns soon. Many of them are still only drafts so please be patient :)

I am so pleased with how this pattern came out, it can be as simple or as complex as you like it since there are a few different options in ear flap ties and edges. So far I only have it in the two sizes, but I plan to write the larger patterns later. If anyone is anxious for a bigger size please comment.

Also at this point this pattern has only been tested by me, so if you find any errors please let me know. If you complete this patten I give you credit for testing.

Size: 0-3 months

Tools:

• Crochet hook size F/5 (3.75mm) or size need to obtain gauge
• Scissors
• Yarn needle/darning needle

Supplies:

• Red worsted weight yarn
• Black worsted weight yarn

Gauge:

Rnds 1-4 of Base Hat = approx. 3.5inches in diameter

Instructions:

Base Hat

Using red worsted weight yarn

Make a magic loop, ch 2

OR

Ch 3

Rnd 1: Dc 12 in loop or 3^th ch from hook, sl st in 1^st dc, (12 st)

Rnd 2: Ch 2, dc 2 in same st, dc 2 in ea st, sl st in 1^st dc, (24 st)

Rnd 3: Ch 2, dc in same st, dc 2 in nxt st, (dc 1, dc 2 in nxt st) around, sl st in 1^st dc, (36 st)

Rnd 4: Ch 2, dc in same st, dc 1, dc 2 in nxt st, (dc 2, dc 2 in nxt st) around, sl st in 1^st dc, (48 st)

Rnd 5-10: Ch 2, dc in same st, dc around, sl st in 1^st dc, switch to black in last dc of rnd 10, (48 st)

Don’t fasten off just continue into the first ear flap with the black worsted weight yarn

Ear Flap

Row 11: Ch 2, dc in same st, dc 5, turn, (6 st)

Row 12: Ch 2, dc2tog 3 times, turn, (3 st)

Row 13: Ch 2, dc3tog, turn, (1 st)

Row 14: Don’t ch, sl st in nxt st, ch 35, fasten off, leaving a tail about 2ft long to make a tassel,

Edging (Choose One)

Mini Scallop Edge

Rnd 11: sl st in any dc with black yarn, ch 1, sc in each st and on the edges of the ear flaps, sl st in 1^st sc,

Rnd 12: ch 1 (sc, ch 3, sl st) in each st around but around the ear flaps sc in each st, sl st in 1^st sc

OR

Basic Edge

Rnd 11: sl st in any dc with black yarn, ch 1, sc in each st and on the edges of the ear flaps, sl st in 1^st sc,

Ties (Choose One)

Tassel Ties

Join Black yarn to top of ear flap, sc in same st, ch 35, fasten off leaving a long tail for making a tassel, (thread ending tail in last ch loosly so that you get a loop on the end of the ch) 4 times making sure all the loops are the same length. Tie the ending thread around the last so that the loops don’t slip if you gently pull on them. Cut the loops like you would if you were making a pom-pom.

Repeat on other ear flap

OR

Curly Ties

Join black yarn to top of ear flap, sc in same st, ch 47, turn

Row 1: sc in 2^nd ch from hook, (sc2tog) 15 times, sc 16, sl st in top of ear flap, fasten off, weave in ends

Repeat on other ear flap

Head

Ch 3

Row 1: dc 6 in 3^rd ch form hook, turn

Row 2: ch 2, dc 2 in each st, turn

Row 3: ch 2, (dc 1, dc 2 in nxt st) across, fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing, sew on to base hat centering it between the 2 ear flaps

Embroider antenna above head using ch st

Spots (make 6)

Make magic loop, ch 2  OR  Ch 3

Rnd 1: dc 12 in loop OR 3^rd ch from hook, sl st in 1^st dc, fasten off leaving a tail for sewing

Size: 3-6 months

Tools:

• Crochet hook size H/8 (5mm) or size need to obtain gauge
• Scissors
• Yarn needle/darning needle

Supplies: 

• Red worsted weight yarn
• Black worsted weight yarn

Gauge:

Rnds 1-4 of Base Hat = approx. 4.5inches in diameter

Instructions:

Base Hat

Using red worsted weight yarn

Make a magic loop, ch 2

OR

Ch 3

Rnd 1: Dc 12 in loop or 3^th ch from hook, sl st in 1^st dc, (12 st)

Rnd 2: Ch 2, dc 2 in same st, dc 2 in ea st, sl st in 1^st dc, (24 st)

Rnd 3: Ch 2, dc in same st, dc 2 in nxt st, (dc 1, dc 2 in nxt st) around, sl st in 1^st dc, (36 st)

Rnd 4: Ch 2, dc in same st, dc 1, dc 2 in nxt st, (dc 2, dc 2 in nxt st) around, sl st in 1^st dc, (48 st)

Rnd 5-10: Ch 2, dc in same st, dc around, sl st in 1^st dc, switch to black in last dc of rnd 10, (48 st)

Don’t fasten off just continue into the first ear flap with the black worsted weight yarn

Ear Flap

Row 11: Ch 2, dc in same st, dc 5, turn, (6 st)

Row 12: Ch 2, dc2tog 3 times, turn, (3 st)

Row 13: Ch 2, dc3tog, turn, (1 st)

Row 14: Don’t ch, sl st in nxt st, ch 35, fasten off, leaving a tail about 2ft long to make a tassel,

Edging (Choose One)

Mini Scallop Edge

Rnd 11: sl st in any dc with black yarn, ch 1, sc in each st and on the edges of the ear flaps, sl st in 1^st sc,

OR

Rnd 12: ch 1 (sc, ch 3, sl st) in each st around but around the ear flaps sc in each st, sl st in 1^st sc

Basic Edge

Rnd 11: sl st in any dc with black yarn, ch 1, sc in each st and on the edges of the ear flaps, sl st in 1^st sc,

 Ties (Choose One)

Tassel Ties

Join Black yarn to top of ear flap, sc in same st, ch 35, fasten off leaving a long tail for making a tassel, (thread ending tail in last ch loosly so that you get a loop on the end of the ch) 4 times making sure all the loops are the same length. Tie the ending thread around the last so that the loops don’t slip if you gently pull on them. Cut the loops like you would if you were making a pom-pom.

Repeat on other ear flap

OR

Curly Ties

Join black yarn to top of ear flap, sc in same st, ch 47, turn

Row 1: sc in 2^nd ch from hook, (sc2tog) 15 times, sc 16, sl st in top of ear flap, fasten off, weave in ends

Repeat on other ear flap

Head

Ch 3

Row 1: dc 6 in 3^rd ch form hook, turn

Row 2: ch 2, dc 2 in each st, turn

Row 3: ch 2, (dc 1, dc 2 in nxt st) across, fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing, sew on to base hat centering it between the 2 ear flaps

Embroider antenna above head using ch st

Spots (make 6)

Make magic loop, ch 2  OR  Ch 3

Rnd 1: dc 12 in loop OR 3^rd ch from hook, sl st in 1^st dc, fasten off leaving a tail for sewing

Ravelry Pattern Hodgepodge Butterfly Afghan

   When I heard that my cousin and his wife were going to decorate their nursery with butterflies I began "favorite-ing" oodles of butterfly patterns on Ravelry... I LOVE butterflies, and I wish more parents would use them in their daughter's nursery theme.

     When I first saw the pattern for this afghan (which is made up of squares) I knew that it would be perfect (granted I would do some tweaking). I decided to only make 25 square (instead of the 35 the pattern called for...16 of square #1 and 9 of square #2)) since the time before the baby shower was running out.

     I also used a different butterfly pattern because I couldn't get the one from the afghan pattern to lay flat.

     After I saw this edging the scallops would not do. Somehow I couldn't get the butterfly edging to look right (so either I was doing something wrong or there was a slight error in the pattern) so I edited so that it reads as follows:

dc cluster = ch 3, yo, insert, draw up, yo, draw through 2, yo, insert in same st, draw up, yo, draw through 2, yo draw through all,

Tr cluster = ch 3, (yo 2, insert in same st, draw up, yo, draw through 2, yo, draw through 2) 3 times, yo draw through all, ch 4, sl st in same st

Antenna st = ch 5 tightly, ch 1 loosely (later you will cut this ch), ch 5 tightly, sl st in same st,

Butterfly= dc cluster, ch 1, tr cluster in last ch, antenna st in same st, ch 1, tr cluster in same st, dc cluster in the same st, sk 4 st in round 1 and sl st in 4th st

Notes: In between each of the butterflies you sc 10... Of course I had to tweak this too, instead leaving it basic I repeated this in between the butterflies:
(sl st, ch 2, sc in same st, sc 1)

 I guess I can't be perfectly happy with anything because after the first couple of squares I changed the pattern so that I would finish the first corner at the beginning of the round instead of doing half at the beginning and the other half at the end, which caused the corner to stretch out and look uneven. (like the upper left corner of the square above)

I even sewed the squares together differently than the usual whip stitch. Instead I used the flat braid join method that I found here and I used the tips from here.

One Day, One Skein Scarfs

A while back I started crocheting these one day one skein scarves...nothing elaborate just an opportunity to use up some variegated yarn. Somehow I'm always behind the seasons, I began making this scarf in early December... just as fall was coming to an end.

For the first three here I used Red Heart Super Saver Yarn (The one with 244yds on it.)

To begin ch 17-20 (whatever you feel like)
Row 1: dc in 3rd ch from hook, dc across
The rest of the rows: ch 2, dc across
Fasten off at the end of a row when you have 12-16yds of yarn left, depending on you long you want the fringe. If you don't want a fringe just work until don't have enough yarn to complete a row.

On this one I used scs instead of dcs and I forgot to save yarn for the fringe so I've been trying to find a solid yarn that will match one of the colors of blue. Blues are so hard to match.

For these last two I used Lion Brand Holiday Homespun which has a gold thread twisted into it, and  Lion Brand Homespun yarn.

One thing I particularly like about the variegated Homespun yarn is how gradually the color changes.

Crazy Sock Earrings

A couple years back, when the annual "crazy sock night" at the local Awana club was coming up, I decided that I should whip up a pair of crochet sock earrings.

Unfortunately, I did not write down the pattern for the shaping, but for the texture I crocheted in the back loops only.

Making them into earrings was simple. I just opened the eye of the earring piece and put it through the corner of the sock.

Inline Crochet Hooks

For the longest time I was unaware of the differences in crochet hooks, the only thing I really cared about was whether it was medal/aluminum or plastic... And even then I'm not sure I payed that much attention. But when I started making the fleece blankets with crochet edge I noticed that the inline hooks  were easier to push through the slits in the fleece. Of course at the time I did not know the different names. Since doing the fleece blankets, I've found that the inline hooks make working with "fluffy"/"fuzzy" (such as Red Heart Baby Clouds) yarn a lot easier. The inline hooks also eliminates part of the "twist" required to keep the yarn on the hook when you pull it through other loops.

      Inline     Out of line

Sorry the pictures are a little blurry, it is hard to get clear images of shiny objects.

KB Adjustable Sock Knitting Loom

A few Christmases ago I received this neat adjustable sock knitting loom by KB. It is really easy to use and very compact. The hardest part to knit is the sliding section because you have to work around all the pegs that you're not using.

 I decided that it would be best to start with something small, so the first project I did was these cute little baby socks. The pattern was on the DVD that came with the loom. It used 30 pegs and I decided to put 1x1 rib at the top.

 The thing about socks is that you have to make two matching ones. After I finished the first one I began to wish that humans only had one foot because it seemed like an impossible task to make one exactly the same. Turns out that it really wasn't that hard, since it was easier to count the stitches of the first one once it was off the loom. I'm not sure if I did the same amount of rows on each sock but I think I got pretty close. :)