The September Challenge Basket

I recently found The Crochet Crowd on Facebook and have been hooked ever since. I LOVE the inspiration found on both their FB page and their website. I've made a few things since joining the online community and one of them was this basket.  It comes from the Red Heart yarn library HERE as a free pattern. 

I made it because The Crochet Crowd issues a monthly challenge for their followers to create something and Septembers challenge was this pattern and I figured, WHY NOT?!  We were at liberty as to how to decorate it, it didn't have to be an owl to be entered into the challenge. 

Since I had a skein each of Red Heart Super Saver red and white yarn, I decided a holiday themed basket would be just the ticket. 

I embellished it with a Christmas tree and purple ornaments I made using scrap yarn I had laying around. 

I'm most proud of the basket itself because it was a whole new world of crochet stitches for me.  I learned quite a bit in entering this challenge and find that I'm a better crocheter for it.  Now to see if I win the randomly picked prize pack.

Camouflage Wristers

Fun little gift for a special Nephew who is turning 8 pretty soon.  These were made using another improvised pattern that anyone could have come up with.  It's a simple rib where each row is double crocheted in the back loops only.  I spiced it up a bit with finishing cuff on the wrist end and a border on the finger end.  Voila!

Simply Sweet Ruffle Scarf

I made this scarf for my dear friends oldest foster child.  A sweet scarf for a sweet girl.  She turned eight recently and I wanted to make her something special.  I figured with the colder weather approaching a scarf would fit the need and allow me some fun creative license.

As I sat down with the yarn and hook I just went with my heart and began crocheting.  I followed no pattern other than what my fingers wanted to do.

I chained a length I felt would be a perfect fit for the girl in mind then proceeded to work double crochet rows until my heart told me to stop and change it up a bit.  That's when I switched colors and decided the sweet girl needed a simply sweet ruffle. 

Following a ruffle pattern* I'd learned a while back, I completed the scarf and couldn't wait to see the look on the girls face as she unwrapped. As it turned out, it was priceless.  The girl gave me the brightest smile and the biggest hug, which made my day!

*ruffle pattern: (I sc across the length of the scarf when changing the colors of yarn I was using)

• 2dc in each st across, ch2, turn
• (2dc in first st, 1dc in next) repeat pattern across, ch2, turn
• 2dc in first st, 1dc in each of next two st) repeat pattern across bind off, weave in ends.

T-Shirt Yarn?!? Yes, please.

I've got a stack of old t-shirts cluttering up the closet that I need to get some use out of.

I did manage to cut up two shirts the other day, using one of them to make this little "hot pad" for use in our kitchen. 

I found a "how-to" tutorial on Pintrest for the best way to cut up old t-shirts to make a single long strand of usable yarn.  If you use Pintrest, simply search for "make t-shirt yarn" and you'll find plenty of pins on the subject!

I've got loads of old clothes that I could donate to Goodwill.  But they would probably just turn them around and sell them at ghastly prices.

But thanks to the creativity of others and the seemingly limitless possibilities found on Pintrest, I can up-cycle them myself into useful things. 

The hot pad above was whipped up in no time with a pretty simple crochet pattern that anyone can find just about anywhere.

I have another ball of brown t-shirt yarn that I can't wait to make something out of! 

What projects have you made out of t-shirt yarn? Feel free to share them in the comments section below!

Fun Little Cross Body Bag

Not that kind of body bag...

This kind of body bag, the crossbody kind.

I was wanting to make something small for myself to carry my keys, phone and other small, lightweight items when I take my sweet little Leelu out for walks around the neighborhood.  My usual purse was just too much and weighed down the stroller so I was desperate to find or make something a little more practical.  The pattern (that I found for free) HERE, was just the ticket.

I kind of made my own special spin-off version using the pattern on the website above as a guide to keep me on track.  I'm considering going to the craft store to look for some sort of embellishment that I can add to make it look like it has watermelon seeds, since that is what this color combination makes me think of.  I've since made a few other versions of this pattern but haven't fully completed them.  When I do, I'll add pictures. 

UPDATE:

Below is the picture of the Cross Body I made for my sister.  When it came time to make one for her I decided to make it a little bigger than mine so it could accomodate her Kindle Fire.  I also chose the yarn based on her love of the beach.  It's made with 100% cotton Sugar'n Cream Stripes in Natural Stripes. I added a nice wooden elongated button to add to the natural beauty of the bag.  She loved it!

Flower Power

I've decided to start making these flowers with leftover acrylic yarns that I have laying around for a future project.  I'm not quite sure if I'll turn them into an afghan or what yet, but I figure I might as well use up my scrap yarns in some kind of creative way.  I found the pattern for free on Ravelry HERE.  It's a super quick and easy crochet pattern.  It's technically for a dishcloth but I suppose you could make just about whatever you want with these fabulous flowers!

Crochet Clothing

I'm trying my hand at two different crocheted clothing projects right now.  One for my sweet little Leelu, a fun summer tank top with delicious colors and a flirty design.  The other for myself, an airy summer dress that will double for me as a bathing suit cover-up. 

I'm using Sugar'n Cream 100% cotton yarn for Leelu's top.

Red Heart Soft 100% acrylic for my dress.

Here is the tank top I've made for Leelu.

I ended up making the straps way too long but she will be able to wear it next summer no problem.  So I'll tuck it away until then.   

And here is the dress I'm still working on for myself.  You can find the pattern and info HERE.

I'm intent on not screwing up the straps on this one so I'm taking my time on getting them added (aka I'm terrified of messing it up and so I'm putting it off until I have a day where I am not afraid to keep going).   When I finish it I will post another picture of me wearing it!

UPDATE: 6/19/2014

Ta-da! I'm finished with it, wearing it and feeling quite proud of myself.

 

Crochet Can Cozy

Recently I took a crochet class with one of my girl friends at a local piece goods shop.  It was a mess. She and I were both stumped, spent more time scratching our heads than getting any real learning done. But we enjoyed ourselves and promised to practice upon leaving the classroom.

I tried a few times to figure it out throughout the rest of that weekend.  I made a mess of a few yards of yarn, but it wasn't all for naught.  I was starting to grasp the concept of crocheting.  Slowly. 

Very. 

Slowly.

Since then I've practiced my butt off and actually started to figure things out.  I managed to make a few squares that weren't all jacked up finally.  I also managed to figure out single and double crochet stitches, successfully.

YouTube was a huge help by the way.

After getting in a good amount of practice I finally managed to make something. 

A can cozy. 

And yes that was the well deserved beer I tested it out with. 

Since then I've made a few more cozy's, testing out my scalloped edge skills and my changing color techniques (the former learned from a Pintrest find the latter from YouTube).

Here are a couple of the ones I've made so far. 

Those fit a standard 12 oz. beer or soda can.  Today I made one that will fit a 24 oz. beer can (don't judge me....)

This one I even added a contrasting color on the bottom in a few rounds of decreased single crochet so that even a water bottle couldn't slip out of it. 

My husband laughed when he saw this one, but why shouldn't I have a nice dainty lady cozy for my beer?

It's a simple single crochet pattern if you're interested in making your own. 

I used 100% acrylic yarn in worsted weight and a K 10.5/6.5mm crochet hook. 

I chained 28 stitches for a 12 oz. can cozy and chained 30 for a 24 oz. can cozy.

I joined using a slip stitch into the first chain and then single crochet around and around for approx. 15 rows.

At that point you can be done and weave in your ends for a basic cozy with no frills.  Or you can choose a edging of your choice, like the scallops, which turned out lovely. 

The pattern I used for the scallops was a simple one where you double crochet into a "home" stitch 7 times and then skip two stitches on your work and then slip stitch into the third stitch from the "home" repeating until you're done. 

Thank me later for all the marvelous cozy's you make for your own ice cold beverages!

Soft, Yet (Not So) Manly Scarf

I'm currently working on a scarf for a dude.  I'm using Red Heart Super Soft yarn in black.  I'm doing a fairly simple, easy to remember 3x3 rib pattern.

To start I cast on 27 stitches.

I then knit in garter stitch for 3 rows.

After the three rows I started the ribbing. (*knit three, purl three, repeat to end of the row. Then purl three, knit three, repeat to end of the row and keep alternating for a ribbed pattern)

And I will finish it with three rows of garter before binding off knit wise.

I'm using only one skein of yarn, minus a little bit of yardage which I used on another project.  I'm guessing that when it's done, aka I've run out of yarn, it will be approx. 56 in. long.  Since it's a scarf for a guy, I'll block it and be done.  Normally I'd fringe the heck out of it with a contrasting color, but I'm not sure he'd appreciate the beauty of that.  He's pretty manly.

I need to do a bit of blocking before it's gift-able.  The scarf is pretty "compact" and I kind of wish I'd cast on more stitches to make it wider.  But if I can successfully block it, it won't be a problem in the final outcome of the project.

I'll post an update to this entry on the blog with a picture of the final product when I am done with it.

**UPDATE**

Well I wasn't able to block the scarf the way I'd hoped, I ended up having to mist it down with water and use a very low setting on the iron to try to loosen it up a bit.  I'm still not 100% happy with the final product, but I'm still learning and this was just one of those learning experiences.  

Here are a few pictures I took of the scarf.
 

 **Additional Update**

I still have the scarf, I just can't make myself give it to a dude.... it's too dainty.  I'll try again later.

Fabulously Fast Fingerless Gloves

These gloves are great and fit most adult women's hands pretty well based on this pattern. I made several attempts before finding a good fit for a "One Size fits most" pattern and this is what it looks like. If you make yourself a pair of these gloves, please let me know! I'd love to see your work! Just email me a picture and I'll happily applaud you for your efforts and maybe even show off your work here!

You will need US Size 9 (5.50mm) straight needles, one darning/tapestry needle for finishing and one or two colors of yarn.

**Color A in this pattern is referencing the picture above wherein the cuffs at the top and bottom are hot pink and Color B is the yellow portion of glove.

***I'm not sure how much yardage I actually used for each glove, but I can assure you that the single skein of yellow yarn (used in the glove pictured above of which there are two) has PLENTY left for more projects. So this might be a great way to use up leftover yarns for this quick and easy project.

****How to Seed Stitch:
Cast on an even number of sts.
Row 1: * K1, p1; rep from * to end of row.
Row 2: * P1, k1; rep from * to end of row.
Rep Rows 1 and 2 for pattern.

Cast on 30 stitches 

Work the first 4 rows in seed stitch with Color A.
* To change colors: Knit with Colors A & B together for three or four stitches then drop Color A and continue to knit across the row with Color B. Be sure to leave a 6-7 inch tail when you cut Color A after dropping it. You can use it later to help finish the project. 

Work in Stockinette Stitch for 22 rows with Color B (knit a row, purl a row, repeat)

At the end of the 22nd row you will need to cast on 5 stitches. Then proceed with stockinette stitch by knitting across the 23rd row.

At the end of the 23rd row you will cast on another 5 stitches. Continue the stockinette stitch by purling the 24th row.

Continue to work the next 5 rows in stockinette stitch.

 Bind off 5 stitches, purl across the row.

Bind off 5 stitches, knit across the row.

 Bind off 1 stitch, purl across the row.

Bind off 1 stitch, knit across the row.

Purl next row and continue with stockinette stitch for 3 additional rows.
 *at this time if you are going for the two color glove, you will need to pick up Color A and work it back into the project, work Colors A & B together for three or four stitches then drop Color B, leaving a 24 inch tail to use for finishing. 

Work 3 rows in Seed Stitch.

Then bind off in Seed Stitch, leaving a 6-7 inch tail for finishing.

Finishing: 

The way I ended up finishing my gloves was to seam them together using all of my long tail loose ends I left myself, Color A in the areas with Color A and Color B in the areas with Color B. Using a darning/tapestry needle I worked in the ends until they were at the edges of the project and then after folding the item in half I seamed them together and wove in the remaining loose ends. Be sure that when you get to the thumb hole, you seam to the edge of the top then weave through just ONE side along the edge before continuing the seam on the bottom of the thumb hole.

When completed you have made ONE glove, now go make another!