My Yarn Addiction

Super Soft Scarves

2012-02-17T08:23:00.000-08:00

I was finishing up a few projects recently and had to make a trip to the craft store for some additional yarn. As many of you know, being allowed to wander through the craft or yarn store unattended by adult supervision is as bad for a crafter as putting a crack pipe in front of an addict.

The nearest general craft store to my house is Michaels. While I was searching for another yarn in their collection I found that they had some of their novelty yarns on sale. I was really attracted to their Loops & Threads Bunny Tail and Pom Pom. I've attached a link to their website so you can see what it looks like.

Loops & Threads™ Bunny Tail™ Yarn

Loops & Threads™ Pom-Pom

These yarns are a long thread with little puffs of fluffy softness every few inches. I just couldn't resist buying a couple of skeins to make myself something luxurious.

I ended up making a knit scarf, since the yarn tends to work better knitted than crocheted, and there was a pattern for a nice scarf on the inside of one of the labels. It was really simple, just knit the entire way using the short thread pieces between the puffs. It only took about 2 and a half hours total to work up, and it was soooo soft! I wore it to work the next day and got a tons of compliments.

Once people saw it they all started asking for their own. I ended up making one for my sister, one for my mom, 5 for the lady at daycare who watches my kids, and 2 for a gal that I work with. With all of the different colors none of them have come out the same.

Here's a picture of me modeling the one that I made for my sister. She didn't want any fringe on hers.

This is a closer look at my sisters.

This is one of the ones that I made for the gal at daycare. She wanted some skinnier ones for her little granddaughters. I just shortened the width from 8 stitches to 5. I also gave these a shorter fringe than the ones that I did for the adults.

It's been nice to do some simple knitting for a while. Every so often I like to take a break from crochet and do something different. However, now I'm ready to go back. I've done so many of these lately that I'm starting to see little puffs of fluff in my dreams!

Stitching for a Cause

2012-02-16T09:16:00.000-08:00

One of my lovely followers, Barbmm, was kind enough to send me these fabulous pictures of some of her recent work. She's been busy lately making sale items for her local "Bust A Move" breast health and cancer awareness fundraiser. Most of the items were in the pink ribbon motif that everyone knows from breast cancer fundraising, but she also made some lovely cowls to sell.

Here is some of her work.

Hand towels and wash clothes

Mug cozy

Barb modeling her beautiful cowl wraps. :-)

As a woman, mother, daughter, and friend I want to thank Barb for her help in fighting this disease. Her work is beautiful and I love the use of all the pink ribbons!

As you've seen in some of my other posts breast cancer is a scourge that has reared it's ugly head in a lot of lives lately. Many of us have also heard the recent controversy with the Susan G. Komen Foundation. This news has caused some of the women I know to rethink making a donation to this group. If you are one of these women and you would still like to make a difference in breast cancer research I urge you to look at some of the other groups that are working towards a cure.

One that I know well is the Huntsman Cancer Institute. This facility was started by the Huntsman family of Utah. (Yes, this is the family that includes John Huntsman who recently dropped out of the Republican Presidential fight. However, their foundation is completely nonpolitical.) This group has been working for many years researching, treating, and in many cases, finding life saving cures for cancer. If you are interested in learning more about them please visit their website at http://www.huntsmancancer.org .

More Kelli's Kaps

2012-02-03T07:43:00.000-08:00

There are some new designs on the Kelli's Kaps Facebook page. These are really adorable for little kids.

Bear

Kitty

Puppy

Adult sizes available too!

Kelli's Kaps

2012-01-16T14:02:00.000-08:00

One of my best friends contacted me a few weeks ago to let me know about a tragedy in her family. Her sister-in-law had just been diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. Her sister, Kelli, is only 28. She is a teacher and therefore has limited funds.

In an effort to help Kelli with her mounting medical bills my friend started a Facebook site called Kelli's Kaps where she is selling handmade wool hats. 50% of all proceeds from these sales will go to Kelli.

All of these hats are 100% PeruvianHighland Wool. Here are some of the styles that they have for sale.

I love the kids Dragon hat! What a great way to keep a little head warm on a cold walk to school.

If you would like to help support Kelli in her time of need please visit Kelli's Kaps on Facebook. You can find all of the information regarding how to purchase a hat and they will be posting updates regarding how much they have collected and Kelli's progress.

Washcloths

2011-12-20T15:37:00.000-08:00

I recently joined the community at CrochetMe.com. As a welcome they sent me a PDF of some simple crochet patterns. The timing couldn't have been better because I was looking for a simple pattern that I could use to make some stocking stuffers for my coworkers. There were 5 patterns in total; a rug, a shrug, a bracelet, a belt, and a washcloth. Since I was looking for something that would cross the gender divide and easily fit into a stocking I settled on the washcloth.

Their version used organic cotton but I used the Sugar'n Cream cotton yarn that you can get at any Walmart store. Here's what I ended up with.

I bought a variety of yarns, including a few of their self striping kinds. I love how the patterns vary depending on what kind of project you are making!

I have 2 more to make before our party on Thursday, but since they only took about an hour each I will be ready.

This pattern would be a great one for any of those left over bits of yarn since it didn't take the entire skein. If you are interested in this pattern you can sign up for CrochetMe.com for free. They have great patterns and resources for crochet, knitting, quilting, and lots more through their sister sites.

This pattern is called "Organic Cotton Washcloth for Babies", and was designed by Kim Werker. It was originally published in Interweave Crochet, summer 2008. I was sent an email link to a free PDF file that contained this pattern when I signed up for the website.

My Love For Cotton Yarn

2011-12-06T07:39:00.001-08:00

I love cotton.

In my humble opinion cotton is the best type of material to use for making yarn. It's soft, durable, and most important, it doesn't make me sneeze.

I found out the hard way that I am allergic to wool and other animal fiber yarns when I was working on a few felting projects. Of course, I'm not the brightest bulb so it took me a few days of itchy eyes and sneezing each time I sat down to crochet before I caught on.

So, unless I want to live out of the Benadryl bottle I had to give up felting all together. *Sigh*

Luckily I have no problems with acrylic and cotton yarn.

In the last few years the standard of acrylic yarn has increased immensely. It used to be that grandma used acrylics to make her afghans and after a few washes they were stiff and scratchy. The new generation of acrylics have been produced so that your final project stays soft and pliable no matter how much use they get. I use acrylics in a lot of projects, including purses and toys.

However, my heart belongs to cotton.

Mostly I use Lily's Sugar'n Cream cotton yarn, but I have also used Lion Brand. I love the fact that the colors stay so bright even after heavy use (like for dish clothes or kids clothes), and the fact that I can throw anything I make into the washer for cleaning is awesome.

Cotton... not just for grandma's doilies anymore!

Spider Web Poncho

2011-12-05T08:54:00.001-08:00

I am a little behind on posting my new patterns. I meant to try and get this one out earlier but the children got sick and the husband hurt his back at work.

This is what I came up with for a Halloween costume this year. My son had mentioned that he wanted to be a spider, so I thought that I would dress as the cobweb. However, being a 3 year old and prone to suggestions from his Dad, he ended up going as Batman. Since I had already purchased the stuff to make my costume I decided to just add my own spiders.

Here's how it turned out.

I purchased the headband separately.

Here are the patterns.

Poncho

Yarn: 4 ply cotton worsted weight in white (about 3 skeins)

Hook: G

dc - double crochet

sc - single crochet

st(s) - stitch(es)

sl st - slip stitch

ch - chain

ch 150, join last ch to the first ch with a sl st, forming alarge circle

Row 1: ch 1, sc in each st around, join to the first st witha sl st (150 sts)

Row 2: repeat row 1

Row 3: ch 7 (counts as 1 dc and 5 ch), * skip 4 sts, dc innext st, ch 5 *, repeat around to beginning of row. Join with sl st to 2^nd ch st ofthe ch 7.

Row 4: ch 8 (counts as 1 dc and 6 ch), * dc in the next dcfrom previous row, ch 6 *, repeat around to beginning of row. Join with sl stto 2^nd ch st of the ch 8.

Row 5: ch 9 (counts as 1 dc and 7ch), * dc in the next dc from previous row, ch 7 *, repeat around to beginningof row. Join with sl st to 2^nd ch st of the ch 9.

Row 6: ch 10 (counts as 1 dc and 8 ch), * dc in the next dcfrom previous row, ch 8 *, repeat around to beginning of row. Join with sl stto 2^nd ch st of the ch 10.

Row 7: ch 11 (counts as 1 dc and 9 ch), * dc in the next dcfrom previous row, ch 9 *, repeat around to beginning of row. Join with sl stto 2^nd ch st of the ch 11.

Row 8: ch 12 (counts as 1 dc and 10 ch), * dc in the next dcfrom previous row, ch 10 *, repeat around to beginning of row. Join with sl stto 2^nd ch st of the ch 12.

Row 9: ch 13 (counts as 1 dc and 11 ch), * dc in the next dcfrom previous row, ch 11 *, repeat around to beginning of row. Join with sl stto 2^nd ch st of the ch 13.

Row 10: ch 14 (counts as 1 dc and 12 ch), * dc in the nextdc from previous row, ch 12 *, repeat around to beginning of row. Join with slst to 2^nd ch st of the ch 14.

Row 11: ch 15 (counts as 1 dc and 13 ch), * dc in the nextdc from previous row, ch 13 *, repeat around to beginning of row. Join with slst to 2^nd ch st of the ch 15.

Row 12: ch 16 (counts as 1 dc and 14 ch), * dc in the nextdc from previous row, ch 14 *, repeat around to beginning of row. Join with slst to 2^nd ch st of the ch 16.

Row 13: ch 17 (counts as 1 dc and 15 ch), * dc in the nextdc from previous row, ch 15 *, repeat around to beginning of row. Join with slst to 2^nd ch st of the ch 17.

Row 14: ch 18 (counts as 1 dc and 16 ch), * dc in the nextdc from previous row, ch 16 *, repeat around to beginning of row. Join with slst to 2^nd ch st of the ch 18.

Row 15: ch 19 (counts as 1 dc and 17 ch), * dc in the nextdc from previous row, ch 17 *, repeat around to beginning of row. Join with slst to 2^nd ch st of the ch 19.

Row 16: ch 20 (counts as 1 dc and 18 ch), * dc in the nextdc from previous row, ch 18 *, repeat around to beginning of row. Join with slst to 2^nd ch st of the ch 20.

Row 17: ch 21 (counts as 1 dc and 19 ch), * dc in the nextdc from previous row, ch 19 *, repeat around to beginning of row. Join with slst to 2^nd ch st of the ch 21.

Row 18: ch 22 (counts as 1 dc and 20 ch), * dc in the nextdc from previous row, ch 20 *, repeat around to beginning of row. Join with slst to 2^nd ch st of the ch 22.

Row 19: ch 23 (counts as 1 dc and 21 ch), * dc in the nextdc from previous row, ch 21 *, repeat around to beginning of row. Join with slst to 2^nd ch st of the ch 23.

Row 20: ch 24 (counts as 1 dc and 22 ch), * dc in the nextdc from previous row, ch 22 *, repeat around to beginning of row. Join with slst to 2^nd ch st of the ch 24.

Row 21: ch 25 (counts as 1 dc and 23 ch), * dc in the nextdc from previous row, ch 23 *, repeat around to beginning of row. Join with slst to 2^nd ch st of the ch 25.

Row 22: ch 26 (counts as 1 dc and 246 ch), * dc in the nextdc from previous row, ch 24 *, repeat around to beginning of row. Join with slst to 2^nd ch st of the ch 26.

Row 23: ch 27 (counts as 1 dc and 25 ch), * dc in the nextdc from previous row, ch 25 *, repeat around to beginning of row. Join with slst to 2^nd ch st of the ch 27. Tie off and weave in ends.

Spiders

Yarn: size 3 cotton crochet thread in black

Hook: E

Fiber Fill (or other stuffing)

Yarn Needle

2 black pipe cleaners

Hot glue

Puffy paint (or other decorations)

sc - single crochet

sc2tog - single crochet 2 together

st(s) - stitch(es)

ch - chain

ch 2

Round 1: 6 sc in 2^nd ch from hook (6 sts)

Round 2: 2 sc in each st around (12 sts)

Round 3: * sc, 2 sc * around (18 sts)

Round 4-6: sc in each st around (18 sts)

Round 7: * sc, sc2tog * around (12 sts)

Stuff

Round 8: sc2tog around (6 sts)

Round 9: sc in each st around (6 sts)

Round 10: 2 sc in each st around (12 sts)

Round 11-12: sc in each st around (12 sts)

Round 13: sc2tog around (6 sts)

Stuff

Cut yarn leaving a couple of inches of tail. Using a yarn needle sew through each of thests in the last round. Pull tail totighten and close ball. Tie off.

Cut pipe cleaners in half and glue to the underside of thespider body to form legs. Use puffypaint or other decorations to finish.

Sew or glue spiders to the front of the poncho. I also added an extra chain of white yarn to the bottom edge of the poncho so that one spider could dangle from it.

Storage Solutions

2011-11-10T11:20:00.001-08:00

So, my stash of yarn and crafting supplies is starting to take over. I've got more mis-matched yarn and scraps of fabric than I know what to do with.

We've decided to move my son into the room that I used for storing all this stuff and now I have no idea what I am going to do with it all. Right now everything is piled up in my family room, which our cats love (nice soft bedding for them), but is really starting to bug me.

Thus far the only idea that I have had has been to pack everything into plastic storage bins and put it in the under house area. My main concern with this is how I am going to access it when I need something. That, and I don't really need to have mice living in my material.

Someone suggested to me that I sell some or give it away, but I'm not sure that they understand the compulsion that I have for these items. I've been doing really good at not wandering aimlessly through the craft stores (because this only leads to bringing more home), but I can't seem to let go of what I already have. Each time that I look at what I have I get all these great ideas of what I could do with it. Problem is that I never seem to have enough time to complete all of these projects. *SIGH* Life of a working mother...

So, I was wondering if anyone out there had any better ideas for how to store yarn and material besides boxing it up. Let me know if you have any grand ideas because I would be overjoyed to hear them.

Beaded Baby Socks

2011-09-09T11:27:00.000-07:00

More fun sock edges!

This one was shown to me by a nice lady who I met while I was waiting for my dad to get out of surgery. This works great with stretchy socks because of the large loops that this pattern creates.

The one recommendation that I would make on this project is that you should try and use plastic craft beads because they are cheaper and they are less likely to be broken in the wash than glass beads. Otherwise, have fun choosing different colors and shaped beads.

Here's what you need for this project:

· Babysocks

· Cottonsize 10 crochet thread

· 6mm plastic craft beads

· Size8 or 9 steel crochet hook

sc – singlecrochet
st, sts – stitch(es)
ch – chain
sl st – slip stitch

Row 1: Tie a loop in the thread and join to the sock using a sl st, (ch 3,place bead on hook, yo and draw through bead, ch 3, sc in the next st, ch 5,place bead on hook, yo and draw through bead, ch 5, sc in the next st) Repeataround. Tie off and weave in ends.

**I am posting this pattern for anyone who would like to use it on their own projects. If you repost it please make mention of where it came from and please do not repost this pattern for sale.**

Scalloped Edge Baby Socks

2011-09-09T08:30:00.000-07:00

The weather has started to cool off and I have started to bundle my little ones up for the drive to daycare each morning. As I was looking through the little socks that I have for my 3 month old daughter I decided that they could use a bit of decoration so I got out my hooks and thread and started playing.

This is what I came up with for the first set. It's a simple scalloped edge.

These were a set of plain colored bobby socks that I got at the store. They have elastic in them to make it easier to get them on baby's feet so you have to make your stitches a bit loose so that they can stretch as well. Also, you should work the pattern with the socks turned inside out, so that the inside edge is facing you. That way when you fold the little cuffs down the front of the stitches will show.

Here's what you will need:

· Babysocks

· Cottonsize 10 crochet thread

· Size8 or 9 steel crochet hook

sc– single crochet

dc– double crochet
st, sts – stitch(es)
ch – chain
sl st – slip stitch

Row 1: workingfrom the inside edge of the sock, sc around and join with a sl st to the firstsc.

Row 2: ch 3, 6dc into the same st, (skip 2 sts, sc in next st, skip 2 sts, 7 dc in next st)Repeat around and join to original ch 3 using a sl st. Tie off and weave inends.

**I am posting this pattern for anyone who would like to use it on their own projects. If you repost it please make mention of where it came from and please do not repost this pattern for sale.**

More Baby Edgings

2011-09-02T07:41:00.000-07:00

So, I've decided that yarn is just a gateway drug that leads to more hardcore crafting. My newest addiction has been flannel.

As some of you will know from previous posts there is a little shop in town that makes these great little flannel baby items with a hemstitched edge. This hemstitching allows you to crochet along the edge. I've been doing some research to try and find a way of doing the hemstitching at home with my sewing machine, but I've discovered that it's nearly impossible.

According to everyone that I have talked to the only way to make a proper hemstitched edge is to use a hemstitching machine. This machine is different from a regular sewing machine because it uses a hole punch to make a hole in the cloth and then 2 sewing needles combined to keep the holes opened. You can get a similar effect with a regular sewing machine and a wing needle but the holes that this creates are not big enough to get even the smallest steel crochet hook through.

I did some more research to see about getting a hemstitching machine but it turns out that they stopped making them sometime back in the 1940's. I guess the popularity of these machines was on the wane so they stopped production. Back then they were using them mostly for decorative stitching on clothes and table linens. So, the only way to get your hands on one now is to buy an old one from someone who still has it, and then pray that you can find someone who can service it. If you are lucky enough to get your hands on one of these babies you can make a pretty penny producing these flannel items. So far I know of about 5 working machines in the state of Utah. The 5 ladies who own them are responsible for supplying all of the local crafting stores with these products, and from what I have seen they make a good living doing it.

Anyway, I've been working on a few items for another baby due in our family this October. Unfortunately some of these edgings are patterns owned by others so I cannot reprint them here, but I will list any that I come up with on my own.

This is a modification of a published pattern. It's made of sideways double crochets. I love the effect if little waves that this makes.

This one is a basic picot pattern. The first row is done in single crochets and then joined with a slip stitch. The second row is 5 single crochets and then a picot, repeated until the end. To make a picot you make 3 chain stitches and a single crochet into the same stitch that you started from. This forms a little loop.

This is one that I actually made a few years ago. I've since lost the pattern, but if I can figure out what I did I will repost it here. :-)

This one is another car seat blanket. I didn't want to take away from the cute pattern on the material so I did a simple lacy edge. The first row is just single crochets joined with a slip stitch at the end. The second row is just chain stitching. This one is done with 5 chain stitches, skip 4 single crochets, single crochet in the next first row single crochet, and then repeat to the end.

Another Fuzzy Baby Blankie and Car Seat Blanket

2011-07-06T07:49:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I can't seem to stay away from Red Heart's Baby Clouds yarn. It's just so fluffy and soft. The only problem is that it limits the amount of creativity because it tends to be hard to work with. I've found that the only way that I can maintain my sanity while playing with it is to use a rather big hook and nothing smaller than a double stitch.

That being said, I do like to play with the variety of colors that Red Heart has in this yarn. Most of them are soft pastels, but they do have a few bold ones. I used a couple of the pastel ones to make this rainbow blankie. It's all done in double crochet stitch.

Since I have been trying to take care of a toddler and a newborn I haven't been doing many larger projects lately. Mostly I have been working on edging the flannel blankets that I get at the local sewing shop. They use great patterned flannels to make these simple blankies. I believe that they use a surger to run a hem stitch around the edge of them which leaves perfectly spaced little holes so that you can crochet around the edge. They do little burpers, bibs, square blankies in all different sizes, and car seat blankets.

This is the car seat blanket that I made for baby girl. I used a nylon tread since being carried around every where tends to be hard on the edging. I did a basic shell pattern on this one.

These car seat blankets are great because they go underneath baby and have holes in them so that the harness can still be used. I am playing with my sewing machine to see if I can get it to run the same kind of hem stitch, and if I can I will post a pattern for everyone.

Baby

2011-07-05T10:54:00.001-07:00

She's finally here! Our little baby girl was finally born on May 26th and here she is.

I haven't done much yarn work since I got pregnant because I was so sick and then so tired. However, I did manage to do a few blankets and some other baby items. I will post them once I have a chance to take some pictures.

In the meantime I hope everyone out there is doing well and had a happy July 4th!

Apologies

2010-11-15T07:11:00.000-08:00

My apologies to everyone for not posting lately.
Early pregnancy has me in it's death grip. I have basically stopped working on all projects in favor of my bed. Once I regain some strength I will be posting again.
Thanks for your patience.

A little yarn and some puffy paint

2010-10-27T07:14:00.001-07:00

It's Halloween time!

I love Halloween. I love candy, dressing up, and decorating everything with pumpkins and ghosts.

I decided to make some treat bags for the people that I work with. I looked all over and finally found some Halloween appliques that I liked. You can purchase these patterns for a great price at www.crochetspot.com.

I bought these little bags at the craft store, added some puffy paint accents, and then hot glued the appliques in place.

They are just big enough to hold a small amount of candy. Perfect for our office celebration.

Bottle Bag

2010-10-15T07:05:00.001-07:00

Being the mom of a small child I always need an extra hand or two. I recently was lamenting the fact that I didn't have a way to carry a diaper bag, a purse, a child, and my water bottle without dropping at least one of them.

I went online searching for a pattern for a simple water bottle bag. Most of what I found was done in a mesh pattern which seemed likely to snag on everything that I come in contact with. Not to mention that my son would likely want to play with it.

So, I made my own pattern.

Here is the result.

I based this off of the same principles as a can cozy, just bigger. I also added a button so that I could open the strap and wrap it around things like the diaper bag strap or the stroller handle. It's big enough to carry around a 20 oz bottle of water or a child's sippy cup. However, you could increase the size to carry larger items by adding more increasing rounds at the bottom.

The flowers were added because I can't seem to leave things plain. :-)

This pattern is for the bag only, not including the decorations.

So, here's what you need for this pattern...

Worsted Weight Cotton Yarn (because cotton wicks away moister better than acrylic), about 3-4 oz
Size H Crochet Hook
Decorative Button
Whatever decoration you choose.

And here is the pattern...

This pattern is worked in continuous rounds. Mark first stitch in round with a stitch marker and continue to replace marker at the beginning of each round.

Yarn: Cotton Worsted Weight
Hook: H

sc – single crochet
st, sts – stitch(es)
ch – chain
sl st – slip stitch

Row 1: Make a ring using magic ring technique. 6 sc in ring, pull slack out of ring. (6 sts)
Row 2: 2 sc in each st (12 sts)
Row 3: (1 sc in next st, 2 sc in next st) repeat 5 times (18 sts)
Row 4: (1 sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st) repeat 5 times (24 sts)
Row 5: (1 sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st) repeat 5 times (30 sts)
Row 6: (1 sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in next st) repeat 5 times (36 sts)
Row 7: (1 sc in next 5 sts, 2 sc in next st) repeat 5 times (42 sts)
Rows 8-20: sc in each st around (72 sts)
Rows 20-40 (strap): sc in next 4 sts, ch 1, turn (4 sts)
Row 41 (button loop): ch enough sts to comfortably stretch around your button. Join ch sts to opposite edge strap using a sl st.
Finish off.

Using a coordinating color yarn or thread sew your button near the top of the bag opposite where the strap starts.
Embellish as desired.

**I am posting this pattern for anyone who would like to use it on their own projects. If you repost it please make mention of where it came from and please do not repost this pattern for sale.**

Small Green Handbag

2010-10-07T06:55:00.000-07:00

Okay, being sick sucks. However, it does give you time to sit around and work on craft projects.

This is an adaptation of the squared bottom bag that I posted before. It's smaller and the handle is incorporated into the design.

I found the lining fabric at a local store and designed the bag based on it.

Squared Bottom Bag

2010-09-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, here is the final pattern for the squared bottom purses. I like this pattern because the squared bottom makes the bag stand up when you set it down.

I wrote this pattern to work with the purse straps that I got from my local craft store, but it can be modified to work with any handle or straps that you choose.

Yarn: Worsted Weight
Hook: I

ch - chain
sc - single crochet
sts - stitches
sl st - slip stitch
rsc - reverse single crochet

ch 41

Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch to end, ch 1 and turn (40 sts)

Row 2: sc in each stitch across, ch 1 and turn (40 sts)

Rows 3 – 13: repeat row 2

Row 14: sc in each stitch across (40 sts)

Now you will work in continuous rounds. Mark first stitch in round with a stitch marker and continue to replace marker at the beginning of each round.

Round 1: 14 sc along each short side, 40 sc along each long side. Once done with first round you should have 108 stitches total.

Round 2 – 30: sc in each stitch in continuous rounds (108 sts in each round) moving the stitch marker up as you go.

Round 31: sc in the next 10 sts. In the next stitch insert hook and pull up a loop. Now insert hook through the metal ring connection to your first handle. Yo and pull through the metal ring and loops, as you would for a single crochet. Repeat this 4 more times (5 sts through the strap ring). sc in the next 24 stitches. In the next stitch insert hook and pull up a loop. Now insert hook through the other metal ring connection to your first handle. Yo and pull through the metal ring and loops. Repeat this 4 more times (5 sts through the strap ring). sc in next 20 stitches. In the next stitch insert hook and pull up a loop. Now insert hook through the metal ring connection to your second handle. Yo and pull through the metal ring and loops. Repeat this 4 more times (5 sts through the strap ring). sc in the next 24 stitches. In the next stitch insert hook and pull up a loop. Now insert hook through the other metal ring connection to your second handle. Yo and pull through the metal ring and loops. Repeat this 4 more times (5 sts through the strap ring). sc in the next 10 stitches. Connect to first sc in round with a sl st. (108 sts)

Round 32: ch 1, rsc in each stitch around and join with sl st.

Finish off

If you find any problems in the patterns or need more explaination please feel free to leave a comment. I would be happy to help.

**I am posting this pattern for anyone who would like to use it on their own projects. If you repost it please make mention of where it came from and please do not repost this pattern for sale.**

Bikini Can Holder

2010-09-16T06:54:00.001-07:00

The monkey can holder it gave me an idea for another design. When I had finished the monkey and put a can in the eyes spread out and looked a bit like a part of the female anatomy.

It gave me the idea to make can holders that look like they have bikini's on.

This is the test run of the pattern that I came up with.

There are a few things that I need to work on to perfect this one. I think that the swim suit bottom might be too large and it causes the can to tip. So, I need to work on that before I post the pattern. Once I have it figured out I will let everyone know.

Also, I am miffed because my pictures keep coming out tinted pink. I have tried changing the bulbs that I am using and doing them at different times of day with different background lighting. The truly stupid thing is that I took all 3 of these pictures in succession, so why did only one come out?!?

I think that it might be my camera.

Birds Purse

2010-09-10T07:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, I finally finished a second purse. This one was a request from my sister. She wanted little birds sewn on the side.

The lining is from a pattern online. The tutorial can be found at http://www.futuregirl.com/craft_blog/2008/01/tutorial-sew-lining-for-crocheted-bag.aspx

(Thanks so much to Futuregirl for the awesome instructions.)

Now that I have tried the lining I think that I will got back and add one to some of the other bags that I have made. It's nice because it keeps everything that your carrying from poking out through the crochet.

Monkey Can Holder

2010-09-07T07:37:00.000-07:00

I had a request to make some monkey can holders.

I used a pattern that I found online. The link is http://crochetingcrab.blogspot.com/2010/06/materials-1.html.
(Thanks to Crocheting Crab for the great pattern.)

I think that I put the eyes on too high and a bit too far apart. But overall though I think it looks okay.

This pattern has given me some ideas of other things that could be done with can cozies. I need to work on some patterns, but once I am done I will post the results.

Also, a word of advice about light boxes... you want to use them in a dark room, otherwise the pictures turn out tinted.

More Trick or Treat Bags

2010-08-31T06:56:00.001-07:00

Okay, I've been playing with the trick or treat bag pattern and these are some of the examples that I have come up with.

This one is and eyeball.

I just made a two color circle for the pupil and iris and sewed it into place after the body of the bag was completed. Then I used red yarn to free hand sew the veins on both sides.

This one is a black cat. The picture is really dark, but you can still see most of the detail.

I used a leaf pattern to make the eyes and just stitched in some color for the irises. The nose and ears are just basic triangles, and the mouth and whiskers are embroidered on. I am not sure that I like the position of the ears, but it was hard to place them on the round bag top. I think that these ears would work better with a dog face.

I also found a tutorial online for building a photographers light box. I think that I will make one so that I can use it to get more detail in the pictures that I take of things. If it works I will post a link to the site where I found it so that others can find it.

Basic Round Bag/Trick or Treat Bag

2010-08-25T19:41:00.001-07:00

This is a pattern that I made to do a trick of treat bag for my son. I've modified this version to be a bit bigger, because you need a lot of room for candy... at least that's my opinion.

The pattern listed below is just the basic bag. Any color changes or embellishments are up to you.

I used this pattern to make a pumpkin trick or treat bag. I just changed the color to green in the last row and added some leaves. I found the pattern for the leaves at Crochet Pattern Central. (www.crochetpatterncentral.com)

This one is a version of the pattern as a fish bowl. In this one I use a variegated yarn on the bottom so that it would look like the sand/rocks at the bottom of a fish bowl. Then I just transitioned to blue when I thought that it looked right. The greenery and fish were sewn on after the main bag was finished. The fish also came from a pattern on Crochet Pattern Central.

I am planning on adding some little stuffed fish to the fish bowl bag so that my son can use it to learn counting and colors. I will post pictures once I am done.

So, now for the pattern...

This pattern is worked in a spiral without joining each row with a slip stitch. You will need a stitch marker to mark the last stitch of each row.

Yarn: 4 ply cotton worsted weight
Hook: H

sc - single crochet

sts - stitches

sl st - slip stitch

ch - chain

Row 1: Make a ring using magic ring technique. 6 sc in ring, pull slack out of ring. (6 sts)
Row 2: 2 sc in each st (12 sts)
Row 3: (1 sc in next st, 2 sc in next st) repeat 5 times (18 sts)
Row 4: (1 sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st) repeat 5 times (24 sts)
Row 5: (1 sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st) repeat 5 times (30 sts)
Row 6: (1 sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in next st) repeat 5 times (36 sts)
Row 7: (1 sc in next 5 sts, 2 sc in next st) repeat 5 times (42 sts)
Row 8: (1 sc in next 6 sts, 2 sc in next st) repeat 5 times (48 sts)
Row 9: sc in each st around (48 sts)
Row 10: (1 sc in next 7 sts, 2 sc in next st) repeat 5 times (54 sts)
Row 11: sc in each st around (54 sts)
Row 12: (1 sc in next 8 sts, 2 sc in next st) repeat 5 times (60 sts)
Row 13: sc in each st around (60 sts)
Row 14: (1 sc in next 9 sts, 2sc in next st) repeat 5 times (66 sts)
Row 15: sc in each st around (66 sts)
Row 16: (1 sc in next 10 sts, 2 sc in next st) repeat 5 times (72 sts)
Rows 17-25: sc in each st around (72 sts)
Row 26: (1 sc in next 10 sts, 1 sc dec in next 2 sts) repeat 5 times (66 sts)
Row 27: sc in each st around (66 sts)
Row 28: (1 sc in next 9 sts, 1 sc dec in next 2 sts) repeat 5 times (60 sts)
Row 29: sc in each st around (60 sts)
Row 30: (1 sc in next 8 sts, 1 sc dec in next 2 sts) repeat 5 times (54 sts)
Row 31: sc in each st around (54 sts)
Row 32: (1 sc in next 7 sts, 1 sc dec in next 2 sts) repeat 5 times (48 sts)
Row 33: sc in each st around (48 sts)
Row 34: (1 sc in next 6 sts, 1 sc dec in next 2 sts) repeat 5 times (42 sts)
Row 35: sc in each st around (42 sts)
Row 36: sc in each st around, join with sl st, ch 1, turn (42 sts)
Rows 37-78: sc in next 4 sts, ch 1, turn (4 sts)
Finish off leaving 6 inch tail.

Join handle to opposite side of the bag using tail to sew. Embellish with leaves or other decorations.

I am posting this pattern for anyone who would like to use it on their own projects. If you repost it please make mention of where it came from and please do not repost this pattern for sale.

Master Shake Can/Cup Holder

2010-08-23T11:02:00.000-07:00

Everything that I have been making lately has all been inspired by a can cozy that someone asked me to make. The pattern was so simple that my mind started expanding on it and I ended up with bags and purses based on it.

My husband asked if I could make him a can cozy based on a carton character that he likes.

This is Master Shake.

This is the Master Shake Can/Cup Holder.

I think that this one turned out pretty well. So, I am sharing this pattern.

It is worked in unjoined rounds, so you will need to either use a stitch marker to mark the beginning of each round, or trust that your focus is better than mine.

Yarn: 4 ply cotton worsted weight.
Hook size: H

sc – single crochet
sts - stitches

Row 1: Make a ring using magic ring technique. 6 sc in ring, pull slack out of ring. (6 sts)
Row 2: 2 sc in each st (12 sts)
Row 3: (1 sc in next st, 2 sc in next st) repeat 5 times (18 sts)
Row 4: (1 sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st) repeat 5 times (24 sts)
Row 5: (1 sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st) repeat 5 times (30 sts)
Rows 6-16: sc in each st around (30 sts)
Row 17: (1 sc in next 4 sts, 2 sc in next st) repeat 5 times (36 sts)
Row 18: sc in each st around (36 sts)
Row 19: (1 sc in next 5 sts, 2 sc in next st) repeat 5 times (42 sts)
Row 20-24: sc in each st around (42 sts)
Finish off.

Turn lip over and use same color yarn to sew in place.

Cut hands out of yellow felt and sew into place using regular sewing thread.

Using black yarn, sew on face.

I am posting this pattern for anyone who would like to use it on their own projects. If you repost it please make mention of where it came from and please do not repost this pattern for sale.

Brown Flowered Bag

2010-08-19T07:31:00.001-07:00

This is the newest in a series of bags that I am working on. Since it was an experiment I have not written down the pattern yet. Once I have some of the flaws worked out I will post it for anyone who wants to try it themselves.

The flowers were also an experiment. They are made from some wool that I felted. The only downside is that I now know that I am allergic to wool. Unfortunately, I have some other items that I already started in a different color. So, I guess I will be living off allergy medication until I can get them done. Then it's back to acrylic.

It's such a bummer... I really liked making the felt. :-(

Start of something beautiful...

2010-08-19T07:11:00.001-07:00

Okay, so the crafts were starting to take over the family blog. So, in an effort to separate my two loves (my son and yarn) I started this new one. Hopefully this way the people who want to see pictures of him can do so in peace without being bombarded with my craftiness.