Mamas2Hands

Retro Ric-Rac Afghan Square

October 16, 2025October 16, 2025Crochet, Crochet Design, Free Pattern Links, PatternLeave a Comment

Another trip around the sun and another Afghan Square pattern for my readers. Once again I wanted to create a square that is a little easier than some of my other squares. This square has a bit of a Retro vibe with skinny V-stitches creating the fun Ric Rac border. The square starts off with a classic granny square for round 1, then alternating colors for each round worked in Linen Stitch to create a fun striped effect.

This square is Block #21 in the 2025 Moogly CAL. You can see Tamara’s notes on her square here at MooglyBlog.com as well as finding the links to the other CAL blocks.

Retro Ric Rac Afghan Square

Skill level: Easy Intermediate

Finished Size: 12” square

Materials:

Yarn – Worsted weight yarn in 3 colors – Sample uses Red Heart “With Love” 100% Acrylic (7 oz/198 g, 370 yds/338 m),

Color A: #1101 Eggshell {aprox 31 g, 58 yds/53 m}

Color B: #1502 Iced Aqua {aprox 40 g, 74 yds/68 m}

Color C: #1538 Lilac {aprox 14 g, 26 yds/24 m}

Hook – J / 6mm or size needed to meet gauge

Notions – Yarn/tapestry needle, Locking stitch markers (4)

Gauge – First 6 rounds of pattern = 4” across square

Abbreviations/Special Stitches

(RS) Right Side: The side that will be the primary/public side of the fabric.

(WS) Wrong Side: The side that will be the back side of the fabric.

(PM) Place Marker

(sl st) Joining slip st: Insert hook in indicated place, YO, pull up a loop through indciated place and loop on hook, continue to pull up on working loop until original loop is tight. Where instructed for color changes, pull a loop of old color and new color through loop on hook.

(Standing dc) Standing Double Crochet: Make slip knot and place loop snugly on shaft of hook, yo and insert hook into indicated place, yo, pull up a loop, (yo, pull through 2 loops on hook) twice.

(SkV-st) Skinny V-stitch: 2 dc in indicated st or sp, next row or round 2 dc are worked between the 2 dc on previous row or round.

Pattern Notes:

Start square with an adjustable slip knot. Beginning tail tightens the loop on the hook.

Keep tails on wrong side of square as you work to help track which is wrong side and right side.

Stitch counts at the end of each round and row are shown in italicized brackets at end of each round.

Center will be started with granny shells then worked in linen stitch, switching between 2 colors each round {without cutting yarn} to create vertical stripes, then 5 rounds of Stacked Skinny V sts to create zig-zags changing colors each round. Final 2 rounds of single crochet are both worked as RS rounds.

Rounds are not turned for every round, check if Round is listed as RS or WS.

Instructions

Rnd 1 (RS) Color A: Begin with Color A. Starting with adjustable slip knot, ch 4 {counts as center and first dc},

(dc, ch 2, {3 dc, ch 2} 3 times, dc) in 4th chain from hook, sl st to join to top of beginning ch, PM in each ch-2 sp. [4 Shl, 4 ch-2 sp]

Rnd 2 (RS) Color A: Ch 1, sc in same st as join, [ch 1, skip next st (sc, ch 2, sc) in marked ch-2 sp, move marker to ch-2 sp just made, ch 1, skip next st, sc in next st] 4 times, ch 1, sl st to join to first sc of Rnd pulling up a loop of Color B through sl st {you will have a loop both colors on hook} Do Not Fasten off Color A, pull up longer working loop of Color A and move to WS of square along with working yarn of Color A. [12 sc, 8 ch-1 sp, 4 ch-2 sp]

Rnd 3 (WS) Color B: With Color B, ch 1, turn, [sc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, skip next st (sc, ch 2, sc) in marked ch-2 sp, move st marker to ch-2 sp just made, ch 1, skip next st, sc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1] 4 times, sl st to join to first sc of Rnd pulling up previous loop of Color A through sl st. Do Not Fasten off Color B, pull up longer working loop of Color B and move to WS of square along with working yarn of Color B. [16 sc, 12 ch-1 sp, 4 ch-2 sp]

Rnd 4 (RS) Color A: With Color A, ch 1, turn, [sc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, skip next st] 2 times, [*(sc, ch 2, sc) in marked ch-2 sp, move st marker to ch-2 sp just made, {ch 1, skip next st, sc in next ch-1 sp*} 3 times, ch 1] 3 times, Repeat from * to * once, ch 1, sl st to join to first sc of Rnd pulling up previous loop of Color B through sl st. Do Not Fasten off Color A, pull up longer working loop of Color A and move to WS of square along with working yarn of Color A. [20 sc, 16 ch-1 sp, 4 ch-2 sp]

Rnd 5 (WS) Color B: With Color B, ch 1, turn, [*sc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, skip next st*, Repeat from * to * until reach marked ch-2 sp, (sc, ch 2, sc) in marked ch-2 sp, move st marker to ch-2 sp just made, ch 1] 4 times, Repeat from * to * until reach beginning of Rnd, join with sl st first sc of Rnd pulling up previous loop of Color A through sl st. Do Not Fasten off Color B, pull up longer working loop of Color B and move to WS of square along with working yarn of Color B. [24 sc, 20 ch-1 sp, 4 ch-2 sp]

Rnd 6 (RS) A: With Color A, ch 1, turn, [*sc in next ch-1 sp, ch 1, skip next st*, Rep from * to * until reach marked ch-2 sp, (sc, ch 2, sc) in marked ch-2 sp, move st marker to ch-2 sp just made, ch 1] 4 times, Rep from * to * until reach beginning of Rnd, join with sl st first sc of Rnd pulling up previous loop of Color B through sl st. Do Not Fasten off Color A, pull up longer working loop of Color A and move to WS of square along with working yarn of Color A. [28 sc, 24 ch-1 sp, 4 ch-2 sp]

Rnd 7 (WS) B: Repeat Rnd 5. [32 sc, 28 ch-1 sp, 4 ch-2 sp]

Rnd 8 (RS) A: Repeat Rnd 6. [36 sc, 32 ch-1 sp, 4 ch-2 sp]

Rnd 9 (WS) B: Repeat Rnd 5. Fasten off Color B. [40 sc, 36 ch-1 sp, 4 ch-2 sp]

Rnd 10 (RS) A: Repeat Rnd 6. Fasten off Color A. [44 sc, 40 ch-1 sp, 4 ch-2 sp]

Rnd 11 (WS): With Color C and wrong side facing, begin with Standing dc in any ch-1 sp along a side, dc in same sp as first st {counts as first SkV-st of Round}, skip next st, [SkV-st in each ch-1 sp until reach marked ch-2 sp at corner, (dc, ch 2, dc) in ch-2 sp, move st marker up to ch-2 sp just made] 4 times, 2 dc in each ch-1 sp until reach start of Rnd, join with sl st to Standing dc at start. Fasten off Color C. [40 SkV-st, 8 dc, 4 ch-2 sp]

Rnd 12 (RS): With Color A and RS facing, begin with Standing dc between 2 dc of any SkV-st along a side, dc in same place as first st {counts as first SkV-st of Round}, skip next 2 sts, [SkV-st in between the 2 dc of each SkV-st until reach marked ch-2 sp at corner, (SkV-st, ch 2, SkV-st) in ch-2 sp, move st marker up to ch-2 sp just made] 4 times, SkV-st in between the 2 dc of each SkV-st until reach start of Rnd, join with sl st to Standing dc at start. Fasten off Color A. [48 SkV-st, 4 ch-2 sp]

Rnd 13 (WS): With Color B and WS facing, begin with Standing dc between 2 dc of any SkV-st along a side, dc in same place as first st {counts as first SkV-st of Round}, skip next 2 sts, [SkV-st in between the 2 dc of each SkV-st until reach marked ch-2 sp at corner, (dc, ch 2, dc) in ch-2 sp, move st marker up to ch-2 sp just made] 4 times, SkV-st in between the 2 dc of each SkV-st until reach start of Rnd, join with sl st to Standing dc at start.

Fasten off Color B. [48 SkV-st, 8 dc, 4 ch-2 sp]

Rnd 14 (RS): Repeat Rnd 12. [56 SkV-st, 4 ch-2 sp]

Rnd 15 (WS): With Color C, repeat Rnd 13. [56 SkV-st, 8 dc, 4 ch-2 sp]

Rnd 16 (RS): With Color A and RS facing, attach with sl st to any st along the side, ch 1, [sc in each st until reach marked ch-2 sp, (sc, ch 2, sc) in marked ch-2 sp, move st marker up to ch-2 sp just made] 4 times, sc in each st until reach start of Rnd, join with sl st to first sc of Rnd. [128 sc, 4 ch-2 sp]

Rnd 17 (RS): Ch 1, [sc in each st until reach marked ch-2 sp, (sc, ch 2, sc) in marked ch-2 sp, move st marker up to ch-2 sp just made] 4 times, sc in each st until reach start of Rnd, join with sl st to first sc of Rnd. [136 sc, 4 ch-2 sp]

Finishing

Weave in tails and block.

Granada Grand Square Pattern

October 16, 2024October 17, 2024Crochet Design, Pattern, Uncategorized1 Comment

Another trip around the sun and another Afghan Square pattern for my readers. This one is a little easier than some of my other squares. But it’s a lot of fun to work up, you can experiment with the colors you use, or even how frequently you change the colors.

This square is Block #21 in the 2024 Moogly CAL. You can find links to the other CAL blocks here at MooglyBlog.com.

Granada Grand Square

Skill level: Intermediate

Finished Size: 12” square

Materials:

Yarn

Worsted wt (Sample uses Red Heart “With Love” 100% Acrylic (7 oz/198g, 370 yd/338 m)

Color A: Eggshell (sample used approximately 44 yards)

Color B: Blue Hawaii (sample used approximately 40 yards)

Color C: Daffodil (sample used approximately 19 yards)

Hook: J / 6 mm

Notions: Yarn/tapestry needle for weaving in ends

Gauge: First 2 rounds of pattern = 2” across square

Abbreviations/Special Stitches

Standing Double Crochet (Standing dc): make slip knot in yarn and place loop snugly on shaft of hook, yo and insert hook into indicated st, yo, pull up a loop, (yo, pull thru 2 loops on hook) twice. If substituting for a chain start of a round, do not work the first 3 chains of the round instructions.

V-stitch (V-st): (dc, ch 1, dc) in indicated st or sp.

Granny Shell (GrnShl): 3 dc worked in indicated st or sp.

Pattern Notes:

Start square with an adjustable slip knot. Beginning tail tightens the loop on the hook.

Instructions

Rnd 1 (RS): Starting with Color A, ch 4 (counts as center and first dc), (11 dc) in 4th ch from hook, sl st to top of beginning ch-4. Gently pull beginning tail to tighten center. [12 dc]

Rnd 2 (RS): Ch 1, sc in same st as join, *(hdc, ch 2, hdc) in next st, sc in each of next 2 sts,* Rep from * to * 2 times, (hdc, ch 2, hdc) in next st, sc in next st, join with sl st to first sc of Rnd. [8 sc, 8 hdc, 4 ch- 2 sps] Fasten off Color A – R1-2 (1.6g/3 yds yarn)

Rnd 3 (RS): Change to Color B, with RS facing (Standing dc, 2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in any ch-2 sp, [ch 1, skip 4 sts, {3 dc, ch 2, 3 dc} in next ch-2 sp] 3 times, ch 1, skip 4 sts, sl st to first dc. [24 dc, 4 ch-1 sps, 4 ch-2 sps]

Rnd 4 (RS): Ch 1, sc in same st as join, sc in each of next 2 sts, *(sc, ch 1, sc) in next ch-2 sp, sc in each of next 3 sts, ch 5, skip next ch-1 sp,** sc in each of next 3 sts,* Rep from * to * 2 times, Rep from * to ** once, sl st to first sc of Rnd. [32 sc, 4 ch-5 sps, 4 ch-1 sp] Fasten off Color B – R3-4 (4g/7.5 yds)

Rnd 5 (RS): Change to Color C, with RS facing, (Standing dc, 3 dc, ch 3, 4 dc) in any ch-5 sp, *ch 2, skip 4 sts, sc in next ch-1 sp, ch 2, skip 4 sts, ** (4 dc, ch 3, 4 dc) in next ch-5 sp,* Rep from * to * 2 times, Rep from * to ** once, sl st to first dc of Rnd. [32 dc, 8 ch-2 sp, 4 sc, 4 ch-3 sp]

Rnd 6 (WS): Ch 3, turn, 2 dc in first ch-2 sp {counts as first GrnShl}, [*ch 1, skip next st, GrnShl next ch-2 sp, ch 1, skip 4 sts, (GrnShl, ch 2, GrnShl) in next ch-3 sp, ch 1, skip 4 sts,* GrnShl in next ch-2 sp] 2 times, Rep from * to * once, sl st to top of beg ch-3. [16 GrnShl, 12 ch-1 sp, 4 sch-2 sp] 4 GrnShl each side between ch-2 corner sps

Rnd 7 (RS): Ch 4, turn, dc in same ch-1 sp as join {counts as first V-st}, [ch 1, (V-st, ch 2, V-st) in ch-2 corner sp, *ch 1, skip next GrnShl, V-st in next ch-1 sp, * Rep from * to * until reach next ch-2 corner sp] 3 times, ch 1, (V-st, ch 2, V-st) in ch-2 corner sp, Rep from * to * until reach end of Rnd, ch 1, sl st to 3rd ch of beg ch-4. [20 V-sts, 16 ch-1 sp, 4 ch-2 sp] 5 V-sts each side between ch-2 corner sps Fasten off Color C – R5-7 (10g/19 yds)

Rnd 8 (WS): Change to Color B, with WS facing, (Standing dc, ch1, dc) in a ch-1 sp between V-sts {counts as first V-st}, [*ch 1, skip next V-st, V-st in next ch-1 sp,* Rep from * to * until work in ch-1 sp before corner, ch 1, skip next V-st, (V-st, ch 2, V-st) in ch-2 corner sp] 4 times, Rep from * to * until reach beginning of Rnd, ch 1, skip next V-st, sl st to top of Standing dc. [24 V-sts, 20 ch-1 sp, 4 ch-2 sp] 6 V-sts each side between ch-2 corner sps

Rnd 9 (RS): Ch 4, turn, dc in same ch-1 sp as join join {counts as first V-st}, [*ch 1, skip next V-st, V-st in next ch-1 sp,* Rep from * to * until work in ch-1 sp before corner, ch 1, skip next V-st, (V-st, ch 2, V-st) in ch-2 corner sp] 4 times, Rep from * to * until reach beginning of Rnd, ch 1, skip next V-st, sl st to 3^rd ch of beg ch-4. [28 V-sts, 24 ch-1 sp, 4 ch-2 sp] 7 V-sts each side between ch-2 corner sps

Rnd 10 (WS): Rep Rnd 9. [32 V-sts, 28 ch-1 sp, 4 ch-2 sp] 8 V-sts each side between ch-2 corner sps. Fasten off Color B – R8-10 (17.1g/32 yds)

Rnd 11 (RS): Change to Color A, with RS facing, (Standing dc, ch1, dc) in any ch-1 sp between V-sts {counts as first V-st}, [*ch 1, skip next V-st, V-st in next ch-1 sp,* Rep from * to * until work in ch-1 sp before corner, ch 1, skip next V-st, (V-st, ch 2, V-st) in ch-2 corner sp] 4 times, Rep from * to * until reach beginning of Rnd, ch 1, skip next V-st, sl st to top of Standing dc. [36 V-sts, 32 ch-1 sp, 4 ch-2 sp] 9 V-sts each side between ch-2 corner sps

Rnd 12 (WS): Ch 1, turn, sc in same ch-1 as join, [*ch 1, skip next st, sc in next ch-sp,* Rep from * to * until reach corner ch-2 sp, (sc, ch 2, sc) in corner ch-2 sp] 4 times, Repeat from * to * until reach beginning of Rnd, ch 1, sl st to first sc of Rnd, turn. [76 sc, 72 ch-1 sp, 4 ch-2 sp] 19 sc and 18 ch-1 sp each side between ch-2 corner sps.

Rnds 13 & 14 (RS): Ch 1, sc in same st as join, *sc in each st or sp until reach ch-2 sp at corner, (sc, ch 2, sc) in corner ch-2 sp,* Rep from * to * 3 times, sc in each st or sp until reach beginning of Rnd, sl st to join.

Rnd 13 – [156 sc, 4 ch-2 sp] 39 sc each side between ch-2 corner sps.

Rnd 14 – [164 sc, 4 ch-2 sp] 41 sc each side between ch-2 corner sps – R11-14 (22g/41 yds)

Finishing

Weave in all ends securely and block.

Wire Blocking Your Crochet Projects

September 13, 2024September 13, 2024Crochet, Crochet How-Tos, How Tos, Tips and TricksLeave a Comment

Blocking is a great way to give a professional appearance to your finished projects. Especially if you are crocheting something with a lot of open space in the design, like lace. Wire blocking is my favorite way to block lace as it allows me to use fewer pins and to stretch the fabric aggressively to really showcase the lace. It can be transformative to see how a piece changes before and after wire blocking.

During one of my friend Jan’s visits to Colorado we had a lot of fun wire blocking her version of the “Right Angle Wrap”. You can read all about that project in this blog post: Water, Pins and Magic. You can see in that post how much the fabric changed after blocking.

I also really like using wires to block unusual shapes, like a moebius. You can see how I use the wires to keep the moebius shape and it’s fabric open in this blog post: Blocking with a Twist. This is the method I used for the Anna’s Moebius that I just made.

Floating Diamonds Shawlette before Blocking

Floating Diamonds Shawlette after Blocking

My design Floating Diamonds Shawlette was worked in a cotton/silk/rayon blend and really met it’s full potential with blocking. You can get the free version of the pattern in this blog post: Floating Diamonds Shawlette or purchase the version with a stitch chart in my Ravelry Shop.

When blocking using wires you can start with your project wet or dry. Generally you can get a more dramatic change to the fabric by starting with your project wet. If you prefer a more gentle block, you can lay out the dry project and then mist it with water or use a steamer. I live on a mountain in arid Colorado so I tend to really soak my project before wire blocking as it takes some time to weave the wires and pin them out. Oftentimes I find my project has almost dried before I have finished setting it up. If you are in a dry climate you may want to also soak your project.

In humid climates you are generally going to want to use steam for blocking. Some of my friends that live in hot humid climates have had good luck letting the natural heat and moisture activate their blocking. Once they have the blocking result they want while the project is stretched with the wires, they let it sit in a protected outdoor location for 24 hours, then bring it indoors in the air-conditioning to let it dry.

I usually leave all my tails unwoven until after my project has been blocked and dried. Especially if I am blocking a lacy fabric that I want to open a lot. I have found that if I weave in the tails ahead of time it can create tight spots in the fabric that restrict the blocking.

Blocking isn’t just for natural fibers like cotton, linen, silk or wool. You can also get beautiful results with blocking synthetic fibers like rayon, polyester or acrylic. With acrylic and polyester you will get the best results using a steamer once you have the wires inserted and pinned for your project.

What do you need to wire block?

Obviously you’ll need some blocking wires, you can purchase a variety of blocking wires on Amazon, you just want to be sure that the wires you are going to use are rust proof, especially if you will be using the wet method of blocking. The last thing you want is to end up with rust spots everywhere the wires touched your project. You will also need some nickel-plated T-pins. These are for anchoring the blocking wires as you stretch your fabric.

For the most secure hold of the pins you need a blocking mat. The size of mat needed depends on the size of the project you are blocking. Again you have quite a few options for blocking mats on Amazon, but I tend to use 18″ x 18″ foam rubber floor mats that are made to use on concrete floors. I have purchased mine over the years at Costco. Much more affordable and they work great for me.

For larger projects you need either floor space, or in my case I use my bed, where you can spread out your blocking mats. If you are fortunate enough to have a large work table that is even better. Crawling around on the floor to block a project can be a bit tiring and hard on the back.

Now you are ready to use wires to block your crochet project. Just weave the wires through the edges of your fabric or where you need to stabilize the shape. Then use T-pins to secure the wires. Once you have pinned the wires you may want to adjust to add more even stretch to your fabric. Mist or steam as needed to relax the fabric, then let it dry completely before releasing the wires.

I hope you feel ready to wire block your next crochet project.

Find Your Tribe

March 24, 2024Celebrating, Crochet, NatCroMoLeave a Comment

We are starting into the last week of March and the end of National Crochet Month, though it’s always time to celebrate crochet for me. One of the best ways to celebrate is to find a tribe of fellow crochet and yarn enthusiasts to gather with. I spend a lot of time with my group at Longmont Yarn Shoppe “Casual Crochet”. We meet each month on the first and third Wednesday of the month (and the 5th Wednesday if the month has five).

Last week we got together and we had some fun celebrating the end of NatCroMo. We had a lovely spread of snacks and drinks. Gail, the owner of Longmont Yarn Shoppe, treated us to these goodies. The core of our group, including myself, have been gathering together to crochet and learn from each other for at least 8 years now. Might actually be longer, I’ve sort of lost track of when exactly we started getting together.

I even brought in my latest big crochet hook. This hook is 31 mm in diameter (approximately 1.22 inches) and is a bit of a workout to crochet with. The smaller hook in the photo is a Clover Amour P/Q 15mm. Big difference in size between the 2.

Karen was the only one that was game for trying it out though. We had a lot of fun crocheting and laughing.

I am planning on working the 2 balls of Bernat Blanket Extra Thick I got to test out the hook into a lapghan. I picked a simple single crochet rectangle for the pattern as I plan on putting this on my lap when my cat wants to sit with me. Otherwise his claws get a bit pokey.

That was the second large hook I made this month. The first is hanging in the shop window and is even larger.

It was made from a 2 inch diameter pine dowel and was quite the workout to carve. The small hook in the picture with the dowel is the same in the photo further up with the big hook. I’ll be making a paper mache version of this giant hook after we take it out of the window. That way the shop can have one for display that isn’t quite so heavy. Seriously, this hook is like a baseball bat.

I hope you all have a great start to your last week of NatCroMo 2024. I’ll have a few more blog posts for you before April rolls around.

Happiness in a Circle

March 14, 2024March 14, 2024Celebrating, Crochet, M2H Designs Ravelry ShopLeave a Comment

If you didn’t know, today is Pi-Day. For those of you that are new to visiting my blog I am a bit of a geek. I use geometry in my designing process all the time, but my favorite geometrical shapes are circles.

This blog post contains affiliate links, purchases through these links help support me without additional cost to you.

For those of you uncertain what Pi is and how it relates to circles…it is a mathematical constant that is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, approximately equal to 3.14159. It also appears in many formulae across mathematics and physics. For most uses the abbreviated version of 3.14 is more than enough. March 14 is written as 3/14 for most of us here in the US, so some of us geeky souls like to refer to today as Pi-Day.

I have been playing with some circles lately, I made this fun little pouch as an experiment. It is still a work in progress, but so far I like what I’ve come up with. This was just 2 flat circles worked in 5 rounds of double crochet, I then crocheted them together and added a Romanian Cord to create a little wearable pocket for my phone and a few odds and ends when I am running around the house. The crochet hook is to give you a feel for the size of the pouch.

If you are wondering about how to get your flat circles as round as mine you can check out my post about Crocheting Really Round Circles here. I get very detailed in that post about crocheting flat circles and keeping their edges round.

If you are more interested in using Pi to crochet hats that fit the person they are made for, check out my Perfect Fit Crocheted Hat pattern. It is basically my Perfect Fit Crochet Hat class in a pattern. Everything you need to know for adjusting the size of your hat for fit and for the yarn you are using. You don’t even need to be a wizard at math, because I have some easy visual cheats included in the pattern. Once you have worked through the pattern you will understand how to adjust any crown-down constructed hat to fit your yarn and whomever you are making the hat for.

I recently purchased some 24 inch diameter floral hoops to use for creating some crochet art. The first piece I have been making is fairly free-form, so math hasn’t been as much help in this project. This is just the start of it. Once the hoop is filled in and the crochet open work is anchored to it, I’ll be adding crochet pieces to the foreground to make a fun little scene. The whole thing is currently anchored to my work surface so that I can stretch it as I go.

I do have some additional pieces planned that will involve more math as I fill in the hoop. I’ll share more images as these projects progress.

I bought my hoops on Amazon and am very happy with the quality of what I received. You can check them out by clicking here. These hoops are strong and well shaped without any distortion from shipping. They have them in variety of sizes, so I may be ordering some of the smaller ones for making framed snowflakes in the fall. The 24″ diameter ones were the largest offered on that product listing.

Quick Shamrock Pattern

March 12, 2024Crochet, M2H Designs Ravelry Shop, PatternLeave a Comment

Saint Patrick’s Day is this coming Sunday and I decided to make up a little clover for all my lovely readers.

This quick little shamrock can be crocheted up in just a few minutes with about 4 yards of worsted weight yarn. I used Berroco’s Ultra Wool and a 5mm hook for the shamrocks shown above. You can sew or glue your shamrock onto a pin back to create a fun brooch to wear or sew the finished shamrock unto a hat, gloves, or scarf.

I have a PDF version available through my Ravelry shop that also includes a stitch chart. The PDF version is available for free in my Ravelry shop with coupon code 2024QSSPD through 11:30 p.m. Mountain Time Saturday, March 16, 2024. Just place the pattern in your cart and when checking out put the coupon code in the code spot.

Quick Shamrock Pattern

By Andee Graves

Skill Level: Easy

Finished Size: 2.25 inches (5.7 cm) tall x 2.25 inches (5.7 cm) wide

Materials

Yarn Berroco “Ultra Wool” Worsted Weight, 100% Superwash Wool,

3.5 oz/100 g, 219 yds/200 m (1.8 g/4 yds for 1 Shamrock)

Hook H / 5 mm or size needed to obtain consistent fabric

Gauge is not critical to this project; fabric needs to be consistent and tight. Shamrock can be worked with different weight of yarn, just adjust the size hook so you get the desired result.

Notions Yarn/tapestry needle, pin back if turning into brooch/pin

Special Stitches and Abbreviations

Adjustable Slip Knot: Make like a regular slip knot but use the beginning tail to form the working loop. Pulling on the beginning tail snugs the working loop on the shaft of the hook. If desired can use the magic circle method instead, just count your circle as the first chain stitch. Click here for my YouTube video if you need help with the Adjustable Slip Knot.

2 Extended Double crochet Cluster (2ExDcCL): [Yo, insert hook into indicated stitch, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull through 1 loop, yo, pull through 2 loops] 2 times, yo, pull through remaining 3 loops on hook.

Pattern Notes

This shamrock is worked from the center out in 2 rounds, at the end of the second round you chain a length then work back towards the body of the shamrock to create the stem.

Pattern Instructions

Rnd 1: Make an adjustable slip knot, ch 2, 6 hdc in second ch from hook, join with a slip st to first hdc of round. (6 hdc)

Rnd 2: (Ch 4, 2ExDcCL, hdc, 2ExDcCL, ch 4, slip st) in first st, [slip st loosely in next st, (slip st, ch 4, 2ExDcCL, hdc, 2ExDcCL, ch 4, slip st) in next st] 2 times, slip st loosely in next st,

{Stem} ch 6, sc in back bump of second ch from hook, slip st loosely in back bump of each of next 4 chs, slip st to join to Rnd 1 between last and first hdc. Fasten off.

(6 2ExDcCL, 3 hdc, 6 ch-4 sp, 7 loose slip sts, 1 sc)

I used Vanna’s Choice with an I hook (5.5mm) for the brighter green Shamrock shown above, you can see that it came out a bit bigger than the shamrocks made with Berroco Ultra Wool.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day to all my Irish and Irish Heritage readers.

Yarn Bombing the Tree

March 9, 2024Crochet, NatCroMoLeave a Comment

2023 Yarn Bombing of Tree
at Longmont Yarn Shoppe

Last year the crochet group (Casual Crochet) at the Longmont Yarn Shoppe covered the trunk of the tree in front of the shop with a multi-textural yarn bombing. It was a big hit with the community and so yarn-bombing the tree is now becoming a regular thing for the shop. In December the machine knitting folks made a red and white striped fabric that they wrapped the tree with.

This year Gail, the shop owner, and I decided for National Crochet Month we needed a new yarn-bombing. We got going on this a little late, so we did it in stages. Yesterday we finally finished it.

The exterior of building the shop is housed in is currently undergoing some renovations, so it is harder for folks to find us at times. This means the yarn-bombing will help make our location easier to spot. I used one of the colorful shopping bags and turned it into the first stage of our yarn bombing that we put up on March 1st.

Then this past Wednesday we put up Stage 2, which is our Random Acts of Crochet Kindness (RAoCK) section. It has been really popular and the group is going to be busy keeping up supplies to re-stock it.

It was also our first Wednesday of the month gathering, and we spent a lot of our time sewing pieces to the Stage 3 piece. My friend Margie helped me a lot on this project and has really been the inspiration for lots of our RAoCK projects.

Finally yesterday, Margie and I got together for a couple hours at the shop and finished attaching all the pretties to the Stage 3 section and put it on the tree. I think it came out really well. Yesterday was pretty chilly with snow in the air, so our colorful spring and summer feeling yarn bombing was a fun way to add some warmth to the day.

Our group has more crochet activities planned for NatCroMo at the shop. Stop by again regularly this month for all the excitement.

There’s No Place like Gnome

March 5, 2024March 4, 2024Celebrating, Crochet, Crochet Design, M2H Designs Ravelry Shop, NatCroMo, Paid Pattern Links1 Comment

Happy National Crochet Month my friends! March has started off with a bang for me. I”m helping out with all sorts of fun stuff at the Longmont Yarn Shoppe and will be sharing more about that. Suffice to say that I’ve been so busy that I didn’t get a chance until today to do my first post of March to celebrate NatCroMo.

3 Colorful Crocheted Gnomes on a Gray background. Front Gnome had yellow body, gray beard and orange hat with floppy brim. Middle Gnome has bright blue body, white beard and magenta hat with small brim. Last Gnome has orange body with arms up in air, cream beard and green hat with small brim.

First of all say hello to my newest design, this is my “Cute Lil Gnome” pattern. This fun amigurumi is made using small bits of worsted weight yarn. Approximate yardage for each of the 4 pieces are: body -14 yards, Hat – 8.5 yards, Nose – 2 yards, and Beard – 3.5 yards.

Gnome held in hand with gray background. Gnome body is bright blue with a white beard, taupe nose and magenta hat. Hat has small brim.

I’ve been having fun making these little gnomes from various weights of yarn. The worsted weight gnomes are worked with Berroco Ultra Wool using a H (5mm) size hook and are 4.5 inches (10.6 cm) tall.

All my current crop of gnomes were having a little party with the Luv Bug at the shop on March 1st. The majority of the gnomes were made with Berroco Ultra Wool. The tiny one was made with KFI Collections “Teenie Weenie Wool”. The big one in pastel colors was made with some discontinued Lion Brand “Jiffy” that I had in my stash.

Crocheted toys, different sizes of gnomes surrounding a large Luvbug.

The big Gnome and Luv Bug are being crochet mascots at the Longmont Yarn Shoppe, so if you are in the area stop by and get your photo taken with them. We are also looking for suggestions for a name for the Gnome. If you stop in with a finished crochet project to get your photo taken at the shop, you can get a cute little butterfly or sheep stitch marker and enter the shop drawing to win an awesome product prize at the end of NatCroMo.

I designed this project so you only have to sew one seam. The hat is worked top down with the nose and beard crocheted at the end of the hat. The body is worked bottom up with the arms crocheted along the way. You fasten off the body with a long tail and use it to sew the body to the hat/head. A couple of fancy cluster stitches make the nose and hands, post stitches create the first round of the hat brim, but the rest of the project is single crochet, slip stitches and chain stitches.

The pattern currently has written instructions with some clarifying photo tutorials and 1 stitch chart. I’ll be updating the pattern at the end of March with stitch charts for all the parts and more photo tutorials. Once it is updated the price will go up. If you purchase your pattern now at the lower price, you will get the updated version for no additional cost when it is available.

Purchase the “Cute Lil Gnome” pattern here on Ravelry.

Make sure to check back regularly this month as I reveal more new patterns and all the creative ways I will be celebrating crochet with my local crochet community.

Estes Park Wool Market

February 20, 2024February 19, 2024Classes, Crochet, Latest News, Needle Felting, TeachingLeave a Comment

For those of you that may not have heard, I will be teaching at the 2024 Estes Park Wool Market. If you have followed my blog for a while you may have seen a post or two about my visits to this fun event that is practically in my backyard. Estes Park is a 40+ minute drive from my house. It is a gorgeous drive too, especially in June.

In 2024 the workshop days are June 6 & 7 and the vendor marketplace is June 8 & 9. I will be teaching 3 workshops there, 2 crochet and 1 needle felting. Registration for workshops is open now on the Wool Market website.

Thursday, June 6 I’ll be teaching 2 Crochet Workshops.

Stitch Chart Bootcamp (9 a.m. – Noon): For those of you that have been stymied by stitch charts, this is the perfect workshop to help you unravel them. Once you have finished this workshop you will have the skills to tackle any stitch chart and create crochet projects from them that will please you. The handout for the workshop will include lots of fun stitch charts for you to work from while attending and afterward.

Inside Out Rectangles (1 p.m. – 4 p.m.): Working from the center out in rounds is my favorite way to create crochet projects. I especially love the way it gives a lovely edge to the finished project. Rectangles worked in square rounds are really handy. They can be placemats, towels, scarves, wraps, tablecloths, throws and blankets. But how do you know what size of a foundation to start with to get the size rectangle you want. In this workshop you will learn everything you need to know to always get the size rectangle you were aiming for, as well as some fun stitch patterns to work your rectangles in.

Friday, June 7 I’ll be teaching 1 Needle Felting Workshop.

Needle Felting in 3D (9 a.m. – Noon): Needle Felting is the perfect way to create sculptural objects. You don’t have to worry about expensive tools, materials or finding a kiln to fire your pieces. With Needle Felting you can play with shape and color easily and affordably. Make everything from toys to jewelry to art. You don’t need to be experienced with needle felting to be able to step right into this craft and begin making fun 3 dimensional shapes that you can turn into anything you want.

June is a wonderful time to visit Colorado and especially the Estes Park area. The national park is just outside of town for scenic drives and fun hiking. Downtown Estes Park is full of fun shopping and great places to eat. After the workshop days are done there is the fun exploration of the vendor marketplace and meeting all the fiber bearing critters in the barns. Come check it out!

And So it Begins – 2024

January 1, 2024Celebrating1 Comment

I’ve been quiet on the blog since October, and now we are moving into another new year. That means a lot of you may be making new year’s resolutions. I tend to do that as well, though this year my nibling Lynnie posted about making silly or fun resolutions. I think that is a very good idea.

So my silly/fun resolutions for 2024 are:

Wear more sparkles. I love sparkly stuff. Glitter gets everywhere, so I am always looking for ways to have sparkle without spreading glitter from one end of the house to another. I ordered some fun sparkly hair barrettes and headbands today and I’m going to be wearing them every week. I’m also on the hunt for some sparkly fabrics (that don’t glitter bomb my house) to make some tops and accessories to use everyday.

This is my affiliate link to purchase the headbands, if you use it you support me without it costing you anything extra.

Watch funny movies every week. Everyone needs to laugh, so I’m letting myself do that regularly. It’s easy to get bogged down in all the serious stuff happening in the world and I’ll still care and act on that. But at least once a week I will renew my soul by watching something that makes me take a lighter look at life.

Read in my hammock chair every week. During the pandemic shutdown I got this awesome hammock chair and it was a great comfort to me. Not sure of the physiology of why it comforts me so much, but hanging out in it for an hour or two definitely calms and comforts me. I haven’t used it as much the past year or so, and I want to change that. I even have a big stand for it so I can use it indoors when the weather isn’t conducive to being outdoors.

I hope you can set some silly or fun resolutions for yourself as well. Wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year.