Online – Page 5 – Mamas2Hands

A Few Quick Projects

July 9, 2016March 31, 2017Chain Link, Crochet, Crochet Design, Online, Pattern12 Comments

I’m down to the last minute stuff for my trip next week to the Knit & Crochet Show a.k.a. Chain Link.

Been a busy week getting the household in shape for me to be gone 7 days. My boys will have it completely destroyed by the time I get back, but I try to have it looking nice before I head out the door.

I’ve gathered up everything I want to take, now I just need to weed it out to what I really need so that my suitcases don’t go over the weight limit.

I’ve finished 2 sweaters that are currently blocking and I’ll be sharing more with you about those after my return from this trip. Meanwhile I wanted to show you 2 fun neck wear pieces that I finished for the trip.

This is my “Loopy de Loop Necklace” made with just one ball of Classic Elite’s “Santorini” yarn. The variety of colors and textures really looked great in this simple fluffy necklace. I’ll be sharing the pattern for it along with a fun video later this ~~month~~ autumn. The blog post with the pattern is done now! “Loopy de Loop Necklace” (August 27, 2016) and the link to the video on my YouTube Channel is here.

This is my “Sweet Song Decorative Scarf” made with one hank of Lion Brand’s Silk. I bought this yarn and the beads at the Knit & Crochet Show a couple years ago and finally came up with the perfect project for it. The toughest part of working this project is that is starts off with a very long chain foundation and the regular chain stitches are periodically interspersed with beaded chain stitches.

I’m hoping to have a helpful video up for this project soon, though it could be as late as August. In the meantime here is the written pattern.

Sweet Song Decorative Scarf

design by Andee Graves

Skill Level: Easy

Materials

Yarn: Lion Brand Yarns “LB Collection Silk”, 100% Silk (1.75 oz/50 g; 163 yds/150 meters): 1 hank

Hook: Clover Amour Size 7/4.5mm

Beads: 600 Size E glass beads thread all on yarn before starting project.

Gauge: 27 chains = 5.25″, 9 rows Shells = 3.25″

Special Stitches

Beaded Chain Stitch (BdCh): slide bead up near hook, yo and pull thru loop on hook capturing bead on back bump of chain stitch.

Slanted Shell Stitch (Shl): (dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in indicated place.

Pattern Notes

The first 2 rows are the most difficult, check count carefully while working them.

Instructions

Row 1: Chain 11, *(BdCh, ch 2) 4 times, BdCh, ch 14,* Repeat from * to * 11 times.

Row 2: Turn, dc in 4th chain from hook, sk 3 chs, Shl next ch st, sk 2 chs, dc next ch, *ch 3, (BdCh, ch 2) 4 times, BdCh, ch 3, sk 19 chs, dc next ch st, sk 3 chs, Shl next ch st, sk 2 chs, dc next ch, * Repeat from * to * 11 times.

Row 3 – 11: Ch 3, turn, * dc in next dc, sk 3 dc, Shl next ch-2 sp, sk 1 dc, dc next dc, ** ch 3, (BdCh, ch 2) 4 times, BdCh, ch 3, sk 19 chs,* Repeat from * to * until reach last Shl segment, Repeat from * to ** once.

Springtime Retreat

May 7, 2016July 18, 2019Crochet, Crochet Design, Latest News, Online5 Comments

I’m a little tardy getting my weekend post up because I ran away from home yesterday. Well, not really. I’m writing you from lovely New Jersey at Jan’s house. Had quite the travel adventures getting here, but eventually it all worked out. Of course that means I arrived at Jan’s door at 2 a.m. today.

As you all know, Jan and I love to get together and crochet, so this is sort of our own little springtime retreat. Jan took time off from work and the 2 of us will be hanging out with hooks and yarn. We are also going to do a few fun day trips, heading into NYC to visit MoMA on Monday and maybe will get to see some of our NY friends while there.

The later part of next week is predicted to be fairly rainy, so we will be kicking back with some crochet projects and enjoying each other’s company. Of my 2 suitcases I checked, one is filled with crochet projects and yarn, so I’m all set.

In the meantime, I finished my experiments with the Classic Elite Yarn’s “Santorini” yarn. It did grow up to become a cowl, but I changed the width of my fabric in order to get a bit more length from the 2 balls of yarn I had. I like the look of the finished project and it is a nice size for a little added warmth in transitional weather.

I wore it when traveling yesterday and it was handy at 1 a.m. waiting outdoors for the car service to pick me up. On the plane and in the airport I wore the cowl as an infinity scarf and when I needed warmth I doubled it.

For those of you that would like to try out this design I have a pattern for you.

Springtime Cowl

Skill – Beginner

Stitches you need to know: Chain (ch), Double Crochet (dc), Single Crochet (sc)

Finished size: Approximately 5” wide x 38” around

Special Stitches

Materials

Yarn: Classic Elite Yarns “Santorini”; 58% Vicose/42% Cotton, 50 grams/125 yards. (sample was made with 2 balls of color #2156)

Hook: I-9/5.5mm

4 stitch markers; 2 in each color

Blunt yarn needle

Gauge:

15 rows and 16 stitches in pattern = 4”

Pattern Notes

First row is worked in the back bump or “bar” of each chain st so that base of row will be Vs like the top of stitches.

When reach the last row fasten off with a long tail, this tail will be used to sew the final row stitches to the base of the first row of stitches.

Twisting the strip of fabric 180 degrees turns your project into a moebius, if you want you can skip the twist and just sew the ends together to create a ring. Another option is to weave in the ends and make your strip of fabric into a short scarf.

Project used almost all the yarn in the balls, so if you don’t get gauge you may need to shorten your foundation or the number of rows you work.

Instructions

Row 1: Ch 21, working in back bumps, sc in 2^nd ch from hook, (dc next st, sc next st) 9 times, dc in last ch. (10 sc, 10 dc)

Row 2: Ch 1, turn, sc in first st, (dc next st, sc next st) 9 times, dc in last st. (10 sc, 10 dc)

Rows 3 – 138: Repeat Row 2. Fasten off with long tail.

Lay out strip of fabric horizontally and mark top corners with one color of stitch marker, then mark bottom corners with other color of stitch marker.

Fold strip so ends are close together with matching colors of stitch markers, twist top end so that stitch markers are mis-matched.

Using ending tail whip stitch tops of Row 138 stitches to bottom of Row 1.

Weave in all loose tails.

Gently block if desired.

Wishing all of you a very lovely spring weekend and a Happy Mother’s Day.

A Little Sparkle for Spring

March 16, 2016Crochet, Crochet Design, NatCroMo, Online, Pattern2 Comments

I’m still celebrating NatCroMo, and those of you looking for something pretty to wear this spring will appreciate this little pattern.

I made these earrings over the last couple of weeks. I’ve been having a great time experimenting with Size #10 Crochet Cotton and beads worked over a split ring armature.

As you can see, it’s possible to get really different looks just by altering the size and colors of beads used. Both of the above earrings used the same metallic gold/cream thread, the only change was the beads I’ve chosen. It’s endlessly entertaining making these with the various beads in my stash.

I like the Ball Hook Earwires because I can make a variety of earrings, and use the same wires by interchanging the crocheted part. I purchased these at my local JoAnns Craft and Hobby shop.

Simple Victorian Drop Earrings

Stitch Chart for Simple Victorian Drop Earrings

Materials

#10 Crochet Cotton Thread

Hook 1.75 mm & .90mm steel

2 – 20mm Split Rings

10 – glass beads with large enough holes for thread to fit thru doubled

Gauge:

29 single crochet with a chain-2 space should cover the ring fully without being too crowded.

Special Stitches

Beaded Chain Stitch (bdch): Remove hook from working loop, place bead on smaller hook and insert in working loop, slide bead onto working loop, remove smaller hook and replace larger hook in working loop, YO and make chain stitch. Need help with this step check out my blog post “Making a Pendant”

Instructions

Begin by fastening your thread around the ring and placing working loop on larger hook. Need help with this step check out my blog post “Getting Started on a Thread Earring”

Round 1: Ch 1, 23 sc working into the ring, ch 2, 6 sc working into the ring, sl st to first sc of Rnd. (29 sc, 1 ch-2 sp)

Round 2: Ch 1, sk 1 st, sc next 2 sts, *ch 1, bdch, ch 1, sk 2 sts,* sc next st, Repeat from * to *, (dc, ch 1, bdch, ch 1, dc) next st, Repeat from * to *, sc next 2 sts, ch 1, sl st next st.

Fasten off and weave in tails.

Sophisticated Simplicity

January 22, 2016January 22, 2016Crochet, Crochet Design, How Tos, Online, Pattern8 Comments

I am really happy to share my latest beaded chain pattern with all my readers. This was an idea that has been bumping around in my brain for a while. It’s a very simple project to crochet, but does take a bit of coordination.

You’ll need to be comfortable with working chain stitches [ch], beaded chain stitches [bdch] and single crochet stitches [sc]. I have a tutorial on crocheting beaded chain stitches here on my blog (scroll down to the bottom half of the post) for those of you needing a refresher on that stitch.

Sophisticated Simplicity Necklace

Skill level: Easy

Materials

Thread/Yarn: Sample was made with Kreinik’s Ombre Twist thread, took approximately 45 yards (3 yds per strand), you can get approximately 6 necklaces out of one cone depending on how many strands you decide to have in your necklace.

Hook: Size B/2.25mm

265 glass beads: Sample was made with Twisted Sistah’s 4mm Cube Transparent Sapphire with AB finish.

2 metal split rings (I used rings that were 1/2″ in diameter) and a large lobster clasp necklace fastener.

Gauge:

15 chain stitches = 2″

Instructions:

Before you begin crocheting, string all the beads you want to use onto the thread (I always add in a few extra when stringing my beads just to be on the safe side). Also work the ring of the lobster clasp onto one of your split rings.

Leaving about 6 inches of thread for your beginning tail make a slip knot and place loop on your hook. Slip st into one ring, chain 1 and single crochet into the ring to secure the end of your first strand.

You will work the necklace by working chained strands in 3 different styles:

Bead interval for Style 1 & 2 — Bead interval for Styles 1 & 2

Style 1: Ch 24, (bdch, ch 7) 12 times, bdch, ch 24, sc to opposite ring. [132 ch, 13 bdch, 1 sc]

Style 2: Ch 21, (bdch, ch 7) 13 times, bdch, ch 21, sc to opposite ring. [133 ch, 14 bdch, 1 sc]

Style 3: Ch 19, (bdch, ch 3) 25 times, bdch, ch 19, sc to opposite ring. [113 ch, 26 bdch, 1 sc]

I alternated working the various styles of strands until I had completed 15 strands (5 strands of each style). You could do more or less, you’ll just want to adjust the number of beads you string before starting your project.

Once you have crocheted all your chain strands and have made the final sc in the ring, fasten off with a six-inch long tail. Weave the ending and beginning tails in and trim off excess thread. If you need to you can secure the tails further with a drop of cyanoacrylate glue (sometimes known as “Super Glue”).

Tips and Tricks for Success

When I was working on my sample in the photos I kept getting carried away with crocheting the beaded chain intervals. About half way thru I discovered a little trick that really sped things up and saved me some frogging and frustration.

Start the next strand by crocheting the chain stitches before the first beaded chain. Bring the number of beads for the strand you are working close to your hook, and push the remaining beads further down your thread so you have plenty of thread to work with while crocheting the strand. Make a slip knot in the thread right before your extra beads and put a locking stitch marker in the loop.

Now work your strand of chains and beaded chains, when you run out of beads you know it is time to finish that strand and connect it to the opposite ring with a single crochet. If you use up the thread you had pulled up, just move the extra beads further down the thread, undo your slip knot and create another slip knot down the thread. Replace your stitch marker and finish your strand.

Note about the rings you use for the ends: I choose split rings because there is not an opening that the thread can slip thru causing your strands to drop off. If you prefer to use regular jump rings make sure that the opening in the ring is tightly closed.

I would also recommend placing a drop of thin cyanoacrylate glue over the join and let it dry completely before proceeding with your project. You want the thin runny type of glue that can penetrate the tight space between the 2 ends of your jump ring, not the thicker “gel” formulas that are also available. Obviously you want to have your lobster claw fastener placed on the jump ring before you seal it with the glue.

Now it’s your turn dear readers. Find some beads that appeal to you and crochet a Sophisticated Simplicity Necklace that will turn heads. No one needs to know how easy it was to make.

A Lovely Lacy Snowflake

December 9, 2015August 8, 2019Crochet, Crochet Design, Online, Pattern12 Comments

Snow is a reality where I live, sometimes I love it, other days it makes me cross to deal with it. But no matter what, I always find freshly fallen snow to be beautiful. Crocheted snowflakes are one of my very favorite Christmas decorations (and my favorite way to enjoy snow).

There are many ways to incorporate snowflakes into your holiday themed projects. They are great for using as embellishments on cards or gifts and you can stiffen them with a glue solution to hang them on your tree or in the window as ornaments. Sprinkle some glitter over them before the glue dries, to add a little sparkle.

This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links.

As my holiday gift to all my lovely readers here is my newest snowflake pattern. For those of you that prefer stitch charts to work from, or just want a nice PDF of the pattern, this pattern is available in my Ravelry Shop.

LACY SNOWFLAKES

SKILL LEVEL: Intermediate

FINISHED SIZE: 4″ (10cm) diameter at widest point

THREAD: Red Heart Aunt Lydia’s Size #10 Crochet Cotton, (100% Cotton) white

CROCHET HOOK: US Steel #2 (1.5 mm) or size needed to obtain gauge.

GAUGE: First 4 rounds = 2” in diameter at widest point

FINISHED SIZE: 5 1/8″ (13cm) diameter at widest point

THREAD: Red Heart Aunt Lydia’s Size #3 Crochet Cotton, (100% Cotton) blue

CROCHET HOOK: US B (2.5 mm) or size needed to obtain gauge.

GAUGE: First 4 rounds = 2 3/4” in diameter at widest point

ADDITIONAL MATERIALS: Yarn needle, Stitch markers

SPECIAL STITCHES

Open Shell (Shl): (dc, ch 2, dc, ch 3, dc, ch 2, dc) in indicated st or sp.

INSTRUCTIONS

Start with an adjustable slip knot. Click here to see my video on this technique.

Rnd 1: Ch 6, (dc, ch 2) 5 times in 6^th ch from hook, sl st to 3^rd ch of beginning ch-6.

Rnd 2: Turn (Sl st, ch 1, sc) in next ch-2 sp, (ch 4, sk next st, sc in next ch-2 sp) 5 times, ch 4, sl st to first sc of round.

Rnd 3: Ch 1, [(3 sc, ch 3, 3 sc) in next ch-4 sp] 6 times, sl st to first sc of round.

Rnd 4: Sl st in next 2 scs, sl st in next ch-3 sp, ch 5, (dc, ch 3, dc, ch 2, dc) in next ch-3 sp, (ch 2, Shl in next ch-3 sp) 5 times, ch 2, sl st in 3^rd ch of beginning ch 5.

Rnd 5: Ch 1, turn, (sc in next ch-2 sp, ch 2, sk 4 sts, Shl in next ch-3 sp, ch 2, sk 4 sts) 6 times, sl st to first sc of round.

Rnd 6: Ch 5, turn, (*sk 3 sts, sc in next ch-2 sp, ch 2, sk next st, Shl in next ch-3 sp, ch 2, sk next st, sc in next ch-2 sp, ch 2, sk 3 sts,* dc in next sc, ch 2) 5 times; Repeat from * to * once, sl st in 3^rd ch of beg ch-5.

Rnd 7: Ch 1, 2 sc next ch-2 sp, [*(sk next st, 3 sc in next ch-2 sp) twice, sk next st, (2 sc, ch 3, 2 sc) in next ch-3 sp, (sk next st, 3 sc in next ch-2 sp) twice,* (sk next st, 2 sc in next ch-2 sp) twice] 5 times, Repeat from * to * once, 2 sc next ch-2 sp, sl st to first sc of round.

FINISHING

Weave in all ends. If you want to stiffen your snowflakes for hanging ornaments the Stiffy Mod Podge product shown below is what I use.

If you can’t find it locally you can purchase it on Amazon. Click on the photo below to go right to Amazon.

This post contains affiliate links. I may receive compensation (at no additional cost to you) if you make a purchase using these links.

Spirals and Squares

October 14, 2015August 8, 2016Celebrating, Crochet, Crochet Design, How Tos, Online, Pattern, Tips and Tricks22 Comments

************

October 29, 2015: Hello dear readers and new visitors just a little update to this post.

My Whirlwind Afghan Square is block #22 in the 2015 Moogly Afghan CAL.

If you hadn’t heard about the Moogly Afghan CAL it’s not too late to join the fun. You can hop on over to Mooglyblog.com to get all the details and see Tamara’s interpretation of my Whirlwind.

Thank you so much to Elke Wellens for providing a Dutch Translation of this pattern on her blog you can find her blog here.

Het Nederlandse patroon, vertaald door HET HAAKBEEST, kun je hier vinden.

Check back on the blog next Tuesday, November 3, 2015. I’ll have the link to my YouTube video that will demonstrate how to crochet the first 12 rounds of this square.

************

Yesterday was my 52nd birthday and I celebrated by spending most of my day goofing off, especially in the evening with my boys. We built a fire in our outdoor fire pit and roasted hotdogs and marshmallows like we were camping out. Then I opened my cards and presents by firelight.

Today I’m continuing the celebration by sharing a new design here on the blog for all my lovely readers. This one is a little more complex than I usually share. In fact, one might call it a skill building pattern.

After all, we are celebrating my birthday so this pattern is going to be about many of the things I love in crochet. It uses a center-out construction, one of my favorite styles of design as the outside edges are all the tops of your stitches. It is also constructed round-to-square, which I find visually interesting. And of course, Spirals.

I love Spirals. You might be able to tell that just looking at my logo. I find them fun and intriguing. When I was in massage school I was very happy when I learnt that spirals are an common symbol for healing. Which is why I choose to use them in my logo.

Back in 2008, when I first became interested in free form crochet, I started exploring creating spirals in my crochet. Suddenly I was seeing spirals in so many of the crochet designs being published at that time.

Some of the instructions I found for working spirals were a bit wishy washy, which is more than fine for freeform work, but not so great for writing a pattern that others would want to replicate and get the same result. Thus my mathematical brain decided to enter the party.

Spirals are related to circles and circular geometries are always fun for me. Fortunately for those of you that might be a little math-adverse, you don’t have to understand all the numbers behind this design in order to crochet it.

One of the things I wanted to do was come up with a way to make working spirals easy for anyone to do. Especially when you are working with multi-arm spirals. For this pattern I started with a 4 armed spiral in the center this creates that round-to-square progression that I also like. I used the half-double crochet (hdc) stitch for my spirals because it takes 8 hdc to create a flat full circle which helps me take the circular spiral to a 4 cornered square.

When working spirals you need to work in continuous rounds. This is generally the method of construction used for amigurumi and hats because it allows for a seamless appearance. That does mean that it can be easy to lose track of which round you are working on and if you have reached the end of your round. The solution for this is to use stitch markers.

For the construction of the first 8 rounds of this design I used 8 stitch markers. Having the 3 colors is really helpful. I love my Clover Locking Stitch Markers, but if you don’t happen to have any like that on hand you can use paper clips or coil less safety pins. Some folks like to use a spare bit of yarn for a stitch marker, but I find those tend to get pulled out of my work too easily.

This photo shows the first 5 rounds of my square completed and the placement of the stitch markers. The large yellow marker is marking the last stitch of the full round, as well as the last stitch of that section of color and the increase point. The other orange markers are marking the last stitch of that section of color and the increase point. The green markers are marking the first increase point in the various color sections. Whatever type of stitch markers you use you need ones that allow you to distinguish between the end of round/increase (1), end of color section/increase (3) and the first increase in each color section(4).

Whirlwind Afghan Square

Skill level: Intermediate

Finished Size:

12” square

Materials:

Yarn

Worsted wt (Sample uses Lion Brand Yarns “Heartland” 100% Acrylic (5 oz/142g, 251 yd/230 m)

I picked the colors of October up here on my mountain, but you can choose any 5 colors that you like together. Alternating light and dark will make the spiral in the center stand out more.

Color A: #169 Shenandoah (sample used approximately 8 yards)

Color B: #180 Kings Canyon (sample used approximately 12 yards)

Color C: #158 Yellowstone (sample used approximately 10 yards)

Color D: #173 Everglades (sample used approximately 10 yards)

Color E: #124 Big Bend (sample used approximately 9 yards)

Hook

I / 5.5mm

Notions

Yarn/tapestry needle

8 Stitch markers in 3 colors (1 in first color, 3 in next color, 4 in last color)

Gauge

First 5 rounds of pattern = 4” in diameter

Abbreviations/Special Stitches

PM – Place stitch marker

Standing Single Crochet – make slip knot in yarn and place loop snugly on shaft of hook, insert hook into indicated st, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull thru both loops on hook.

Standing Double Crochet – 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.

Pattern Notes:

Start square with an adjustable slip knot. Beginning tail tightens the loop on the hook. If you don’t know how to do an adjustable slip knot you can see a tutorial on my blog here, or watch this video on my YouTube channel.

First 9 rounds use 4 colors. Each color is 1/4 of the total stitches in the round, you will need to insert your hook back into the dropped loop as you come to the new color, snug that loop up to the shaft of your hook and begin working the stitches as instructed in the new color. Follow instructions for using stitch markers so you don’t lose your place.

Color 1 of stitch markers is used to mark last stitch of entire round as well as last stitch/increase point of that color section.

Color 2 of stitch markers is used to mark the other 3 last stitch/increase point of color sections.

Color 3 of stitch markers is used to mark the first increase point in each color section.

When working the first 9 rounds move stitch markers up to 2^nd stitch worked in each increase point.

When ending Round 9, the 2nd sl st is a tight one for final “step-down” of spirals, you will not be working into this stitch in Round 10.

For concentric rounds where changing colors attach yarn with a standing stitch.

If you have an easier time understanding a video then reading a pattern, visit my YouTube Channel to watch:

Whirlwind How-to Part 1 and Whirlwind How-to Part 2

Instructions

Rnd 1: Starting with color A make an adjustable slip knot, ch 2, (sc, hdc) in 2^nd ch from hook, pull up a long loop and remove hook, with color B *insert hook in center/first ch of round, pull up a loop on hook, ch 1, (sc, hdc) in same center/ch, pull up a long loop and remove hook,* ; Repeat from * to * with Color C and D. PM in each hdc w/end of color/round markers (placing single color marker in hdc of Color D), PM in each sc with first increase markers. [4 sc, 4 hdc]

Rnd 2: *2 hdc in next 2 sts, move st marker to 2^nd st worked in each st, pull up long loop and remove hook**, insert hook in next color*; Repeat from * to * 2 times; Repeat from * to ** once. [16 hdc]

Rnd 3: *(Hdc in next st, 2 hdc in marked st, move st marker to 2^nd st worked) 2 times, pull up long loop and remove hook, insert hook in next color*; Repeat from * to * 2 times; Repeat from * to ** once. [24 hdc]

Rnds 4 – 8: *(1 hdc in each unmarked st, 2 hdc in marked st, move st marker to 2^nd st worked in marked st) 2 times, pull up long loop and remove hook,** insert hook in next color*; Repeat from * to * 2 times; Repeat from * to ** once. Stitch count for end of Rnd 8 [64 hdc]

Rnd 9: *hdc in next 7 sts, 2 hdc in next marked st, move st marker to 2^nd st worked in marked st, hdc next 6 sts, sc next st, sl st next st, ** insert hook in next color*; Repeat from * to * 2 times; Repeat from * to ** once. Make 1 additional sl st in next st for each color, fasten off yarn, remove end of round markers. [8 sl st, 4 sc, 60 hdc]

Rnd 10: Attach color E with a standing sc along any side in same st as the second slip st of any color section from Rnd 9, sc next st, *Hdc next 3 sts, dc next 2 sts, 2 dc next st, (Tr, ch 1, Tr) in marked st, 2 dc next st, dc next 2 sts, hdc next 3 sts**, sc next 4 sts*; Repeat from * to * 2 times; Repeat from * to ** once, sc next 2 sts, sl st to first sc of round. Fasten off current color. Move increase st markers to ch-1 sp. [16 sc, 24 hdc, 32 dc, 8 tr, 4 ch-1 sps]

Rnd 11: Attach new color along any side in 11^th st from marked ch-1 sp in direction of work, with a standing sc, sc next 2 sts,*hdc next 3 sts, dc next 3 sts, 2 dc next st, (Tr, ch 2, Tr) in marked ch-1 sp, 2 dc next st, dc next 3 sts, hdc next 3 sts**, sc next 6 sts*; Repeat from * to * 2 times; Repeat from * to ** once, sc next 3 sts, sl st to first sc of round. Fasten off current color. Move up increase st markers to ch-2 sps at corners. [24 sc, 24 hdc, 40 dc, 8 tr, 4 ch-2 sps]

Rnd 12: Attach new color along any side in 11^th st from marked ch-2 sp in direction of work, with a standing dc, *dc in each st until reach next marked ch-2 sp, (2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc) in marked ch-2 sp*; Repeat from * to * 3 times, dc in each st until reach beginning of Round, sl st to first dc. Fasten off current color. Move increase st markers to ch-2 sps at corners. [112 dc, 4 ch-2 sps]

Rnds 13 – 16: Repeat instructions from Rnd 12. Fasten off. Stitch count at end of Rnd 16 [176 dc, 4 ch-2 sps]

Finishing

Weave in tails and block.

A big Thank You to the folks at Lion Brand Yarn for supplying the yarn for this design. I really love the colors that their Heartland yarn comes in. Hop on over to their website to check it our for yourself.

The Name is…

September 25, 2015September 16, 2016Celebrating, Crochet Design, Indie publication, Online, Paid Pattern Links, Pattern2 Comments

Thank you to all my readers that voted on the name for my newest Shawl. The name that got the most votes was…

Mountain Whisper Shawl

I didn’t want to make you wait to find out the name, but due to having a few unexpected complications this week with family and work schedules the pattern won’t be available on Ravelry until tomorrow at Noon (USA Mountain Time). I’ll put the link in this post once it is available.

For those of you that voted on the name, you can use your coupon code starting at Noon Saturday, September 26 to get 15% off if you purchase the pattern before 10 p.m. Sunday, October 18. That’s midnight Eastern time.

The pattern for the Mountain Whisper Shawl will be available in my Ravelry shop for $5.99. Here is the link to add it to your shopping cart on Ravelry.

This pattern includes written instructions in U.S. crochet terminology, a photo tutorial on aggressively blocking the shawl, stitch diagrams for the body of the shawl and for the lace border, and instructions on how to make the shawl larger.

Edited: September 26, 2015 – The pattern is now available on Ravelry and the link above should work. Please let me know if you run into difficulty with purchasing or with the pattern.

Just a Smidgen Left

August 21, 2015August 21, 2015Crochet, Crochet Design, Online, Pattern, Product Reviews1 Comment

This past Wednesday I was at the Longmont Yarn Shoppe. I facilitate our 2 hour “Causal Crochet” get together on the third Wednesday of each month at 10:30 a.m. In the afternoon I work at the shop as their “crochet help” person. I answer questions for our crochet customers helping them if they are stuck with a project or needing to find the right yarn for a new project. When there aren’t customers for me to help I crochet up swatches in the yarns so folks can see how they look in crochet as well as knit.

This time Jane and Gail asked me to swatch in Berroco’s new yarn “Gusto”. This is a colorful Thick and Thin yarn constructed from 45% wool, 45% Acrylic and 10% Vicose. My initial chain to begin a swatch really charmed me. A chain alone could make a fun “crafty” necklace and would be really pretty with some beads added using the “hoist-on” method.

I had decided to use the “seed stitch” (sometimes called “Linen stitch”) with this yarn since it would allow the changes of weight in the yarn to breathe. As I began to work my swatch I wondered how much fabric I could create from the one ball and spoke to Gail and Jane about what a cute neck cozy it would make. I pulled out some buttons from the shelf that I thought would look nice with the yarn.

As I got closer to the end of the ball of yarn I realized I was going to run out of yarn before I had enough length to the fabric. So I tried decreasing along one edge to taper the end and squeeze out a bit more length. It was still too short. After a consultation with Gail and Jane, I decided I needed to pull it all out and start over again.

With this yarn you want to pull-out the stitches a bit carefully or you will damage the yarn. In a few spots I had to tease the stitch loose. If the thick part of the yarn gets frazzled like above, just wrap the loose bits gently around the yarn and continue crocheting. The stitches will secure the “fluff”.

The next 2 hours were a few fits and starts, but finally I had settled on a width that worked. Jane and I decided that we liked a more asymmetrical look to the cozy so we picked out a single button that could be a feature on the finished project.

I’m really happy with how this cozy finally came out. It is a quick project to crochet up (when you aren’t designing it). For less than $20 and 2 hours of your time you can whip up one of these neck warmers for someone special on your gifting list. The yarn comes in a wide range of colors, so you are sure to find one that is perfect for your giftee.

Since I only had a “smidgen” of yarn left after I had woven in the tails I named this design the “Smidgen Cozy”. The pattern instructions follow, I hope you enjoy making this cozy.

SMIDGEN COZY

Designed by Andee Graves

Skill Level: Easy

Finished Size: 21″ (52.5cm) long x 7″ (17.5cm) wide

Materials

Yarn: Berroco “Gusto” (45% Wool/45% Acrylic/10% Vicose; 70 yds) 1 skein in color #1935 Jasper

Crochet Hook: US N (10 mm) or size needed to obtain gauge.

Additional Materials:

Button ¾” diameter or size to fit thru ch-1 sp,

Yard of lighter weight smooth yarn to sew button on with,

Yarn needles (big one for weaving in ends, small one for sewing on button),

Stitch markers

Gauge: 4 stitches and 9 rows = 4″ (10 cm)

Pattern Notes

Because this is a thick-n-thin yarn it is a good idea to count your stitches each row to be sure you haven’t missed or added one.

Sample used up almost every smidgen of the ball of yarn, be sure to leave only 6” of tail at the beginning.

Row 1 is worked into the back bump (or bar) of the foundation chain to create a finished look to the starting edge.

Instructions

Row 1: Ch 17, sc in 2^nd ch from hook, (ch 1, sk 1 ch, sc next ch) 7 times, sc last ch. [7 ch-1 sp, 9 sc]

Row 2: Ch 1, turn, sc first st, (ch 1, sk 1 st, sc next ch-1 sp) 7 times, sc last st.

Rows 3 – 37: Repeat Row 2. Place stitch marker at beginning of Row 37 leave in place until completed crocheting, marked side is decrease edge for next 9 rows.

Row 38: Ch 1, turn, sc first st, (ch 1, sk 1 st, sc next ch-1 sp) 7 times. [7 ch-1 sp, 8 sc]

Row 39: Ch 1, turn, sk first st, sc next ch-1 sp, (ch 1, sk next st, sc next ch-1 sp) 6 times, sc last st. [6 ch-1 sp, 8 sc]

Row 40: Ch 1, turn, sc first st, (ch 1, sk 1 st, sc next ch-1 sp) 6 times. [6 ch-1 sp, 7 sc]

Row 41: Ch 1, turn, sk first st, sc next ch-1 sp, (ch 1, sk next st, sc next ch-1 sp) 5 times, sc last st. [5 ch-1 sp, 7 sc]

Row 42: Ch 1, turn sc first st, (ch 1, sk 1 st, sc next ch-1 sp) 5 times. [5 ch-1 sp, 6 sc]

Row 43: Ch 1, turn, sk first st, sc next ch-1 sp, (ch 1, sk next st, sc next ch-1 sp) 4 times, sc last st. [4 ch-1 sp, 6 sc]

Row 44: Ch 1, turn sc first st, (ch 1, sk 1 st, sc next ch-1 sp) 4 times. [4 ch-1 sp, 5 sc]

Row 45: Ch 1, turn, sk first st, sc next ch-1 sp, (ch 1, sk next st, sc next ch-1 sp) 3 times, sc last st. [3 ch-1 sp, 5 sc]

Row 46: Ch 1, turn sc first st, (ch 1, sk 1 st, sc next ch-1 sp) 3 times. [3 ch-1 sp, 4 sc]

Finishing

Weave in tails securely. Use lighter weight yarn to sew button on Row 3 an inch in from the longest edge. Use a ch-1 sp on Row 43 or 42 as your button-hole.

Great Minds

August 14, 2015Crochet, Crochet Design, Indie publication, OnlineLeave a Comment

Those of you that have been following my blog for a while have heard me mention my good friend and mentor, Karen Ratto Whooley. Karen was my official CGOA mentor when I signed up to be an Associate Professional member of CGOA. Even though I officially graduated to Professional status some time back, we are still good friends and remain in regular contact.

I got to see Karen again, albeit briefly at the Knit & Crochet Show in San Diego a couple of weeks ago. We even managed to get a photo of the 2 of us. We chuckled afterward because we were each wearing the other’s “colors” in this photo. Karen in her hot pink blouse and me with a blue-green scarf.

Ebb & Flow Scarf worn Jabot style — Ebb & Flow Scarf / M2H Designs

That scarf was actually part of our hilarity. Not because of the color but because it is one of my designs from my summer collection: “Ebb & Flow Scarf”.

The week before I left for the show I got Karen’s newsletter in my email and it was about her design, “Undulating Shells Shawl”. I just about choked because I had used the same stitch pattern for my scarf. A definite case of great minds having the same idea or in this case, very similar ideas.

One of the wonderful things about being a designer is seeing all the different ways my fellow designers and I can interpret stitch patterns to create wearable and decorative objects in crochet. I thought it would be fun for you, my readers to get a glimpse into some of those differences.

I created this scarf from some lovely fingering weight yarn hand-dyed by the talented Riin of “Happy Fuzzy Yarns” (don’t you love the name). This is blend of merino and tencel making for super soft fabric with a gorgeous drape.

I created my scarf by working off a center foundation, with half the scarf growing from the “top” of the foundation coming to an end that is an exaggeration of the shell pattern in the length of the scarf. The second side of the scarf is a repeat of the first side worked off the “bottom” of the center foundation. The side edging is worked with each row of shells creating a simple scalloped appearance along the long sides of the scarf.

Undulating Shells Shawl / KRW Knitwear Studio

I took a closer look at Karen’s shawl on Ravelry. I determined that though the body of the fabric was made with the same stitch pattern, we had both taken very different approaches to how we designed our projects.

Karen’s shawl is worked in laceweight bamboo yarn off a foundation in one direction, ending with a row of stitches that match the foundation row then a lovely stacked shell ending edge. That same edging is also worked off the base of the foundation row. Her side edging is the simple line of the undulating shells.

You can purchase both of these patterns on Ravelry:

Undulating Shells Shawl / KRW Knitwear Studio $7.50

Ebb & Flow Scarf / M2H Designs $4.99

I Love Paris

August 5, 2015August 5, 2015Crochet Design, OnlineLeave a Comment

Paris, France is one of my favorite cities. I dreamt of visiting it for many years before I finally got to see it for real. When I went there for the very first time it was April.

The gardens were just beginning to show color, but the weather was occasionally rainy and gray. The colors of the gardens would be muted by the subdued light yet it was magical and wonderful for me.

It’s been years since I last visited, that is a very young me at the fountain in the Place de Concorde. This scarf design was inspired by the gardens of Paris and reminds of my happy visit there.

Paris Garden Scarf. My sample is worked using one ball of Classic Elite’s lovely Alpaca Sox. This is a 60% Alpaca/20% Wool/ 20% Nylon yarn that works up as a light fingering weight. The Nylon will help this scarf hold up to a lot of wear. I designed this to be crocheted with a larger than usual hook size to show off the soft halo of the yarn.

This pattern is available in my Ravelry Shop for $3.99. Click here to buy it now.

My original proto-type was made working with 2 strands of yarn at the same time. I used 1 ball of Classic Elite’s Silky Alpaca Lace (70% Alpaca/30% Silk) and 2 balls of Pirouette (67% Mohair/25% Bamboo/8% Nylon). Unfortunately the Pirouette yarn was discontinued. But I’m still very happy to wear my original scarf.

This is a great take-along project for more experienced crocheters, the stitches aren’t complicated, but they are interesting enough to keep you entertained. I found the second scarf took me only about 8 hours to work up.

If you are looking for a lovely lacy and warm scarf for a gift this one would be a good match. All 5 of my patterns released the past month were designed with gift-giving in mind. This is a great time of year to get started on those holiday gifts.