Pattern – Page 8 – Mamas2Hands

Is it too Hot to Crochet?

June 21, 2016Crochet, Crochet Design, Indie publication, Paid Pattern Links, Pattern5 Comments

Summer is truly here now. Even up on my mountain we are feeling the heat. Of course what seems “hot” to us is nothing compared to what friends and family all over the country are dealing with. This past week temperatures have been over 100F in lots of places. Making me very grateful for our easy days of 87-90F days at my house.

When I go down to town to do errands it can be significantly warmer. But at least in Colorado humidity isn’t the factor that it is for many others. I’m looking forward to seeing all my yarnie friends at the conference in a few weeks, but it will be in Charleston, South Carolina. I suspect that I may be melting in the heat and humidity that they are experiencing.

In heat like that how does one keep crocheting? My choice for travel and for hot weather crochet is to work with small projects.

If afghans are your favorite type of project this is the time of year to tackle a motif afghan that requires lots of smaller pieces to be completed before being all sewn or crocheted together. The motifs are great projects to carry along with you to the beach and outings thru the summer. Then when the cooler weather finally rolls around you can do the joining work to make them into an afghan.

If you want some fun motifs to play with try my “Annetta Square” here on the blog.

Hot Spot Square copyright 2015 M2HDesigns/Andee Graves — Hot Spot Square
copyright 2015 M2HDesigns/Andee Graves

Or my “Hot Spot Square”.

I often take advantage of the warm weather season to get ahead on my holiday gifts. I work on my cotton thread snowflakes. They are fun and relatively quick projects that don’t take up a lot of room in my project bag. I can get a nice stack of them finished up before the hot weather is over with. The stiffening stage goes faster too as they dry super fast in the warmer weather.

Light as Lace Snowflake - M2H Designs — Lacy Snowflake – M2H Designs

I’ll be making quite a few of my snowflake pattern “Lacy Snowflake” that I designed for last December. You can find the pattern here on the blog. Who knows, maybe you’ll feel cooler crocheting snowflakes.

My very favorite projects for gift-giving and small project crochet are Hats. All my boys (including Himself) love getting hats for Christmas. I made a hat for my Dad a couple of years ago for Christmas and it was well received too. I also like making hats for various charities.

I’ve taught classes on crocheting hats at my local LYS and will be teaching my “Perfect Fit Crocheted Hat” class at the Scotts Bluff Valley Fiber Arts Fair this September. I also have a couple of other hat patterns in my M2H Designs line.

This is my “Spiraling Crosses Hat” and is made in a slightly mesh like stitch pattern that allows for a combination of breathability and warmth. You can purchase the pattern for this hat in my Ravelry shop here.

My newest M2H Designs pattern is the “Mountain Top Beanie” in my Ravelry Shop. This hat is crocheted in a super stretchy all over stitch pattern that looks beautiful in variegated yarn or solid colors. I made this sample in Ella Rae Lace Merino Aran weight. This is a gorgeous yarn that was lovely to work with. I’m planning on taking my oldest son to the Longmont Yarn Shoppe to pick out the color he wants to make him a beanie to wear in the coming school year.

This hat was one of the projects I was working on during our recent trip to Kansas for a big family reunion. The project fit entirely into one of my small project bags with room in the outside pocket for my phone. Worked great for a small crochet project to keep my hands busy while visiting with family. Most importantly it wasn’t too hot to work on as crocheting on a larger project could have been.

So to answer the question I posed in my title today. No, it isn’t too hot to crochet. You just need the right project. Air conditioning is a good idea too. Stay cool all my Northern Hemisphere friends. For those of you in the Southern Hemisphere heading into your cold season we may soon be jealous of you.

Budding Leaves and Lilacs

April 27, 2016Creativity, Crochet, Crochet Design, Indie publication, Paid Pattern LinksLeave a Comment

It’s beginning to look like springtime finally. Off the mountain in town a lot of the trees are showing leaves and the flowers are in bloom. Up top though it’s been a slower sense of the season. Yesterday I was at my friend and neighbor V’s house for our weekly crochet and crafting visit.

V's Garden last Friday — V’s Garden last Friday

V has a lovely garden and a number of her bulbs were showing off blooms. Best of all to me though was that her lilac bushes are getting leaves and buds. I didn’t get any photos though since the weather got wet and cold. Hopefully the weather will be kind and the lilacs won’t be frozen before blooming and sharing their lovely scent.

Meanwhile we are still getting some cold days and a bit of snow up here on my mountain. We are at 8,400 feet above sea level and V’s house is around 7,000 feet. There is a fairly big difference in the seasons between our houses, and V is a much more talented and dedicated gardener than I am.

I need to make a trip to the Denver Zoo with my family soon as the lilacs there are generally in bloom long before the ones up here on the mountain. They have a lot of lilacs on the zoo grounds and I always try to make at least one visit there while they are in bloom.

I decided it’s time to crochet some transitional pieces to add to my wardrobe. It’s been over 4 years since I published my “Tumbling Leaves Scarf”. This is a fun project to crochet for experienced or intrepid intermediate stitchers.

Originally I created this design with a bulky yarn worked with a P size hook, but I wanted to try it in a lighter weight yarn with a smaller hook for a skinny scarf to wear this spring. I picked a ball of Crystal Palace’s “Mochi Plus” that reminded me of my favorite colors of springtime and used an I (5.5mm) hook to crochet with.

I love “Mochi Plus” because it comes in so many lovely color combinations. I enjoy working with and designing with yarns that have long runs of color that blend together and this yarn doesn’t disappoint. My original scarf was 6.5 inches wide and 75 inches long. Using the “Mochi Plus” and the smaller hook this scarf came out 3.5 inches wide and 41 inches long before blocking.

Because of the faux motif design of this scarf I am going to try a different blocking technique with it and will share my results with you later.

If you’d like to make a scarf like this you can purchase the pattern in my Ravelry shop by clicking here.

The pattern includes both US crochet terminology text and charted directions.

Playing with Triangles – Part 2

April 1, 2016April 4, 2016Crochet, How Tos, Pattern, VideosLeave a Comment

I am very pleased to announce that I have completed my latest video and it is available on my YouTube Channel.

Click here to go see it: “Playing with Triangles Shawl”

In this video I’m using a rather primitive animation technique. I took photos of almost every stitch I made working the swatch above. Then I edited them together with music and instructional text for this 1 1/2 minute long video.

Take a look and see what you think. The text pattern with photo tutorial is in my first “Playing with Triangles” post.

I’m off tomorrow to visit the Marketplace at the Interweave YarnFest and to spend some time with friends from out of town. I’m going to try to behave myself and not purchase too much yarn. But I do know I’ll be coming home with some loose wool fiber to practice my needle-felting with.

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend, and gets some crochet time in.

Playing with Triangles

March 25, 2016August 4, 2016Creativity, Crochet, How Tos, Pattern13 Comments

This past week has been a busy and fun one. My boys were on Spring Break and we made a quick trip to Kansas to visit some of my family. Got to have a good visit with my Dad and brothers, but the highlight of the trip was taking my niece and her 2 little ones to Kansas City for a fun-filled day at LEGOland, as well as an entertaining dinner at Fritz’s where toy trains deliver your food to your table.

We were supposed to head back to Colorado on Wednesday, but the weather forecast looked like we would end up stranded with highway closures. We stayed an extra day in Topeka and drove home on Thursday. Once we got to Colby, Kansas on Interstate 70 we could see that it had definitely been the right decision. Now we just need to dig out our driveway and deck from the approximately 2.5+ feet of snow that fell here on the mountain.

Our Easter bunny is going to need snow boots to deliver eggs, especially since more snow is expected thru the weekend. I may just be curling up in front of a nice fire in the wood stove and crocheting. I’ve got a couple shawl projects on the hooks and that fits with today’s post.

Recently we had a little math lesson here on the blog for figuring out the yardage for making a triangle shawl. Today I thought I would give you the tools for starting your own triangle shawl. I’m going to walk you thru this pattern, hopefully that will make it easy for even our newer-to-crochet folks to follow.

As I’ve said before, my favorite way to design is using what I call “Small Starts” for a project. To me the first 2-3 rows or rounds of a project are often the most fiddly, so I like to get them out of the way quickly so I can get to the “good” stuff. Nothing makes me happier than being able to write the beginning instructions of a pattern as “Chain 2 work in second chain from hook, . . . ”

For this simple shawl I wanted a pretty scalloped edge along the top as the rows were completed and I wanted the rows to be a simple Zen-like stitch that didn’t require a lot of thought to work on. These types of shawls are terrific relaxing projects to work on watching telly in the evening or for Prayer Shawl group meetings.

One of my favorite Zen-like stitches is the V-stitch. It is simple to make with just enough variety not to become completely boring.

I’ve used this stitch both in stacked construction and staggered.

Now that I knew what stitch I wanted to use it was time to play with constructing the shawl. For my initial project I decided to use Lion Brand’s Vanna’s Choice. It’s a good sturdy acrylic worsted weight and I have it in lots of colors in my stash. I used a J (6mm) hook with this yarn as I wanted to keep my stitches loose.

You can use any weight yarn you want with the size hook that gives you a fabric you like. That might involve a bit of experimenting to decide on the right combination of yarn and hook. Because this shawl is worked from the top center with increases at the center point and at each end of the top edge you can just work as many rows as you like until you reach the size you want, or until you run out of yarn.

After making the swatch above I calculated for my Vanna’s Choice version of the shawl I would need approximately 6 skeins of yarn (870 yards). That would make a shawl that is 60 inches across the top and 30 inches long at the center point. I worked 6 rows of the body stitch pattern and then the border for this swatch to get my numbers.

Playing with Triangles Shawl

Skill – Beginner

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

Special Stitches

Adjustable Slip Knot: Make your beginning slip knot so that pulling on the starting tail tightens the working loop on your hook. Need help with this technique visit my blog post “The Lovely Adjustable Slip Knot” or stop by my YouTube Channel for a helpful video.

V Stitch (V-st): (dc, ch 1, dc) in indicated place

Materials

Yarn in weight and yardage you want to use for your preferred size of Shawl.

Hook in size appropriate for the fabric you want from your yarn.

Stitch markers (at least 3)

Pattern Notes

The majority of the body of this shawl is worked in staggered V-stitches. This means the 2 legs of the V-st are worked in the space between two V-stitches. Like you see in Photo B above the pattern instructions.

Each chain stitch counts as a single stitch for skipped stitches, ie… the top of a V-st would count as 3 stitches.

Instructions

Row 1: Starting with an adjustable slip knot Ch 4 (counts as dc and center), ({dc, ch 1} 2 times, dc, ch 2, {dc, ch 1} 2 times, 2 dc) in fourth ch from hook. Place st markers in first and last ch-1 spaces, and in ch-2 sp. (4 ch-1 sp, 1 ch-2 sp, 8 dc)

Row 2: Ch 3, turn, sk first st, 2 dc next st, ch 1, V-st in marked ch-1 sp, move st marker to first ch-1 sp just made, sk 3 sts, (V-st, ch-2, V-st) in marked ch-2 sp, move st marker to ch-2 sp just made, sk 3 sts, V-st in marked ch-1 sp, ch 1, 2 dc in next st, move st marker to second ch-1 sp just made. (4 V-st, 4 dc, 2 ch-1 sp, 1 ch-2 sp, 1 ch-3)

Row 3: Ch 3, turn, sk first st, 2 dc next st, ch 1, V-st in marked ch-1 sp, move st marker to first ch-1 sp just made, sk 3 sts, V-st in space before next V-st, sk 3 sts, (V-st, ch 2, V-st) in marked ch-2 sp, move st marker to ch-2 sp just made, sk 3 sts, V-st in space before next V-st, sk 3 sts, V-st in marked ch-1 sp, ch 1, 2 dc next st, move st marker to second ch-1 sp just made. (6 V-st, 4 dc, 2 ch-1 sp, 1 ch-2 sp, 1 ch-3)

Row 4: Ch 3, turn, sk first st, 2 dc next st, ch 1, V-st in marked ch-1 sp, move st marker to first ch-1 sp just made, *sk 3 sts, V-st in space before next V-st*, repeat from * to * until reach V-st before marked ch-2 sp, (V-st, ch 2, V-st) in marked ch-2 sp, move st marker to ch-2 sp just made, repeat from * to * until reach V-st before marked ch-1 sp, V-st in marked ch-1 sp, ch 1, 2 dc in next st, move st marker to second ch-1 sp just made. (8 V-st, 4 dc, 2 ch-1 sp, 1 ch-2 sp, 1 ch-3)

Repeat Row 4 until reach the desired length, you will need to end on an even numbered row to set up for the scalloped border.

Border: I’ve shown the border worked it a different color to make it stand out clearer in the photos, you can continue in the same color as the body of the shawl or use a contrasting color.

Ch 3, turn, sk first st, 2 dc next st, ch 1, sk 2 sts, 2 V-st in next ch-1 sp,

* sk 2 sts, **sc in next ch-1 sp, sk 2 sts, 3 V-st in next ch-1 sp*,

repeat from * to * until one V-st remains un-worked before marked ch-2 sp,

sk 2 sts, sc in next ch-1 sp, sk 1 st, 3 V-st in marked ch- 2 sp, sk 1 st, repeat from ** to * once,

repeat from * to * until 2 V-st remain un-worked before marked ch-1 sp at end of row,

sk 2 sts, sc in next ch-1 sp, sk 2 sts, 2 V-st in next ch-1 sp, ch 1,

sk 2 sts, 2 dc next st.

Fasten off. Weave in tails. Gently block if desired.

I also have a video available for this pattern on my YouTube channel. Click here to see it.

For some helpful tips on working your shawl visit this blog post.

Now it’s your turn to get creative. Have fun experimenting with different textures and weights of yarn to create a shawl that is just right for you. Check thru your yarn stash and see if you have a mixture of similar weight yarn in harmonizing colors that you could combine in your shawl.

You can see some more of my PWT shawls on this blog post.

Hoppy Spring

March 22, 2016Chocolate, Crochet, Free Pattern LinksLeave a Comment

It’s just a few short days until it’s Easter! How did that happen? Of course, the Easter Bunny sometimes has to wear his snow boots when he comes to our house. Fortunately for most of my lucky readers they are seeing warmer temperatures and flowers blooming.

I’ve been seeing a few brave flowers and leaves making an appearance down in town, but up on the mountain there isn’t much indication that winter is winding down.

Easter time is lots of fun and at our household involves the consumption of chocolate bunnies. I’ve bought our bunnies already and hid them so the chocolate monsters won’t eat their ears off before the big day. Nothing more off-putting than having an Easter basket with an earless bunny in it.

Bunnies are a great theme at Easter, but please don’t buy a real baby bunny unless you are ready to give them a good home for the next 10 years or so. Bunnies grow up to be rabbits and they require special care and attention to have full happy lives. Just like any pet you adopt.

And if you really want to adopt a pet rabbit, wait until after Easter and go to your local animal shelter. Usually a week after Easter they start to get lots of bunnies that folks realize they don’t want to keep. Sad, but true.

An easier way to have a bunny for Easter is to crochet a cuddly toy bunny. Hey, you knew I was going to fit crochet in here somehow. There are some great patterns out there for bunnies, I did a search on Ravelry for Free Bunny softie toys and was blown away by the number of patterns. Over 9 pages of patterns came up.

Image from Lion Brand Yarns.

This cutie is the “Best Bunny” from the Lion Brand Website and I think he is adorable. I love the big floppy ears and generous size of the toy. Just big enough to make a great back pack friend, but not so huge that you need 5 months to make it.

He is shown worked in a fun 2 color combination, but you could make him in one solid color if you desired. Personally I am tempted to make him a bright blue or aqua.

Image from Lion Brand Yarns

If you are running short on time there is also this cute little Amigurumi Bunny Egg Cozy from the Lion Brand Website. What a great way to decorate a special egg for the Easter basket.

Or you could stuff the body with fiberfill and work a few more decrease rounds to close up the bottom of the cozy and turn him into an eggy shaped softie. Again I’m seeing this bunny worked in a variety of bright spring colors.

If neither of these bunnies inspire you to crochet up some rabbit friends, then take a look at the pattern database on Ravelry. You can search in a variety of ways to find the pattern that you like best.

Now get hopping, Easter will be here before you know it.

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.

A Headband for Walkies

February 12, 2016Crochet, Free Pattern Links2 Comments

The weather is warming up a little up here on the mountain. But with my new short hairstyle my ears can get quite chilly when I am out for walks with my dog.

So I decided it was time to try this fun headband pattern designed by my friend Elena at Beatrice Ryan Designs. You can find the pattern over on her blog “Whimsical Warmth Headband”.

I thought it would look really nice in a yarn with long gradual color changes so I decided to use Red Heart’s Boutique “Treasures” in the Watercolors colorway.

I made a few changes when working this pattern. I used a foundation single crochet for the foundation instead of working a chain and then working into the chain.

I also didn’t want to cut the yarn and re-attach to the bottom of the foundation. Instead I used chain and slip stitches to work down along the inside seam of the headband after I completed the reverse single crochet edge on the top edge of the headband. Then I completed the reverse single crochet edging along the base of the foundation.

I really like the way this headband came out, and it’s going to be my favorite to wear on my walks this spring.

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.

Less than 3 weeks til Christmas!

December 5, 2015December 5, 2015Crochet, Free Pattern Links, Paid Pattern Links1 Comment

So much to be done and time is getting short. All those grand plans you had for crocheting up the perfect gift for family and friends are now down to the wire. For those of you looking for a quick crochet gift project, I and a few of my fellow designer/blogger friends have some suggestions for you.

Hurry Up Holiday Cowl by Tamara Kelly/Moogly — Hurry Up Holiday Cowl
by Tamara Kelly/Moogly

From the lovely Tamara Kelly over at Moogly the first pattern of her 2015 Moogly Holiday Mini CAL is available. Make this chunky cowl with one skein of Lion Brand Yarn Hometown USA… in less than an hour! Video tutorials included!

Tamara also pulled together a gift giving guide on the Lion Brand Blog (including my Sparkly Jar Cover).

Center — Coraline in Morocco Cowl by Simply Collectible Crochet

From Celina of Simply Collectible Crochet here is a list of some quick crochet projects that would make great gifts. I especially love her “Coraline in Morocco Cowl”. Make it in festive colors or a sparkly yarn and you have a lovely quick gift to brighten someone’s holiday. This would be a really great project for one of those lone balls of beautiful yarn that has been sitting in your stash for a couple of years un-loved.

Lorraine-Free-Crochet-Ear-Warmer-Pattern-Blue-Green

From Jessie of Jessie-At-Home is her Last Minute Gift pattern Round-up from 2014. My favorite in this Round-up is the pattern for the “Lorraine” a wonderful wide ear warmer that buttons in the back. I especially like the version Jessie made with a big bold crocheted flower on it.

Peppermint Kisses Beanie - Kathy Lashley/ELK Studio — Peppermint Kisses Beanie – Kathy Lashley/ELK Studio

From Kathy of ELK Studio is the gorgeous “Peppermint Kisses” beanie. This pattern gives you 2 different band styles to choose from as well. I could see this hat worked in any combination of colors. You could even work it in your giftee’s school colors.

Smidgen Cozy - M2H Designs — Smidgen Cozy – M2H Designs

One of my favorite recent designs for a quick crochet gift is my “Smidgen Cozy”. This project is quick to make because you are working with a large hook and very bulky yarn. All you need is yarn, hook, a pretty button and an evening to crochet up this cozy gift.

A lot of my patterns available for purchase thru my Ravelry Shop also work up quickly for gift giving.

Little Christmas Wreath - M2H Designs — Little Christmas Wreath – M2H Designs

One of my favorites to use as a Christmas brooch is my “Little Christmas Wreath”. You can work it up in any yarns you have available, just use the appropriate size hook to fit your yarn. The little wreaths can also be embellished with beads to make them even more festive.

Twisted Vs Cowl - M2H Designs — Twisted Vs Cowl – M2H Designs

Another quick project is my “Twisted Vs Cowl”. This project again takes advantage of bulky yarn and a big hook, as well as an open stitch pattern, to speed you to completion of another gift.

Anna Moebius Cowl - M2H Designs — Anna Moebius Cowl – M2H Designs

My all-time favorite crochet gift project for my female friends and relatives though is my “Anna Moebius Cowl”. I can complete one of these cowls in approximately 3 hours. I especially like to use yarns with long color changes as the stitch pattern shows them off spectacularly.

Hopefully one or more of the patterns you can find thru these links will be just what you need for your gift-making projects. Remember to be gentle with yourself and take lots of breaks while you are stitching away on those last-minute gifts.