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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
October is almost done and I’m winding down my spiral blog posts. I wanted to share a different sort of spiral with you all today. As you know I love crocheting in the round, it is a great way to create amazing borders on a project as well as a fun way to create shaping. Today I want to talk about continuous rounds in crochet.
Working a continuous round in crochet is often a spiral style. Especially when you are crocheting top down hats or amigurumi. When you work concentric rounds in crochet you join the first stitch to the last stitch of the round, but for continuous rounds you are working the rounds without joins and step-up to the first stitch of the next round after the last stitch of the previous round. Continuous rounds also eliminate those pesky seams. When working an increasing circle, like for the crown of a hat, your rounds look like a classic spiral.
My flat fuzzy friend is an example of a classic double crochet spiral worked as a continuous round, then surface crochet is worked to emphasize the spiral.
I used the classic double crochet spiral as a continuous round for my Simple Double Crochet Hat design as well. But I don’t really like how open the stitches are for a hat made with double crochet stitches. That open stitch work is great for a warm climate hat, but on my mountain I need something a little less breezy. This inspired me to start playing around with how to work a double crochet hat that didn’t have all the open spaces.
Last spring I bought a beautiful silk scarf with a rainbow of colors and decided I needed a hat to go with it. I had lots of fun selecting a yarn at the Longmont Yarn Shoppe that would match it. The selected yarn was Cosette by Dream in Color and is a glorious cashmere blend that was a delight to work with. My plan was to use the yarn to crochet a double crochet hat that used linked double crochet stitches.
I took that project with me on my trip to Philadelphia and Ireland. It was a great project to work on when traveling as it was small enough to fit in my carry-on for flights and my day-pack during our various bus trips. After a lot of experiments and little bit of frogging I finally settled on how I wanted the design to work.
The finished hat is my Snowy Rainbow Hat. The pattern is available for purchase in my Ravelry Shop. This pattern includes stitch charts and instructions on making the hat in various sizes.
I’m also teaching a class on working this hat at the Longmont Yarn Shoppe, Sunday, November 5th 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. (Mountain Time) {2:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Eastern; 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Pacific}. This class will be a hybrid class, so you can join me via Zoom or In-person. You can register for the Zoom seats here on the Longmont Yarn Shoppe website, and for the In-person seats here. For the class I recommend working with a solid color worsted weight yarn, the image above shows the hat worked in Berroco’s Ultra Wool. In class we will make a baby size hat so you can practice all the elements of making the hat and learning linked double crochet stitches in the round.
With cold weather and holiday gift giving right around the corner, hats are a great project to have in your works-in-progress. If you want to personalize your hat gifts you can have fun adding little embellishments. I love to add flowers to my hats or little snowflakes. For the younger members on my gift list I will sometimes turn a basic hat into a monster face. I made one for my nephew years back and when he outgrew it he asked me to turn it into a ball.
In keeping with my crochet spirals theme I wanted to share some dimensional spirals with you. So far everything I’ve shared has been flat spirals but they are also wonderful for making hats with. I like making my hats from the crown down to the brim to take full advantage of the stretchiness of the fabric. My favorite method is to work continuous rounds, which is basically a spiral. Creating hat patterns that use different color spiral arms is an easy adjustment. 2 of my favorite spiral hats are below.
Whirlwind Hat
This hat pattern is sized for a small adult head (circumference 21″) here on my blog. This pattern uses a four-arm spiral to create a colorfully striped top-down hat. It is a great pattern for using up leftover bits of yarn from your stash. Each spiral arm uses approximately 28 yards, 1 spiral uses 46 yards as it is a spiral arm and the brim. Click here to check out the pattern.
Spiraling Stripes Hat
This 2 arm spiral hat that was inspired by the folks at Round Mountain Fibers. They hand-dye some incredible colors. I wanted to create a hat that would blend a semi-solid and variegated color together. The sample I made had some interesting pooling of the colors so I got an almost plaid look in the finished hat.
This is another sample I made from the pattern using 2 solid color worsted weight yarns. This was made with Berroco Ultra Wool. The pattern is available for purchase in my Ravelry Shop. The pattern includes stitch charts and is written for a small adult size (21″ circumference).
If you are interested in making these hats in smaller or larger sizes you just need to stop increasing the crown of the hat when you reach the size you want, then work the sides of the hat in keeping with the size of the crown.
If you want a really detailed run-down on adjusting the size of top down hats you can purchase my “Perfect Fit Crocheted Hat” pattern in my Ravelry Shop. This pattern is basically my hat class in pattern form, it walks you thru the ins and outs of making a hat just the size you want.
I hope you are having a wonderful October, I’ll have a few more fun posts about crocheting spirals before the month is out.
Hello my friends, today is my actual Birthday! I’m 60 years young today! So I have a 6 inch blanket square to celebrate my 60th. Doesn’t everyone love alliteration with their crochet patterns?
Like all small spiral projects this is a great pattern to use up those odds and ends of worsted weight yarn that you have remaining from other projects. Just pick 2 contrasting colors for your spirals, you’ll only need 7 yards for each spiral arm.
This square is part of the Melange Blanket Mystery Crochet-Along with Underground Crafter. This is a year long project that is coming to a conclusion soon. Be sure to check out this post at Underground Crafter that has all the links for the other squares, great information on joining your squares together and the information and links you need to get in on a chance to win some of the marvelous give-away prizes.
Color A: Marina #28437 (approximately 7 yards/ 3.2 grams) Spiral Arm 1
Color B: Seashell #28447 (approximately 7 yards/ 3.2 grams) Spiral Arm 2
Color C: Tranquil #28453 (approximately 20 yards/9.5 grams) Square Border
Hook J / 6mm
Notions
Yarn/tapestry needle
8 Medium Locking Stitch markers (2 in one color, 6 in second color)
Gauge
First 5 rounds of pattern = 4” across circle
Abbreviations/Special Stitches
(Standing dc) 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.
(sl st loosely) Loose slip stitch: Insert hook in indicated place, YO, pull up a loop thru place and loop on hook keeping loose like making a chain st.
(sl st) Slip stitch: Insert hook in indicated place, YO, pull up a loop thru place and loop on hook, continue to pull up on working loop until original loop is tight.
(Edc)Extended Double Crochet: YO, insert hook in indicated st or sp, YO pull up a loop, YO pull thru first loop on hook, (YO, pull thru 2 loops on hook) 2 times.
Pattern Notes:
Start square with an adjustable slip knot. Beginning tail tightens the loop on the hook. If you prefer to start with a magic loop crochet 1 less chain stitch at start.
Stitch counts at the end of each round are shown in italicized brackets at end of each round.
Square starts with a 2 color hdc spiral circle as the center, then rounds are worked to square the circle.
When instructions specify “sl st loosely”, this means work those slip stitches similar to a chain stitch and do not pull the working loop to tighten them as in a joining slip stitch. You will be working into those loose slip stitches for the next round.
Instructions
Spiral Circle
Rnd 1 (RS): Begin with Color A, ch 2, (sc, 3 hdc) in second ch from hook, pull up long loop of color A and remove hook, insert hook in same ch as previous work, pull up a loop of Color B on shaft of hook, ch 1, (sc, 3 hdc) in same ch st, pull beginning tail of Color A to close center tightly. Place st markers in each st using a different color marker to indicate the last st of each color section. [1 sc, 3 hdc, in each color]
Rnd 2: Begin with Color A, *(2 hdc in marked st, move st marker up to second st worked) 4 times*, pull up loop of Color A, switch to Color B, Repeat from * to *. [8 hdc, in each color]
Rnd 3: Begin with Color A, *(hdc in next st, 2 hdc in marked st, move st marker up to second st worked) 4 times*, pull up loop of Color A, switch to color B, Repeat from * to *. [12 hdc, in each color]
Rnd 4: Begin with Color A, *(hdc in each of next 2 sts, 2 hdc in marked st, move st marker up to second st worked) 4 times*, pull up loop of Color A, switch to Color B, Repeat from * to *. [16 hdc, in each color]
Rnd 5: Begin with Color A, *(hdc in each of next 3 sts, 2 hdc in marked st, move st marker up to second st worked) 4 times*, pull up loop of Color A, switch to Color B, Repeat from * to * once,
**hdc next st, sc next st, sl st loosely in back loop and back bar of next st, sl st in back loop and back bar of next st**, fasten off Color B, switch to Color A, Repeat from ** to ** once, fasten off Color A. [21 hdc, 1 sc, 2 slip st, in each color]
Square Border
Remove every other st marker leaving 4 markers equally spaced around circle.
Rnd 6 (Round to Square 1): With RS facing attach Color C yarn with a standing dc in any marked st, 2 Edc in same st, *skip 2 sts, hdc next st, hdc & sc next st, sc next st, sc & hdc next st, hdc next st, skip 2 sts, (2 Edc, dc, ch 2, dc, 2 Edc) next marked st, move marker to ch-2 sp just made*; Repeat from * to * 2 times; skip 2 sts, hdc next st, hdc & sc next st, sc next st, sc & hdc next st, hdc next st, skip 2 sts, (2 Edc, dc) in same st as join, ch 2, sl st to first dc of Rnd. [16 Edc, 8 dc, 16 hdc, 12 sc, 4 ch-2 sp]
Rnd 7 (Round to Square 2): Turn (sc, ch 1 {counts as first hdc}, hdc, ch 2, hdc ) in first marked ch-2 sp, move marker to ch-2 sp just made, [*hdc in each of next 4 sts, sc in each of next 5 sts, hdc in each of next 4 sts,* (2 hdc, ch 2, hdc) in next marked ch-2 sp, move marker to ch-2 sp just made] 3 times, Rep from * to * once, sl st to top of first hdc. [48 hdc, 20 sc, 4 ch-2 sp {17 sts}]
Rnd 8: Turn, sc in first st, ch 1 {counts as first hdc}, [hdc in each st until reach marked ch-2 sp, (hdc, ch 2, hdc) in marked ch-2 sp, move marker to ch-2 sp just made] 4 times, hdc in each st until reach start of Rnd, sl st to top of first hdc. [76 hdc, 4 ch-2 sps {19 sts each side}]
It’s October and it’s definitely Autumn up here on my mountain. Most of our aspen trees have dropped their leaves, we have had a few traces of snow as well. I am loving the cooler temperatures. I’m really not cut out for super hot days and we had a lot of those this past couple of months. October has always been a favorite month for me because I love autumn, but it is also my Birthday this month.
It is a very special birthday this year as I am celebrating my 6th decade traveling around our sun. I wanted to do some extra fun things to celebrate with my marvelous readers and decided this month is going to be all about the Spirals! If you have been following my blog you already know that I have an abiding fondness for crocheting circles and spirals. Working in the round just makes me very happy.
I have been planning for this month all summer. Starting next week I’ll finally be able to share some fun new designs that have been in the top secret drawer all summer. But right now let’s take a quick look at some of my flat spiral designs of the past (just in case you missed them the first time).
My early design experiments with spirals involved working continuous rounds then working surface crochet to emphasize the spiral. The first 2 patterns listed below used this technique.
“Flat Fuzzy Friend” is available on the ‘Crochet Uncut’ website as a free pattern. This is a great lovey for a little one or even a fun whimsical gift for an older child. This pattern was published in 2010.
“Spiral in a Heart” is available here on my blog as a free pattern and makes a fun little embellishment. I like to make these to decorate hats and gloves for loved ones. They are also really cute on cuddle blankets. This pattern was published in 2011
I began to get more into the math of circles worked in the round and that that gave me the idea to play with spirals that had more than 1 arm. Once I started down this path I started having way too much fun. Since then I have continued to play with different height of stitches and number of arms to create designs that incorporate spirals.
“Whirlwind Afghan Square” this was my first afghan square for the Moogly CAL in 2015. You can find the free pattern for this square here on my blog.{Not the most exciting photo I’ve ever taken, but you get the idea.} I also have a video and additional blog posts on working this square.
“Dizzy Corner Afghan Square” this square was part of the 2017 Moogly CAL the pattern is available here on my blog for free. This post includes a detailed photo tutorial on crocheting the spiral circle.
“Whirling Ends Scarf” this fun scarf pattern is available for purchase in my Ravelry shop. The pattern includes detailed photo tutorials and stitch charts for both the spirals and the body of the scarf. It was part of the Stitch Makers Virtual Crochet Conference in September 2019.
These are just a short review of some of the flat spiral designs I’ve created over the years. Next week we will have a couple of new designs to add to this list, so be sure to stop by again.
Summer is officially over, though here in Colorado we are still having some pretty hot days. The weather is predicted to start cooling off nicely in the next week. My kiddos are both back at school, and I’m back to teaching classes at my local yarn shop; Longmont Yarn Shoppe.
I taught my first class last weekend: Learn to Crochet Level 1 – Getting Started. I have 9 other classes coming up in the next 4 months. 3 of them will be Hybrid classes that will have seats both in-person and via Zoom. All the times listed below are in Mountain Time, Zoom classes include the other US time zones on the registration page at LongmontYarn.com.
I updated my Memory Angel Ornament pattern to use a large wooden bead and a button for the head. This class includes a class kit for $8 payable at the time of class and is in-person at the shop classroom. The kit booklet includes the pattern for the angel as well as additional tips and tricks on making your angel.
This is the next step in learning to crochet. If you already know how to comfortably make chain stitches this is the class for you. You’ll learn how to make slip, single, half-double, double and treble crochet stitches along with working into a foundation chain and the basics of reading a pattern. The class cost includes the kit for class, so all you need to bring is a crochet hook.
This class is all about getting comfortable working the stitches you picked up in Level 2 in concentric rounds. You’ll learn all about starting and joining your rounds and how to make the motifs in your hand-out in a variety of sizes.
Granny Square Basics with Andee (hybrid) : Saturday September 30th, 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Granny Squares are a classic crochet motif that has been used since the mid-1800’s to make blankets and other projects. The squares are worked in the round with 4 corners and are great for using up bits of yarn left from other projects. In this class you will learn how to crochet the classic granny square as well as modifications to the granny square pattern for more drape in your project. We will cover 2 methods of joining a new color at the beginning of a round including standing stitches, invisible joins for the last round of a square, easy ways to weave in all those tails and working multiple rounds in one color.
This class is a great introduction to making a basic crocheted hat. The class kit includes a booklet with everything you need to know to make any size of hat with any yarn of your choice.
Rectangles are one of the most useful shapes to crochet, depending on their size they can be a scarf, wrap, throw or blanket. Working in the round, from the inside out, like a granny square makes it easy to change colors and add a fun border. But how do you get the rectangle started and how do you determine how big your finished project will be? Come join Andee for this class and you will learn everything you need to know to get the size rectangle you want.
Class tuition includes a full color workbook. We will cover beginning your project with the Stacked Rows Foundation and how long you need it to be for the finished size you want. You will even learn a No Math version using your workbook in class. As well as learning how to figure out the size project you can create with the yardage you have available. The workbook will include 3 different stitch patterns to use to make your projects.
Joining Your Granny Squares with Andee (hybrid): Saturday October 28th, 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
For this class you will need the “Helen’s Yarn Adventures” granny square blanket pattern. The pattern includes stitch diagrams and directions for making granny squares. For this class you will need to make 12 squares that have 4 rounds and 4 squares that have 3 rounds before class so you can practice the various joins. For those that want, I will show how the 16 squares from the homework can be made into a bag.
You’ve gotten comfortable with crocheting the classic Granny Square, so now it’s time to learn all the tips and tricks for joining your granny squares together to make a blanket or other projects. Class will cover 4 methods for joining squares together: Sewing, 2 Crochet joins and a Join-as-you-Go method. We will also cover how to weave in all those ends to create a fabric that is both beautiful and long wearing, plus tricks for blocking and edging your granny square project.
Linked Stitches Hat with Andee (hybrid): Sunday November 5th, 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Hats are fun, and quick projects to crochet and make wonderful gifts, but if you have crocheted a hat using double crochet stitches you may have been disappointed with how holey the fabric is. You need Linked Stitches!
Come learn how to work linked double crochet stitches in this hat project. You will have a fun hat that is warm and stretchy without any holes. During class you will crochet an infant size hat to practice the techniques and leave with the skills to make your hat in 4 additional sizes (Toddler, Child, Small Adult, Large Adult). Students will also learn how to adjust the size of their hat to use different weights of yarn.
Come learn how to create this adorable compact little angel. In three hours you will be confident with using a variety of needle felting sculptural techniques to create a dense long-lasting felted ornament that will be loved for years. Project will introduce using a template for starting your sculpture and directional gathering of fiber to create 3 dimensional shapes. Class is ideal for those that have a little experience with needle-felting already.
All materials are included in the class fee. TO ENSURE YOU GET YOUR KIT IN TIME IF IT IS SHIPPED register 7-8 business days before class starts.
It’s beginning to warm up more days on my mountain and the bunnies are venturing out to see if they can find any fresh greens to nibble. We will still get some snow storms before our real warm weather arrives, but I am enjoying every hour of warmth we get. Easter is coming up this weekend and I have a fun little crochet pattern for you. The written version is below, for those of you that prefer a stitch chart or PDF version you can purchase it in my Ravelry Shop by clicking here.
Spring Bunny
designed by Andee Graves
This fun little bunny can be worked flat facing either left or right. Add your bunny as an embellishment to hats, mittens, sweaters or blankets. Or make the stuffy version for a fun little toy to add to Easter baskets or as a gift for a bunny lover in your life.
Finished Size: Finished bunny is approximately 4.25” tall
Materials
Yarn: Worsted Weight yarn, #4 weight category,
1 Flat Bunny uses approximately 7-10 yards of yarn. Stuffy Bunny uses approximately 15 – 20 yards of yarn
Sample was made with Premier “Every Day Worsted Anti-Pilling”, 180 yds/165 m, 3.5 oz/100 g,
Hook: H / 5mm or size needed to obtain gauge.
Notions: Yarn/tapestry needle, Poly fiber fill if making stuffy
Gauge: First 2 dc rounds = 2 3/8” (6 cm) diameter
Special Stitches:
Chain 4 Picot (ch-4 Picot) Chain 4, slip stitch in previous stitch made using front loop and top side loop.
Pattern Notes
Round 1 of stitches is worked into an adjustable slip knot, if you prefer the magic circle start, make 1 less chain stitch at the start of Round 1.
For Stuffy version use the scraps left from weaving in the beginning tails and Side 1 ending tail to stuff the bunny’s head.
Instructions for Flat Bunny
Right Facing Bunny
Rnd 1: Starting with adjustable slip knot, ch 3 {counts as center and first dc}, 11 dc in third chain from hook, join with slip st to top of beginning ch. (12 dc) Tighten center and weave in beginning tail.
Rnd 2: Ch 2 {counts as first dc}, dc in same st as join, 2 dc in each of next 4 sts, (dc, ch-4 Picot, dc) in next st, 2 dc in each of next 6 sts, join with slip st to top of beginning ch. (24 dc, 1 ch-4 Picot)
Row 3 (Bunny head): Ch 3 {counts as first Tr}, Tr in same st as join, 3 Tr in next st, *ch 7, working in back bumps of chs just made, hdc in third ch from hook, dc in each of next 2 chs, hdc in next ch, sc in next ch, slip st thru front loop and top side loop of previous Tr, * {first ear made}, Rep from * to * once, {second ear made}, (dc, ch 2, slip st) in next st. Fasten off. (5 Tr, 6 dc, 4 hdc, 2 sc)
Left Facing Bunny
Rnd 1: Work same as Right Facing Bunny.
Rnd 2: Ch 2 {counts as first dc}, dc in same st as join, 2 dc in each of next 7 sts, ch-4 Picot, 2 dc in each of next 4 sts, join with slip st to top of beginning ch. (24 dc, 1 ch-4 Picot)
Row 3 (Bunny head): Ch 2, dc in same st as join, *ch 7, working in back bumps of chs just made, hdc in third ch from hook, dc in each of next 2 chs, hdc in next ch, sc in next ch, slip st thru front loop and top side loop of previous dc, *{first ear made}, Rep from * to * once, {second ear made}, 3 Tr in next st, (Tr, ch 3, slip st) in next st. Fasten off. (5 Tr, 6 dc, 4 hdc, 2 sc)
Finishing
Weave in ending tail or use to sew bunny to project.
Instructions for Bunny Stuffy
Side 1 Bunny
Rnds 1 – 2: Work same as Right Facing Flat Bunny. Save beginning tail scrap.
Row 3 (Bunny head): Work same as Right Facing Flat Bunny but work only first Ear. Fasten off. (5 Tr, 4 dc, 2 hdc, 1 sc) Weave in ending tail, saving ending tail scrap.
Side 2 Bunny
Rnds 1 – 2: Work same as Left Facing Flat Bunny. Save beginning tail scrap.
Row 3 (Bunny head): Work same as Left Facing Flat Bunny but work only first Ear. Fasten off leaving 20” long tail. (5 Tr, 4 dc, 2 hdc, 1 sc)
Finishing
Holding Side 1 and 2 with WS together, using a whip stitch sew around Rnd 2 of body of bunny from 1 side of head to other, place a bit of fiber fill stuffing inside circle of bunny body. Sew along base of bunny head to close circle.
Sew around head, using a whipstitch and leaving bunny ears free, use beginning tail and ending tail scraps to lightly stuff head before sewing nose. Weave in last tail and trim excess.
In the image above you can see how I squished my bunny stuffy to make him sit on a flat bottom. I didn’t stuff the body very firmly so that I had some squishability when the bunny was finished.
I hope you are having a wonderful return to spring and enjoy crocheting some bunnies of your own.
If your Autumn was anything like mine you have been crazy busy finishing up gifts for everyone for the holidays. Unfortunately in all that rush it is easy to forget about doing anything for yourself. Which is what the “Crochet for Me Pattern Bundle is all about.
This bundle includes 35 crochet patterns by 22 designers for just $19 (89% off the price of buying each pattern individually and just 55¢ each). The Bundle is available for only 5 days, December 26th – 31st, so be sure to grab yours quickly before the bundle is gone with the old year.
This post contains affiliate links, if you make a purchase using my link I will be compensated at no additional cost to you.
I have 2 patterns in the bundle. My “Rhytmn of Shells cowl” and “September Shawl”. Both of these designs are fabulously wearable because of their shapes.
The cowl is a perfect pattern for using up that gorgeous hank of fingering or sock weight yarn you picked up at your local fiber festival and haven’t known what to make with it. Worked in a tube off a stacked rows foundation the lace pattern is just fancy enough to really dress up your cold weather wardrobe.
The shawl is worked using 2 hanks of similar weight yarn. For my sample the L-shaped body is worked in a simple stitch pattern using a variegated yarn then the elaborate 1920s lace border is worked in a semi-solid complimentary yarn color to really pop. The L-shape sits well on the shoulders no matter how it is styled.
My favorite way to wear my shawls is the classic bandana drape over or under my coat.
Here are some images of all the patterns in the bundle in collages of each section.
Wow! The last couple of months have been zipping by, and I am so happy to finally be able to share one of the projects I’ve been keeping under my hat. I’m participating in the 2021 Stitch & Hustle Blog Hop: Puff the Magic Stitch. A big thank you to WeCrochet.com for providing the yarn for this blog hop and to Michele of Stitch & Hustle for organizing the hop.
My design is the Puff Star Afghan Hexagon. You can have so much fun mixing up the colors for the various elements of this fun hexagon, the final round is a Jay-Go edging that makes it easy to join your hexagons together to create an afghan of any size. I’ve included the amounts of yarn needed for the A, B, C & D colors as written, so if you want you can use these hexagons as a scrap busting project. If you do scrap hexagons I recommend using a single color for the Jay-Go Rounds to tie your afghan together.
Puff stitches are a great textural element to have in your crochet toolbox. They are especially nice because they create a texture on both sides of your fabric. If you haven’t ever made puff stitches they can be a bit tricky. My mom would have said, “You have to hold your mouth just right.” The most important thing to keep in mind is that you want all the loops you pull up to be the same length, that way your puff stitches won’t get wonky.
My favorite style of puff stitch has an extra step at the end that captures all the puff stitch loops and makes a clean “top” for the stitch. For this pattern the majority of the puffs are made using 4 yarn-overs and the first puff stitch in Round 2 and 4 are started with a chain-2 then 3 yarn-overs.
The last step of my preferred puff stitch.
Be sure to scroll down after the pattern for links to more fun free patterns featuring the puff stitch and to find out about the great yarn giveaways that are part of this blog hop.
This pattern is also available for purchase as an Ad PDF download in my Ravelry shop. The PDF includes stitch charts for the entire hexagon as well as a stitch diagram of the Join-as-you- Go technique.
The colors I used for the hexagons are shown above and starting in the left top corner are: Mint (C28438), Seashell (C28447), Marina (C2843), Tidal Speckle (C29246), Tranquil (C28454). Then I used Asphalt Heather (C28411) {not pictured} for joining my hexagons together.
I had one ball of each of the hexagon colors and have been playing with using each of them for the various A, B & C instructions. For one hexagon the approximate amount of yarn needed for each Color is:
Color A: Rnds 1, 2 & 4 = 8.5 g (19 yds);
Color B: Rnds 3, 5, 7 & 8 = 8 g (18 yds);
Color C: Rnds 6 & 9 – 7 g (16 yds);
Color D: Rnd 10 = 5 g (11 yds).
Hook – I-9 (5.5 mm)
Notions – yarn/tapestry needle, stitch markers
Finished Size: 10 inches from point to point and 8.5 inches across middle between sides.
Gauge: First 3 Rounds in pattern = 2.75” across middle between sides
Special Stitches/Abbreviations:
BegPuff (Beginning Puff Stitch) – Ch 2, [Yo, insert hook into indicated place, yo, pull up a loop to needed height] 3 times, yo pull thru 6 loops on hook, yo pull thru final 2 loops on hook {like making a single crochet}.
Puff (Puff Stitch) – [Yo, insert hook into indicated place, yo, pull up a loop to needed height] 4 times, yo pull thru 8 loops on hook, yo pull thru final 2 loops on hook {like making a single crochet}.
CL (2 Double Crochet Cluster) – [Yo, insert hook into indicated place, yo, pull up a loop, yo, pull thru 2 loops on hook] 2 times, yo, pull thru remaining 3 loops on hook.
sc2tog (Single Crochet 2 Together) – Insert hook in first indicated st/sp, yo, pull up a loop, insert hook in next st, yo pull up a loop, yo, pull thru all 3 loops on hook.
hdcVst (Half Double Crochet V-stitch) – (hdc, ch 1, hdc) in indicated stitch or space.
V-st (Double Crochet V-stitch) – (dc, ch 1, dc) in indicated stitch or space.
Pattern Notes:
Starting with an adjustable slip knot this afghan block is worked in concentric hexagonal rounds.
All rounds are worked with right side (RS) facing except round 6. Round 6 is worked with wrong side (WS) facing so the cluster bobble stitches will push to RS of fabric.
When skipping stitches chains count as 1 stitch each, unless otherwise stated.
Instructions
Rnd 1 (RS): With Color A, ch 2, 6 sc in second ch from hook, slip st to first sc of Rnd. (6 sc)
Rnd 2 (RS): BegPuff st in same sc as join, ch 3, [Puff st in next sc, ch 3] 5 times, slip st to top of BegPuff st. Fasten off Color A. (6 Puff, 6 ch-3 sp)
Rnd 3 (RS): Change to Color B, With RS facing join in right hand side of ch-3 sp with a slip st, ch 1, (3 sc, ch 2, 3 sc) in same ch-3 sp, [ch 1, skip next st, (3 sc, ch 2, 3 sc) in next ch-3 sp] 5 times, ch 1, skip next st, slip st to first sc of Rnd. Fasten off Color B. (36 sc, 6 ch-1 sp, 6 ch-2 sp)
Rounds 1-3 finished
Rnd 4 (RS): Change to Color A, with RS facing, join in any ch-1 sp with a slip st, BegPuff st in same ch-1 sp, [*ch 1, skip 1 st, dc next st, ch 1, skip 1 st, (Puff, ch 3, Puff) in next ch-2 sp, ch 1, skip 1 st, dc next st, ch 1, skip 1 st*, Puff in next ch-1 sp] 5 times, Rep from * to * once, slip st to first Puff st of Rnd. Fasten off Color A. (18 Puff, 12 dc, 24 ch-1 sp, 6 ch-3 sp)
Rnd 5 (RS): Change to Color B, with RS facing join in ch-1 sp to left of center Puff on one side, ch 1, 2 sc in same ch-1 sp, skip next dc, 2 sc in next ch-1 sp, skip next Puff, [*(2 sc, ch 2, 2 sc) in next ch-3 sp, skip next Puff*, (2 sc in next ch-1 sp, skip next st) 4 times,] 5 times, Rep from * to * once, (2 sc in next ch-1 sp, skip next st) 2 times, slip st to first sc of Rnd. Fasten off Color B. (72 sc, 6 ch-2 sp)
Puff Star Crocheted thru Round 5.
Rnd 6 (WS): Change to Color C, with WS facing join yarn in first sc before ch-2 sp at point, ch 1, [(sc, ch 2, sc) in next ch-2 sp, skip next st, sc next 2 sts, CL next st, sc next st, CL next 2 sts, sc next st, CL next st, sc next 2 sts, skip next st] 6 times, slip st to first sc of Rnd. Fasten off Color C. (48 sc, 24 CL, 6 ch-2 sp)
Note: At this point your hexagon is looking a little ruffly, don’t worry we are fixing that in the rest of the rounds.
Rnd 7 (RS): Change to Color B, with RS facing join in second sc before ch-2 sp at point, ch 1, sc in next 2 sts, [*(sc, ch 2, sc) in next ch-2 sp, sc in next st, (sc in next st, sc2tog using next 2 sts) 3 times*, sc in next 2 sts] 5 times, Repeat from * to * once, slip st to first sc of Rnd. (48 sc, 18 sc2tog, 6 ch-2 sp)
Starting Round 8
Rnd 8 (RS): Ch 4, dc in same st as join {counts as first V-st of Rnd}, skip 2 sts, [*(hdcVst, ch 2, hdcVst) in next ch-2 sp*, (skip 2 sts, V-st in next st) 3 times] 5 times, Repeat from * to * once, (skip 2 sts, V-st in next st) 2 times, slip st to 3rd ch of beginning ch-4. Fasten off Color B. (12 hdcVst, 18 V-st, 6 ch-2 sp)
Rnd 9 (RS): Change to Color C, with RS facing join in second ch-1 sp before ch-2 sp at point, ch 4, dc in same ch-1 {counts as first V-st of Rnd}, skip 2 sts, [*V-st in next ch-1 sp, skip next st, (dc, ch 2, dc) in ch-2 sp, skip 1 st*, (V-st in next ch-1 sp, skip 2 sts) 4 times] 5 times, Repeat from * to * once, (V-st in next ch-1 sp, skip 2 sts) 3 times, slip st to 3rd ch of beg ch-4. Fasten off Color C. (30 V-st, 12 dc, 6 ch-2 sp)
Rnd 10 (RS) Jay-Go Rnd: Change to Color D, with RS facing join in ch-1 sp of second V-st before ch-2 sp at point, ch 1, sc in same sp as join, [*ch 3, skip 2 sts, sc in next ch sp*, Repeat from * to * until work in ch-2 sp at point, ch 3, sc in same ch-2 sp] 6 times, Repeat from * to * until reach last V-st before beg of Rnd, ch 3, skip 2 sts, slip st to first sc of Rnd. (42 ch3 sp, 42 sc)
2 Hexagons joined along 1 side.
For first Hexagon of project work Rnd 10 as written, when joining to another hexagon change the ch-3 sps to (ch 1, slip st, ch 1) working the slip st in the corresponding ch-3 sp on the side or sides of hexagon(s) you are joining to.
Finishing
Weave in all tails and block gently.
If desired, you can work a border of sc around the outside edges of your finished afghan, place 2 sc in each open ch-3 sp and 1 sc in each side of point joins.
In addition to all the fun free patterns using the puff stitch, you can enter to win giveaways of all the yarn needed to make groupings of the patterns available in the hop. The Giveaways start today and go thru October 8, 2021. You can learn more about the blog hop and giveaway by visiting the Stitch & Hustle blog post.
Pufftastic Bandana Cowl, Talara Hooded Duster, and Puff Star Afghan Hexagon
Follow any of the links below to check out the other patterns in this Blog Hop.
Well it might not look like it at my house, but Spring has sprung. Soon the warmer weather will find us, even up here on the mountain, and when it does I’ll be looking for cool projects to work on. So my thoughts turn to lace! Lace to make – challenging stitches, airy patterns, gorgeous lightweight yarns – and lace to wear – the perfect items to get me from Spring to Summer or Summer to Fall.
In honor of Spring I joined 34 of my crochet designer colleagues and created the Crochet for Me Lace Bundle. It’s chock full of 46 individual patterns, never before offered in a bundle or for free, that will give you a wide range of patterns that will suit your lacy fancy.
All sorts of patterns are included from hats and headbands, to tees and shawls, to a dress and jewelry, and even a lacy pillow for your lounging pleasure.
I’ve contributed 2 never before released patterns to this gorgeous lace collection: Arrows Lace Wrap and Lace is the Point Cowl.
For the Arrows Lace Wrap I wanted to explore this fun 4 Row lace repeat. I used a central foundation with the wrap worked off each side and ending with an elaborate pointed border. The beginning and end of each row finishes the edge as you go, so once you are done all you have to do is block and weave in a few ends. This pattern is also available in my Ravelry Shop for $5.99.
For the Lace is the Point Cowl I was having some fun with the gorgeous “Folio” yarn from Berroco. The drape and soft fluffy feel of this yarn make it perfect for a cozy lacy layer for a cowl that can see you into the cooler weather. It takes less than 1 ball of yarn, so it’s a great project to splurge on yourself with. This pattern is also available in my Ravelry Shop for $4.99.
You get all 46 patterns featured in this bundle for only $25. That’s less than 55 cents per pattern! But the offer is only available through April 21, 2021, 11:59 PM Eastern, and it absolutely will not be extended nor repeated.
If you purchased these patterns individually they would cost you well over $200. And by buying from a coalition of designers like this instead of a huge publisher, you know that your money is going where it’s needed – into the pockets of your favorite designers so they can keep on creating the patterns you love to make.
If all of that is not enough to convince you you need this bundle here’s one more great thing. Once you gain access to the patterns you ALSO get a file with extra discount codes for additional products offered by some of our amazing designer friends. And there’s a 15 day money back guarantee so you have absolutely nothing to lose.
Knit For Me Lace Bundle Pattern
For those of my readers that also love to knit there is a Knit for Me Lace Bundle too! The Knit for Me Lace Bundle has 33 patterns for only $17. That’s less than 52 cents per pattern. If you purchased these patterns individually they would cost you well over $170. But the offer is only available through April 21, 2021, 11:59 PM Eastern, and it absolutely will not be extended nor repeated.
If you purchase both bundles together you get an even better discount.
So support the community that you love, rejoice in the fact that you are a clever bargain hunter, then put your feet up and crochet (or knit) something light and lacy as you watch the flowers bloom! Enjoy all of these things – and the lovely Spring weather – while they last.
Mamas2Hands 