Wrist Bling Swap!

I had the best time making a bracelet to swap Michellesque (her blog here). It was so fun getting to meet her and hear about her. Swaps are awesome!!!

And look what she sent me!!!

Thank you Yellow Heart Art for bringing the fun!

Farewell...for just a little bit longer

I have been missing in action. But, I have great excuses!

My craft is yarn and its been about 110 degrees here everyday. The idea of grabbing yarn is unappealing. Even cotton. Even bamboo. I pretty much just want to sit in a baby pool and be ladled!

My second excuse is way more fun...we are taking a family road trip to Texas. Leaving in about an hour. All the details have taken a lot of time and effort. But, the car is beautifully packed. Snacks and toys and clothes and I grabbed an umbrella stroller for Izzy.

Happy week to you all! I have some posts scheduled to pop while I am gone.

Mel

Happy Monday

It is a typical Monday...the husband is back to work and I have been cleaning the weekend off of my house all morning. It was a really great weekend...I spent lots of downtime with my husband and crocheted a lotus cuff bracelet!

 Here it is on...HERE is where I got the pattern. :)

 Then I headed outside and harvested the lavender to dry it and picked my latest batch of cherry tomatoes! mmmmm

 But, its Monday now. The husband is back to work, the cleaning is done and the baby is down for his name. I rented Mirror, Mirror at the Redbox, so I am going to crochet a hat while I watch and devour a huge bowl of cherries for lunch!

How is your Monday going?

The Making of Spiderman (Crochet Hat)

Collect your Supplies! Bright Red and Soft White are "Red Heart Super Saver" and the Blue and Black are "Impeccable"

 Make a swatch...I don't always, but with hats I have to. Its amazing how much a different a knot can turn out with a different brand of hook, a different brand of yarn and a different set of hands.

 My swatch was 12 stitches wide and four rows high...it measured 4" wide and 2" tall. So to make my 20" wide and 8" deep (toddler size to fit up until they are about 5 years old) I would need it to be 60 stitches wide and 16 rows deep.

So I made a simple beanie. HDCs.
SLIP STITCH into the first stitch of that row and chain twice.
I hook
Worsted Weight Yarn (This is Red Heart Super Saver...it holds up well to being decorated)
Increase: Means to HDC two times in one stitch



Row 1:In a Magic Circle I crocheted 9 HDC. Then I cinched closed my magic circle. (9)
Row 2:HDC two times in each stitch (18)
Row 3:HDC around, increasing every other stitch (27)
Row 4:HDC around, increasing in every 3rd stitch (36)
Row 5:HDC around, increasing in every 4th stitch (45)
Row 6:HDC around (no increases on this row) (45)
Row 7:HDC around, increasing in every 5th stitch (54)
Row 8:HDC around, increasing in every 6th stitch (63)
Row 9-16:HDC around (63)
Fasten off. It should like the picture above. :) Minus the cute toddler. Unless you happen to have one, too.

 Attach the blue yarn. Single Crochet all around for one row. Fasten off.

 When you are crocheting with a new color...crochet over the tails that have been fastened off. It makes it much neater when you snip ends.

 Make an eye. This is the right one. I wanted it to be 1/5th as wide as the hat but my teenager says its a little too wide. Feel free to make yours a little smaller. But this is how I did it! :D

Single crochets...7 rows.

Chain 21.
Row 1:Single crochet in the second chain from hook and continue across (20), chain 1 and turn
Row 2:SC in the first stitch and the next 17 across (18), chain 1 and turn
Row 3:skip one stitch and SC in the next 16 stitches (16), chain 1 and turn
Row 4:SC in the first stitch and the next 14 stitches (15), chain 1 and turn
Row 5:skip the first stitch and SC in the next 13 stitches (13), chain 1 and turn
Row 6:skip the first stitch and SC in the next 11 stitches (11), chain 1 and turn
Row 7:SC in the first 10 stitches and Fasten off. (10)

Make another one for the other side. I made them the same and just used the flip side of one.

And here is a chart. I like to make them to simplify.

 The eyeliner. I wanted heavy eyeliner without making the already large eyes too much larger. So I Spike Single Crocheted all around. If you havent done this, its VERY simple. Instead of stiching into the row below thew one you are working on like you normally would, you insert your hook two rows down. That makes for a wider stitch without adding much more width and a fun spiking effect. At each of the four corners of the eyes SC three times in the same stitch. Fasten off and leave a looooong tail. This will be what you sew the eyes on with.

 Sew on the eyes using a yarn needle.

 Use a yarn needle to sew on teh webs.

 And here it is!

I love constructive critisizm. So, have asked everyone that has seen the hat what they think. So far only my teenager has noted changes that I should make. The eyes should be smaller. I will be trying again very soon. But, until then...here is how I feel about critisizm.

 Mow the lawn...wash the car...Watch your brother. LOL

Haha...just kidding. No punishment for honesty around here. It was just chore day. He is happily playing videogames right now as I type. No teenagers were harmed in the making of my hat.

Nectresse Review

It might seem unrelated...but without coffee there would be no crochet for me. I have had to pull many a crochet-all-nighter to figure some patterns out and fill orders at the holidays. So, a new artificial sweetener...totally craft related!

I was at Target last night and saw this box near the bags of sugar (my teenager requested it...he is big on tea and baking). I had to try it!

The price: not so great. 40 packets for $3.99
The taste: DARN good. It has a sliiiight "truvia" bite to it but much less aftertaste. And the aftertaste is kind of nice, mellow. My coffee is not bitter. Just *sips* sweet.

In defense of the price...its brand new. I guess it was announced earlier this year and just released last week in July. AND it only took one packet to sweeten my coffee. It usually takes two packets of anything else. So I would suggest you give it a try!

Crocheting a Basket and Dog Grooming

Today I was straightening up and decided that I wanted to keep all of Pickles grooming products in to make her morning groom more convenient. 

So I made something that I have made many, many times...a crocheted basket!

I like to keep them simple and just play with colors. This one had to have some purple because it will be located in my very purple kitchen.

I make my baskets by holding two strands together and using a N hook. Its big and they work up fast! I like using Red Heart Super Saver. It holds its shape well and the colors stay bright wash after wash.

I made the bottom black (holding two strands of black together) I formed a circle by working in a spiral. At the end of each row I did not chain or slip stitch...I just went right to the top of the next stitch and kept going.


Form the Base: 

In a Magic Circle I worked 9 HDC, cinched it closed. (9) If you don't want to pay attention to your counting, insert a contrasting strand of yarn to mark your stitch.
Row 2: Two HDC in each stitch (18)
Row 3: HDC around, increasing every other stitch (27)
Row 4: HDC around, increasing every 3rd stitch (36)
Row 5: HDC around, increasing every 4th stitch (45)
Row 6: HDC around, increasing every 5th stitch (54)

This is wear I stopped increasing. You should have a circle and it is probably about 8" across. You can keep increasing or not go as wide as I did. This is the base of your basket. Play with it!

I like to variegate the colors...a big of an ombre feel. Usually I will start with two different colors held together and then cut one and tie another color on, carrying the old one along with it, then a few stitches later I will cut the old color and tie the old strand onto a new color...going back and forth so it all kind of blends together. But, this time I left the lavender strand the entire time. I changed only the complimentary color and did not repeat the color at all.

The Sides:


Put the two colors of yarn on the hook in the same way you would normally place one strand on the hook. Hold the strands together, make them into one slip knot and put that on the hook. Crochet with them as if they were one thick strand. Like this:

 You start with the two strands, you come to where you want to change a color. Pick the color you want to change. In this case the purple strand will be continuing and the aqua is going to be to replaced with turquoise. 

 You snip the color that you would like to change (the aqua), you grab the strand of the new color (the turquoise) and hold new and old strands together. 

 Tie them.

Hold this strand with the old strand that is continuing (the purple) and keep crocheting as though they are one strand, crocheting over the tail formed when you tied the turquoise to the aqua. This will keep things neat.

When the time comes to change a color (I change every row or so) just cut a strand and knot the new color right on. I leave a 3 inch tail and crochet over the tail as I work. That way when I snip the ends it is nice and neat.

Still using the N hook. Attach the yarn to any stitch of the base. HDC around, when you come to the end of a row do not slip stitch. Crochet right into the next stitch to form a smooth spiral. I circled around for 6 rows. My basket is just shy of 4 inches tall. But can keep going.

To end this I crochet 3 single crochet stitchs as my last stitchs and then fasten off.

Here is the finished product! Perfect for my pups grooming supplies.

I wear perfume everyday...and so I feel Pickles should, too. The purple spray is Hartz Freshening Spray. It smells so pretty and gives her just a bit of extra luster. I got it at Walmart for about $4. It has lasted quite a while and as you can see I still have lots left. I just hit her with two spritzes during her brushing session. She gets frequent baths, but this is the icing on her morning routine.

I always like to DIY...so I tried a recipe for dog freshening from the internet before buying the Hartz product.

1 Part Listerine (I got the green kind, it smelled the best)
1 Part Cocoa Butter Lotion (for shine, it said)
1 Part Water

Put these in a spray bottle, shake like crazy and spritz on puppies to make them smell better and have a shiny coat. You should have SEEN the expressions on my husband and teenage son when they saw me do this. Sadly they were right. Putting lotion (even watered down) on a dog is not a clean idea. It might just be "my" dogs. But, it was alot like if i spray lotion into my hair. Matted down mess, grease-slick, goopy, dust attracting...eww. And the listerine/cocoa butter scent left LOTS to be desired. Oh, the expressions on the dogs faces after I sprayed them with it was just so sad. I would do it again and snap you a picture. But, I love them too much. 


So, Hartz it is! 

Beanie with Headphones Pattern

Hi! Just wanted to share some morning cuteness! I have seen hats with fake headphones everywhere lately and I wanted to make one for a baby I know! I want to share with you guys how I did it. (Click here to go to my Etsy shop if you would rather I make it for you)

Here is the finished product^^ Its my first try. I might do it differently next time. I'll keep you posted.

I used Red Heart Super Saver yarn. I love this color...but this skein had a very crunchy feel to it. The baby recipient has a lot of hair or I would not have chosen this. I think Impeccable yarn would also work well..but Vanna or TLC would be too "floppy". This thing literally stands up, completely formed, on its own when you set it down on a table. Which is just what I want when I am using a hat to add embellishments to. If the hat too floppy you will see where you stitched or glued things on to it once it is washed once or twice. Side Note: Gluing is NEVER as good as stitching. And don't even try glue when you are sending it to someone under five years old. Whatever it is will come off. I LOVE my Liquid Stitch...but I keep it off my baby hats because in the past it has failed the child test. 

Pattern!

Very Basic Ribbed Beanie: 

This is 3-6 month size (16" around, 6" tall) 

You will need to know front post HDC and back post HDC. Both are super simple stitches that I learned on youtube. 

J Hook

Slip stitch, chain one and make first stitch of the next row in the same stitch as chain one (for now gaps) unless otherwise noted. Do not turn. 

Gauge for Hat: 3stitches = 1" wide

In a magic circle, HDC 8 times (8)

Row 2: HDC 2 time in each stitch (16)

Row 3: HDC around increasing in every other stitch (24)

Row 4: HDC around incresing in every third stitch (32)

Row 5: HDC around (32)

Row 6: HDC around increasing in every 4th stitch (40)

Row 7: HDC around increasing in every 5th stitch (48) 3stitches = an inch, so that was 16". Keep going here if you need to :)

Row 8--11: HDC one time in each stitch around (48), (slip stitich, chain 1)

Row 12-14: Back post Half Double Crochet (BPHDC) in same stitch as chain. BPHDC in next stitch, Front Post Half Double Crochet (FPHDC) in third stitch. *BPHDC in next stitch, BPHDC in next stitch, FPHDC in next stitch* and continue *-* all the way around. (slip stitch, chain 1). (48) 

Fasten off. 

Headphone Band:

Change to black yarn. Hold two strands together as you work and still use the J Hook.

Make a chain 28. (hold it up agains the top of the hat...if you made it bigger or smaller just make sure your chain goes almost all the way across the top. This will be forming the band of the headphones. The ends will be hidden so its not necessary to be precise. It needs to be long enough to hit the circles, but not longer than the hat is from one side, across the top, to the other side.)

Then HDC in second chain from the hook and across. 

Fasten off. 

Ear Circles: (Make 2)

Still holding two strands of black yarn together.

Row 1: HDC 9 times in a magic circle. Cinch it up, slip stitch and chain 1

Row 2: HDC 2 times in each stitch around (18) 

Fasten off. 

Assembly:

I sewed the band on with a very wide (basting) stitch to keep it where I wanted it placed on the hat. Then with light grey yarn on a plastic yarn sewing needle I backstitched the circles onto the hat over the band. I just kept my stitch along the edges of the circle. They are very secure. Then once the circles are attached over the ends of this band I cute the wide stitch that was attaching the band along the top of the hat so that the bad would hover over the hat a bit. I thought it was cuter this way. :)

Work in your tails and you are done! Tada!!! 

I think I will need a Melody sized one on a purple beanie before winter come. Maybe a set for the whole family for a little family picture? 

I also made time to color my hair yesterday! I went light a few months ago and was missing my black. So its back!

I love box color <3...Darkest brown all the way. *waves*

Polka Dot Throw

You ever look at something and just say to yourself "I am gonna MAKE you"...gosh, I hope you do, or else this is going to be an awkward moment. Its not just me, is it?

Here is my latest...

 

Pattern:  http://www.redheart.com/files/patterns/pdf/WR2107.pdf

It appears to just be plain old Red Heart Super Saver yarn...which I have a few (hundred) skeins of in my stash from hat making. I am going to stick as closely to this color selection as I can. Its so perky! It belongs on my couch.

I hope that you will make one with me! I will update here with my progress. First and foremost...collecting the colors in a basket.

Im off!

Happy Hooking,
Mel

Review: Bernat Alpaca Natural Blends

Ravelers...please go HERE for the post with the pattern. I messed up and pasted the link to this review where I should have posted the link to the pattern and I cannot seem to fix it. :) 

Well...let me just start by saying, "I love my set of fingerless gloves. But."

I tried Bernats Alpaca Natural Blends yarn. This was an impulse buy and my first time using this yarn. I went with "stone"...a very dark, shiny charcoal gray. Not metallic shiny...it has a sheen to it, as you can see above. It is 70% acrylic and 30% alpaca. It is a nice bulky weight. I paid $6 for my skein.

It is soft. Not as soft as Hooks and Loops Charisma or Lions Homespun, though. If I had it to do over again I would use Charisma. It is the same bulky weight and almost always on sale. So, it would be half the price and a little softer.

All softness aside, there is one reason I am complaining about the alpaca. It sheds EVERYWHERE as I crochet. I have a black cat that lives outdoors (her name is Ninjette, she is AWESOME)...but I kept thinking that she had snuck inside the house. Black hairs were EVERYWHERE. And the hairs that manage to stay on the yarn get very tangled on the hook. It caused the yarn to get very piece-y and separate as I worked. Not a pleasure.

But the end result was the desired one. It was just a hassle getting there. I would give the yarn 2** out of 5*****.

Thanks for reading! Happy hooking <3

Cute and SIMPLE Fingerless Glove Pattern

I took quite the crochet-vacation. Every time I do I come back full of vim and vigor, revving to get back at my hooks. As a starter project, I am making a little something for me. I want to share it with you guys, too! It is a fast, simple crochet project. What I like to call...instant gratification. Like one of those chocolate cake mugs!

Hopefully, this easy to follow video can be of additional help while you are making these gloves.

This pattern goes really fast because it calls for bulky (size 5) weight yarn. Choose something soft and bulky. I like acrylic because it can be washed and dried while maintaining its integrity beautifully. One 3.5 ounce skein of bulky weight yarn. At this weight you should get about 110 yards. 

J/6.00  mm Crochet Hook
3.5oz of Bulky Yarn

Scissors

Yarn Needle

Gauge: 4" x 4" Square is 12 stitches wide and 7 1/2 rows tall.

Glove Uncuffed is 10" long and 4" wide

Note:At the end of each row "chain one loosely and turn" is implied unless told otherwise.

This is for a medium set of gloves. If you want larger then add an additional 2 rows of HDC. I had enough yarn leftover from the 3.5 oz to do this so you should not need to buy more.

Create the Body of your Gloves

Chain 27,
Row 1 HDC in third chain from the hook. HDC in each stitch across (25)
Row 2-15 HDC in each stitch across (25)

Turn your work and single crochet one time into the side of each row (15-19), 

Sew up the sides of your gloves

Fold your work in half, right sides together. 

"Sew" them together with a single crochet in the first 5 stitches. 

(what we do next with form the thumb hole)
Single Crochet in the next five stitches on only one side of the glove (not sewing the two layers together. 

Then proceed to sew the glove together with single crochet stitches in the last 15 stitches

Fasten off. 

Turn the glove right side out. Make a two inch cuff on the bottom of the glove and enjoy!

Repeat the pattern for a second glove.

Let me know if you have any questions?

These are very versatile. They can be adorned with bows, buttons, ribbons...the possibilities are endless. Tag me on social media so that I can see them if you make them.

Thank you for joining me and I hope that you stay warm and joyful. 

Melody

Please remember that you may make and sell items from my patterns...but please give me credit. And never ever sell or reproduce my patterns. Thank you!

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Starbella Knitting!