Lets Make Heart Pompoms!

Hi guys! I just posted a video making heart shaped pompoms TWO ways. The easy way, winding the yarn around my hand and shaping it after the fact. And the more labor intensive way...the Clover Heart Shaped Pompom Maker. Both, were cute...which do you prefer?

Melody

Small Scissors
Large Scissors
I Love This Yarn Solid in Tropical Pink
Heart Shaped Pompom Maker
Aunt Lydias Crochet Thread Size 10
Glittery Nail Polish 

Conversation Heart Coasters

Crochet a Conversation Heart Coaster with Me!!

Here is a super chatty tutorial on how to crochet these cute little coasters to decorate for Valentine's Day!

I like to make my comments a little snarky.

Materials:

Size H/5.00 mm crochet hook
1/2 ball of Peachs & Creme Worsted Weight 4 Ply Cotton Yarn
Yarn Needle (here's my bent tipped Clover needle)
Scissors (here's my Knit Picks Steeking Scissors)
1 Stitch Marker (Optional)
Fabric Glue - I like to glue down my ends after I weave them in. This Glue is Machine Washable and Dryable and I love how it works!!

Free Printable Pattern for this Project:
Crochet Heart Coaster PDF Pattern

I hope that you enjoy watching and making along. This is my very first video tutorial. It took me forever because I just had no grasp of my desired outcome when I first began. I am sure that my video tutorials will evolve and that I will someday look back lovingly on this one as my first.

With Love,
Melody



This blog post contains affiliate links and I might be compensated financially if you choose to click on them. Thank you so much for your support. I really appreciate it!

MelodyCrochet Podcast Episode 18 - Ready for 2018!

Happy New Years Eve! What better way to end the year then by looking forward to next years dream crochet? Today I am talking about knitting and crochet goals for 2018. I go over the two itty bitty works in progress that I started while I was supposed to be finishing my test knit (I DID end up finishing it that night!)

Cactus Hat
Spring Green Red Heart Super Saver. 41 Stitches tall on a J Hook. More info will be available on sizing when it is complete. :)

Thank you so much to Twinkie Chan for the inspiration. It brought a great smile to my face on Christmas morning.

Fortune's Shawlette by Tamara Kelly of Moogly.com
J sized Bamboo Hook
Dream In Color Smooshy with Cashmere in Carousel
#Oneskeinwonderlandcal with Crochet Circle Podcast
Ravelry Project Page

My Crochet Cozy Memories Blanket is at 91 Squares as of today!
Here is a link to my ravelry project page!


Here is a link to my post on my #makenine2018. I go over all of the patterns that I just HAVE to make. There is a link to my ravelry project page where I am keeping the raverly pattern pages. And if you look below the picture in the blog post I have liked to the designers blog posts on their patterns. Both are so valuable to me when I start a project that I had to share!

Happy New Year, Friend! Enjoy and be safe!!

Yarn Goals for 2018!

My #Makenine2018!!

The Picture is  Link to my Ravelry Project Page for my #MakeNine2018 with links to all of the patterns on it that are available to me. The links below are the ones to their websites if they have any info about the patterns there. Hope the info helps!! 

Granny Shorts 

Lavanya Patricellis "Brioche Topped Thigh High Socks"

Skeinos "Arabella Shawl"

Helen Shrimptons "Mandala Madness" blog post!

Attic24s Cowl-Neck Poncho blog post! The pattern is actually from Simone Francis. 

The Loopy Stitchs "Mexican Inspired Blanket" blog post!

Amy Millers "Betsy" Shawl

West Knits "Dotted Rays Speckle Fade" Shawl

Sosu Knits "Shusui Shrug" blog post!

Honerable Mention: I will need a Piha Shawl by Alia Bland. So gorgeous!!

MelodyCrochet Podcast 17! - The Christmas Episode

Hi guys! Hope you are all doing fine. Happy Holidys to you and yours. (((hugs)))

I posted a video yesterday and wanted to leave some links to what was on there and where you might find it. Just in case!

First off...the tree is real. Every year. My husband cannot fathom a fake tree. I let the family place the ornaments but I do everything else. It is one of my favorite things to do. I get so scratched up so I wouldn't want to make a career out of it. But, one tree a year and I have this permanent grin glued on my face. So, she had to be in the video!

The bear above my head is our "elf on a shelf". I crocheted him from the Amineko pattern in this adorable book. Its made from Gynx Yarns on her glitz sock base in the colorway "Naughty or Nice". Here is the project page! And here is the book:

And now for the things I am making:

Works In Progress!

Garter Squish knitted blanket for Errol!

These are the needles I used:



Holey Smokes crochet shawl

Ho's!

My gloves are my own pattern and I will link when I get the pattern written digitally. For now it is chicken scratch in three places. LOL But I used Encore by Plymouth yarn, Knitters Pro Cubic wooden needles in size 5. The X-Large gloves only take 36 grams of yarn each. I am so thrilled. I really thought I was going to need two balls of yarn for a set of gloves.

Finished Objects!

Cosy Cardi Crazy Christmas crochet sweater

Cozy Thermal Mitts knitted fingerless gloves for the husbeast! Here is the link to my favorite mitten needles!

Oh! The Tea!!! Red Velvet by Stash Tea is probably my favorite tea that I have found this season. I am just in love with it. I have found a few new favorites but this one I just cannot get enough of.


Their words:

Have your cake and drink it too! Rooibos combines with rich chocolate, caramel, and raspberry flavors to create the perfect cup to satisfy a sweet tooth. Pleasingly sweet with a distinctive chocolate taste and a beautiful red brew. Add a splash of milk and sugar for a creamy dessert in a cup.

Ingredients
Cocoa shells, rooibos, hibiscus, natural cream cheese flavor, natural caramel flavor, natural raspberry flavor

My words...its smooth chocolate raspberry but heavy on the raspberry. Like jam. I add a tiny bit of stevia and a little milk. I never bring tea to bed because I have carpet right now and two dogs. Its begging for trouble. But, I have brought this to bed to drink while I crochet TWICE this week.

Thank you for the love and support that you send through the blog and the vlog. If I don't see you until after Christmas I hope yours is merry and bright and full of things that make your heart smile!



As always, this post contains with affiliate links that I profit financially from. I so appreciate when you do. I hope that they prove to be as helpful to you as the profits are to me.

History of the Virus Shawl...not really.

Hi friends,

There are few patterns in crochet that are more celebrated than the Virus Shawl. I have always been surprised by how many videos on youtube are devoted to teaching this pattern sequence. So today as I crochet my first virus shawl I figured we would dig deeper into the who, what, when, wear and why.

Who: Woolpedia.de which is actually Julia Marquardt

What: It's a chart for a triangle shawl. A very simple chart composed of three repeats of a four row pattern. Then you continue until you feel you are done. It is so instinctual that I did not have to look again after that third repeat. I just kept going until my yarn cake became ominously small.

When: I think that the pattern dates back to Ravelry says that it dates back about 2 years. But, I feel like I have heard about it forever and that it might have come over on the Mayflower.

Why: Because it's addictively fast and simple for something that looks fancy and complicated.


Now for MY Virus Shawl!


I used a J Hook with Lion Brand Mandala in Phoenix. I love this so much! I am so glad that I just sat myself down to make this shawl once and for all.

This has the fanciness of pineapples in half the work. I could not recommend this pattern more. I highly suggest they make it to your holiday gift crafting list.

Take care and give you a big hug!
Melody







As always I use affiliate links and benefit financially from your clicking them. Thank you SO much if you do choose to shop from them.

Episode 14 and Shownotes!

Finished Objects

Filet Skull Jumper

Dishcloths - Tunisian



WIPS

Oracle Shawl - Voolenvine

Cozi Cardigan by BobWilson123



Purchases and Presents this Week (What Have I Done?!)

Loops and Threads Cozy Wool

Fake Fur for Pompoms

Salt and Pepper Shakers from Target

Quirky Monday Crafts on Etsy for Caleishas gorgeous Bags

Rowan Summer Crochet Catalog

Earthly Hues

Vessel Yarn Co

Amandas Quilts N Such





Make Alongs

Brooklyn Knitfolk #BKHipsterKAL

Cozy Cottage and Crochet Luna are having the #SSTCAL

Pinfeathers and Pearls Podcast is having the #Mintalong





Please note, I do use affiliate links whenever possible. Its how I keep free patterns and content coming on a regular basis. I really appreciate your support in helping me share what I love with you full time.

Filet Crochet Skull Jumper

Hi! I hope this post finds you and yours doing well! It's a blustery fall day here in Texas. I recently finished a project that I just could NOT wait to share with you. It has inspired me to do SO much more filet crochet that I am currently designing more to wear so I can continue this look after Halloween.

I love horror and the spookies. My inner child is a little goth left in me from the 90s and I cherish her. Friday the 13th is something I celebrate so I planned this project as my "Friday the 13th Project". So, that morning my yarn, materials and pattern were all set aside and ready to go. I even did a gauge swatch. I was not let down. This was the perfect celebration crochet.

The "Filet Crochet Skull Jumper" is a pattern by Pony McTate. Pony has a few other patterns on Ravelry, as well. I am going to need a rapture top. Maybe a scrappy one, too. And her new sweater might need to happen, too. I have a holiday sweater along coming up November 1st in the Ravelry group. This one is tempting!

So, lets talk about the pattern. It was originally found in issue 59 of Simply Crochet magazine. I get that on my phone every issue so it was easy for me to access. But, the pattern can also be bought on its own here for $4.75 USD. The pattern was clear and simple.

This is a picture of the original pattern:

My modifications:

First off...no band on the bottom. That would have stolen my zest for this project. Just leached the fun out for me right off the bat. I just chained very loosely for as many stitches as I would need, plus 3 and then double crocheted back. Keep in mind this is worked in two pieces. Front and back. And then you sew them together. You can then add sleeves. I chose not to. I made is so wide that it practically formed its own cap sleeve.

I used an Boye Ergonomic Size 3.75 hook (an F) instead of the 4.5mm hook suggested. It sounds odd. But, I sized down my hook because I sized up my yarn. I went with Aran weight "I Love This Cotton" yarn instead of the sport weight "Yarn and Colors Must-Have" cotton yarn. I don't have easy access to The Must-Have  but it looks to have very similar drape and texture to the I Love This Cotton that I used. And this yarn has been sitting in my stash for YEARS. I love the color and just couldn't make myself turn it into a dishcloth. The ideal swatch size was 4 inches. After downsizing the hook my swatch was 6 inches wide and having a 50% larger skull was perfect in my eyes. BINGO!

I used the swatch to do the math on how many squares I wanted in my top. I figured out that I wanted 6 blank squares below the design and 4 blank squares above. I needed 10 free squares on the right and left of the widest part of the skull. This was all just a quick doodle on some 10 squares per inch graph paper (buy it here or print it from here). Having this on paper makes creating any new designs very simple. I think I'll need a big rose for Spring.

Outcome:

I love it! Its soft and comfy and just enough festive to walk around in all month long before a holiday. This was a fast project, simple enough for a beginner. I could not recommend it more.

Have a great day! Love always,
Mel

As Always this post is full of links and some are affiliate links. I would so appreciate you using them if they help you at all. Just to be fully open and honest I do sometimes receive compensation when you click them.

Episode 12 of MelodyCrochet podcast has been published. And I am going to be doing Vlogoween! Can't wait to get to see you every day this month! Happy October, friends! Please send me suggestions about things to make and places to go and what to share. 

Podcast Show Notes and Tags

Yarn and Gifts

MelodyCrochet on Etsy

MelodyCrochet Blog

AmandasQuiltsnSuch on Etsy

Vessel Yarn Co on Etsy

Cotton Flowers Yarns on Etsy

Patterns (on Ravelry)

Mapleton Shawl

Winifred Shawl

Day of the Dead Skull

Liula Stole

Spotting Clouds Top

Amma Granny Square Top

Oracle Shawl

StevenBe

Spicier Life Blanket Pattern

Ye Jin Neckwarmer

Alongs

#PSLwithMEL thread

#SeptemberShawlAlong

#Vlogoween

Mentioned

AddyDae Designs

Cozy Cottage Crochet

BobWilson123

Cherry Heart Blog

My Creative Garage

Potter and Bloom

The Loopy Stitch

Reflections Baby Blanket - A Free Pattern

Hello Friends!

Link to Pattern on Ravelry

I hope that this post finds you well and stashing. It's the closing of a beautiful summer full of surprises and crazy weather. I am here to post a little pattern for a baby blanket that I created for a friend that is expecting a baby any day now.

It is called the Reflections baby blanket. It is simple and catchy. You will have one done before you even realize you started it. I think we have all noticed the new fun yarn cakes that are popping up everywhere.

There are the Caron Cakes:

There are the Premier Sweet Rolls:

There are the Bernat Pops:

There are the Lion Brand Mandala:

And my most recent experiment ...the Yarn Bee Sugar Wheel. I was gifted with one cake and lucky enough to find another to match it.

Grab two that match and make one of these blankets. Even if yodon'tdont match just leave out the center contrast color and let the colors land where they will. It is still going to be gorgeous. Mine was made for a baby...but at 36" by 26" I think it would make a great lapghan for anyone.

Episode 7 of the MelodyCrochet Craftcast!

Hi! I hope that you will spend a little time with me today talking about my recent projects and celebrations! What did you do recently for Independence Day, Canada Day or whatever you celebrate locally?

FOs

Baby Blanket

Piano Baby Cocoon

WIPS

Beach Bag by Zeens and Roger

Blurre Shawl by AddyDae Designs

Easter Socks


Aquisitions


Red Heart Super Saver Stripes - Flemenco Stripes

Caron Simply Soft - White, Lavender and Grape

Lion Brand Mandala - Wood Nymph


Malabrigo Sock - Solis

Muffins - Recipe


Have a nice week!!
I would love to see you in the MelodyCrochet Ravelry group! and please add me on Instagram for yarny news and family fun. And food.

Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chip Muffins (Gluten Free)

• My husband is gluten free so we always try to go gluten free when we make treats so that we don't leave him out of the fun. He isn't allergic to gluten. He is following a low inflammation diet because last year he was suffering some sciatica pain and found that taking out gluten made him feel a lot better REALLY fast. So he is very dedicated to this way of eating. This is not a diagnosis. Just passing on his experience and why I usually choose to make things gluten free. We really don't miss it. We do eat a lot more corn tortillas and oatmeal now, though. 
• 
  
• I am gearing up for the July Forth celebration so these went into some cute stars and stripes cupcake cups and onto my holiday themed doily. As one does. ;)
  
  These turned out really good! And so fast and easy. I would just love to share my version of the recipe with you!
• 
  
• Pumpkin Dark Chocolate Chip Muffins
• 
  
• 2 cups good quality gluten-free flour blend
• 1/2 tsp. xanthan gum (omit if your flour blend has xanthan or guar)
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. baking soda
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1 cup  brown sugar
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup plus a few extra for the topping of Hershey's Special Dark Mildly Sweet Dark Chocolate Chips

Preheat the oven to 375F degrees. Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake liners.

Mix the flour, Baking Powder, Cinnamon, Salt and Baking Soda in a medium bowl. Whisk until incorporated.

In a medium bowl mix the pumpkin, brown sugar, coconut oil, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients all at once and stir just until mixed. 

Fill each cup 2/3 full and top with a pinch of brown sugar and a few more chocolate chips just to spoil them. 

Bake 15-18 minutes or until they spring back after you touch the top. 

Enjoy and please tag me on instagram if you make them! @melodycrochet

The Piano Cocoon and Hat

Hi everyone! I hope this post finds each of you well.

It was an amazing June but we are so excited to celebrate the 4th of July! Lots of decorating and plans for the day have taken place. But, I wanted to make a little something to commemorate the holiday. So I wrote up a pattern that several people have asked forever since I shared my first one.

It's my Piano themed Baby Cocoon and hat!

I have made lots of these and the pattern evolved over the years.

It is available on Ravelry and on Etsy.

And since it's the holiday this will be free on Ravelry until July 5th with the coupon code "Freedom". I hope that you enjoy it and that you will please tag me with any pictures that you take of it on the little ones. I just love seeing them!

Take good care!! Melody