Angel Soft Baby Hat - Free Crochet Pattern

Long past time for a new pattern!  Today I am posting up my Angel Soft Baby Hat.  Perfect as a photo prop because it is designed to have interchangeable decorations that insert into the designed spaces between stitches. 

Angel Soft Baby Hat (with interchangeable adornment ideas)

Sizes 0-3 months, 3-6 months, 6-12 months, and 12 – 18 months

Materials Needed:

Worsted weight soft boucle yarn (I used a soft natural color of Plymouth Yarn Boucle Merino Superwash)

Hook Size H (5.0) for 0-3 months, I (5.50) for 3-6 months, J for 6-12 months, K for 12-18 months

Tapestry Needle

For adornments (optional): yarn scraps, 2” alligator clips, 3 ft. of ½” wide ribbon, premade hair bows or flowers, craft glue

Small alligator style hair clips 

Abbreviations:

Dc – double crochet

Sp- space

St- stitch

Sl st- slip stitch

Ch- chain

Notes

Pattern is written with US crochet terms.

Hat is begun with a magic circle, if you don’t know how to make this I highly recommend looking up one of the many good tutorials on it or you may substitute a ch 4, connecting with a sl st to the first ch to make a ring.

Gauge: gauge sample worked with a size I hook, 5 dc = 2 inches wide and ¾ inch tall, crochet a sample using your yarn and a size I hook to determine if you are crocheting with the tension needed for this project, if not you may need to adjust up or down a hook size to achieve proper sizing.  This hat does have a LOT of stretch so it's very forgiving size wise.

Instructions

Hat

Begin with a magic circle (see notes section).

Round 1: Ch 3 in magic circle (counts as first dc), work 8 more dc in the circle, connect to the top of the ch 3 with a sl st.

Round 2: ch 3, dc in same sp as ch 3, work  2 dc in each dc around, connect to the top of the ch 3 with a sl st.

Round 3: ch 3, dc in same sp as ch 3, ch 1, skip next st, *work 2 dc in next st, ch 1, skip next st*, repeat  from * to * to the end of the round ending with a ch 1 and skip last sp, connect ch 1 to top of the ch 3 with a sl st.

Round 4: ch 3, dc in same sp as ch 3, work one sc in next dc and in ch 1 space of prior round. *2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next dc, 1 dc in ch 1 sp of prior round*, repeat from * to * to end of round and connect last st to ch 2 with a sl st.

Round 5: ch 3, dc in same sp as ch 3, dc in next 3 dc, *2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next 3 dc*, repeat from * to * until you reach the end of the round, connect your last st with a sl st to the ch 3.

Round 6: ch 3, dc in next st, *ch 1 and skip next dc, dc in next 2 dc*, repeat * to * until end of round,  it should end with a ch 1 and skipped stitch, attach the ch 1 to the top of the ch 3 with a sl st.

Round 7: ch 3, work one dc in each dc and ch 1 space to end of round, sl st last dc to the top of the ch 3.

Round 8: ch 3, work one dc in each dc, join last dc to ch 3 with a sl st. 

If you want it a little longer you can add a row of sc around the bottom.  Fasten off and weave in ends.

Interchangeable Decorations

These are what make this hat awesome as a photo prop.  The openings worked into the hat make a great place to thread any color ribbon or to attach hair clip bows and flowers.  One hat….many looks!

How to make a flower clip:  crochet your favorite flower pattern (there are many, many out there and many are free).  Take your alligator clip and clip through the back of the flower being careful that the clip doesn’t show.  You can then attach the clip around the 2 dc in the 3^rd row from the bottom.  If using crocheted flowers you do not need to permanently attach the flower to the clip making the clip reusable as well.

How to add ribbon:  weave a 3 ft. long piece of ½” wide ribbon in and out through the open spaces on the 3^rd row from the bottom of the hat.  Start wherever you want your finished ribbon bow to be.  Once you have completed weaving the ribbon, tie in a pretty bow.

Use plastic or silk flowers: attach to an alligator clip using craft glue or a hot glue gun.

Toilet Paper Cozy and Potty Shawl

I have decided to offer the first 30 downloads of this pattern for free from ravelry.com!  This is an updated version of my toilet paper roll cover and a matching floor rug that fits around the base of the toilet.  Once it has been downloaded 30 times it will be returned to it's normal pattern price of $1.50...which I think is quite reasonable considering the hours that went into designing it to fit perfectly!

Click here to download the pattern from ravelry.com

In A Jiff Scarf Crochet Pattern

This particular scarf is for sale on Etsy!

This is my own made-up go to pattern when I need to whip out a scarf really quickly or when I have some lovely super bulky yarn to use...but don't have a lot of it.  It is very easy to adjust the pattern to make it as wide or narrow as you need.  You can also add texture and a different look by making some very easy stitch changes which I will mention in the pattern.  Length is always dependent on who you are making the scarf for.  I usually will do a children's scarf between 3.5 and 4.5 feet long (minus the fringe) and an adult scarf between 5 and and 5.5 feet long (minus the fringe).  A children's length scarf takes about 2 hours if you crochet at a moderate speed (I'm by no means super fast!)

Materials:  super bulky yarn, size N (9 mm) hook, tapestry needle, measuring tape or ruler

Abbreviations: 
dc - double crochet
st - stitch
ch - chain

Instructions:
Foundation: ch 12. (add or subtract a stitch or two until you have a width you like)

Row 1: dc in 3rd ch from the hook and in each ch across. (our turning chain will count as a stitch throughout the pattern)

Row 2: ch 3, turn, dc in each dc across.

Continue row 2 until the scarf has reached it's desired length.  Fasten off and weave in ends with a tapestry needle.  Add fringe if desired. (see fringe instructions below)

Variation 1:
the green scarf in the photo above uses a slight variation, every other row of crochet is done in the back loop only (you can find instructions on how to do back loop only in a tutorial earlier in my blog).  This adds a subtle striping to the texture.  I like to do this when a yarn is a solid or a heather like the green.  If I use a multi-color yarn I generally just use regular dc stitches as the color adds the interest to the piece.

Variation 2: work every row in the back loop, this will produce a raised strip every two rows per side, as in the light blue scarf below.  The bright pink was worked in normal dc through both loops.

scarf worked in a chenille type yarn, the light blue was done with every row in the back loop only and the pink was done with standard dc.  Due to the texture of this yarn I omitted the fringe.

Adding fringe:  To add fringe first decide how long you want your fringe to be, since we are using super bulky yarn I take the length I want times two and add 2 inches.  For example if I want 5 inch fringe I would cut each piece of yarn for my fringe 12 inches long.  When making fringe out of worsted weight I use 2-3 strands for each stitch but with the bulkier yarn I would recommend using 1 or two strands.  If starting with a 12 chain foundation we will have 9 dc in each row therefore we will need either 18 or 36 strands (18 is one strand per stitch on each end of the scarf and 36 for two strands per stitch on each end).

Fold the strand or strands in half, use your hook to pull through the end stitch from the back.  Don't pull it all the way through, just far enough to make a loop.  Put the loose ends of the strands through the loop and pull tight.  Repeat in each stitch on both ends.  Trim with scissors when done so your fringe is nice and even.

Make Your Own Fleece Dog Ropes





Up until two days I ago I had 3 dogs, and then Miss Izzy a 5-year old doberman puppy (wow, does she act like a puppy) joined the pack.  It's expensive owning this many dogs so I save a little by making my own fleece dog ropes.  I can make about 10 for the same price as buying 1.

I prefer these to standard ropes because, quite frankly, I don't like pulling out rope strings out when the dogs do their business!  These have an added advantage of keeping your dogs teeth nice and clean.  So clean in fact that our veterinarian asked if we brush our dog's teeth!  (Like I have the time or patience for that!!!!)

What you need: 

Fleece (buy it on clearance or sale at your local fabric store or online).  You're going to want to buy a few yards when it's cheap and keep it on hand.  I would guesstimate that you need about 1/2 yard for a large rope toy.  I like to buy at least 3 different colors although I was down to only two when I made the rope in the pictures.

Scissors or some other cutting tool (I'm a quilter so I use my rotary cutter but it's totally not necessary)

That's it.....liking it so far?  Good.

Step 1:  prep your fabric by washing it and drying it to remove any chemicals from the fabric surface.

Step 2: cut your fabric into strips going from selvedge edge to selvege edge (the selvedge is the part that is on the sides when the fabric is on the bolt, you will be able to tell because the side where it was cut from the bolt is NOT a selvedge edge).  How wide you cut your strips will depend on how big of a bone you want, I have big dogs so I go about 2-3 inches wide....if you have a little dog make them narrower but don't go under 1 inch wide or it won't hold up!  You will need 6 strips per rope.

pile of strips....aren't they lovely

Don't get too fussy cutting them, it's okay if they aren't perfectly straight or exactly the same width.

Step 3: Take your 6 strips and lay them on top of one another, tie a knot near one end.

tight knot a few inches from the end

Step 4: Begin braiding VERY tightly holding two strips together for each part of the braid, the tighter you braid the longer it will last and the less little pieces of fleece your dog will eat (they will probably eat some but it comes off in small bits and passes right though, their doodoo will be quite colorful though).

the tighter the better when you braid!

Step 5: After 4-5 inches of braiding (2-3 if making a small bone) tie two knots using the middle strips and each side.  We're basically just securing our braiding to make sure it stays nice and tight and that the fleece doesn't stretch out as fast if used as a tug toy.



Two knots to secure the braiding nice and tight

Step 6: Braid another 2 inches or so and then tie another pair of knots as in Step 5.  This is creating a nice tight core area where we will make a center knot later.

Step 7: Braid for another 4-5 inches and tie off with a large knot just like you made at the beginning, I sometimes will tie a smaller knot with a couple of strands just to make sure my braiding doesn't loosen up while I'm tying this knot.  Pull it as tight as you can get it!

Step 8: Tie a knot in the middle where your two smaller knots are. This adds strength and durability to the finished item and protects your hands a little more when playing tug. 

Tie a knot in the center

Step 9: Trim both ends to be nice and neat. All done!

Izzy loves the new fleece rope toy!



Vi's Shell Headband - Free Crochet Pattern

Tonight I polled my Facebook fans for an idea for a free pattern for this blog.  Apparently everyone was out partying and I got two suggestions.  This is Vi's Shell Headband named after the daughter of my cousin Karen who suggested a headband pattern.

This will fit infants through school-aged children.  I can stretch mine to fit me but it's a tight fit and my yarn is strechier than normal cotton yarn.

Materials:

A small amount of cotton yarn (I used Nashua's Cilantro cotton blend yarn, this yarn is super stretchy and has great stitch definition)

G hook

Tapestry Needle

Optional: yarn of choice for flower decoration 

Abbreviations:

fdc - foundation double crochet
st- stitch
sl st- slip stitch
dc- double crochet
ch- chain

Special Stitches:

shell stitch - 5 dc in the same stitch

foundation double crochet (fdc) - this is a chainless foundation stitch which makes for a much stretchier finished item which is ideal for headbands.  I can't explain it very well but Teri over at Diamond Crochet & Crafts did a great tutorial which you can find here http://diamondcrochetcrafts.blogspot.com/2011/12/how-to-do-foundation-double-crochet.html

Instructions:

Row 1: Do 30 fdc stitches (count the beginning ch 3 as one of the stitches).  Turn. (there is no turning chain)

Row 2: Skip 2 st, *shell stitch in next st, skip st, sl st in next, skip st*, repeat from * to * to the end of the row.

Turn your work 1/4 turn so that the end is facing up.  Sl st in in side of the beginning ch 3 of the foundation row.

Row 3: repeat row 2 stitching into bottom of the foundation row.

At the end of row 3 do not finish off, instead fold right sides together and slip stitch the two ends together. 

Finish off and weave in ends.

Use as is or add your choice of decoration.  I added a nice and easy flower from one of my favorite blogs.  You can find it here http://neannersshop.blogspot.com/2010/11/super-duper-easy-perfect-posy.html.  You can glue the flower to an aligator clip and switch out decorations to match outfits.

Anatomy of a Rag Quilt - a step by step tutorial

Rag quilts are a fun, fast, and easy way to take a step into the world of quilting. Unlike a traditional quilt which can take weeks or months to complete a rag quilt can be easily completed in a weekend. So what is a rag quilt? A rag quilt traditionally was made from rags or scrap fabric as the name implies. While a traditional quilt has all it's seams neatly tucked away inside of the quilt a rag quilt is sewn with exposed seams which are then cut into to produce a soft, frayed effect between blocks. With each washing the seams will fray and soften more making it a wonderful quilt to curl up with on a cold winter day!

Step 1: Decide on your quilt size, there are some great references out on the web which will help you decide what the finished measurements need to be for different bed sizes.  I usually do lap quilts which are about 48" x 56".

Step 2:  Decide on a square size for your pieces.  You can also use other shapes besides squares, in fact, rag quilts can be made with just about any traditional quilt pattern.  I used 6 1/2" squares because I have a template that size but I've also done larger squares (9 1/2") for my queen sized bed.  Remember that the seam allowance for a rag quilt is larger than for a traditional quilt and can be anywhere between 1/2" and 1" (personal preference, I like my seams a little smaller so I use 1/2" seam allowances, if you want a fuller frayed seam use either 3/4" or 1").  Your batting will be cut into a smaller square so that it is not in the exposed seam allowance.  Because I use a 1/2" seam allowance on each side of my 6 1/2" squares, my batting will only be cut into 5 1/2" squares.

Step 3:  Do the math!  My least favorite part but a necessary evil.  Since I was doing a lap quilt I used 63 squares (7 squares by 9 squares layout).  Each square is 6 1/2" and 1/2" on each side needs to be subtracted for the seam allowance leaving me with 5 1/2" finished squares.  So, my finished quilt will measure 38 1/2" by 49 1/2". 

So let's say you want to make a quilt for a twin sized bed which has a mattress size of 39" x 75", you will want your quilt bigger than that so that it hangs down enough to cover the depth of the mattress, say 50" x 85".  We then need to take those numbers and divide by the finished square size to determine how many squares you need to make.  50/5.5=9.09 (we'll just call it 9) and 85/5.5=15.45 (we'll round up to 16).  We will need 144 squares to make a twin sized quilt (9 x 16).  This means we will need 144 squares each of the top fabric, backing fabric, and batting.

Step 4: Choose your fabrics. Rag quilts are traditionally made with cotton which frays nicely. I've also made them from flannel which is extra warm and snuggly but the exposed seams will not fray as much. Some also like to use fleece which will not fray at all and the exposed seams will be more like fringe. The quilt in the pictures was made using 24 different fat quarters of 100% cotton plaid fabrics. I chose lots of pastel colors as this was made for my 8 year-old neice. (I only used 1/2 of each fat quarter). You will also need fabric for the backing and some sort of filling (I use batting but a lot of people like to use a layer of flannel as batting).

Let's use our numbers from the twin bed in step 3 and figure out how much fabric we would need.  We determined that we needed 144 squares each measuring 6 1/2".  If we purchase cotton that is 42" wide we can cut 6 squares accross the width of the fabric. So 144/6 is 24, 24 x 6.5 is 156.  We need a 156" x 42" of fabric.  A yard is 36" so we need 4 1/3 yards each of the fabric for the top and backing.  Batting can simply be purchased in the bed size and then cut into squares. 

Step 5:  Gather your supplies.  In addition to your fabric and batting you will need: scissors (spring-loaded scissors will save your hands!), rotary cutter, cutting mat, square template (I purchased a 6.5" square for less than $10 but you can also make your own from thick cardboard), thread, sewing machine, iron & ironing board.

These spring-loaded scissors are made especially for rag quilting.

Step 6:  Cut your squares.  First iron your fabric but I do not recommend prewashing the fabric for rag quilting.  Using your cutting mat, rotary cutter, and template cut the needed number of squares from your top fabric, batting, and backing fabric.  You can usually cut 4-8 layers at a time depending on how sharp your rotary cutter is and how thick your fabric is.  This is tedious so I do it on the floor in front of a good movie!

Step 7:  Determine your layout.  I use my living room floor.  The pictured quilt used a random layout of the 24 different fabrics where my only concern was not having the same fabric directly next to each other.  My backing fabric on this quilt was plain white muslin so I only needed to layout the front, you can make a two-sided design.  When making a two-sided design I layout my backing design first, then layer a square of batting on each and then my top design.  This way I have my square "sandwiches" ready to go.

Step 8:  If you didn't already do it in step 7 make your quilt "sandwiches".  You will layer your backing square with the right side down, batting, and then your top fabric with the right side facing up.  Your wrong sides of both fabrics will face the batting.  You can pin the layers if you wish. 

Squares need to be sandwiched with the backing, batting, and top layer.  The batting is cut smaller so that it won't be in the exposed seams.

Step 9:  Quilt your sandwiched squares.  I usually just use my sewing machine and a straight stitch to make an X over the square, the pictured quilt has only a single diagonal accross the square that I used to create a quilted design on the finished quilt.

A single diagonal line sewn from corner to corner through all 3 layers.

This photo shows a traditional stitched X through the 3 fabric layers.

Step 10:  Take your pile of quilted squares and double-check your layout.  As I mentioned above I wanted mine to create a secondary square pattern with the diagonal quilting so I had to lay this out again.  I then pile the squares up for each row with the square on the left side on top.  This makes sewing rows of squares together a no-brainer.

Each row of squares is piled on top of one another.  I turn each row a bit when stacking so that I can easily tell when I need to move to the next row.

Step 11:  Sew each row of squares together with your top sides facing out and your back sides together (opposite of normal sewing).  When I finish a row I lay it out on my living room floor so that I can easily keep the rows in the correct order.  Remember to use the seam allowance that you decided upon.

Sew with right sides facing OUT

Step 12:  Line up your finished rows and sew together (pin as needed).  You can either sew two rows together and then sew the next two together or just keep sewing the next row onto your previously sewn rows.  This is personal preference and may depend on how much space you have at your machine.  Do whatever works best for you.  I personally just keep adding the next row on.  When all the rows are sewn together we will add our seam allowance to the outside by stitching around the outside of the quilt with the same seam allowance used (1/2" in my case).  This replaces the binding process used to finish the edges of a traditional quilt.  When done trim all of your threads.

Step 13:  Once your quilt is completely sewn together it's time to work the ragging magic on all those exposed seams.  Using your spring-loaded scissors snip through the seam allowances almost to the seam (take care not to cut through the seam) every 1/4".  This doesn't have to be exact, just estimate the 1/4".  Get comfy because this will take awhile.

This is what your seam will look like after you cut into it but before washing.

Step 14:  Now that all your seams have been cut (including the seam allowance around the outside, it's time to wash the quilt.  No need to use soap or softener.  Use a normal cycle with warm water and dry on normal as well.  You will want to check your lint filters frequently as this produces a lot of lint.  Some people prefer to go use a commercial machine at a laundromat for this.

Step 15: Enjoy!

Crochet Terms: Front Post and Back Post Stitch Tutorial

Many patterns refer to making front post or back post stitches.  These confuse many, many newer crocheters or even intermediate ones who haven't come accross this terminology.  So what are front post and back post stitches and why do we care? 

A front post stitch is a stitch made by inserting the hook from the front and around the post (the up and down part) of the stitch in the previous row instead of through the loops of the stitch in the previous row.  A back post stitch is made by inserting the hook from the back side and around the post of the stitch in the previous row.  The stitch is then worked the same as if the hook had been inserted through the loops of the stitch in the previous row.

These are often referred to in crochet patterns as a fp or bp with the stitch name.  For example, a front post double crochet is a fpdc.

 bpdc-back post double crochet (insert the hook around the post of the stitch in the prior row by inserting the hook from the back and around the stitch)

 fpdc- front post double crochet (insert the hook from the front and around the post of the stitch in the prior row)

What do we use front and back post stitches for?  The answer is purely cosmetic...it produces a woven looking texture to the crocheted fabric.