crochet : baby hat & booties

Everything's coming up babies!

At least that's how it feels at work this year.

Is there anything cuter than little baby hats and booties done up in crochet?

I put this little set together for a colleague who just had her first baby girl.

The hat is my own pattern, included at the end of this post.

The booties are an adaptation of this pattern from Croby Patterns.

You can get the pattern for the flower here on Ravelry.

Crochet Baby Hat

Yarn: Lily and Cream 100% cotton yarn in Stormy Skies

Hook: size G, 4.00 mm

Make a magic circle.

round 1: chain 3, 11dc into the ring, join with a slip stitch, pull closed (12)

round 2: ch3, dc in same stitch, 2dc in each stitch around, join with sl st (24)

round 3: ch3, dc in same stitch, *1 dc in next stitch, 2dc in next; repeat from * around, join with sl st (36)

round 4: ch3, dc in same stitch, *1 dc in next 2 stitches, 2dc in next; repeat from * around, join with sl st (48) 

Note: the hat pictured above is intended for a newborn.  At the end of round 4, the diameter of the circle should be between 4 and 4.5".  For a larger hat, continue rounds of dc increases (ie. 1dc in next 3, 2dc in next; 1dc in next 4, 2dc in next; etc...)

rounds 5-7: ch3, dc in next stitch and each stitch around (no increases) (48)

round 8: ch 3, dc in next 2 stitches, *ch1, skip next dc, dc in each of next 3 stitches; repeat from * around, join with sl st (36dc, 12 ch1 spaces)

rounds 9-10: sl st to first ch1 space ch3, 2dc in same space, *ch1, skip next 3 dc, 3dc in next ch1 space; repeat from * around, join with sl st (12 groups of 3dc, 12 ch1 spaces)

round 11-12: ch1, sc in next dc, *2sc in ch1 space, sc in each of the next 3 dc; repeat from * around, join with sl st.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

I have not had a chance to test this pattern yet, so crochet at your own risk!  If you try it out before I do and notice a problem, please post it in the comments below.  Thanks so much!

Happy crocheting!

{3 cards} adventure | celebration | blessings

My beautiful nieces both graduated from college recently.  They are amazing girls, women really, with a fantastic sense of self, smarts up the wazoo, and their feet firmly planted on this earth.

This quote sums them up perfectly:

courtesy of Balancing Home

I made them each a card to fit their personalities:

adventure awaits

one ride: hold on tight

 And a little christening card for a sweet baby boy:

I am reminded that life is an adventure. Celebrate this one fabulous ride, and count your blessings along the way.

A baby onesie card (& an empty spool card)

I am so bummed that I did not have more time to work on some of the fabulous cards from the SH crop, but that's the price you pay when you go away, I guess (more on that later).  I did manage two creations tonight, and I will definitely be making others.  So here goes:

Carla did the most adorable baby onesie card using circle punches.   I mean, really, how stinkin' cute is this?!  Makes me want to have another baby (ummm, ok, not really). But seriously, I love this idea.  I will be making this style for every new baby card for the rest of my life. 

And then there's this one:

April had the most genius idea of using a ribbon spool as an embellie on a card and wrapping the sentiment around the empty spool.  Trash to TREASURE with a capital T!  I used the SU! Buterflies Sizzix die to cut the wings from patterned paper covered chipboard, then covered the spool with more pp and embellied with flowers, rhinestones, pearls, buttons, and ribbons.  I wrapped the sentiment around the empty spool.  It reads: Dreams are like the paints of a great artist. Your dreams are your paints, and the world is your canvas.  Believing is the brush that converts your dreams into a masterpiece of reality.

And here is the back:

I made the ruffle out of crepe paper. I actually took pics of the process so I can do a tutorial for you. I'll try to get that posted this week as well.

Baby Cards

This card was made with the wrapping paper used to wrap the gift. Can't get much more coordinated than that!

Here's the How-To:
For the card base: fold card stock in half to form the card and use a glue stick to adhere piece of wrapping paper to the front. Die cut scallop circle on the fold using Sizzix.

For the flower: fussy cut two layers of flowers from the wrapping paper. Apply 2 coats of Mod Podge Brushstroke medium to each flower and allow to dry. Layer flowers and sew button into center with floss. Adhere stamped vellum tag.

This card base is made from a piece of patterned cardstock. The elephant and flowers were already there, so all that's left is to embellish. A stamped scallop circle tied with ribbon and a few strips of patterned paper from the same collection: a 10 minute creation!

A Baby Card

My hubby's best friend from high school and his wife just had their third boy--oh happiness!