quickie crochet hearts

Welcome to post # 2 in my Kid-Free Catch-Up Blog Series!  Gosh, that makes it sound so official, doesn't it?

I have some super cute and super quick crochet hearts to share with you today.
I made these to give as gifts to my students at the end of the school year (yeah, before this summer started--told you I was in catch-up mode!)

I found an adorable and colorful quote on Pinterest

Then it was just a matter of sitting for a couple of hours (listening to podcasts, of course) and hooking up 85 of them.

To make them even easier, I left the tails on (can I get a boo-yah for not having to weave in ends!), tied them in a knot and stapled the hanging part to the top of the printable. 

 After telling the kids how much I love them and how fabulous they are going to rock the second grade, I gave them a tip for those first-day-of-second-grade-in-a-new-school jitters: 

Put this heart in your pocket and remember how much all of your teachers at ___school love you!

The pattern is simple:

In a magic ring, ch3, 5dc, ch1, 1trc, ch1, 5dc, ch3, slip stitch.

That's it!  How easy is that?

crochet : baby booties

Hi there!

So I am enjoying 2 whole days of kid-free creativity (and cleaning and catching up and organizing).  Part of my catch-up is to write a few blog posts of projects and ideas that have been fluttering around here--things I have not had time to post with three boys home with me for the summer.

Here's the first in this series I'm affectionately dubbing "kid-free catch-up!"

Baby Girl Bow Booties:

I used the same pattern as the booties in this post, but added a strap.

Here is the pattern that I adapted from this pattern at Croby Patterns.

Use an E hook (3.5mm) and DK weight yarn.

Foundation for sole: ch 11, in 2nd chain from hook make 2hdc, hdc in next 8, 6hdc in last stitch.  Working up the other side of the chain, hdc in next 8, 2hdc in last chain (26)

Round 1: 2sc in next 2, sc in next 5, hdc in next 3, 2dc in next 6, hdc in next 3, sc in next 5, 2sc in last 2. (36) sole complete

Round 2: in back loops only, sc in each stitch around (36)

Round3: hdc in each stitch around (36)

Round 4: sc in next, sc2tog, sc in next 8, hdc in next, dc2tog 6 times, hdc in next, sc in next 8, sc2tog, sc in last (28)

Round 5: sc in next, sc2tog, sc in next 4, hdc in next 3, dc2tog 4 times, hdc in next 3, sc in next 4, sc2tog, sc in last (22)

Strap: slst in next 7, ch 11, in 4th ch from hook, hdc in each ch across, slst to next stitch on body of shoe. Use chain space at end of strap as button hole.  

Bow: Leaving a long tail for stitching, in magic ring work ch4, 3trc, ch4, sc, ch4, 3trc, ch4, slst.  Use tail to wrap around center as desired and stitch to top front of bootie.

Stitch a button to body at open end of strap. 

For right bootie, ch1 and turn to do slip stitches of bootie up the opposite side of shoe body.

I hope you enjoy this pattern and hook up some cutie little booties for the babies in your lives!

crochet coffee cozy

Hey there!

Wow, two posts in one week--it must be the beginning of summer vacation.  I'm still in work and productivity mode, not quite fully transitioned over to long, lazy sun-filled summer.  So I better take advantage of that and share what I made for a bunch of teachers, staff and bus drivers to thank them for a fabulous year.

COFFEE COZIES!

 These hook up surprisingly fast using this pattern.  

 Once I started making them,

 I couldn't stop,

 which was good because

 I needed a lot of them.

 There are so many people to thank

 at the end of the school year:

 teachers,

 principals,

 nurses,

 secretaries,

 bus drivers.

I created a little packaging for them with a coffee cup cut file and my Silhouette, slipped in a Starbucks gift card and they were good to go.

I used lots of different motifs to adorn the cozies (because. well. variety.).

Below are links to as many as I could find online:

BUTTERFLY

FLOWER

LARGE HEART

SMALL HEART

8-PETAL FLOWER

(followed diagram)

LARGE ROSE

SMALL ROSE

crochet : tulip cozy

Just popping in with a little pattern share today.

I found this adorable mason jar cozy on Pinterest:

ABOVE PHOTO IS NOT MINE.  PLEASE DON'T PIN.  THANKS SO MUCH!

How pretty, right?  The only trouble is that the pattern is in Dutch, and my Dutch is a little rusty er, non-existent.  Luckily, she included a link to the inspiration for her pattern in her post:

Red Heart Flowers in a Row Blanket

Using both patterns I was able to come up with an English version to share with you.  Yippee!

This cozy will fit a 1 quart (4 cup) mason jar using a number 7  4.5mm hook and worsted weight yarn.

Chain 54 and join to first join (careful not to twist the chain).

Rounds 1 and 2: ch 1 (does not count as a stitch), sc in each stitch around, join to first stitch with a slst. (54 sc)

Round 3: (stem round) Join green yarn with a standing double crochet in any sc, ch1, dc in same stitch , skip 2 st, dc, ch1, dc (v-stitch) in next stitch, skip 2 st, v-stitch in next, around. (18 v-stitches)

Round 4: (bud round) Join pink yarn with a partial standing double crochet (yo, insert hook in space, draw up loop, pull through 2 loops) in ch1 space of any v-stitch.  Finish cluster with two more partial dc ([yo, insert hook, draw up loop, pull through] 2 times, yo, pull through all 4 loops), ch2.  Repeat on dc cluster in each v-stitch space, ch2 between each cluster.  Don't ch2 before join, instead join with a hdc to top of first cluster. (18 flower buds)

Round 5: (sc rounds) Join yarn with a standing sc in any space between flowers, sc in same space, *sc in top of flower cluster, 2sc in space, repeat from * around, join with slst to first sc. (54 sc)

Round 6 and 7: Ch1, sc in same space as join and in each sc around, join with slst to first sc. (54 sc).

Continue with round 3 and repeat alternating stems, flowers, and 3 rounds of sc until you have three rows of flowers.  Finish the jar topper with rows of sc, alternating colors as desired and decreasing by one or two stitches each round to follow the contour of the jar.

I loved this so much I made one for an Insta friend and sent it off to her last week.

crochet : hexie sachet

Happy New Year!  

It has been ages since I have posted on this little blog.

I won't bore you with the details of all that has been going on in my little world (hockey, holidays, returning to teaching full time for the first time in 14 years).  Umm, yeah it's been a bit crazy, and blogging was, sadly, the last thing on my mind.  

But I have soaked up these days of vacation, have welcomed in the new year with all it's possibilities, hopes and dreams, and am ready to sit down this morning to share a little project with you.  

A Crochet Hexie Sachet

I wrote up the pattern to share with you.

 I used a grey tone linen fabric to sew a little hexie pillow and added some dried lavender to the fluff.

I wish the internet had "scratch and sniff" capabilities--it smells heavenly.

Then the motif is hand-stitched to the cushion.

Easy and beautiful!

Lacey Hexagon Motif

Hook size: E

Yarn: DK

Round 1: Ch2, 6 sc into 2nd ch from hook.  Join with sl st and fasten off.

Round 2: Join new color into any sc, ch3, 2dc cluster, ch5, 3dc cluster in each sc around for 6 3dc cluster petals, sl st into top of first ch3 and fasten off.

Round 3: Join new color at top of any cluster, ch3, [2dc, ch2, 2dc in ch5 space; 1dc in top of next cluster] repeat around, ending with sl st in ftop of 1st ch3 and fasten off.

Round 4: Join new color in corner space, ch3, 1dc, ch2, 2dc in same space, 3dc in next ch space.  Work [2dc ch2 2dc] in each corner chain space and 3dc in other spaces around.  Sl st into top of ch3 and fasten off.

Round 5: Join new color in corner space, ch1, sc ch1 sc in same corner, sc in each stitch across and work 1sc ch1 1sc in corner, continue around joining with sl st into first sc and fasten off.

Happy crocheting!

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!

{ crochet } a banner

There's something about banners that puts a happy smile on my face.  This little project combines three of my happy's: banners, crochet and rainbows!

It is made of single crochet triangle motifs trimmed in a scalloped edging.  

In case you would like to make your own, here's the pattern I made up as I went along:

Triangle:

I used an F hook (3.75mm) for the triangle, and a D hook (3.25mm) for the edging.

ch2, sc in first ch made, ch1, turn (2 stitches made)

sc in same stitch, sc in each of next 2 stitches (3 stitches made)

Continue this way, increasing by one stitch in each row until you have 20 stitches.

Here is a close-up of where you will put the last stitch in each row before doing the ch1, turn.  You will see 3 horizontal loops and then a vertical loop.  Insert your hook at the vertical (arrow) to make the last sc in each row.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Trim:

Along the edging you will see small holes created from the first chains in each row (9 clearly visible on each side). Use this photo as a guide for where to work your edge scallops:

Join trim color to top left corner of triangle and work 1sc, 1hdc, 1dc, 1hdc, 1sc in each hole along edge (10 scallops in all).

Continue working 10 scallops up the other side (shown above with black dots).

At top of triangle, work a sc in each stitch across (20 total).

Ch1 and work another row of sc.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Continue making triangles until you have as many as you like.  I recommend blocking them--it just helps them lay nice and flat when hanging.

Joining the triangles:

I created a separate piece and stitched my triangles to it.  You may come up with a more genius way of joining them, but I went with what was easier for me.  

To figure out the length:

I led with 20 chains on each end, 10 chains in between each triangle, and then 20 for the length of each triangle.  So for my 5 triangles, I needed a chain of 181 = 40 (ends) + (20 x 5) + (10 x 4) (plus 1 for turning ch)

Ch181, work a sc in each chain across (180).

Fasten off.

Using a whip, stitch attach each triangle to the length.  I used stitch markers to temporarily and evenly attach my triangles for stitching.

Weave in all ends and hang your new banner!

Currently, ours has made his home in our guest bathroom:

Happy Crocheting!