Peppermint Garland

 

(Originally posted Dec. 11, 2017)  Hello all!  It’s another Monday and another garland pattern.  I’ve been doing my Christmas decorating today so this is right in line with that.  Today’s garland is a string of peppermint candies!   It seems like I have seen a lot of peppermint candy in Christmas decor this year, so I guess this garland is right in style.
Worsted weight yarn- small amounts of red and white
J hook- make 4 candies with this hook
N hook- make 3 candies with this hook
Large eye needle

Stitches used-
Slip stitch (sl st)
Chain (ch)
Single crochet (sc)
Half double crochet (hdc)
Double crochet (dc)

Red) Ch 6, sc in second ch, hdc in next, 2 dc in next, hdc in next, sc in last. Finish off.
White) Working in back loop of ch, join with sl st at one end. Ch 1, and sc in each stitch across. (5 sc). C 1, turn, sc in each stitch across. Finish off.
Red) Join with sl st at one end, ch 1. Sc in first stitch, hdc in next, 2 dc in next, hdc in next, sc in last. Finish off.
White) Starting on one side of the candy and working into the red, in the dc closest to you, join with a sl st, ch 4. In same stitch, work dc, ch 1, dc, ch 1, dc, ch 4, sl st. Sc in next 3 red stitches, sc in sides of both rows of white, sc in next 2 red stitches. In next stitch, sl st, ch 4, dc, ch 1, dc, ch 1, dc, ch 4, sl st. Sc in next 3 red stitches, sc in sides of both rows of white, sc in last two red stitches. Sl st into starting stitch.
Finish off, weave in ends. I didn’t worry too much about the ends, just a quick tuck to get everything pulled in and hidden.

Lay out your candies as pictured.

Working on back side, join at corners with a small piece of yarn, tie a tight knot and trim close.
Once you have all your corners joined, on ends, sl st to outermost corner of candy, ch 10, and sl st back into candy. Tie ends in a tight knot, trim close. Repeat for other end.

You may not reproduce or copy my pattern or images in any way.  You may link to my pattern from another site.  You may sell items made from my pattern as long as you give me credit.

Ribbed Cotton Cowl

 

The last few days here in my part of the world have been cold!  The sky has been spitting snow and ice at us occasionally and it is time for bundling up in warm clothes.  It’s also time to finish up all the last minute Christmas presents.  This cowl works up fairly fast and is super soft and warm.

For these cowls I used the pattern found here.

I worked it using the directions for the 33″ cowl but I used an N hook.  My cowl is a bit smaller around, but I like it that way.  Of course, if you want it bigger around, just work a few more chains.  The yarn that I used is Sweet Pea by Queensland.

I used 2 skeins for each cowl, and worked rounds until I ran out of yarn.  For most of them, I worked 23 rounds.  I think this is a discontinued yarn but you can find some in my Etsy shop.

 

Gingerbread Man Garland

 

(Originally posted Dec. 18, 2017) Today I thought I would make some Christmas candy. I didn’t grow up around a lot of candy making (we are more bread making kind of people), so I don’t really have many candy recipes that are tried and true. I have tons of food recipes pinned on pinterest because, of course, all the pretty pictures! I thought I would try out a couple of them.  Not that they were a complete flop, but I think I’m better off sticking to bread baking. And crocheting.
Speaking of crocheting, here is another garland pattern. Today we have a string of gingerbread men.

Worsted weight yarn-small amounts of brown and tan for bodies, black and cream for faces, and scrap pieces in assorted colors for bow ties.
J hook
Large eye needle
Safety pin or stitch marker

Stitches used-
Slip stitch (sl st)
Chain (ch)
Single crochet (sc)
Double crochet (dc)

1) Starting the head- Ch 2, sc 6 in first chain.  Join with a sl st to first sc, ch 1.
2) Sc 2 in each st around, join with sl st to first sc. Ch 1. (12 sc) At this point is is very helpful to put a safety pin or stitch marker in the joining sl st.
3) Starting the body- Sc 2 in first sc (same as one joined into on previous round), ch 1, turn. (2 sc)
4) Sc 2 in first sc, sc 1 in next stitch. Ch 1, turn. (3 sc)
5) Sc 2 in first sc, sc 1 in next 2 stitches. Ch 1, turn. (4 sc)
6) Sc 2 in first sc, sc 1 in next 3 stitches. Ch 1. (5 sc)
7) Working up side of body, work 3 sc.
8) Creating first arm- Ch 6, then work 1 dc in 3’rd ch and in next 3 chains. (4 dc worked plus turning chain) Sl st to first row of sc on body and first sc on head. Do not work into the sl st that is marked with the safety pin/stitch marker.
9) Finishing the head- Work 2 sc in next st, then *1 sc, 2 sc* 4 times. Sl st to last stitch on head.
10) Creating the second arm- Ch 6, dc in 3’rd ch and in next 3 chains. (4 dc worked plus turning chain) Sl st to first row of sc on body.
11) Sc 3 down side of body.
12) First leg- Ch 6, dc in 4’th ch and next 2 chains. (3 dc plus turning chain) Sl st to middle (3’rd) stitch on bottom of body.
13) Second leg- Ch 6, dc in 4’th ch and next 2 chains. (3 dc plus turning chain) Sl st to side of body and finish off. Weave in ends.

If desired, stitch on a face using a contrasting yarn. Stitch x’s for the eyes, and use a back stitch to create the mouth. Add small bits of yarn tied in bows around the neck.

On back side, join two gingerbread men together at the arms with a small stitch. Tie a tight knot and trim ends close.
On end gingerbread man, join with a sl st to arm, ch 10, sl st in same space, finish off. Tie two ends together in a tight knot and trim close. Repeat for other end.

You may not reproduce or copy my pattern or images in any way.  You may link to my pattern from another site.  You may sell items made from my pattern as long as you give me credit.

Pom Pom Toboggan and Infinity Scarf for Barbie

 

Christmas is literally around the corner! (Originally posted Dec. 23, 2017) I’ve noticed that there is a pom pom craze happening right now and Barbie said she wanted a pom pom hat too! I whipped up this easy pattern that would make a great last minute stocking stuffer for a little girl.

You will need:
E/3.50 hook
#1 Weight yarn (Fingerling, sock yarn)
1/2″ craft pom pom
Needle
Fabric Glue

Stitches used:
Chain (ch)
Slip Stitch (sl st)
Single Crochet (sc)
Half Double Crochet (hdc)

*All stitches in both patterns are worked in the back loop only.

Toboggan
Ch 15
R1) Sc in second chain from hook and each chain across. (14 sc) Ch 1, turn.
R2) Sc in each stitch across. Ch 1, turn.
R3-26) Repeat row 2.
Bring short ends together, sl st evenly across. Finish off but leave a long tail. Flip work so that joining seam is on the inside. Thread yarn on needle, and sew evenly into ends of rows around, pull up tight. Pull both ends of yarn into inside of hat, tie together tightly and trim.
On outside of hat, glue pom pom into place with a small amount of fabric glue. Pin to hold in place if necessary.

Infinity Scarf
Ch 26. Join to beginning ch with sl st.
R1) Ch 1, hdc in each chain around. (26 stitches) Ch does not count as a stitch. Sl st to beginning stitch. Ch 1.
R2) Hdc in each stitch around, sl st to beginning stitch. Ch 1.
R3-4) Repeat row 2. On last round omit ch 1 and finish off. Weave in ends.

You may not reproduce or copy my pattern or images in any way.  You may link to my pattern from another site.  You may sell items made from my pattern as long as you give me credit.

Stocking Garland

Yes, it is the day after Christmas. (originally posted Dec. 26, 2017) So why am I posting yet another Christmas garland?  Well, if you are like me and my family, you still have a Christmas party or two in your future and you just might need an extra little bit of decor.

Worsted weight yarn- small amounts of red, white, and natural.
J hook
Large eye needle

Stitches used-
Slip stitch (sl st)
Chain (ch)
Single crochet (sc)
Single crochet 2 together (sc2tog)- Insert hook into first stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop. Insert hook into next stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through all loops on hook.

 Color A

Ch 9
1) Sc in second ch and each ch across, work 2 sc in last ch. (9 sc) Ch 1, turn.
2) Sc in each stitch across, ch 1, turn.
3-5) Repeat row 2.
6) Sc in first 4 stitches. Ch 1, turn.
7) Sc in each stitch across. (4 sc) Finish off.

Color B
Join with sl st where color A left off, ch 1.
1) Sc in each stitch across. (4 sc) Ch 1, turn.
2) Sc2tog twice. Finish off.

Top of stocking- (color B)
Join with sl st, ch 1, sc in end of each row across. (5 sc) Ch 1, turn.
Sc in each stitch across, finish off.

Weave in ends. (I just did a quick tuck with my needle to hide everything.)

On back side, using a small piece of yarn join stockings at toes and at top with a small stitch and tie tightly. Trim ends close.

Color C
Ch 10, join to first ch made with a sl st. Ch 15. *Sc into tops of first pair of stocking, working an additional sc into joining stitch. (11 sc). Ch 10.* Repeat between *’s until all stocking pairs are attached. Ch 25, join with sl st to 10’th ch from hook. Finish off, tuck in ends.

You may not reproduce or copy my pattern or images in any way.  You may link to my pattern from another site.  You may sell items made from my pattern as long as you give me credit.

Blankets, Blankets, Blankets.....

 

When I first picked up crocheting again, I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on yarn while I was re-learning, but I did want to have yarn on hand to work with.  This led to what became a very large supply of what I will call basic yarn.  I had a lot of skeins of things like Red Heart Super Saver.  There is nothing wrong with this kind of yarn, but for things like scarves and hats there are softer and cuddlier yarns on the market.  So then, what to do with all this yarn that would be a useful item, and how to make it into something that will still be soft and cuddly?

Enter this pattern- http://www.handcraftingwithlove.net/yarn/pat-avshell2.html

This was a great basic pattern that worked up quickly and, with a few adjustments, gave a finished project that was just the right amount of snuggly.

For each blanket, I used approximately 2.6 pounds of yarn.  I used the starting chain count for a 40 inch blanket, but used a N/9mm hook instead of an H hook.  This gave it a much softer texture.  For each blanket, I worked 84 rows.  This made it easy to divide colors into equal stripes when I wanted to do so.  My finished blankets measured 50 inches x 60 inches.  Just the right size to snuggle under with a good book on a cold autumn day!

 

This was the first blanket that I made.  I love how these colors came together!

 

And then another one…

and another….

and another!

And then I started using up smaller skeins of yarn with some random stripe blankets.

One in brown…

 

and one in shades of blue.

 

If you need a comfy handmade blanket in your life but don’t have time to make one for yourself, these are available in my Etsy shop here.

Bamboo Cables Cowl

 

For the longest time I have been meaning to learn how to do the different foundation stitches that eliminate the need for a starting chain. But I kept putting it off, stubbornly clinging to those tedious chains for some unknown reason. When I thought about how I wanted to design this cowl, and how I wanted it to look, I realized it was time. It NEEDED foundation double crochet. And so, I set about learning. Why, why was I such a brat about putting it off? It’s amazing! And so easy! I’m in love.
I’m not even going to give you a starting chain option. Seriously, if you don’t have fdc in you life, do yourself a favor and learn it today.

Stitches used:
Foundation double crochet (Fdc) I used this tutorial.
Chain (ch)
Slip stitch
Double crochet (dc)
Front post treble crochet (FPtr)  Yarn over twice.  From front, insert hook around back of post of stitch below, yarn over, draw up a loop.  (Yarn over, pull through two loops) 3 times.
Back post treble crochet (BPtr)  Yarn over twice.  From back, insert hook around front of post of stitch below, yarn over, draw up a loop.  (Yarn over, pull through two loops) 3 times.

Hook- H/8 (5 mm)

Yarn- (4) skeins of Bambool by elsebeth lavold 50 g/92 yd.  This is a bamboo blend yarn of 80% bamboo and 20% merino wool.  This yarn has been discontinued but can be found on ebay.

Finished cowl measurements- 32 inches around x 9 inches tall

Fdc 47. Ch 2, turn.
R1) Work 1 dc in second stitch from hook. Work *1 FPtr, 2 dc*. Repeat between *’s across. Ch 2, turn.
R2) Work I dc in second stitch from hook. Work *1BPtr in FPtr below, 2 dc*. Repeat between *’s across. Ch 2, turn.

Repeat rows 1 and 2 until cowl is desired length. I used all 4 of my skeins completely to get a 32 inch length.
When desired length is reached, ch 1, turn. Bring ends together and use a slip stitch to join. Finish off, weave in ends.

You may not reproduce or copy my pattern or images in any way.  You may link to my pattern from another site.  You may sell items made from my pattern as long as you give me credit.