Homemade Hand Hotties

I'm in the process of crafting for this Christmas and it reminded me of my "makes" from last year.  I created a little hand hottie for each family member we get presents for.

I created simple rectangles using half double crochet(hdc), ranging in size from about 14hdc across to about 20hdc across. 

I had to make the rectangle long enough that folded in half it would create a nice sized hottie, plus a little extra for a flap at the back to keep the hottie insert inside.

For some I had to think about the colours I was going to use, for others I simply used the same colour for the rectangle and then added felt for decoration.  

For a couple I added crochet flowers as decoration.

I had a lot of fun making these, and so had the covers finished way before Christmas, hence I have a fair few pictures that weren't taken on Christmas Eve in the fading light!

The insides took a little longer to complete, only because I was hoping my daughter would do them for me!   I used small rectangles of material and sewed them together leaving a small opening for some rice.  We turned them inside out for a prettier finish, added the rice and then sewed up the holes.  

We added instructions saying that:

" I'm a hand hottie.  Put my insides in the microwave for 40 second and then return me to my holder and keep me in your pocket.  I will keep your hand nice and warm!"

My Mum is really pleased with hers, and has also nicked the one I made for my Dad to keep both hands warm (should have thought about that really!).  She used hers everyday in the cold.  I'm really pleased with how they turned out.  I still can't decide which is my favourite.

The method also works for hotties that are a larger size, I created a couple for the kids and they ask for them every night to keep their beds nice and warm.

They would work as phone socks too.  

Yummy Brussel Sprouts

I love sprouts, I think they are delicious.  So when I saw these little beauties on folksy, I thought I must have one immediately.  Unfortunately they had already sold out, and I'm not surprised, they were total bargains and very cute.

My husband said, something along the lines of surely you could make one though?  How hard can it be. Ummm, actually not too hard.  In fact I now have a little army of sprouts, enough to give some to friends who admired and named them...

Thanks Jolly Spoon for letting me use your photo.

So to make these, you need to create three circles and one sphere and then sew them together.  Add eyes and you're sorted.

To make these ones I used a 3mm hook with double knit yarn, but you could use anything.  This is in American terms (sorry I know I chop and change between the two - it just depends on which patterns I've been using most recently).

Pattern for the circle:

R1: Chain 2

R2: 6 single crochet (sc) into the 2nd chain from the hook ( 6 stitches)

R3: 2 sc into each stitch (12 stitches)

R4: 2 sc into the next stitch 1 sc into the next stitch x 6 (18 stitches)

R5: 2 sc into the next stitch 1 sc into the next 2 stitches x 6 (24 stitches)

Leave a long tail so you can sew this onto the sphere

You need to make 3 of these.

Pattern for the sphere:

R1: Chain 2

R2: 6 single crochet (sc) into the 2nd chain from the hook ( 6 stitches)

R3: 2 sc into each stitch (12 stitches)

R4: 2 sc into the next stitch 1 sc into the next stitch x 6 (18 stitches)

R5 - R7: 18 stitches around

R8: 1 sc decrease, 1 sc into the next stitch x 6 (12 stitches)

Stuff your brussel now, I use the stuffing from an old pillow.

R9: 1 sc decrease x 6 (6 stitches)

Leave a long tail and then sew up this bottom

Now put them all together.  I glue gunned on the eyes and then ended up creating one for everyone I know...

By now I'd become a little sprout obsessed, and so I needle felted this little guy.

Here he is with his mates.

My son has claimed him as his own.

Another Little Flower Pattern

Imaginative title, I know.

I just wanted to create another little pattern for a flower.  The reason was exciting, I was off on a spa weekend with some friends.  Squeal.  Whenever I'm in a spa (every weekend - in my dreams) I'm always worried I'm going to end up with someone else's robe.  I don't think you'd even know until you tried to open your locker and discovered you couldn't because the key in your pocket isn't yours!

Last year, for a similar trip, I made everyone the flowers I made for my brother's wedding.  The pattern for those is here.  I think for me one of the highlights of our spa trip this year was that several people had kept and remembered to bring, the flower I'd made for them the previous year.

This year's flower is a more pointy affair.  It wasn't based on a particular type of flower, I just liked the idea of playing around with the petal shape.

Pointy Petal Flower Pattern

US terms.  Hook Size can be anything but I made these using DK yarn and 3.5mm Hook

Round 1: Chain (Ch) 4 and slip stitch (sl st) together

Round 2: Ch 2 and 12 double crochet (dc) into the circle, sl st together.

Round 3: Ch 1, 2 single crochet (sc) inn each stitch, and sl st together

Round 4: Ch 4, skip 3 stitches and sl st into next stitch, repeat to end

Round 5: sc, half double crochet (hdc), 2dc, 1 treble crochet (trc), 2dc, hdc, sc and sl st into each loop and finish off after the final petal.

Alternative Round 5 (for when you have very little yarn leftover!): sc, 2hdc, 1trc, 2hdc, sc and sl st into each loop and finish off after final petal.

To create the flowers for the spa I used tiny little scraps of yarn from my stash so I used the alternative round 5.

I am lucky that people know how much I love yarn and so I get some as presents.  This means that I have enough colours so that everyone can have a different coloured flower.  I simply added a safety pin to the back of the flower and then you have your very own robe marker!

Crochet Cross Bookmark

A while ago my daughter was invited to a Confirmation Party for a friend.  I was not sure what the drill was for a confirmation party, as we're not religious.  However I did decide that it would be nice to make a little something for the little girl who was getting Confirmed.  I decided to do something more in keeping with the occasion than either a hat or a bag like I would normally do.

I searched the web and found this lovely pattern for a crocheted Cross Bookmark.  I thought it was perfect.

I found the pattern easy going once I'd understood the meaning of the long single crochet stitch (basically reaching further in than the standard stitch, but still using a single crochet stitch to do it).  It was probably the first time I'd tried working in anything other than DK yarn, so I was really pleased with how it turned out.  I still am if I'm honest!

I think this could make a lovely addition to my Easter Tree/Easter Decorations.  I'm just hoping that I'll have some need to make another one in the future as it was a fun pattern to complete.

A Quick Little Project

I wasn't sure whether to share this, as it is something that I'm considering to create for presents, but it was such a lovely project to complete, and so quick I thought I should.

Some crochet covered coat hangers.  Yarn bombing on a small scale!

I organised a little craft evening, where everyone was bringing a project to work on and shortly before my guests were going to arrive I had a sudden panic - I didn't have a project to work on!  Oops.

I grabbed some sweetie style colours (at least that is what the remind me of) and a coat hanger that had been hanging around (pun intended) for ages waiting a restyle.  I had read a couple of tutorials and they all seem to go about this in the same way - create a rectangle of fabric and then sew together once you've made one big enough to go round the hanger.

I dislike sewing lots of stripes together, I've done it before it takes me ages and ages and ages and ages.  You get the picture.  So after one row I decided this would be a project best worked in the round, and it didn't really matter if it didn't work because I was just experimenting.

Obviously this technique is much easier before you get to the hook part, you can work it up off the hanger.  Once I got to the hook I simply kept the cover on the hanger and crocheted around and around.  It did take significantly longer to do the second half (twice as long maybe), and the hook seemed to get in the way a lot for the first few rounds, but soon I got into the rhythm and then it was finished.  My daughter loved it straight away and my son requested one for him too.  

I bought these hangers pre-padded, but I'm trying to work out whether I could fancy up some less pretty ones.  A project for another day.

Crochet Lamb Chocolate Egg Cover

I said I would provide the pattern for the Crochet Lamb Chocolate Egg cover in this picture.

I personally like the lamb best, but the Husband thinks he looks like a Zombie Lamb.  Hmm, maybe I should have used beads for his eyes, or possibly embroidery thread as opposed to acrylic yarn.  I couldn't be bothered to go find some when I was creating him though.  My own fault. 

I used a 2.5mm hook with normal DK acrylic wool for this project.  The pattern is my own.  The terms are American terms

Body (Make one)

Row 1:              Magic Circle to begin and chain 1, then 5 single crochet into the circle. (5 st)

Row 2:              2 single crochet into each stitch (10st)

Row 3:             *2 single crochet into next stitch and 1 single crochet into the next stitch* - repeat until end (15st)

Row 4 - 13:       Single crochet around (15st)

Row 14:            *Single crcohet in next stitch, single crochet two together in next stitch* - repeat until end (10 st) Fasten off and weave tails in.

Head (Make one)

Chain 5, 3 single crochet into 2nd stitch from hook.  Continue with 1 single crochet in each chain to end of the chain stitches.  In last chain complete 5 single crochet.  You want to keep going around the other side of the chain and single crochet into each back loop of the chains.  When you get to the last stitch (the one you have already put 3 single crochet into) complete 2 more single crochet into the same stitch.  Close with a slip stitch. Chain 1, then single crochet all around.  Close with slip stitch and fasten off.

Or you could simply use a scrap of black felt and cut into an oval shape.

Ears (make two)

Chain 3,  3 single crochet into 2nd stitch from hook. 

5 Single Crochet into next stitch

This takes you back around to the first stitch complete 2 more single crochet in that stitch, slip stitch together and fasten off.

As with the head, you could use a couple of smaller scraps of black felt,also cut into ovals.

Finishing Off

Make two French knots/use pale beads for the lamb's eyes and sew on a mouth to the head section.

Sew the head onto the body and then sew the ears on either side of the head.

That's it.  You're finished.

Anthropologie Inspired Hat

I have seen a number of patterns inspired by a beautiful hat sold by Anthropologie (not available any more, if the link I followed was correct), but none of them quite matched up to the parts I really loved about this hat. Here is a picture of the original hat:

It has taken a while, but I have come up with a couple of versions of this hat, including the parts of the hat I love best.  I'm writing this in US terms as I know a friend who prefers US terms wants to use it.

I particularly liked the cluster stitch that I think is included on the original hat and wanted to include that.  I personally think that making a cluster stitch is easier than actually explaining how to make it, but I'm going to try!  

There are probably a couple of more tricky stitches involved in the creation of this hat, I'll try and describe them below.  I know there are probably better explanations out there, and I'd imagine video tutorials if you get stuck, or feel free to write a comment and I'll try and explain it better!

Cluster Stitch Explanation:

Start with Yarn Over hook (YO)

Hook into space/stitch (in this pattern it will always be into a space)

YO hook

Pull your yarn through 2 loops

Repeat the above two more times

Then yarn through the remaining loops

Hopefully that makes sense!  I checked one of my books and it says: "A cluster is made exactly like a decrease except that the stitches are all worked in a single stitch or space before being gathered together at the top."  That probably makes more sense, although I tend to fudge my decreasing if I can't be bothered to check the actual method each time!

Front Post Double (FPDC)

With this stitch the only real difference is that instead of working into a stitch or a space you work around the "post" created by the stitch from the previous row.  

Start with YO hook on one side of the stitch;

Put your hook through the hole from the back to the front of the work ;

Then on the other side of the stitch push your hook back the other way from the front of your work to the back;

YO hook;

Pull your yarn through the first 2 loops on the hook

Then pull your yarn through the last 2 loops on the hook.

This should create a ridge effect on the hat.  To create the ribbed look you also need a Back Post Double stitch.  Which is created in the same way as the Front Post Double Stitch, but you need to do insert your hook around the "post" of the stitch from the previous row in the opposite way.

Back Post Double 

Start with YO hook on one side of the stitch;

Put your hook through the hole from the front to the back of the work ;

Then on the other side of the stitch push your hook back the other way from the back of your work to the front;

YO hook;

Pull your yarn through the first 2 loops on the hook

Then pull your yarn through the last 2 loops on the hook.

Crab Stitch

You create this by working the wrong way - so instead of going from right to left along the crochet row you move towards the right.  It feels weird to begin with, but once you get the hang of it, it is fine.  I like the way it finishes off a crochet piece.

This time the ridge is on the inside of the hat.  Thinking about it, maybe I do these the wrong way round!  I guess it doesn't matter so long as you are happy that you have the ridge in the place you want it for finishing the hat off.  I tend to crochet so that the I'm looking at the inside of the hat.

Couple of other things to mention.  I used a 5mm hook and just some normal DK yarn.  At the beginning of each Cluster Stitch Round you should slip stitch into the space, chain 2 and start the cluster stitch sequence.

Hat Pattern

Magic Circle and chain 2

Round 1: 1 cluster stitch (CL ST) + 1 chain(CH) - repeat  x 6 slip stitch (Sl ST) to finish 

Round 2: *1 CL ST + 1CH, 1 CL ST + 1CH* into each space between the previous rounds clusters SL ST

Round 3: *1 CL ST + 1CH, 1 CL ST + 1CH into next space, 1 CL ST +1CH into next space* repeat all around and SL ST 

Round 4: *1 CL ST + 1CH, 1 CL ST + 1CH into next space, 1 CL ST +1CH into next 2 space* repeat all around and SL ST 

Round 5: *1 CL ST + 1CH, 1 CL ST + 1CH into next space, 1 CL ST +1CH into next 3 space* repeat all around and SL ST 

Round 6: *1 CL ST + 1CH, 1 CL ST + 1CH into next space, 1 CL ST +1CH into next 4 space* repeat all around and SL ST 

Round 7 - Round 12: *1 CL ST +1CH* in each  space and SL ST at end of round

Round 13: 1 Half Double Crochet (HDC) in each stitch all around, SL ST at end of round

Round 14 - Round 17: Chain 2 FPDC all around and SL ST at end of round

Round 18: *3 HDC in one stitch, SL ST in next 2 stitches* all around.  If not quite a repeat I squeezed in 1 extra by only SL ST in one before the last 3HDC.

Alternative Finish to the hat - the ribbed look, you complete the hat as above until Row 14

Round 14 - Round 17: Chain 2,  *FPDC in next stitch, BPDC in next stitch*  SL ST at end of round

Round 18: Crab stitch around and then SL ST to finish.

I used a couple of flower patterns for these the first one is one I've already described here.  The second one is a fab pattern from here.  I love it and I once spent a week just making them as I was having so much fun!

I hope you enjoy making this pattern, if it doesn't make sense please let me know, although I know I can create a hat using this pattern I'm hoping other people will be able to as well!

Creating for Christmas

It is about this time of year I start panicking about what handmade creations I can make for Christmas this year.  I was looking back at things I've done in the past.

Last year the ladies got wristlets made with either this  pattern. Though sadly I didn't manage to get photos of many of them in the rush to get everything wrapped. This pattern was fab and easy to follow. I did manage to get a couple of pictures:

 

The previous year I made slippers for all the ladies and girls and actually my little boy.  The ones for the ladies and girls had flowers or hearts on them and the one for my boy looked like paws.  Again if I'm making something for a present Christmas or otherwise I tend to leave it till the last minute and not have any pictures.  I love this pattern.  I did modify it a little because I thought they would fall off to easily if I didn't.    So at R6 I did two extra rows  all around.  For the children's slippers I started with a chain of 8 and at R7 I only did 16hdc instead of 19hdc.  I hope that makes sense, because I've not written anything more on my notes!

I did take a couple of pictures on my mobile, so excuse the worse than normal quality of the photos!

Though they look pretty and they are comfy and warm they can be lethal on a wood/laminate surface as you basically end up sliding everywhere.  On the pair I made for myself I added a few dots of hot glue to see if that helped, without making them less comfy.  I'm pleased to say it did.

I dug out the kids slippers, and took a picture of them - these have been well used since I've made them.  The reason I've only taken a picture of one slipper for each child has nothing to do with the fact that I can't find the matching pair of either, nope, nothing at all!

Adding the claws was suprisingly easy, I simply used some yarn to sew the shape that I wanted and filled it in with the yarn.  It was probably quicker than making the flowers I had done for the rest of the slippers.

Later I made some for me too and managed to get a better picture of them.

Through the original panic, and search around Pinterest I've come up with an idea for presents this year and made a start on making them.  This year I've even taken some pictures of the presents before I wrap them!

Stripy Pencil Case Tutorial

Great imaginative title, I know!

I've wanted to do something like for ages, but I've just been too scared of zips.  My Mum finds them a nightmare on her sewing machine and probably I would too, but I did these by hand.  In case I'm not alone in my fear of zips I thought I would put together a little tutorial of what I did.

I know I've said before, but I am not very confident when it comes to sewing and although I'm delighted with this there are areas where it all looks very messy.  I think I must be the only person on the planet that can ends up in a tangle of knots within the first three stitches.

Anyhow, to start this project I first decided what size pencil case I wanted and simply cut the felt accordingly (no pictures of this I'm afraid).  Next I lined up the zip with the top of the felt. I had the zip closed and attached one side of the zip to ones side of the felt. At this point I still had the zip closed.  The picture is of the zip open so you can see (just) the stitches I made to attach it.  They're not beautiful little even stitches, but I'm proud of them anyway.

Next I opened up the zip, and attached it in the same way to the other side of the felt.  So far so good.  I then closed up the zip again and used a blanket stitch to close off the ends of the pencil case.  Now it was starting to look like something that could be used.  

After that the next job was to create to the outside cover of the pencil case.  I love crochet and I love stripes and my son loves red and orange, this was a mixture of our favourite things.  This was easy, I started with a chain that was just longer that the pencil case middle I'd already made and then used a  half treble crochet (half double crochet in US terms) stitch to create the rows of stripes, changing colours at regular intervals.  I finished with a row of double crochet (single crochet in US terms), once it was large enough to fit the pencil case middle inside.  Then I crocheted the edges together using double crochet (single crochet in US terms), two stitches for each space.  Here it is before I sorted out all the ends, and tidied it up a little.

Next I slipped the middle into the cover.  Despite checking the size I seemed to have to sort of push it into the corners to make it fit properly.

But phew, in the end it went in fine without any problems.  Next I just had to attach the middle to the cover.

I just did this around the top of the pencil case and it has worked fine.

Next add your stationary to the pencil case and you're ready to go!

 I've made a couple now, and both are in use all the time.  My daughter uses hers to keep her money in, much of which is change, so I can say they will hold a fair amount.  My son has taken his to school and uses it everyday.  So far, so good, I've not needed to make any repairs anyhow!