Just a little FYI to let you know I now am on Craftsy.com
I am still working on getting the patterns up and available.
You can still find them on Ravelry.com and in my Etsy Shop.
Another FYI for anyone looking to sell their patterns:
Craftsy and Ravelry do not charge listing fees or selling fees. You still have PayPal fees, but that’s it.
UPDATE: All patterns are now available on Craftsy.com
If you’re like me, you often find yourself carrying an armful of stuff. Without fail, if I’m going to drop something, it will be my water bottle. So, here’s a solution!
I made this water bottle bag based off of a pattern for a gift bag by K&J Dolls. I made it as part of a birthday gift. I did make some modifications to fit my needs:
I used a 3.25 mm hook (D) instead of a 3 mm as the pattern suggests. There was no real reason to it except that I knew where my 3.25mm hook was and didn’t want to look for my 3mm hook.
I only increased out to 60 sts rather than to the full 84 sts because that’s all it took to make the size I was looking for.
With the decorative stitching, I only did 15 rounds instead of the 23 in the pattern because that’s all I needed to get the height I wanted.
I also didn’t do the little ball ties as in the pattern. Instead, I used a double strand of yarn and a 6mm (J) hook to chain 200 so the drawstring can be used as a shoulder strap.
My bag ended up being 3 1/2″ in diameter and 8 3/4″ tall. (Pattern makes 4″ diameter & 10″ tall)
Because this bag uses a small crochet hook, it actually took HOURS to complete (small stitches and inevitable snagging!). In the end, it turned out really well. It’s durable. The bottom is made of very dense single crochet stitching, so it can easily support the weight of a bottle.
Would I make this bag again? I’m not sure, it was very time consuming for what I made. That being said, it made a very good bag. This particular bag was made as a gift, however, so I may have to make one more!
I’ve noticed an obvious trend for barefoot sandals. If you haven’t seen these, they are basically a decoration for your feet when you want to be barefoot but still cute. Most fit around the 2nd toe (next to the big one) with a loop and tie around the ankle. The styles are numerous and they’re actually really cute.
Of course, being a mom, I never think to make things for myself because, let’s face it, baby feet are cuter than mine! So I made some Baby Barefoot Sandals. These particular ones are very easy to make (minus the flower which is a little more tricky & time consuming).
As much as I would love to claim this pattern as my own design, it is not. I found a free pattern on Living the Craft Life if you would like to try making them yourself. The flower I used was also a free pattern from Crochet and Other Stuff. I decided to make the flower removable and had made these flowers months ago and have been trying to find something to add them to. Here’s the end result:
And, like I said, everything is cuter on baby feet:
Don’t you just love the pockets on the back? I LOVE THEM! They look so adorable on.
Isn’t it cute? I’m a little proud of it. This hat pattern will be available in my Etsy Shop soon, hopefully followed by the bib and burp cloth pattern. I’m also thinking about a little tank or halter to go with it for the little ladies. ***UPDATE: Hat pattern is now available!***
Leave some love! I’d love to hear your comments!
Credits:
Baby soaker was made using “Baby Boy Soaker” pattern by Sharon Mann. Available at www.coatsandclark.com
I just finished making a play purse for my daughter. It actually turned out cute enough that I was tempted to add a lining and a zipper and keep it for myself! But, I didn’t.
Purse Panel (Make 2)
Ch 32.
Row 1: Starting 2nd ch from hook, sc across. (31 sts)
Ch 1. Turn.
Row 2: (Sc in next. Dc in next.) 15 times. Sc in last st. (31 sts)
Ch 1. Turn.
Row 3: Sc across. (31 sts)
Ch 1. Turn
Rows 4-15: Repeat rows 2 & 3.
Row 16: Ch 4. (Counts as dc & ch1) (Skip next st. Dc in next. Ch 1.) across. (31 sts)
Row 17: Repeat row 3.
Row 18: Repeat row 2.
Row 19: Repeat row 3.
Row 20: Sl stitch across.
Fasten off.
Sl st panels together with right sides facing (bumpy sides together).
Draw String
Take 3 strands of contrasting color that are 7-8 times as long as the width of the purse.
Tie a knot at one end. Weave through the double chains of row 16. Tie a bow and trim ends as desired (cut knot off or knot other end as well). Secure bow knot with thread & needle. (It only needs a stitch or two, just so it won’t come undone)
*I tightened the draw string to narrow the opening a little bit to help keep things inside.
Strap
Sl st in 3rd stitch from side seam of purse into sl sts on the back of the panel. 4 sc in next 4 sts (will go over the seam). Sl st in next.
Ch 1. Turn.
Work 2 sc together over sl st & 1st sc of previous row. 2 sc in next 2 sts. Work 2 sc together in next sc & sl st of previous row.
Ch 1. Turn.
Sc across. (4 sts)
Ch 1. Turn.
Repeat (4 sc. Ch 1. Turn.) Until strap is desired length. (4 sts ea row)
Work 2 sc into first sc of previous row. 2 sc in next 2 sts. Work 2 sc into next st. (6 sts)
Sl st across to join purse & strap (through previous row’s sts & sl sts on back of purse panel) (6 sts)
Fasten off & weave in ends.
If you want to use this for yourself, you can sew a lining and even add a zipper! 🙂
As I have previously said, I want this blog to help with even the most basic steps in crafting. In crochet, one of these basic steps is weaving in ends of your work. No one ever explains this. I have done my best to figure it out on my own, but here is a link to a tutorial that I found very helpful:
UPDATE: Pattern is now available at the following sites:
Craftsy
Ravelry
My Etsy Shop
Another beard beanie!!! What could be better?
This is my husband:
Yea, I know, but I love him anyway. My husband’s head is, how can I put this…larger-than-average. Because of this, I had to make him a custom fit beanie & beard. I think it turned out ok!
The beanie is a simple double crochet beanie. I started with a magic adjustable ring with 12 dc into it. Increase each round by 12 dc until you get to the desired size. Usually I see this at 60 dc. I find this a little snug, but maybe my gauge is tighter than average. (This particular beanie is 84 dc in the largest round)
For the ribbing around the base of the beanie, I did front-post double crochet stitches. 3-5 rounds will probably get the look you want. The cool thing about ending the beanie this way is you have vertical ribbing on the front and horizontal ribbing on the back. The horizontal ribbing on the inside of the beanie will actually help keep the beanie in place.
For striping, I just winged it. There are two thin stripes, one medium, and then the larger band at the bottom (the front-post dc).
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| See? He really is cute. 🙂 |
The beard is a modified version of Jen Spears’ that I have previously linked reference to. I had to change it a bit, but it’s the same concept.
To attach the beard, I just sewed the beard to the first row of ribbing on the inside of the beanie. It ends with a clean finish and the seam is hidden by the edge of the beanie.
