Category: Crochet Patterns

Chunky Ribbed Cowl
It’s cold outside today. And it’s only supposed to get colder (-40 windchill, anybody?) tomorrow. While most of us here in the Midwest are well accustomed to blizzardy winters, it’s a little harder to get used to the record frigid temps this season has been throwing at us.

I mean, when your Siberian Husky wants to hang out inside all day, you KNOW it’s cold.

On top of that, both of my boys are sick, and I’m not feeling so hot, either. Whatever way you look at it, the Langfords aren’t going anywhere for a while. So, I deemed today “Toy Story Marathon Day”! (I never said this was a blog about how to be a perfect mother.) Lucky for me, I have a stash of yarn to experiment on and a couple of little monkeys to cuddle. Really, it’s been a good day so far. 🙂

Here’s a chunky, twisted cowl that I made this morning with Lion Brand Hometown USA yarn (affiliate link). The twist in the cowl helps it to drape beautifully and effortlessly for those of us who are accessory-impaired. There’s no wrong way to wear a twisted cowl!, and this one works up fast.

The ribbing really catches the sun and give the cowl such a gorgeous, textured look. You’re sure to get compliments when you wear your new Chunky Ribbed Cowl, and when people’s jaws drop after hearing that YOU made it, you’ll smile to yourself about how EASY it was! Enjoy!

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CHUNKY RIBBED COWL

Hooks: N (9.00mm)
Yarn: Super Bulky; I used 2 skeins, approx. 162 yards, of Lion Brand’s Hometown USA (affiliate link) in Los Angeles Tan.
Difficulty: Easy

Notes:
- Ch 2 DOES NOT count as starting DC.
- Be sure to count your stitches, as that last DC can be easily skipped when you aren’t paying attention. It’s hard to see, especially when using the ribbing technique.
- Attach your new skein of yarn at the beginning of row 6. You probably won’t have enough yarn to complete row 6 anyway, and putting yarn changes at the seam keeps the rest of the scarf looking nicer.
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With N hook,

To begin:
FDC 65. Bring ends together as you normally would for crocheting in the round. (Optional: To add a twist to the cowl, take one end and flip it all the way around so that the corner that was at the top will again be at the top.) Join with a SL ST to the top of the first DC. (65)

Optional start:
CH67. DC in 3^rd CH from hook and in each remaining CH. (Optional: To add a twist to the cowl, take one end and flip it all the way around so that the corner that was at the top will again be at the top.) Join with a SL ST to the top of the first DC. (65)

Rounds 2-10: CH2, turn. In BLO, DC in each St around. Join with Sl St to top of first DC. (65)

Fasten off; weave in all ends except starting tail. If you used the Foundation Double Crochet method, use that starting tail to sew the gap between the first and last stitches of Round 1 together, then weave in to finish.
January 27, 2014
Jenny Slouch Hat
I love slouchy hats! In fact in my pre-crochet days, when I was designing my friend’s crochet web site a few years back, she paid me partly in crochet goods… and my first request was, “Can you make me a slouchy hat?” I think they are so fun and they tend to look great even on girls who are convinced that they don’t look good in hats. (Yeah, I’m one of those.)

I originally created this slouchy hat for my little sis. I also took a dozen of them to a college artisan fair in November. They sold out! Now, you can have one of your own. (Pattern below pictures!)

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JENNY SLOUCH HAT

Size:
Teen – Adult Small
Hat measures 9” across at band, and is 10” tall.

Materials:
- Hook sizes K (6.5mm), H(5.0mm), G(4.25mm)
- Yarn needle
- Worsted weight yarn (approx. 3oz; I often use I Love This Yarn or Vanna’s Choice, but my current favorite — and the yarn used in the photos you see on this post — is Bernat Satin).
- Stitch marker (a bobby pin works great)
Gauge:
5 HDC x 3 rows = 1.5” square

Stitches Used:
MC (magic circle)
CH (chain)
SS (slip stitch)
SC (single crochet)
HDC (half double crochet)
DC (double crochet)
CRDC (crossed double crochet, see Special Stitch)

Special Stitch:
CRDC – skip one stitch, DC into next stitch, DC in skipped stitch to form an “X” from the two DC. Be sure to skip an empty stitch with each new CRDC so that the Xs do not share stitches with each other.

Notes:
(1) This hat is worked in a continuous spiral. Do not join at the end of each round and do not chain at the beginning of rounds unless instructed. Use a stitch marker to mark the last stitch of each round.
(2) If you know that you tend to crochet tightly, be sure to go up a hook size or two. I basically get two kinds of comments on this pattern: “It fits perfect and I love it!” or “This would barely fit my two year old.” The CRDCs have a lot of leeway as far as how tightly they are crocheted, so keep a loose tension as best you can. Also keep in mind that because this is a slouch hat, you want the band to be snug so that it stays on your head. If you think that a 9″ band is just too tight, then don’t go down to the G hook on the band.
(3) This hat relies on good drape to get the right look, so be mindful of that when you choose your yarn. Red Heart Super Saver, for instance, would not be a good choice.
(4) Also regarding the sizing/drape: this hat is modeled on girls with heads that fall into the “teen/adult small” sizing category. If you have a larger head or lots of hair, it won’t drape as much. I have a medium-sized head and think it’s the perfect amount of drape for me. If you want lots of drape, add more rounds to 9-16 before you start decreasing at round 17.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Using K Hook, begin with magic circle.

Round 1: 10 HDC in magic circle (10)

Round 2: 2 HDC in each ST around (20)

Round 3: 2 HDC in each ST around (40)

Round 4: (2 HDC in next, 1 HDC in next) around (60)

Round 5: (2 HDC in next, 1 HDC in next, 1 HDC in next) around (80)

Switch to H hook.

Round 6: CRDC around (you will complete 40 CRDC for a total of 80 ST)

Round 7: Skip 1^st stitch (this will stagger your CRDCs, which gives your hat a diagonal look). CRDC around.* (You will complete 40 CRDC for a total of 80 ST) *Because of skipped stitch, your last CRDC will go one stitch into the next row.

Round 8: CRDC around. (You will complete 40 CRDC for a total of 80 ST)

Rounds 9-16: Repeat Round 8

Switch to G Hook.

Round 17: CRDC around, skipping one stitch after every 2 CRDCs until you reach end of round (you will complete 32 CRDC for a total of 64 ST)

Round 18: SC around (64)

Rounds 19-26: Repeat Round 18

When you complete Round 26, make 5 slip stitches (SS); fasten off and weave in ends.
January 24, 2014
Pansy Flower Crochet Pattern

When I released the pattern for this tropical flower, I didn’t know what to call it and mentioned that I definitely wasn’t a “flower expert.” A sweet lady on Ravelry commented that it reminded her of a pansy. So I googled “pansy”, and I could definitely see why my Tropical Flower reminded her of one!

But, there were some significant differences. The pansies I saw had 5 petals like my Tropical Flower, but they weren’t evenly sized and spaced, as mine was. In fact, the pansy flower has a very unique-looking grouping of petals. The three top petals overlap a bit, with one being a little larger than the other two. Then, there are two larger petals in a contrasting color underneath. All of the flowers I looked at had eye-popping, vibrant color schemes. Blues, Pinks, Purples, Yellows… there definitely isn’t just one way to color a pansy!

One of the most fun challenges about making a new pattern is taking an everyday object, like a flower, and trying to mimic its look, its shape, with a pile of yarn and a unique combination of stitches. I decided the pansy would be my next project. I’m so excited for how it turned out!

For this pattern, you’ll need to decide what colors you want your pansy to be. I will add “[color change]” throughout the pattern to show you where you WOULD change if you decided to change at that point. But how many times you change colors will be up to you. The more color changes you do, the more yarn tails you’ll be working around, so I like to weave in my tails as I go.

I’ve also modified my format a bit, because it’s easy to get lost in these instructions, especially if you’re a newbie. Small steps within rounds will be on different lines to keep things clear.

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One thing to keep in mind. It says the size in the pattern, but still the #1 piece of feedback I get about this flower is that it’s “too big for what I was going to use it for.” If you use a G hook and worsted weight yarn, as I did, it’s going to come to about 3.5″. Plan ahead, and if that’s too big for you, use a DK or fine weight yarn and a smaller hook. 😉

PANSY FLOWER

Notes: I used a G hook (4.0mm) and worsted weight yarn for this flower, which came to about 3.5″ at its widest. You can use whatever hook and yarn you want to achieve your desired size.

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

Create a Magic Circle.

Round 1: 6 SC in magic circle; [color change]. Join. (6)

Round 2: (2 SC in next, 1 SC in next) around; [color change]. Join. (9)

Round 3, Petal 1:
Ch 2. 3 DC in same St.
3 DC in next.
3 DC in next. Ch 2. Sl St to same SC. (You’ve covered 3 SCs from Rd 2 at this point.)

Round 3, Petal 2:
Sl St to next SC. In same St, Ch 2 + 2 DC.
3 DC in next.
2 DC in next. Ch 2. Sl St to same SC.

Round 3, Petal 3: Repeat instructions for Petal 2. [color change]

Round 4, Petal 1:
Sl St to base of Ch 2 from previous round.
SC in Ch 2 space.
4 DC in next St.
1 DC in each of the next 3 St.
Ch 1. 1 SC in next. Ch 1.
1 DC in each of the next 3 St.
4 DC in next St. Ch 1.
SC in Ch 2 space.
Sl St to base of Ch 2.

Round 4, Petal 2:
Sl St to base of next Ch 2.
SC in Ch 2 space.
2 DC in next St.
1 DC in each of the next 5 St.
2 DC in next St. Ch 1.
SC in Ch 2 space.
Sl St to base of Ch 2.

Round 4, Petal 3: Repeat instructions for Petal 2.

Ch 5. Turn flower over and stretch the chain across the back of the petal you just completed. We are now working on the backside of the flower. Sl St in first available BACK STRANDS of next petal, as shown in figure 1 below. (We do this so the color doesn’t show on the front of the flower, in case you’re using a different color.)

Ch 5. Stretch chain across the back of the next petal and Sl St the same way, as shown in figure 2 above. [color change]

Ch 2; turn. We will now be working in rows.

Row 1 (all worked along the Ch 5):
5 DC in Ch 5 space. Ch 2; Sl St to Ch 5. (Base of first back petal.)
Ch 1; Sl St to next Ch 5. 5 DC in Ch 5 space. Ch 2; Sl St to Ch 5. (Base of second back petal.) Ch 1; turn.

Row 2, Back Petal 1:
SC in Ch 2 space.
4 TC in next St.
1 TC in each of the next 3 St.
4 TC in next St. Ch 1.
SC in Ch 2 space. Slip Stitch to base of Ch 2.

Repeat for next petal. Ch 1; turn.

Row 3: SC evenly around both petals. Sl St to base of Ch 2 on last petal and fasten off. Weave in all ends.

Detailing: Cut a piece of yarn about two feet long. With yarn needle, sew inner petal detailing by bringing yarn up through the SC (from the very first round) at the center of one of the top petals; bring yarn down through petal, up through the same SC, down through petal, up through the same SC, and down through the petal, 3 times total at three different placed in the petal. (You can eyeball it based on the photo I’ve provided. This is nature; it doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful.) You can fold the back petal back and hold it with your fingers to keep it out of the way while you sew the detailing. When you finish with the first petal, bring your yarn needle through a couple of back strands to get you to the base SC for the next petal, and repeat. Repeat for third petal as well. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Finishing: You can be done here, or finish off your flower with a small embellishment like the ones in my photos. I love to use small brads that I find in my craft store’s scrapbooking section. You just slip the two metal prongs through the center of your flower and bend them back on the other side. They are a beautiful finishing touch!

January 24, 2014
5 Petal Tropical Flower Crochet Pattern

I love flowers with a little dimension. This is a pattern I came up with about a year ago and use all the time. I love the overlapping petals, and the versatility of this simple little flower. It’s perfect for spring / summer and can add a vibrant pop of colors to your project!

I named it “Tropical Flower” because, to me, it looks like something you might find on a beautiful island. I’m no flower expert, so if you think this looks like a certain type of flower, let me know in the comments and maybe I’ll change the name! Until then… it lives on in my tropical imagination. 🙂

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5 PETAL TROPICAL FLOWER

Notes: I used a G hook and worsted weight yarn for this flower.

– – – – – – – –

Create a Magic Circle.

Round 1: 5 SC in magic circle; join (5)

Round 2: Ch 1; 2 SC in each SC; join (10)

Round 3: *Slip Stitch into next SC; Ch 2. In same stitch, complete 5DC; Ch 2. Slip stitch into next SC.* Do this a total of 5 times, for 5 petals.

Change colors here if you are doing a 2-colored petal.

Round 4: *Slip stitch into base of Ch of next petal. SC in Ch space. 3 DC in next stitch (the first DC from the previous round); 2 DC in next; 2 HDC in next; 2 DC in next; 3 DC in next, Ch 1; SC into Ch space; Slip Stitch into base of Ch.* Do this a total of 5 times, for 5 petals.

Fasten off; weave in ends.

Center Detailing: Cut a contrasting piece of yarn about 3 feet long. Using yarn needle, sew detailing by bringing yarn up through the center, and back down through a place of your choice on the first petal. Bring yarn back up through the middle; back down through another place on the petal. Do this three times for each petal. (I like to make the center detail of each petal reach a little higher than the two on either side of it.) Fasten off and weave in ends. Finish with a button or other embellishment.

Here are a few variations of the Tropical Flower:

January 18, 2014
5 Petal Curled Edge Flower

This is a simple photo tutorial for a cute little flower that you can use for an adorable embellishment. Its petals curl up and inward, giving it a little dimension.

For this photo tutorial, I’m using Caron Simply Soft. I’ve upped the contrast of the photos so that you can see the details better.

5 Petal Curled Edge Flower

Start with a Magic Circle; SC 10 in the circle. Join with Slip Stitch into first SC and pull center tight to close the gap.

ROUND 1: *Slip Stitch into next SC. In same stitch, ch2, 3DC, 1HDC, ch1. Slip stitch into next SC* around.

You will end up with 5 small petals.

ROUND 2: *Slip Stitch to first SC of magic circle. SC into Ch space of first petal. 2HDC each of the next 4 stitches. Ch1. Slip Stitch to next SC of magic circle.* Do this 5 times total. Fasten off; weave ends into back of flower. Finish with embellishment, if desired. For my flower’s center, I used a small embellishment brad that I found at my local craft store. You can also find them on Amazon. Just slip it through, bend the bendy things back (yep, I think that’s the technical name) and you have yourself a cute little flower!

January 15, 2014
Rugby Infinity Scarf

© Photography by Kindred Photo & Design

I have been toying with the idea of doing a horizontally-striped crochet scarf for a while now. What has kept me from it is the idea of weaving in ALL those ends… one of my least favorite tasks! But when I fell in love with a rugby-style knit scarf at the store a while back, I knew I needed to try it, just to see if it really would be as much of a pain as I envisioned.

I’m so glad I did!

I had my then-16 year old sis Jenny (above) in mind when I picked out the yarn for my first rugby scarf. I chose Hobby Lobby’s “I Love This Yarn” (my favorite yarn!) in a light grey and white. She’s not one for boring accessories, so I took a chance and switched the plain white yarn for White Sparkle (same brand). It’s basically white yarn with one strand of shiny silver running through it.

This was the first time I’ve used a sparkle yarn, as I think it can become gaudy looking very quick. But I was pretty confident that this style of scarf and amount of “sparkle” would work perfectly to produce a classy, unique accessory.

Once I had my yarn, I got to work. I started with a chainless foundation of 22 double crochet stitches, but you could also just start with a regular chain. The basic idea is that each segment of color is 7 rows of 22 DC. I ended up with 14 segments total (7 grey, 7 white sparkle), and a great length for a double-wrap infinity scarf. I whip-stitched the ends together; then I got comfy on the couch with my yarn needle and scissors and spent a while weaving in those 28 ends. Not my idea of fun, but it was WORTH IT for the finished product!

The photos don’t really show the sparkle on the white segments, but trust me, it’s there. I LOVE how it turned out. In fact I was so in love with it that I seriously debated keeping it for myself, and probably would have if Christmas wasn’t just right around the corner and I hadn’t been so behind on Christmas presents already!

The next time I went to Hobby Lobby I took a better look at all of the sparkle yarns. My niece Maribel is sporty and loves bright colors, so I decided to make one for her, too. Her favorite color is teal so I grabbed some Peacock Sparkle and plain white, and made another one!

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This pattern can be completed using the 100% free version right here on this page. However, many people prefer the convenience of a printable, ad-free PDF.

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Infinity Rugby Scarf

Hook: H (5.00mm)
Yarn: Worsted Weight (I used Hobby Lobby’s “I Love This Yarn”)
Difficulty: Easy
Gauge: Unimportant (just crochet til it’s the length you want. There’s quite a bit of leeway with a scarf anyway.)

Note: Ch 2 does NOT count as starting DC.

The Pattern

To begin: With Color A, Ch 24. DC in third chain from hook. DC across. (22 DC)
(You can also do a chainless foundation stitch for the first row of 22 DC. If you don’t know how to do this, check out this tutorial. It might change your life.)

Rows 2-7: Ch 2; turn. DC across. (22 DC)

Switch to Color B. Cut yarn from Color A, leaving about a 6″ tail.

Rows 8-14: Ch 2; turn. DC across. (22 DC)

Switch to color A. Cut yarn from Color B, leaving about a 6″ tail.

Repeat this process section by section, 22 DC per row, 7 rows per section, until you have 14 total sections (98 rows), or until the scarf is the length you want it. Cut the last tail of yarn, leaving about 12″ tail. Use tail to Whip Stitch one end of the scarf to the other. Fasten off.

Weave in all those ends, and you’re done. Enjoy your new Rugby Infinity Scarf!

January 7, 2014