Snow Blossom Beanie

It's almost time for spring! Boy, am I ready. The winter weather around Washington hasn't been as intense as other parts of the country (my friends in Portland and Boise were drowning in snow!), but it's definitely time for the grey to make way for green. Appropriately, today I released my Snow Blossom Beanie, which is perfect for the last of the chill. It is available on Ravelry and Craftsy. Thanks go out to the lovely Alexis for modeling.

The Snow Blossom Beanie reflects the hopeful transition from winter into early spring. It is delicate and feminine with sweet little flowers. Surface crochet and appliques provide nice texture and stand out in the cold. The pattern includes a chart, written instructions, and a short photo tutorial on surface crochet. The yarn used to make this pattern has unfortunately been discontinued. Alternative yarns are suggested.

Project Page Appreciation: fraspost's Floral Encrochetment

It's the last Friday of the February. It is already time for another Project Page Appreciation post. How quickly time passes! This time I am featuring fraspost's Floral Encrochetment, which uses the morning glory from my Morning Glory Garland. This is what she had to say about her project:

"I used the pattern for the Morning Glory flower only and found it quick and, to my appreciation, accurate in trying to show the colourway of the flower itself. I made an early colour change to light blue after round 6 and fastened this off as instructed for white. A quick and easy crochet for a striking flower corsage."

What a creative idea! If you'd like to be featured for a Project Page Appreciation day, simply work up one of my patterns and post a project page to Ravelry. You never know who is going to win! The prize is two free patterns.

Intuitive Crochet

Do you like to follow crochet patterns? Most of the time I do. I like the recipe of them, the way that all of the instructions fit together to make a finished object. I like written instructions best but I also enjoy charts, tutorials, and other step-by-step procedures that help me make string into stuff. I also love sharing my own crochet patterns, both paid and for free. Just like the scientific method, I can share my steps with other crafters (sometimes in totally different countries!) and they can get the same result.

Although I prefer patterns in general, at times I feel like crocheting intuitively. What does it mean to crochet intuitively? It means that you are using what you know about the stitches and how they fit together to make objects without writing or following a pattern. Some people call this style of crochet "freehand". When I'm teaching someone to crochet for the first time, I find that intuitive crochet is the best way to go. It helps you to gain confidence in yourself as a crocheter. It also makes it easier when you later start reading patterns because you have a better frame of reference.

Here is a hat that I made when teaching someone to crochet in the round and do regular increases. I added the fun brim and flower as well. Though I love the challenge of writing patterns, every now and then it's nice to just make something without following or leading. Just doing.

What about you? Do you prefer to crochet from patterns, or do you prefer to crochet intuitively? Do you like both equally?

Flower Your City with CausticWear

So, today is my birthday. Yay! I am older (*gasp* 29), hopefully wiser? Definitely no less likely to wear my hair in pigtail braids or pick up jeans off of the floor to wear them again. Wanna know what I love? Flowers! I am a girly girl, indeed. Today for my birthday I want to tell you about the flowers of a friend of mine, Lauren.

Lauren is something of a VIT, or Very Important Tester. She's one of a few who have been with me since the beginning and whose support and help I value very much. She is something of a crochet flower expert.

Guess what? She's got a new project going that you can get in on. It's a collaborative paperwhite flower project. Make sure to get in on it by the due date of December 12th!

Join in on my latest yarnbomb collaboration! Check @naomirag's feed for the pattern. Repost from @naomirag "Don't you just love a hashtag! Production across the world is charging ahead. There still time to join in. Deadline Dec 12th #paperwhiteyarnbomb Even if you can only manage one! Thanks to @causticwear for this pattern 💛💛💛💛💛💛"

A photo posted by Lauren Schoener (@causticwear) on Nov 17, 2015 at 1:45pm PST

Crochet Waterlily

I finally sent out my package for the world record yarnbomb attempt. Aside from my Morning Glory Garland I also included this waterlily from a pattern by Esther Chandler. I hope that it likes its UK home.

Crochet Morning Glory Garland

Remember when I told you I had more info on fun collaborative crochet projects? Well, a group of yarnies in the UK is working on the coolest project ever... a world-record breaking yarn bomb!

 The Craft Club is working hard to gather over 4,000 crochet items for a massive yarn bomb in Essex County. They are accepting submissions from all over the place, so you can get in on it too! The contact email for details on where to send your crochet items is thecraftclubyarnbombers@gmail.com.

The massive art piece will first see the light of day at Metal's Green Village Festival, a craft fair, on July 12th. Make sure to get your stuff to them before then if you want it to be seen by the thousands of folks who attend. Keep in mind that it may take 10 to 14 days for your package to reach them depending on where you are in the world, setting a closer deadline of the last week of June. Then on August 25th the yarn bomb will make a special appearance at a local children's hospice to delight families and care workers.

I am so charmed by this project! The theme of the project is a magical garden. Take a look at the event poster to the left for ideas about what to make. I am going to be working up a few fun patterns from my Ravelry queue and hope to send my package out by the end of the week. However, that just isn't enough for me. I mean, a magical garden??? How freaking awesome is that?! The gears got to turning today and soon enough I had written a brand new pattern in honor of the event. It's my Morning Glory Garland! I'm sharing it with you here on the blog this time in case you want to work it up for the cause or just for fun. The pattern follows after these pictures.

I used about 1/5 to 1/4 of a skein each of Vanna's Choice Solids in green, white, and purple. Keep in mind you will need more yarn if your project is longer than mine, which is relatively short. I used a 5mm crochet hook to make this project. However, you can use whatever yarn you may have on hand and a hook that is .5 to 1 mm smaller than the yarn recommends. Gauge is not important for this project.

Tip: Do not weave in any of the green ends as you go. We'll talk about them in the finishing section of the pattern.

Vine
With green, work any number of foundation single crochet stitches until your vine is the desired length. As an alternative to fsc, simply work up a chain to the desired length, turn, then work 1 sc into the back loop of each ch across starting in the second ch from the hook. If you'd feel more comfortable with an actual number, make your vine a multiple of 8 sts.

Ch 1, turn. Sl st into each st down the vine until you get to a good spot for a leaf. How far down you go is completely up to you (I worked down about 8 sts).

Ch 16. Starting in the fifth ch from the hook, work 1 sc into each back loop until you reach the original vine again. You have just made one leaf stem. Starting in the next un-worked st, continue working sl sts down the vine until you reach a good spot for a flower.

To make a flower stem, ch 8. Starting in the fifth ch from the hook, work 1 sc into each back loop until you reach the original vine, just as you did with the leaf stem.

Continue in this manner until you reach the end of your vine. I ended up with three leaf stems and two flower stems. You can add as many leaves and flowers as you want and put them as close together or as far apart as you like. If you're working on a multiple of 8 and want your leaves and flowers to be regularly spaced, simply work a stem after every eighth sl st. Your stems might curl a bit like mine did. Fasten off.

Leaves
You will work 1 leaf into the circle at the end of each long leaf stem. You formed these circles when you skipped 4 sts while working into the back loops of the chain, and you can see the circle in the flower stem picture above.

Working from right to left with the right (correct) side facing, attach green to the circle with a sl st. Ch 4. Work 5 tr into the circle, then 2 dc. Ch 2. Work 2 more dc into the circle, then 5 more tr. Ch 4 and sl st into the circle. Fasten off. Tug on the leaf a bit to shape it. Repeat these instructions for every long leaf stem.

Flower Caps
You will now be working into the circles at the ends of the flower stems, just as you worked into the leaf stem circles before.

Attach green to the circle with a sl st. Ch 1. Work [1 sc, ch 4] four times. Work 1 more sc. Sl st into the first sc to join. Fasten off leaving an 8 inch tail for sewing. Repeat these steps for every flower stem. Set vine aside.

Morning Glory Flower
The flower is worked with right side facing the whole way, no turning. The first part of the flower is worked in spiral rounds. 

With white, start with magic circle. Alternatively, ch 2 and work Round 1 into the second ch from the hook.
Round 1: Work 5 sc into the ring. (5)
Round 2: Work 1 sc into each st. (5)
Round 3: *Work 1 sc into next st, then 2 sc into the following st*, rep from * one more time. Work 1 more sc. (7)
Round 4: Work 1 sc into each st. (7)
Round 5: *Work 2 sc into next st, then 1 sc into the following st*, rep from * two times. Work 1 more sc. (10)
Round 6: Work 2 sc into each st. (20)
Work 1 sl st to join the round. We will no longer be working in a spiral. We will, however, still continue working with right side facing. Each ch 3 counts as a st.
Round 7: *Ch 3, work 1 dc in next st, ch 3, sl st into next st, work 1 sc in following*, rep from * four times. (25, plus an extra sl st)
Work 1 sl st in next st. Fasten off white.
Attach purple with a sl st in any sc.
Round 8: Ch 3. Work 2 dc in same st as ch 3. Skip ch 3, sl st into the top of the following dc. To complete the round, work 3 dc into each sc and 1 sl st into each dc. Sl st in first dc (not the ch 3, even though it counts as a st) to join. (20)
Round 9: Ch 3. Work 2 dc into the same st as the ch 3. Work 3 dc into each remaining st around. Sl st into first dc (not the ch 3) to join. (57)
Fasten off and weave in all ends of the flower. Make as many flowers as you have flower stems/caps.

Finishing
Flip each flower inside out so that the right (side) is on the inside of the flower and the wrong side is on the outside of the flower. Push your pointer finger into the center of each flower and scrunch the petal with your other hand to encourage a slight ripple. Place the white butt of a flower in the center of the first flower cap. Sew the cap onto the flower with the leftover green tail.

Finally, time to get to those green ends! A real morning glory plant has thin wisps of vines all over it. To recreate that look I used a yarn needle to artfully wind my green ends around and through the stitches of my vine after making sure the attached end was secure. I didn't use a particular method, I just messed around! If you'd prefer a cleaner look, you can weave in all of your ends as usual.

I'd love to see your Morning Glory Garlands! I'll be listing this pattern on Ravelry if you'd like to add a project page. Also, if you're going to send some stuff to The Craft Club for their yarn bomb, tell us about it in the comments!

Remix Friday: Mommy and Me Divine Hats

When it comes to making a project your own, a simple change can make a big difference. Perhaps you'll work up a shell border instead of a ruffle border on a baby blanket. Maybe the amigurumi dinosaur you're making needs wings to make it a dragon. Whatever the change, small alterations can make a project feel totally new and personal. Today we're going to look at how Katrina's simple changes to a much loved hat pattern make it special for two happy recipients.

The Crocheter

When I needed a screen name, my husband dubbed me his PearlofGreatPrice and it seemed to fit my yarn related interests so I go by Pearl when talking knit and crochet.
Crochet was a second language my Mother taught me when I was 8 years old.  She had learned it from a friend's mother when she was a little girl.  No one else around us showed any interest so it was our special bond that we shared and loved for many many years and passed on to my daughter when she wanted to learn.  It was through crochet that I found much needed comfort and closeness to my Mother when she went on to her reward in glory.  Now when I see my Granddaughter wrapped in or wearing something I made for her from what I learned at my Mother's knee, I can feel her love enveloping us both in every stitch and that makes me smile inside and out.

The Original Pattern
Divine Hat by Sarah Arnold

The Story
The Divine Hat was a little miraculous answer to prayer.  Wanting to make a matching Mother+Daughter hat, I asked which was their favorite.  My Dear Daughter-in-law showed me one someone else had made and the baby had already outgrown.  She enthusiastically said she really wanted a larger one but I had no clue where to find the pattern.  One day I happened to be on Ravelry looking up projects made with a yarn from my stash and low and behold there was the Divine Hat Pattern! 

The Remix

I made the first one according to the pattern in the baby size, but realized I wanted to give it more depth so I added some extra rows in the next one.  Both the original hat and the first one I made seemed too snug with the front and back post stitching at the head band so I switched over to single crochet in rounds so it would have a little more give.   Then for the matching set I added several rows to the body of the adult sized hat so it could also be worn back like a slouch hat or pulled down snug.  For extra versatility there's room to fold up a cuff with the 12 rows of single crochet in the round (it's also a smoother finish without slip stitch joins).  For fun, I added my favorite crochet flower, Frothy Layered Flower by Ali Burdon, with a pin on the back so it can be placed in different positions according to the way the hat is being worn.

Note: All pictures belong to PearlofGreatPrice.

 

Crochet is... Creativity, Compassion and Comfort.

You can usually find me at KnittingParadise.com for those who knit and crochet.  One visit and you'll probably be calling it your on line home too.

What a fun twist on a hat pattern I totally love. What small changes have you made to patterns to make them your own? Thank you so much for joining us today, Katrina!

'Apelila Headpiece

In addition to the two crochet/knitting groups I attend each week in real life, I am also a member of several online crochet communities. The one I'm most active in, r/crochet, is having an Aloha April Contest this month. Since Alex grew up in Hawaii and some of our fondest memories are those we made during our 2013 visit to Oahu and the Big Island, I knew I had to participate. One of the users there, SassySSS, is an amazing crocheter who is super generous. She's offering delightful prizes to the contest winners. The only rule is that the project must be made with 200 grams of yarn or less. My project ended up being an amalgamation of two different patterns plus a good deal of my own imagining. I call it my 'Apelila Headpiece, or "April Headpiece".

 

The plumeria pattern is available for free on June Gilbank's website. The idea for the headpiece came from this pattern, but I didn't end up using any of the instructions. Instead, I made up my own leaves and white flowers. The white flowers are meant to be stephanotis, the dark leaves are maile and the light leaves are 'olapa.

Is it weird that I don't really care whether or not I place in the contest? I had fun crocheting and that's all that matters. Normally I'm a freestyle girl in both crochet and poetry and like choose my projects based on things that inspire me, but sometimes it's nice to be constrained as I would when writing a haiku or similar. It was a fun change to fit someone else's theme.

This contest has been so fun that I really want to pay it forward and host my own contest on r/crochet sometime soon. I'll let you know when and if I do that. :)

Starling Purse

I'm a fan of futuregirl's blog as well as her patterns. I hooked up a sweet little purse thanks to her Starling Handbag pattern. Making purses is a great way to use up any lower quality or scratchy yarn that you may have on hand because purses take a lot of wear and tear anyway. I decided to add a flower to the purse to give it a little twist. The flower turned out a bit full, but still pretty. The crocodile stitch is really popular nowadays, so I made my flower by layering a single row of scales over itself.

The availability of excellent free patterns is amazing. I am really thankful to all of those people who make the effort to create a detailed pattern only to give it away, especially since I now know just how much work goes into pattern making. Make another 'hooker' smile sometime and drop them a line thanking them for their free pattern. They will really appreciate it. I appreciate you, futuregirl!

Amber Bee Bag

I have so many pattern ideas in my head that it feels like it could explode. It seems like I can't finish my projects fast enough because there is always another awesome plan waiting in the wings! Writing this purse pattern was extremely satisfying because it came out exactly as I had imagined it. I present to you my Amber Bee Bag.

I opted to leave the pattern plain and simple so that folks can add whatever embellishment they'd like to their bag. The pansy pictured as an example is based off of this free pattern, but the pattern was so difficult to follow that I just made most of it up. It might also be cute to attach a costume pin to this bag.

I named this pattern the Amber Bee Bag after my best friend, Amber B. Be on the lookout for more patterns named in honor of my friends and family.