Unexpected Knit Cowl

Sometimes projects don't turn out how you thought they would. When that happens, it can be a bit discouraging. However, finding the unexpected value in a project gone awry can help you to relax and save you a bit of heartache.

Remember this scrap project that I started forever ago? Well, I completely stalled out on it. I got bored. I was knitting round and round and round... and... *yawn*. It did not end up being the giant scarf that I had planned on. So, I reassessed my work and found the value; I turned it into a small cowl instead by blocking it out fairly aggressively.

As it turns out, I really like it this way! It was a good way to use up some nicer fingering weight scraps. It was also a nice mindless project to work on at my fiber group while we chatted. Hopefully I can carry this momentum into other stalled projects.

Have you had any projects turn out differently than you expected?

Nitty Gritty Men's Beanie Crochet Pattern

I just released a new pattern, the Nitty Gritty Men's Beanie. It's a sweet little pattern that I wrote a while back. Thanks to Alex for being the model. The pattern is available for $2 on Ravelry and Craftsy.

Perfect, simple, classic. The Nitty Gritty Beanie combines the grit stitch with single crochet to make a classic men’s beanie with a touch of texture. It’s the perfect project for the no-fuss guy that you’re dying to crochet for.

Learn to Crochet Lesson Six: How to Read a Crochet Pattern with the Essential Crochet Potholder

Welcome back to my learn to crochet series! By now you can chain, single crochet, and half double crochet like a pro because you have spent some time with lessons one, two, three, four, and five. Today you will learn how to read a basic crochet pattern. The Essential Potholder pattern will walk you through the steps of reading a simple pattern and doing simple finishing.

Crochet patterns contain several important bits of information that you need to start your pattern. The designer includes this information to help you get a result that is as close as possible to the sample. Hook size, yarns used, amount of yarn used, terms used, other materials used, and the size of the finished object are all things that may be listed.

Side note: Most designers also list the gauge, or how many stitches are in a given space when working with their hook and yarn. We won't worry about gauge today since you are just starting out. That will follow in another lesson. Also, gauge is most important when the size of the finished item matters quite a bit, as with a garment. Since it doesn't really matter if your potholder is a little bit bigger or smaller than mine, gauge is not as important right now.

Let's see the important tidbits for the Essential Potholder.

Yarn: Lion Brand Martha Stewart Crafts Extra Soft Wool Blend
         120 yards of Gray Pearl #550
Hook: US size H8 5mm hook
Extras: yarn needle
Terms: ch = chain, sc = single crochet, hdc = half double crochet, sk = skip, rep = repeat, sl st = slip stitch

Pattern

Here is what the pattern looks like in written form. Don't worry! There will be a photo tutorial after the written pattern to explain each line.

Panel

Ch 27.

Row 1: Work 1 sc into the third ch from the hook. Work 1 hdc into the same ch. *Sk 1 ch, work [sc, hdc] into following ch*, rep from * across.

Row 2: Ch 1, turn. *Sk 1 st, work [sc, hdc] into following st*, rep from * across.

Rows 3 through 23: Rep Row 2 twenty-one times. 

You will now begin the border.

Border: Ch 1. Continuing to the left, work 1 sc into each row end (Side 1). Ch 1 to cross the corner. Work 1 sc into each base chain nub (Side 2). Ch 1 to cross the corner. Work 1 sc into each row end (Side 3). Ch 7 to cross the corner and to form the hang tab. Work 1 sc into each st (Side 4). Ch 1 to cross the final corner. Sl st into first st to join.

Fasten off and weave in ends of first panel. Make a second panel, but do not fasten off.

Finishing

Place one panel on top of the other so that the stitches line up. Slide the hook into the first pair of stitches and work a sc. Work 1 sc into each pair of stitches all of the way around, treating each ch 1 corner as 1 st. When you come to the hanging loops, work 7 to 8 single crochet stitches around them. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Tutorial

So...what did all of that mean!? Let's get down to details.

 

"Ch 27. Row 1: Work 1 sc into the third ch from the hook."

 Ch means 'chain'. When you see a number after it, it is telling you how many chain stitches you will need. In this case we work 27 chain stitches. Next, the pattern tells us to work 1 sc, short for single crochet, into the third chain from the hook. The arrow points to the correct chain stitch.

"Work 1 hdc into the same ch."

Next we work 1 half double crochet into the same stitch as the single crochet. Yes, that's right, the very same chain stitch has two different stitches worked into it. That is one way that designers create what is called a stitch pattern, by working different numbers and types of stitches into the same place.

*Sk 1 ch, work [sc, hdc] into following ch*, rep from * across.

When you see a set of directions surrounded by asterisks (*), this means that the directions will be repeated. Sk means 'skip', so we skip 1 chain stitch. Into the next we work 1 single crochet and 1 half double crochet as before. See the brackets ( [ ] )? They are telling you that everything inside of them will go into the same stitch. In summary, we will now repeat everything inside the asterisks until the end of the row -- We will skip 1 chain stitch, then work 1 single crochet and 1 half double crochet into the very next stitch... and then do that same thing again and again! All of the preceding sure was a lot of text for a fairly simple process. This is why crochet terms and symbols exist, to shorten directions and make them more user-friendly.

"Row 2: Ch 1, turn. *Sk 1 st,"

We know how to chain and turn! We learned that in previous lessons. Go ahead and do so. Then notice that you will be skipping the first stitch of the row. 

"Row 2: Ch 1, turn. *Sk 1 st, work [sc, hdc] into following st*, rep from * across."

These directions look familiar, don't they? They are the same as the directions from Row 1, but this time we will be working into actual stitches instead of chain stitches. Every other stitch will be skipped, and those that are worked into will have 1 single crochet and 1 half double crochet. You can see that the stitch pattern is starting to emerge. 

Here we are at the end of Row 2.

"Rows 3 through 23: Rep Row 2 twenty-one times." 

Remember, 'rep' means repeat. To continue with our panel, all we need to do is follow the directions in Row 2 over and over until we have twenty-three rows in total. Since we already had two rows by the end of Row 2, we only need to 'repeat' twenty-one times to get to twenty-three.

"You will now begin the border. Border: Ch 1. Continuing to the left,"

 This is just how it sounds. The flat part of the panel is done and now we need to work stitches around the outside to make a border. Since we work from right to left in crochet, you will be continuing to the left.

"Border: Ch 1. Continuing to the left, work 1 sc into each row end (Side 1)."

There are two types of row end. The first is made of the very last stitch of a row. This is lined in pink above. The second kind is made of turning chains. The ch 1 turning chains are line in red above. You after you ch 1, work 1 single crochet into each row end until you hit the next corner. Tip: Since there are 23 rows, you should end up with 23 single crochet stitches. 

Here are some single crochet stitches that have been worked into the row ends.

 
"Ch 1 to cross the corner. Work 1 sc into each base chain nub (Side 2). Ch 1 to cross the corner. Work 1 sc into each row end (Side 3)."

When you get to a corner you will need a way to continue around to the next side. By chaining 1 we are able to bridge the gaps. Then we can keep working single crochet stitches around the outside of the panel.

"Ch 7 to cross the corner and to form the hang tab. Work 1 sc into each st (Side 4). Ch 1 to cross the final corner."

This is just how it sounds. Instead of chaining 1 to cross the corner, this time we are chaining 6 extra stitches to make a little loop for hanging the potholder. Then we continue working down the final side, 1 single crochet in each stitch.

"Sl st into first st to join."

Now that we have come full circle (tee hee), we need to join the round. See where the arrow is? That is our very first single crochet stitch of the border. That is where you will insert your hook for the slip stitch.

You insert your hook.

Yarn over and pull the loop through.

Then keep on pulling the yarn until it has gone through the working loop on your hook.

"Fasten off and weave in ends of first panel. Make a second panel, but do not fasten off."

Here is our first panel in all of its glory. You can stop here if you'd like. However, If you want a thicker potholder you can go thorough all of the steps in the "Panel" section again, stopping right before you fasten off. You will want to keep the yarn attached and a working loop on the hook for finishing. The finishing section is where the designer tells you what you need to do to put the final touches on your object.

"Place one panel on top of the other so that the stitches line up."

Here are the two panels, all lined up. You can see that the stitches mirror each other and pair nicely.

 "Slide the hook into the first pair of stitches and work a sc."

Here you can see that the hook is under both loops of both stitches. This set of stitches is the very first from the border.

 "Work 1 sc into each pair of stitches all of the way around, treating each ch 1 corner as 1 st."

Just as the pattern states, continue to match up your stitches and crochet a single crochet stitch through both of them at once. You can see that this is joining the two panels together to make one, thick potholder.

 "When you come to the hanging loops, work 7 to 9 single crochet stitches around them."

Instead of working under the tight loops of the chain stitches, you will simply be working around them. This is much easier and looks nicer.

 Like so. Then you continue working into stitches as before.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

You did it! Your potholder is now complete!

As a new crocheter, patterns may be a bit frustrating at first. Don't worry, you'll eventually have a light bulb moment and things will come together. Take it slow and don't be afraid to rip out and start over. If you have any questions, feel free to comment below. Happy hooking!

Crochet iPhone 6 Case

A while back I made this crochet case for an iPhone 4s. Using the same method, I recently made a case for an iPhone 6. The only thing I changed was that I did turn after every round, making the fabric slightly thicker. Making this case was an excellent way to use up some scrap yarn.

Cable Hat

I love crochet cables! That's right, you don't have to know how to knit to create some fabulous cables. Sarah Arnold, creator of the ever popular Divine Hat, has done it again with this awesome pattern. She really has a way with hats! How generous of her to give out her patterns for free.

I had some Wool-Ease in my stash, and the hat only took up one skein. Here it is.

This hat project only took a few hours, perfect for an evening movie night. I'll certainly be making more in the future to give as gifts. Cables are so fun!

Meet Mr. Bingley, the Little Scottie Dog

I just love trying out new patterns. My Ravelry queue is unreasonably long, but I swear I will get to each and every one of those projects eventually. Designing my owns patterns makes me appreciate the hard work of others all the more.

Since I needed a little break from designing my current project, I decided to take a crack at a pattern that's been in my queue for a long time: Scottie Dogs by Sonea Delvon. This is a free pattern. It's fairly well written, and any ambiguities are cleared up by looking at her hand-drawn diagrams. In fact, I'd suggest looking at the diagrams before you begin so that you get a feel for the project. I was able to finish my dog in about two hours, making this a quick and fun project. My dog was made using her "medium" guidelines. I used Vanna's Choice with a 5mm hook so the fabric would be tight and the stuffing wouldn't show through.

I added the collar and heart-butt myself. I think he's a charming little fellow. He might have been named Mr. Darcy, but I think he looks a little too friendly for that, so Mr. Bingley it is. There's a lot more Vanna's Choice where that came from, so I'll likely add a few more Scottie Dogs to my collection. How should I embellish them?

Ribbed Cap

I love Crochet Geek! The videos on her YouTube channel are clear, well-narrated, and she always includes a written pattern along with the video. If you haven't checked her out yet, now is your chance. Today I want to talk about the ribbed cap that I made following this video and pattern. She calls it a "cable cap", but it is really more of a ribbed cap because it does not have true cabling on it. You can do cabling with crochet, it just wasn't done this time.

I loved this pattern because once I got started it moved very quickly. Gotta love a finished object that looks more complex than it really is! Don't spill the beans to people who don't crochet *wink*. If you haven't tried around the post crochet yet, this would be an excellent pattern to start with.

The hat turned out totally yummy and cushion-y. It is also more flexible that other hats patterns I have tried which makes it the perfect gift for someone whose head size is somewhat of a mystery to you. As you can see, I elected to leave off the cuff. I liked the look of the hat so much already that I didn't want to change it! However, this pattern was so enjoyable that I will most likely make it again in the future, perhaps including the cuff. Once you are confident that you have your basics down, don't be afraid to alter patterns. It may not always work out right the first time, but it is important to develop your own personal preferences and style if you are making crochet a lifetime hobby. As you read this blog you will notice that I often alter at least one part of most patterns I follow, even if it is something as small as using a magic circle instead of a chain.

Redditgifts Hat and Scarf Exchange

Throughout the past year I have participated in a few redditgifts gift exchanges. Some of them have gone well and some not so much. The best exchange that I participated in was the Hat and Scarf Exchange. I signed up with a mind toward making something instead of buying. My giftee requested a cloche, an item I had never made before. Not to be deterred, I scoured the internet for an appropriate pattern and finally settled on this one. It was well written and the directions were clear and easy to follow. However, I would caution you to use a hat chart to make your initial circle rather than following the pattern as the first time through my circle was much too small and I had to frog it. Here is the final result.

She said she enjoyed the item and it pleases me to know that a random woman in New York is wearing my work! Since I had so much fun making the cloche I also included a scarf that I made using my personally created bobble stitch.

She told me that grey is her favorite color and she began wearing the scarf as soon as she received it. Success!

I also received my own gift from a random internet stranger. Through a great stroke of luck my gift giver was also a crocheter! Here is what I received.

Reddit user Liz4tin sent me a beautiful handwritten note along with a fanciful owl hat and a pineapple motif scarf. How thoughtful and exciting! Sometimes the internet can be a magical place, in this case connecting me with another crochet lover. As an aspiring elementary teacher, I plan to use the hat as a "Hat of Knowledge" since owls are typically used to represent knowledge and wisdom.

It was so much fun the first time that I will definitely consider participating in the redditgifts Hat and Scarf Exchange again in the future.