Category: Yarn Projects

Fun, Festive & Simple Christmas Garlands

Two years ago, I had the idea to do a week of semi-simple crochet patterns for Christmas that I would call Crochetmas. I saw it on Instagram, and it sounded like a fun idea. Bringing it to fruition was another story. I came up with the patterns, tested them, but then doing the actual write-up for the blog posts just didn’t happen as I got busy finishing up orders for my Etsy shop and friends last year. So, this year I decided to share three of the patterns in one blog post. They are super simple, the patterns are pretty much variations of each other and you could call them stash busters since they don’t require much yarn to create. They are for a Christmas Tree Garland, Santa Hat Garland and a Light Bulb Garland. If you are feeling creative, you could crochet a few of each pattern to create a very festive garland. Either way, I would suggest using an odd number of components (Tree, Hat or Light Bulb) this way when you hang it it will be symmetrical with a clear middle.

First up, a Light Bulb garland. This project is a great stash buster since you can use whatever color you choose for the bulb part.  Make them all one color or get creative with a bunch of colors. The one color I would keep consistent is the one you use for the “socket” and for the “wire.” I am partial to lights strung on green wire, but white is popular as well.

Next up a Christmas Tree garland. I posted a picture of this garland two years ago on Instagram. At the time I wasn’t sure if I was going to share the pattern via a blog post. I posted a bunch of recipes for baked goods that year that I just didn’t know where to fit it in. And then I got the idea to do Crochetmas that I decided to hold-off, but as I mentioned that didn’t come to fruition. But finally, I am sharing it with you today. What’s fun with this one is that depending on the green you choose it can really change the look and feel of the garland. With this lighter green it has more a rustic feel to…

But with a darker green it has more of a traditional feel…

And the final garland, a Santa Hat Garland. This pattern is very similar to the Christmas Tree Garland since both have the same shape, a triangle. The Santa Hat pattern has one extra row added at the beginning to give it a more elongated look and to account for adding a pom-pom on top and three rows of single crochet in white yarn are added to the bottom for the trim.

The Patterns:

For all of these I used Red Heart Super Saver Yarn and worked with a size H-8 (5mm) crochet hook.

To assemble the garlands, thread a large tapestry needle with a long piece of yarn and then weave through the back of each component (Light Bulb, Christmas Tree or Santa Hat). Leave a long tail on each end to create a loop to hang.

Light Bulb

Ch 2

Row 1: SC in 2nd chain, Ch1 & Turn

Row 2: 2 SC, Ch1 & Turn

Row 3: 2 SC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 4: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 2 stitches, 2 SC in last stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 5: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 4 stitches, 2 SC in last stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Rows 6 – 9: SC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 7: SC2Tog, SC to last 2 stitches in row, SC2Tog, Ch 1 & Turn

Repeat Row 7 until 2 stitches remain.

Final Row: SC2Tog, Ch 1

SC around the entire light bulb. Fasten off and weave in ends.

For the “socket”: (With either green or white yarn, or the color of your choice)

On the top of the light bulb (the straight edge), attach your yarn in the first stich of the right side (right side facing you), Ch1, SC in the next 2 stitches. Ch 1 & Turn.

SC across, Ch 1 & Turn. Repeat this one more time then fasten off and weave in the yarn.

Abbreviations:

Ch – Chain

SC – Single Crochet

SC2Tog – Single Crochet 2 Together

Christmas Tree

With green yarn:

Ch 2

Row 1: 2 HDC in 2nd chain, Ch1 & Turn

Row 2: 2 HDC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 3: HDC, 2HDC in next 2 stitches, HDC, Ch1 & Turn

Row 4: HDC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 5: HDC, 2HDC, HDC in next 2 stitches, 2HDC, HDC, Ch1 & Turn

Row 6: HDC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 7: HDC, 2HDC, HDC in next 4 stitches, 2HDC, HDC, Ch1 & Turn

Row 8: HDC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 9: HDC, 2HDC, HDC in next 6 stitches, 2HDC, HDC, Ch1 & Turn

Row 10: HDC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 11: HDC, 2HDC, HDC in next 8 stitches, 2HDC, HDC, Ch1 & Turn

Row 12: HDC in each stitch, Fasten off and weave in ends.

With brown yarn:

Row 1: Join brown yarn in 6th stitch from the right. Ch1 (counts as first SC), then SC in next 3 stitches. Ch1 & Turn.

Row 2: SC in the 4 stitches, Ch 1 & Turn

Repeat Row 2 two more times. Fasten off and weave in end.

With white yarn:

Magic Ring. *Ch 2, SC in 2nd chain from hook, Sl st into MR*. Repeat ** until you have 5 points. Pull the ring tight to close the circle and then fasten off. Leave a long tail to sew the star onto the tree.

Abbreviations:

Ch – Chain

HDC – Half Double Crochet

SC – Single Crochet

MR – Magic Ring

Santa Hat

With red yarn:

Ch 2

Row 1: 2 HDC in 2nd chain, Ch1 & Turn

Row 2: HDC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 3: 2HDC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 4: HDC, 2HDC in next 2 stitches, HDC, Ch1 & Turn

Row 5: HDC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 6: HDC, 2HDC, HDC in next 2 stitches, 2HDC, HDC, Ch1 & Turn

Row 7: HDC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 8: HDC, 2HDC, HDC in next 4 stitches, 2HDC, HDC, Ch1 & Turn

Row 9: HDC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 10: HDC, 2HDC, HDC in next 6 stitches, 2HDC, HDC, Ch1 & Turn

Row 11: HDC in each stitch, Ch1 & Turn

Row 12: HDC, 2HDC, HDC in next 8 stitches, 2HDC, HDC, Ch1 & Turn

Row 13: HDC in each stitch, Fasten off and weave in ends.

With white yarn:

Row 1: Join white yarn in last stitch on bottom of the right side. Ch1 (counts as first SC), then SC across the row. Ch1 & Turn.

Row 2: SC across, Ch1 & Turn

Row 3: Repeat Row 2. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Make a mini pom-pom using a mini pom-pom maker or with a fork, leaving a long tail, and then attach to the top of the Santa Hat.  

Abbreviations:

Ch – Chain

HDC – Half Double Crochet

SC – Single Crochet

A Few Projects from a Fiber Artist… AKA a Procrastinator

It’s been a while… well, a little over 3 months. I am sure I have taken longer breaks from blogging. I have been baking, but mostly things that I have made before. I recently tried a new pumpkin recipe that was a fail. It was a recipe for Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Brownies that sounded promising but, in the end, had no flavor whatsoever. That led me to a deep dive into whether people post “fake” recipes and I learned that thanks to AI people are now posting recipes that have never been tested and completely computer generated, recipe and pictures, in order to generate clicks, views and likes. Great! No need to worry though, everything I am bringing you today is completely real and created by me. While I haven’t been baking my fingers have been busy crocheting and knitting.

Up first a granny square cardigan that I made for myself. I made my first granny square cardigan a few years ago. It was a request – order – from someone and they were happy with the final product. Since then, I thought about making one for myself, but I didn’t want to make the typical granny square for it. After some research I settled on a sunburst granny square, which was a bit more involved than your typical granny square. I started making the squares last year and then took a break from making them, started up again, took another break and it wasn’t until this summer that I decided it was time to finish. When I laid out the squares to design my cardigan, I realized that I made way too many, so I probably could have finished it a lot sooner. Oh well! I’m really happy with how it came out, and I have quite a few of the squares left-over and a bunch of yarn in this color that I will need to decide what to do with.

Next, another item – a crocheted tote bag – that sat for a while before I finally finished it. It’s the life of a crocheter though. More WIPs (works in progress) than they can manage. Actually, only one of these sat, the other one I got done fairly quickly. I started the tote bag in the fall colors last year. I worked this up without an actual pattern. I had an idea of what I wanted so I combined components of two different patterns to create it, and I was very happy with how it came out. But then it sat. The hold-up, having to sew a liner into the bag. Since I was hand sewing it and I haven’t had much practice doing so I psyched myself out and just put it aside. This summer though I decided it was time to finish. I think I got into a kick over the summer that it was time to finish the projects that I had started and left astray. Truthfully it weighs on my mind when I do this. I see the project half done and I just feel like something is amiss, that things are unraveling at the seams because I am not finishing things. Talk about a metaphor. So, I sewed the liner in, and I ordered handles that I stitched onto the bag. Truthfully, I was very proud of myself for how this tote came out considering I had no pattern to follow. I was so happy with it that I made another one in shades of purple for a friend. This was the one that I worked up quickly. No lagging whatsoever. Probably because her birthday was coming up and it was fresh in my mind how to finish it. I am thinking of making another one so that I can actually write-up the pattern to have for future reference.

And finally, a knitted cowl. I’ve made a few of these scarves, the pattern is super simple. It’s the seed stitch and it creates a scarf that looks good in basically any weight yarn. This was the first time I made it using a heavier weight yarn and I really like how full and warm it will be for the colder months ahead. Truthfully, I had to make this scarf two times. The first time I casted on too many stitches and the scarf didn’t look good in the end. It was too short and bulky to loop around my neck, so I sadly frogged the entire thing and started over by casting on fewer stitches and it came out exactly how I wanted.

And now, I am looking for my next big yarn project that will hopefully not take me over a year to complete!

Granny Square Blanket

Recently I decided it was time to clean out my yarn stash. While some crocheters/knitters may save every bit of their scrap yarn, after a while I feel the need to purge it. Often, it’s not enough yarn to do anything with. I have thought about making a yarn ball wreath – I made one years ago for Christmas – but I just haven’t gotten around to it. I have a laundry list of yarn projects I want to make, and it just keeps getting longer.  While going through my yarn I noticed that I had quite a bit of Bernat Blanket Yarn leftover from numerous projects in an array of colors. Since it was so much, I thought to myself that there had to be something I could make with it. Of course, the best thing was a blanket. It is called Blanket Yarn after all.

At first, I wasn’t sure what pattern I wanted to use. I thought maybe doing a simple pattern and using each color haphazardly until it ran out and then moving on to the next color. But when I envisioned that it didn’t look very aesthetically pleasing. So, I decided the best way to use up the yarn and to make a somewhat cohesive looking blanket would be to make a bunch of granny squares and then stitch them together. Which I was a bit apprehensive about because I am like most crocheters… weaving in ends is my least favorite task when it comes to crocheting and there would be a lot of ends to weave in with this pattern. Which could have meant that this project could have sat for quite some time once the squares were done. Thankfully, I am trying to be more proactive when it comes to weaving in ends, so it doesn’t seem like such a daunting task at the end of my project. I’ve started to weave as I go.  Which has been helpful and has made some of my recent projects go a little quicker.

Initially I thought I would make some of the granny squares multicolor, but after making a few of them and laying them out with the solid color ones I made I didn’t like how it looked. So I decided to stick with making all the squares a solid color.

Which meant that I did have to buy a few skeins of yarn to make sure I had enough yarn to make all of the squares I would need. Thankfully (but unfortunately) I was able to get them at JoAnn’s during their going out of business sale at a discount. This also meant that it was easier for me to create a somewhat pattern with the squares.

So, once all my squares were done (and the ends weaved in) I began to lay them out to figure out the best position for each of them.

Once I was happy with the placement of all the squares, it was time to sew them together to form the rows and then sew all the rows together to finish the blanket. One thing I noticed about the yarn while making the squares was that even though they were all the same weight (Super Bulky) the texture was a bit different for some of the colors. Some of the yarn I’ve had for over 5 years, and I am thinking that over the years the manufacturer has made the yarn a bit smoother/silkier. Which kind of left the border of my blanket looking a little wonky and unfinished. So, after all the squares were sewn together, I decided to add a simple border in a contrasting color. I was very happy with the final product.

Granny Square Tote Bag – Red Heart All In One Granny Square Yarn

Most crocheters / knitters would agree that the worst part of any project is weaving in the ends. If you are unfamiliar with what that means, it’s basically weaving the ends of the yarn into your finished project. This is especially the worst when you create something with multiple yarn colors, like granny squares!

So, I was excited when I saw that Red Heart created a yarn that would minimize ends with granny squares with their new Red Heart All in One Granny Square Yarn. The yarn also takes the guesswork out of selecting colors for the granny squares, although I wasn’t all that thrilled with the color selections. I did find one that I liked, I just had to get my eyes used to crocheting with black yarn. There is a funny saying that goes “If someone makes you something out of yarn, they like you. If they make it out of black yarn, they love you.” Not sure who said it, but there is a lot of truth in it. My mom used to crochet, and she would avoid dark colors (if possible) when working on a project. Working with darker colors requires ample lighting to reduce the strain on your eyes as you work so you don’t miss any stitches. Which can slow your progress down as well. For me personally I can crochet much quicker (and with less mistakes) when working with lighter colors.

Now, while most patterns for granny squares are the same with just a few tweaks here and there, I opted to follow the pattern that came with the yarn as opposed to the one I normally use just to be sure that my granny squares would work up “properly.” Well, right off the bat I realized that it wasn’t going to be as easy as it seemed. I was constantly frogging (ripping out the yarn) and adjusting my tension to get the colors to line up for the different rounds of the square. There was always a round or two that was off which meant I would have to start the round again. I decided to read the reviews for the yarn on their website to see if there were any tricks or suggestions and what I found was a bunch of negative reviews. I was determined though. Ultimately, I ended up with 15 granny squares that required a lot of patience!

So, what to do with the 15 squares? For a moment I thought of buying a few more skeins of the yarn to make a throw, but I quickly tossed that idea out. I really didn’t feel like working with the yarn again to make more granny squares after all the trouble it was to create the initial 15. I decided on a tote bag instead. I had recently finished another granny square tote bag so why not make another. One thing though, I was going to need more granny squares. I needed a total of 19 granny squares for the basic design I was thinking of. So, I ended up crocheting 7 granny squares in black yarn – straining my eyes once more.

As I mentioned this tote bag was my second granny square bag. After crocheting and stitching together the squares for the first one I decided to add a liner to the bag to give it more structure and to prevent it from stretching when carrying anything in it. This was a daunting task. While I own a sewing machine, I had no clue how to use it for the longest time. I tried once and it was a complete failure. So, to add the liner to the bag I did it completely by hand. Overall, it didn’t come out too bad, but it’s definitely not stitched into the bag completely straight.

Well, for this new bag I learned how to use my sewing machine. My local library had a “class” where you could bring in your machine and an instructor would show you how to use it. Woo-Hoo! Well, almost! My first attempt at stitching the liner into the new bag was a fail! I practiced with scraps of fabric but then when I got to working on the bag it just wasn’t working out. I sewed the liner in, but it was atrocious! Not one to give up though, I watched a few YouTube videos (which I probably should have done in the first place) to get some tips and decided to rip the liner out of the bag and try again. And my second attempt was much better. I did end up stitching the liner into the bag by hand, but it was much neater this time.

I also ended up making this cute pouch with 2 remaining squares. I even added a zipper to the top!

So, would I use this yarn again? Probably not to make granny squares that’s for sure. While the yarn does cut down on the amount of ends to weave in, I am not all that inspired by the color choices. And I find that lining the colors up for each round is too time consuming and requires me to crochet with a much looser tension than I am accustomed to which I didn’t like. I ended up the squares that were limp and loose.

A Blanket, a Tote Bag and Some Pumpkins

As I mentioned in my last post, I haven’t been doing much baking – although now that the temps & humidity are dropping I am hoping to get back into it – but one thing I have been doing is a decent amount of crocheting.

I’ve been working on a granny square tote bag. Out of nowhere these bags started popping up on my Instagram feed and I figured since I knew how to make a granny square why not try one. Well, it’s taken me a bit longer than I thought it would. First, I was trying to come up with different color variations so no two squares would be the same. I gave up on that plan quickly and then decided to settle on a few variations and work with those to create a pattern for the bag. I made a slight mistake while stitching them together but decided it was okay… It’s a prototype. LOL!  Then it was time to work the border and make handles… Not sure what happened but I didn’t like how it was coming out, so I ended up frogging the whole border and the handles to start over. I am at that point now. 

I recently finished a baby blanket in a ripple stitch pattern. While I normally like to use white as the accent/separator color the person requesting this blanket asked that I use green instead. While I initially had my doubts about how it would look, I ended up really liking the variation.

I also finished a few pumpkins to add to my Etsy shop. I made these pumpkins using the bobble stitch. It’s a fun stitch that gave the pumpkins a nice 3D texture. Some might say that they are reminiscent of a pumpkin with warts, but just in a more uniform pattern. Either way, they are cute! It was the first time I used the stitch and while it’s a super easy stitch that results in a nice design it is one that requires a lot of yarn. It’s a yarn eater! The reason is because the stitch consists of multiple double crochets that are grouped together in the same stitch. Not sure I would ever make something larger than these pumpkins using the stitch.

They are available on my Etsy shop now.  

I also have other pumpkins available that were made with a simpler stitch but are just as equally cute.

One great thing about these pumpkins is that they will last all season year after year!

And that’s about it when it comes to my yarn projects. I have some ideas for a few other things I would like to make but I haven’t gotten to them yet. Hopefully soon!

Yarn WIPs & Yarn Stashes

I’ve seen quite a few jokes about crocheters/knitters and their WIPs (works in progress) and yarn stashes.  I used to be guilty of both of those things. As for the latter, I’m sure my stash wasn’t (and isn’t) as big as others, but I did have a lot of scrap balls – yarn that isn’t enough to do anything with but enough to wind into a ball. And then there was yarn that I didn’t like working with or couldn’t for the life of me remember why I ever bought it. I didn’t want to get rid of any of it because I thought the perfect project would come along for it. Ultimately, I got into a purging mood (I get those from time to time when things begin to feel and look too cluttered) and I realized that holding onto these yarns that served no purpose was hindering me from seeing and organizing the yarn I did want to keep. I can now easily close the two extra-large bins I keep my yarn in and have room to buy more yarn that hopefully won’t become a victim of one of my purges.

As for WIPs, I’ve always been pretty good about working on one project at a time (except maybe around the holidays), but there have been quite a few times where I just didn’t like the project I was working on. It could have been because the yarn wasn’t easy to work with (too thin, unraveling, etc.…) or the pattern itself wasn’t one that I liked. I used to muddle through for longer than I should and would finally throw in the towel after being thoroughly frustrated by the project. I used to feel guilty about it but recently when I gave up on a project using a yarn that I had wanted to try for a while but ended up not working up the way I thought it would I realized that there was nothing to feel guilty or bad about. That hobbies aren’t supposed to annoy and frustrate us – challenge us yes, but those things aren’t the same. You should feel happy about the item you’re creating when working on your given hobby, but, if that feeling turns negative it’s time to reevaluate and realize it’s okay to let it go and move on to the next thing. We’re taught that we shouldn’t give up on things but sometimes we must do that in order to learn something new and find joy in what we’re doing. Whether I’m making jewelry, cards, decorating a cake, crocheting or knitting I like to take a few moments while doing so to appreciate what I am making. And if I am feeling frustrated by it that’s not going to happen.

As I mentioned I recently gave up on a project I was working on because the yarn was just not working for me. It was a simple scarf, and I was following a pattern I had used before. I must have started the scarf 3 or 4 times each time casting on a different number of stitches in hopes that the scarf would start to look like what I had envisioned in my head. It never happened. So instead of giving it another go I decided to scrap it. I thought about saving the yarn, but it had annoyed me so much I ended up tossing it. Thankfully it wasn’t expensive. I tend to stick with yarns that I can purchase at my local craft stores so they are all affordable (especially when they are on sale, or I can use a coupon!). Hence me not being that upset about my yarn purge! I still had the itch to knit something, so I headed to a local craft store, and I found a different yarn that I had wanted to try was on sale. O’Go yarn! It’s been around for a few years, but it wasn’t until recently that this particular craft store started carrying more colors and varieties of it. What’s special about this yarn is that instead of it being wound into the typical ball/skein it’s shaped like an “O” and has a plastic string through it. When you open it, you just snip the fastener of the plastic, pull the yarn and start working. It’s a yarn that is tangle-free and provides a quick start. It you have ever had to stop mid project to work out a tangle or knot in your yarn you will greatly appreciate this yarn. It also eliminates the need to wind your yarn into a ball prior to working with it. I ended up picking up a few colors of the O’Go yarn since the sale was too good to pass up. I’ve been wanting to make an infinity scarf in a cream color (thanks to a blue coat I bought back in the Fall) and as luck would have it, I was able to get that color. I am still working on that scarf and probably won’t get to use it until next winter, but I did finish an infinity scarf in different shades of purple for a dear friend. When I am working on something for myself, I tend to drag it on for a bit since I know there’s no real rush in getting it done. Once I am finally done with my scarf, I will probably start working on some Fall projects, specifically Bobble Stitch Pumpkins. I’ve learned (the hard way) that it’s never too early to work on something for the following season.

Granny Square Cardigan

While I’ve been crocheting for over 10 years it wasn’t until recently that I learned how to make a granny square. A little backwards since learning how to make a granny square is usually one of the first things you learn to make when you start crocheting. When you are pretty much self-taught though you learn things as you go and as you need. So, why did I finally learn? Well, I was asked if I could make a granny square cardigan and since I am always up for a challenge and I like to learn new things I said yes.

First though I had to learn how to make a granny square. Once I found a pattern that was simple enough to follow I used some extra yarn from my stash to test it out a few times to make sure I had the hang of it.

Next, I had to finalize the colors. The person who I was making it for had a color scheme in mind from a cardigan they already saw. They were looking for pastel colors so after going back and forth with different options she decided on the colors below.

Now, the fun part. I started making the granny squares. I made a few and sent her a picture to make sure she liked the colors once they were all put together.

Once I got the greenlight that those looked good I went ahead and continued to crochet more. Truth be told I didn’t have an exact pattern to follow for how many squares I needed. I looked at various patterns and pictures to get an idea. I knew that I had to make the equivalent to a size medium. From doing my research I initially went with making 30 squares and I placed them in the layout below. I had a feeling that it wasn’t completely right but I decided to move on to another part of the cardigan… the sleeves.

Normally with granny square cardigans the sleeves are made using granny squares as well, but, the person I was making it for requested the sleeves to be solid white and they didn’t want them to be granny squares. So, more research. I knew that when it came to making sleeves they needed to be tapered to accommodate a wider upper arm to a narrower wrist. But, I didn’t want to just wing it and start crocheting. I was able find a sweater pattern that had the sleeves broken down exactly as I needed them. The width on top was perfect to be placed in the center of two specific granny squares. I also went ahead and crocheted two additional squares and placed them in the empty spaces I had.

I started seaming together the squares for the back of the cardigan but I still had my doubts about the layout. It just didn’t seem like it was going to fit correctly.

I ended up crocheting four more granny squares and added an additional row to the back of the cardigan so it would sit better. I then finished seaming all the other squares together and then attached the arms and seamed them together. I tried it on and it fit perfectly.

And finally, I crocheted a border around the entire cardigan to give it a more finished look.

I am happy to say that the person I made this for was very happy with it. I may make one for myself one of these days!

Crocheted Pumpkins

Come every September I want to learn how to make crocheted / knitted pumpkins. They start popping up on my Instagram feed and I think to myself “I want to make those.” But then it never happens. I look at patterns and they just seem way too complicated or I just lose track of time and I get into Christmas mode instead. This year I was determined though.

I initially found one pattern that I thought was going to be a winner. I am not sure if I did something wrong or maybe it was the yarn I used, but, when it came time to sew what I had crocheted into the pumpkin it was a fail. I had crocheted something that sort of resembled a piece of hard candy in a wrapper. Think, wide in the middle and then tapering off on both ends. I followed the pattern and sewed it together but when it came time to stuff it with the fiber fill there was no way to make that thing look like a pumpkin! I wasn’t throwing in the towel just yet though.

I read over some other patterns and watched a video or two and figured out the best way was to crochet a rectangle and then form that into a pumpkin.

What’s great about this pattern is that gauge doesn’t matter and you don’t have to count rows. I am going to show you a nifty way to know when you have crocheted enough rows. As for the crochet hook size you should use, I would go with the size that is suggested for the yarn you decide to use. That’s what I have been doing. Just realize depending on the yarn weight you use that will determine the size of your pumpkin. You could start with the same length of your foundation chain with a chunky yarn and medium weight yarn and end up with two pumpkins that are completely different sizes.

Start by crocheting your foundation chain. Since the yarn I was using was a medium weight and I wanted a decent size pumpkin I started with a foundation chain of 25. I left a long tail since the tail is used to seam the rectangle together.

For the first row, starting with the second chain from your hook, single crochet in the back loops of each chain across the row.

For the second row and each subsequent row, ch1 and single crochet into each back loop across the row.

And, as I mentioned, there is no need to count your rows as you go. To determine if you have crocheted enough rows simply do this…

Lay your rectangle flat…

With your working row on the right, fold by bringing the top left corner of your work down to the bottom of your work to form a triangle.

Next, fold the triangle piece to the right. Once the bottom corners of the two ends meet you have crocheted enough rows. At this point you can end your row, but, be sure to leave a long tail as this tail will be used to seam the pumpkin. This tail should be longer than the tail you have from your foundation row.

Now that you have your rectangle it’s time to make your pumpkin. Fold the rectangle in half with the short ends meeting, and thread a needle on the tail from your foundation chain. Or, the shorter of the two tails. And just seam up the two sides. Make sure as you are seaming the edges that they are meeting up at the corner you are working towards. Once you are done, weave the tail through the work and end it. Since you want to hide this seam, you want to turn your project inside out for the finishing steps.

Thread your needle on the other tail and you are going to weave the yarn near the top edge to essentially create a drawstring to cinch the opening. Once you have weaved the yarn around the entire edge pull the yarn tight to close the hole. You will still have a slight opening. To close it you are just going to stitch the yarn from one side to the other to make sure the hole is completely closed. Do not end the tail.

With one end stitched closed you can now fill the pumpkin with fiber fill. Stuff it with a good amount so your finished pumpkin is firm and full. Pass your needle with the working tail through the center of the pumpkin and through the fiber fill.

Stitch the top of the pumpkin in the same manner as you did the bottom to close it.

You can leave your pumpkin like this, or, to give it a more “smooshed” look you can stitch the working tail through the center from the top of the pumpkin to the bottom a few times, ending with the bottom and then weave the tail through a few stitches on the bottom and end it.

Finally, your pumpkin needs a stem. You can either use decorative stick, that you can pick up at your local craft store, or a cinnamon stick. Just stick it in place with a small dab of hot glue.

And there you have it, a simple handmade pumpkin.

I had so much fun making these that I ended up making some to list in my Etsy shop.

Crocheted Heart Table Runner & Garland

I normally don’t decorate for Valentine’s Day. The most I do is hang a tinsel heart wreath on my front door. This year though, possibly from spending so much time at home I decided to do a little more than just hang a wreath.

Initially I was just planning on making a crocheted heart garland. I started crocheting hearts in different colors reminiscent of the Conversation Hearts candy using Lily Sugar ‘n Cream yarn. Then I had the hearts I had completed on my coffee table in my living room and the idea came to me to make a table runner.

So, after measuring out another table runner I used on the table over the holidays I determined that I would need 60 crocheted hearts, 4 rows of 15 hearts (or 15 columns of 4 hearts.) Once I had them all crocheted it was time to settle on a pattern.

I ended up crocheting more of the lighter and darker pink hearts since I knew those colors were going to be the ones that would tie the table runner together. I went back and forth about what to do with the other colors but decided on placing them haphazardly. Doing my best to spread them out evenly. This is the pattern that I ultimately settled on.

And then the not-so-fun part… stitching the hearts together. I began by stitching the rows of 4 hearts together. Once I had finished stitching them, I laid the 15 4-heart columns out on my table and it became apparent immediately that I was going to need another row.

I crocheted 15 more hearts, thankfully they work up quickly, and placed them so I could stitch them onto the hearts I had previously stitched together. And instantly I could see that that additional row made my table runner the perfect width.

Next, I needed to stitch together all of the columns.

And finally, it was done. The finished size with the 75 hearts is 12.5” x 47”. This is the type of project though that you can completely customize to make it the size you need.

Also, this project is a great stash buster. While I used 7 different shades of Lily Sugar ‘n Cream yarn you could easily use any leftover yarn in your stash that has a similar weight (Medium/4) and use less or more colors depending on what you have on hand.

And I didn’t forget about that garland I wanted to make. To make the garland I crocheted 9 large hearts in Pretty in Pink and 8 smaller hearts in Rose Pink. Then using a long piece of yarn, I strung the hearts together. It ended up being just shy of 4 feet long. Just like the table runner though, you can adjust the length to fit your needs.

And there was one other thing I did to get my house into the Valentine’s Day spirit… I really didn’t feel like taking down my Christmas Tree, not because I was being lazy or anything, I just like how my tree looks, but, I didn’t want to leave the Christmas ornaments on it so I decided to make it into a Valentine’s Day Tree.

 

Crocheted Heart Table Runner & Garland

Lily Sugar ‘n Cream yarn in the following colors:

Sage Green – 2.5 oz ball

Tangerine – 2.5 oz. ball

Hot Purple – 2.5 oz. ball

Black Currant – 2.5 oz. ball

Teal – 2.5 oz. ball

Rose Pink – 4oz. ball (Super-Size Ball)

Pretty in Pink – 4oz. ball (Super-Size Ball)

 

Crochet Hook Size H-8 / 5mm

 

For the Table Runner I made 75 Larger sized hearts in the following breakdown:

24 Rose Pink, 14 Pretty in Pink, 8 Teal, 8 Tangerine, 7 Sage Green, 7 Hot Purple, 7 Black Currant

 

For the Garland I made 9 Larger hearts and 8 smaller hearts in the following breakdown:

9 Pretty in Pink, 8 Rose Pink

 

To make the smaller heart (1.5 inches long) only crochet Round 1, for the larger heart (2.5 inches long) crochet Round 1 & 2.

Magic Ring, Ch2

Round 1: Into the Magic Ring, 3 Treble Crochets, 4 Double Crochets, Treble Crochet, 4 Double Crochets, 3 Treble Crochet. Pull String, Ch2 and Slip Stitch into center. Pull string tight to close hole.

Round 2: Single Crochet in the side of starting Ch2. 2 half-double crochets in next stitch, 3 double crochets in next stitch, 2 double crochets in next stitch, Double Crochet in the next 4 stitches, 3 double crochets in next stitch, double crochets in next 4 stitches, 2 double crochets in next stitch, 3 double crochets in next stitch, 2 half-double crochets in next stitch. Single crochet and slip stitch in the side of last ch2 space.

 

To assemble the Table Runner:

Lay the hearts out in the pattern you wish and then stitch the hearts in the columns together first and then stitch all of the columns together

 

To assemble the Garland:

String the hearts, using a long piece of yarn, alternating between a large heart and a smaller heart, starting and ending with a larger heart. Tie a knot, or loop, on both ends of the yarn so the hearts will stay in place.

Knitted Tube Socks

Before the pandemic started and everything shut down, I was taking crocheting/knitting classes at my local library to learn new patterns and get together with other yarn crafters. Before the pandemic ended the classes I learned how to make crocheted market bags and had just started a class to make a Knitted Keyhole Scarf. What I was excited about though was that I was finally going to learn how to knit socks. It’s something I have been wanting to learn for a while but whenever I read the patterns, they made absolutely no sense to me. I had unfortunately missed the class to learn how to make socks, but the teacher was willing to show me during one of the classes and gave me a pretty easy pattern to follow. A tube sock pattern that didn’t require me to knit a heel, which apparently is the hardest part of making socks. So, I bought the knitting needles I would need (size 3 9-inch circular) and already had the yarn and then classes ended, but I was still determined to learn how to make them.

Thanks to YouTube, I was able to figure out how to start the socks. Using the short-cabled knitting needles I casted on 64 stitches and then divided those stitches among three double-pointed knitting needles. I then worked in a K2, P2 ribbed pattern for five inches to make the cuff of the socks.

Next, it was time to work on the body of the sock. And it couldn’t have been easier, I knit every row until the sock measured 13 inches from the beginning.

To finish the sock, I had to shape the toe. The directions on the pattern I had weren’t that easy to follow, but after a few Google searches I was able to find a toe shaping pattern that would work for the tube sock I made and was easy enough for me to follow.

And once I finished, I had a cozy tube sock that will be perfect for the upcoming cold weather. And since I had worked out some of the kinks in the first sock, my second sock was a lot easier to work up.

My new pair of socks…

Knitted Tube Socks

Materials:

100 grams / 3.75 oz Sock Yarn*

Set of 4 US 3 Double Pointed Knitting Needles

Size 3 9-inch circular needles

*I used Patons Kroy Socks Yarn

 

Directions:

Using the circular needles cast on 64 stitches loosely.

Divide the stitches among three double-pointed needles: 24 stitches on the first needle, 24 on the second needle and 16 on the third needle. Join in round.

Using the 4th needle begin working in K2,P2 rib. Work the ribbing for 5 inches. You can make the ribbing shorter or longer based on your preference.

Knit every round until the sock measures 13 inches from the beginning.

Shape the toe as follows:

Round 1: K6, K2 Tog

Round 2-4: Knit 3 rows

Round 5: K5, K2 Tog

Round 6-8: Knit 3 rows

Round 9: K4, K2 Tog

Round 10-12: Knit 3 rows

Round 13: K3, K2 Tog

Round 14-16: Knit 3 rows

Round 17: K2, K2 Tog

Round 18-19: Knit 2 rows

Round 20: K1, K2 Tog

Round 21: Knit 1 row

Draw the yarn through the remaining stitches and fasten to secure. Weave in ends.

Wash and block to shape.