Tag: Fiber Artist

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

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!

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.