Doggie Dentures Skinny Scarf

This faux-houndstooth (doggie dentures - get it??) -guitar-strap inspired scarf is a super-quick gift that can be worked up in a couple of hours and is appropriate for anyone on your list because YOU choose the colors and how many rows you do depending on the recipient.

I left it skinny because I was feeling all hipster-like, but you could do a few extra rows if you like.

Materials:

Really, any yarn will do - just increase or decrease your hook depending on the weight. For these examples, I used 1 ball each of:

Stitch Nation Bamboo Ewe and Red Heart Bamboo Wool for the purple and pink one.

I used Paton's wool for the Neon/Gray.

Hook Size: H (5mm)

Notions: I think everyone needs a friend named Nigel and you might need a yarn needle for weaving in the ends.

Ready to get your scarf on?

With Color A -

CH 301.

Color A

Row 1 - sc in 1st ch. *Sk 1 ch. Sc, ch 1 in the next ch. * Repeat *-* until you sc in the last chain.

Row 2 - Sc in First sc, *sc, ch1 in the last row's ch1 space*, Repeat *-* until sc in last stitch, join Color B at the end of the row.

Row 3-4 - Repeat Row 2 with color B, return to Color A at the end of Row 4.

Now just keep repeating Row 2 until your scarf is wide enough for your tastes.

Fasten off, and weave in your ends. You may choose to tassle or not to tassle and leave it squared off at the end. It's entirely up to you. If you want to really make it look like a guitar strap, I'll be publishing directions for that in the next few days along with photos of some other yarn-weight and color choice examples.

Good luck!

I keep meaning to update this blog but life keeps getting in the way and just because I haven't been blogging doesn't mean that I'm not stitching and learning, learning and stitching. Here are some updates:

Things I've Learned:

You can make a garment and dye it, rather than bending a yarn to your will. Like so:

I was a little disappointed in the red blobs everywhere, but this is a learning process, right? Learn from the red blobs and move on. With this jacket, I also learned how to lay in a zipper.


It's okay to make things you wouldn't necessarily wear just for the practice because you may end up liking them enough to wear them:

oooooohhhh....stripey.....


And I can probably get away with this at work. This was actually entered for judging at the Allentown Fair last weekend along with the toilet paper cozy, a baby set, a sushi pillow, a shawl, and some other things I can't remember right now.

Other fun stuff:

You can soak a doily with dye or this cool Bingo dotter-style stuff called Tee Juice and print it onto a T-shirt by rolling a soda bottle across it. My only recommendation on that one is to use a dollar store doily rather than spending a couple of days making one just to ruin it on purpose. For a twist, lay a funky stencil over the t-shirt or layout a couple of random words in art tape before you lay the down the doily. You'll have a neat image in the doily that might not be readily visible unless someone looks really close. (Photos to come.)

Next time: The Frankensweater!

(Piecing a new design from patterns you've mastered to make something awesome.)

Yeah, I was THAT kid.

You know the one.  Weird shirts.  Boy's shoes.  Riding a bike without a left pedal.   The one who could be counted on to be the only one being yelled by the teacher for disrupting the class.  I was probably walking backwards in line or something.  

I gloss over all that strange, annoying behavior by telling myself I was a rebel.  Not following directions was my 8- year -old way of lashing out at the establishment.  Yeah, right.  

Crochet lets you be a rebel but over the last 30 years I've learned that there is a time and place to rebel.  And there's a time to follow the directions.  This is one of those times. 

I had attempted this sweater before, not minding the warning not to use acrylic.  Not paying as close attention to the pattern as I should have...and as expected it was a big. giant. disaster. 

So, I had enough of a really great yarn to try it again.  I also had something to prove.  

Why thanks, Captain Obvious.

Crocheters - at least the ones that I know – are an intrepid band who follow their own muses.  Sometimes, this results in something that is -as we said growing up in Maine -  “wicked cool” and sometimes you end up with something that should never, ever have been made.  Here’s hoping that this one doesn’t end up in the latter category. 

Firstly, the decision to make a toilet paper “cozy” came from a discussion with my boyfriend about needing to stash a roll in the bathroom somewhere but frankly, the old “doll with a toilet paper cover for a dress” thing never really appealed to me.  (Between you and me I think going under a doll’s skirt to get something “hidden” is kind of creepy.) 

Further, I think that the need to “hide” a roll of toilet paper seems unnecessarily…what’s the word…discreet?  Modest?   Whichever word you want to use I think we all have an understanding that toilet paper is a fundamental necessity. Nevertheless, to prevent the need for house guests to have to shout their toilet paper needs down the hallway – I give you this:

 

The “Toilet Paper “Toilet Paper Cozy – or “T.P. Tee-Pee”

Pattern Notes: I use the double rolls as a rule, so that’s what I used in creating this pattern. Feel free to size to a larger or smaller roll by adjusting the amount of beginning rounds for width and last rounds for height.

 Materials:  One roll of toilet paper for sizing purposes, Less than 1 skein of worsted weight yarn in white (the cheaper and stiffer the better, kids) and a small amount of tan, brown, or putty colored worsted weight yarn.  

Hook: 4.0 (G) 

Notions: A little nonsense now and then is cherished by the wisest men, and you will cherish your yarn needle for weaving ends in.

Start with your tan/brown thread and switch to white when your rounds are large enough to be about the size of the tube.  For me, it was at about round 4. 

Ch 2.

Round 1 – 6 sc in 2^nd ch from the hook. Do not join.

Round 2 – 2 Sc in each sc.  Join, and Ch 1

Round 3 – 1 sc in the first sc, 2 sc in the next sc. Repeat until you come to the end. Join, ch 1

Round 4 – 1 sc in each of the 1^st 2 sc’s, 2 sc’s in the next Repeat until you come to the end, join ch1

Round 5 – 1 sc in each of the 1^st 3 sc’s, 2 sc in the next. Repeat until you come to the end, ch1

Round 6 – 1 sc in each of the 1^st 4 sc’s, 2 sc’s in the next. Repeat until you come to the end, ch 1.

Round 7 - 1 sc in each of the 1^st 5 sc’s, 2 sc’s in the next. Repeat until you come to the end, ch 1.

Round 8 - 1 sc in each of the 1^st 6 sc’s, 2 sc’s in the next. Repeat until you come to the end, ch 1.

Round 9 - 1 sc in each of the 1^st 7 sc’s, 2 sc’s in the next. Repeat until you come to the end, ch 1.

Round 10 - 1 sc in each of the 1^st 8 sc’s, 2 sc’s in the next. Repeat until you come to the end, ch 1.

Round 11 - In the back loop only, work evenly (1 sc per each stitch)

Row 12 – End  Work evenly (1 sc per each stitch) until the tube is as long as the toilet paper roll, then do one more. You can join as above, but I chose to just work in a spiral until it was long enough.

 

Take your work so that your tube is held horizontally and the open end is to the right.  Now, it’s time to squeeze the Charmin. 

This will reveal a ridge of stitches at the top of your work.  Insert your hook in the closest one to the tube opening and use it to make a sc.  Repeat from the open end to the closed end (Row 11- where you worked in the back loop, remember?) 

 Ch1, then turn.

Using the row of sc you just made, make three more rows of sc, ending back at the open end.

 You’re done! 

Weave in your ends, insert your toilet paper roll and put it in the throne room! 

Goonies never say "Die."

I am a child of the 80’s through and through, which means that I have been around long enough to see leg-warmers, oversize sweatshirts, and jelly shoes come back around.  I remember being excited about them at the time but  seriously, those fads should have been put down like a zombie when MTV was still worth watching.

 

Here’s my tribute to what was good about the 80’s – The Movies, and The Goonies among them.

 

The “Truffle Shuffle”  Skully –

 

If you don’t remember (or never knew) what the truffle shuffle is…go here.

 

Otherwise, grab your hook.   This is our time. 

 

Props:  This pattern was inspired by this one with a few tweaks to make it easier. (If that’s possible.)

 

Pattern Notes:

 

My son has a pretty big head, so this should fit an average guy.   If your guy is above average, adjust the length of your chain accordingly.  This pattern would also work with chunky yarn (Class 5) or double stranded worsted.  Just make more rows! 

 

Materials:

 

One skein of “super chunky”  (Class 6) yarn.  For this hat, I used "Hometown America", purchased at AC Moore for less than $5.   Size N hook.  Yarn needle with an oversized eye or you may be able to use a smaller crochet hook for weaving your ends in.

 

Ch19.

 

Row 1 – HDC in 3^rd chain from hook, and continue 1 hdc in each chain to the end.  Ch 2, turn.

Row 2 – WORK IN BACK LOOPS ONLY, hdc in each stitch to the end.  Ch 2, turn

 

For the remainder of the hat, repeat Row 2 until there are enough rows to fit around the recipient’s head with just a little stretching – not too much.   Fasten off, leaving yourself a long tail. - About 18” should do it.

 

Using your yarn needle and the tail you left yourself: sew the first row and the last row together so you have a tube.   Then, sew the closest end of the tube together by moving in and out of the stitches so the ends gather evenly toward the center like a drawstring bag.  Fasten off.

 

Weave your ends in.  Turn it right side out.  Voila! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What do you want to do with your life!!??

A Yarn Review and A Pattern.

In many ways, I feel like crocheters have to be like high school guidance counselors with a new crop of freshmen when it comes to independently produced yarns.  Sometimes, they're forthcoming and straightforward but with others, you may have to try several different hooks and techniques before a yarn will tell you what it wants to be. 

Knit Picks Suri Dream has a thin nylon base with a plus-size halo of Alpaca/Peruvian Wool.  At first glance, you would think that a yarn this special would need something complex to showcase it, but in reality it's the opposite.  

After a few turns I discovered that this one speaks for itself.  It says "Hello, my name is  Suri Dream  and I will allow a very simple stitch to dance like a prom queen in a warm and soft, yet light and lofty kind of way."  So that's what I did.  With a simple V stitch, I was able to get a nice, long length out of two balls and a 6.00 hook and it isn't weighty at all. 

Hookers, I give you the "I Wanna Rock" scarf.

Materials - Two balls of Knit Picks Suri Dream in the colorway of your choice. (The ball band says it's a Super Bulky, but I don't buy it, btw. ) 

Hook:  J (6:00)

Notions:  Carrots and peanut butter are two great tastes that go great together.  Oh, and you might need a yarn needle.  

Ch 18.

Row 1:  DC in the second chain from the hook.  *Skip 1  stitch and V stitch in the next.* Repeat * thru* and dc in the last stitch. 

Row 2 - Chain 2. DC in the first dc, V stitch in each V stitch. DC in the last stitch.

Row 3 through whatever - Repeat Row 2 until you run out of yarn, or leave yourself enough yarn to make a fringe if you want. I'm not a fringe sort of girl, so I didn't bother. 

Fasten off and weave in your ends.  Put a fringe on if you're so inclined. 

 

Hooking for a Cause

On Christmas Eve, we went to services at a church about a block from the house.  While we were there I noticed that they were collecting yarn and finished projects for hats and scarves to deliver to the Women's Shelter in Coatesville.   

These are my contribution to their cause.  

Materials: Bernat Softee Chunky.  Scarf patterns:  Keyhole scarf  Cowl  I'm sorry to say that I can't help you with the hat patterns.  I pretty much pulled those out of my ahem.... brain.  

Two Blue for Baby Who?

These sets are coincidentally for the same head that will sport the Jayne hat.   The second set (blue and tan) was made as an afterthought to the blue set and both were done using this super simple pattern.

To make it a little more masculine, I did not make the collar as indicated in the pattern.  

This pattern is super, super fast and easy to modify.  You should try it!

Materials:  Small Dark Blue Set - Unidentified blue 100% acrylic

                     Light Blue and Brown Set - Sugar & Cream 100% Cotton

"Something Dignified" Scarf

I have a hard time getting a friend of ours to wear anything except old t-shirts, jeans, hooded sweatshirts and a nasty, old beat-up ball cap.   In my quest to provide him with something warm for the winter, I came up with “something dignified” should he choose to dress it up a little bit but would be more likely to be used because it matches the beat-up ball cap. 

I have yet to see him without it this winter.  

Materials:

Two skeins of Caron Simply Soft Black, One skein of Caron Simply Soft Burgundy.Feel free to use your own yarns and adjust the stitch count and hook size to your liking.

Hook: 5.0

Notions:  You can wear white after Labor Day and you may need a yarn needle for this project. 

 

Foundation Row:  Very loosely, CH 301.  (Very loosely to avoid the “rainbow effect” that sometimes happens with longer pieces.)

Row 1 -  Sc in 2^nd ch from hook and in all remaining chains.  Ch2,  Turn.

Row 2 – Dc in each sc across.  Ch 2, Turn.

Row 3 – Dc in each dc across, Ch2, turn

Row 4 -  Dc in each dc across, Ch2, turn

Row 5 – DC in each DC across, switch to Color B, Ch2, turn.

Row 6 – DC in each dc across, Ch 2, turn

Row 7 – DC in 1^st dc, Ch1, Sk 1 dc, dc in next dc.  dc, ch1, sk1, dc until the end, CH2, turn

Row 8 – Dc in each dc and each Ch1 space across.  Return to Color A, Ch2, Turn

Row 9 – Repeat Row 3

Row 10 – Repeat Row 4

Row 11 – Repeat Row 5

Row 12 – Repeat Row 2

Row 13 – Slip stitch in each sc across. 

Finishing: Weave in ends and add fringe if you wish.

You may also wish to continue these rows several more times to make a throw.  Let me know how it works out!

 

 

 

A baby crawls down the street in that hat; people know he’s not afraid of anything...

Cunning Crochet Baby Jayne Hat –

for the next generation of browncoats.

 

Materials: Less than a skein each of your favorite sport-weight yarns in yellow, red, and orange.

Hook: F (4.0)

Notions:  I'm thinking you might need a yarn needle and a pom-pom maker (or you can consult any one of the many pom-pom tutorials online.) 

Ch 4, join with a slip stitch to form a circle.

Round 1 – Ch 3, make 6 dc in circle. Join.

Round 2 – Ch 3, make 2 dc in each dc, Join.

Round 3 – Ch 3, make 2 dc in each dc. Join.

Round 4 – Ch 3, make 1 dc in the first dc, then two dc in the next. Repeat to the end. Join.

Round 5 – Ch 3, make 1 dc in the first 2 dc, then 2 dc in the next. Repeat to the end.  Join.

Round 6 – Ch 3, make 1 dc in each dc around.

Round 7 – Repeat Round 6.

Round 8 – Repeat Round 6.

Round 9 – Fasten off yellow, join orange.  Repeat Round 6.

Rounds 10-12 – Repeat round 6.  Fasten Off.

 

Ear Flaps: 

Leaving a 6 inch tail, Skip the first 5 stitches after the seam and join red in the 6^th.  

Row 1 - Ch 3, make 1 dc in each of the next 8 stitches. Turn.

Row 2 – 4 – Repeat Row 1

Row 5 – Ch 3, 2 dctog in first and last two stitches.

Row 6 – 8 – Repeat Row 5.  You should be losing a couple of stitches on each row so the flap comes to a point.

Fasten off. 

Repeat the above on the other side of the seam (You should have 10 unworked orange stitches between the two flaps.)

 

Make a pom-pom using a small amount of each of the three colors. 

Finishing: 

Weave the tail of your red joining thread down the earflap and tie it off with the earflap end. Do not weave in.  Leave them dangling.

 Weave in any yellow or orange ends that might be loafing about the place.

Attach pom-pom to top of cap.

Let me know if you have any questions!