Happy Halloweeeeen!

Heidi Yates of Snappy Tots has generously shared the pattern of her Frankenlight design for free on her blog. Go check it out! Her pattern makes a decorative cozy that fits over a pint- or quart-size canning jar and results in a super-cool decoration to add to your Halloween display.

I crochet a lot tighter than Heidi does, so I had to go up a few hook sizes to get a Franken-cozy size that would fit over a quart-size canning jar. 😊 But it worked out fine for me to follow the rest of the pattern as written (same stitch counts and row counts).

I love the technique Heidi uses to make Frankie's hair; it's much faster and easier than bobble stitch (in my opinion) and gives terrific texture. I used 9mm ball buttons for Frankie's freaky pupils, and I used this waterproof solar LED light string/lid/hanger for the top of the jar.

I think Frankenstein is the OG zombie, so I love this idea to make him into a hanging solar luminary as part of my Halloween holiday decor. (I've always preferred The Munsters to The Addams Family, bah-ha-ha.)

This turned out so cute that I had to make a few more of these in other characters to add to my Halloween display.

Next up I made this jack-o-lantern based on the same concept of Heidi's pattern. After completing the bottom rounds I worked the sides in a standard granny stitch for 11 rounds, then switched to the green and the smaller hook for the top edging. I added a curly green vine and the traditional black "cutouts" for the eyes and mouth, with some embroidered "teeth."

Finally, I based this ghost luminary on the same concept of Heidi's pattern. After completing the bottom rounds I worked the sides in a standard DC-ch 1 mesh for 11 rounds, plus a couple of rounds of SC for the top edging.

I deviated from Heidi's pattern for the base on all my Halloween luminaries, because I wanted the crochet to be open to allow light to shine through the bottom when these are hanging up. On this white one, I like the way the base of my ghost cozy resembles a spider's web. Maybe I could make another one of these in white and trim it with a plastic spider?!

For the ghost face and arms, I turned to the Emojipedia's Ghost Emoji page for inspiration, thinking it would be cute if I could make my ghost resemble the emoji.

Basic Pint Jar Cozy free pattern

I sometimes like to have cold overnight oatmeal in a pint jar for breakfast, but my hand gets so cold holding the jar while I’m eating. I needed a quick, basic jar cozy to insulate my hand from the cold, so I whipped up this design before breakfast this morning. The lavender yarn is even color-coordinated with the blueberries in my oatmeal. 😍

This quick, basic cozy will fit most pint-size canning jars but can also be easily adjusted to fit other jar sizes. Just try the cozy on your jar as you crochet and adjust the stitch and row count for a custom fit.

Row 1: In magic ring, ch 2 (ch 2 doesn’t count as a stitch throughout), DC 10. Sl to top of 1st DC to join. (10 DC)

Row 2: Ch 2, 2 DC in each DC around. Sl to top of 1st DC to join. (20 DC)

Row 3: Ch 2, 2 DC in 1st st, 1 DC in next st. Work 2 DC in next st followed by 1 DC in the st after that around. Sl to top of 1st DC to join. (30 DC)

Row 4: Ch 2, DC in each st around. Sl to top of 1st DC to join. (30 DC)

Repeat row 4 four more times. You can customize the height of your cozy to fit the jar the way you want it to. Just try the cozy on your jar as you complete each round until you like the way it looks. For my jar, a total of 8 rounds of DC looked best, followed by two finishing rounds, as follows:

Finishing row 1: Ch 1. HDC in each st around. Sl to top of 1st HDC to join. (30 HDC)

Finishing row 2: Ch 1. SC in third loop of each HDC from previous round. Sl to top of 1st SC to join. (30 SC)

Break yarn, weave in ends, and enjoy your cold breakfast in a jar without freezing your hands! 🥄

Here’s my recipe for easy (keto-ish) overnight blueberry oatmeal:

3/4 cup Greek yogurt (I use whole 5% fat)
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup steel-cut oats (I use Bob’s Red Mill Irish style)
1 tablespoon agave liquid sweetener (or whatever liquid sweetener you prefer, to taste)
Frozen whole blueberries, approximately 3/4 cup

Place all ingredients except blueberries in a pint jar and stir until well combined. Add frozen blueberries to fill remaining space in jar and stir carefully until blueberries are incorporated. (The berries will thaw in the jar overnight.) Cap jar and place in refrigerator overnight (for at least 8 hours). The next morning, remove jar from refrigerator, slip on your newly made crochet jar cozy (this step is VERY important!! LOL), and enjoy a healthy breakfast.