Making the It's Shawl Good cardigan

Back in 2018, I had four skeins of this beautiful Lion Brand Amazing yarn in the Violets colorway and tried to use them to make the It's Shawl Good Cardigan by Ashlea Konecny of Heart Hook Home. But these four small skeins just weren't enough to get very far on the project, and the colorway had apparently been discontinued. I tried looking to buy more skeins online, but they were mostly being offered for resale at around $25 each, which was WAY more than the retail price I paid for the ones I had, and I really had no intention of spending upwards of $300 just to acquire enough additional skeins that I would need to finish this shawligan project.

So the project languished in my WIP basket for several years. But that yarn was simply too lovely to just sit around like that, so I finally decided to frog the shawligan project and reuse the yarn in this machine-knit pocket scarf.

After doing that, I decided to start again to crochet the It's Shawl Good Cardigan using a different yarn and a larger hook: Big Twist Solids in the Taupe colorway and a 6.5mm hook.

Ashley and I seem to have a similar design aesthetic, so I really enjoy her patterns and the concepts she invents. 

I finished my It's Shawl Good cardigan by adding the pockets from the Lazy Diamond Boho Pocket Shawl. The pockets are about 10 inches square, so they're nice and roomy for keeping hands warm.

Taking the cake

I wanted a crocheted carrier for transporting cakes inside my cake-taker, so I whipped this up using some cotton yarn scraps. 

Didn't use a pattern, but the stitch I used for the base resembles the boho stitch used in the It's Shawl Good Cardigan paid pattern by Ashlea Konecny. The sides/handles are made with a traditional chain-loop/SC mesh.

Winter in the South - new free pattern

Hello, everyone! I just published a new free pattern at Ravelry for my Winter in the South hat, so click on this link to head on over to Ravelry and download your free copy. I sincerely hope you enjoy this comfy, wearable design, and if you're inclined to give it a heart or make a project page where we can all see the lovely hat you made, that would just make my day. 😊

 Winter in the South is a top-down, seamless, slouchy ponytail/messy bun beanie made in an airy double-crochet mesh that’s perfect for winter conditions that are chilly but less-than frigid. I used Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn for the sample in the photos, but most any worsted/aran weight size 4 yarn should be suitable. My sample hat used slightly less than half of the skein of ILTY.

This is a copyrighted, free crochet pattern offered by Yarncraft by Susan in adult/one size only. Written with standard U.S. crochet terms.

Boho Summer Cotton Swingy Shawlivest

I like the look of the four-row repeated stitch pattern of the Boho Summer Cardigan (there is a free version of the pattern on YouTube), which got me wondering whether I could use that stitch pattern in the shape of a Swingy Shawlivest. 

I'm making this one with cotton yarn for wear during the warm summer months. This was an experiment in melding two different patterns, and you can see by the way the center increase veers off at an angle (rather than staying centered) that it didn't turn out totally perfect, but it's still completely wearable and comfortable and will be fine for me. If I wanted to do this again to give to someone else, I'd have to recalculate how to keep the center increase in the center. 😉

Decided to finish this one with crocheted rope-twist fringe along the bottom to complement the boho style. There are many tutorials on YouTube for how to make this type of fringe. I like this one and this one. 

For 6-inch fringe: SC into first st. ( * SC into next st and pull up a loop that's 16 inches long. Using your finger, twist the loop 40 times. Place end of loop back on hook and sl in same SC where you started the long loop. SC in next st. Pull the twisted loop open and then drop it to allow the rope twist to settle evenly along its length. ** ) Repeat from * to  ** across hem, ending with a SC in the last st. Finish off and weave in all ends. 

Some people twist the loop while it's on their hook, and if it works for you to do it that way, great. But I find it easier for me to twist the loop on my finger. I'm always dropping the loop when I try to twist it while it's on my hook. So use whichever method works best for you. 

Since my loops are 16 inches long, that means each strand of fringe actually uses 32 inches of yarn, which is only 4 inches less than a yard. Keep that in mind if you want to make fringe this way; it requires a LOT of yardage. Generally more yardage than cut fringe would require. But the upside of the rope-twisted fringe is it can safely go into the washer and dryer. 

To make 3-inch fringe, work the same as above but only pull up an 8-inch loop and twist it 20 times. I suppose to get a 4.5-inch fringe you would pull up a 12-inch loop and twist it 30 times. (etc.)

Total yarn weight used: 928 grams, including fringe. 

True Blue Swingy Shawlivest

I love the look of ombre/gradient yarns, so I wanted to try using one to make another Swingy Shawlivest, since I practically live in these vests all winter - they are so comfortable. 

Here's a link to my Ravelry project page. Vest total yarn weight: 1,000 grams. Estimated actual yardage totals the length of about 3.5 skeins, but I needed portions from another two skeins to match the stripes in the armhole section, so at least 6 skeins are needed to complete the project with this yarn.

Going Gray Swingy Shawlivest

I wanted to try making another Swingy Shawlivest, but this time with pockets. 

 

The pockets are lined with fabric and are about 6 inches wide by 7 inches tall. I worked the pockets in an edc post stitch faux rib to sort of resemble the pattern of the vest fabric beneath but with a solid fabric to conceal the pocket lining.

It's nice to have pockets, but I decided if I make another Swingy Shawlivest with pockets, I'll make the pockets bigger next time. Maybe 8 inches by 9 inches or so. Here's a link to my Ravelry project page.

Swingy Shawlivest with pineapple hem for LadyU

For her birthday, my daughter LadyU was hoping for a loose-fitting crocheted sleeveless poncho type of garment of about hip length, preferably from a pattern that incorporated pineapples and an asymmetrical hem. She said her favorite colors are pale teal, purples, and blues, or greens on the blue side of their color scale. She texted me a couple of photos showing some similar pieces that she liked, but I was having trouble finding a pattern designed to be anything close to what she was describing.

So I texted her a photo of my Swingy Shawlivest and asked if it would be something she might wear. I mean, I totally live in mine all winter long -- it's like my own personal blankie to keep me toasty all day and night. She said she liked the look of the vest and if I could add a row of pineapples along the hem that would make it perfect for her. That is how this project came about.

Based on her color preferences I knew the Caron Simply Soft Paints yarn in the Oceana colorway, which I've worked with many times before, would be ideal.

I worked her Swingy Shawlivest following the pattern through row 40 then started working the pineapple border starting at row 19 of the chart from the Cute Halter Top pattern.

I had looked around for some time trying to find a pineapple border that looked the way I wanted it to -- with a bottom edge that let the pineapples hang with individual "teeth" along the bottom edge (as in LadyU's second concept photo) rather than a totally straight bottom edge. The bottom edge of the halter top pattern fit the bill.

I worked on most of this project while I was on vacation, so when I ran out of yarn on the very last pineapple (UGH! yarn chicken fail) I had to set it aside for a few days until I got home and could order another skein (of which I only used a few inches).

And so, naturally, since I had to buy another skein of the Oceana yarn but only used a tiny bit of it to finish the Shawlivest, it just seemed logical to use part of the rest of that extra skein to machine knit a coordinating turban twist headband for LadyU. (80 rows on the Sentro 40, gauge of about 4 sts/4 rows to the inch on medium tension.) This gives her two pieces that she can wear either together or separately. 😊

Mesh problem

I have a slight mesh problem ... 😂

Simple Mesh "Fishbowl" Project Tote with Bamboo Handles free pattern

Crochet pattern by Susan Benitez. Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Pattern may not be sold or duplicated in any form. The written instructions, templates and illustrations are intended for personal, non-commercial use only.

Gauge: 

Gauge is not critical to this project.

Abbreviations used:

ch - chain

dc - double crochet

sc - single crochet

sl - slip stitch

st - stitch

yo - yarn over

Special stitch used:

dc2tog: To perform this stitch, yo, insert hook into next st, and pull up a loop. Yo and pull through first 2 loops. Yo, insert hook into next st, and pull up a loop. Yo and pull through first 2 loops. Yo and pull through all 3 loops on hook. Results in dc decrease by 1 st.

Materials list:

Crochet hook 5.5 mm (US size I)

Worsted weight cotton yarn, 2 balls (50 g each); sample was made using Lily Sugar-n-Cream
Pair of bamboo-style circular handles, 6-inch diameter

Notes:

Tote is worked in the round starting at the bottom. With the exception of the final round of the project, do NOT turn your work after you join the end of each round; continue working the following rounds in the same direction. For the FINAL round, when you join the handles, you will turn the piece and work because it results in a neater appearance on the outside (right side) of the tote.

Round 1

Ch 3. Work 11 dc in third chain from hook. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (11 dc made.)

Round 2

Ch 2 (does NOT count as 1st dc here and throughout). Work 2 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 2 dc in each stitch around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (22 dc made.)

Round 3

Ch 2. Work 2 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in next st. Work *(2 dc in next st; 1 dc in next st). Repeat from * around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (33 dc made.)

Round 4

Ch 2. Work 2 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in next 2 st. Work *(2 dc in next st; 1 dc in next 2 st). Repeat from * around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (44 dc made.)

Round 5

Ch 2. Work 2 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in next 3 st. Work *(2 dc in next st; 1 dc in next 3 st). Repeat from * around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (55 dc made.)

Round 6

Ch 2. Work 2 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in next 4 st. Work *(2 dc in next st; 1 dc in next 4 st). Repeat from * around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (66 dc made.)

Round 7

Ch 2. Work 2 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in next 5 st. Work *(2 dc in next st; 1 dc in next 5 st). Repeat from * around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (77 dc made.)

Round 8

Ch 2. Work 2 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in next 6 st. Work *(2 dc in next st; 1 dc in next 6 st). Repeat from * around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (88 dc made.)

Round 9

Ch 2. Work 2 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in next 7 st. Work *(2 dc in next st; 1 dc in next 7 st). Repeat from * around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (99 dc made.)

Round 10

Ch 2. Work 1 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in each st around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (99 dc made.)

Rounds 11-18

Repeat round 10.

Round 19

Ch 2. Work 1 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in next 6 st; dc2tog. Work *(1 dc in next 7 st; dc2tog). Repeat from * around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (88 dc made.)

Round 20

Ch 2. Work 1 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in next 5 st; dc2tog. Work *(1 dc in next 6 st; dc2tog). Repeat from * around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (77 dc made.)

Round 21

Ch 2. Work 1 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in next 4 st; dc2tog. Work *(1 dc in next 5 st; dc2tog). Repeat from * around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (66 dc made.)

Round 22

Ch 2. Work 1 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in next 3 st; dc2tog. Work *(1 dc in next 4 st; dc2tog). Repeat from * around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (55 dc made.)

Round 23

Ch 2. Work 1 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in each st around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (55 dc made.)

Round 24

Repeat round 23.

Round 25

Ch 1. Work 1 sc in same st as ch 1. Work 1 sc in each st around. Join round with sl at top of 1st sc. (55 sc made.)

Round 26

Ch 1 and TURN. *(Hold 1 bamboo handle against the inside of the tote with the top of the handle in line with the top edge of the tote. Work [2 sc in each st] 7 times over bamboo handle; sl in next 21 st.) Repeat from * with second bamboo handle. Sl to join end of round.

Fasten off. Weave in ends and enjoy your new tote!

Simple Mesh 'Fishbowl' Project Tote free pattern

More (cotton) yarn therapy: a simple mesh project tote with bamboo handles.

This is my free pattern, Simple Mesh "Fishbowl" Project Tote with Bamboo Handles, available on Ravelry.