Dice bag for LadyU

This is the first thread project I've attempted (other than some earrings many years ago). I couldn't find my thread-size hooks (except for a 1mm hook that would be too small) when I wanted to start working on this (I really need to take some time to get my craft supplies organized!!) so I used the smallest hook from my standard Clover ergonomic set — 2.75mm — which turned out fine for my needs. I tend to crochet tightly anyway and so I'm used to having to go up in hook size for most patterns. Gauge really isn't an issue for this project since it's a bag. This is made with Aunt Lydia's Classic Crochet Thread in size 10, color black. The green scales are 0.35-inch anodized aluminum tags from TheRingLord.com.

Besides using a different hook size I deviated from the written pattern in a few other (minor) ways. First I made a double-thick base as described in Jessie Alameda's Dragonscale Dice Bag tutorial. Second I didn't string all the scales onto the thread before starting to work; I crocheted them in place one by one by using my 1mm hook to pull the thread through the opening of each scale when working the scale SC. Third I worked only four rows of DC above the scales before working the row of loops for the drawstring; I felt like the bag was tall enough at that point. Fourth I worked two rows of SC above the drawstring loops.

My biggest challenge for finishing this was figuring out which kind of cord to use as the drawstring. I didn't want to use thread chains (too bumpy to operate smoothly) ... I tried to knit some i-cord using the thread and 2.25mm needles, but that was taking forever and really hurting my hands ... I thought about making some monk's cord using the thread (there are several tutorials for this on YouTube; I've done it before and it isn't hard to do) but I just wasn't feeling it ... so then I went to Walmart to see if they had anything suitable there in the crafts section, but the only black cording they had was cotton and waaay too thick at 3/16-inch. I finally found some 2mm black satin cording at Amazon.

Attempt at i-cord 2.25mm needles

Bag with 3/16-inch cord as drawstring (ugh)

I cut two 20-inch pieces of cord and wove them through the loops at the top of the bag so that the ends came out on opposite sides for cinching the top closed. I tied an overhand knot on each pair of ends at a position to allow the bag to be fully open. Then I strung one bead on each tail, knotting the cord on each side of each bead to hold it in place.

 

I love how this turned out and hope LadyU feels the same way when she receives it. 😊

Sheepish Pajama Stuffie Pillow

Today happens to be my ninth Ravelry-versary (I joined the site on Dec. 1, 2010). And today I completed my 253rd project post there - a Sheepish Pajama Stuffie Pillow that I'm inordinately proud of. (I know - I'm weird. My husband already told me.)

For some years now I’ve had a project concept rolling around in my head where I wanted to make a stuffie pillow cover to keep my pajamas in during the day (instead of just folding them and leaving them on top of the bed - tacky, amirite??).

I found this Aran Fleck colorway by Red Heart and thought it would be perfect for crafting my sheep pillow’s “fleece” because the flecks in the yarn, to me, represent the random bits of grass and leaves and twigs that would naturally get tangled in a sheep’s fleece as it forages across the countryside. So figuring out which yarn to use for my project was not an issue.

What proved to be more difficult, however, was HOW to knit or crochet the actual pillow cover. I started and ripped back and started and ripped back I don’t know how many times (remember, I said this project has taken years for me to get it off the ground). My original idea was to crochet a pillow cover using the bobble stitch, because solid rows of bobble stitch totally look like fluffy sheep’s fleece. But every time I got going on a bobble stitch piece, I ended up with something that was either way too large (working flat) or way too wavy (working in the round), and I just wasn’t happy with any of them, and there didn’t seem to be any patterns out there where someone else had figured out the process in a way that would fit what I wanted my pajama pillow cover to be.

I came across a pattern by Purl Soho for a knitted Bobble Sheep Pillow that is SO adorable, and on first glance it appears to be just about the right size to be a pajama stuffie pillow cover. But the pattern is written for a heavier yarn than the Red Heart I have, and I just didn’t have the energy to try to convert the pattern to be the correct size at the gauge I’d be working in. Sigh! Maybe another time.

There are also many cute sheep hat crochet patterns out there (like this one, or this one, or this one), but again, none was easily translated into a pillow form that satisfied what I was looking for.

I had recently done some crochet projects (like this lovely autumn Little Rustic Pumpkin, pattern here) using the HDC in the third loop stitch, which, when worked flat, produces a fabric that strongly resembles knitted ribbing. I thought about it for a while and finally concluded that although it wouldn’t produce the cute, bobble-y, fluffy sheep-fleece look I had originally wanted, a sheep pillow done in ribbing would still look sufficiently sheep-y (texture-y) to get the job done. So I decided to give the crocheted ribbing fabric a chance.

I used a 7-inch by 12-inch microbead bolster pillow as a size guide for the body of the pajama stuffie pillow cover. (The finished cover fits over that bolster pillow perfectly. LOL)

In the Aran Fleck yarn, first I crocheted a flat circle using all FPDC stitches until it was about 7 inches in diameter. This would be one end of the pajama stuffie pillow cover. Working in the back loops only, I worked one row of HDC around the circle without joining at the end of the row and continued working back and forth in rows in the HDC-third-loop stitch until the body of the pillow cover was about 12 inches long. At this point I cut the yarn and crocheted another flat circle using all FPDC stitches (trying to work the second circle from the outside edge toward the center using decreases just didn’t want to look right … it might be possible to do it that way, but it was easier for me to break the yarn and work the second circle from the center outward). Without cutting the yarn I HDC’d around the circle catching the front loops only of the last row of the body stitches to join the second circle to the body.

This gave me a tube-shaped pillow cover that opens down its full length. To add a placket for buttoning, I joined the yarn along one edge of the opening and SC’d evenly across. Turned work and HDC’d across. Turned work and HDC’d across, chaining 1 and skipping a stitch where I wanted to place a button. Turned work and worked a final row of HDC across, including in the chain spaces. Finish off, weave in ends, and sew on buttons to line up with the buttonholes, and that’s all there is to making the body of the Sheepish Pajama Stuffie Pillow.

Originally I intended to use a zipper to close the pillow cover, but in the end I went with buttons (again, trying to keep it as simple as possible … remind me sometime to tell you the story of how I actually did throw a white zipper for this project into my shopping cart at the store, but when we got to the checkout the conveyor belt actually ATE my zipper - the belt just swallowed it where it turns and feeds down inside the cabinet - so I decided then and there that perhaps I wasn’t meant to use a zipper for this). I bought the buttons at Amazon.

For the face, using the black yarn, I emulated Kim Guzman’s (Crochet Kim) design for her Farmhouse Love My Sheep Pillow, free pattern found at this link. For her design Kim sews the face piece directly onto the front of her pillow as a sort of 3-D applique, lightly stuffing the face before stitching the opening closed. But for me, using a 5.5mm hook, the head turned out to be a bit taller than the end of my pillow cover, so I crocheted a second head piece and whip-stitched the two together, lightly stuffing the head before stitching the opening closed.

I wanted my sheep to be “sleeping,” so I embroidered sleeping eyes onto the face with a scrap of white yarn before sewing the two head pieces together, and I also stitched the ears to the front head piece (using the yarn tails left after working the ears) before sewing the head pieces together to make it easier to attach the ears where I wanted them.

I stuffed the pajama stuffie pillow cover with the microbead bolster pillow to plump it up for the photo shoot, but now my Sheepish Pajama Stuffie Pillow cover is ready to take its place on my bed to keep my pajamas stashed away and neatly out of sight. 😄

Veterans Day Parade Camo Beanie or Messy Bun Hat free pattern

I love this Red Heart Super Saver Woodsy colorway because it reminds me of the old forest/jungle Army BDUs my husband (a Vietnam War veteran) used to wear. These colors work up to make a nice hat to wear to keep your head warm (and is long enough to cover your ears) while watching your community’s Veterans Day parade or participating in other similar celebrations in chilly November to honor and remember the many military personnel who have died in wars.

I suggest pinning a red remembrance poppy to your hat. I've read that there is no right or wrong way to wear the poppy. Some people pin them to their left lapel to position the poppy close to their heart; others wear it on the right lapel to position the poppy close to what would be the 11th hour mark if your body were viewed as the face of a clock. (If your poppy has a leaf, the leaf should also be positioned at 11 o'clock.) A Google search will provide links to multiple articles you can read about the history and etiquette of the remembrance poppy. Here's a poppy article by the American Legion.

M and L sizes of the hat use just about one full skein of RHSS in Woodsy. For size XL part of a second skein likely will be required. Other worsted or aran weight varigated yarns with short color changes (about 4-6 inches long) should give a similar result.

It's very easy to make this simple, slouchy, relaxed-fit hat as a beanie or in a messy-bun/ponytail style. Size M measures about 10 inches across the bottom when held flat, which should stretch to fit an average teen or adult’s head (20-22 inches). Size L measures about 11 inches across the bottom, which should comfortably fit heads 22-24 inches. Size XL measures about 12 inches across the bottom, to fit heads 24-26 inches.

You can copy what I did by following the easy steps below, or you can use my instructions as a jumping-off point to make a custom hat to suit your own taste. The hats are made using the hdc in the third loop stitch, which gives a sideways knit look on the obverse side and a sideways garter stitch look on the reverse side.

Supplies: 1-2 skeins Red Heart Super Saver (4) yarn in Woodsy, 5.0 mm (H) crochet hook, one large ponytail elastic (optional for messy-bun/ponytail version)

Beanie hat instructions

Setup for a beanie in all sizes: In a magic ring, hdc 10. When you reach the end of the round do not join with a slip stitch; continue working the rest of the hat in continuous rounds. Use a stitch marker in the first stitch of the round and move marker up on each successive round. (10 hdc)

Round 2: Work 2 hdc3lp (hdc in the third loop) in each hdc from the previous round. (20 hdc3lp)

Round 3: Work 2 hdc3lp in the first hdc from the previous round; work 1 hdc3lp in the next hdc from the previous round. * Work 2 hdc3lp in the next st, 1 hdc3lp in the next st. ** Repeat from * to ** to end of round. (30 hdc3lp)

Round 4: Work 2 hdc3lp in the first hdc from the previous round; work 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 2 hdc from the previous round. * Work 2 hdc3lp in the next st, 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 2 sts. ** Repeat from * to ** to end of round. (40 hdc3lp)

Round 5: Work 2 hdc3lp in the first hdc from the previous round; work 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 3 hdc from the previous round. * Work 2 hdc3lp in the next st, 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 3 sts. ** Repeat from * to ** to end of round. (50 hdc3lp)

Round 6: Work 2 hdc3lp in the first hdc from the previous round; work 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 4 hdc from the previous round. * Work 2 hdc3lp in the next st, 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 4 sts. ** Repeat from * to ** to end of round. (60 hdc3lp)

Round 7: Work 2 hdc3lp in the first hdc from the previous round; work 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 5 hdc from the previous round. * Work 2 hdc3lp in the next st, 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 5 sts. ** Repeat from * to ** to end of round. (70 hdc3lp)

Round 8: Work 2 hdc3lp in the first hdc from the previous round; work 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 6 hdc from the previous round. * Work 2 hdc3lp in the next st, 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 6 sts. ** Repeat from * to ** to end of round. (80 hdc3lp)

Stop increasing at 80 sts for size M. Sizes L and XL will increase again on round 9.

Round 9: For size M, work 1 hdc3lp in each st around. (80 hdc3lp).

For size L, work 2 hdc3lp in the first hdc from the previous round; work 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 19 hdc from the previous round.  * Work 2 hdc3lp in the next st, 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 19 sts. ** Repeat from * to ** to end of round. (84 hdc3lp)

For size XL, work 2 hdc3lp in the first hdc from the previous round; work 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 9 hdc from the previous round.  * Work 2 hdc3lp in the next st, 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 9 sts. ** Repeat from * to ** to end of round. (88 hdc3lp)

Rounds 10-29 (31, 33): Work 1 hdc3lp in each st around. (80, 84, 88 hdc3lp)

Finishing: To taper down to a smooth edge, work 1 sc in the third loop of the next hdc from the previous round, then slip stitch into the third loop of each of the next two hdcs from the previous round. Finish off, weave in ends.

Messy-bun/ponytail hat instructions

These instructions pick up at what would be round 4 for the beanie style hat.

Setup: Place a slipknot on your hook and slip stitch around a large ponytail elastic to attach. Chain 1 and work 40 hdc tightly around the ponytail elastic. (Alternatively you could start with 40 FHDC.) When you reach the end of the round do not join with a slip stitch; continue working the rest of the hat in continuous rounds. Use a stitch marker in the first stitch of the round and move marker up on each successive round. (40 hdc)

Round 2: Work 1 hdc3lp (hdc in the third loop) in each hdc from the previous round. (40 hdc3lp)

Round 3: Work 2 hdc3lp in the first hdc from the previous round; work 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 3 hdc from the previous round. * Work 2 hdc3lp in the next st, 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 3 sts. ** Repeat from * to ** to end of round. (50 hdc3lp)

Round 4: Work 2 hdc3lp in the first hdc from the previous round; work 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 4 hdc from the previous round. * Work 2 hdc3lp in the next st, 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 4 sts. ** Repeat from * to ** to end of round. (60 hdc3lp)

Round 5: Work 2 hdc3lp in the first hdc from the previous round; work 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 5 hdc from the previous round. * Work 2 hdc3lp in the next st, 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 5 sts. ** Repeat from * to ** to end of round. (70 hdc3lp)

Round 6: Work 2 hdc3lp in the first hdc from the previous round; work 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 6 hdc from the previous round. * Work 2 hdc3lp in the next st, 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 6 sts. ** Repeat from * to ** to end of round. (80 hdc3lp)

Stop increasing at 80 sts for size M. Sizes L and XL will increase again on round 7.

Round 7: For size M, work 1 hdc3lp in each st around. (80 hdc3lp).

For size L, work 2 hdc3lp in the first hdc from the previous round; work 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 19 hdc from the previous round.  * Work 2 hdc3lp in the next st, 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 19 sts. ** Repeat from * to ** to end of round. (84 hdc3lp)

For size XL, work 2 hdc3lp in the first hdc from the previous round; work 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 9 hdc from the previous round.  * Work 2 hdc3lp in the next st, 1 hdc3lp in each of the next 9 sts. ** Repeat from * to ** to end of round. (88 hdc3lp)

Rounds 8-26 (28, 30): Work 1 hdc3lp in each st around. (80, 84, 88 hdc3lp)

Finishing: To taper down to a smooth edge, work 1 sc in the third loop of the next hdc from the previous round, then slip stitch into the third loop of each of the next two hdcs from the previous round. Finish off, weave in ends.

I hope you enjoy making and wearing (or gifting) this hat!

How to knit

How to knit in 4 easy steps!

Little Rustic Pumpkin

Took me a while to get around to it, but I finally added the vines and stem. Pumpkin portion of pattern works up super quickly. This will be a lovely addition to fall decor around the house.

This is based on the free Little Rustic Pumpkin pattern by Rebecca Langford of Yarn and Chai. 

For the stem, using the green yarn, I FSC'd 22 then worked in continuous decreasing rounds (alternating SC, SC2tog) until 5 stitches were left. Then I SC'd in continuous 5-stitch rounds until stem was about the same length as a 12-inch pipe cleaner. I twisted two brown craft pipe cleaners together and threaded them into the slim cylinder of stitches to give coil-able structure to the pumpkin stem. I stitched the end of the stem closed then joined the yarn again at the base and worked some points onto the circle around the base of the stem. Stitched the triangle end of the stem to the top of the pumpkin and finished off. Voila!

 

Before adding stem