Friday, December 20, 2013

Crocheted these mittens for my Granddaughter.

I just finished a pair of these mittens for my 2 and a half year old granddaughter. She loves them! I used the pattern I designed back when my grandson was 3 years old, he's 14 now. 
You can get the pattern here, Children's Crocheted Mittens. 







Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Pretty and Simple Dishcloth (Crochet)

I recently added a new dishcloth pattern to my Free Patterns page

I think this one is easy and also pretty. I have made many of these over the years and
thought it was time that I wrote the pattern down. 





 You can my free pattern here, Pretty and Simple Dishcloth.



Made 2 more Hooded Infinity Scarves

Here are pictures of 2 more Hooded Infinity Scarves that I made since I posted the pattern. 



You can get my free pattern here, Hooded Infinity Scarf.

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Hooded Infinity Scarf Pattern

I just added a new pattern of my own design to my Free Patterns Page

It's a Crocheted Hooded Infinity Scarf. I love these. They keep your neck and head warm and they look very pretty too. I'm working on my second one now and I'm doing it in black and gray. 




Thursday, December 5, 2013

It's Getting Close to Christmas

Christmas is just around the corner and I know most of you are busy making beautiful handmade gifts (these are the best gifts in my opinion!).

My daughter sells at craft shows and her biggest sellers this year are infinity scarves as well as the hooded infinity scarves. I think these are beautiful as well as very practical for cold winters. 

There are some free patterns online for them, but not as many as I thought there would be, so I am working on my own pattern. I want one of these for myself. I'll share the pattern when it's ready. Writing up a new pattern can be challenging, you want to make it as easy to understand as you possibly can. 

It can also be quite time consuming, especially for me now with my daughter, son-in-law and 2 yr old granddaughter living with me for the winter. 

It's coming up on the 4th Christmas without my better half. Since his death in 2010 I stopped celebrating Christmas. I didn't put up any tree or decorations. No turkey or any special meal on Christmas Day, but my son and daughter and their families would come to visit a couple weeks before Christmas and we would cook a turkey dinner. 

So this year is going to quite different for me as I will certainly allow my daughter to put up a Christmas tree and decorations for my granddaughter. I can't expect them to stop their Christmas activities just because I'm not in the mood for it much anymore. 

Thinking of years past I recall how much I loved to crochet Christmas decorations for the tree. I still have all those ornaments that I made packed away in a box. We are going to get them out this year as my daughter has her decorations packed away in a storage unit.

Here are some cute free patterns for crochet decorations I found online. I have made most of these or similar versions. They all look so wonderful on a Christmas tree. 

Paperclip Ice Skate Ornament
I remember back when I was a child that a lot of the kids would have these pinned to their
jackets in the wintertime.












Button Ornaments
I haven't made these but they are so pretty so I wanted to add them too.

















Crochet Pine Cone Pattern
I love these! I can't seem to get the picture to show up, so click the link
above to have a look and get the pattern. 

Christmas Ball Ornament
These patterns were one of my favourites. I liked to make new covers for
old ornaments to give them a fresh new look. 













CHRISTMAS BALL ORNAMENTS


















Filet Shell Ornament
These are beautiful and one of my favourite to make. 


Christmas Wreath Ring Ornament 
I made several of these that are similar to the one below.















Crochet Christmas Bell
I made several of these as well.
















STOCKING ORNAMENT
I have several of these in my collection too.















Crochet Christmas Ornament
I absolutely love the filet ornaments. I made many similar to these to cover old ornaments.













9 Christmas Snowflakes Crochet PDF Pattern
Last but not least, a crochet Christmas would not be complete without snowflakes!


Sunday, December 1, 2013

Thursday, November 21, 2013

What is Craftsy?

What is Craftsy?
Craftsy is a worldwide craft community offering online classes. It also has a patterns marketplace where independent designers can sell their patterns; a supplies shop with great deals on yarn, fabric, and class kits; and a projects section where members share pictures of their latest craft successes. With over two million members and counting, Craftsy has something for just about everyone, in categories ranging from quilting, sewing, knitting, painting, photography, cooking, and more.

Behind the Scenes: The Making of a Craftsy Class

Before filming even begins, hours and hours are spent determining what content will be covered in each class, and how to best teach specific techniques to the camera. Instructors work with an instructional designer to create an in-depth outline of each lesson, and decide how to best prepare props or “step-outs” that show what your project should like at different steps. Instead of a scripted class, instructors follow their outlines on camera to create an authentic and engaging teaching experience.  


Most Craftsy classes are filmed in one of five Craftsy studios in Denver, CO, assuring that every part of the production process goes off without a hitch. They fly in instructors from all over the world to spend several days filming, then spend several weeks turning hours of footage into a two to three hour class experience that has been watched, rewatched, and reviewed by industry experts. The final result is an HD-quality video that takes you in-depth into specific topics in any given craft category- from cooking and fine art to sewing and knitting. 


What IS the Craftsy experience?
 
Craftsy classes are designed to have all the benefits of an in-person class, with none of the drawbacks. Available online and on-demand, you always have world-class instructors at the tip of your fingers. You can retake the class as many times as you want, and the 30-second repeat feature allows you to watch the same section over and over again until you get every technique just right. 


Watching a Craftsy class is like having a first-row seat with some of the best instructors in the world. Even better, classes have a 100% money-back guarantee.

Try online learning today with a free mini-class from Craftsy! Choose from 23 Free Craftsy Classes ranging from drawing and painting to sewing and quilting, from knitting to cake decorating and more.  This is great for beginners who have no one close by to teach them hands on!


 

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Thanksgiving Crafts

Thanksgiving will be coming up soon in the U.S. Here in Canada it is over and done with, it was in October. 

Here is an article with some great Thanksgiving crafts ideas for kids. I think most adults would enjoy making these crafts too! 

4 Easy Thanksgiving Craft Ideas For Kids
By Toasha R Jiordano


The time is upon us. Pull out all those brown and orange sweaters, and grab a cup of hot cocoa. Relax by the fire and read book after book from your favorite author. Oh... what? You have kids? Nevermind!

But have no fear. I'm here to show you some easy craft ideas that any elementary aged child can do. The older ones will love it too, if you can get them to be in the same room with you long enough.

Thankful Turkey

Have each family member write down a couple things they're thankful for on cut out feathers. Poke the feathers into the turkey's back and watch the thankful plumage bloom!

What You Need:

Fall colored construction paper

Scissors

Glue

Pipe cleaners

Yarn (dark and light brown) (preferably ball/ not skein)

Wooden craft stick (or popsicle stick)

Felt material or more construction paper

Optional: Store bought googly eyes or other facial features

How To:  Read more here......

Friday, October 25, 2013

More Halloween Patterns

Here are some more Halloween patterns that I really like.

Cute Little Ghost

















This little ghost is soooo cute! Makes a very nice decoration for Halloween.
Click here to get the free pattern. 


Mad Eye Patch













This is a great idea to go with a Halloween costume! 
Click here to get the free pattern. 


The Great Pumpkin Applique Pattern 


















I think this is so cute! 
Click here to get the free pattern. 


Pumpkin Bag Crochet Pattern


















A great pattern for a Halloween trick or treat bag for your little one!
Click here to get the free pattern. 


Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Cute Halloween Patterns.

Here are some cute Halloween patterns that I recently found online.

Hello Kitty Witch
















This would look so cute sitting on your table with the treats you pass out to the little spooks!
Click here to get the free pattern. 


Boo Ghosts
















I thought these were just sweet! A very cute Halloween decoration.
Click here to get the free pattern. 


Halloween Bracelets



















The kids would love to wear these while they are waiting for Halloween to get here. 
Click here to get the free pattern. 



Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Diamonds Dishcloth (Crochet)

I have a new pattern on my website, it's a crocheted Diamonds Dishcloth. 


Along with the regular written instructions, I have also included Stitch Count instructions. 
You can get the pattern on my website by clicking here.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Website is back online.

Crochetandknitting.com is back online! 

I had decided to go with blogging only and canceled my web host and set my domain to 
re-direct here to my blog. But after about a week I missed my website and decided to purchase web hosting again. I have had my website for many, many years and it just didn't feel right not to keep it after all the work I had done to it.

What a time it has been! It's been so long since I first put my site online that I had forgotten that it can be quite a job to do it all over again. 

I had to wait 24 hours for my domain to propagate across the internet and after that time it still wasn't showing up. I tried to figure it out myself, as that's the way I am, I'd rather find the solution myself before asking for help.

After doing a lot of reading and messing around in my web hosting account and my domain name registrar account, I finally gave in and asked both of them for help. They replied promptly and helped me get it back online. 

However, uploading all the files and photos proved to be a big job as well. I've been going over my site and looking for missing files and sure enough I found lots. I've uploaded those files. But I'm sure there is more that I have overlooked. So if you find any missing pages or photos, just let me know in the comments section or you can email me from my website. 

Now that I have most of that taken care of I can get back to crocheting! I am working on a camouflage baby cap and camoflage baby socks that my sister asked me to make for her son's new baby boy to be born in November. She liked the ones I had made for my new grandson who was born last month, Sept.

The baby hat has a brim and is so cute. The pattern I used is called "Cheri Hat". It has a crocheted flower on it but as I was making it for a boy with camoflage yarn, I omitted the flower, of course. lol 

Friday, October 4, 2013

Fall Craft Shows



It's the time of year for the fall craft shows. I wish all of those who are participating as vendors much luck for a successful show. 

I'm here at home with my 2 year old granddaughter and my son-in-law as my daughter is off selling her crocheted items at the big annual 3 day craft show in the city. It gets huge crowds so I'm sure she will do very well.

I'm glad to be able to help out with watching my granddaughter. They used to live so far away from me. They are staying with me for awhile until they find a place to live which won't be so far away, as her husband starts his new job in the city on Monday and it's only takes an hour to drive there. 

She has been working her fingers hard all week. I don't know how she does it! I love to crochet too but I couldn't spend that many hours per day on it. She is so fast at it too. Even with her speed all her work is done with extra care to detail. 

She has built up a large inventory of crocheted items such as shirts, bags, shawls, scarves, infinity scarves/scoodies, hoods, fingerless gloves, armers, wristers, hats, jewelery, slippers as well as other clothing and accessories. 

Many people like to get out to the craft shows at this time of year to do some early Christmas shopping. There is nothing better to give as a gift than a hand crafted item! If you have never sold at a craft show before, it might be something to consider for earning some extra money for the upcoming holiday season.

Here is another good idea: In my area there is a local buy and sell facebook group. Even though most people sell items they no longer want or need, such as clothing, household appliances, furniture, etc, many are also selling handcrafted items such as crochet, knitting, wood crafts, etc. If there isn't such a group in your area, you could start one yourself! 

I love to see people earning an income from their special talents! I'll be adding some more articles on tips for selling your crafts that I hope will help. 

As always, I welcome anyone to use my free patterns to make items to sell at home or at the craft shows. 

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

New format.

Update: I've decided to keep my website. I have bought the web hosting again and have uploaded the site, however it will take about 24 hours for it to become active. I will keep this blog as well, as I find it quite fun to share new information here. My domain  name crochetandknitting.com will no longer redirect to this blog once the hosting becomes active, rather it will go right to my website which will contain links to this blog as well. 
Update: Oct. 9, 2013 - Crochetandknitting.com should be back online early this evening.
Update: Oct. 10, 2013 - I am having a difficult time getting my site set up with the hosting company. I managed to get it to redirect in my domain registrant account to my account at the hosting company, but it's still not exactly right. I'm waiting for replies to my support tickets.
--------------------------------------

I've changed the Crochet and Knitting website. I still have some information to get moved to the new format. 

I decided to go with blogging only as it is easier to update. I do not need to do the HTML coding, unless I want to, so that is a big help.

The tabs at the top of the page will take you to my Free Patterns, the Pattern Search forum, etc.  I hope you find this site helpful. I'll continue to add great info on crochet and knitting and other crafts. As well, I hope to get back to designing some new patterns in the near future.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Tips For Designing Your Own Crochet Patterns


By Sue Norrad


Have you ever searched and searched for that perfect crochet pattern, but none seemed to be just right, not quite what you had pictured in your mind? If so, then maybe it's time to try your hand at designing your own patterns.

If you can picture it in your mind, then you can create it.

You probably have a good idea of what you are looking for in a pattern. To bring that idea out, find a pattern that is close, but still not quite right. This will help you get your new pattern started.

Get a notebook, pencil and a good eraser (you will be using that a lot). You will also need a ruler or tape measure.

First you will need to know your gauge. Your gauge is important as it determines how many stitches and rows you get per inch and will make your item come out in the correct size.

To find your gauge, crochet a small sample piece of about 10 sts and 10 rows. Use your ruler or tape measure to see how many stitches you get per inch. Write that down in your notebook. Then measure to see how many rows you get per inch. Write that down as well.

You will need to do that with every pattern you design as you may be using a different sized hook and a different type of yarn when designing other patterns.

Now look at the pattern that you are going to alter to find the width and length. Using your gauge results, multiply the number of inches in the width by the number of stitches you get per inch. This will give you the amount of stitches to use in your starting chain.

For the length, multiply the number of inches by the number of rows you get per inch. This will tell you how many rows to crochet.

If you are designing a sweater, you can learn how to shape armholes and necklines by referring to other patterns.

A combination of different stitches can produce some very beautiful patterns. For example, you may like a combination of stitches in an afghan pattern and feel that it would look very nice when used in a sweater.

So in designing your sweater, do the measurements as above, then use the combination of stitches that you liked in an afghan pattern to create your new sweater pattern.

This can be done with almost any pattern. For example, I was looking for a hat and mittens pattern to make for my grandson. I searched but could not find anything that was different and unique. So I decided to design my own.

I liked a stitch combination I had used to crochet a potholder. I could picture in my mind how nice it would look when used in the hat and mittens.

The combination of stitches were 1 single crochet, 1 treble crochet. It produced a cute little bobble effect that looked great and made the mittens seem more warm and cozy.

The ideas are endless as you have many stitches to work with and use in different combinations.

When designing a pattern, you will be trying different things so you will probably be ripping out rows and erasing some of your notes and re-doing them. It takes some time, but that is how you perfect your new pattern.

When you have completed your new design, it's best to type up your pattern from your notes while it's still fresh in your mind. Then, of course, you will want to proofread as it's very easy to make a mistake when typing up the stitch abbreviations.

I hope these tips help. Once you try it, you will find that it is not that difficult to design your own patterns and it can be very enjoyable and give you a great sense of accomplishment.

Crochet Graph Pattern Tips

By Sue Norrad

Crocheting a graph pattern can be a lot of fun. I find it hard to put down once I start working on one. It's almost like painting a picture and so much fun to watch the picture emerging row by row.

But, whenever I crochet from a graph pattern, I don't like the idea of having to weave in a lot of ends after the color changes and I don't like the bulky look of pulling the different colors along the back of the afghan.

So what I do is roll up small balls of the colors. I would use that small ball then change to the next small ball color when I had to change colors and so on with any other colors required for the pattern.

When you come back across the next row, just pick up each small ball for the color changes as you go. You will have to make several small balls of each color as you will be changing back and forth a lot. That eliminated sewing in a lot of ends and kept the back of the afghan a lot neater without pulling the different colored yarn strands across.

Now the small balls will all start to get tangled, but I just keep untangling them after each row. It might be a good idea to have a small box to place them in and have it on the floor in front of you as you work. They will tangle, but probably not bad enough that you can't pull the yarn.

Whenever one small ball is finished and you still need that color, roll up another small ball and tie it onto the end and continue as before.

In some graph patterns, there may be several places where you would only need a small amount of a certain color. I don't even roll those small amounts up into a ball. I just pulled off a 1 or 2 foot piece and let the rest hang at the back until I use it up.

This might seem complicated, but once you start you will realize that it's a lot easier this way, otherwise you will have hundreds of ends to sew in when you have finished the afghan. 

Do You Want To Learn To Crochet?

By Sue Norrad

Have you been thinking about learning to crochet? Many people have told me that they would just love to be able to crochet, but they feel it would be too hard for them to learn. They know nothing about yarn, hooks or even how to begin.

Actually, crochet is not difficult at all. It's only hard if you think it is, so you have to change your thinking by looking at the basics of crochet.

Have you ever seen children (or perhaps you have done this yourself) playing with a piece of yarn or string? They make a slip knot in the yarn or string using their fingers, then make a loop and pass it through the first loop, then another loop through that loop and so on. This is the same as the basic starting chain in crochet, except you are using a crochet hook instead of your fingers.

How do you choose your yarn? In selecting your yarn, there are five basic types: baby/fingering, sportweight/baby, worsted weight, chunky and bulky. Worsted weight is a good type for a beginner.

Fingering and baby yarns are very fine, sportweight is usually 3 ply (ply means the number of strands that are twisted together to form the yarn). Worsted weight is a 4 ply yarn. Chunky and bulky are heavier yarns.

Yarns can be made of synthetic or natural fibers. Acrylics are popular and easy to work with and wash. Cotton yarns are very easy to work with and make great crocheted dishcloths, an easy project for beginners.

For a beginner, you will want to stay away from using the fuzzy and fur yarns. They are soft and very pretty, but more difficult to work with as it is hard to see your stitches. You can try them later as your crocheting skills improve.

To choose your yarn, just look at the labels. They will tell you what you need to know. Some yarns even have free patterns inside the label. You will want to save those in your pattern collection, even if you are not interested in making the item right now. It's always great to build a pattern collection for later use.

Next you will choose your crochet hook. Hooks can be made of aluminum, plastic, wood or steel. Steel hooks are very small and used in fine work such as doilies and lace.

As a beginner, you will be learning with the worsted weight yarn so you will want a H (5.00mm), I (5.5mm) or J (6.00mm) hook. As you learn to crochet, you will want to build a collection of the many different hook sizes.

The problem I have found that most beginners have is getting the hook and yarn working together. But as with anything, practice makes perfect. It doesn't take long before you will get the hang of it and be in the flow.

Before you actually make an item you should do some practice pieces. Start out making a chain of about 15 to 20 chains. You do that by making a slip knot by wrapping the yarn around your finger and pulling loop through, then put the slip knot onto your crochet hook. Pull on both ends of the yarn to tighten and adjust the slip knot. Then bring your yarn over your hook from back to front, grab the yarn with your hook and pull through the loop on your hook. Repeat until you have 15 to 20 chain stitches.

Now you will use the single crochet (sc) to make your practice piece. In the second chain from your hook (just count two chains away from the hook) and insert your hook into that chain. Put your yarn over the hook and draw that yarn through the chain stitch. There are now 2 loops on hook.

Bring your yarn over the hook from back to front, and draw it through both loops on hook. One loop remains on the hook. You have completed your first single crochet stitch.

Keep repeating the single crochet stitch until the end of the chain row. If you started with 20 chains, you will 19 single crochet stitches in this row as you skipped the first chain and began in the second chain from your hook.

To do your next row of single crochet, first you make a chain stitch by wrapping the yarn over your hook and pulling it through the loop on your hook. Now you turn your work so that the last sc you made on the previous row is now at the beginning. Make one single crochet stitch in that stitch and in each remaining stitch of the previous row. Repeat this for every new row.

You will notice that there are two loops on the tops of the completed single crochet stitches. You put your hook through both those loops. I have noticed that a mistake that some beginners make is by only going through one loop of the single crochet. That is a variation that works well in some patterns, but you will learn that later as your skills improve.

Keep working your sample piece for practice until you get the feel for crocheting. This will help you to learn how to hold your hook in a way that makes it easy to grab the yarn and it will also help you to get your tension on. You may find that you are crocheting too loosely or too tightly at first. As you practice, you will learn how to keep your tension uniform throughout the whole project.

Once you have practiced and feel you are ready to try an easy pattern, you can do a search online for a scarf pattern, which is what most beginners start out with. Or, as mentioned before, dishcloths are easy patterns for beginners.

By searching online you will find everything you need to know about crochet. There are free patterns, charts with crochet abbreviations used in patterns, charts for hook sizes, etc.

I am sure that you will enjoy your crochet experience. I find it very relaxing, a great stress reliever. It is also fun to work with the different yarn colors and textures. It is great to be able to make items for yourself and as gifts for family and friends.

You can do it while you are watching TV, or while sitting in a doctor's waiting room, or traveling as a passenger in a vehicle. Just get yourself a crochet tote bag (or crochet one yourself) and you are ready to go.

I hope this information has been helpful to you in making your decision to take up crochet as a hobby.

Slip Stitch Knitting

By Sue Norrad

Slip stitch knitting is a method of using slipped stitches for making two color designs. It is very easy as you do not have to carry the yarn behind your work. Therefore, slip stitch knitting doesn't come out thick and heavy like the normal method of working with two colors. It also retains it's stretchiness.

A slip stitch knitted design can appear to look complicated, but it is actually very easy.

It's as easy as simply knitting a row. You slip a few stitches on the row where you would normally knit with the other color. This brings the color up to the next row and creates a very pretty design. Another advantage of Slip Stitch Knitting is that you do not use as much yarn in the project.

Two different color strands are used one at a time. They are changed at the beginning of each right side row. You work two rows with Color A, then drop it and pick up Color B.

A typical pattern would be to knit two stitches with Color B, slip two stitches with the yarn in back. Repeat that to the end of the row. The next row on the wrong side, you will knit 2 and slip two stitches with the yarn in front. Then drop Color B and pick up Color A to knit two rows again and so on. You do not do slip stitching on Color A rows, it's straight knitting.

Every slip stitch is slipped with yarn in back on all right side rows and with yarn in front on all wrong side rows. This is so the yarn is always held to the wrong side.

Slip Stitch Knitting is also called Mosaic Knitting. This term for Slip Stitch Knitting was coined by Barbara G. Walker in her book "Mosaic Knitting" first published in 1976. The revised edition includes 116 new charted mosaic designs to complement the 157 charted designs featured in the original edition.

There are not many Slip Stitch Knitted patterns for free online, however if you visit my site in the link at the end of this article, I have designed a Knitted Slip Stitch Slippers pattern that you can get for free.

I have found Slip Stitch Knitting to be very enjoyable. It works up fast and you can use so many different color combinations to create some very beautiful projects.

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Larksfoot Crochet Stitch

I came upon a photo of a blanket done in the Larksfoot crochet stitch. I must admit that I hadn't heard of it before. I love it. And it looks so easy to do and would be an excellent pattern for a beginner. 

Have a look at some photos of Larksfoot crochet on Google Images. 

The colour combinations you could use make this a fun stitch to work with for an afghan.  It would also be a great pattern for a dishcloth.

Here is a link to a Larksfoot crochet blanket on One Crafty Mumma's blog. It is very pretty!

Here is a video on how to do the stitch. 




Monday, September 2, 2013

Paintbrush Afghan

A lady posted on my Pattern Search Forum that she was looking for a crochet
pattern called the Paintbrush Afghan.


I hadn't heard of it before but I did a search and found it here.  It is absolutely gorgeous!
Be sure to have a look! The designer did an excellent job on it. She has links to where you 

can buy her pattern online.
I also found one that is similar, but not quite as nice as the other one. It's called
The Clamshell Crochet Afghan and you can download it for free.



Monday, August 19, 2013

Hook and Needle Size Charts and Abbreviations


Crochet Hooks
USA English Metric
-- 000 10.0mm
N 00 9.00mm
-- 0 8.00mm
K-10 1/2 2 7.00mm
10 1/4 3 6.50mm
J-10 4 6.00mm
I-9 5 5.50mm
H-8 6 5.00mm
7 7 4.50mm
G-6 8 4.00mm
F-5 9 3.75mm
E-4 9 3.50mm
D-3 10 3.25mm
C-2 12 2.75mm
B-1 13 2.25mm
B-1 14 2.00mm
5 steel - 1.75mm
7 steel - 1.50mm
8 steel - 1.25mm
10 steel - 1.00mm
Knitting Needles
USA English Metric
15 000 10
13 00 9
11 0 8
-- 1 7 1/2
-- 2 7
10 1/2 3 6 1/2
10 4 6
9 5 5 1/2
8 6 5
7 7 4 1/2
6 8 4
5 9 3 3/4
4 - 3 1/2
3 10 3 1/4
-- 11 3
2 12 2 3/4
1 13 2 1/4
0 14 2
- - -
- - -
- - -
- - -

Abbreviations
Crochet
Knitting
beg = beginning
bpdc = backpost double crochet
CC = Contrasting Color
ch = chain
cl = cluster
dc = double crochet
dec = decrease
dtr = double treble crochet
fpdc = front post double crochet
hdc = half double crochet
inc = increase
lp(s) = loop(s)
MC = Main Color
p = picot
rep = repeat
rnd = round
RS = Right Side facing you
sk = skip
st = stitch
ss or sl st = slip stitch
sc = single crochet
sp = space

tog = together
tr = treble
tr tr = triple treble
woh = wool over hook
WS = Wrong Side facing you
yoh = yarn over hook
beg = beginning
bet = between
CC = Contrast Color
CO = cast on
dec = decrease
dpn = double pointed needles
eor = every other row
inc = increase
K2tog = knit 2 together
K = knit
MC = Main Color
KB = knit through back of st (loop)
P = purl
PB = purl through back of st (loop)
psso = pass slipped st over
PW = purl wise (or as if to purl)
rem = remaining
sk = skip
sl = slip
sp = space

st = stitch
tbl = through back of loop (st)
tog = together
wl. fwd = wool forward
won = wool on needle
wrn = wool round needle
Y fwd = yarn forward
yo = yarn over
yon = yarn over needle
yrn = yarn round needle




 




Sunday, August 18, 2013

Granny Square Cap and Bill Crochet Hat

FREE Pattern from my daughter.

Granny Square Cap and Bill Crochet Hat This is my daughter's design. Designed By: Farrah for 365 Crochet. Skill Level: Easy. Yarn: Bernat Softee Chunky Size 5, approx. 100yds. Hook: G/4.0mm. Gauge: 14 sts x 12 rows = 4”. Size: Adult head, approx 21 inch circumference. (stretchy). You can get the pattern for FREE on her site

 

Here is another one of her own designs Crocheted Berry Band Reversible Hat.


She wore this hat when she and my sweet little 20 month old granddaughter came to visit. I loved it! I didn't ask for the pattern because she would of given it to me if I did. I wanted to buy it from her so I waited until after they had left and then I went to Etsy and bought it, it's only $1.75. I'm excited to start making one for myself now! (Update: I've made quite a few of them since the time I got the pattern. They were so fun to make!)


Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Understanding Some Basic Yarn Properties.



By Becky Lindstone

Yarn can be described as a combination of fibers which are used to produce different textiles or in sewing, rope making, knitting and embroidery. Yarns will have different properties depending on how they were produced. Yarn can be manufactured using synthetic fibers like polyester or natural fibers like wool. Wool is an animal fiber that has been used extensively in the manufacturing of yarns. Other than the fibers used, the manufacturing process will also determine the kind of properties yarns have. Below are some of the characteristics of different yarns that will help you to understand them better.


First and foremost, there are two main fibers that can be used to manufacture yarns. These are filament fibers and staple fibers. Great examples of filament fibers are rayon and polyester. These two are extremely long and can be used to make yarns on their own. Yarns can also be manufactured using staple fibers. These ones are rather short and they must be twisted together in order to form the final product. This process of twisting and pulling the fibers together is very popular and the resulting product is known as spun yarn.


The perfect example of a staple fiber that is used to make yarns is wool. It is a unique fiber that is found in sheep. This fiber is elastic and durable and it is known to bend over 30,000 times without breaking. The unique thing about this animal fiber is the fact that it can absorb moisture vapor but repel liquid. There are many reasons why this fiber has been used in making garments.


First of all, it is warm and cool. The absorbent fiber can be used for making a number of warm clothes. Additionally, wool is naturally flame resistant. It is the only fiber that doesn't burst into flames when exposed to fire. If the fiber is exposed to a flame source, it will smolder or char. This is not the case with most artificial fibers in the market. Acrylics are known to melt or stick to the skin when exposed to flames. This fiber has been appreciated worldwide because it is resistant to breaking, piling or snagging. Woolen clothes are usually considered a great investment because they do not wrinkle or sag unlike other fabrics. The fiber is naturally elastic so it will last longer than other fabrics you know of.


Regardless of the fiber that has been used to create the yarn, twisting must be done to hold these fibers together. Twisting gives the yarns adequate strength. Twisting is done in different directions, that is clockwise and anti clockwise. The yarns can also be textured to increase strength and give them better insulation. Texturizing of yarns also helps in increasing the softness of the fabric. When choosing the ideal yarn, it is important to understand the kind of fibers it has as well as the method used to manufacture it. Look for respectable brand names like Sirdar if you want premium yarns that will last long.


Becky Lindstone is the author of this article on wool. Find more information about yarn here.