Poof Ball Hat

I was recently asked if I could make a poof ball hat.  Though I had never made one, I responded that I could, after all, ravelry has patterns for everything.  So I went home, looked, and found the Two Ball Crochet Hat pattern.  I liked the band of this hat.  Anyway, I started working on it, basically ignoring the gauge, just making sure that it would fit my head.  This resulted in the band being 56 rows, not 80 rows, but the hat fits.  After I finished the band I continued on with the pattern and discovered that the top of the hat is a lot looser and full of holes than it looks in the pictures.  I didn't like this, so I pulled that part out and completely redid it.  Essentially the only parts of the original pattern that I kept were the band and the poof ball.

Anyway, here's the pattern:
Entire Hat is in brown except for rows 9 and 11 and the poof ball which are in cream.

ldc= linked double crochet 


Band:
Ch 10
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, (9 sc)
Rows 2-56: ch 1, turn, sc across in back loops only (9 sc)

To join: ch 1, align edges, sl st through both edges across

Hat:
Round 1: ch 1, turn, (sc, ch 1, sk 1) around, join
Round 2: ch 1, turn, (sc in sc, sc in ch 1 sp) around, join
Round 3: ch 3, turn, ldc around, join
Round 4: ch 1, turn, sc around, join
Round 5: ch 3, turn, ldc around, join
Round 6: ch 1, turn, sc around, join
Round 7: ch 3, turn, ldc around, join
Round 8: ch 1, turn, sc around, joinRound 9: ch 1, turn, sc around, join (cream)
Round 10: ch 1, turn, sc around, join (brown)
Round 11: ch 1, turn, sc around, join (cream)
Round 12: ch 1, turn, sc around   (from this point on, do not join, or turn)
Rounds 13-17: (sc in next 5 sc, decrease) around
Rounds 18-22: (sc in next 3 sc, decrease) around

There should be 9 stitches at the end.  Fasten off, leaving a long end.  Thread this end through the stitches on the last row and pull tight.

Poof Ball:
Following the instructions on your pom pom maker, make a 2" poof ball.  I used the green on in the Susan Bates pom pom maker.  Attach poof ball to hat by threading the long end of the hat through the knots holding the poof ball together then going through the hat, then back through the knot.  Repeat this until poof ball is securely attached.  Weave in the end.

I made this using I Love this Yarn in Brown and Cream and a J hook.

Simple Christmas Tree Skirt

I recently purchased a small, about 4 feet tall, Christmas tree from a resale shop and set it up.  Back home we've always had Noble firs, so I've never had a fake tree before.  Anyway, one thing that's different about fake trees is that at least on mine, the base is all scrawny green plastic.  So as I was admiring the tree and the festive atmosphere it brought to the room, I observed the unsightly base.  The base is more noticeable than normal because I put the tree on a chair to make it taller, so the base is just a little below eye level when you're sitting down. 

Anyway, after contemplating for a few minutes, I decided to crochet a tree skirt.  I've pondered how I would go about making one before, but you really only need one tree skirt per tree, so having extra doesn't make a whole lot of sense.  Back home we use a beautiful quilted version my great aunt made decades ago.  Now I had an excuse!

Color Pattern:

6 rows maroon, (2 rows white, 6 Rows maroon) repeated once; last row in maroon

Chain 37

Row 1:  2 sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in next 5 ch, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 5 ch) across (42 sc)
Row 2: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 6 ch) across (48 sc)
Row 3: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 7 ch) across (54 sc)
Row 4: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 8 ch) across (60 sc)
Row 5: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 9 ch) across (66 sc)
Row 6: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 10 ch) across (72 sc)
Row 7: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 11 ch) across (78 sc)
Row 8: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 12 ch) across (84 sc)
Row 9: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 13 ch) across (90 sc)
Row 10: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 14 ch) across (96 sc)
Row 11: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 15 ch) across (102 sc)
Row 12: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 16 ch) across (108 sc)
Row 13: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 17 ch) across (114 sc)
Row 14: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 18 ch) across (120 sc)
Row 15: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 19 ch) across (126 sc)
Row 16: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 20 ch) across (132 sc)
Row 17: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 21 ch) across (138 sc)
Row 18: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 22 ch) across (144 sc)
Row 19: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 23 ch) across (150 sc)
Row 20: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 24 ch) across (158 sc)
Row 21: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 25 ch) across (162 sc)
Row 22: ch 1, turn, (2 sc in next ch, sc in next 26 ch) across (168 sc)
Row 23: ch 1, turn, (sc, ch 3, sk 1) across 

The opening in the middle is the right size for this small fake tree, but it won't be big enough for an actual tree trunk.  To adjust it, simply chain one more than the number of sc for a round.  For example, if you've chained 37 and it's not big enough, chain 43 then check again.  If it's still too small, chain 49, or 55 etc.  Each row you add 6 sc; so you can figure out how to do the 'extra' rows if you start in a different place.

I made this using Red Heart yarn in Claret and White with a J hook.

Dog Mats

It's been getting chilly around here, and I know my pup is a little cold too.  So, I've wanted her to have a bed to lie on while I crochet, without having to move hers all over the apartment every day.  I've been looking to buy her another one, but in the meantime I decided to crochet one up, and just see how it would turn out.

My first attempt, I chained 31, which looked to be the right width to fit in her crate, and then I crocheted a rectangle.  After several rows, I compared it to the crate again and realized that I had made it too large, so I simply decided to turn it and make it the length instead of the width.  It ended up being 12"x18", just big enough for her to lie down on if she was curled up in a little ball exactly in the middle. 

Further work was needed; this attempt was relegated to her crate because it's better than nothing for my pup.  This would also be good as a doormat.

My next attempt, I decided to make circular.  This one was not designed to fit in her crate at all.  She was curled up at my feet as I was working on it, so I would periodically lay it over her to determine if it was big enough yet or not.  This one ended up being 18" in diameter, so it's nice and big for her.

Here are the patterns:
First attempt:
Working with 3 strands together throughout.
Chain 31
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc across (30 sc)
Rows 2-18: ch 1, turn, sc across (30 sc)
Border:
Work 2 rounds of sc with 3 sc in each corner

Made with Red Heart yarn in Country Rose, Coffee, and Claret and an M hook. 

Second attempt:
Working with 3 strands together throughout:
Chain 2
Round 1: 6 sc in 2 2nd ch from hook
Round 2: 2 sc in each sc around (12 sc)
Round 3: (2 sc in sc, sc in next sc) around (18 sc)
Round 4: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 2 sc) around (24 sc)
Round 5: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 3 sc) around (30 sc)
Round 6: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 4 sc) around (36 sc)
Round 7: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 5 sc) around (42 sc)
Round 8: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 6 sc) around (48 sc)
Round 9: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 7 sc) around (54 sc)
Round 10: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 8 sc) around (60 sc)
Round 11: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 9 sc) around (66 sc)
Round 12: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 10 sc) around (72 sc)
Round 13: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 11 sc) around (78 sc)
Round 14: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 12 sc) around (84 sc)
Round 15: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 13 sc) around (90 sc)
Round 16: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 14 sc) around (96 sc)
Round 17: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 15 sc) around (102 sc)
Round 18: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 16 sc) around (108 sc)
Lip:
Round 19: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 16 sc) around (108 sc)
Round 20: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 16 sc) around (108 sc)
Round 21: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 16 sc) around (108 sc)
Round 22: (2 sc in sc, sc in next 16 sc) around (108 sc)

Made with Bernat Handicrafters Cotton yarn in Lotus Twists with an M hook.

Quick Baby Hat

So a friend of mine is having a baby girl soon, and her baby shower was this weekend.  I had already decided to give her a baby blanket, and let her pick it out.  About an hour before the shower, I decided to try to make a baby hat.  Because of the time constraint I decided to just design it on the fly and see if I liked it.  My first attempt started at the bottom of the hat, the largest point, and narrowed.  Midway, I looked at what I had made and it looked like it could be a skirt for a Barbie doll.  So, I simply cut the yarn and started over.  My next attempt, I started at the top and went down which worked much better.


This project came out very small, but then, babies are very small.  This was a first attempt at really designing  a baby hat, so some modification and optimization is needed.  However, my friend loved it and said that if it's too small, or once it's too small, it'll be great as a doll hat.  So in any case, it was appreciated and will be used. 

Here's how I made it:
Chain 4,
Round 1: 15 dc in 4th ch from hook, slip st to join
Round 2: ch 3, dc, (2 dc in next dc, dc in next 2 dc) around, slip st to join
Round 3-6: ch 3, dc around, slip st to join
Fasten off, weave in ends.

Fold up the last row to finish.


I made this using Baby Bee Too Sweet yarn and an E hook.

Browns Blanket

Well, I've done it again: I've made another blanket!  I was commissioned to make this one as a Christmas gift for a fan of the Cleveland Browns.  This absolutely gorgeous blanket reminded me why I like stitch 1 so much.  The final look of this stitch is still one of my favorites, but it's not as quick as I remembered.  Compared to some of the other stitches, that grow at the speed of dc, this is slow because it's only every other row that really adds to the height. 

The color pattern I used is 1 row of orange, 2 rows of brown, then (2 rows of orange, 2 rows of brown) repeated, ending with a single row of orange, and a brown border.

Here's the pattern:
Chain 154, then work stitch 1 until satisfied with the length. 
Add this border to complete it:

Round 1: sc around, 3 sc in corner
Round 2: dc around, 5 dc in corner
Round 3: sc around, 3 sc in corner
Round 4: (dc, ch 1, sk 1) around, (dc, ch 1, dc, ch 1, dc) in corner
Round 5: sc around, 3 sc in corner
Round 6: dc around, 5 dc in corner
Round 7: sc around, 3 sc in corner

I made this from I Love this Yarn in Orange and Brown with a J hook.

Star Spangled Afghan

I'm heading to another one of my buddy's weddings this weekend, and that means another blanket.  Their wedding colors are navy and cream, so I pondered for a while what I would do with those colors.  Here's what I came up with: using stitch 25.  I like how this ended up, it looks kinda like the stars on the United States flag.  If I ever crocheted a flag, I'd use this stitch for the stars.  In any case, I'm very pleased with this afghan and hope the newlyweds will be as well.

Color Pattern:
1 row of navy, (1 row of cream, 2 rows of navy) repeated, ending with 1 row of navy and a navy border.  

Here's how to make it:

Chain 152, then work stitch 25 until work reaches desired length.
Add this border and you're done:
Round 1: sc around, 3 sc in corner
Round 2: dc around, 5 dc in corner
Round 3: sc around, 3 sc in corner
Round 4: dc around, 5 dc in corner
Round 5: sc around, 3 sc in corner

I used I Love this Yarn in Navy and Cream with a J hook to make this. 

It took 3 skeins of cream, and 8 skeins of navy to complete this.