Crochet Pattern: Favorite Beanie For A Lady

Of all the hats I've made I think I like this one the best.  It's fast and easy to make if you already know how to do the cross stitch.  If you don't know how to make a cross stitch there are several video tutorials on Youtube but you ought to be able to figure it out from the written directions below.

If you haven't already guessed, the cross stitch is one of my favorite stitches to add a lacy, textured effect to my projects.  It works well with ombre and solid yarn colors, and can be substituted for other stitches in almost any pattern you might be following.

For this beanie I used the cross stitch to give it a more lacy, lady-like effect and it looks marvelous on.  It can be worn as most beanies are,

or the bottom can be turned up to make a cuff so more of your hair shows and giving the beanie an entirely different look.

Good Beanie, Bad Photography, Really Bad Hair

Pattern For Favorite Beanie:
(Note:  beg ch 3 of each round counts as a dc)

Using an H hook and worsted weight yarn (I use Painted by Red Heart - it's a pleasantly soft yarn in beautiful colors that my photographs do not do justice)

ch 5, join with sl st to fifth ch from hook to form ring
Round 1:  ch 3, 11 dc inside ring, join w/ sl st to top of beg ch 3 (12 dc)
Round 2: ch 3, dc in same st as joining, 2 dc in each st around, join to top of beg ch 3 with sl st (24 dc)
Round 3: ch 3, dc in same st as joining, dc in next st, (2 dc in next st, dc in next st) repeat ( ) around, join to top of beg ch 3 with sl st (36 dc)
Round 4: ch 3, dc in same st as joining, dc in next 2 st, (2 dc in next st, 1 dc in each of next 2 st); repeat ( ) around, join with sl st to top of beg ch 3 (48 dc)
Round 5: ch 3, dc in same st as joining, dc in next 3 st, (2 dc in next st, 1 dc in each of next 3 st) repeat ( ) around, join to top of beg ch 3 w/ sl st (60 dc)
Round 6: ch 3, dc in same st as joining, dc in next 4 st, (2 dc in next st, 1 dc in each of next 4 st) repeat ( ) around, join to top of beg ch 3 w/ sl st (72 dc)
Round 7 - 10: ch 3, (dc in next st ) around, join to top of beg ch 3 w/ sl st (72 dc)
Round 11:  ch 3, (skip 2 st, tr in next, ch 1, tr in first skipped st)  repeat around, skipping last st and sl st into top of beg ch 3 to join.
Round 12: ch 3, dc in each tr and ch 1 sp around, sl st into top of beg ch 3 to join.
Round 13-16: repeat rounds 11-12 respectively

Round 17-18: ch 1, sc in each st around, join to first sc with sl st
Fasten off, weave in ends, enjoy!

Cross Stitch Up Close

When making the cross stitch, hold the stitches on the hook together as you're yo and drawing through, that way your stitches won't become super elongated when back tracking to the previous skipped stitches (the cross over stitch that makes the X).  Also, be careful about which tutorial videos you watch for this stitch.  Here's one that is for a dc cross stitch but it's done correctly with the same idea in mind.  With a dc cross stitch you use a dc instead of a tr and skip 1 stitch rather than 2.  I prefer the tr cross stitch, it's a much more dramatic effect and being the drama queen that I am, well, you get the idea.  heh, heh.

Crochet News: Hats Off To Christmas

...or should I say "Hats On To Christmas"?  I've been doing a lot of sitting in our dear doctor's office waiting with my son and my daughter (each having malfunctions of their very own), and while sitting for a few hours waiting to see our beloved doctor, I crochet to keep myself from going nutso. 

I purchased a big backpack-type bag at a thrift store for a few bucks and it works perfectly to carry all my stuff for crocheting in.  (Only problem is, a lot of stores won't let a person carry in a backpack to their store while shopping and want me to leave it at a register while I shop.  Yea, R-I-G-H-T!  So for shopping, the pretend Prada backpack-type bag stays home but for a doctor's office visit and trips to  friends' houses, perfect.)

Hats are in.  If they aren't, they will be by the time I get through with Christmas this year.  They are easy and fast to make and there are so many ways to make each one special for the person who'll be receiving it as a gift this year.  Last year it was Fat  Bottom Bags which everyone loved but since I line them and shop for just the right embellishment for them, they take up quite a bit of time for each bag to be completed.  The hats are more practical because of the small amount of time they take to make and since everyone is getting a homemade gift this year, that time is very important.  There's not that many days left before Christmas!  I figure a hat takes only a couple hours of non-stop work, including the flower embellishments.

Here's another hat I've been working on.  I've gotten many compliments on it which surprises me because I usually don't go out of the mainstream solid color for hats.  I don't like attracting attention to myself and stick to black or grey.  Just wearing a hat is going outside my box so a hat that is multi-colored and adorned with flowers is really going hog wild in my world.  heh, heh.  Seriously.

 The only problem I had with this hat is that the yarn is too soft and the sides rolled up instead of staying put.  It's okay apparently, like I said I got a lot of compliments on it.  I lucked out with the thread for the flowers matching the colors in the hat.  That was not planned, believe me.  I am a lame-o when it comes to matching or blending colors.

I think this is hat number ten.  But who is counting?  I'd better start counting or I may come up short for Christmas!  MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Crochet Pattern: Easy Beaded Snowflake Earrings

I have not been posting much lately due to depression and grief for the loss of my mother.  I don't think it's something I'll get over but may overcome some grief at some point.  Whether I do or not is not the point.  The point is I've not been crocheting a whole lot, nothing to mention anyway.  I do not have the energy or motivation it takes to do much of anything at all.

I wanted to do something for Christmas and these are all I could come up with so far.  I hope you enjoy them.

For Beaded Snowflake Earrings:

Materials: 
Size 10 crochet thread
Size 11 steel crochet hook
36 tiny beads, 2 small crystals
2 earring hooks (get at Joanne's) or tiny studs (with clear stone)

Follow directions from beginning to end twice.

Begin by stringing 18 tiny beads and then one crystal onto the thread
Chain 6, slide the crystal up to your hook, sl st into first ch (6th from hook) to form ring.
ch 1, sc inside ring.
** Ch 6, dc in 3rd ch from hook, work triple picot* (see instructions below), sl st into top loop and front post of previous dc, make dc in same ch as previous dc, ch 4, sc into ring**  work directions between ** and ** six times total.  Instead of working sc into ring for last repeat, sl st into first sc made to join.
Fasten off, weave in ends.
Spray heavily with fabric starch  and press with hot iron to stiffen and block; be careful not to leave iron on work too long to avoid burning starch or melting beads if you used plastic beads.
Attach earring hook (or stud) into middle of one triple picot.  Enjoy!

Triple picot:  *ch 1, slide bead up to hook, ch 2, sl st in third ch from hook*  work between * and * three times total.