Free Pattern: Faux Broomstick Lace Scarf

Faux Broomstick Lace Scarf Pattern

 copyright Oct. 1, 2014 Cynthia J Luciene

(you may share this pattern with a link back to this page.  You may not sell the pattern but, of course, you may sell anything you make using this pattern or stitch pattern.  Most of all, have fun!)

Size "S" Hook (I think it's the biggest one that is made, usually blue plastic as shown below:)

3.5 oz worsted weight 4 yarn (I love Debra Norville)

Stitches you will need to know:

single crochet (sc)

chain stitch  (ch)

3dc cluster stitch (see directions below*)

*y.o., insert hook into indicated stitch, y.o., draw through, y.o., draw thru 2 loops on hook; repeat from * 2 more times; y.o., draw thru all four loops on hook; 3dc cluster made

Begin by ch 15

Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, and in each ch across; ch 2, turn  (14 sc)

Row 2:  *skip 1 sc, work 3dc cluster in next; repeat from * across; ch 1, turn  (7 - 3dc clusters)

Row 3:  work 3 sc in top of each 3dc cluster across; ch 2, turn;  (21 sc)

Row 4:  *skip 2 sc, work 3dc cluster in next; ending with 3dc cluster in last sc; ch 1, turn  (7 clusters)

Row 5 - ? :  Repeat rows 3 & 4 until scarf is desired length; use left over yarn (if there is any) to make fringe, if desired.

Even with the high level of pain in my hands while crocheting, I managed to make this in a half a day.  It would probably take anyone else only a few hours to make but I'm not sure.  Please let me know what you think, and how long it took you to make this scarf, if you make one.  Thanks so much, God's blessings to you and yours.

Great Sites For Crochet Bikini and Cover-ups That'll Make You Want To Start Hooking

Pinterest is a great place to find patterns for crochet as well as photos that may give you lots of inspiration or motivation to crochet.

Here are some of my favorite bikini pattern and inspiring photo links for bikinis and cover-ups for the beach.

Babyblog    This is  a Russian site and if you translate the page you won't, unfortunately, find a pattern for this suit but it's one the best I've seen and could be great inspiration to make a bikini similar or just like it.
 

Crochet Vs Ethnic: The call of the jungle   Not a pattern either but I really like the use of a lacy poncho over a crocheted suit for the beach or desert.  Only thing is, I wonder what my tan would look like if I wore a poncho like this all day.  

Kool Bikini Dot Com This item, the "Hand Crochet Bikini Cover-up" sells on KOOL Bikini site for $28.  Looking at it I am pretty sure anyone who knows how to crochet could probably make this look the same (or darn close to) the one you see below.  If anyone requests, I can try to come up with a very similar pattern (I don't want to infringe on anyone's copyright).  I chose this as a great site because it has tons of inspirational photos for an experienced crocheter to get ideas from.  

I chose this photo in particular because this skirt has lacing up the sides that are not just a fashion statement but they are functional and can be adjusted for nearly any body type.
  ( I also chose it selfishly for myself because it's the perfect cover-up to hide my old age sagging skin when I wear a swim suit, heh heh)

Revolve Clothing   lists the unikini (uni-kini) they call "The Throwback Crochet Swimsuit" for $175 and they are currently out of stock for this item.  Does that motivate you to pick up a hook??  Does me!  In fact I'm modifying a previously posted bikini top to something like the one pictured below but I'm "winging it" and didn't write a pattern for it.  It would be fairly easy for someone with crochet experience to use one of my bikini top patterns (find them by using the search box for this blog at the top right of any post) and then to add the bodice (between panties and top) and attach it to a bottom.  

You could even attach the top-bodice ensemble to a pair of swim suit or bikini bottoms you already own (fabric!) by embroidering a blanket stitch (click here to view tutorial on wikiHow) around the top edge of the bikini bottoms (this makes a loop for you to insert crochet stitches into). Then you are able to attach your crocheting to your fabric bikini bottoms (or a skirted bottom if you prefer) by using any of the smaller common crochet stitches such as a slip stitch or single crochet depending on the look you want to achieve.  A half double crochet might be a bit chunky depending on the size of your yarn or thread but would prove to be more sturdy than the other two stitches I mentioned.

Ok, that's it for now I realize there aren't that many on this list but I'll continue to post similar photos with links and I'll find some great sites or blogs that actually have patterns for you as well.  

I hope you've been charmed or inspired or motivated to begin a bikini or swim suit of your own.

Bye for now, God bless you and yours.

~ Cynthia 

Vintage and Antique Crochet Button Bracelets by Grandma Rupp

My grandma was a very crafty lady.  She and my grandpa lived in a mobile home community where there was a recreation room that held craft-type classes for the residents of the mobile home park.  I remember some of the things she made like Lady bug refrigerator magnets made from felt, bean bag frogs, the pattern I still have and still make one of these for a gift once a while; and she crocheted jewelry like rope necklaces made from tiny beads and very fine crochet thread, and...
My very most favorite of all her craft projects, these beautiful bracelets crocheted with antique and vintage glass buttons.  

Grandma Rupp's button bracelet #1

Most of the buttons are glass, some are plastic but still very beautiful

The inside view of Grandma Rupp's Button Bracelet - pattern coming soon !

I'm posted a lot of photos of the bracelets hoping you would be able to get the feel for the way they are made.  I haven't written a pattern for these yet, I'm still trying to find a way to get the buttons to be placed where I want them to be rather than where the button thinks its position on the bracelet ought to be.  It's a lot more challenging than it first appears because of the variances in size and weight of the buttons being used. 
Here's another button bracelet my grandmother made:

As you may be able to see that the only stitches used to make this bracelet are 5 ch st and a sc in the next ch 5 loop.  Looks easy right?

I tried to position the bracelet so you could see it at another angle and how it is constructed with simple crochet stitches

I like that you can see the stitches between buttons in this view, and that you can see my favorite buttons - the small multi-colored glass ones to the left and one toward the center of the bracelet

It ought to be noted that Grandma Rupp used an elastic crochet thread - where she found this foil-wrapped elastic thread I'll never know, I've been searching for something similar to it for a long time.  I find the elastic crochet thread fairly easily but I'd prefer to use something more fancy than the ones I've come across.   I think Granda Rupp's choice of the gold foil wrapped thread was perfect for the bracelets it really pretties them up even more than just the buttons which are beautiful in themselves.

Obviously the pattern is simple:  ch 5, sc in next loop, the question lies in the button placement so I am working on figuring that out.  It would be easier to see if I wasn't distracted so much so often, lol.  (2 dogs, 3 cats, a really cute physical therapist, a very handsome occupational therapist, a fairly tall, and dark and handsome registered nurse, and a social worker who all come different days, different times of the the week.  Oh yea, throw in phone calls and me catching up on stupid cell phone games. )  I want it to be easy so I'm probably making it too hard and when I get frustrated I have to put it down and walk away to clear my head.  A lot can happen to make me forget to go back to it and there it may lay on the dining room table for days, quietly waiting for me to finish what I started with it.  I'm not very good at sticking with one thing till it's done, I don't know about you but I have quite a few crochet projects waiting for me to "get back to them".

Hopefully a pattern will be coming soon, or one of you will figure it out so that the buttons lay nicely as they do on these bracelets and post it.  If that happens, please come to this post and share your pattern link in the comments below.

Thanks for coming with me for a blast to the past.  Have a blessed day!

Crochet Motif Patterns (Japanese)

I've been slacking on blog posting and the promise of Japanese crochet motif patterns.  Hopefully these will make up for my neglect, enjoy and let me know what you plan to make with one or more of these..

Note: If you want to print these out it's best to right click on the image and download it to your hard drive and print it from there.

Note (last one lol) if you pray and believe God answers prayers, please scroll to bottom for an important prayer request, thank you, God bless you.

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On a personal note; I  met a woman on the bus tonight, her name is Denise.  We got to talking and she ended up telling me a horrible story about her 6 year old grand daughter, whom she was heading up to see at the hospital near my house here in Las Vegas.  Long story short, apparently the little girl was pushed out of a two-story window by her aunt who had her for the weekend - and the little girl sustained major brain trauma and a massive skull fracture.  She's recovering quickly from two surgeries but the perpetrator in this case needs to be brought to justice for the little girl's sake.  God sees it fit to heal her, (Thank you God!) let's give God a little nudge (or a big one!) to make sure the person, whomever it turns out to be, who did this to her won't be able to hurt her or any other child again.  Thank you for your prayers, God bless you and .  *The little girl's name is Jalynn.*  Thanks again, I know God will hear our prayers.

Another Way To Learn Symbols

Here's another way you might find easier to learn the symbols used in charted patterns for crochet projects.  It's only the basics but the images clearly show the symbols and what they mean to you as you crochet.  This is especially for those brand new to symbols and charted patterns.

I found these images in my files and thought they may be useful to someone just starting out.  If you have any questions feel free to post in the comments below.
Have a blessed day

Japanese Motifs With Charted Patterns #31-44

Here are more Japanese crochet motifs I promised you, with the charted patterns for each.

  I posted most of the chart symbols in an earlier post called "Teach Yourself How To Read Charted Crochet Patterns"  so don't let the charts intimidate you if you've never tried using them before.  I found the charts to be much easier and faster to get through than a written pattern.


A Note On Printing The Images:
 The side bars on this blog put a lot of restrictions on images and they may overlap into them and I don't know how your printer would handle this overlapping, if it does occur.  To get a clean print of each image, right click on the image you want to print and choose "view image".  This ought to open a window (or tab) where you can see only the image you clicked on.  From there you can enlarge the image to it's original size so you can actually see the chart symbols without squinting!  YAY!  
Now that you see only the image you want, once again right click on the image and choose "save image as.." so you can save it to your hard drive.   The image will be  is saved you can use your computer's image manager to print it out.  Or you can do what I usually do (to save paper and ink).  I don't bother printing the patterns, I just leave them on my computer and use my computer as a pattern reader, organizer, - a virtual storage for all the patterns I hoard and I can also keep track of all the WIP I have going on at any given time (which is something I try not to pay too much attention to, ha ha)

 If you make anything using the motifs I've posted - or even dream up what you'd like to do with the motifs, leave your ideas in the comment boxes with the number(s) of the motif(s) that you chose for  your project.  I'm thinking about adding a link with my email (yikes! Scary!) so you can send me photos of your creations and I can post them periodically as they come in.  It's just a thought right now so don't look for an email button yet.  heh heh...

Enjoy these beautiful motif patterns, I love to browse through them and just look at them for motivation and inspiration - they're so beautiful.  Japanese crocheters have a marvellous talent with hook and yarn or thread.  I've been discovering the advanced crochet techniques used in other countries besides Japan and am very impressed and amazed by their creations and designs.  I'll be sharing more and more of our crocheters across the seas in upcoming posts.

Have a very blessed day! 

 -------Speaking Out because if I don't say anything I might as well be helping the terrorists myself------------------------

Warning:  The following is getting political and speaks out about Mr. Obama.  If you find this to be offensive to you please stop here.  If you don't want to be blind to what our own president has done, continue reading.  I will not debate anything I write below this paragraph.  Everything stated here is true and factual and can be backed up with actual video and documentation that the Egyptians are happy to share with us.   The rest of it is my opinion and is not debatable because I said so.  I've never been so outspoken about anything political my whole life.  I never saw a need.  Today I see that silence and ignoring what is going on could have terrifying effects on our country as we have always known it. 

Keep the beautiful country Egypt and her people in your prayers please.  They are being tormented by Muslim Brotherhood extremists - terrorists.  My Egyptian friend who resides in Egypt tells me much about what goes on there.  She is a beautiful woman who tries to help America by telling us what our own president has done that aided the extremists of the MB.  Egyptians do not hold Americans accountable for Obama's actions and refusals to take action.  They only hold Obama himself responsible for much of what is happening in their country today.  My friend and most other Egyptians have been trying very hard to warn us, to show us, to tell us what Obama has done and what his intentions are, for months and months - maybe longer but I only know it as being the past six months or so. 
I will not sit by and do nothing and say nothing.  Since I can't pick up an assault riffle and go to Egypt myself to help ward off the terrorists and stop them in their tracks, I feel it is my duty as an American to speak out and try to get the word out, try to get people to react and do something so that what is happening in Egypt doesn't end up happening here in America.  They terrorized us once, on 9-11.  They continue to keep our sense of terror heightened by building a mosque at Ground Zero, organizing a million Muslim  march to Washington DC - on 9-11, and on and on the list goes. 

(below is mostly my opinions but they are based on facts)

I am not a hater of anyone's religion (except that of the Satanic cult, I suppose).  I do my best to practice tolerance, patience, and acceptance of the views of others especially their religion.  It is the terrorists I hate, the Muslim Brotherhood extremists who have vowed to kill all who don't convert to Muslim because "god" told them this is what they must do.  In the name of their "god". 
President Bush did great things after the attack on 9-11.  He brought our country together as one: United we stood.  There were no Republicans, Democrats, whites, blacks, browns... We were all Americans and we all stood by our flag and our Constitution and by our President.  President Bush stepped up to the plate and did everything necessary to make sure we would be safe, that we would feel safe once again, that the people responsible for the attacks that day would be held accountable and, well, that we were going to kick some ass!  I had great confidence and trust in President Bush.  I believed what he told us because I knew he loved our country the same as we all did. 

I do not have this same trust and confidence in our current president.  I do not believe he has our country's best interest at heart.  I do not feel safe.  I do not know that my life, liberty, and my Constitutional rights are safe and protected. 
The Egyptians are experiencing first hand what Obama has done to help the very
people he's supposed to be protecting us from.  I fear to think what he would do - if anything if we were faced with the same terrorism that Egypt is facing today.  

Again, please keep Egypt and her people in your prayers and pray hard that enough Americans take heed to what Egypt is telling us and something is done to stop the terrorists - and Obama - before they turn on America.

Crochet: Another Idea For Bag Handles

I have made and sold or given away a ton of crocheted bags.  I was using the Fat Bottom Bag pattern for most of them, it was easy since I had the pattern memorized. 

I really enjoyed being creative with the bags, with the lining, embellishments, yarn colors, etc.  What I didn't enjoy was seeing the prices of bag handles shoot through the roof at Joanne's.  (Michaels no longer carries bag handles, I'm sure you already know). 

I couldn't afford to spend ten dollars on just the handles alone so I started getting creative there too.  Joanne's had unfinished rattan wooden handles that were only $2.99.  (They're 4" rounds)   For each handle I used a single crochet all the way around the handle, keeping my stitches tight so it would look neat and not bunch up when the bag was being used.  Here's a close up of what the handles ended up looking like and I think they came out pretty good.  (This is the bag my doctor's wife chose and purchased from me.)

Note:  The yarn, so pretty, is Deborah Norville (now Premier Everyday Soft Yarn) in Toasted Marshmallow. 

And the bag:

I found that shell button at Michaels and made a flap with a button hole in it for closure.  The shell, yarn, and lining all together was striking. 

This bag cost a total of only $15.00 to make; I sold it for $65.00.

Do you have any ideas for bag handles that would save in the cost of materials for your crocheting?

Have a blessed day!

Japanese Crochet Tiny Flowers

Here's a sampling of some of the Japanese Crochet I posted on Pinterest tonight...
I'm not posting the graphic pattern for it here because it doesn't fit the window because of the sidebars.  If you want the graphic pattern for these flowers go to my Pinterest page and find the Japanese Crochet board.  (Clicking the link will open a new window)  There you'll find the photo (same as below) Plate 48 and near it ought to be the Graphics Plate 48 which has the patterns on it.

Enjoy!  I think these are SO beautiful!  What would you use them for?

Japanese Crochet Flowers Plate 48

Have a blessed day!

Japanese Crochet - Tiny Flowers and Bows With Diagrams

I promised to post a few every day, here you go...  There's more on my Pinterest Board "Japanese Crochet".  It's probably easier to print from the Pinterest site rather than from this blog site due to the size of the .jpg file, running over into my sidebars.

I love these little flowers, so pretty.  I've made them using a size 6 or 7 steel crochet hook and size 10 crochet thread.  They can also be made using a size A or B hook and a size 3 crochet thread.  I haven't tried making them with a worsted weight (4) yarn but I'm sure they would come out fine using an F or G hook to keep the stitches tight and neat looking.

Enjoy!

There are many tutorials or directions for how to read diagrams, you don't have to be able to read Japanese to create these cuties. 

Japanese Crochet Motifs

I don't know about you but I'm fascinated by Japanese crochet.  They create such beautiful, lacy and sometimes intricate crochet, I just can't resist sharing it with you. 

If you don't already have a Pinterest account, go get one.  Really.  It's a great place to search for and then browse through thousands upon thousands of crochet images for inspiration.  I've found that most images on Pinterest for crochet are linked to a pattern that is usually free.

I've been posting my Japanese treasures on Pinterest.  You'll see images of beautiful edgings and motifs that have a graphic pattern that you can follow.  Most of the Japanese crochet is made using crochet thread.  You can use a size 10 crochet thread with a size 7 steel crochet hook or I like to use a size 3 crochet thread with a size B hook.  You can adjust your hook or thread according to the effect and size of finished product that you desire.

Most Japanese books are full of so many beautiful patterns and thanks to the graphics you don't have to be able to read Japanese.  The books also have many photo tutorials that demonstrate stitch techniques.  I promise you that a Japanese crochet pattern book is a great investment. 

Here's an example of a Japanese pattern I posted for you on Pinterest:

Pretty, right?  This is just one example of the beautiful Japanese crochet I have in store for you.  Go to my Pinterest page and look for the board called Japanese crochet. I just created this board so check back often because it will be growing everyday.  It is a painstaking task, to ready these images to post on Pinterest so it may seem slow but that's why.  I'll try to do a little everyday, like I said.  If you follow the board you'll be notified of a new pin, just make sure you have that option checked in your settings on Pinterest.

Hope you like this pattern page.  There's a lot more coming.

Have a blessed day, smile and bless someone else's day!

A So. Cal. Winter Scarf Pattern

Here's a pattern - really easy - for a scarf that can be worn almost all year round.  It's especially good for a southern California winter when you don't need a ton of warmth because - even though you're standing in the snow, the sun is shining and warm.  The scarf is light and airy but provides just enough warmth and style for a nice winter day.

Pattern: So Cal Winter Scarf

Pattern Note:  V-Stitch is (DC, ch 1, DC) all in the specified stitch


I ball bulky yarn.  I used Sensations Angel Hair available at Joann's.
Size S crochet hook

Row 1: ch 13, sc in second chain from hook and in each ch across  (12 sc)
Row 2: Turn,  ch 4, dc in first sc (beg V-stitch) *skip 2 sc, V-stitch in next sc  three times. Dc in last sc. ch 1 turn.

Row 3: sc in each dc and ch 1 space across.

Repeat rows 2 and 3 until scarf is desired length.  I found 1 ball of angel hair was the perfect length scarf.

You can reserve the end of the ball and use the remaining yarn to make fringe for each end of your scarf.  Either way it looks great.

I used a partially used ball of angel hair to make a cowl, using the same pattern and just slip stitching the ends together to form a circular scarf.

This is more for looks than warmth, although it does keep the back of my neck warm.  ;-)

Crochet Pattern: Delicate Flower Motif

Delicate Flower Motif: Free Crochet Pattern
copyright 2012 by Cynthia J Luciene aka anitalite

Finished Size Larger Motif:  2 7/8"
Finished Size Smaller Motif:  1 1/4"

Materials:
size 10 thread in colors of your choice. I used pink for the color A and green for the color B.
size 6 steel crochet hook
large eyed needle for weaving in ends

Special Stitches:
TrTrCluster; (following ch 4) yo twice, insert hook into next st, yo, draw through st, (yo, draw through two loops) twice, *yo twice, insert hook into same stitch, yo, draw through stitch, (yo, draw through 2 loops on hook) twice, repeat from * once more, yo, draw through all 4 loops on hook. TrTrCluster made.
(It's easier than it sounds)
Tri-picot: (ch3, sl st in 3rd ch from hook)3 times, sl st into top loop and front post of sc just worked (previous to tri-picot) to close picot.

Instructions:

Using color A (pink), ch 7, join with sl st to form ring
Round 1: ch 1, 16 sc inside ring, join to first sc with sl st
Round 2:  ch 1, sc in same st; *ch 4, TrTrCluster in next st, ch 4, sc in next stitch; repeat from * 8 times; after last ch 4, sl st to beg sc to join.
Fasten off, weave in ends with large-eyed needle

Attach color B (green) at top of any petal with sc, (ch 7, sc in top of next petal) 8 times - at last ch 7, sl st into top of first sc to join.
Round 2: sl st into ch 7 loop, ch 1, (12 sc inside ch 7 loop) 8 times.
Round 3: sl st in next two sc (first two sc of next 12 sc group) ch 1, *sc in next 4 sc, tri-picot, sc in next 4 sc, ch 4, skip 4 sc (last 2 of same 12 sc group, first 2 of next 12 sc group); repeat from * around, ending with sl st into first sc made of this round.
Fasten off, weave in ends.

Space filler motif: (smaller motif - optional)

 With color A, ch 4, join with sl st to form ring.
Round 1: 8 sc inside ring, join with sl st
 Round 2: ch 1, sc in same as ch 1, *ch 2, dc-cluster in next st, ch 2, sc in next; repeat from * around, ending with sl st in first sc made.  Fasten off, weave in ends.
Attach color B to top of any petal with sc
Round 1: *ch 5, sc in next sc, ch 5, sc in top of next petal; repeat from * around (8 ch 5 loops); join last ch 5 to first sc with sl st
Round 2: sl st into next ch 5 loop, 6 sc in each ch 5 loop around, sl st to first sc to join
Fasten off, weave in ends.
Use this smaller motif to fill in spaces as you sew work together, if desired, depending on how you choose to put the larger motifs together.  It can be done in several ways, experiment and see which way you like best:

Crochet Pattern: Tuxedo Baby Bib

This is what I did today in a matter of about half an hour.  This is my boyfriend's niece's baby, what a cutie pie he is.  He makes a great model, far better than the stuffed pig I was going to use.  lol...

Crochet Pattern: Tuxedo Shirt Baby Bib
copyright 2012 by Cynthia J Luciene

Pattern Notes:  ch 3 at beginning of row counts as first dc for that row so you will skip making a dc in the very first stitch in the row (because the ch 3 is your first stitch) except in the first rows where you are increasing or working sc.

Body of bib:
Start with white Lily's Sugar And Cream 100% cotton yarn (worsted weight) or another cotton yarn of the same weight (category 4).

Using an H hook,  ch 17.

Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each rem chain; turn (16 sc)

Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as dc),  dc in same st as turning ch, dc in next 2 sc, FPDC in next sc, dc in next 2 sc, FPDC in next sc, dc in next 3 sc, FPDC in next sc, dc in next 2 sc, FPDC in next sc, dc in next 2 sc, 2 dc in last sc; turn

Row 3: Ch 3,  dc in same as turning ch, dc in each dc, BPDC in each FPDC, 2dc in top of turning ch 3; turn

Rows 4-5:  Follow stitch pattern for rows 2, 3 increasing by 1 dc at beginning and 1 dc at end of each row.  (DC in each DC, BPDC in each FPDC, FPDC in each BPDC.

Rows 6-13:   Work even as follows: ch 3 (counts as first dc) dc in each dc, BPDC in each FPDC; turn, ch 3, dc in each dc, FPDC in each BPDC.   Don't forget to make a DC in the top of the ch 3 turning ch which is counting as the first DC of the row.  This keeps the edges smooth instead of bumpy.
(Do not fasten off)

Shoulders:
(RS facing, shoulder on the right)
Rows 1, 2:   ch 3, dc in next 5 dc, turn 

Rows 3-5   ch 1, sc in each st across  - do not skip the first st as you did when ch 3 was a dc.  (6 sc in each row).  On last row of sc, do not turn but ch 52 for tie.  Fasten off.

(RS facing, this will be for shoulder on the left)
Rows 1, 2   (Attach to the top of the ch 3 from row 13 of body of bib with a tight sl st) ch 3 (counts as first dc) dc in next 5 dc, turn

Rows 3-5: ch 1, sc in EACH dc (do not skip first st), turn
(Do not fasten off)
Chain 52, fasten off, weave in all ends.

Edging:  Attach white to upper left shoulder of bib with a sc, sc evenly in ends of rows and in unused loops of the beginning ch 17, and up the other side in ends of rows.  This will give the bib a nice finished look around the edges.  Fasten off, weave in ends.

Bow Tie:
With black, ch 6
Making all of the following stitches inside the first ch (6th chain from hook):
3DTRC, ch 6, sl st, ch 6, 3 DTRC, ch 6, sl st.
Holding bow tie horizontally, sc around middle of tie to accentuate the "knot" a bit.  Leave ends long so you have plenty to tie the bow to the bib and weave in ends so there's no chance of bow coming off of bib and creating a choking hazard.

Buttons:
Using black and a yarn needle, make buttons down front of bib, underneath the bow with a satin stitch.  You can also use real buttons but I wouldn't recommend it because they are a potential choking hazard.

  You may sell anything you make using this pattern but you may not sell the pattern.  You can freely distribute the pattern by using a link back to this page only.  If you make and distribute hard copies of this pattern please be sure to include this blog Name and Web Address on the paper copies and print this page in it's entirety:  *Cynthia's Cynfully Spiffy Stuff  http://anitalite.blogspot.com*  Thank you and enjoy!
copyright 2012 by Cynthia J Luciene

Jade Textured Fat Bottom Bag

In the previous post I ranted on and whined about having to sell the house I've lived in for 52 years, and said I had to put crocheting on the back burner.  Well, somehow I found time to crochet and found it to be very relaxing and fulfilling.

Instead of crocheting night and day I decided that I had to set aside some time for myself everyday to do what makes me feel good.  With that goal in mind I managed to squeeze in enough time to (almost) finish another Fat Bottom Bag.  I am pretty proud of this one, if I do say so myself.  I was afraid the lining wouldn't go with the yarn well enough but it does the job as far as matching, well, blending with the yarn and adds a twist to the semi-rugged looking textured yarn that I used:

Handles purchased against my will at Joann's for about $7.00.
Yarn, purchased at Joann's for $9.99 per skein and I used 2 skeins.
Lining also purchased at Joann's was only a couple bucks.

When you add it all up, selling the bag for $60 barely covers the cost of materials and definitely doesn't leave much for all my laborious hours of crocheting and sewing spent on this project.  I think I'd have to charge $80 for this bag and others like it that I use the expensive Red Heart Boutique Changes yarn.  (This one in the color Jade).  Especially if I use the expensive store bought handles.  I had these handles on hand, I wouldn't have gone out to purchase them for this bag - I could have crocheted a nice set of handles that would have been just fine, as I did for the Grey Textured Fat Bottom Bag in a previous post.  I had plenty of yarn left over to make handles but this bag happens to be for a friend whose favorite color is green and I wanted it to be especially nice for her as she's a specially lovely lady.

You're seeing photos below of a bag not quite done yet but I couldn't wait to post the bag; as I said, I'm pretty proud of this one.  What do you think?  Should I add an embellishment to the outside like a flower or bow or should I leave it as is, leaving it up to the beautiful textured yarn to be decorative enough on it's own?  Leave me a comment below and I'd surely appreciate your input.  ;-)

The handles aren't attached yet so they look cock-eyed. lol  (Lining below)

My stupid camera decides what colors things will be, not the objects that I'm shooting.  I don't know enough about digital cameras to adjust the lighting settings and all that stuff.  One of these days..  Anyway, the lining is much more green than it appears here, and so is the yarn for the bag, for that matter.  It is a deep, lightly dark shade of jade and the sparkly yarn in this skein is tinted green as well and it all blends beautifully together.

So - let me know what you think:  Embellishment or no embellishment.  If you think it needs something to spruce up the outside of the bag, what do you think would work well with all that texture?  There's a solidish ribbon, the metallic yarn, a heavier fuzzy yarn, a boulce', and others that make up the textures in the yarn.

Crochet Tip: Using Your Machine To Sew Fabric To Your Crochet Project

If you're like me you spend a lot of time trying to figure out an easier, faster way of doing things that bore you.  Don't get me wrong, I love to crochet and I love to sew - on the machine - hand sewing is not my favorite, or fastest thing to do.  It takes me what seems like forever to hand sew a lining in one of my bags.

I had a thought, tried it, and it worked just fine.  The thought came when I was hand sewing lining into a Fat Bottom Bag.  I thought, "There's GOT to be an easier and faster way to do this!  What would Mom do?"  That's when the thought came to me.  Mom would have used Freezer Paper and sew it on the machine!
The problem I had when trying to sew the lining with the machine before this was unfruitful.  It came out horrid because the pressure foot kept tugging and catching on the crochet work I did and the thread would all bunch up making one hundred stitches in the same exact place - the work would not move forward.
All I had to do was put freezer paper between the pressure foot and the crochet work and TA DA!  No more catching, bunching, and each stitch went exactly where it was supposed to, one right after the other in a neat line.  Yea.  Thanks Mom!

You'll need:
Freezer paper, or Parchment paper would work just the same
The fabric lining for your bag (or other crocheted item)
Your crocheted bag
A sewing machine

Several of you have asked about stitch length....

**Set your stitch length to one you would use for everyday, medium weight fabrics.**  I haven't tried a zig zag stitch yet, nor have I tried a top stitch setting (where the machine makes a triple stitch) but I'd like to try and I'll let you know how it turns out.

Just put the paper next to the teeth that push the material along (for which I cannot remember the real name of at this moment!  ack!) , under the presser foot.  The place your work, with the fabric lining pinned into place, on top of the freezer paper, underneath the presser foot as well.

As long as you don't go off the fabric, don't stray onto the crocheted part of your work, this trick should work just fine.

Once the lining is sewed in, just remove the paper, one side at a time, tearing it carefully away from the machine stitching.

(I don't have an example shot just yet of this action because I didn't think to share this with you until I was all done with this bag but next one, if need be, I'll post the photo of actually pulling the paper away from the stitches.  For now, this is what it looks like to pull the paper away from stitches I made in an hand towel. lol)

It's best to do one side and then the other to make sure you don't pull any stitches too hard and pull them out.  Any little bits of paper that may stay stuck in the stitches of your work can easily be pulled out with your fingernails or tweezers, but I don't find that very many little bits are stubborn this way, they mostly come out when you pull the paper away.

That's It!  I hope this made something easier and quicker for you.  I do like the results of hand sewing my linings in my bags but when it comes to being cost effective for a boutique sale or craft fair, machine sewing is the only way to fly.  We spend enough hours on our crocheting - my doctor figured out I get about 12 cents per hour for my crochet work at the prices I sell my items for.  Save time, save money, save your fingers, save yourself.  Use the machine whenever you can!  ;-D
If you found this post to be useful, please indicate by leaving a comment below.  Also, if you found it to be boring or dumb, please feel free to say so.  I like to share my secrets but don't want to if I find out everyone already knows everything!  lol
Do you have a question about crocheting or sewing that we can help answer for you?  Is there something that's been on your mind that you've always wondered about either of the two?  Let me know in the comment section below and I'll see what we can do to find the answer for you.  Maybe it's something you just discovered yourself, put that in the comments too and I'll create a post for and by my readers that shares tips like this one (without the photos and extreme explanations).  It would be nice to help each other by sharing our knowledge, don't you think?  It'll be kind of like Heloise's book of household tips except it'll be this blog and about crocheting.  We'll see.  Maybe we could get together a book like that - I don't believe there is one out there.  We'll see.
Gotta go!
Have a great day, God bless you!

Crochet News: A Quick And Easy Idea For A Doily

Thanks to Craftgawker.com I found a blogsite called "These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things" and a post called "Quick And Easy".  It is a short post but well deserving of your attention.

Olivia, the blog owner of Favourite Things posted an idea for using doilies that most of us have laying around or stashed in our linen cupboards.  It's a simple yet very creative idea for displaying earrings!

Simply put a doily in a embroidery hoop that matches it's size (or  better) .  Olivia's doily looks like it fits in the hoop perfectly but mine did not but I like the effect anyway.  It gave my earring hoop a lacy pretty edging:

I added ribbon to the outside of the hoop and tied the little bouquet of silk flowers to the top.  That's it!  So easy!  This is really only suitable for the "hook" type of pierced earrings, I tried with other styles but it was a lot of trouble getting them on and off the doily without the whole thing crashing down.  Maybe I'm just clumsy. ha ha. 

Isn't that about the easiest, prettiest thing you ever saw?  Thank you Olivia!  Please follow the link to her post and leave a comment to tell her what you think!

Have a great day and God bless you and yours!

On The Crochet Menu: Another FBB

What's on the crochet menu today?  Another FBB (Fat Bottom Bag), one I hope to sell very soon.  Many ladies are presenting a great interest in the bags since my friend - who goes to the hospital for treatments for Lupus - brought her FBB I made her to the hospital and the nurses there saw it and wanted to see more of them.  The nurses told my friend they would like to have a FBB like hers, proving my point in my previous post that word of mouth is the best method of advertising.

Here's the latest addition to my FBB inventory (below) and following this post is a quick (and easy) photo tutorial on how I made the handles for it.  Let me know what you think in the comments below, your comments are always welcome!

I made the flowers and leaves using size 3 crochet thread and a size 3 steel crochet hook.  I tend to like the thread flowers better than worsted weight but it really depends on each individual bag that I make.  Each one has a personality of its own.

By luck the lining I chose matches the thread I used for the flowers perfectly.  The purples and blues are really pretty against the black body of the bag.  I found this material at Jo Ann's in the designer area of the fabric section.








I was disappointed in the handles at Jo Ann's that day and was shocked at the prices of them.  They've gone up quite a bit and my little cheapy stand by handle - the unfinished rattan round handles  that were $2.99 are no longer available there.  Only the finished rattan handles were there and priced at $5.99!  I wasn't about to pay that much for a rattan handle so I decided to follow my boyfriend's suggestion, to look for cords or braids in the trims section and make my own handles.  Below is what I did to make a 3/8" cording work as handles for this bag.  If anyone has any better ideas about how to make handles, please do comment below!  Anyway, here's what I did:

 Before cutting your twisted cording wrap scotch tape around the ends and cut in the middle of the tape so both ends of the cut are held in place and will not ravel.  I only purchased one yard of this cording for the handles at a couple bucks a yard.   I cut the cording in half and used half a yard for each handle.

To ensure the cording won't ravel, apply a good amount of glue to all ends and allow to dry well on waxed paper.
This will also make a barrier so when you sew the ends together the stitches won't pull through and come apart.

In a zig-zag pattern, using heavy duty thread and needle, sew the ends together.  Go all the way around the cording with your stitches so it doesn't wiggle with a gap or bend funny.  You won't be able to get the needle through the glue you applied earlier so just stitch on the other side of the glue barrier.  I enlarged the photo so you'd be able to see how I made the stitches for this.  It doesn't look very pretty but it serves a good purpose and it won't be seen when the bag is put altogether.

To make sure the corded handles didn't slip around while being used, exposing the ends stitched together, I tacked the stitched part of the handles to the bag's handle flaps smack dab in the middle of the flap. 

Now all that's left is to secure your handle flaps over the handles and you're done.



Please leave feedback in the comments below.  I appreciate your views and suggestions and conversation more than you know.  Thanks for stopping by, I hope I at least inspired you to make something beautiful today.

God bless you and God bless America - One Nation Under God... United we stand, divided we fall.
Ronald Regan said, "If we forget we are a nation under God, we'll be a nation gone under".