Friday, July 5, 2013

Owlet

Little Owlet







This little owl can keep you company on those lonely nights when you can't fall asleep. After all, she'll be up anyway.

Head & Body
Using the magic loop method, work 6 single crochet in the ring and pull it tight, and prepare to work in the round
Row 1: Work 2 sc in each stitch (12)
Row 2: Work *1 sc in next stitch, 2 sc in next stitch* around (18)
Row 3-9: Work 1 stitch in each stitch around
Row 10: Work  *1 sc in next stitch, 1 sc in next 2 stitches* around(12)

If you want to add safety eyes, this is the point to do it. Also, it helps to add at least some stuffing here, as it gets a little harder once you've got the whole body made to get enough stuffing all the way down to the head.


Row 11-13: Work 1 stitch in each stitch around
Row 14: Work *1 sc in next stitch, 2 sc in each stitch* around (18)
Row 15: Work *1 sc in next 2 stitch, 2 sc in each stitch* around (24)
Row 16-20: Work 1 stitch in each stitch around
Cut thread  and stuff

Base of body
Using the magic loop method, work 6 single crochet in the ring and pull it tight , and prepare to work in the round
Row 1: Work 2 sc in each stitch (12)
Row 2: Work *1 sc in next stitch, 2 sc in next stitch* around (18)
Row 3: Work *1 sc in next 2 stitches, 2 sc in next stitch* around (24)
Cut thread and attach to bottom of body.

Wings (make 2)
Using the magic loop method, work 6 single crochet in the ring and pull it tight , and prepare to work in the round
Row 1: Work 2 sc in each stitch (12)
Row 2: Work 6 stitches, chain 1, turn

Row 3:  Skip 1 stitch, work 5 stitches, chain 1, turn
Row 4:   Skip 1 stitch, work 4 stitches, chain 1, turn
Row 5:   Skip 1 stitch, work 3 stitches, chain 1, turn
Row 6:   Skip 1 stitch, work 2 stitches, chain 1, turn
Row 7: Skip 1 stitch, work 1 stitches, chain 1, turn
Cut thread and sew to body

Enjoy! :)

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Midnight Top

This top is made in 2 pieces, but can be made in 1 if you don't mind the lace facing differently. There is some minimal seaming, but its just side seams, and some grafting if you want the lace facing the same way. This top offers a lot in the way of customization, so instead of line-by-line instruction, this is more of a guide to help you make a top that fits you.







Thursday, May 2, 2013

Free Pattern - Spiral Pouch

Spiral Pouch

Purses. They always contain too much stuff. The thing you want is always at the bottom of the bag. It's a mess. I for one, am sick of it. If you're with me, let's make a pouch. Together, we can build a better future, where things are organized, and you don't have to dig through a huge pile of stuff. Just a small pile of stuff, which is conveniently in pouches.

Unless you're already an organized person. Then, you're already ahead of the game, but you're still welcome to make a pouch. :)

This is really more of a recipe, you can use any needles and any yarn to produce any size bag. The one pictured was made with worsted weight yarn, using size 7 double pointed needles (dpns). I also think these would make super cute gift bags, worked up on larger needles, or over more stitches. I'll probably try that on the holidays.

Saturday, April 20, 2013

Summer Stripes




This summer tube top is the perfect way to use u leftovers from a big projects, and it's super cute, too! The instructions are for a size 36/38C chest, but after the instructions, I provide the formula I used to create it, so you can customize it to any size you need, theoretically from child to all sizes of adult.

This pattern makes use of short rows, and if you're unfamiliar with them, Knitty has a pretty good tutorial, though any other method or tutorial that you're comfortable using will do the trick, this isn't a very picky pattern, and doesn't require a specific method.

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Cuppycake Potholder

Cuppycake Potholder

    This is a very simple pattern, and very open to adaptation. The following is to produce a potholder identical to mine, but feel free to adjust this pattern to suit your neds, or to use the chart for something else entirely.
    This pattern makes use of double knitting, which creates a reversable fabric with the added benefit of being twice as thick, to protect your hands from the heat. For safety, you MUST use a flame-resistant fiber if you intend to use this as a potholder. If you’ve ever done a burn test, you’ll know that synthetic fibers like (acrylic or nylon) or a plant fiber (like cotton or linen) will melt and burn, respectively. This is true even in a blend. I recommend 100% wool, but feel free to stash bust some other, more luxurious fibers, if you wish.

Gague: 5 stitches by 6 rows per inch
Finished Measurements: 4 inches by 5 inches
Needles: Size 7
Yarn: I used Worsted weight yarn, but maintain a similarly tight gauge when substituting

To begin, cast on 20 stitches, holding two strands as one. If doing a reversable design, the two strands will be different colors, but if the design is to be the same on both sides, it’s possible to use just one center-pull ball, using strand from the center and the outside. Then, knit the first 2 rows, seperating the individual loops to back a “back layer” and a “front layer”. The front layer faces you, and the back layer faces away from you, but both sides are stockinette on the outside. The wrong side of both layers are facing each other. Knit two rows plain, then begin the chart. After the chart, knit 2 more rows plain, then bind off all stitches.

If you don’t want to go to the trouble of double knitting, it is of course possible to knit this twice and seam it together in the end.



Thursday, March 21, 2013

Valentine Hearts


Valentine Hearts
This pattern is for three different sized hearts. The smallest really needs no stuffing, though it is possible to do if you like it to have a more full appearance. The smallest ones, I designed to be part of a garland, but of course, you can do whatever you want with them.

These hearts are easy to make, easy to customize, and easy to love! Perfect for beginners who want t practice increasing and decreasing, they'll fly off your needle in no time. This is also a good proect for beginners, because tension is relatively unimportant, so you can take whatever yarn and needles you have, and start right away. The only guideline I'd offer is to use a relatively tight tension, to prevent the stuffing from showing through or leaking out; this is especially important if you're giving this as a gift for a small child, as the stuffing can be a choking hazard.


Tampa Hat




I have a friend who lives in Tampa for college, and the weather has been a bit chilly for Florida, so she asked for a hat and scarf. This is the hat. 

Lacey Kerchief

This is the second part of a mulit-part series of kerchiefs I plan to
make. I love making lace, and I love having things to wear
over my hair on chilly or windy days, and these are perfect
for both those times.

The lace for the center panel is from a stitch dictionary,
and it reminds me of cables because of its strong vertical
lines and the sinuous twisting of the diamonds. The
written pattern for the kerchief makes it look much more
complicated than it really is. It's very intuitive, so this
should be flying off your needles in no time!