Hexagon Baby Blanket

So, my cousin is having a baby soon, and her shower is on Saturday. I decided to make her a blanket, and since I love hexagon "squares," that was what I used to make her blanket. 

She's having a boy, so I decided on some pretty bold colors. Although, I think they would really work for girls, too. But baby girls generally get boring pale colors, a tradition I intend to break if I ever have a girl.

I used Red Heart Love yarn...because I was at Walmart when I bought the yarn, and I liked the colors and the yarn was passably soft. Having worked with it now, I don't love it, but I don't hate it. I reminds me of the texture of the Lion Heart Vanna's Choice yarn. Good not great. It's just not as soft as my beloved I Love This Yarn. Another note: I used three skeins, and they combined to barely make one baby-size blanket. And it's a newborn size blanket. Keep that in mind if you decide to use their yarn.

Hexagon Baby Blanket

Yarn: Acrylic
Hook: J

If you've ever made a granny square anything, this is very similar. You'll make a bunch of hexagons, and you'll combine them together in whatever pattern you want. You will be using a cluster stitch a LOT. And here it is:

Cl: Yarn over, insert hook, yarn over, draw through a loop, yarn over, pull through two loops, yarn over, insert hook, yarn over, draw through another loop, yarn over, pull through two loops, yarn over, insert hook, yarn over, draw through a loop, yarn over, pull through all loops.

If that seems like a lot of yarning over, it is. But it works up quickly.

Hexagon pattern:
Ch. 4. Join to 1st ch with a slst to form a ring. Ch. 2. [Cl, ch. 2] 6 times in ring. Connect to first cl with a sl st.

Ch 2. *[Cl. ch 2. Cl.] Ch 1.* around. Connect to first cl with a sl st.

Ch 2. *[Cl. ch 2. Cl.] in the same st. Ch 1. Cl. Ch 1. Cl. Ch 1.* around. Connect to first cl with a sl st. Fasten off.

Join the second color in any corner. Ch 2. *[3dc, ch 1, 3dc in the corner]. 3dc in each ch1sp.* around. Fasten off.

Make as many hexagons as you need to make the size you want. To join your hexagons together, I like this method. But I ended up doing my own version of this method because I couldn't remember how to properly do it. My way definitely creates an edge along the join, whereas the other method makes the project lay flat. I've used the other method before on the one other blanket I've made, and I prefer it. But here's how I did this one, just in case you're interested:

Hold two hexagons together. Join the yarn in the corner of both pieces (You will be making all the sts in both pieces unless otherwise noted). Ch 1. Sc in the same corner as join. Ch 2. Sc in the space between the corner and the first group of 3dcs. Ch 2. Sc in the next sp. Do this until you reach the corner. Sc in the corner, then take ch 1. Take the next hexagon piece you will be adding, and sc the two pieces you want to join. Continue the pattern, using a ch 1 and a sc to join in new pieces at the corners.

Does that need more clarification, or does it make sense? Please, please, please let me know if that description is fuzzy at all or if you have any concerns/questions. Thanks!

Crochet Boot Cuff Pattern

Around Christmas time, I wanted a new project. I was bored, and I wanted something fun to do that wasn't a Christmas present. So, I browsed through my Pinterest crochet board and found this blogpost. While I like a lot of them, this one stood out to me, and it's the one I decided to make. I made it without the little frills at the top because I didn't like the way they turned out. After I had made a few pairs to give away, I saw this version of boot cuffs, and I really liked the idea of taller top. Hence, my own pattern was born. It's essentially the same techniques as the ones used in the pattern I made before, but I tweaked it to make it my own. Here you go.

For perspective, these measure about 5 1/2 inches from top to bottom. I would call the size about a Medium, but you really can adjust these to whatever size you want REALLY easily. I'll explain how in the pattern.

Crochet Boot Cuff

Yarn: I Love This Cotton! - but really, you can use whatever normal weight yarn you'd like. Heck, you can even go lightweight on these puppies, but I probably wouldn't go bulky weight unless you don't mind, ahem, bulky boot cuffs.
Hook: size I (5.5 mm) - I used this hook mainly because it was the size listed on the yarn.

Row 1: Ch. 15. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook and in each st across. Ch 2. Turn.
Row 2: Dc in each st across. Ch 1. Turn.
You will repeat these two rows until you reach the desired length. I worked until it was 30 rows, and then I sl st the two sides together. Make sure you end on a "Row 2" row.

After connecting, do not fasten off. Flip your project inside out so that the seam is on the inside.
Round 1: Ch. 1. 2 dc in the first ch 2-sp. 2 dc in each ch 2-sp around. Join with a sl st to the first dc.
Round 2: Sl st to the space between the first 2 dc cluster. Ch 2. 2 dc. 2 dc in the space between each cluster. Join with a sl st to the first dc. Repeat this round twice more to make four rounds. Fasten off.

If you don't like the line that inevitably follows connecting two pieces using sl sts, then feel free to sew them together. I am lazy, and I liked the way sl st allows for this to be made in one piece. 

Let me know what you think of the pattern! Does it need more clarification, or does it make sense? Thanks!

Wrap-Around Toddler Slippers Crochet Pattern

I'm sure you all have seen at least one iteration of these baby booties, whether knit or crochet. I saw a pattern for a crocheted version a while back that I liked, but they didn't fit my baby then (or now). I wanted to make him some slippers, and I saw the knit version. I thought they looked simple and cute, so I decided to try making my own crochet pattern so they'd actually fit.

What I like about these is that they are easily adjustable. I made them to fit about a size 5 foot, but you can easily adjust them a little bigger or smaller. The key is in the sole. To make them bigger, you can change the second rounds of single crochets to half double crochets, or you can change one of the rounds of half double crochets to double crochets. To make them smaller, change one or both of the half double crochet rounds to single crochet. For the wrap-around part, the number of chains corresponds to the number of stitches around the sole, minus eight. This will not change with any changes you make to the sole, unless you take stitches out there. Therefore, if you want to make it smaller/larger, just change the stitches that you're using - change the single crochets to half double crochets/double crochets, or vice versa. Or, you can change the yarn weight and hook size.

The boy would not stand still so I could get a good picture of the slippers on his feet. My husband had to hold him to keep him from running away, and the bubs was still kicking his feet and stomping.

Wrap-Around Toddler Slippers Crochet Pattern

Hook size: I Hook
Yarn: I Love This Cotton! Bright Green for the soles and Bright Teal for the wrap-around pieces
Sole:
Rnd 1: Ch 15. 2 sc in the 2nd ch from the hook. Sc in the next 12 sts. 4 sc in the last st. Continuing around the back, crochet in the next 12 sts. 2 sc in the last st. Do not join. Use a stitch marker (bobby pin or safety pin or official "stitch marker" or something) to mark the first st of each round - moving it up as you go. (You should have 32 sts.)

Rnd 2: 2 sc in the first st from the last round. 2 sc in the next st. Sc in the next 12 sts. 2 sc in each of the next 4 sts. Sc in the next 12 sts. 2 sc in each of the last 2 sts. (40 sts)

Rnd 3: [2 hdc, hdc] twice. Hdc in the next 12 sts. [2 hdc, hdc] four times. Hdc in the next 12 sts. [2 hdc, hdc] twice. (48 sts)

Rnd 4: [2 hdc, hdc, hdc] twice. Hdc in the next 12. [2 hdc, hdc, hdc] four times. Hdc in the next 12. [2 hdc, hdc, hdc] twice. Join to the next st with a sl st. Fasten off. Weave in ends. (56 sts)

Wrap-Around:
Row 1: Ch 49. Sc in the 2nd ch from the hook. Sc across. Ch 1. Turn.
Row 2: Hdc across. Ch 1. Turn.
Row 3: Sc across. Ch 1. Turn.
Row 4: Hdc across. Ch 1. Turn.
Row 5: Sc across. Ch 1. Turn.

Row 6: Hdc across. Ch 1. Turn.
Row 7: Sc across. Fasten off. Weave in ends.

To sew the two pieces together, first mark off the top eight sts on the sole - using your preferred method of stitch marking. Starting at the st right outside of the marked eight sts, sew the wrap-around piece to the sole. 

When you get to the end, criss-cross the ends, and sew them into the top eight sts. Fasten off and weave in ends. 

To get these to actually stay on my toddler's feet, I had to sew the two sides of the wrap-around together. I would suggest marking how high you need to actually go while they are on your baby's feet.

Crochet Cotton Cowl

It's been a long time since I last posted. But, one of my New Year's resolutions is to get back into posting. :) Without further ado, I bring you my Crochet Cotton Cowl. I used the I Love This Cotton! brand because, quite frankly, I love this cotton yarn. It is very aptly named. It is soft and easy to work with. And it is soft. So soft. There are lots of things you can make with cotton yarn - not including everything you can make with acrylic yarn - but I feel like it doesn't really get its due because it so often associated with cheap cotton, like the Lily Sugar n' Cream stuff. Which is...fine. It's just cheap yarn. It's like getting the Red Heart Super Saver acrylic yarn. I've heard there are ways to make it softer, but they involve lots of work and fabric softener. Which I don't use because my toddler has uber-sensitive skin. So, I would be buying it just to soften up yarn. At that point, am I really saving money? I think not. Thus ends my rant about the merits about spending that extra dollar to get the good stuff. Ahem. ANYWAY...

This is a very repetitive pattern. You'll see the same rounds repeated over and over again.

I will call the colors A, B, C, and D. A is "Pewter", B is "Bright Teal", C is "Bright Green", and D is "Rosey II". I used a J Hook (6 mm).

Round 1: Start with color A. Ch 120. Connect with sl st to form a ring, making sure that you don't twist the ch.

Round 2: Ch 1. Sc around in the back loops. Join with sl st to the first sc.

Round 3: Ch 2. Dc in first st. Ch 1. Sk next st. [Dc, ch 1, skip next st] around. Join with sl st to first dc.

Rounds 4-5: Repeat round 3.

Round 6: Repeat round 2.

Round 7: Change to color B and repeat round 2.

Rounds 8-9: Repeat round 3.

Round 10: Repeat round 2.

Round 11: Change to color A and repeat round 2.

Round 12: Repeat round 3.

Round 13: Repeat round 2.

Round 14: Change to color C and repeat round 2.

Rounds 15-17: Repeat round 3.

Round 18: Repeat round 2.

Round 19: Change back to color A and repeat round 2.

Round 20: Repeat round 3.

Round 21: Repeat round 2.

Round 22: Change to color B and repeat round 2.

Rounds 23-24: Repeat round 3.

Round 25: Repeat round 2.

Round 26: Change to color A and repeat round 2.

Rounds 27-29: Repeat round 3.

Round 30: Repeat 2. Fasten off.

Join color D anywhere.
Round 1: Ch 1. Sc twice. Ch 2. Sk 1 st. [Sc twice. Ch 2. Sk next st] around. Join with sl st to first sc.
Round 2: Sl st to the first ch2-sp. Ch 1. Sc in same ch2-sp. [Ch 3, sc in next ch2-sp] around. Join with sl st to first sc. Fasten off.
Repeat on other edge. Weave in ends.

Toddler Neck Pillow

Ok. I have said before that I do not sew. And this is true. Mostly. However, sometimes I get sick of crocheting. Especially when I've been racking my brain, trying to think of cute, creative things to crochet for this blog. So I needed a break. And I needed a neck pillow for my toddler for some long driving trips we're going to be taking fairly soon. Yes, I could have crocheted this, but that would necessitate using small, tight stitches like single crochets. No project made out of single crochets comes together quickly. In case you haven't noticed, I am all about quick crochet. I get bored with projects fairly easily. In all my years of crocheting, I have made one blanket. And it was a lap blanket. Made out of hexagons. I was totally going to be crafty and make blankets for all my family for Christmas. This grand scheme turned into the actuality of one lap blanket. But I'm pretty proud of it because it is the biggest crochet project I've ever completed. Now. Back to the neck pillow.

I found a pattern from Hiragana Mama on Pinterest, and I used that as my template. I had to change it a little bit to fit my son's neck. I don't know if my son just has a thick neck or what (completely possible - he's a big kid), but the neck hole on the pattern was too small for my son. I tried the paper pattern around his neck, and he complained that it was too tight. So, I adjusted it to his neck. Paper is easier to cut (and way cheaper), so make sure that your paper template fits before you cut out your fabric. I just used freezer paper, since I have a ridiculous amount of it, and it's huge and great for patterns. I used some dinosaur flannel that I've had sitting around for about two years. It was originally going to be pajama bottoms for my older son, and then my younger son was born, and it was going to be bottoms for both of them. But it never happened. So I decided to finally use it and make this pillow. It's nice and soft. As my son said this morning when he tried it on, "It's so warm and cozy!" I don't really know if I want it to be warm since part of our travels will be in the summer, but, hey. He likes it.

So, I think the reason I don't like sewing is really I don't like cutting out the pieces of fabric. I don't cut very evenly, and then everything gets misshapen when I sew it together. This time I think I did ok.

Except for a couple spots. Like this one.

Do you like the spread of the pins? I ran out towards the end, and there are fewer on the left than the right. But, it's fine. It held together perfectly well.

Lest you think this neck pillow is perfection itself, I will draw your attention to where I stuffed the pillow... and hand-stitched it together. 

Ah, well. I still have much to practice. And since practice makes perfect, you will probably see more sewing projects mingled with the crochet ones. My son's latest request: a backpack. And an airplane. So keep your eyes peeled for a crochet airplane and a sewn backpack. They will be coming soon.

Dress-up Crown Crochet Pattern

This morning my little boy was watching Creative Galaxy on Amazon Prime while I got ready for the day. Apparently they made a paper crown on the show, and my son decided he wanted one. He asked me to make a paper crown. I am not a paper crafter. Plus, a paper crown would last about five seconds with that very active child. So, I told him I'd make him a yarn one. It only took me all day (because we had errands to run), but by 6:30 pm tonight, I had finally finished! And he loved it. I think it turned out pretty cute.

Yes, I am a paranoid parent who doesn't want pictures of her children on the internet...also, sorry for the quality of the pic.

I used some really thick acrylic yarn that I had left over some project. A project so long ago that I don't remember what brand it is (or what the project was...). It's not bulky weight, but I'm pretty sure it's a little heavier than the normal Red Heart cheap stuff. I used a J hook because it was so thick. This fits the head of a three-year-old, but it would probably fit older kids, too. And younger if they have big heads. My kid's head is in the 50th-ish percentile for his head, so...if that gives you an idea of size.... You can change hook size and yarn weight to make it bigger or smaller.

I crocheted this in rows, but I think next time I will connect it at the beginning (and as I go) so that I don't have to sew it together. It ended up looking really weird where I sewed it up.

I am not a seamstress.

Ok, all the italicized notes below probably make this pattern look kind of daunting. It's really not! It's just more than a bunch of sc and dc in a row, and I wanted to break it down.

Also, I have boys, so this is a very plain, simple crown. If you have girls, or older boys/boys who just want more embellishment, make these puppies pretty...or handsome. Flowers and jewels would definitely be fun. My son is a toddler and doesn't care that much. He just wanted a crown.

Dress-up Crown:

Row 1: Ch 55. Sc in the 2nd st from the hook. Sc across. Ch 1. Turn.
Row 2: Sc across. Ch 1. Turn.
Row 3: [(Hdc, dc) tc (dc, hdc) sc] Repeat this pattern around. Ch 1. Turn. Ok. This one is a little bit tricky to explain but really easy to do. In the first st, you will make both sts that are listed in the first parentheses (hdc, dc). In the next st, you'll make the tc. In the st after that, you'll make the two sts in the next set of parentheses (dc, hdc). Then, in the st after that, you'll make an sc. And then you'll repeat the whole thing over and over again until you reach the end. 
Row 4: [Sc. Sc. Ch 2. Tc. Ch 2. Sc. Sctog] Repeat around. Fasten off and sew two sides together. For the sctog on this one: If you look at the sts after the one you just did (the sc), you will see three more sc in a row. You are going to ignore the middle one and sctog the two on the ends. Does that make sense? Sorry, I didn't get a picture.

Crochet Pacifier Clip Pattern

A couple weeks ago, my mom sent me a pin on Pinterest for this blog post. I thought it was a fun idea, but I didn't really do anything with it until Friday night. And I was doing it off of memory of the picture in the pin. So, the only thing these clips really have in common with the clips from the other post is the way they attach to the pacifier. Looking at the pattern now, it seems fairly complicated, so I'm kind of glad I just made up my own. But it really is a good idea, so I ran with it. I didn't want to do animals, so I made a flower, a baseball, and a heart.

The heart was made using this pattern. Oh my gosh, friends. So easy. And it's different from every other heart pattern I've seen. I like it. The pattern for the baseball and flower are below.

Guys, these clips come together so quickly. They're so easy. You'll be really surprised how long it does NOT take to make these.

Strap:

Row 1: Ch 36. Sc in 2nd st from the hook and across. Turn.

Row 2: Ch 1. Hdc across. Turn. 

Row 3: Ch 1. Sc across. When you finish the last st, instead of turning or fastening off, ch 10 and connect to the other side of the end (see picture). Fasten off.
Note: Make sure you leave a nice long tail. Patterns always say that, but this time I actually mean it. That way, if you can't get the shape at the top to fit through the hole, you can add more to it. Plus, if you make it too short, that string WILL come out. If you look closely at the flowered strap, you can see the stitching at the bottom coming out. I don't know what I was thinking when I cut that. I was watching a movie...so I was a little distracted. 

Flower:

Round 1: Ch 3. 10 dc in first ch (3rd ch from the hook). Connect with a sl st to the first dc. 

Round 2: Ch 1. In same st, sc. In next st, make 3 dc. [Sc in next st, 3 dc in st after that] around. Connect. 

Round 3: Ch 1. In same st, sc. In the next st, sc. In the st after that, make 4 dc. [Sc, sc, 4 dc, sc] around. Connect. Fasten off. 

Sew flower to strap. 

Baseball:

Round 1: Ch 4. Connect. 8 sc in center. Connect. 

Round 2: Ch 1. 2 sc in each st around. Connect.
Round 3: Ch 1. [Sc, dc] around. Connect.
Round 4: Ch 1. [Sc, sc, dc] around. Connect
Round 5: Repeat round 4. Fasten off.
Then, with red yarn and a yarn needle, stitch the red lines.


Now, for all of the strap toppers, I made matching shapes to go on the back. There was a lot of ugly stitching from where I connected the shape to the strap. Also, I haven't figured out what kind of clip I want to attach to these. So, right now, the backs look like this:

Here's what they look like attached to a pacifier. It's kind of a pain to shift it through the little loop, so, if you're having a hard time with getting it through, just make the loop a little longer.