crochet

A Crocheted Mermaid Tail Blanket

June 14, 2016 by Jessica 3 Comments

A few months back my sister sent me this amazing painted picture of my youngest. Long before she did that she had randomly asked on facebook about trading a painting for a crocheted mermaid tail blanket, but she of course went ahead and just did a painting as a house warming gift. The sweetest, right? I decided as a thank you to go ahead and make the blanket and send it her way. She lives in North Carolina so she will get some cold weather where she can use this for sure.

I used this free pattern and found it an easy one to crochet. It’s just such a large blanket (to me! ha!) that I would work on it some, get tired of it, take a much too long break from it, and then pick it up again so it took me a few months to finish. You basically crochet like you are making a regular blanket until it’s long enough to go from your waist to your ankles, then you connect it and start decreasing in the rows to create the look of a tail. The fin is a separate piece that you crochet and then add to the tail.

Instead of trying to do different colors of yarn I went with a variegated one instead. I used Lion Brand’s Tweed Stripes in Caribbean. It seemed very “ocean-y” to me and I love how it turned out. It creates detail without having to change the yarn constantly. I found it at our local Hancock Fabrics and JoAnns.

Of course, miss E just had to get in on the photo shoot action. She made her own mermaid blanket to model 😉

If you are looking to make a crocheted mermaid tail blanket I do recommend this pattern. Anyone else made one before? -jess

A Kid Size Crochet Granny Square Blanket

November 10, 2015 by Jessica 2 Comments

A while back (like two years ago!) I shared about starting these granny squares to create a blanket for miss E. I’m proud to say I finally finished it all up this past spring and just recently took pictures to share. I slowly worked on the squares. I think that was due to me putting them away and them becoming “out of sight, out of mind.”

I used the Pink Lavender pattern from the book 100 Colorful Granny Squares to Crochet by Leonie Morgan. I used cotton yarn by Lily Sugar n’ Cream. I know the yellow gold was discontinued, but you should be able to find similar colors to the others. I noticed they change the colors a lot or put out new colors that are very similar but slightly different to previous ones. There is another brand called Peaches & Creme (from Walmart I think) that I used as well towards the end. It was close enough to the same blue and white I needed. I’m probably the only one who can tell the difference though because I know. I used an H size crochet hook and each square came to roughly 6.5″ x 6.5″. I just kept making them until I had enough for the blanket size I wanted. I crocheted the blocks together through the back loops and in hindsight, I wish I had ended each square with the same color so the yarn I put them together with would have completely blended in. But I’m still happy with it. I didn’t worry about blocking it or anything to get it to a perfect shape.

I’m now waiting on some cold weather so I can feel more inclined to possibly start a grown up size granny square blanket. We shall see!

-jess

A Cat Dress and A Cardi

March 19, 2015 by Jessica 5 Comments

You might remember a while back when I posted about buying some hand worsted yarn at our local farmers market. I have always wanted to make a cardigan/sweater for my girls and was trying to wait until I learned how to knit. I just love all the sweet knitted cardigans and sweaters I see others make! But I found this free crochet pattern, the BeBop Cardi, and it was so cute! I knew I could do that and it would give the look I wanted.

It was really fast to make in my opinion. I had to add a few extra rows at the neck so it wouldn’t fall off her shoulders though. I just kept with the rhythm of the pattern and added decreases in each row I did extra. I kept having her try it on until I was satisfied. This probably happened because the hand spun yarn was a different weight than the pattern called for. While making it, I made sure I was within the measurements that the pattern called for to adjust for this difference as well. I think I also had to use a smaller hook to get the size I needed. I feel like I have a good grasp on crocheting now and can easily make adjustments on simple patterns like this one.

Once the cardi was made, we made a trip to the fabric store and found this adorable cat fabric at Hancocks. I created a simple sundress pattern using a dress that fit miss J. I added a lining because the fabric was sheer. I also added ties to the shoulders.

I made a hi-lo hem on the bottom.

I was going to make the back close with a button, but the fabric happened to be laying down like this and I thought it was too pretty. So I just tacked it in place.

Miss J might not get much more use of this cardi for a while as it is starting to warm up, but there is room to grow in it and then it can be passed down to miss E. That’s one of the extras of having two daughters 🙂

-Jess

Little Hearts Crochet Pattern

February 15, 2015 by Jessica 4 Comments

Any one else have yarn scraps galore? I do and I am trying to use them up, so I decided to create a little hearts crochet pattern to help in that process. I used all types of yarn and ,as you can see, that effects the size of the heart.

These are really easy to crank out and can be used to make garlands, use as present toppers, make hair accessories with, and the list goes on. So why not just sit down one day and make a bunch to have on hand for when needed? I do that with various projects and it always comes in handy when I need a quick little gift for something.

To make your own little hearts you will need:

Yarn (the thinner the yarn the smaller the heart)
Crochet Hook (the smaller the hook the smaller the heart; I used a size F)
Yarn Needle
Scissors
Printable Pattern here if needed

Terms: ch= chain; sl st = slip stitch; sc= single crochet; dc= double crochet; hdc= half double crochet

Here are the main pattern instructions all together and then below I match them up with the pictures for anyone who would like to see it step by step.

Ch. 4, sl st in 1st ch. to form ring
7 sc’s in ring, sl st in 1st sc
ch. 3, 2 dc’s in same stitch as sl st from step 2
hdc in next sc.
sc in next sc
sc, ch 3, and sc in next sc
sc in next sc
hdc in next sc
2 dc in next sc., ch. 3, sl st in same sc as the dc’s
Fasten off and weave loose ends

Tip: You can tighten the center of the heart by pulling on the beginning yarn strand if desired. I recommend doing any time after you have done the 7 sc’s in the ring. That way you have enough room to make those stitches first.

1. Ch 4

2. Sl st in 1st ch to form ring

3. 7 sc’s in ring, sl st in 1st sc

4. Ch 3

5. 2 dc’s in same stitch as sl st from step 3

6. hdc in next sc

7. 1 sc in next 2 sc’s

8. ch 3

9. sc in same sc as in last sc from step 7

10. sc in next sc

11. hdc in next sc

12. 2 dc’s in next sc and ch 3

13. sl st into same sc as in step 12. Fasten off.

14. Use needle to weave in ends.

15. Trim excess yarn.

How to Make a Pom-Pom Crochet Blanket

September 3, 2014 by Jessica 3 Comments

I recently finished making this super soft and fluffy crocheted blanket and want to share how I did it. I made it so fast and was so pleased with the end result. I have seen afghans with pom-poms on them and had been wanting to create one that would fit in with my living room.

It currently resides on this amazing chair I purchased while in visiting Virginia. And yes. I stuffed it (along with 4 other chairs) into our van to make the trek back to Louisiana. It was a good deal and I had been looking for a chair like this forever with no luck. What can I say?

This how to is a bit general, as you can make it any size you want and all. I ended up using around 16 skeins of Loops & Threads Cozy Wool Yarn from Michaels. No matter what yarn you use, pick a thick and chunky kind. There are many brands that make this type of yarn. I also used my really big plastic crochet hook. It doesn’t have the size on it, but I would say it’s around the size P. You will also need scissors, a yarn needle, and a sewing machine.

To make the blanket, you start by making the first row of chain (ch) stitches. Make this length the approximate size you desire the blanket to be. Note: The yarn will have some stretch, so pull on it to see if it will stretch much further than your desired width. If it does, make the row shorter. Then start the second row one ch away from the hook. Do double crochet stitches (dc) across. At the end of the second row, {ch 2 and turn. DC on the front loop only of the second stitch in. Continue to dc in the front loop only across.} Then repeat from { to } until it is the length you want it.

After the final row, single stitch (sc) around the edges on the blanket 3 to 4 times. This helps keep the blanket from stretching a lot on the edges. Tip: When stitching around edge, do 3 sc on the corners for a smoother edge. Knot loose ends together where you started/stopped yarn and weave in using your yarn needle. Weave beginning and ending yarn ends in as well (I also knot them around some of the yarn in the stitches for extra hold).

For the pom-poms, I made them the good old fashion way. On my hand. I just wrapped the yarn around my open/flat hand until it was the thickness I desired. Then I tied a piece of yarn around the middle. To keep these from coming apart, I sewed down the middle using a sewing machine. I was scared to sew them on the sewing machine, but it went well. I took my time and used a sewing needle for jeans as well as put the machine stitch setting on a large stitch. I kind of had to flatten the pom out a bit to fit it under the sewing foot, but they still turned out puffy. After the poms are sewn, cut off the ends and trim to achieve desired look.

I ended up making 18 poms, 9 for each side. Make as many as you like. You could do this on all four sides, but all the blankets I looked at online just had them on two sides. I kind of spaced them out to my liking and then cut a piece of yarn and sewed them each in place using the yarn needle. I made sure they were really secure and then triple knotted the ends. Trim any excess strings.

My girls have already gotten their hands on this blanket many times and it’s holding up really well. I plan to wash it as needed, according to the yarns instructions. I will probably even hand wash it to be on the safe side. I love the extra detail it adds to our living area and it will also be a great photo prop. Now we wait for it to actually cool down so we can snuggle under it and drink hot chocolate. Come on fall!

-Jess