Jack Skellington baby hat

Materials:
Red Heart SuperSaver (100% acrylic), White
Red Heart SuperSaver (100% acrylic), Black

Body Pattern (in white):

To end each row, join last stitch to first stitch using a slip stitch.

To begin new row, chain 2 (does not count as first stitch).

Round 1: Using magic circle, make 10 DC in loop. Join last stitch to first stitch using slip. (10 stitches)
Round 2: Make 2 DC's in each stitch. (20 stitches)
Round 3: *2 DC's in first stitch, 1 DC in next stitch*, repeat for entire round. (30 stitches)
Round 4: *2 DC's in first stitch, 1 DC in next 2 stitches*, repeat for entire round. (40 stitches)
Round 5: *2 DC's in first stitch, 1 DC in next 3 stitches*, repeat for entire round. (50 stitches)
Round 6: *2 DC's in first stitch, 1 DC in next 4 stitches*, repeat for entire round. (60 stitches)
Rounds 7-16: DC in each stitch, repeat for entire round. (60 stitches)

Eye Pattern (in black, make 2):

Round 1: Using magic circle, make 6 single crochet (SC) in loop. Join last stitch to first stitch using slip. (6 stitches)
Round 2: Make 2 DC's in each stitch. (12 stitches)
Round 3: Make 2 SC's in each stitch. (24 stitches)
Round 4: *2 SC's in first stitch, 1 SC in next stitch*, repeat for entire round. (36 stitches

The mouth and nostrils were free-form using slip stitch surface crochet, with stitches visible on the inside of the hat. The eyes were sewn through only the front stitch, so those stitches aren't visible on the inside. 

Featured Store: Logan's Loops

This week's featured store is Logan's Loops!

My sister, a work-at-home mom, just launched her new Facebook store page. She's currently offering 10% discount to new customers who "like" her page and use the code WelcomeLL at checkout on Etsy.

With football season in high gear, she's created an original pattern for these adorable football baby hats. Each hat is a custom order, available in any size and color, with or without ear flaps. Her hats are made with 100% acrylic yarn for easy cleaning.

Please check out Logan's Loops on Facebook & Etsy. 

---

Featured Store will be a regular feature on this blog, highlighting an Etsy shop or blog with cute crocheted goods. If you'd like to have your shop featured here, please leave your name & link in the comment section. 

Wool Diaper Soaker

For all those cloth-diapering mamas, here's a wool diaper soaker.

Wool diaper soakers, or pull-on covers, can be used over cotton flat or prefold diapers, instead of traditional "plastic pants" or PUL diaper covers. Wool is very absorbent, making it perfect for nighttime use. It's also a breathable fiber, even when damp, which allows air to circulate and dry the diaper out quickly.

Materials:
Alpine Wool (100% wool roving) - Bay Leaf, by Lion Brand Yarn
Alpine Wool (100% wool roving) - Vanilla, by Lion Brand Yarn

Pattern:
The pattern was inspired by Woollywumpkins Easy Soaker Pattern. This pattern is available for free on Ravelry and is currently a free download on the Woollywumpkins website. However, it's written in British crochet, and the instructions call for a crocheted body with knitted ribbing around the waist and legs. The wool diaper soaker I made was created entirely with crochet, and has several changes to the original pattern.

Care Instructions: 

After use, the wool diaper should be air-dried in a well-ventilated area. Poop should be washed off (using a mild detergent) and then air-dried. Every few weeks, the cover should be washed with a wool-friendly detergent (like Marseille soap) that won't strip the natural greases from the wool. A small amount of vinegar may be used in the rinse cycle to soften the wool. Occasionally, the diaper should be treated with lanolin to treat the wool and improve absorbency.

Striped Elf Hat

I was testing some pattern concepts, so these are actually toy-sized hats (for a stuffed animal).

Materials:
Everyday (100% Acrylic) soft worsted by Deborah Norville - Really Red

Everyday (100% Acrylic) soft worsted by Deborah Norville - Snow White

Hamburger & Sundae Dresses

With Halloween just 2 weeks away, I thought I'd post some amusing crocheted costume ideas:

  

These were both made by Joy Kampia-O'Shell, an artist who specializes in fibers. Her website says that the food dresses sell for about $900, and are one-of-a-kind pieces. She also sells smaller items on her Etsy shop.

Although she doesn't post or sell patterns, I'm definitely feeling inspired to create some wearable crochet!

Baby elf hat with tail

Crocheted baby elf hat with tail, with swirling colors. Don't mind the yarn strands hanging off the tail, I haven't bothered to tuck in the ends yet! I was thinking of attaching a pom-pom to the end, but I'm still deciding...

Materials:
Red Heart SuperSaver (100% acrylic yarn), Shocking Pink

Red Heart SuperSaver (100% acrylic yarn), Baby Pink

Red Heart SuperSaver (100% acrylic yarn), White

Pattern:

Start with a magic circle (with all 3 strands of yarn) with 3 double-crochet (DC) stitches of two colors and 2 DC's of the third color. To change colors, just pick up the next color strand and continue crocheting, so there is no need to tie off and tuck in ends. The entire hat was crocheted in the round, so there aren't any "rows" - which eliminates the need for slip stitches and chain stitches.

Once the tail is sufficiently long, increase by 2 stitches each round (2 DC in one space, 3 DC, 2 DC in one space, 4 DC), and continue increasing by 2 stitches with each subsequent round (next round would have 2 DC in one space, 4 DC, 2 DC in one space, 5 DC, etc), with each increase being in the space between the increase from the previous round, until the hat is big enough to fit. Then, to end each color, 2 half-double crochet (HDC), 2 single crochet, and 1 slip stitch before tying off.

To create the ribbing, DC in each space, join round with slip stitch, then chain 2. For the next row, alternate stitches between front post & back post DC, joining each round with slip stitch and chain 2 for next round. Repeat two more times.

Crocheted Curtains

 

I fell in love with these white crocheted curtains on the Bernat website a few years ago. They have a funky modern feel, and the geometric blocks allow the perfect amount of light to shine through.

The pattern is really easy to follow, but the first couple rows require a bit of skill. It's crocheted almost entirely in double-crochet, but it's absolutely critical to count stitches for the first row!

My original plan was to create 4 panels that would be 4' x 2.5' each. I attempted it using Aunt Lydia's cotton crochet thread for a more delicate look. However, the stitches are so tiny (in comparison to regular yarn) that my hands start to cramp up after an hour or two, and progress is quite slow.

After 13 hours of crocheting, I've used 350 yards of thread, and have a curtain panel that measures approximately 2.5 feet long x 9 inches tall. I'm happy with how it looks, but I've decided that crochet thread is impractical for a project of this size.