Search Results for: applique

I am so excited that Clover USA came out with larger Clover Amour crochet hooks! These hooks are not only beautiful, but they so light and extremely comfortable. The shape and grip really lends to smooth crocheting. It feels like the yarn just glides over the hook! Dare I say making you a faster crocheter? It is possible! You may have seen the first project I made with the jumbo 15mm hook: A Basketball Rug for my boys room! Now I made a version for my daughters room: A Crochet Daisy Rug made with the 12mm hook and super bulky yarn!

One thing I love about crochet is being able to alter a pattern just by changing the hook size. You may recognize this daisy pattern. It is actually a coaster pattern by Whiskers and Wool (you can find the pattern HERE) but by using chunky yarn and a 12mm Clover Amour hook, I was able to make this daisy big enough for a rug! Use any of the large Clover Amour hooks to adjust the size of this daisy!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you to Clover USA for letting me try out the new Clover Amour Hooks and allowing me to host a giveaway! I was not compensated for this post. All thoughts and opinions are my own!

Some things go well together: peanut butter and jelly, bacon and eggs, bees and honey, and my favorite COFFEE & CROCHET! Starbucks happened to take notice of my love for coffee and sent me some samples of their Core Coffee Series! I frequently stay up late crocheting “just one more row” so this mom of 3 needs multiple cups of coffee to make it through the day 🙂  Of course there is nothing I love more than enjoying my coffee along with a little crochet time. I whipped up some fun crochet coffee mug coasters that would be perfect for a hostess gift and would also work as an appliqué. Or keep them for yourself and use the next time you have company! Free pattern is posted below!

Growing up in Seattle, Starbucks has always been my go-to coffee spot plus you can find many of their coffees (including the ones in this post) available in grocery stores! I had the pleasure of trying the Starbucks® Veranda® blend, Starbucks® House Blend, and the Starbucks® Caffe Verona® blend. The House Blend is my favorite and has been my coffee of choice for some time now but I also really like the lighter more mellow taste of the Veranda Blend. So happy to have found a new favorite! Try them for yourself and let me know which one you like best!

Row 2: SC in each stitch across, chain 1, turn (6 SC)
Row 3: 2 SC in first, SC in next 4, 2 SC in last, chain 1, turn (8 SC)
Row 4: SC in each across, chain 1, turn (8 SC)
Row 5: 2 SC in first, SC in next 6, 2 SC in last, chain 1, turn (10 SC)

Row 8-12: SC in each stitch across, chain 1, turn (12 SC) Note: chain 2 at the end of row 12.

Drop main color but don’t fasten off. Change to brown yarn, chain 1, turn
Row 14: SC in first 2, HDC, DC in next 6, HDC, SC in last 2, fasten off brown yarn
Pick up main color yarn again and slip stitch across top (of brown) in back loops only, continue to SC around edges of cup and join with slip stitch to first slip stitch, chain 1, turn,

As a new member of the Starbucks Blogger Community I will be posting several Coffee + Crafty posts sporadically over the coming year! I hope you stick around to see my coffee reviews which will always include a new free coffee themed crochet pattern or craft tutorial! Starbucks did not compensate me for this post. All opinions about the coffee and other products are 100% my own!

After almost a year in the making, I am excited to finally show you the finished Animal Alphabet Afghan!! This is a free crochet pattern! Since it has so many parts, the patterns and tutorials have been written up in different blog posts. Each animal appliqué has it’s own pattern post (all 26 of them).

The base blanket pattern (not including the border) can be found in a separate blog post as well. The blanket was made using Lion Brand Pound of Love in Antique White using the Even Moss Stitch.

The finished blanket is 37×30 inches (without the border), 41×34 with the 2 inch border all the way around. The border pattern is as follows:

Materials: 
– Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice yarn in Fern Green, Raspberry pink, Mustard Yellow, Teracotta Orange, – Colonial Blue, Dusty Purple, and Scarlet Red, and Lion Brand Pound of love in Antique White
– Size G crochet hook

Border Pattern:
With antique white (the same yarn used in the base blanket)…
SC + Chain 1, skip a stitch, SC + Chain 1 next, repeat around. Try your best to make even spaced stitches on the rough edges. Fasten off.
Round 2: With green yarn, SC + Chain 1 in each chain 1 space all the way around. When you get to the corners SC + Chain 1 twice. Fasten off.
Repeat round 2 with each color using the antique white for the last two rounds.

Many of you have already asked how to sew the appliqués and letters on. The trick is that you will want to work in-between the stitches of the blanket… This means you don’t want to work your tapestry needle through to the back of the blanket. The puffy texture that the even moss stitch created will help you do this.

I suggest laying out the appliqués and pinning them down (I used stitch markers to pin them down) before you sew them on. Just to make sure you have them all placed evenly and how you like them.
Sew the appliqués on to the blanket by stitching along the edges of each animal. You will have to switch colors as you go if the animal is made up of different colors around the edges.

If you have your own business selling crocheted items this post is for you! Even if you don’t sell your crochet but you want to show off your work on social media or on your own blog, you will benefit from this information. You always want the photo of your product to reflect the hard work you put into it. I am by no means a professional photographer but over the past 3 years I have learned a thing or two about how to stage my crochet and I’ve discovered some important tricks to taking eye-catching, pinterest-worthy pictures. My photos are still far from perfect, but below are some tips that I think might help you in your business!

1. Choose a background. In order to showcase your product, you want to place it against a clean, clutter-free background. Get rid of personal items and avoid distracting, clashing colors and patterns. In most cases, a solid color piece of paper is best. Construction or card stock paper, scrapbook paper, or even plain white printer paper can be a great backdrop for appliqués and small projects. For larger projects like hats and afghans, you will need a larger backdrop. You can get a roll of brown mailing paper at the Dollar Store! I have used this many times in my projects (like HERE and HERE and HERE). Or how about the roll of drawing paper from Ikea? A lot of you may already have this in your kids playroom. Also, a piece of white or black poster board (also found at the Dollar Store) works perfectly. HERE is an example of a project against black poster board. But the best thing I ever did was invest $29 in a vinyl backdrop. You have probably seen my faux vintage white wood plank backdrop in a lot of my photos. It is clean and neutral but provides just a little bit of texture and interest to the photo. I also like that it rolls up without crinkling and it wipes clean. I purchased the 4ftx3ft size from Ink&Elm on Etsy. If you like the faux wood look you can also purchase rolls of faux wood paper for a lot less money! I personally have THIS ONE
and have used it many times like in this project right HERE.

One more idea is to use the inside cover of book (see picture below in list item #2). This gives you a consistent background and foreground and is easy to prop up. I’ve been taking quite a few of my pictures using different hardcover children’s books that we have around the house. THIS PROJECT was taken using the inside cover of a Curious George book 🙂

2. You NEED natural light. Unless you have some sort of professional lighting studio I highly recommend refraining from taking pictures during non-daylight hours. I’ve found that the best place to position your crochet is near a window. You don’t want there to be direct sunlight (or else your photo will be washed out) but the natural light should be filling the room. Turn off any ceiling lights or lamps. You can photograph outside as well but only in a shady spot. I’ve found that overcast days are best for indoor and outdoor photos!

5. Invest in a DSLR Camera and use photo editing software. Smart phones can take OK pictures, but if you want to take it to the next level you will want a better camera. I love my Canon EOS Rebel T2i with the Macro Lens. I use it daily! The macro lens allows me to get a crisp foreground and a blurry background. I know there are other ways to achieve this but I am not a professional photographer and I really don’t understand camera settings very well. The macro lens does it for me! You can also buy a MACRO LENS
that clips onto your smart phone! I haven’t used one but I like the idea 🙂 I’ve been able to create some great bokeh in my photos with this lens. HERE is a helpful article on Bokeh and some additional information about cameras and other lenses you can use to create this affect. 

Try not to get discourage and keep practicing your photography! The goal is to attract people to your item. You want them to be interested and intrigued enough to click on it to see more. Make it stand out from the others and allow your handmade work to shine!

If any of you have other photography tips and tricks I would love for you to comment below!

Here is another way you can use my easy crochet heart pattern… to make a shamrock! Sew three green hearts together and you have the leaves. A simple chain makes a stem. I have been using my easy crochet heart pattern for so many projects: Crochet Heart Wand, Crochet LoveBug Lovey,  and my Crochet Bumble Bee. Just by using different size hooks, you can easily change the size of these hearts. I am sure you will think of many other ways to put this pattern to use!

Materials:
-Worsted Weight Yarn. I used Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice in Sweet Pea.
– Size F Crochet Hook
– Tapestry needle

Finished Shamrock measures approximately 4×4 inches.

Abbreviations:
SC = Single Crochet
HDC = Half Double Crochet
DC = Double Crochet

I hope everyone had a wonderful New Years Eve! We had a low-key evening at home with a pajama party, pillow fort, chocolate cake with sprinkles, ABC’s Rockin Eve on TV, and no set bedtime 🙂 My sweet babies didn’t make it until midnight (heck I barely made it to midnight!) and my oldest declared “This is the funnest night ever!” Mission accomplished! I whipped up these easy Crochet Popper Pouches and filled them with little candies for the kids. They look like the traditional Party Poppers but these crochet ones can be re-used! And of course they are great for any holiday or occasion. Birthday party, Valentine’s Day, classroom celebrations, 4th of July, and more! Customize with multiple colors and other embellishments (buttons? appliqués?). Fill them with candy (pre-wrapped candy is best) or small toys/trinkets. Possibilities are endless!

Materials:
– Worsted weight yarn. I used Loops and Threads Impeccable in Aqua.
– Size H crochet hook. But any size will work! The larger your hook, the larger you popper.
– Tapestry needle
– Ribbon or extra string of yarn to tie ends.
– Pre-wrapped candy or small toys.

Abbreviations:
SC = Single Crochet
DC = Double Crochet

Note: For a wider pouch, chain more at the beginning. For a long pouch, continue rows of single crochets in the middle section.

Party Popper Pouch Pattern:
Chain 16, SC in second chain from hook and the rest of the way down chain, chain 1, turn
Row 2-4: SC in each stitch across, chain 1, turn (chain 2 after row 4)
Row 5: DC in each stitch across, chain 1, turn (this will be the row where you cinch it and tie it)
Row 6-18 (or longer if desired): SC in each stitch across, chain 1, turn (chain 2 after row 18)
Row 19: DC in each stitch across, chain 1, turn
Row 20-24: SC in ach stitch across, chain 1, turn.
Fasten off leaving long tail.

Line up long edges and sew together with tapestry needle so you now have a tube.
Weave a long strand of yarn (different color is best) or a piece of ribbon between the DC stitches on either end. Fill with candy/toys before cinching the second side closed.

I had such a great response over my Santa and Reindeer Button Hat that I was inspired to make another! After a trip to Michaels Craft Store, I was armed with a bunch of cute new buttons including a set of farm animals and a flock of sheep. “Wouldn’t it be great if I could crochet a picket fence at the edge of my hat,” I thought to myself? So I broke it down in my mind… what stitch looks like the top of fence stakes… a spike stitch! And what stitch looks like the pole of each stake… that’s easy, a double crochet! Run a row of slip stitches for the horizontal fence lines and VIOLA! Don’t worry, pictures and video tutorial are below 🙂 You can find the pattern for the Crochet Barn Applique HERE.

To make the fence you need to do something unique while crocheting each stitch. You will make a color change BEFORE completing each stitch. This will ensure the stitches alternate with the proper color. The video and pictures below will hopefully clarify!

Size: 0-3 Months:
With color 1 (main hat color)
Magic Ring, chain 1 and make 11 SC in ring, join, chain 1
Round 2: 2 SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (22 SC)
Round 3: SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (22 SC)
Round 4: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next, repeat around, join, chain 1 (33 SC)
Round 5: SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (33 SC)
Round 6: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 2, repeat around, join, chain 1 (44 SC)
Round 7-18: SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (44 SC)
Now lets begin the picket fence border:
Round 19: Alternating between color 1 (green) and color two (fence color)
SC with color 1, spike stitch in next with color 2, repeat around. Join to first SC and chain two.
Round 20: DC with color 1, DC in next with color two, the colors should match up with the previous row. Repeat around, join and continue to slip stitch around bottom edge with color 2 (fence color). Fasten off and weave in ends.
With fence color, attach yarn and slip stitch between spike stitch and double crochet row. Surface Slip stitch all the way around. Fasten off and weave in ends. This completes your picket fence!

Size: 6-9 Months:
With color 1 (main hat color)
Magic Ring, chain 1 and make 11 SC in ring, join, chain 1
Round 2: 2 SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (22 SC)
Round 3: SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (22 SC)
Round 4: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next, repeat around, join, chain 1 (33 SC)
Round 5: SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (33 SC)
Round 6: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 2, repeat around, join, chain 1 (44 SC)

Round 7: SC in each stitch around, join chain 1 (44 SC)

Round 8: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 10, repeat around, join, chain 1 (48 SC)

Round 9: 2 SC in first, SC in next 11, join, chain 1 (52 SC)

Round 10-20: SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (52 SC)
Now lets begin the picket fence border:
Round 21: Alternating between color 1 (green) and color two (fence color)
SC with color 1, spike stitch in next with color 2, repeat around. Join to first SC and chain two.
Round 22: DC with color 1, DC in next with color two, the colors should match up with the previous row. Repeat around, join and continue to slip stitch around bottom edge with color 2 (fence color). Fasten off and weave in ends.
With fence color, attach yarn and slip stitch between spike stitch and double crochet row. Surface Slip stitch all the way around. Fasten off and weave in ends. This completes your picket fence!

Size: 9-12 Months:
With color 1 (main hat color)
Magic Ring, chain 1 and make 11 SC in ring, join, chain 1
Round 2: 2 SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (22 SC)
Round 3: SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (22 SC)
Round 4: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next, repeat around, join, chain 1 (33 SC)
Round 5: SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (33 SC)
Round 6: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 2, repeat around, join, chain 1 (44 SC)

Round 7: SC in each stitch around, join chain 1 (44 SC)

Round 8: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 10, repeat around, join, chain 1 (48 SC)

Round 9: SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (48 SC)

Round 10: 2 SC in first, SC in next 11, join, chain 1 (52 SC)

Round 11: 2 SC in first, SC in next 12, join, chain 1(56 SC)

Round 12-22: SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (56 SC)
Now lets begin the picket fence border:
Round 23: Alternating between color 1 (green) and color two (fence color)
SC with color 1, spike stitch in next with color 2, repeat around. Join to first SC and chain two.
Round 24: DC with color 1, DC in next with color two, the colors should match up with the previous row. Repeat around, join and continue to slip stitch around bottom edge with color 2 (fence color). Fasten off and weave in ends.
With fence color, attach yarn and slip stitch between spike stitch and double crochet row. Surface Slip stitch all the way around. Fasten off and weave in ends. This completes your picket fence!

Size: Toddler/Preschooler
With color 1 (main hat color)
Magic Ring, chain 1 and make 11 SC in ring, join, chain 1
Round 2: 2 SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (22 SC)
Round 3: SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (22 SC)
Round 4: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next, repeat around, join, chain 1 (33 SC)
Round 5: SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (33 SC)
Round 6: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 2, repeat around, join, chain 1 (44 SC)

Round 7: SC in each stitch around, join chain 1 (44 SC)

Round 8: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 10, repeat around, join, chain 1 (48 SC)

Round 9: SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (48 SC)

Round 10: 2 SC in first, SC in next 11, join, chain 1 (52 SC)

Round 11: 2 SC in first, SC in next 12, join, chain 1(56 SC)

Round 12: 2 SC in first, SC in next 13, join, chain 1 (60 SC)

Round 13-23: SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (60 SC)
Now lets begin the picket fence border:
Round 24: Alternating between color 1 (green) and color two (fence color)
SC with color 1, spike stitch in next with color 2, repeat around. Join to first SC and chain two.
Round 25: DC with color 1, DC in next with color two, the colors should match up with the previous row. Repeat around, join and continue to slip stitch around bottom edge with color 2 (fence color). Fasten off and weave in ends.
With fence color, attach yarn and slip stitch between spike stitch and double crochet row. Surface Slip stitch all the way around. Fasten off and weave in ends. This completes your picket fence!

Size: Child
With color 1 (main hat color)
Magic Ring, chain 1 and make 11 SC in ring, join, chain 1
Round 2: 2 SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (22 SC)
Round 3: SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (22 SC)
Round 4: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next, repeat around, join, chain 1 (33 SC)
Round 5: SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (33 SC)
Round 6: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 2, repeat around, join, chain 1 (44 SC)

Round 7: SC in each stitch around, join chain 1 (44 SC)

Round 8: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 10, repeat around, join, chain 1 (48 SC)

Round 9: SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (48 SC)

Round 10: 2 SC in first, SC in next 11, join, chain 1 (52 SC)

Round 11: 2 SC in first, SC in next 12, join, chain 1(56 SC)

Round 12: 2 SC in first, SC in next 13, join, chain 1 (60 SC)

Round 13: 2 SC in first, SC in next 14, join, chain 1 (64 SC)

Round 14-24: SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (64 SC)
Now lets begin the picket fence border:
Round 25: Alternating between color 1 (green) and color two (fence color)
SC with color 1, spike stitch in next with color 2, repeat around. Join to first SC and chain two.
Round 26: DC with color 1, DC in next with color two, the colors should match up with the previous row. Repeat around, join and continue to slip stitch around bottom edge with color 2 (fence color). Fasten off and weave in ends.
With fence color, attach yarn and slip stitch between spike stitch and double crochet row. Surface Slip stitch all the way around. Fasten off and weave in ends. This completes your picket fence!

Size: Teen/Adult
With color 1 (main hat color)
Magic Ring, chain 1 and make 11 SC in ring, join, chain 1
Round 2: 2 SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (22 SC)
Round 3: SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (22 SC)
Round 4: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next, repeat around, join, chain 1 (33 SC)
Round 5: SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (33 SC)
Round 6: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 2, repeat around, join, chain 1 (44 SC)

Round 7: SC in each stitch around, join chain 1 (44 SC)

Round 8: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 10, repeat around, join, chain 1 (48 SC)

Round 9: SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (48 SC)

Round 10: 2 SC in first, SC in next 11, join, chain 1 (52 SC)

Round 11: 2 SC in first, SC in next 12, join, chain 1(56 SC)

Round 12: 2 SC in first, SC in next 13, join, chain 1 (60 SC)

Round 13: 2 SC in first, SC in next 14, join, chain 1 (64 SC)

Round 14: 2 SC in first, SC in next 15, join, chain 1 (68 SC)

Round 15-25: SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (68 SC)
Now lets begin the picket fence border:
Round 26: Alternating between color 1 (green) and color two (fence color)
SC with color 1, spike stitch in next with color 2, repeat around. Join to first SC and chain two.
Round 27: DC with color 1, DC in next with color two, the colors should match up with the previous row. Repeat around, join and continue to slip stitch around bottom edge with color 2 (fence color). Fasten off and weave in ends.
With fence color, attach yarn and slip stitch between spike stitch and double crochet row. Surface Slip stitch all the way around. Fasten off and weave in ends. This completes your picket fence!

Sew on your buttons and Barn Applique (pattern HERE) and you have yourself a barnyard hat that Old Macdonald would be proud of 🙂

*** You may make and sell products from my patterns but if you do I ask that you link back to my post. Please do not copy and post this pattern and claim it as your own. Please do not re-publish photos as your own.***

Want more free patterns? Keep in touch on my Repeat Crafter Me Facebook Page for new pattern sneak peeks and daily links to my favorite free crochet patterns from other bloggers and crocheters! And feel free to post pictures of your finished hats and/or links to your shops on my Facebook wall so all can see.

Be sure to also follow me on my Repeat Crafter Me INSTAGRAM account!

A lot of you have been asking for the blanket pattern that will be the base of my Animal Alphabet Afghan. Even though I am not finished with it yet, I wanted to go ahead and show you the pattern I am working on so you can get started!

I am creating a solid color blanket using the Even Moss Stitch. This is a very simple stitch that creates a beautiful texture. It consists of a slip stitch and HDC repeating. NewStitchADay.com has a great pattern and video tutorial on how to make this stitch. You can see it HERE.

Here is my initial thought for the animal alphabet afghan: I thought the bumpy texture will allow me to easily sew the appliqués on without much stitching showing on the back (crossing my fingers that this is the case). A detailed tutorial on how to sew on the appliqués will come later, don’t worry 🙂 I also plan on either using the Moogly Crochet Alphabet to create letters that will also be sewn on OR I will surface slip stitch the letters next to the animals. I will also add a border…what kind of border? I am not sure yet… but of course I will show you when I figure that out as well. I plan on spacing them out similar to the photo below. I don’t plan on making each animal and letter evenly spaced or level. I think they will be more staggered.

Feel free to use the Even Moss Stitch for your next afghan or if you are working on the Animal Afghan OR you can crochet solid “grit stitch” squares like in my Daisy Afghan Or you could make something similar to what I did in my “I Love You Blanket.”

Answers: Across: 2. SKEIN 3. PICOT 6. YARN 8. YARNBOMB 11. GRANNYSQUARE 13. HOOK 14. SEAM 16. TUNISIAN 17. MAGICRING 18. PATTERN 19. RAVELRY 20. PLARN 
Down: 1. GAUGE 2. STITCHMARKER 4. FROGGING 5. APPLIQUE 7. AMIGURUMI 9. CROCHET 10. TAPESTRYNEEDLE 12. AFGHAN 15. WIP

My oldest is almost 5.5 and I’ve noticed a lot of his friends have started loosing their baby teeth! So to be completely prepared, I whipped up a tooth fairy pillow to hold his tooth and the money the tooth fairy brings when the big day comes 🙂 And bless his heart, my son already has it under his pillow “because that’s where I want to keep it.” This tooth shaped pillow has a smiley face on the front and a pocket on the back for the tooth/money exchange. I also included a ribbon handle so it could also be hung on a bedroom door knob.

Materials:
– White worsted weight yarn. I used Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice. And a small bit of black to stitch on the smile.
– Size H crochet hook
– Two safety eyes
– Small amount of poly-fil stuffing
– Tapestry needle and sewing needle
– Small piece of felt or fabric for the pocket and another piece in yellow for the crown (optional)
– Ribbon for the hanging handle (optional)

Abbreviations:
HDC = Half Double Crochet
HDC Decrease = Half Double Crochet Decrease

The tooth pattern would also make a great appliqué! Maybe on an afghan or hat for a dentist or hygienist friend?!

Tooth Pattern: Make 2
Chain 13, HDC in 2nd from hook and rest of way down (12 HDC), ch 1, turn
Row 2: 2 HDC in first stitch, HDC in next 10, 2 HDC in last, ch 1, turn (14 HDC)
Row 3-4: HDC in each stitch across, ch 1, turn (14 HDC)
Row 5: HDC Decrease, HDC in next 10, HDC Decrease over last two, ch 1, turn
Row 6: HDC in each stitch across, ch 1, turn (12 HDC)
Row 7: HDC Decrease, HDC in next 8, HDC Decrease, ch 1, turn
Row 8-9: HDC in each stitch across, ch 1, turn (10 HDC)
Row 10:, HDC in first 5, ch 1, turn
Row 11-12: HDC in each stitch, ch 1, turn (5 HDC)
Row 13: HDC Decrease, HDC in next, HDC Decrease, ch 1, turn
Row 14: HDC in each across (3 HDC)
Fasten off,
Join yarn to next stitch in row 10
Row 10-11: HDC in 5, ch 1, turn
Row 12: HDC Decrease, HDC in next, HDC Decrease, ch 1, turn
Row 13: HDC in each stitch across
Continue to SC around edge, when you get to the top HDC in first 6, slip stitch in next two, HDC in rest and continue to SC down the other side.

Leave a long tail on of the teeth that will be used to sew the two pieces together. Weave in all other ends.

When making the second Tooth, you will want to chain 1, turn and SC around the edge the opposite way. This is so when you match them up back to back, the SC edging will be neatly facing out on both sides.

After you have made your two teeth, you will want to add your safety eyes and stitch on a smile to one of them.

Stitch on the pocket to the other tooth. You could use embroidery thread or 2-ply yarn (4-ply yarn separated)

Start stitching your two teeth together.

When you get to the top, add in your crown and ribbon and stitch right through them!

Before closing, stuff lightly with poly-fil and then sew completely shut. Weave in ends.

So what is the going rate for a tooth these days? I was thinking a $2 bill would be fun for the first tooth lost. Maybe a 50 cent piece for the others?

Totally unplanned, my blogging/crocheting buddy Tamara at Moogly has also made and posted a pattern for a Tooth Fairy pillow today! They always say great minds think alike, right?! I adore her version! You can check it out HERE:

*** You may make and sell products from my patterns but if you do I ask that you link back to my post. Please do not copy and post this pattern and claim it as your own. Please do not re-publish photos as your own.***

Want more free patterns? Keep in touch on my Repeat Crafter Me Facebook Page for new pattern sneak peeks and when they will be available on my blog! And feel free to post pictures of your finished hats and/or links to your shops on my Facebook wall so all can see.

Be sure to also follow me on my new Repeat Crafter Me INSTAGRAM account!

Is it just me or do you sometimes find the need for some teeny tiny crochet stars?! These little cuties are about 1 inch wide and a great replacement for a button. They only take a couple minutes to make and add a nice little flair to your crochet projects. I will show you how I use them in tomorrows post 🙂

Materials:
– Worsted weight yarn
– Size G Crochet Hook
– Tapestry needle

Abbreviations:
Magic Ring Tutorial <— click link for tutorials by Petals to Picots. You will need to know how to make the magic ring for this project!
Ch = chain
SC = Single Crochet
Sl St = Slip Stitch

Star Pattern:
Magic Ring, chain 2, *SC in second chain, join to magic ring loop with a slip stitch, chain 2 and repeat from * until you have 5 “points.” Pull ring tight and fasten off. Weave in ends or leave a long tail to sew on star as an appliqué.

Happy National Donut Day! Apparently this is a real holiday that falls on the first Friday of every June. I can definitely get on board with this because I love donuts (who doesn’t?!). Plus lots of popular donut chains are handing out FREE donuts today <— click the link to see where to get your free donuts!  Of course you can also make yourself a calorie free version with these crocheted donuts 🙂 They are flat and can be used as an appliqué, coasters, play food, or perfect to chain together for some festive bunting!

Materials:
– Worsted Weight Yarn. I used Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice in Beige, Chocolate, Pink, White, and scraps of other colors for the sprinkles.
– Size H Crochet Hook
– Tapestry Needle

Abbreviations:
SC = Single Crochet
HDC = Half Double Crochet
French Knot Tutorial <— click highlighted text

Donut Pattern:
With beige yarn…
Chain 1, join to first chain to make a circle, chain 1, make 12 SC inside circle. Join to first SC, ch 1
Round 2: 2 SC in each stitch around, join, ch 1 (24 SC)
Round 3: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next two stitches, repeat around, join, ch 1 (32 SC)
Round 4: SC in each stitch around, join to first SC (32 SC)
Fasten off and weave in ends

I made two frosting patterns. One that is round and one that has a wavy edge. Use whichever you prefer or mix them up like I did!

Wavy Frosting Pattern:
Chain 1, join to first chain to make a circle, chain 1, make 12 SC inside circle. Join to first SC, ch 1
Round 2: In next stitch make 4 HDC, SC in next, *4 HDC, SC, repeat from * around. Join, fasten off and leave long tail to sew onto donut.

Round Frosting Pattern:
Chain 1, join to first chain to make a circle, chain 1, make 12 SC inside circle. Join to first SC, ch 1
Round 2: 2 SC in each stitch around, join, ch 1 (24 SC)
Round 3: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next two stitches, repeat around, join (32 SC)
Fasten off leaving a long tail to sew onto donut.

To make round sprinkles, follow this tutorial on how to make a french knot. For long sprinkles, just stitch them on with a tapestry needle. Use your tapestry needle to make a “frosted wave” as well.

When you have attached your sprinkles, sew the frosting onto the donut by working your tapestry needle under the edge of the last stitch made.

Well folks, HERE IT IS!! It’s finally finished! I decided to make this a smaller blanket (mostly because I lost patience after the first 10 squares), measuring about 2ft x 3ft. Kudos to those of you who make large granny square afghans, I don’t know how you do it! Thanks to my family who has been living under mounds of yarn and yarn scraps and who have been watching me walk around with this project, using every spare moment to crochet. If you do have the time to make one of these blankets, it would be an absolutely wonderful baby gift or perfect for a little girls room. But more than that, the color combinations you could use on this afghan are endless and the solid squares are the perfect surface to sew on any time of crocheted appliqué (animals? letters? holiday themes?) I can’t wait to see what you guys do with it!

I hope you have enjoyed the series of tutorials posted so far and will be inspired to make your own Daisy Afghan! This is the 3rd and final post where we will talk about how to crochet the border but first lets go over the materials and the tutorials that we have already covered:

This is Part 2 of my Daisy Afghan tutorial. In this post I will show you how to join your solid granny squares and then a quick look at how you can stitch on your daisy appliqué (or any appliqué for that matter). You can find Part 1: How to make Solid Granny Squares using the Grit Stitch HERE <—Click on highlighted text.

But first lets start with another sneak peek of the finished blanket! 

At the end of the last tutorial, we talked about laying your squares out in the way you want them to look in your afghan. You will want to stagger the colors and make sure two of the same color aren’t touching… this is quite the puzzle! 

To keep things consistent arrange your squares so the last row you crocheted is facing up. This way when you join, you will have a little bit of consistency in your edge stitches.

Now lets start joining all of those solid squares! There are a variety of ways to join granny squares, but I love joining these solid squares with the basic single crochet stitch. It leaves a ridge separating each square and gives the blanket texture and dimension. It really pairs well with the 3 dimensional daisy flower appliqué. I chose to join my squares BEFORE sewing on my appliqués because I wanted to make sure my flower was spaced inside the square evenly and not overlapping on an edge that needed to be joined.

Starting where the edges of your first two rows meet, join with white yarn and SC the edges together.

Make sure you keep the edges matched up. You may need to make two single crochets in some spots or even skip a stitch in other spots in order to keep everything lined up.

When you get to the end of the row, hold your next two edges together and continue to SC.

Do this until you come to the end of the row. Fasten off. 

Now do the same for all horizontal rows.

Next you will want to work on your vertical rows using the same technique.

SC over the cross sections (the point where your horizontal joins meet your vertical joins)

When you are done you can weave in your ends.

This is what the back will look like… although the back would also make a nice front as well!

Now you are ready to sew on your daisy flowers. Or any other crocheted appliqué. This blanket is a great canvas for so many things like animals, letters, or holiday themes!

You can find the Daisy Flower Crochet Pattern HERE <—– click highlight text.

I chose to put daisies on every other square but there are so many ways you could do this. You could add a flower to every square, only the border squares, only the middle squares, etc. 

To sew the daisies on, place daisy in the center of square. With your tapestry needle, sew appliqué on by weaving the needle in and out under the top of the crochet stitches that border your flower. Do this all the way around every petal. 

The back of your square will look like this. The faintest outline of a flower. I doesn’t bother me but if you would rather have completely hidden stitches you can carefully sew the flower on so your stitch only goes halfway through the square. I used this technique when sewing together the ears on my Puppy Lovey. 

Tomorrow I will show you how I crocheted the edging and I will feature pictures of the entire blanket!

I am going to share the pattern with you but will need to do it in a 3-part series because I have loads of pictures, tutorials and instructions to show you. This post is Part 1: Solid Granny Square Crochet Pattern.

So lets get start with the squares. I wanted something solid and sturdy for this blanket. I knew I was going to need to appliqué the daisies on and needed a square that could easy hold up the flower (something without a lot of holes and spaces) and I also didn’t want something too busy. Just a solid background to show off the star of the show: the daisies! After a little bit of googling and poking around on the internets I decided on the grit stitch for the squares. The grit stitch is just a little bit of a twist on the regular single crochet that leaves you with a tight texture that is firm and dense. I really think these squares would make excellent washcloth or dishcloth as well!

Materials:
– Worsted Weight Yarn.
I used Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice Baby Yarn in these colors for the squares:
Goldfish (orangish color), Lamb (cream color), Sweat Pea (green), and Pink (pink is not part of their baby line).
– Size H Crochet Hook
– Tapestry needle

You can get about 4 squares out of one skien of yarn.

Abbreviations:
Ch = Chain
SC = Single Crochet

Solid Grit Stitch Granny Square Pattern
Pattern works in multiples of 2+1
Finished size: approximately 6×6.


Chain 25 (24+1), SC in third chain from hook, *skip one chain, 2 SC in next, repeat from * until the end of your chain except you will need to make only one SC in the last chain, Chain 1, Turn.
Row 2-21: SC in first stitch, *skip one stitch, make 2 SC in next, repeat from * until the end of your row EXCEPT you will need to make only one SC in the last stitch, chain 1, turn. Please see picture to be sure you are making your last SC in the correct spot!
Fasten off and weave in ends.
If you are using this pattern for a dishcloth or washcloth I would continue to SC around entire square for a more finished edge.

Try to be conscious of your tension. You will want your squares to end up being about the same size. I fully admit that I had to frog and re-do 4 of my squares because my tension was either too tight or too loose, causing my squares to be different sizes. If they are slightly off, that is ok, they just need to be in the same ballpark. 

Still confused? Take a look at THIS great video on how to make the grit stitch by New Stitch a Day.


If you want to make the exact same blanket that I did, you will want to make 5 squares of each color, 20 squares total. Of course you can always make more for a larger afghan. I wouldn’t go any smaller.

Next order of business is to lay out your squares in a desirable pattern. This was like a crazy game of sudoku using colors instead of numbers. You don’t want two of the same color next to each other or in the same row of 4.

I’ve created a pattern for two different daisy flowers and if you follow me on Facebook, you may have seen me ask which one you like better…Because I can’t decide! My daughters room has a daisy flower theme and I want to make some sort of crochet blanket to match her decor… but I can’t decide which daisy would be best.

I think #1 is more groovy/hippie/cartoonish (the 6 petal daisy) and #2 looks more realistic. I was shocked to receive over 2400 Facebook comments about this flower! Thank you! It seems as though most of you like the realistic daisy better (option #2). I think this one is going to look great on a hat and many of you suggested layering two of them to make even more petals and dimension to it – I LOVE that idea! BUT I think I might have to go with #1 for my blanket… Once I decide on the yarn colors I will make a final decision but I think #1 will be easier to appliqué on and I like that the middle puffs out a little. It also looks cleaner and more babyish to me for some reason. When I get going on the blanket I will be sure to show all of you and then of course I will post the blanket pattern when I am finished 🙂

So lets get to these daisy flower patterns! Starting with your favorite, #2:

Materials:
-Worsted weight yarn in yellow (for the center) and white for the petals. I used Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice in Mustard (yellow) and White.
-Size G crochet hook
-Tapestry needle

Abbreviations:
Magic Ring Tutorial
Sl St = Slip Stitch
SC = Single Crochet
HDC = Half Double Crochet
DC = Double Crochet
TR = Triple Crochet

12 Petal Daisy Pattern:
starting with yellow yarn…
Magic Ring, chain 1 and make 6 SC in ring, join to first SC, chain 1
Round 2: 2 SC in each stitch around (12 SC)
change to white yarn…
Round 3: Chain 8, *TR in 4th chain from hook, TR in next stitch on chain, DC in next, HDC in next, SC in last chain. Join with a Sl St to next stitch from round 2 and chain 8, repeat from * all the way around. You should end with 12 petals.
Fasten off and weave in ends.

If your petals start to curl in a little, tug at the yarn and give the petal a stretch to flatten them out. The petals should overlap a bit.

There are a lot of crochet heart patterns out there but a lot of them work in round using a variety of different stitches and the “magic ring” which I know a lot of you struggle with. Fear not! This heart pattern is very simple, working solely in rows of single crochets. You could use them as an appliqué on a hat, scarf, for a hair clip, garland, gift topper, or sew two together and stuff lightly for a puffy heart!

Materials:
– Worsted weight yarn. I used Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice in a variety of their pink colors. Did you know that Lion Brand Yarn has 85 different shades of pink yarn for you to choose from?! You can find them all HERE.
– Size H Crochet Hook
– Tapestry needle

Abbreviations:
Ch = Chain
SC = Single Crochet

Finished heart measures approx 2.5″x2″. If you want a large heart, you can follow the heart “wing” pattern of my Crochet Love Bug.

Easy Hearts Pattern:
Chain 7, SC in 2nd chain from hook and the rest of the way down chain, ch 1, turn (6 SC)
Row 2-3: SC in each stitch, ch 1, turn (6 SC)
Row 4: SC in first 3 stitches, ch 1, turn (3 SC)
Row 5-7: SC in each stitch across, ch1, turn (3 SC)
When you get to the lats row,  continue to SC around entire heart. When you get to bottom stitch (the one with the your slip knot) SC + Chain 1 + SC all in one stitch. Then when you get to the top “v” indent, slip stitch (instead of SC). Join, fasten off and weave in ends (or leave a long tail you are using it as an appliqué).

And for more inspiration, here are 13 Heart Shaped Projects by #MyFavoriteBloggers!

From left to right, top to bottom: Printable Minion Valentine from The Benson Street, Easy Crochet Heart Pattern from Repeat Crafter Me, Free True Love Valentine’s Printable from Pitter and Glink, Glitter Heart Burlap Banner from Happy Go Lucky, Needle Felted Heart Key-chain from Petals to Picots, Simple Heart Chocolate Valentine’s from 1 Dog Woof, Handmade Valentines from Suburble, Solid Lotion Bars from 4 You with Love, Berrylicious Heart-Shaped Ice Cubes from The Thinking Closet, Felt Valentine Treat Pouches from Do Small Things with Love, Etched Champagne Flutes from Happy Hour Projects, Heart Owl Valentines with Your Kid’s Art from Creative B, and Heat Transfer Vinyl Heart Onesie from It Happens in a Blink.

And one more heart project! 

How beautiful is this “Beloved” Heart Bracelet from One Artsy Mama?!

From left to right, top to bottom, here are this month’s #MyFavoriteBloggers: Marilyn from 4 You with Love, Sky from Creative Capital B, Adrianne from Happy Hour Projects, Bethany from Pitter and Glink, Lauren from Thinking Closet, Tara from Suburble, Nancy from Do Small Things with Love, Emily from The Benson Street, Kara from Happy Go Lucky, Sarah from Repeat Crafter Me,  ChiWei from 1 Dog Woof,  Melanie from It Happens in a Blink, and Kara from Petals to Picots.

Magic ring, ch 2, make 10 DC in ring, join to first DC, chain 7

*** You may make and sell products from my patterns but if you do I ask that you link back to my post. Please do not copy and post this pattern and claim it as your own. Please do not re-publish photos as your own.***

Want more free patterns? Keep in touch on my Repeat Crafter Me Facebook Page for new pattern sneak peeks and when they will be available on my blog! And feel free to post pictures of your finished hats and/or links to your shops on my Facebook wall so all can see.

Your holiday decorating won’t be complete without this cozy crochet snowman amigurumi! I’m envisioning a whole family of them sitting on my mantel 🙂 They would also make a wonderful handmade gift for kids and adults!

Materials:
-Worsted weight yarn in white, black, and red. I used Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice.
-Size G6 (4mm) Crochet Hook
-Safety Eyes (Black, 6mm)
-Tapestry needle
-Poly-fil stuffing
-Poly-fil beads/ Poly-pellets*
-Stitch marker

*Although you could stuff the entire snowman with regular poly-fil stuffing, I recommend weighting the bottom of it with Poly-Pellets so your snowman will easily stand upright. Poly-Pellets are small plastic beads. You can find them at craft stores like Michaels and Jo-Anns or you can buy them online at Amazon. Do not try to replace poly-fil pellets with rice or beans. They will invite little pests into your crochet and if they get wet they can breakdown and mold. Also, you probably don’t want to put your poly-pellets directly inside the crocheted piece. Overtime the yarn could stretch and the pellets could fall out. Not safe for young children. I put my pellets inside an old pair of baby stockings. I just cut the foot off, poured the pellets in (enough to make a nice ball at the bottom of the snowman) and tied it off.

Abbreviations:
Magic Ring Tutorial
SC = Single Crochet
SC Decrease = Single Crochet Decrease

Crochet Snowman Pattern
Finished snowman measure approx. 6″ tall (from hat to bottom) and 3″ at its widest point.

Magic ring, chain 1 and make 10 SC inside ring, pull tight and continue to SC in rounds (do not join). Use a stitch marker to keep track of your rows if needed.
Rd 2: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next stitch, repeat around (15 SC)
Rd 3: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 2 stitches, repeat around (20 SC)
Rd 4: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 3 stitches, repeat around (25 SC)
Rd 5: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 4 stitches, repeat around (30 SC)
Rd 6-10: SC in each stitch around (30 SC)
Rd 11: SC Decrease, SC in next 4 stitches, repeat around
Rd 12: SC in each stitch around (25 SC)
Rd 13: SC Decrease, SC in next 3 stitches, repeat around
Fill with your polyfil beads and add button safety eyes
Rd 14: SC Decrease, SC in next 2 stitches, repeat around
Rd 15: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 2 stitches, repeat around (20 SC)
Rd 16: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next 3 stitches, repeat around (25 SC)
Rd 17-19: SC in each stitch around (25 SC)
Rd 20: SC Decrease, SC in next 3 stitches, repeat around
Add eyes and nose
Rd 21: SC Decrease, SC in next 2 stitches, repeat around
Rd 22: SC Decrease, SC in next stitch, repeat around
Stuff with regular polyfil (not beads)
Rd 23: SC Decrease around until closed.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

Carrot Nose:
Chain 4, slip stitch in 2nd chain from hook, slip stitch in next chain, SC in last. Fasten off, sew onto head.

Scarf:
Chain 50, SC in 3rd chain from hook and rest of the way down chain. Fasten off weave in ends. Tie around snowman neck.

Top hat:
Magic ring, chain 1 and make 10 SC in ring, pull tight, join, chain 1
Rd 2: 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next stitch, repeat around, join, chain 1 (15 SC)
Rd 3: in back loops only, SC in each stitch around (15 SC)
Rd 4: now working in both loops, SC Decrease, SC in next 3 stitches, repeat around, join, chain 1
Rd 5-6: SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (12 SC)
Rd 7: in front loops only, SC in each stitch around, join, chain 1 (12 SC)
Rd 8: 2 SC in each stitch around, join, fasten off leaving tail to sew on to head.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

*** You may make and sell products from my patterns but if you do I ask that you link back to my post. Please do not copy and post this pattern and claim it as your own. Please do not re-publish photos as your own.***

Want more free patterns? Keep in touch on my Repeat Crafter Me Facebook Page for new pattern sneak peeks and when they will be available on my blog! And feel free to post pictures of your finished hats and/or links to your shops on my Facebook wall so all can see.

If you are new to my blog, you might also like my 

FREE Snowman Hat Pattern and my Snowman Appliqué!

I hope everyone is enjoying these last days of August! I am more than ready for Fall but I thought I would send off August and this beautiful summer we’ve had with a little crochet sun! This is a simple pattern that you can use as an appliqué or turn into a clip. Feel free to embellish as you wish with a button or with the surface slip stitch as I did.

I attached mine to a crocheted rainbow headband. FREE Rainbow Headband pattern is by Snickety Things. You can find the pattern HERE.

Materials:
– Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice Yarn in Mustard
– Size G Crochet Hook
– Tapestry Needle

Abbreviations:
Magic Ring Tutorial
SC  – Single Crochet
HDC = Half Double Crochet
Surface Slip Stitch

Sun Pattern:
Magic Ring, chain 1 in ring, make 12 SC inside ring, join to first SC, chain 1
Round 2: Make 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next, repeat around, join to first SC (18 SC)
Round 3: Chain 3, SC in second chain from hook, HDC in next chain, skip one SC and join with a slip stitch to next SC in round. Chain 3 and repeat all the way around to make 9 points.
Fasten off and weave in ends.

Make surface slip stitches around the outside of round 1 and round 2 to create raised circles.

Enjoy the sunshine!

*** You may make and sell products from my patterns but if you do I ask that you link back to my post. Please do not copy and post this pattern and claim it as your own. Please do not re-publish photos as your own.***

Want more free patterns? Keep in touch on my Repeat Crafter Me Facebook Page for new pattern sneak peeks and when they will be available on my blog!

UPDATE 12-29-2014
I made a mini version of these sunburst and glue them to mini clips for my daughter. Some told me today that she looked just like Punky Brewster! HAHA! I am taking that as a big compliment because I was a always hug fan of Punky 🙂

Here is how to make the mini sunbursts:
Using a G hook and lighter weight yarn (I used Lion Brand Bon Bons)
Magic Ring, chain 1 and make 10 SC in ring, join
Round 2: Chain 2, SC in second chain from hook, attach with a slip stitch to next stitch in round, repeat around to make 10 points. Before fastening off, slip stitch around the center (this part is optional!).

Today is June 14th! It’s my birthday! AND it’s a national holiday: Flag Day! I was actually due to be born on the 4th of July but ended up entering this world a few weeks early. Either way, it seems as thought I was destined to have a patriotic birthday 🙂 So I am celebrating with some patriotic crocheted stars. Of course you could make these in any color you want but I think they would be fun for your 4th of July celebration. I can see these as table decorations, bunting, keychains, hat appliqués and more!

Materials:
– Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice (worsted weight) yarn in Red, White and Blue
– Size H Crochet Hook
– Tapestry Needle

Abbreviations:
Magic Ring = Tutorial HERE
SC = Single Crochet
HDC = Half Double Crochet
DC = Double Crochet
TR = Triple Crochet
Surface Slip Stitch = Tutorial HERE

Patriotic Crocheted Stars Pattern:
starting with color A
Magic ring, chain 1, make 10 SC in magic ring, join to first SC (10 SC)
change to color B
Round 2: Chain 1, 2 SC in first stitch, SC in next stitch, repeat around, join to first SC (15 SC)
change to color C
Round 3: Chain 5, SC in second chain from hook, HDC in next stitch, DC in next, TR in next. Now you have made one of the points of the star. Skip two stitches and join with a slip stitch. Now Chain 5 and repeat process until you have all 5 points.
Round 4: SC around the edges of all 5 points. Slip Stitch over the first slip stitches you made when you get to those points. It also helps to make two SC at the top of each point. Fasten off and weave in ends (or make your life easier by just tying them in a knot like I did).
with color A
Surface Slip Stitch around the inside edge of the star.
Surface Slip Stitch in a circle around the edge of your center.
Weave in remaining ends.

Want more free patterns? Keep in touch on my Repeat Crafter Me Facebook Page for new pattern sneak peeks and when they will be available on my blog!

I have teamed up with Inspired Crochet Magazine to bring you a new crochet pattern that is perfect for your little love bug! This pattern is currently only available in the January issue of Inspired Crochet Magazine. If you aren’t familiar with this magazine, it is a digital crochet magazine with a new issue released on the first of every month. Every issue contains crochet patterns from a variety of designers. The January issue has 12 featured designers and patterns in this issue! You can purchase the January issue for $4.29 or sign up for a subscription for a better deal. Either way, $4.29 is an amazing price for all the patterns you will be getting! Here is a peek of the table of contents so you can see some of the beautiful crochet patterns and projects that are featured in this issue!

My pattern is the cute little ladybug appliqué! I think it would make an adorable embellishment on a hat or headband but it could also be a magnet, pin or more! Whatever you make with it, it is perfect for your little love bug on Valentine’s Day 🙂

Again, this pattern is currently only available in Inspired Crochet Magazine, but Kristi (editor of Inspired Crochet) has graciously agreed to GIVE AWAY one copy to one of my lucky readers!! Enter the giveaway below to win a copy of the January issue of Inspired Crochet Magazine, or purchase a copy HERE.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

I posted this pattern on my friend Kara’s crochet blog, Petals to Picots, back in August in honor of her Granny Month. But I thought I would share it with you again and show you how the owl squares are being used!

I made them into an owl bunting for my friend Shannon’s owl-themed gender reveal party!

It was first displayed over the party food table…

But now it sits over her daughters crib! They are expecting their baby girl in early January 2013 🙂

Of course I would love to make an afghan with this square pattern, but I need more time and patience to take on that type of project right now 🙂 If you are interested in making a blanket with these squares and want to alternate between the owl granny square and a basic granny square, you can follow a basic granny square pattern like THIS ONE and your squares will be the same size.

Owl Granny Square Pattern


Materials:
– Vanna’s Choice Yarn
– Size G-6 (4.25 mm) Crochet Hook
– Tapestry need
– Small Black buttons for eyes

Abbreviations:
SC = Single Crochet
DC = Double Crochet
HDC = Half Double Crochet
TC = Triple Crochet
Click here for how to make a Magic Ring.

Start by making your owl. This pattern would also make a great appliqué!

Magic Ring, Chain 1, 8 HDC in magic ring, join to first HDC, chain 1
Round 2: 2 HDC in each around, join to first HDC, change color (16 HDC)
Round 3: Chain 2, 2 DC in each around, join to first DC, chain 1 (32 DC)
Round 4: HDC, in next stitch: DC – TC – DC, SC in next 5, in next stitch: DC – TC – DC, HDC in next, slip stitch to join.
fasten off, weave in ends.

Now working inside your chain 3 spaces…
Chain 3 – 2 DC – Chain 1 – 3 DC all in same space, Chain 1, 3 DC in next space, Chain 1, *3 DC – Chain 1 – 3 DC all in same space, Chain 1, 3 DC in next space, Chain 1, *Around, slip stitch to join to the top of the first chain 3, fasten off.

With new color and starting in corner space…
Chain 3 – 2 DC – Chain 1 – 3 DC all in same space, Chain 1, 3 DC in next space, Chain 1, 3 DC in next space, *3 DC – Chain 1 – 3 DC all in same space, Chain 1, 3 DC in next space, Chain 1, 3 DC in next space, *around, slip stitch to join to the top of the first chain 3, fasten off.

With new color and starting in corner space…
Chain 3 – 2 DC – Chain 1 – 3 DC all in same space, Chain 1, 3 DC in next space, Chain 1, 3 DC in next space, Chain 1, 3 DC in next space,* 3 DC in next space – Chain 1 – 3 DC all in same space, Chain 1, 3 DC in next space, Chain 1, 3 DC in next space, Chain 1, 3 DC in next space, *Around, slip stitch to join to the top of the first chain 3, fasten off, weave in all ends.

This is what the backside of your granny square should look like:

Now you can add the embellishments to the owl.

Eyes:
Magic Ring, Chain 1, 8HDC in magic ring, join to first HDC, fasten off leaving a long tail to sew on.
Sew on no larger than 1/2″ black buttons in the middle for eyes.

Beak and Feet:
Sew on yellow yarn with tapestry needle. Loop the yarn through 3 times to make both the feet and beak.

*** You may make and sell products from my patterns but if you do I ask that you link back to my post. Please do not copy and post this pattern and claim it as your own. Please do not re-publish photos as your own.***

Want more free patterns? Keep in touch on my Repeat Crafter Me Facebook Page for new pattern sneak peeks and when they will be available on my blog!

Ever since Kara from Petals to Picots told me she was hosting a Granny Month on her blog, the wheels starting turning in my head of all the different granny squares I could make. The pirate boy was something I’ve been wanting to work on for weeks and when I finally put yarn to hook, it came out pretty darn cute! With some great feedback and advice from my Facebook fans, I perfected the pattern and then was inspired to create more! So here I present to you a Pirate Boy Granny Square, a Skull and Crossbones Granny Square, a Pirate Ship Granny Square and a Parrot Granny Square!

Ultimately I would like to create a pirate themed blanket with all these squares, but I am not sure I am ready to tackle that project right now. So if any of you use these patterns to create your own pirate granny square blanket (or other projects), I would love to see it!

Materials:
– Worsted weight yarn
– Size H crochet hook
– Size F crochet hook
– Tapestry needle

Abbreviations:
Sl St: Slip Stitch
Ch: Chain
SC: Single Crochet
HDC: Half Double Crochet
DC: Double Crochet
TC: Triple Crochet

The actual base squares for all 4 of these uses the same pattern. Here it is:

Pattern for granny square beginning with circle:

Magic ring, 8 HDC in ring, join, ch 1
Round 2: 2 HDC in each around, join, ch 1 (16hdc)
Round 3: 2 HDC in each around (32 hdc)
(This is where you may choose to change color)
Round 4: Chain 3, skip 3 stitches, join with sc, *chain 3, skip 3 stitches, join with SC, *repeat around (you should end up with 8 chain spaces), join to the bottom of the first chain 3. Slip stitch to join to the bottom of the first chain 3.

Now working inside your chain 3 spaces…
Chain 3 – 2 DC – Chain 1 – 3 DC all in same space, Chain 1, 3 DC in next space, Chain 1, *3 DC – Chain 1 – 3 DC all in same space, Chain 1, 3 DC in next space, Chain 1, *Around, slip stitch to join to the top of the first chain 3, fasten off.

With new color and starting in corner space…
Chain 3 – 2 DC – Chain 1 – 3 DC all in same space, Chain 1, 3 DC in next space, Chain 1, 3 DC in next space, *3 DC – Chain 1 – 3 DC all in same space, Chain 1, 3 DC in next space, Chain 1, 3 DC in next space, *around, slip stitch to join to the top of the first chain 3, fasten off.

With new color and starting in corner space…
Chain 3 – 2 DC – Chain 1 – 3 DC all in same space, Chain 1, 3 DC in next space, Chain 1, 3 DC in next space, Chain 1, 3 DC in next space,* 3 DC in next space – Chain 1 – 3 DC all in same space, Chain 1, 3 DC in next space, Chain 1, 3 DC in next space, Chain 1, 3 DC in next space, *Around, slip stitch to join to the top of the first chain 3, fasten off, weave in all ends.

Pirate Boy:

Follow instructions for Granny Square beginning with circle and add below embellishments.
Bandana:
Chain 11, HDC in second chain from hook, DC in next 3, TC in next 2, DC in next 3, HDC in last, DO NOT fasten off, continue by chaining 4, HDC in 2nd chain from hook and in the next 2, Sl St to last chain space in original chain row, Chain 4 again, HDC in 2nd Ch from hook and in next 2, Sl St to last chain space in original Ch row. Fasten off leaving a long tail. Wrap the yarn around a couple of times between the bandana and bandana tails, secure and sew bandana on to the top of the circle of your granny square.

Eye Patch:
Magic Ring, 6 Sc in magic ring, join, use yarn tails as the eye patch straps.

Eye and Mouth and Earring were created by sewing yarn on with a tapestry needle. Try creating different facial expressions or instead of a “smile,” how about making a beard?

Pirate Ship:

Follow instructions for Granny Square beginning with circle and add below embellishments.
Boat:
Chain 15, Sl St in 2nd ch from hook, Sl St in next, SC in next 3, DC in next 2, TC in next 5, DC in last two, Ch 3, Sl St to last Ch. Fasten off leaving long tail to sew with.

Sail:Chain 6, HDC in second ch from hook and across, Ch 1, turn,
Row 2-3: HDC across, at the end of row 3, continue to SC around, fasten off, weave in ends.

Flag (Using F Hook):
Chain 6, Sl St in 2nd Ch from hook, Sl St in next, SC in last 3, Ch 1, turn
Row 2: SC in next 3, Ch 3, Sl St in 2nd chain from hook, Sl St in next, Sl St to join.
Fasten off leaving long tail to sew with.

Chain approx. 11 for flag pole.

Portholes and Skull Eyes (Using F Hook):
Split a strand of yarn so it is 2-ply, magic ring, 4 SC in magic ring. It may be hard to join so go ahead and use your tapestry needle to sew together and onto boat and skull appliqués.

Skull and Crossbones Square:

Follow instructions for Granny Square beginning with circle and add below embellishments.

Skull and Crossbones Applique (Using F Hook):
Follow this skull and crossbones appliqué pattern from My Sweet Potato 3 EXCEPT, begin by making a magic ring, making 12 HDC in magic ring. Continue with Round 2 of pattern.

Parrot:

Follow instructions for Granny Square beginning with circle and add below embellishments.

Parrot Eyes:
Magic Ring, 6 SC in magic ring, join, change color
Round 2: 2 HDC in each around (12 HDC), fasten off leaving long tail to sew on

Parrot Beak:
Chain 3, SC in 2nd chain from hook, HDC, HDC, chain 2 and slip stitch to last ch, fasten off leaving tail to sew on.

Parrot Wing:
Chain 2, 2 SC in 2nd chain from hook, Ch 1 turn
Row 2: 2 SC across (4 SC), Ch 1, turn
Row 3: SC across (4 SC), change color, Ch 1, turn
Row 4: 2 SC, SC, SC, 2 SC (6 SC), Ch 1, turn
Row 5: SC across (6 SC), Ch 1, turn change color
Row 6: SC across (6 SC), Ch 1, turn
Row 7: SC, HDC, DC, DC, HDC, SC, fasten off, weave in ends

*** You may make and sell products from my patterns but if you do I ask that you link back to my post. Please do not copy and post this pattern and claim it as your own. Please do not re-publish photo’s as your own.***

Want more free patterns? Keep in touch on my Repeat Crafter Me Facebook Page for new pattern sneak peeks and when they will be available on my blog!

If you liked my Monster Fleece Lovey Blankets, then I think you will like my newest version, the Puppy Dog Lovey! I love the way it turned out, but to give you fair warning, this is much more complicated and time consuming than the monster blankets. There are A LOT of bits and pieces that need to be sewn together. But I think its worth it to get this uber cute puppy blanket 🙂

Puppy Dog Head Pattern

Materials:
-Vanna’s Choice yarn
– Size H crochet hook
-Tapestry Needle
– Poly-fil stuffing
– 2 small buttons for eyes

Abbreviations:
SC: Single Crochet
HDC: Half Double Crochet
DC: Double Crochet
Sl St: Slip Stitch
Ch: Chain
St: Stitch

Head (make two):
Chain 9, HDC in 2nd chain from hook, HDC across, chain 1, turn
Row 2: 2 HDC, HDC in next 6, 2 HDC in last stitch, (10 HDC), chain 1, turn
Row 3-4: HDC across (10 HDC), chain 1, turn
Row 5: HDC decrease, HDC in next 6, HDC decrease, chain 1, turn
Row 6: HDC across (8 HDC), chain 1, turn
Row 7: 2 HDC in first st, HDC in next 6, 2 HDC in last, chain 1, turn
Row 8: 2 HDC in first st, HDC in next 8, 2 HDC in last, chain 1, turn
Row 9: 2 HDC in first st, HDC in next 10, 2 HDC in last, chain 1, turn
Row 10-11: HDC across (14 HDC), chain 1, turn
Row 12: HDC decrease, HDC in next 10, HDC decrease, chain 1, turn
Row 13: HDC across (12 HDC)
Row 14: HDC decrease, HDC in next 8, HDC decrease, chain 1, turn

Row 15: HDC across (10 hdc), continue to sc around ,sl st to join, fasten off, weave in ends

Nose:
Chain 9, HDC in 2nd chain from hook, HDC across (8 HDC), chain 1, turn
Row 2: HDC across (8 HDC), chain 1, turn
Row 3: 2 HDC, HDC in next 6, 2 HDC in last, chain 1, turn
Row 4: HDC across (10 HDC), fasten off, weave in ends and sew onto one of the head pieces.

Eye Patch:
Magic Ring, 8 DC in magic ring, join to first DC, fasten off, weave in ends and sew on to head piece.

Sew on two small black buttons for the eyes.

Sew together head with with face embellishments to solid color head. Leave a small opening to lightly stuff with poly-fil and then sew shut. Now sew on the ears.

Outside of Ears:
Chain 6, HDC in 2nd Chain from hook, HDC across, chain 1, turn (5 HDC)
Row 2-6: HDC across (5 HDC), chain 1, turn
Row 7: HDC decrease, HDC, HDC decrease, continue to SC around and when you get to the top, make two HDC decrease right before Sl St to join, fasten off
Note: It helps to make 2 SC in each bottom corners.

Inside of Ear:
Chain 4, HDC in 2nd Ch from hook, HDC across (3 HDC), chain 1, turn
Row 2-5: HDC across (3 HDC), chain 1, turn
at the end of Row 5, continue to SC around and when you get to the top, make two HDC decrease right before Sl St to join, fasten off

Note: It helps to make 2 SC in each bottom corners.

Sew the inside of the ear to the outside of the ear but be careful to sew only on the inside stitches so the yarn doesn’t show through the outer ear.

Dog Paw Pattern (make 4): This would also make a great appliqué!

Magic Ring, Chain 1, 6 HDC in ring, join, chain 1
Round 2: 2 HDC in each around (12 HDC)
Round 3: Change color, *2 HDC, HDC, *around (18 HDC), chain 1
Round 4: *HDC and DC in same stitch, DC and HDC in next, slip stitch, *Repeat two more times, (be sure to end with a slip stitch) and continue around by making 2 SC in each stitch (18 SC), join with slip stitch to bottom of first ch 1,
Round 5: *2 DC in next 4, slip stitch to slip stitch, *Repeat two more times, fasten off.

Now make 4 more of these but without changing color (just solid)

Dog paw pads (make 12):

Magic Ring, Chain 1, 8 SC in magic ring, join to first SC, fasten off and sew onto dog paws

Now sew together dog paw with pads to solid dog paw like you did with the head. Be sure to leave a small opening to lightly stuff with poly-fil before you completely sew it shut.

The dog bone fleece I found is currently being sold as a “dog blanket” at Jo-Ann Fabrics for only $2.50! I cut it into a 11×13 size piece and then crocheted around the edges. 

To crochet around the edges you will first need a skip stitch blade to make holes around the edges. I bought the “original” size from the Project Linus website. You will also need a 45mm rotary cutter handle. I bought the Fiskars 9521 45mm Contour Rotary Cutter from Amazon.

HERE is a great video tutorial on how to crochet around the edge of fleece.

After you have crocheted around the edge of your blanket, sew head and paws onto the edging and PHEW!, you are done!

*** You may make and sell my patterns but if you do I ask that you link back to my post. Please do not copy and post this pattern and claim it as your own.***

Want more free patterns? Keep in touch on my Repeat Crafter Me Facebook Page for new pattern sneak peeks and when they will be available on my blog!

I am so excited to share with you my very own crochet pattern! It is very simple for those of you who are beginning crocheters or a good first project for those of you who want to learn how to crochet.

It closes with two buttons on the front and the back is embellished with a flower appliqué. It is the perfect size to hold credit cards, coupons, mints, make-up, pocket tissues, and much more! A great accessory for your diaper bag or purse.

And because I like you guys so much, I am giving you the pattern for free!


Materials used:
Vanna’s Choice® medium worsted weight yarn
Crochet hook size H-8 (5.0 mm)
2 buttons approx 3/4″ (optional 3rd button for the back)
Tapestry needle


Finished Size: 6.5 x 3.5 inches


Gauge: 14 stitches = 4 in.


Abbreviations:
St: Stitch
Ch: Chain
Sc:  Single crochet



Instructions:
Chain 20 Stitches.
Row 1: Sc in second chain from hook and in each st across, chain 1, turn (19 st)
Row 2-30: Sc in first stitch and in each stitch across, chain 1, turn
Row 31:  Sc in first two stitches, chain 2, skip one st, Sc 13, chain 2, skip one st, Sc in last two stitches, Chain 1, turn
Row 32: Sc in first 2 stitches, 3 Sc in 2 chain loop, Sc 13, 3 Sc in 2 chain loop, Sc in last two stitches, do not turn, do not fasten off.
Continue to Sc around all 3 edges (2 Sc in the corner stitches) until you get to the first stitch of Row 32. Join to first st in Row 32, finish off, weave in ends.

Finishing:
Fold so you are leaving a 2.5 inch flap on top. Sc side seams together, fasten off, weave in ends.
Turn inside out and sew buttons on front of pouch so they match up to the button holes.

Flower Applique:
I used Alli Crafts Rounded Five-Petal 3″ Flower Applique with a button in the center. Follow her free pattern or you can choose to embellish as you wish.


This is my first time writing a pattern so let me know if they are any kinks or if you have questions! 


*** You may make and sell products from my patterns but if you do I ask that you link back to my post. Please do not copy and post this pattern and claim it as your own. Please do not re-publish photo’s as your own.***


Want more free patterns? Keep in touch on my Repeat Crafter Me Facebook Page for new pattern sneak peaks and when they will be available on my blog!