Granny Hearts Bag

This bag is maybe a little late for this Valentine’s Day, or maybe it’s just really early for the next one? Whichever it is, it’s a fun, textured bag that’s a good use of some smaller balls of yarn!

The bag itself is made up of 18 granny squares crochet together, with a denim lining and a crochet strap. The pattern for it details how to make the granny squares, as well as how to put it all together and make a bag. A good thing about this pattern is the granny squares themselves can be used to make any other item that uses granny squares as a base!

Not only is this pattern up for sale on Ravelry, but it’s now up for sale on Etsy too! Please be sure to check it out!

Mushroom Beret Hat Pattern

First thing’s first:
Happy New Year!

One of the last things I did in 2021 was make and design this Mushroom Beret. This is definitely in my top three designs of 2021. I made this hat using two colors of yarn and fairly simple stitches.

I’ve had the idea to make a Mushroom Beret for a while, but was only able to focus on this project recently. This beret’s design was inspired by amanita muscaria, or the fly agaric mushroom. One of the things that was super important to me was the look of the “gills” on the bottom of the hat. I managed to achieve what I was looking for in just a few days, and then patterned it and have uploaded it to Ravelry!

As always, thank you for reading, and be sure to share your projects when you’re done!

Solstand Shawl

salstand shawl front

I picked up some Lion Brand Mandala yarn and immediately knew I wanted to make a shawl with it. The question was: which shawl? I searched for a while, but was unable to find any pattern that fit my specific vision, so I decided to design and make my own.

solstand shawl first draft pattern and shawl

Over the course of about ten days, I turned my 2 skeins of Lion Brand Mandala in Spirit into a shawl and wrote up a pattern for it! This shawl pattern requires knowledge of basic stitches, as well as front post and back post stitches. The shawl uses about 1000-1200 yards of DK yarn and a size 5 mm (H) crochet hook Instructions for bobble and puff stitches are included. Scroll down to the bottom of this page for a link to purchase the pattern!

dog on solstand shawl
Jupiter would prefer if I didn’t put my crochet on his ottoman

For the most part I was super happy with the yarn I used. It didn’t become ‘fuzzy’ even after ripping out and crocheting repeatedly, and the colors were beautiful. Each skein had 1 complete repeat of the colors so they were easy to cut apart and match up when changing over.

color change solstand shawl

My only complaint is that inside the second skein, there was a tiny knot tying two completely different shades of blue together. I’m used to yarn having a small knot in it, but I am not pleased with the color change. I ended up cutting it apart and was able to match up the colors, but it’s not ideal.

solstand shawl back open

However, I’d still recommend using Lion Brand Mandala for this shawl. It has good drape and stitch definition. I also think that the length of each color in two skeins creates a very nice gradient.

solstand shawl back wrapped

Click here to purchase this pattern in UK and US terms for $4.99
Use code ‘autumn’ to get 20% off your total pattern purchase in my ravelry store from now until Halloween 2019!
Be sure to upload a picture to Ravelry and link it to the pattern! I love seeing everyone’s creations!

Scrappy Stripes Sweater

I’ve completed yet another pattern! This time I used a bunch of my leftover yarn bits and bobs to create a rainbow sweaters I have dubbed the Scrappy Stripes Sweater! This pattern is available as a free downloadable pdf on Ravelry.

Evelyn is sitting down wearing a rainbow crochet sweater

The sweater body is worked from the bottom up, while the sleeves are worked from the top down. Each colored stripe only uses about 80 yards of each scrap, and about 440 yards of a base color, in my case I used cream. This brings the total amount of yarn to about 1720 yards.

If you’ve got sharp eyes, you might notice some yarns that I have used in previous projects! The sweater is primarily made from aran weight yarn, but there are a couple dk and worsted bits snuck in there, with careful consideration as to how that would affect the gauge.

The sweater is made from dc and sc, the cuffs using the back loop only to create texture and stretch, while the sleeves use dc2tog for shape. The stripes keep their clean look using the standing crochet stitch. If you’re unfamiliar with what that is, I’d recommend checking out this tutorial on Moogly.

Scrappy Stripes Sweater Side

Although the weather is a bit warm for this scrappy sweater, I still want to wear it all the time! It was fun to use up the ends of yarn and think about other projects I had made using it.

The pattern is available for free download here. I listed all the yarns I can remember here, but I can’t guarantee the one you’re eyeing is listed. Remember to let me know if you make something using this pattern! You can link it to the project page on Ravelry, or tag me on social media.

Tanabota Top

Evelyn wearing the Tanabota Top, a loose crochet striped top. The top has an open weave and is in blues and teals.

I’ve just released a new pattern for sale on Ravelry! The Tanabota Top comes in sizes XS-XXL, fitting a bust range of 32-49 inches. It uses a size L/8mm crochet hook and worsted weight yarn. It’s the perfect top for summer – it’s sleeveless with an open, light stitch pattern. The patterns is also fairly easy to make, using only half double crochet, chain stitch, and slip stitch.

Tanabota Top Back

The yarn I used is Caron Cotton Cake in Hydrangea. It’s an easy to work with yarn with good stitch definition. However, the 530 yard ball I used had eight knots tying ends together in it. I’ve never come across a yarn with so many knots in it, but the colors are so pretty I didn’t mind too much.

Tanabota Tap Close Up of Hem and Side Seam

The Tanabota Top is worked in one piece from front to back with side seams. Here’s a close up of the join between the front and back along the sides, joined with a whipstitch. I was a bit worried with the color changing properties of the yarn that my stitches might look out of place, but it blended in rather well, I think.

Tanabota Top Front

This pattern is currently available on Ravelry for $2.99. If you’re interested in this pattern, please check it out or click here to buy it now! Be sure to share pictures of what you make, I love to see what everyone comes up with!

Harry Potter Curtains

I’m back in the states which means I can go back to Joann’s! One thing I was particularly excited about getting my hands on was the Harry Potter fabric collection. I gave myself some rules, though. I wasn’t going to let myself get any fabric without having at least a rough idea of what I wanted to make with it.

empty windowThe thing is, I have this tiny window in my room (27.5″ by 18.5″) through which I get a huge amount of light at night. Curtains would definitely improve my sleeping experience, but what fabric to use?

overlocked hp fabric & black cottonOf course! Deathly Hallows fabric! This fabric is metallic and dark, but it is a little thin, so I added a second layer of black cotton. I knew I wanted to have two curtains in the window and just a small amount of gathering around the curtain rod. To get the sizes of the curtains, I took the width of the window (27.5″), divided it by two (13.75″), added two  inches for seam allowance (15.75″), and added four inches for gathering (9.75″). For the other side of the curtain, I simply added two inches to the height for seam allowance (20.5″). I cut two of these from the Harry Potter fabric and two from the black cotton.

hemmed hp fabricI overlocked all four edges of each piece of fabric. However, I only hemmed the sides and bottoms of each piece. After this, I matched up the black side of the curtains to the Harry Potter side, right sides together, and sewed along the top edge.  Flipping this right sides out, I topstitched along the edge of the top of the curtain, then added a row of stitching about an inch and a half below that. This creates a double sided curtain with a channel going between the two pieces of fabric.

hp curtain in windowWhen I went to put up the curtain, I realized the window was a bit odd in that it gets wider as it gets deeper. Luckily this wasn’t a problem because I’d added 4″ of extra fabric to either side for gathering, so it turned out fine. This serves as a warning to anyone else making curtains – be sure to measure the exact spot your curtains will go and don’t assume your window is the same size all the way through!

This curtain definitely did its job. The above picture and the first picture were both taken in daylight with the ceiling light on. I am very pleased with the end result and add a bit of personality to the room!

hp curtains in window with stuff

Razor’s Hat from World Enough and Time

I was recently asked to make Razor’s Hat from the Doctor Who episode World Enough and Time. I wrote up a pattern just in case anyone else was interested in making one for themself!

What you’ll need:

  • US size 6 needles (4.0 mm)
  • Double knit yarn

I used Stylecraft Special DK in Dark Brown Shade 1004

I found that if you want to make your hat distressed in a similar way to the show, it is easier to prevent unraveling if you create the distressing as you go. I’ve included two versions of the hat, one with distressing and one without.

The hat sits very different just from folding the brim!

Unfamiliar terms explained:

DSPU: drop stitch and pull out stitches all the way to the brim, pick up a stitch on your left needle, ready to be worked as the next stitch

CO 112 stitches in the round

With Distressing

Row 1-17: (K2, P2) 28 times
Row 18: (K2, P2) 2 times, K2, DSPU, P2, (K2, P2) 25 times [112 st]
Row 19-20: (K2, P2) 28 times
Row 21: K112
Row 22-33: (K2, P2) 28 times
Row 34: (K2, P2) 17 times, K2, DSPU, P2 (K2, P2) 10 times [112 st]
Row 35-40: (K2, P2) 28 times
Row 41: (K2, P2) 16 times, K1, DSPU, K1, P2 (K2, P2) 11 times [112 st]
Row 42-47: K112
Row 48: K71, DSPU, K 41 [112 st]
Row 49-51: K112

Without Distressing

Row 1-20: (K2, P2) 28 times
Row 21: K112
Row 22-41: (K2, P2) 28 times
Row 42-51: K112

Both Versions

Row 52-61: P112
Row 62-71: K112
Row 72-81: P112
Row 82-91: K112
Row 92-101: P112
Row 102-111: K112
Row 112-120: P112
Row 121: K2tog [56 st]

After working the last row, pull a piece of yarn through and pull as tight as possible. Weave in your ends and your hat is complete!

13th Doctor Striped Socks

These socks were super fun to make, so I wrote up the pattern and made a video tutorial! Let me know what you think, and be sure to let me know if you make a pair!

Materials:

Special Stylecraft Double Knit in Lapis
Special Stylecraft Double Knit in Duck Egg
3.25 mm Knitting Needles (US3/UK11)

Pattern:

Cast on 60 stitches in Dark Blue
K1P1 all the way around for 8 rows
K all the way around for 8 rows
*Switch to Light Blue, K all the way around for 4 rows
Switch to Dark Blue, K ass the way around for 4 rows
Repeat from * four times, making a total of 5 Dark Blue and 5 Light Blue stripes
Switch to Light Blue, K all the way around for one and a half rows
Shift needles so that you can start the heel from the center back of the work
HEEL & TOE
K 15 stitches, turn
Row 1: sl st, P29, turn
Row 2: sl st, K28, turn
Row 3: sl st, P27, turn
Row 4: sl st, K26, turn
Row 5: sl st, P25, turn
Row 6: sl st, K24, turn
Row 7: sl st, P23, turn
Row 8: sl st, K22, turn
Row 9: sl st, P21, turn
Row 10: sl st, K20, turn
Row 11: sl st, P19, turn
Row 12: sl st, K18, turn
Row 13: sl st, P17, turn
Row 14: sl st, K16, turn
Row 15: sl st, P15, turn
Row 16: sl st, K14, pick up stitch from between previous worked stitch and next stitch on left needle (denoted as m1), k2tog, turn
Row 17: P15, m1, p2tog, turn
Row 18: K16, m1, k2tog, turn
Row 19:  P17, m1, p2tog, turn
Row 20: K18, m1, k2tog, turn
Row 21: P19, m1, p2tog, turn
Row 22: K20, m1, k2tog, turn
Row 23: P21, m1, p2tog, turn
Row 24: K22, m1, k2tog, turn
Row 25: P23, m1, p2tog, turn
Row 26: K24, m1, k2tog, turn
Row 27: P25, m1, p2tog, turn
Row 28: K26, m1, k2tog, turn
Row 29: P27, m1, p2tog, turn
Row 30: K28, m1, k2tog, turn
Row 31: P29, m1, p2tog, turn
HEEL ONLY
Row 32: K 15
Adjust stitches so that you can continue working with your Light Blue yarn where you left off. Complete that row in knit stitch, and then do two more rows of knit stitch in Light Blue.
*Switch to Dark Blue, K all the way around for 4 rows
Switch to Light Blue, P all the way around for 4 rows
Repeat from * until your sock is the right length for your foot.
For reference, I had a total of 5 Dark Blue and 5 Light Blue stripes for my UK size 5 feet.
Refer back to the heel instructions and work the toe the same as the heel.
Complete the sock with kitchener stitch and weave in your ends.

13th Doctor SocksTada! You now have your own pair of 13th Doctor Socks!

Phases of the Moon Skirt

side of moon skirt

I designed this fabric, Phases of the Moon, a couple years ago, with no real plan besides releasing it on Spoonflower.

phases of the moon dress unfinished

I bought myself two yards last year with the intent of making a dress. It didn’t work out and I can’t remember exactly what happened, but pieces of the fabric remained in my fabric box up until this Thursday.

When I pulled the fabric out, I found I’d already cut out the perfect base for a high/low hem skirt. I couldn’t find the top half of the dress anywhere. All that I did was sew a narrow casing and put a bit of elastic through it. Since it was a knit fabric, I didn’t even hem it. Ridiculously simple!

The fabric is amazing! My design looks great, and the fabric I chose was Modern Jersey. There are some small design details that do not show up on the fabric, but that’s my own fault. I had written the names of each moon phase under the corresponding moon in a light grey. The words were too tiny to show up against such a dark background.

I I’m kind of disappointed I wasn’t able to make the dress I wanted, but I’m happy with what I made. If I do ever find the rest of the moon fabric, I’ll probably make a matching crop top.

Nardole’s Hat from The Doctor Falls

nardole hat side 2

That’s right! I made another one of Nardole’s hats! This one is from last week’s Doctor Who episode, The Doctor Falls. It was super simple to make compared to the last one!

front nardole hat
Even though I’m very happy with how my hat turned out, the pattern I’ve put at the bottom of the post is slightly different from the hat pictured here. This is because the one I made is small (it fits my head, but it might not fit yours), and I mistakenly made my hat a bit too short.

What you’ll need:

  • US size 8 needles (5mm)
  • Double knit or worsted weight yarn

I used Stylecraft Special DK in 1035 Burgundy and 1709 Gold.
side of nardole hatCast on 96 st, k1, p1, all the way around for 9 inches, then work the following rows:

It may help to divide your stitches into 6 equal sections of 16 stitches

Row 1: *p2tog, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k2tog tbl, repeat from * (total of 84 stitches)

Row 2: p1, k1, all the way around

Row 3: *k2tog, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p2tog tbl, repeat from * (total of 72 stitches)

Row 4: k1, p1, all the way around

Row 5: *p2tog, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k2tog tbl, repeat from * (total of 60 stitches)

Row 6: p1, k1, all the way around

Row 7: *k2tog, p1, k1, p1, k1, p1, k1, p2tog tbl, repeat from * (total of 48 stitches)

Row 8: k1, p1, all the way around

Row 9: *p2tog, k1, p1, k1, p1, k2tog tbl, repeat from * (total of 36 stitches)

Row 10: p1, k1, all the way around

Row 11: *k2tog, p1, k1, p2tog tbl, repeat from * (total of 24 stitches)

Row 12: k1, p1, all the way around

Pull the yarn tail through remaining stitches, pull tight, and secure ends.

All that’s left is to add your pom pom on top and you’re done!