The Necklace

The Necklace cowl is inspired by and is in honor of US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. I was devastated by her passing, so I channeled those feelings into something positive, constructive, and creative. 

Tapestry crochet is na easy way to do colorwork in crochet. All of the stitches of the cowl are single crochet (double crochet in UK terminology) in the back loop, along with chains and slip stitches when rounds are started and joined. Both colors are carried together. While a single crochet is made in one color, the other color is stitched around and hidden in the middle of the stitch made. In this pattern, the contrast color is joined in on Round 4. 

The examples given in the pattern as well as the yardage and dimensions are for a cowl made with 13 repeats of the chart.

Check out this video for a really good tapestry crochet tutorial.

YARN:

• Worsted weight
• I have made this in two different types of worsted weight yarn. The amounts are given below with approximately 20% overage.
• Red Heart With Love
• Main Color (MC): 140 yd (130 m)
• Contrast Color (CC): 100 yd (90 m)
• Berroco Ultra Wool
• MC: 160 yd (145 m)
• CC: 75 yd (70 m)

HOOK:

• G or H hook
• A G hook works well for thinner worsted weight yarn (e.g. Ultra Wool).
• An H hook works well for thicker worsted weight yarn (e.g. Red Heart).

GAUGE:

• Gauge is not too important for this project. But here is the gauge for each of the yarns I used::
• Red Heart With Love (H hook)
• In the pattern worked in the round, 2"x2" = 9 sc x 7 rows
• Ultra Wool (G hook)
• In the pattern worked in the round, 2"x2" = 11 sc x 9 rows

DIMENSIONS:

• Red Heart With Love
• When laid flat, 19" (48 cm) long by 7.25" (18.5 cm) wide
• Ultra Wool
• When laid flat, 15.5" (39.5 cm) long by 5.5" (14.5 cm) wide

ABBREVIATIONS:

• Sc - Single crochet
• BLO - Back loops only
• Ch - Chain
• Sl st - Slip stitch
• St/sts - Stitch(es)

PATTERN:

Some notes:

• Begin the chart at the bottom right corner (if you are left-handed, use the second chart and start at the bottom left corner).
• Repeat the pattern as many times as desired. The examples shown here use 13 repeats of the chart.
• Begin every round with a Ch 1. This does not count as the first stitch of the round.
• The first sc of each round will be made into the stitch that was slipped to in the previous round.
• End each round by joining with a sl st to the first sc in the round. Be careful with this. This may require a color change in some rounds. When you are joining with the sl st, it may be best to slip into both loops of the sc instead of just the back loop.
• After the first round, all single crochets are worked in the back loop only.
• I will provide some written direction to get you started.

Beginning with MC only, ch 156 (or a multiple of 12 if increasing or decreasing the number of chart repeats). Sl st to join to the first ch st. Be careful to not twist the foundation chain.

Round 1. Ch 1. Sc in each ch (including the ch slipped to) around. Join to first sc with a sl st.

Round 2. Ch 1. Sc in BLO in each st around. Join to first sc with a sl st. 

Round 3. Ch 1. Sc in BLO in each st around. Join to first sc with a sl st. 

Round 4. Ch 1. Join CC yarn (hold in back and stitch around it to hide it). With MC, sc in BLO in first 3 sts. *With CC, sc in BLO in next st. With MC, sc in BLO in next 11 sts. Repeat from * around to the last 8 sts. With MC, sc in BLO in last 8 sts. Join to first sc with a sl st.

From here, follow the chart below, starting with row 5.

Right-handed Chart:

Left-handed Chart:

Cheers!

Ottellea

Happy Mother's (and Grandmother's) Day!!

 

This is Ottellea. It is named after my grandmother's middle name and the first name of my great grand-aunt (although a slight spelling variation).

This is Grandma Irene Ottilie in 1946. She was 22 years old in this photo.

The pattern is available for purchase at the following sites:

Ravelry pattern page
Love Crochet pattern page

Here are some details about the pattern:

Yarn: Fingering weight
MC (block sections) - approximately 600 yds
CCA (bobble sections) - approximately 460 yds
CCB (three mesh sections) - approximately 220 yds
CCC (two mesh sections) - approximately 120 yds
[Note: If you want to use three colors instead of four, combine the estimated yardage of CCB and CCC.]

Approximate Dimensions: 80" along the longest side by 30" at the widest point. Your finished dimensions may differ depending on your gauge and how the finished scarf is blocked.

Even though the pattern uses simple stitches, such as sc, sc2tog, dc, and dc2tog to mention a few, I would say this pattern would be for an experienced beginner or an intermediate crocheter. The reason behind this is you will need some familiarity with finding stitches at the end of each row. That is probably the trickiest part of the pattern.

 

This one is the Floral Ottellea. The yarns I used are as follows:

[Dyer, Base, Coloway]

MC - Shalimar, Aerie, Chamois

CCA - Knerd String, Fingering Weight, Cherry Garcia

CCB - Avalon Springs Farm, Pendragon, Hobbit House

CCC - Shalimar, Breathless, Enchanted

I call this one the Autumnal Ottellea. This was actually the first color scheme I used, but I didn't like how the pattern was turning out at the time, so I frogged it. I rewrote the pattern, made the Floral one, and then remade the Autumnal. Here are the yarns:

MC - Tempting Ewe; Ewe So Happy Sock; Lock, Shock, & Barrel

CCA - Hazel Knits, Entice MCN, Hoppy Blonde

CCB - Hazel Knits, Entice MCN, Concord

CCC - Hazel Knits, Entice MCN, Sedge

Some of the yarns I used are from Maryland local dyers: Avalon Springs Farm (find their yarn at local events and on their website), Tempting Ewe (exclusive to Clover Hill Yarn Shop in Catonsville, but also online), and Shalimar (see her website for stockists).

Happy crocheting!!

Basketweave Hat

Now that I have some down time while I recover from back surgery, I was finally able to write up a pattern I made about 5 years ago. This basketweave hat would accompany my basketweave scarf well.

Materials:

• Worsted weight yarn (170-200 yds) - 1 or 2 colors if you would like the brim to be a different color than the main hat
• H hook
• G hook

Abbreviations:

• ch - chain
• dc - double crochet
• sl st - slip stitch
• st/sts - stitch(es)
• fpdc - front post double crochet
• bpdc - back post double crochet

Pattern:

Main Hat
H hook

1. Ch 3. 9 dc into third ch from hook. Join with a sl st to first dc. Join like this throughout (join with sl st to first stitch in the round). (You can start this round with a magic ring instead of the ch 3 if you would like.)
2. Ch 2. *Bpdc, fpdc in same stitch. Repeat from * around. Join. (18 sts)
3. Ch 2. *Fpdc in next st. Bpdc, fpdc in same next stitch. Repeat from * around. Join. (27 sts)
4. Ch 2. *Bpdc in next st. Fpdc in next st. Bpdc, fpdc in same next st. Repeat from * around. Join. (36 sts)
5. Ch 2. *Fpdc in next st. Bpdc in next st. Fpdc in next st. Bpdc, fpdc in same next st. Repeat from * around. Join. (45 sts)
6. Ch 2. *[Bpdc in next st. Fpdc in next st.] twice. Bpdc, fpdc in same next st. Repeat from * around. Join. (54 sts)
7. Ch 2. *[Fpdc in next st. Bpdc in next st.] twice. Fpdc in next st. Bpdc, fpdc in same next st. Repeat from * around. Join. (63 sts)
8.  Ch 2. *[Bpdc in next st. Fpdc in next st.] three times. Bpdc, fpdc in same next st. Repeat from * around. Join. (72 sts)
9. Ch 2. [Fpdc in next st. Bpdc in next st.] around. Join.
10. Ch 2. [Bpdc in next st. Fpdc in next st.] around. Join.
11. Repeat rounds 10 and 11 until hat is as long as you need it to be. 6-7 inches from the top of the hat is a good length. The brim will add about 1 inch to the length of the finished hat.
12. Cut main hat color and switch to brim color, if applicable.

Brim
Switch to G hook.

1. Ch 1. Fpdc in the fpdc sts, bpdc in the bpdc sts around. Join.
2. Repeat round 1 two more times.
3. Cut brim color yarn. Secure and weave in ends.

Cheers!

Pattern Ravelry link.

Two Tone Ribbed Winter Hat Pattern and Tutorial

About a month ago, I received an anonymous comment on my original Ribbed Winter Hat pattern asking how one would go about making the brim (the folded up part) a different color than the rest of the hat. I gave a written reply, but I don't know that it was the best I could have done. I decided to make a video tutorial for how to make a two tone Ribbed Winter Hat. 

Materials:

• Worsted weight yarn 
• K hook (However, depending on the yarn, sometimes the top of the hat [the part in the round] becomes rather open between stitches. If this occurs, switch to a smaller hook, like an I or H.)

The video below is probably the best way to work this pattern. If you would like an accompanying written pattern, it is below the video.

Feel free to let me know if anything is not clear. I don't mind revisiting the content of the video or the written pattern to clarify things. 

Link to Ravelry

Abbreviations:

• Ch - chain
• Sc - single crochet
• st/sts - stitch/stitches
• sc2tog - single crochet 2 together
• BC - brim color
• MC - main color
• BLO - back loops only

Pattern:

Row 1. Chain 10 in BC. Drop BC. Join MC. Ch 26. (36 ch sts total)

Row 2. Using MC, sc in second ch from hook. Sc across to last MC ch. Sc half a stitch (i.e. don't complete the stitch with the last "yarn over and pull through"). Drop MC. Complete the stitch with the BC (i.e. the last yarn over and pull through). Sc to end using BC. Ch 1. Turn.

Row 3. Using BC, sc across in BLO to last BC st. Just like in Row 2, sc half a stitch in the last BC st. Drop BC. Complete the stitch using MC. Sc to end in BLO. Ch 1. Turn.

Row 4. Using MC, sc across in BLO to last MC st. Just like in Row 2, sc half a stitch in the last MC st. Drop MC. Complete the stitch using BC. Sc to end in BLO. Ch 1. Turn.

Repeat Rows 3-4 until you have 61 sc rows total. End with ch 1. (Note: check the hat at this point by wrapping it around your head. The ch row should touch the last sc row. You may need more or less rows to accomplish this. Make sure you end on an odd number of sc rows.)

Fold the piece in half so that the first ch row is next to the last row. Slip st together each st of the first row and the last row starting with the BC. When you get to the last BC st of the last sc row, sl st this using the MC. Continue using MC for the remainder of the hat. Ch 1 at the end.

Sc across the top of the piece in every other row. Do not join to ch st or first sc.

*Sc2tog in next 2 st, sc in next 2 sts. Repeat from * around until there are 12 sts left.

Sc2tog six times.

Fasten off. Weave yarn through last 6 stitches and pull tight to close the top of the hat. Weave in ends.

1800s Hat-Scarf (Crocheted Version)

Hi everyone!

I'm so excited this is finally done! I've been working on this since July 2018. I'm so happy with how it turned out after doing three versions of it.

I now introduce you to......the crocheted 1800s Hat-Scarf!

This is my version of a one-piece hat-scarf based on the hat-scarf worn by 19th century Frenchman Charles-Marie-Étienne Champion Dubois de Nansouty (image from Wikipedia). He was a military man turned mountaineer who lived from 1815-1895. I discovered his picture at an event hosted by the National Park Service in Maryland at the Monocacy Civil War Battlefield in Frederick. I immediately knew I had to recreate his hat-scarf.

Champion Dubois de Nansouty

The yarn I used is: 
Lion Brand Yarn Fishermen’s Wool, Natural (MC) – 2 skeins, 930 yds 
Lion Brand Yarn, Fishermen’s Wool, Brown Heather (CC) – 1 skein plus about 50 yds of a second skein, ~510 yds

...although any worsted/aran weight yarn would work. And you don't have to stripe it if you don't want to.

You can find the pattern at Ravelry and LoveKnitting. No more Craftsy. They recently changed how patterns are offered on their site and I did not make the cut. 

Cheers!

Two Pink Scarves

This Saturday, there will be a 5K walk/race by the Hurwitz Breast Cancer Fund in my town. As part of the event, the organizers requested pink scarves to be knitted, crocheted, or woven for walkers/racers who are breast cancer survivors. These are the two I made for them.

I started the pink and white one thinking I would do the interesting knot from the All Wrapped Up Infinity Scarf. The pink section is the pattern from the Pound of Love Hooded Baby Blanket. The white section is a granny square pattern from Heather's Crochet Blog. Unfortunately, I made the two sections too wide so the knot didn't work well. I just seamed the two together to make a HUGE infinity scarf. You have to wrap it around three times, but it still works well as a scarf.

The dark pink one is a fan or shell pattern that I haven't written up yet.

This brings my lifetime donation total to 689 items.

Cheers!

Woodbridge Scarf

My first fingering weight crocheted scarf is now available! Everyone, meet my Woodbridge Scarf.

I see so many knitted fingering weight, elongated triangle scarves that I wondered why there aren't more crocheted ones. Well, I'm trying to fill that void. This is the first of many fingering weight crocheted scarves for me. I love this one so much. I love how it turned out and how the colors go so well together.

Here are the details about the scarf:

Yarn: Fingering weight

MC (brown) - A little more than 420 yds (I ran out of my first skein [of 420 yds] halfway through the final color block)
CCA (silver) - 400 yds (minimum, depending on your gauge)
CCB (green) - 400 yds (minimum, depending on your gauge)

I specifically used Shalimar Aerie yarn in colorways Waterchestnut (brown), Chandelier (silver), and Lean on Me (green).

Hook: E (3.5 mm)

If you would like to make a Woodbridge Scarf for yourself or a special someone, here is the link to the pattern on Ravelry: 

Ravelry Woodbridge Scarf Pattern

Craftsy Woodbridge Scarf Pattern

Cheers!

Every Other Row Hat

With the Howard County Fair gearing up, I thought I would upload this hat pattern before my life gets really hectic, helping out at the fair. The bpdc increases used in this pattern can be a bit awkward to make. 

Pattern:

Materials:

Worsted weight yarn

K hook

Abbreviations:

Ch - Chain

Sl st - Slip stitch

St/Sts - Stitch(es)

Dc - Double crochet

Sc - Single crochet

Fpdc - Front post double crochet

Bpdc - Back post double crochet

Adult Size:

Ch 3 and join with sl st to form ring.

Rnd 1. Ch 2. Dc 12 into ring. Join to first dc with sl st. Join this way throughout.

Rnd 2. Ch 2. 2 fpdc in each st including the one slipped to. Join. Ch 2. (24 sts)

Rnd 3. Ch 2. *2 bpdc in first fpdc st, 1 bpdc in next fpdc st. Repeat from * around. Join. (36 sts)

Rnd 4. Ch 2. *2 fpdc in first bpdc st, 1 fpdc in next 2 bpdc sts. Repeat from * around. Join. (48 sts)

Rnd 5. Ch 2. *2 bpdc in first fpdc st, 1 bpdc in next 3 fpdc sts. Repeat from * around. Join. (60 sts)

Rnd 6-21. Alternate between one round of 1 fpdc in each st around and one round of 1 bpdc in each st around, starting with a Ch 2 for each round. Join the same way between rounds. End with a round of bpdc.

Rnd 22-24. Ch 1. Sc 1 in each st around. 

Fasten off. Weave in ends. 

New Born Size: (~4"diameter)

Ch 3 and join with sl st to form ring.

Rnd 1. Ch 2. Dc 12 into ring. Join to first dc with sl st. Join this way throughout. 

Rnd 2. Ch 2. Dc 2 into each dc around. Join. (24 dc)

Rnd 3. Ch 2. Fpdc in every st around. Join.

Rnd 4. Ch 2. Bpdc in every st around. Join.

Repeat rounds 3-4 until the had measures approximately 4" long. End with Rnd 4.

Brim rounds. Ch 1. Sc 1 in each st around. Join. Repeat this round one more time.

Fasten off. Weave in ends.

Baby Size: (~5.5" diameter)

Ch 3 and join with sl st to form ring.

Rnd 1. Ch 2. Dc 12 into ring. Join to first dc with sl st. Join this way throughout. 

Rnd 2. Ch 2. Dc 2 into each dc around. Join. (24 dc)

Rnd 3. Ch 2. *Dc 2 in the next st. Dc 1 in next st. Repeat from * around. Join. (36 dc)

Rnd 4. Ch 2. Fpdc in every st around. Join.

Rnd 5. Ch 2. Bpdc in every st around. Join.

Repeat rounds 4-5 until the had measures approximately 4.5" long. End with Rnd 5.

Brim rounds. Ch 1. Sc 1 in each st around. Join. Repeat this round one more time.

Fasten off. Weave in ends.

Teen/Adult Small Size: (~6" internal diameter)

Ch 3 and join with sl st to form ring.

Rnd 1. Ch 2. Dc 12 into ring. Join to first dc with sl st. Join this way throughout.

Rnd 2. Ch 2. 2 fpdc in each st including the one slipped to. Join. Ch 2. (24 sts)

Rnd 3. Ch 2. *2 bpdc in first fpdc st, 1 bpdc in next fpdc st. Repeat from * around. Join. (36 sts)

Rnd 4. Ch 2. *2 fpdc in first bpdc st, 1 fpdc in next 2 bpdc sts. Repeat from * around. Join. (48 sts)

Rnd 5. Ch 2. Bpdc in each st around. Join.

Rnd 6. Ch 2. Fpdc in each st around. Join.

Repeat rounds 5 and 6 until hat measures 5.5" long. End on Rnd 5.

Brim rounds. Ch 1. Sc 1 in each st around. Repeat this 3 times.

Fasten off. Weave in ends.