Updates and Freebies and Contests, Oh My!

I'm getting a nice chunk of sales from my Facebook page. Granted, all of them have been friends or internet friends (HULLO GOONS!) but it's still nice that people are willing to help someone they know get their stuff out there.

I've got a nice little stockpile of stuff made now, and I want to pass along some freebies to folks. I'd love to see a jump in followers on either this or my facebook page. Just tell whoever you refer to follow me to leave a comment somewhere saying you sent them. I'll even take a custom order as long as it won't take more than 1 skein's worth of yarn. (it can be multicolored, just not huge).

I would also love to give away something I've made to someone who genuinely appreciates what I'm doing here. Email me and tell me how I've helped you with crochet. If you've got a picture of something of mine you've made, send that along too! I'd like to get my name out there and I want to know this little bitty blog is helping folks.

Next post will be stitch related, I promise. :D Any requests for the next pattern in pictures?

Pattern in Pictures: Jewelry bag/Change purse

Jewelry/Change Purse

Materials:

• I hook

• 50-100 yrds worsted weight yarn (this is a great pattern to use up scraps!)

• stitch marker or safety pin
  

Rnd 1: Make a magic ring. sc 5 in ring. (alternately, ch 2 and make 5 sc in second ch from hook). Mark first st of each row with a stitch marker.

Rnd 2: 2 sc in each sc. (10 sc)

Rnd 3: sc in next sc. 2 sc in next sc. Repeat around. (15 sc)

Rnd 4: sc in next 2 sc, 2sc in next sc. Repeat around.

Rnd 5: sc in next 3 sc. 2 sc in next sc.

Rnd 6: sc in next 4 sc, 2sc in next sc. Repeat around. (30 sc)
*If you want a bigger bag, work more rounds here in the same fashion.

Rnd 7: working in back loop only, sc in each sc around. (30 sc)

Rnd 8: working in both loops now, sc in each sc around. (30 sc)

Continue working one sc in each sc around, moving the stitch marker up to each new round. The number of rounds depends on how tall you want the bag to be. I believe there are 12 rounds of sc worked even here.

Next rnd: work 1 sc, sc dec in each st around.

Next rnd: sl st in first sc. Ch 5 (counts as first dc and ch 2)

Dc in same st. *sk next st. dc, ch 2, dc all in next st* Repeat *-* around.

Sl st to 3rd ch of beginning ch 5.

Next rnd: ch 1, sc in same st, ch 3, dc in same st. sk ch 2.

*sc in next dc. ch 3, dc in same st. sk next dc and ch 2.* Repeat *-* around to last st. end with sc in last st. Sl st to first ch 1 and fasten off.

Cut 6 equal pieces of yarn the length you'd like the drawstring/ handle to be. It should at least be 12 in. Make a knot at the end, and using 3 groups of 2 strands, make a braid. Knot it again at the other end.

Weave the braid through the dc, ch 2 rnd and you're done!


Questions or corrections? email me at armyofowls@gmail.com

This particular bag is getting sent out to Julie for passing along my blog and Facebook page to all her friends. If you'd like free stuff, have people comment or email me and tell me that you brought them to either site.

Fanatic Fridays

I'm having trouble picking something for this week's FF. I really want to do a showcase of Debbie Stoller's work. I also really, really want to rave about Ravelry. Methinks the only way to remedy this is to make a separate day of entries for websites I love. Maybe Sunday showcase?

At any rate, this entry is about Debbie Stoller and her greatness. She's the author of Stitch 'N' Bitch Crochet: The Happy Hooker. This book is beyond amazing. A friend of mine has recently picked up crocheting. I tried, in vain, to teach her to make a granny square. (Not her fault, my teaching skills were to blame). She borrowed this book and taught herself 3 stitches by the end of the night. The first third of the book is a very in-depth look at crochet. The pictures and instructions are not only fun to look at/read, they make it so easy to teach yourself to crochet. I've heard the same can be said about her knitting books too. I believe it.

The last 2/3 of the book is full of a variety of patterns for clothing, purses, scarves, toys, etc. There are patterns for beginners as well as more advanced crocheters.

I can't say enough about her. She's even broken into making affordable, all natural yarn. There are some free crochet patterns on that site. My favorite is the All Day Beret, but it's knitted so I won't be able to make it until I get some free time to pick up some needles (And the stitch n bitch knit books!) and teach myself to knit/purl.

Beary Adorable.

I recently got a request for a trio of bear hats. I was so excited to try it out as I've been seeing patterns for bear hats everywhere. The customer wanted a specific look. At first the task was daunting. I couldn't find a hat pattern that worked. I finally decided on a hybrid. I used this pattern for the hat, and this pattern for the ears. I've made a couple changes to the pattern so I decided to post it here. I do have another pattern in pictures in the works. I just have to finish these hats.


Beary Adorable Earflap Hat

Materials:
G (4 mm) hook (for ears)
J hook (for hat)
around 3.5 oz of worsted weight yarn
tapestry/yarn needle

Abbreviations:
ch= chain
sl st = slip stitch
dc = double crochet
hdc = half double crochet
hdc dec = half double crochet decrease
rnd = round
sc = single crochet

Pattern Notes:
Crochet the hat holding two strands of yarn together. Use only one strand for the ears.

Ch 3, sl st to form a ring.
Rnd 1: Ch 3 (counts as first dc here and throughout) 9 dc in ring. Join with a sl st to the top of beginning ch 3. (10 dc)
Rnd 2: Ch3, dc in same st as join. 2 dc in each stitch around. (20 dc)
Rnd 3: Ch3, *2 dc in next st. dc in next st* Repeat *-* around. (30 dc)
Rnd 4: Ch3, dc in next st *2 dc in next st, dc in next 2 stitches* Repeat *-* around. (40 dc)
Rnd 5: Ch3, dc in next 2 stitches, *2 dc in next st, dc in next 3 stitches* Repeat *-* around (50 dc) [for *bigger sizes check Options at end of pattern]
Rnd 6-10: Ch3, dc in each st around. (50 dc) If your hat looks a little shallow, add more rnds here.
Rnd 11: Ch3, dc in each of next 35 stitches. Ch 3, turn.

Now you'll be working in rows.
Row 1: skip 1st dc. dc in each st around. Ch 3, turn. (34 dc)
Row 2: skip 1st dc. Dc in next 10 stitches. (10 dc) (Beginning of earflap)
Row 3: work a dc decrease in first 2 stitches. dc in each st across until last 2 stitches. Work a dc decrease in last 2 stitches.
Continue in this fashion until you only have 2 decreases. Fasten off.

Join yarn on the other side of the hat. (15 stitches from previous earflap) 12 stitches in. Follow the same instructions for the previous earflap, except for Row 2. Work Row 1 as follows:

Row 1 of second earflap: Ch 3, dc in each of next 1o stitches. Skip last dc. (10 dc total, not counting beginning ch 3)


Ear: (Make 2) These are worked in a spiral. Don't join the rounds.
Rnd 1: make a magic ring/adjustable ring sc 5 in ring. (5 sc)
Rnd 2: 2 hdc in each st around. (10 hdc)
Rnd 3: 2 hdc in each st around. (20 hdc)
Rnd 4: hdc in next st, 2 hdc in next st (30 hdc)
Rnd 5 & 6: hdc in each st around (30 hdc)
Rnd 7: work [hdc, hdc dec] around (20 hdc)
Rnd 8: hdc dec in each st around (10 hdc)

Fasten off, leaving a tail long enough to sew the ears closed and sew them to the hat. The ears will look like a mushroom cap while you're crocheting them. Don't worry! You can squish them down and mold them into perfect little bear ears.


This is where you really get to personalize it. You have lots of options in regards to the rest of the hat. You can find a contrasting yarn and crochet a slip stitch or single crochet border around the bottom of the hat. You can add a chin strap that attaches to either velcro or a cute button. These are some of the options for the hat.

Options:

*to make an adult sized hat, add as many more increasing rows as you need. Just continue in the same fashion as the 3-5 rounds, adding a single crochet between increases (2 dc in one stitch) Then work the hat the same way you'd make the kids' sized hat. Add a few more rows worked even (1 dc in each st around) if needed. Everything else can be worked the same.

For a simple chin strap for any hat, ch as many as needed to go under the chin with a few extra. Ch 3 and dc in each of the chs. Once you get to the end, ch 5, sl st in the first ch you made and fasten off your work. Sew it to the hat so the side with the ch 5 on the same side as the button.

For simple but eye catching straps, take the end of your yarn and hold it in the webbing between your thumb and index finger. Wrap the yarn around your elbow and bring it back up to your thumb and index finger 6 times. cut the yarn you have bunched at your thumb and index finger. You're essentially making really long fringe. Take 3 strands and fold them in half. Insert your hook into the end of an ear flap and pull the bend of the fringe through. Now pull the ends of the fringe through the loop you just made. Pull it as tight as you can, now separate the 6 strands of yarn into 3 groups of 2 and braid them. Tie a knot at the end. Repeat for remaining 3 pieces of fringe on other ear flap.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!
an option within the options: If you decided to do a border in a contrasting color, and you want to do the ties, Make 4 pieces of long fringe in the main color, and 2 in the alternate color. Follow the same instructions for the ties, except you'll have 2 strands of main color and 1 of the alternate color. (obviously, you can reverse the colors if that's your preference.)


Enjoy, and as always email any questions or pictures of finished products to me at armyofowls@gmail.com

The Saturday Stitch: Front (and Back)post double crochet.

There has been a few weeks of sick folks and crochet orders in my house. Sadly, the blog has suffered and I apologize. Hopefully I can get us back to a sort of regularly scheduled programming.

Some weeks ago I promised the next Saturday Stitch would be front post and back post double crochet. This gives whatever you're making a ribbed, 3-D effect. When working with crochet, you're told to go into the stitch. This is the top of the work you did on the row or round previous.
In front or back post crochet, you insert the hook into the "post" of the stitch. (see photo) This stitch is abbreviated fpdc or bpdc.


The pattern I've chosen is a pretty straightforward one. It's for a 3-D scarf. This pattern is created entirely on theory, so if it doesn't work out well or it looks like garbage, let me know.



3-D Scarf

Materials:
Two 5-7oz. skeins of any yarn, although worsted weight will work best.
H hook (bigger hook=bigger, looser scarf.)



Ch 22 loosely. (I tend to prefer skinnier scarves. If you'd like a wide scarf, just chain a multiple of 2, plus an additional 2 chains.)

Row 1: dc in 3rd ch from hook and in each ch across. (20 dc)

Row 2: ch 2, turn. *fpdc (front post double crochet) in first dc. Bpdc (back post double crochet) in next dc.** Repeat from * across.

Repeat Row 2 until piece is desired length.


Alternate version:
Same Materials.

Ch 222 loosely. (once again, your personal preference comes into play. This chain will be the length of the scarf, so just stop when it gets long enough. Just make sure it's a multiple of 2, plus 2 additional chains.)

Row 1: dc in 3rd chain from hook and in each ch across.

Row 2: *fpdc in first dc, bpdc in next dc** Repeat *-** across.

Repeat row 2 until scarf is desired width.

Since I've never tried this pattern out, please send me photos of your finished products if you make one. Email me at armyofowls@gmail.com.