Sunday 4 November 2012

Free Pattern: Little Robin Christmas Tree Decoration



Hello all!

So sorry that it's been a while.  I am busy making lots of things for a Christmas craft fair I'm doing at the end of this month so have had very little time for pattern writing!

But here's a quick one for a little robin Christmas tree decoration.  I decided to do this because although there are a few free patterns for robins out there, none use DK yarn and if worked in DK end up enormous and are not fit to hang on your Christmas tree. As DK is the most readily available yarn type here in the UK and it’s what I mainly have in my stash, I decided to write my own pattern! So here it is, available free for all!  I hope you like it!  As usual any questions, please feel free to ask and I'll be happy to help!

The pattern can be downloaded for free here.

Saturday 11 August 2012

Free Pattern: Chunky Monkey Cardigan



Chunky Monkey Cardigan

This chunky cosy cardigan works up quickly using a variety of simple and textured stitches. Cardigan can easily be made smaller or larger with a different sized hook. The newborn to 3 month size (16 inch chest circ) takes only 75g of 3/Light/DK/Worsted Weight/8ply yarn.


Size: Newborn to 3 months - 16/17 inch chest measurement

Yarn: 75g of 3/Light/DK/Worsted Weight/8ply yarn

Hook: H hook (5mm)

Gauge: 4sc stitches and 2 sc rows per inch (2.5cm) in the yoke.

Terminology: US

 Abbreviations:

Beginning (beg)
Half Double Crochet (hdc)
Single Crochet (sc)
Space (sp)
Chain (ch)
Loop (lp)
Skip (skp)
Stitch (st)
Double Crochet (dc)
Repeat (rep)
Slip Stitch (sl st)
Yarn Over (yo)

Special Stitches

Front Post Double Crochet (fpdc) – yo and insert hook from the front to the back around the post of the dc of previous row. Complete as for a regular dc stitch.

Back Post Double Crochet (bpdc) - yo and insert hook from the back to the front around the post of the dc of previous row. Complete as for a regular dc stitch.

Single Crochet Two Together (sc2tog) - insert hook into next stitch, draw up a loop, insert hook into next stitch and draw up a loop (3 loops on hook). Finally, yo and draw through 3 loops.

Body

Ch31
Row 1: Sc into 2nd st on hook and into each st across, turn
Row 2: Ch1, sc in next 5 sts (front), 3 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of the next 3 sts (shoulder), 3 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of the next 10 sc (back), 3 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of the next 3 sts (shoulder), 3 sc in next st, 1 sc in each of the next 5 sts (front), turn.

Rows 3 & 4: Ch1, 1 sc in each sc and 3 sc in center sc of each 3sc group, turn.

Rows 5 - 12: Starting by ch1 and working a row of sc, work 7 more rows increasing in same way (working 3sc into corner sts) every other row.

Row 13: Ch 2, hdc in each st across, turn.

Row 14: Ch2, work increase row as before BUT this time with hdc (3hdc on corners), turn.
Row 15: Work hdc's across to centre of first 3hdc group, ch 5, skip across to centre hdc of next 3hdc group and continue to hdc across back to centre of next 3hdc group, ch 5, skip shoulder sts across to final 3hdc group and continue to hdc across to the end. Turn.

Row 16: Ch2, work hdc across, placing 5hd into ch5 space, turn.
Row 17- 22: Ch3, dc across into the back loops only, turn.  Do not fasten off.

Button hole band

Row 1: At end of row 22, ch1, work 2sc in each dc end stitch and 1sc in each sc end st up front side of cardigan, turn.

Row 2: Ch1, work sc in each st, placing buttonholes where you like. (buttonhole: sc, ch2, sk 2 st,  sc in next st), turn.

Row 3: Ch1, sc in each st, working 2sc in ch2 sps.  Fasten off.

Button band
Attach yarn to neck on opposite side and work 3 rows of sc (as 1st row of button hole band but without the button holes).  Do not fasten off.

Ribbing along the bottom

Row 1: Turn work, ch3 and work a dc into centre of bottom of button band, then work dc's into each st across the bottom, finishing with a dc in centre of bottom of button hole band and another at the end, turn.

Row 2: Ch2, work alternate fpdc and bpdc across, turn.

Row 3: Ch2, work one more row alternate fpdc and bpdc, fasten off.

Sleeves

Round 1: Attach yarn to under arm in centre.  Ch1 (counts as a sc), work 27 sc equally around the sleeves, join last sc to ch1 with a sl st.

Round 2: Ch1 (counts as an sc), sc in each st around, join last to ch1 with a sl st.

Round 3: Ch1, *work sc2tog in next st, sc in next 7 sts, repeat from * around, joining last sc to ch1 with a sl st..

Round 4 & 5: Ch2, hdc around, joining last to ch2 with a sl st.

Round 6: Ch3, dc around, joining last dc to ch3 with a sl st.

Round 7 - 9: Ch3, dc into the back loops only, joining last to ch3 with a sl st.

Round 10: Ch3, dc around, joining last to ch3 with a sl st.

Rounds 11 & 12: Ch2, alternate fpdc, bpdc around, joining last to ch2 with a sl st.

Fasten off.

Repeat for other arm, attach buttons and you're done!

I hope you like this pattern! If you have any problems with it please don't hesitate to contact me (LollysCC) via Ravelry or via my Lolly's Crafty Crochet Facebook page and I'll see if I can help!
Text and images by Lolly's Crafty Crochet & Laura Tegg, all rights reserved.  No pattern may be reproduced or distributed — mechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying, without written permission.  Finished products created with this pattern may be used for commercial sale. It is appreciated if design credit to Lolly's Crafty Crochet is listed in finished products.

Thursday 19 July 2012

It's Giveaway Time!

Update 21st July - the giveaway has ended and a winner has been picked!  Don't forget though that giveaways are always via my Facebook page, so to keep up-to-date all you have to do is throw a like my way!

To celebrate over 30,000 hits on my blog (now over 31,000, thank you!) last week I launched a giveaway on my Facebook page!

Don't worry there's still a couple of days to go, so there's still chance to win a copy of my beautiful, luxurious and ununusal 'Snake Stitch Neck Warmer/Scarf' pattern!  The pattern has been tested by 3 Ravelry members and comes with a step-by-step photo tutorial!  I absolutely love this stunning neck warmer!  Here's one I made earlier!


To enter all you have to do is like my page via the Rafflecopter link at the top of the page where it says Giveaway on my Facebook page.  Good luck!

Tuesday 17 July 2012

Free PatternS! Little Moll's Dress & Cardigan Set - 3 Sizes



This pattern is named after my beautiful baby niece because the dress and cardigan are almost as pretty as she! Cheesy but true!

As the pattern is available for sizes 0-12 months and includes two versions of the dress and the cardigan it's fairly long so rather than paste it all here, here is a link to the free Ravelry download

Both the dress and the cardigan are worked from the neck down.

There are two ways to work the dress, as a simple shift or with a fuller skirt.

Cap sleeves, button bands and a collar are worked onto the dress after the body is made.

Button bands, a collar and long sleeves are worked onto the cardigan after the body is made.

As usual if you have any problems with the pattern or the link, please don’t hesitate to contact me and I’ll see if I can help!

Thursday 12 July 2012

The 'Snake' Stitch

Hello all!

I have been trying to come up with something a bit different recently - something people haven't seen before and last weekend whilst playing with my hook and some yarn I came up with a really interesting variation on the crocodile stitch.

I wrote a pattern for a neck warmer/scarf based upon this discovery and on Monday I popped it onto Ravelry to be tested!  It was one of my three wonderful testers who commented that the stitch 'snaked' it's way down, accross, up and accross creating lovely S shaped ruffles and so the 'Snake' stitch was born.

I'm not so big headed to think that I've come up with something brand new, in fact I'm sure that somewhere in the history of crochet this stitch has been discovered previously and named something else!  But suffice to say I'm very happy with my new pattern and the shawl I'm currently working on that uses the stitch in a slightly different way.

Below are a couple of photo's of the neck warmer's I have made and here's the link to the pattern on Ravelry for further info - Snake Stitch Neck Warmer or Scarf

I hope you like it!  Comments welcome as always!


 

Tuesday 10 July 2012

Free Pattern: Esperaza Wrist Warmers

A family member requested that I make her some wrist warmers, so here they are and here's the free pattern!


These wrist warmers work up incredibly quickly and are really pretty!  So pretty that I'm going to be making some for myself now!
 
Esperaza Wrist Warmers

Yarn: 25g of 3/Light/Worsted/8ply yarn

Hook: G7 hook (4.5mm)

Terminology: US

Special Stitches

Cluster (cl): [Yo, insert hook in next dc, yo and draw up lp, yo and draw through 2 lps on hook] 5 times, yo and draw through all 6 lps on hook.
Front Post Double Crochet (fpdc): Yo and insert hook from the front to the back around the post of the dc of previous row. Complete as for a regular dc stitch.
Back Post Double Crochet (bpdc): Yo and insert hook from the back to the front around the post of the dc of previous row. Complete as for a regular dc stitch.

Pattern – Make 2

Ch a multiple of 6 sts to suit the size of the hand you’re making the wrist warmers for, and join with a sl st to form a ring.  The gloves in the images above were made with a starting chain of 30.

Round 1: Ch3 (counts as a dc), 4dc into same ch sp, skip 2 ch, 1 dc in next ch, *skp 2 ch, 5dc in next ch, skp 2 ch, 1 dc in next ch; rep from * to end, ending with a dc, skp 2ch, join last dc to first with a sl st.

Round 2: Ch5 (counts as a dc and a ch2), skip first dc, *cl over next 5 dc, ch 2, 1 dc in next dc, ch 2; rep from *, ending with cl over last 5 dc, ch 2, join with a sl st to 3rd ch of beginning 5 ch.

Round 3: Ch3, skip 2 sts, 5dc in top of cl, *skip 2 ch, 1dc in next dc, skip 2 ch, 5dc in top of next cluster; rep from *, ending with a dc, skp 2ch, join last dc to first with a sl st.

Round 4: Repeat row 2.

Round 5: Repeat row 3.

Round 6: Repeat row 2.

Round 7: Ch3, skip 2 sts, 4dc in top of cl, *skip 2 ch, 1dc in next dc, skip 2 ch, 4dc in top of next cluster; rep from *, ending with a dc, skp 2ch, join last dc to first with a sl st.

Rounds 8 & 9: Ch2, hdc into each st around, joining last to first with a sl st.

Round 10: Ch3, dc into each st around, joining last to first with a sl st.

Round 11: Ch3, alternate fpdc, bpdc around, joining last st to first with a sl st.

Round 12: Ch1, sc into each st around, joining last to first with a sl st.

I hope you like this pattern!  If you have any problems with it please don't hesitate to let me know and I'll see if I can help! 


Text and images by Lolly's Crafty Crochet & Laura Tegg, all rights reserved.  No pattern may be reproduced or distributed — mechanically, electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying, without written permission.  Finished products created with this pattern may be used for commercial sale. It is appreciated if design credit to Lolly's Crafty Crochet is listed in finished products.

Tuesday 19 June 2012

Crocodile Stitch Crochet Barefoot Sandals

I have just published my pattern for Crocodile Crochet Barefoot Sandals on Ravelry!


These barefoot sandals are ideal for those practicing yoga and belly dancing. They’re also perfect for the beach or for those lucky enough to be attending a beach wedding. Can’t find a pair of sandals to match your outfit? No problem, you can even find yarn to match what you’re wearing, make a pair of these and wear them over flip flops, or the currently on trend two strap sandals!

Level of Difficulty: Advanced Beginner to Intermediate - the pattern has many guidance photo’s and a photo tutorial on the crocodile stitch included. The pattern has been tested by four Ravelry members, two of whom were not experienced in the stitch and both of whom made a beautiful pair of sandals! And all of the testers said they’d be making more :)

Click here to view the pattern on Ravelry.