Lefty Requests?

From all the comments on my broomstick bracelet tutorial I can see that there are a lot of left handed crocheters out there struggling in a right handed world :) That’s understandable – we’re told to just reverse the instructions but when you’re learning to crochet generally this extra step of having to flip everything in your head or download the photos, flip and resemble them can be the frustration that makes many of us give up and go back to making simple scarves forever more! I think this is a very sad state of affairs and I’m here to help. If you’re a lefty and struggling with a particular stitch or some nuance of amigurumi then leave a comment and I’ll see what I can do to help. Even if it’s just the simplest of things that you can’t quite get to look like it should please do ask and I’ll start to build up a collection of left handed tutorials. I’m not saying I’ll definitely be able to help but I’m happy to give it go!

Filed under: crochet, instructions, useful stuff, crochet, instructions, left handed, tutorial

Bobbly Kindle (ipad/laptop/phone) case pattern

A cosy, lined case covered in a pattern of tiny little bobbles. It is very thick and textured. For laptops, kindles, ipads or phones! The instructions are very detailed with lots of photos. The case I make in the instructions is to fit a kindle but general instructions are also given so it can be made any size. As always I use English crochet terms and include a conversion chart for American terms.

What you will need:
• 3mm hook
• Chunky yarn or thinner yarn (~dk) doubled up.
• Lining material
• 2, 3 (or 4 or more!) buttons of your choice
• Pins (to pin the lining to the case)
• Thread and needle for sewing on the lining and buttons
• Optional – extra wadding/padding to go between the lining and the crochet if you are making a large case, such as for a laptop.

You may sell items you make from this pattern as long as you credit my blog as the source of the pattern and provide a link to the page where the pattern can be purchased.

Fully illustrated, detailed instructions are available for £1 (that’s about $1.60 at the time of writing). You can either buy now via paypal or purchase through Ravelry:

If you have any questions or want any help with this project you can email me at cultofcrochet@gmail.com and I’ll be working on more free patterns soon so do keep checking back.

Filed under: crochet, instructions, bobble, case, crochet, easy, instructions, ipad, kindle, laptop, lined, pattern, phone, textured

Baby Bunny Hat

This hat is going to be part of a set with some booties for an as yet unborn baby with unknown gender – so it’s white (and sparkly) because that probably would be fine for either a boy or a girl. I used DK yarn and a 5mm hook which makes the hat quite light and airy.

SIZE

I have literally no idea how big a baby is so I used this wonderful website of baby sizes to make it (hopefully!) the right size. If you get the same gauge as me and follow the instructions exactly then the finished hat should measure ~38cm (15″) in circumference and 15cm (6″) long (before being turned up) which the website says is the size for a baby 3 – 6 months old. I decided to go for one size up from newborn as it’s better to be slightly too big as the baby can always grow into it.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

• I used DK yarn and a 5mm hook to give a light and airy feel to the hat. It has a gauge of ~3.5 stitches and 3.5 rows per 2.5cm (1 inch) when worked in half treble (american = half double) crochet in back loops only. You can use any yarn and hook with any gauge if you have a look at this website of baby sizes and adjust the pattern for your particular needs.
• yarn needle for sewing on the ears
• As always I’ll be using English crochet terms so have a look at my conversion chart if you’d prefer American terms. However, the whole hat is completed in a single stitch: half treble crochet (htr) which in american terms is just half double crochet (hdc). Crochet into the back loop only of all stitches unless the instructions say otherwise and continue working in a spiral, using a stitch marker to keep track of rounds.

HAT

Round 1. Create a magic ring containing 6dc (sc in American terms). slst closed.

Work in back loops only of all stitches from now on.

Round 2. 2htr into each stitch (12 stitches total)

Round 3. *2htr into first stitch, 1htr in next stitch. *repeat 6 times (18 stitches total)

Round 4. *2htr into first stitch, 1htr in each of next 2 stitches. *repeat 6 times (24 stitches total)

Round 5. *2htr into first stitch, 1htr in each of next 3 stitches. *repeat 6 times (30 stitches total)

Round 6. *2htr into first stitch, 1htr in each of next 4 stitches. *repeat 6 times (36 stitches total)

Round 7. *2htr into first stitch, 1htr in each of next 5 stitches. *repeat 6 times (42 stitches total)

Round 8-22. 1htr in each stitch. (42 stitches total)

Fasten off and weave in ends.

EARS (MAKE 2)

Round 1. Create a magic ring containing 6dc. slst closed.

Work in back loops only of all stitches from now on.

Round 2. *2htr into first stitch, 1htr in next stitch. *repeat 3 times (9 stitches total)

Round 3. 1htr in each stitch.

Round 4. *2htr into first stitch, 1htr in each of next 2 stitch. *repeat 3 times (12 stitches total)

Round 5. 1htr in each stitch.

Round 6. *2htr into first stitch, 1htr in next stitch. *repeat 6 times (18 stitches total)

Round 7-15. 1htr in each stitch. (18 stitches total)

Fasten off leaving a tail for sewing.

FINISHING

Flatten an ear and fold in half at the base as shown in the photo below. With the yarn needle and the tail of yarn sew through all layers a few times to secure the ear in this position.

Place the ear on one side of the hat at approximately round 4 and sew on. Weave in the loose end.

Repeat with the second ear on the opposite side of the hat. Turn up approximately 2.5cm (1″) and you’re done. Enjoy the cuteness!

Filed under: clothing, crochet, instructions, baby, bunny, crochet, crochet pattern, cute, hat, instructions, pattern, rabbit

Headware

I was going to write up the pattern for this hat for all you lovely people but it turns out that I have a very small head so I don’t think it would fit anyone else!

When figuring out how to make it though I came across this bloom beret pattern by Brittney Waterhouse, which, although constructed differently, produces a very similar slouchy style hat. So have a go at that if you like the style, I made it and it turned out great (with some adjustments to account for the small head!)

and while we’re on the subject of head-gear I don’t know if anyone remembers my attempt at customising my bike helmet a while ago? Well it’s been through a few incarnations since then and I really like the patchwork quality of it now – just repainting and redrawing over different sections as the mood takes me (and the paint is water based so fades and smudges in the rain then I just go over bits again):

Filed under: clothing, crochet, instructions, crochet, cycle helmet, hat, headware, slouchy

Giant January Snowflake

 

This snowflake measures approximately 30cm (12″) across, from point to point. It’s made using King Cole Haze glitter and it doesn’t show up great in the photos but is lovely and fuzzy yet shimmery – just like real snowflakes – but this one will keep you warm when out in the cold :)

You can join them together as you go to create a scarf and I’ve also experimented in joining more together to make a big square (with mixed results)…

The yarn weight is ~dk and recommends a 4mm hook. I used a 7mm hook and so I’d suggest using a hook several sizes larger than recommended by the yarn you’re using and keep the work fairly loose at all times. As always crochet terms are English so have a look at the conversion chart for the American equivalents.

Round 1. Chain 5 and join to the first stitch with a sl st to create a ring.

Round 2. Chain 6, *1tr into the ring, chain 3*

* repeat 11 times, sl st to the 3rd chain of the starting 6. You should have 12 ‘petals’ as shown in the photo below.

Round 3. *[dc, ch7, dc] into the next ch3 space, [dc, dc] into the next ch3 space.*

*Repeat 6 times then sl st into the first dc. Your work should now look like the photo below.

Round 4. *[2dc, 2tr, 4dtr, 2tr, 2dc] into ch7 space, dc, dc into the double crochet stitches from the previous round.*

*repeat 6 times.

Round 5. sl st next 4 stitches (the first 2dc and 2tr from the previous round), *ch12, dc into 5th stitch around (ie skip the 4 double trebles from round 4 and dc into the next treble), ch4, dc into 9th stitch around (ie dc into the second treble of the next ‘petal’)*

*repeat 6 times. Your work should now look like the photo below.

Round 6. to create a picot3: chain 3 then slst into the first chain. To create a picot5: chain 5 then slst into the first chain.

*[dc, dc, dc, picot3, dc, dc, dc, tr, tr, picot5, tr, tr, dc, dc, dc, picot3, dc, dc, dc] all in the next ch12 space. [dc, dc, dc, picot3, dc, dc, dc] all in the next ch4 space.*

*repeat 6 times. sl st to the 1st dc of the round, fasten off. The first snowflake is created.

Joining. Complete the first 5 rounds of the next snowflake the same as above. On the 6th round you will join to the first snowflake in 3 places: on the second to last ch4 space, instead of creating the picot3 in the normal way you should [dc, dc, dc, chain 1, dc to a picot5 of the first snowflake, chain 1, slst to the 1st chain, dc, dc, dc]. Then on the next ch12 space you should attach the 3rd chain of the picot5 to the next picot3 of the first snowflake. Then for the final ch4 space attach to the next picot5 of the first snowflake in the same way. That’s a lot of words! and I promise it’s not as complicated as all that sounds – look at the photo below and see how the second snowflake is rotated slightly and joined at 3 points. All you need to remember is that a picot5 is always joined to a picot3 and vice versa – you should never join 3 to 3 or 5 to 5. and each snowflake connects to the next at three consecutive points.

To join a third snowflake you should rotate it so it is the same orientation as the first snowflake and attach at the last ch12 space, ch4 space, ch12 space. see the photo below. Each snowflake will alternate its rotation. when it’s long enough for a scarf/shawl just pin and block or leave it a bit fuzzy and enjoy. I’d say you would need anywhere from 5 snowflakes to 9 snowflakes to be long enough for a scarf depending on how big they are.

I also had a go at increasing the width to make more of a square piece and it can be done – as seen in the photo below – but because of the size of the snowflakes it does leave quite a large square gap (~13cm or 5″) which I think is too big. Since it’s roughly a square and there are 4 evenly spaced picots pointing inwards then another small piece could be created to go in that gap, attached at those picots. I haven’t got around to actually thinking about that yet though….

Filed under: clothing, crochet, instructions, crochet, crochet pattern, instructions, lacy, scarf, snowflake

Tiny Rudolph

OK so he looks a bit like a Clanger dressed as a reindeer because I just made him up as I went along but he was quick to make and (I think) very cute. I do have some ideas of improvements if I made him again but I’ll just tell you those as I go along because now he’s finished I don’t have the heart to replace him (very sad I know!)

You’ll need:

• Small amounts of light and dark brown yarn and a suitable sized hook to match the yarn (I used DK weight yarn and 4mm hook.)
• A scrap of red yarn or some red embroidery thread for his nose.
• 2 black seed beads and black thread for eyes (or just black thread if you have no beads)
• Something to weight the base – he won’t stand up otherwise. I used three 5p pieces but anything small and heavy will work
• A small amount of stuffing
• A yarn needle
• A stitch marker to keep track of rounds

We will be working in a continuous spiral so use a stitch marker to keep track of the start of the rounds. Crochet into the back loop only of all stitches and the terms I use are English – look at the conversion chart for the American equivalents.

The first change I would make is that I’d complete the first 5 rounds in dark brown yarn (to create the hooves (hoofs?)) and then change to the light brown and continue as the photos show.

BODY

Round 1. In dark brown yarn create a magic ring with 6dc and slip stitch closed

Round 2. 2dc in each stitch (12 stitches total)

Round 3-7. 1dc in each stitch (12 stitches) Change colour to light brown yarn after round 5.

Round 8. (2dc, dc, dc, dc) x 3 (15 stitches)

Round 9. 1 dc in each stitch (15 stitches)

Round 10. 2dc, htr, tr, tr, tr, 2tr, tr, htr, dc, dc, 2slst, slst last 4 stitches (18 Stitches)

Round 11. 2slst, dc, dc, htr, htr, tr, 2tr, tr next 5 stitches, 2htr, dc, dc, slst, slst, slst (21 stitches)

Round 12. slst first 5 stitches, dc, htr, tr next 7 stitches, htr, dc, slst last 5 stitches (21 stitches)

Round 13&14. 1dc in each stitch (21 stitches)

Insert weight into bottom of feet

Round 15. (miss one stitch, dc next 6 stitches) x 3 (18 stitches)

Round 16. (miss one stitch, dc next 5 stitches) x 3 (15 stitches)

Stuff

Round 17. (miss one stitch, dc next 4 stitches) x 3 (12 stitches)

Round 18. 1dc in each stitch (12 stitches)

Round 19. (miss one stitch, dc next 3 stitches) x 3 (9 stitches)

Add a little more stuffing if needed

Round 20. (miss one stitch, dc next 2 stitches) x 3 (6 stitches)

Round 21. miss one stitch, dc, miss one stitch, dc, miss one stitch, slst.

Fasten off and weave in ends

TAIL

Insert your crochet hook around a tr on the back of the body from round 11 and pull through a short length of light brown yarn. Tie the 2 ends in a knot a few times until the tail is as long as you want it then trim then ends.

ANTLERS

Repeat the process for tail on either side of the head in dark brown yarn to create the antlers. Leave a length of yarn when you trim them to create branches.

Here is where I would make another change if I did this again: I would make two antlers on each side of the head then knot these together to create a thicker base that tapers and creates more branches at the end.

FACE

Sew a scrap of red yarn (or embroidery thread) around and around the tip to create the nose. the more times you sew around the bigger you can make the nose.

sew a black seed bead to each side of the head for the eyes.

LEGS

I messed about trying different things with the legs and in the end sewed around with light brown yarn to define the legs then sewed dark brown yarn around the bottom for the hooves. If you followed the improved instructions then you will already have hooves so I would just sew once up the front, back and each side in light brown yarn to divide the base into 4 legs.

Filed under: amigurumi, amigurumi, crochet, instructions, amigurumi, Christmas, crochet, crochet pattern, cute, easy, reindeer, rudolph

Dress-up Bunny

Here is my latest pattern. He is a(nother!) bunny – I do love crocheted bunny ears :) I’ve called him Mr Rabbit and he likes to dress up. He has three costumes so far; the first is SuperBunny – crime fighting daredevil to the stars. He has a mask to protect his identity and a rather dashing cape that goes ‘swish’ in the breeze. Of course he also has an alter ego outfit that is a simple collar and tie. No one suspects his superhero antics even though Mr Rabbit and SuperBunny have never been seen together…..

His second costume is a ghost – since Halloween he’s been addicted to cutting holes in sheets and scaring anyone he can find:

And with Christmas fast approaching Mr Rabbit is getting into the festive spirit by tying on a fake beard and handing out presents to all his family and friends.

I had the idea for dress-up bunny about 5 months ago and have been working on it on and off  since then. It is my latest pattern for sale to help me restock with wool when I go home over Christmas – there’s a serious lack of wool shops around here :)

The pattern for the bunny and all the costumes is available for £3 (that’s about $4.66 USD on 28/11/11) and you can either

click here to buy it directly from my website via paypal 

or you can buy it through Ravelry.

If you only want one of the outfits then you can buy them separately for £1.50 each ($2.33 USD on 28/11/11) . Each pattern contains instructions for making the bunny and that particular outfit.

    

Buy the SuperBunny pattern directly via paypal. or from Ravelry.

   

Buy the ghost bunny pattern directly via paypal. or from Ravelry.

   

Buy the Santa bunny pattern directly via paypal. or from Ravelry.

If you’re not keen on theatrical rabbits or just don’t want to pay for patterns then do keep checking back as i’ll have more free patterns for you soon.

Filed under: amigurumi, amigurumi, crochet, instructions, amigurumi, bunny, Christmas, costume, crochet, crochet pattern, cute, ghost, instructions, pattern, pdf download, rabbit, Santa, superhero

Placemat & Coaster Set

I’ve only made 3 coasters and 1 placemat so far but that’s enough to let you know how it was done. They were made using the same stitch as the vintage phone case, they’re nice and thick and seem quite robust so far. As always I’m using English crochet terms so look at the conversion chart for the American equivalents.

I’ve used quite a thin recycled grey cotton doubled up so that it’s ~dk/worsted weight and a 4mm hook.

Placemat

row 1. Chain 50

row 2. chain 3, turn, tr in 3rd chain from hook, *skip one stitch, dc and then tr both into the next stitch*

* repeat to the end of the row and just 1dc in the last stitch of the row.

row 3. chain 2, turn, tr into the dc at the end of the last row (the 3rd chain/stitch from the hook), *skip one stitch, dc then tr both into the next stitch*

* repeat to the end of the row ending with 1 dc in last stitch of the row.

Repeat row 3 until the piece is as big as you would like the placemat – I completed 30 rows in total.

Do not fasten off but turn the work 90 degrees and continue in the direction you are going – dc all around the edge with 3dc in each corner. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Coaster

Follow the same instructions as for the placemat but to begin chain 14 and I completed 12 rows but you should add or subtract a few to make them square. Finish by dc-ing all around the edge as for the placemat.

Filed under: crochet, instructions, coaster, crochet, crochet pattern, easy, instructions, pattern, placemat

Flower Headband

Hello! It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything and I do apologise. I recently moved house and started a new job so I’ve been quite busy - I have found time to crochet but have ended up working on three or four big projects at once and none of them are finished! This weekend I really wanted to actually finish something and ended up making this headband. The flower is inspired by this Finnish rose pattern and I actually made two versions so you can choose which you like best or even go with the original. As always I’ll be using English crochet terms so have a look at the conversion chart for the American equivalents:

Headband

I used dk yarn and a 4mm hook but you can use whatever combination works best for you.

Row 1. In grey chain 10

Row 2. Chain 1, turn, htr into the back loop only of each stitch of the row.

Repeat this row until the piece is long enough to wrap tightly around your head. Working into the back loops only should give a ribbed effect making the piece slightly stretchy.

Once the piece is long enough slip stitch the ends together to create a loop. I first twisted one end 180 degrees to give a narrower, folded section to sit more comfortably at the nape of my neck but It’s up to you which way you prefer.

Flower One

Again I used dk yarn and a 4mm hook. Different combinations will result in different sized flowers.

Row 1. In grey chain 61

Row 2. Chain 3, tr into the 6th chain from the hook, *ch2, skip one stitch, tr next stitch*

*Repeat to the end of the row

Row 3. Chain 2, turn, skip the first stitch of the previous row, tr next stitch, ch2, 2tr into next stitch. *skip the treble from the previous row, 2tr, ch2, 2tr*

*Repeat to the end of the row

Row 4. Change colour to pink. ch2, turn, *6tr into the ch2 gap of the previous row, dc between the next two groups of 2tr*

*Repeat to the end of the row

Fasten off leaving a long tail for sewing. Coil/wrap the piece up in a pleasing way and then stitch through all layers using the tail to secure in place.

This one is based quite closely on the Finnish pattern and I like the flower but thought it was a little big for the headband and I wanted slightly less pink showing so I made another version:

Flower Two

Row 1. In grey chain 41

Row 2. Chain 3, tr into the 6th chain from the hook, *ch2, skip one stitch, tr next stitch*

*Repeat to the end of the row

Row 3. Chain 2, turn, skip the first stitch of the previous row, tr next stitch, ch2, 2tr into next stitch. *skip the treble from the previous row, 2tr, ch2, 2tr*

*Repeat to the end of the row

Row 4. Chain 2, turn, *6tr into the ch2 gap of the previous row, dc between the next two groups of 2tr*

*Repeat to the end of the row

Row 5. Change colour to pink. ch1, turn, 2dc each stitch to the end of the row. Fasten off. As with the first flower coil it around and stitch through all layers to secure.

Here are the two flowers side by side for comparison:

Whichever one you’ve decided to go for sew it onto the headband and enjoy!

I tried for ages to take a decent photo of this headband actually on my head but it turned out to be very difficult! So here are a few rubbishy photos just so you can get the idea of how thick the band is, how big the flower etc:

Filed under: crochet, instructions, crochet, crochet pattern, flower, headband, instructions, pattern

Running Armband

I hate running but gimmicky gadgets will get me to try anything and so I found myself looking forward to a jog around after I installed miCoach from adidas on my phone – it’s really cool and free so I do recommend giving it a try. This means I need my phone with me though and not hidden in a pocket since it needs GPS signals to let me know my speed and plot my route and things. Crochet to the rescue! My first attempt at an armband was just a stretchy band with a simple phone case sewn on. This worked ok but not great – It felt tight enough when I put it on but as I jogged up and down it shifted and felt too loose. This is my improved design with a long strap and velcro so you can pull it as tight as you like and if the crochet stretches or you lose weight or someone else wants to borrow it then you can just pull it a bit tighter. It also has an extra pocket for my keys.

What you will need:

*About 50g of DK weight yarn and a suitable sized hook (I used 4mm)

*A small amount of Velcro (you could use a loop and button to close but then it won’t be adjustable)

*A yarn needle for sewing the work and a regular needle and thread for sewing on the Velcro

*A metal or plastic ring for looping the strap through – I used one from the strap of an old bag – it is square and works fine but having used it a couple of times I think a circular one would be slightly better as it tends to twist.

*Knowledge of English crochet terms – have a look at the conversion chart for the American equivalents.

Step 1. Leaving a longish tail for sewing later, chain the length of your metal or plastic ring (if it’s circular then chain just less than the diameter). I chained 7.

Step 2. Ch1, turn, dc each stitch to the end of the row.

Repeat step 2 until the work is about 4cm (1.5″) long.

Step 3. Place your phone/mp3 player/ipod so that the work is in the centre of one edge and chain to reach the edge:

Step 4. ch1, turn, dc each stitch of the row. Now instead of turning chain until the total length of the work is twice that of your phone/ipod etc:

Step 5. ch1, turn, dc each stitch to the end of the row.

Repeat step 5 until the work is wide enough to cover your phone. If you would like an extra pocket for your keys etc then continue adding rows until the work is large enough.

Step 6. ch1, turn, dc each stitch until you reach the point opposite the end of the initial little tab.

Step 7. ch1, turn, dc the same number of stitches as you chained in step 1. You are creating a strap the same width as, and directly opposite the initial tab.

Repeat step 7 until you have a strap long enough to wrap completely around your arm twice. This will seem very long but wrapping it all around makes it more secure. Fasten off:

Step 8. Fold the initial tab in half and sew it around the ring:

Step 9. Fold the large section of work up and sew up both edges. If you crocheted extra to hold keys etc. then insert your phone and sew up the edge to create two separate pockets. Leave a gap in your sewing at the position your headphones will plug in:

Step 10. Sew a small square of the hook type of Velcro to the end of the long strap:

Step 11. Put your phone/ipod into its pocket and any keys or anything else you’ll be carrying. Insert the long strap through the ring and fold it back on itself. Put the armband on and wrap the strap around your arm. Pull it as tight as feels secure and mark the point the small square of Velcro reaches. Take the armband off and sew a long length of the loop type of Velcro to the strap at the position you marked (this should be on the opposite side of the strap to the first square of Velcro). Line up the centre of the Velcro strip with the position you marked to make the strap adjustable in either direction. The longer the strip of Velcro, the more adjustable the band will be:

Weave in any loose ends you have and go for a jog :)

Filed under: crochet, instructions, useful stuff, armband, case, crochet, crochet pattern, easy, exercise, instructions, mobile phone case, pattern, running