Hooked Holla Infinity Scarf Almost Done!

So I have not been ignoring my crocheting, but there has been a lot going on. Last week I ended my old job and this week I started a great new one. At the same time, I’ve been working on some new designs and in some cases, they’ve been taking a lot longer to work out than expected.

I just finished the crochet for the Hooked Holla Infinity Scarf and I am super excited to be in the home stretch of assembly. I am still hoping to have the pattern posted by the end of the month, probably this weekend.

I’ve been mulling the design of this scarf over in my head for a while now. I loved the Challah Infinity Scarf since I first came across the pattern on Ravelry, but alas, it is a knit pattern and I don’t do that. While I was tempted to purchase the knit pattern to see if I could just make a crocheted translation, the $7 price tag got me to get creative instead.

I was very inspired by the Challah Infinity Scarf and decided to make the Hooked Holla Infinity Scarf. Since it is a little knockoffy I chose to keep the pattern free, even after extensive reworking. It’s two ribbed strands with reversible post stitches between segments and one textured strand made of a griddle stitch variation. I worked the textured strand so many times I lost count. It was a long time before I was happy with the way the texture looked and worked with the ribbed strands. So after you make these three strands, you braid them together and sew the ends together to make it continuous. That’s the part I’m about to do (with fingers crossed).

After a lot of work and reworking, I hope this becomes the amazing scarf I know the Hooked Holla was meant to be.

My Student’s First Ami

Elyse's First Amigurumi

Elyse and Her Googly Thought

Saturday my friend came by for her crochet lesson and gave her first ami a try. It took a while and the whole counting thing was a bit of a problem due to my son constantly talking, but her Googly Thought came out GREAT!

 

She’s going to try wool next so she can make a fuzzy brushed one also. Actually, her plan as of Saturday was to make one in every color. I’ll let you know how that develops.

Congratulations Elyse, you made your first ami!

Free Pattern: Window Pane Square 6″

Window Pane Squares for Share a Square

This is the first square I freestyled. I was creating some squares for Share A Square, a bunch of people making squares that will magically turn into blankets for children with cancer, and realized it would be fun to start freestyling and to see where it took me. With a hook, yarn, and pattern free, I came up with the Window Pane Square. This is the pattern.

Using an H hook and worsted weight yarn this created a 6 inch square. I used a combination of Red Heart Soft and Red Heart Super Saver. If you need to make the square slightly larger, add more rows of SC or HDC as border rows.

Notes: You will join each row with a slip stitch and will not turn. Slip stitch to corner or finish off and add new yarn color at the corner at the end of each row. Repeat between () or [] where indicated.

Row 1: Ch4, Join with Slip Stitch

Window Pane Square - Row 2

Row 2: Ch4, 15 TC into circle, join with slip stitch into top of Ch 4

Window Pane Square - Row 3

Row 3: CH 1, (3 SC, CH 2, skip next stitch) 8 times, join with slip stitch into first SC

Window Pane Square - Row 4

Row 4: (Ch 3, 2 DC, Ch 1, 3 DC, Ch 1) in the first Ch-sp, [ (3 DC, Ch 1) 1 time in the next Ch-sp, 2 times in the next Ch-sp] repeat around ending with 1 time, join with slip stitch into top of first Ch 3

Window Pane Square - Row 5

Row 5: [[Ch 1, 1 SC, Ch 3, 1 SC (in ch-sp)], Ch3] repeat around with 2 SC in corner stitches

Window Pane Square - Row 6

Row 6: Ch 6, skip ch-sp, [DC (in SC), Ch3 (skip ch-sp)] repeat around, make 2 in corners, join with slip stitch into third chain of first Ch 6

Window Pane Square - Row 6 Closeup

Window Pane Square - Row 7

Row 7 : Ch 1, SC around (this will be 3 SC in Ch-Sp, 1 SC in DC, and 6 SC in corner Ch-sp), join with slip stitch in first SC

Window Pane Square - Row 8

Row 8: Ch 1, SC around, 3SC in corners, join with slip stitch in first SC

Repeat Row 8 if you need to make the square a little larger.

For this year’s blankets, all squares need to be submitted by tomorrow, March 10, 2011, but they will start accepting squares for next year in August 2011. You can check the Ravelry group Share a Square 2010 for updates and to see if squares are being accepted yet.

Free Pattern: Googly Thought TP Cozy to Celebrate NATCROMO

Yea! Celebrate! It’s NATCROMO! That’s National Crochet Month in case you hadn’t heard and there’s a party going on over at Ravelry to celebrate. A Scavenger Hunt is just one of the party games and for 17 points I made a toilet paper cozy, but not just any tp cozy, a Googly Thought TP Cozy.

Googly Thought TP Cozy with Original Googly Thought

So in case anyone else in the world is interested, here’s how I did it:

Free Pattern: Googly Thought TP Cozy

Materials:
Worsted weight yarn 150 yards is a very rough estimate. Cotton or acrylic for a “regular” one. The one pictured uses Caron Simply Soft 100% Acrylic, aproximately half the skein. Wool for a fuzzy brushed Googly Thought cozy.
Felt for the feet.
Satin Ribbon I used Weather Resistant Basic Floral Satin 5/8″ in white.
Fine Sharpie
40 mm Googly Eyes
Super Glue or Fabric Glue I used Gorilla Glue. Fabric Glue doesn’t always keep things stuck but Gorilla Glue does.
H/5mm Crochet Hook
Scissors
Needle
Thread
Sticky Back Velcro I used the General Purpose 3.5″ x .75″ white strips and cut them in half.
Optional: Additional Novelty Ribbon I used a Black 5/8″ ribbon with little round hollogram rhinestone looking things on it.
Optional: Pinking Shears
Optional: Dog Hair Brush (if you’re using wool and want to make it fuzzy)

Abbreviations:
SC: Single Crochet
inc: an increase, 2 Single Crochet in one stitch

Notes:
You will be crocheting in the round and will not turn.
This is an amigurumi style TP Cozy.
Repeat what is listed between the () where instructed.

TP Cozy:

Row 1: 6 SC in a Magic Circle [6]

Row 2: inc around [12]

Row 3: inc around [24]

Row 4: (3 SC, inc) 6 times [30]

Row 5: (4 SC, inc) 6 times [36]

Row 6: SC around [36]

Row 7: (5 SC, inc) 6 times [42]

Row 8: SC around [42]

Row 9: (6 SC, inc) 6 times [48]

Row 10: SC around [48]

Row 11: (7 SC, inc) 6 times [54]

Row 12: SC around [54]

Row 13: (8 SC, inc) 6 times [60]

Row 14: (9 SC, inc) 6 times [66]

Row 15: SC around [66]

Row 16: (10 SC, inc) 6 times [72]

Rows 17-32: SC around [72]

Finish off and weave in ends.

Optional: If you are using wool and want a fuzzy cozy, brush the wool hard with the dog brush. If you’re looking for more info on this check out Roxycraft’s tutorial.

Antennae: Slip Stitch into the top of the ball, Ch 12, slip stitch back down the chain and back into the cozy. Repeat for other side. Pull ends through to the wrong side. I placed my antennae at rows 4-5 with 9 stitches between when counting on row 4. (if you choose to make a fuzzy cozy, you probably want to skip the antennae)

Feet:
Cut the felt feet into the shape of a heart. Mine measured 5.5″ high x 6.25″ wide.

Felt Feet and Ribbons

Your Words:
Cut the end of your ribbon with your scissors or pinking shears. Leave several inches for your tp cozy to sit on top of the ribbon, then start writing your message with your Sharpie. When done, cut the ribbon with your scissors or pinking shears. If your message is long, use two strips of ribbon. If you are using an extra novelty ribbon, figure out how long you want it and cut it too

TP Cozy pieces before assembly

TP Cozy partially assembled

Assembly:

1. Using fabric glue or super glue, glue the eyes to the cozy.
2. Figure out where you will place the ribbon on the feet. Remember the Cozy will be on top of it, so the words should start beyond the edge of the feet. Stick one side of the Velcro on the feet and the other on the ribbon. This will allow you to change the messages on the cozy.
3. Sew the just front part of the cozy to the feet with a regular needle and thread. Either tack it on or sew a few inches.
4. Start the roll of toilet paper and stuff a little in the top of the cozy to make the head round.
5. Insert the roll of toilet paper.

You’re done! Now come on over and join the NATCROMO party, you did just finish your first task in the Scavenger Hunt.

Googly Thought TP Cozy in its natural surroundings

Thoughts on writing on ribbon:
While I purchased wider ribbon in 7/8″ and 1.5″, I was unsuccessful in my attempts to write on them. They were both Celebrate It brand Basic-Basic. Sharpies bled, my gel pen was M.I.A., and my tube of fabric paint just wasn’t working with me and kept getting uneven and ugly.

I finally used my Sharpie on the 5/8″ ribbon I had from the original Googly Thoughts and life was good again. That was Basic Basic Floral Satin Weather Resistant Ribbon. In other lessons learned, since it’s weather resistant, when I wrote on it with a gel pen, it wipes right off, so use a Sharpie.

I’m also thinking when it comes to writing on ribbon, I have a lot to learn. I’d love to hear some tips if you have had some success with it.