Free Pattern: Somewhere Over the Rainbow

My Christmas gift crafting had yet to start and I had planned on going all in this weekend. The overwhelming sadness that took over on Friday changed that. Driving to pick up my 6 year old after work on Friday and listening to the latest updates on the Newtown shooting, I knew there were many parents who would not be picking up their 6 year olds from school ever again. It had not happened in Colorado. It happened just an hour away.

Saturday morning when I woke up I started looking through Ravelry to try to get going on those Christmas presents, but I couldn’t stop thinking about all of those who the day before were sent Somewhere Over the Rainbow. So in memory of them, I made a painted crochet version of the See My Stitches Color Party Throw called Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

My son curled up on top of it and fell asleep as I added the fringe. It was impossible not to cry.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow Throw

Materials:

19mm Crochet Hook

7 skeins of Red Heart Super Saver Solids (worsted weight yarn in 364 yd skeins). 1 skein in each of the following colors: Hot Red (Red), Pumpkin (Orange), Bright Yellow (Yellow), Paddy Green (Green), Blue (Blue), Royal (Dark Blue), Amethyst (Purple).

Yarn Needle

Abbreviations (US terms used):

Ch = Chain

HDC = Half Double Crochet

FHDC = Foundation Half Double Crochet

BLO = Back Loops Only

Somewhere Over the Rainbow Pattern:

Final size is 54″ x 62″ not including the fringe.

You will be working this blanket from side to side.

Hold 3 strands of yarn together throughout the pattern. The painted crochet technique creates an ombre effect by changing the color of one of the three strands at a time. You will be repeating each color combination for two rows, then dropping one strand and picking up a new color strand.

Before you start, make balls around 44 yards of each color make 1 ball of each color around 44 yards long. When you need two strands of a color, pick up from both ends of the skein. When you need the third strand of the same color, add the ball you just made.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow – Full Image

Row 1: Using 3 strands of Purple, Ch2, 65 FHDC
(super easy alternative for Row 1: if you are afraid of the Foundation Half Double Crochet, you can Ch 67, then starting in 3rd chain from hook, 65 HDC)

Row 2: Turn, Ch 2 (does not count as a stitch), 65 HDC in BLO

Row 3: Drop one strand of Purple and pick up one strand of Dark Blue. Repeat Row 2.

Row 4: Repeat Row 2.

Rows 5-6: Repeat Row 3 then Row 2. You now have 1 Purple and 2 Dark Blue strands.

Rows 7-8: Repeat Row 3 then Row 2. You now have 3 Dark Blue strands.

Row 9: Drop one strand of Dark Blue and pick up one strand of Blue. Repeat Row 2.

Row 10: Repeat Row 2

Rows 11-12: Repeat Row 9 then Row 2. You now have 1 Dark Blue and 2 Blue strands.

Rows 13-14: Repeat Row 9 then Row 2. You now have 3 Blue strands.

Row 15: Drop one strand of Blue and pick up one strand of Green. Repeat Row 2.

Row 16: Repeat Row 2

Rows 17-18: Repeat Row 15 then Row 2. You now have 1 Blue and 2 Green strands.

Rows 19-20: Repeat Row 15 then Row 2. You now have 3 Green strands.

Row 21: Drop one strand of Green and pick up one strand of Yellow. Repeat Row 2.

Row 22: Repeat Row 2

Rows 23-24: Repeat Row 21 then Row 2. You now have 1 Green and 2 Yellow strands.

Rows 25-26: Repeat Row 21 then Row 2. You now have 3 Yellow strands.

Row 27: Drop one strand of Yellow and pick up one strand of Orange. Repeat Row 2.

Row 28: Repeat Row 2

Rows 29-30: Repeat Row 27 then Row 2. You now have 1 Yellow and 2 Orange strands.

Rows 31-32: Repeat Row 27 then Row 2. You now have 3 Orange strands.

Row 33: Drop one strand of Orange and pick up one strand of Red. Repeat Row 2.

Row 34: Repeat Row 2

Rows 35-36: Repeat Row 33 then Row 2. You now have 1 Orange and 2 Red strands.

Rows 37-38: Repeat Row 33 then Row 2. You now have 3 Red strands.

Add fringe. I added 1 fringe for each color combination, 19 fringes each side. For each fringe I cut 8 strands and incorporated any ends into the fringe.

Weave in any ends in the body of the blanket.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow Closeup

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Free Pattern: Not a Brioche Infinity Scarf

Not a Brioche Infinity Scarf

Wow, it’s been almost a year since I’ve posted. During that year I’ve been working a lot, still crocheting, and dabbling with the two stick thing (knitting).

I recently knit a Brioche Infinity Scarf and while I love the result, I felt like it took forever. To make it go faster, since  I was using an acrylic wool blend, I steamed the hell out of it to make it grow, which it did… but it also lost the squishiness that makes the Brioche Infinity Scarf so delicious.

I was thinking it was kind of like the ribbed strand of the Hooked Holla Infinity Scarf, but when I tried it out, it was not.

So after some more testing and swatching, I came up with the Not a Brioche Infinity Scarf pattern:

Materials:

725 yards of DK weight yarn (I used around 1.8 skeins of Jo-Ann Sensations Cuddle)
J crochet hook (6.0 mm)
Tapestry Needle

Abbreviations:

SS: Slip stitch

CH: Chain

FHDC: Foundation Half Double Crochet

FPHDC: Front Post Half Double Crochet

Notes:

This pattern is worked in the round, but you will be turning at the end of each row.

You will be working in post stitches for most of this pattern, but unlike how post stitches are frequently used, you will not be connecting the post stitches. This will result in a much more flexible fabric than you see when you connect the post stitches.

Pattern:

Row 1: Ch 2, 179 FHDC,  then for final FHDC you will connect the foundation row. Make sure the foundation row is straight, put the two ends side by side, yo, insert hook into top two loops of chain of working side, then insert hook from the back to front of two loops of chain of the other side, yo, pull through both sides and pull up a loop, yo, pull through all loops on hook, connect with SS.

Row 2: Turn, Ch 1, FPHDC across, connect with SS

Row 3-40: Repeat Row 2

Finish off and weave in ends.

Finished scarf is 54″ long and 6″ wide not blocked. I did not block my scarf because I did not want to lose the squishiness.

Variations:

Longer or shorter scarf: This foundation row is aprox. 60″ long and will shrink to 54″ in the final scarf. If you want a longer scarf, your foundation row should be 10% longer than your desired finished length.

Worsted Weight Not a Brioche Infinity Scarf

Worsted Weight Yarn: I have also made one in Patons Classic Wool which took around 2.5 skeins (525 yds), using a K hook and did 142 stitches for the foundation row. It was around a 49″ foundation row and I did 32 rows. The final scarf was very dense so I steamed and steamed it to open it up. It’s now around the same length and width as the one I made in Cuddle. It is a thicker scarf though and the DK weight yarn has more drape.

Kid’s Version: I made one for my son in Red Heart Super Saver. He’s been having issues tying his scarf recently and the infinity scarf is easier for him to put on without choking himself. For his scarf I used a K hook, did a foundation row of 140 stitches, 11 rows, and did not block it.

Kid’s Two Tone Scarf

Two Tone: I made my son’s scarf two tone, one side Royal Blue and one side Lighter Blue. I alternated colors on every other row. At the end of the rows I did the join with SS and Ch 1 with both colors before dropping one and starting the next. The seam isn’t spectacular, but it beats weaving in all those ends.

Two Tone Not a Brioche Infinity Scarf