Menagerie of Ducks About to Hit the Sheep to Shawl Festival

A Lil’ Duck, handsewn duck, 3 Ultra Mini Uglies (pattern coming later this weekend), and a Lil Ugly about to fly away. They’ll all be released at the Sheep to Shawl Festival at Philipsburg Manor in Sleepy Hollow, NY as soon as they put on their Little Yellow Duck tags. How could they not be released at an event that features sheep shearing, yarn spinning, AND duck herding!

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#DuckSelfie

Free Pattern: A Lil Ugly – a pocket size duck

A Lil Ugly – a pocket size duck is the perfect size for The Little Yellow Duck Project. It works up in about an hour but is still large enough for The Little Yellow Duck tag to be tied around it’s neck without falling off. I’ve made the Ugly pattern in 3 sizes. This is the middle size.

Materials:

A little worsted weight yarn in 2 colors. If you use a thinner weight yarn use a C hook or smaller. If you use a bulky or super bulky weight yarn, use a larger hook.
9mm black safety eyes
C or E crochet hook (2.5mm or 3.5mm). The smaller hook will make a smaller Ugly.
Tapestry Needle

Abbreviations (US Terms):

CH: Chain
DC: Double Crochet
FSC: Foundation Single Crochet
dec: Single Crochet Decrease
FSC: Foundation Single Crochet
FLO: Front Loops Only
FSC: Foundation Single Crochet
HDC: Half Double Crochet
inc: Single Crochet Increase
SC: Single Crochet
SC3tog: Single Crochet 3 Together
SS: Slip Stitch

Notes:

This pattern is worked in continuous rounds.

Head and Body (make 1 start in main color):

Round 1: 6SC in magic circle (6)

Round 2: (SC, 4SC in next SC, SC) 2x (12)

Round 3: (inc, SC) 6x (18)

Round 4: (inc, 2SC) 6x (24)

Round 5: (inc, 3SC) 6x (30)

Rounds 6-8: SC around (30)

Round 9: (dec, 3SC) 6x (24)

Round 10: SC around (24)

Round 11: (SC, 3SCtog, 3SC, 3SCtog, 2SC) 2x (16)

Round 12: (SC, dec, SC) 4x (12)

Round 13: SC around (12)

Flatten the head. Your working yarn will be on the left towards the front. Add plastic safety eyes between rows 9 and 10 1 sc apart.

Stuff

Round 14: (SC, inc) 6x (18)

Rounds 15-16: SC around (18)

Round 17: (SC, Dec) 6x (12)

Round 18 (and part of 19): SC, dec, (the dec should be in the front center, if it is not, SC until you get to the front center), change to contrasting color, FLO for the rest of the round: in the first stitch (SS, HDC, 2DC) in the next stitch (DC, HDC), 6 SC, in the next stitch (HDC, DC), next stitch (2DC, HDC, SS)

Final Round (starts a few stitches into round 19): Change back to main color, SC through both loops, 5 dec in unworked back loop from last round, FO leaving a long tail. (6)

Stuff

Pull the loose end in contrasting color where the feet ended into the body and tie a knot with the other end of the yarn from the feet. Pull it into the body.

Weave tail from main color through final round and pull tight. Tie knot and pull into body.

Beak (make 1 in contrasting color):

Round 1: CH 1, 5 FSC, turn and SC up other side (10)
Rounds 2-3: SC around (10)
FO leaving long tail
Sew beak onto head. I like to use 3 or 4 longer stitches between the eyes when sewing on the beak.

 

Wings (make 2 in main color):

You will be working on both sides of the chain.
CH 4, Turn, inc, 3SCinc, inc, continue to work up the other side of the chain working over your end, inc, 3SCinc, inc (14)
SS into the first stich and FO
Pull both ends tight

Sew wings onto body.

You’re done!

 

 

Your Duck is SOOOOOO Ugly

Some of the First Uglies Doing Acrobatics on My Aunt’s Couch

In case you haven’t heard, April 15 is Little Yellow Duck Day, and yes here in the US taxes are also due (but I’m pretty sure you already heard about that one). To celebrate, along with releasing a bunch of ducks in the Westchester/NYC/CT area (9 were released today including one on the super cute yarn bombed door of Lion Brand Studios), I’ll finally post the patterns for Ugly – a cute little duck in three sizes.

Last July, a few weeks after I started making ducks for The Little Yellow Duck Project, I created my first Ugly. I had planned on posting the pattern right away, but kept tweaking the pattern and rewrote it in a few different sizes. 30 Uglies later, I’m finally ready to start posting. All three patterns should be posted by Wednesday night (unless of course I tweak them some more first).

Felt Birds Anyone?

Back in the summer when I was Little Yellow Ducking it up, I branched out and dabbled in some hand-sewn felt ducks. After making my first felt duck from a pattern, I created my own little yellow duck pattern and pumped out a bunch. I loved how they looked. While they took longer than I originally thought they would, they still worked up quickly.

Felt Puffin Ornament

When I was trying to figure out what Christmas presents to make, I was desperately looking for a Canada Goose, as a flock of geese was towards the top of my son’s Christmas list. There’s a gorgeous knit goose I’ve been contemplating for a few years now, and while my knitting has improved a lot the past few months, as usual, I was running low on time, and needed either a crochet or felt pattern. I stumbled upon Downeast Thunder Farm with an amazing 70+ free felt bird ornament patterns. I was in awe of such a vast assortment. I ended up making the Puffin ornament for my mother and the Canada Goose for my son. For the Canada Goose I added a breast piece to make it 3-dimensional and more toy than ornament.

Felt Canada Goose

If you happen to be a bird lover, or know someone who is, you should definitely check out Downeast Thunder Farm. I’m still in awe. I mean they even have the very unusual Burrowing Owl who happens to be the star of the spectacular novel Hoot that my son and I read this summer. Name a bird (try to keep it northeast US), and BAM there it is in felt! Crazy! Downeast Thunder Farm, you totally solved my Christmas present dilemma and provided the patterns that helped me finish up holiday gifting by making presents on Christmas Eve. Thank you!

Crochet Video Tutorial: HDC in BBL

How to make a half double crochet in the back back loop which creates a knit look crochet stitch. This stitch is used in Sugared Ribs and No More Snow!

How to Make a Crochet Video

What seems like a really long time ago I was a jewelry photographer. For some reason until today, none of that experience wanted to apply itself to the part of brain trying to figure out how to record a half decent crochet video.

After recording the SS BLO ribbing video, I knew I had to do better. It was not good. I had been searching online for tips for a while but never found anything. My ribbing video showed me it was much harder than I had ever expected.

I knew I needed a set up so that the camera was facing strait down onto my hands on a tabletop and I needed to watch the video as it was filming. Probably time to go get a tripod, but the thought of going out to buy a tripod during Black Friday weekend was not overly appealing. Plan B. My son has been train obsessed for 6 or so of his 8 years. That has resulted in him owning A LOT of track and several train sets, which happen to include some risers and unusual bridges. This is what I came up with:

Crochet Video Meets Chuggington Bridge

Crochet Video Layout Top View

Crochet Video Layout

While I realize you can see the edge of the bridge in some of the videos, they still came out a ton better than my first one. Maybe one day I’ll finally go out and buy a tripod or software that lets me crop the video so you can’t see the edge, but for now, it’s good enough. Over the next few days I hope to get videos up for most if not all of the special stitches used in the patterns on HookersDontBite.com.

Crochet Video Tutorial: RSC and RHDC

This video shows how to do the special stitches RSC, Raised Single Crochet, and RHDC, Raised Half Double Crochet used in the infinity scarf Sugared Ribs and the hat No More Snow! as well as several other patterns on HookersDontBite.com.

If this video shows it is unavailable in Safety Mode, click the YouTube link at the bottom of the video and it should start to play directly on YouTube. (I don’t think YouTube likes the name of my blog)

Crochet Video Tutorial: FHDC Foundation Half Double Crochet

This crochet video tutorial covers the FHDC, Foundation Half Double Crochet stitch which is used as the foundation row in several patterns on HookersDontBite.com.

If this video shows it is unavailable in Safety Mode, click the YouTube link at the bottom of the video and it should start to play directly on YouTube. (I don’t think YouTube gets the name of my blog)

and the final stitch that connects both ends into a loop:

Free Pattern: Striped Cowl for Boys and Men

Father and Son Matching Hat and Cowl Sets

Three years ago I made the Reversible Strands for Men (and Women, too!) hat for my husband. It’s an amazing pattern by Nancy Smith and worked up in 2 hours. After multiple requests from my son, a few days later I made him one too. They loved wearing their matching hats and looked super cute in them. My son wore this hat EVERY DAY in the winter. Then the inevitable happened. One day he wore it to school and it did not come home. Luckily, it was at the end of winter. Snow made a comeback the day before Thanksgiving and 20 degree weather followed quickly behind so I finally made him a new hat (he’s only been asking for 8 months). But what would he wear around his neck?

Since I made the hats three years ago I’ve been trying to work up a matching scarf, but nothing ever looked quite right. Post stitches just look so much better in the round than they do worked from both sides. Then it occurred to me. Just work it up as a cowl in the round and add ribbing like Snow No?. Like Snow No? It can be worn with the ribbing pulled up over your nose if it’s really cold or with the ribbing folded in and the cowl pushed under your chin if it’s not. The Striped Cowl came out great and keeps my son toasty. Of course my husband wanted one too so they could match.

Child Size and Adult Size Striped Cowls

Here’s the pattern for the Striped Cowl for Boys and Men:

Materials:

170 yards (200 for adult size) of worsted weight yarn in main color (I used Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice – yardage listed is very approximate)
30 yards of worsted weight yarn in contrasting color (I used Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice – yardage listed is very approximate)
K crochet hook (6.5 mm)
J crochet hook (6.0 mm)
Tapestry Needle

Abbreviations:

CH: Chain
BLO: Back Loops Only
FO: Finish Off
FDC: Foundation Double Crochet
FPDC: Front Post Double Crochet
SC: Single Crochet
SS: Slip Stitch

Pattern:

Body of Cowl (with K hook):

The body of the cowl is worked in the round and the main stitch pattern used is from Reversible Strands for Men (and Women, too!). You will be joining at the end of each round. Do not turn at the end of the round.

First Ch 1 at the beginning of the round does not count as a stitch.

Pattern is written in child size with adult size in ( ). You’ll have the same number of stitches for each round of the body of the cowl so to make it longer or smaller, just start with more or less stitches. Make sure it is an even number of stitches.

Round 1: In Main Color – Ch 2 (does not count as a stitch), 59 FDC for child size (71 FDC for adult size), then for final FDC 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 2 loops on hook, yo, pull through all loops on hook, ss to connect to top part of stitch.(60, 72)

Round 2: Ch 1 (does not count as a stitch), SC in same stitch, FPDC in next stitch, (SC in next stitch, FPDC in next stitch) around, SS to connect to top of first stitch. (60, 72)

For Child Size:
Round 3-10: Repeat Round 2, you will make the SC in the SC from the row below and FPDC in the FPDC from the row below

Round 11-12: Change to Contrasting Color for first CH 1, Repeat Round 2 twice. (60)

Round 13-14: Change back to Main Color for first CH 1, Repeat Round 2 twice, do not finish off, continue onto Edging of Cowl. (60)

For Adult Size:
Round 3-16: Repeat Round 2, you will make the SC in the SC from the row below and FPDC in the FPDC from the row below

Round 17-18: Change to Contrasting Color for first CH 1, Repeat Round 2 twice. (72)

Round 19-20: Change back to Main Color for first CH 1, Repeat Round 2 twice, do not finish off, continue onto Edging of Cowl. (72)

Edging of Cowl (with J hook):

You will be work the edging vertical to the body of the cowl. You will be turning at the end of each row.
Be sure to count stitches as you go. It is easy to lose stitches if you don’t.
You will always have the same number of stitches in each row. Turning Ch1 and SS that connect to edge of cowl do not count as stitches.
Keep your tension VERY loose.
You may want to use something to pick up the first and last stitches of each row like the eyehole side of a yarn needle.

Row 1: Continuing where you finished the body of the cowl, change to your J hook, Ch 5 for Children’s size (Ch 6 for Adult size), turn. (5, 6)

Row 2: Ch 1, SS in BLO of second Ch from hook, SS in BLO of each stitch, SS through both loops of foundation row (you should be on the wrong side), turn.(5, 6)

Row 3: Skip SS in foundation row, SS in BLO of each stitch, turn.(5, 6)

Row 4: Ch 1, SS in BLO of each stitch, SS through both loops of foundation row for 2 stitches, turn.(5, 6)

Row 5: Skip 2 SS in foundation row, SS in BLO of each stitch, turn.(5, 6)

Row 6: Ch 1, SS in BLO of each stitch, SS through both loops of foundation row, turn.(5, 6)

Repeat Rows 3-6 until you meet up with the beginning, ending with either Row 4 or 6.

For the final row that connects the two sides, hold the two wrong sides together, turn. SS through both sides of work, BLO on side facing you, FLO on other side, FO. (5, 6)

Now you’ll work the other side of the ribbing. With the wrong side facing you, join yarn in foundation row with a SS, then follow the same directions above for the Edging of Cowl.

Weave in ends.

If you haven’t made one yet, you’ll probably want to make the matching Reversible Strands for Men (and Women, too!) Hat by Nancy Smith which I can’t say enough about.