Motif A Day Jan 20, 2020

Circle in a square

Sunflower

The sunflower can be worked in any yarn/thread.  Just use the hook appropriate to your project.

Chain 6 and form into a loop

20 half double crochet in loop  

(how to half double crochet)

2 half double crochet in each stitch.  You can chain to for the first one or pull up a long loop - depending on your personal style.  You will have 40 stitches at this point

break off brown yarn and switch to yellow

2 single crochet in the first two stitches 

*then chain 8

single crochet in the next 4 stitches 

repeat from * around. 

When you get to the last one you will only have two stitches remaining, but add the first two in and you've got 4.   

this will make 10 loops for the petals.  Each loop is separated by 4 stitches.  

petals are made by 

half double crochet

8 double crochet

chain 2

8 double crochet

half double crochet

slip stitch in between 2nd and 3rd single crochet on the brown circle. to anchor the petal. 

do that 10 times and you'll have a flower

break off, weave in ends, block etc.

Lacy Scarf

I used one of the Red Heart boutique yarns for this one and I love the way the colors worked into the design.

The pattern comes from a Ukranian crochet magazine.  I found a link to an online picture of it at Pinterest

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/124341639687147382/

7 petal Flower

I have been working on a scarf.  Decided to use up a few skeins of sock yarn to make one in the Irish Crochet Style.  Or something along those lines anyway.

Many of the pieces I used were found in various crochet magazines.  This is a simple flower that I did on the fly.  No chart, but I do have lots of photos.

to start, wrap the yarn around a finger a few times.  I did it 8 times.  You can also chain 6 and make a ring, but I like the look of this one better.

Insert the hook in the middle and pull up a loop.

then make 21 Single Crochet in the loop  Join with a slip stitch to the first sc

Chain 4 (or 5 if you want the petal to lay flatter)

Yarn over twice and start aTriple Crochet in the next stitch.  

Instead of pulling through 2 loops 3 times like to finish the Triple Crochet stop after doing it twice.  You will be left with 2 loops on the hook.

Yarn Over and repeat this in the same stitch.

Now you have 3 loops on the hook

Repeat to the next stitch leaving you with 5 loops on the hook

Yarn over and pull through all 5 loops finishing the main part of the petal

Chain 4 (or 5) 

Slip Stitch in the next stitch 

One petal finished.  

Make 6 more the same way.  Finish by slip stitching the final chain 4 to the base oft he first chain 4.These are two of the ones I made. 

It's an easy flower that's not really dependent on gauge.  The yarn wrap in the center instead of a chain loop makes the center circle solid and a little raised which I like.  

the scarf itself will be 3 this - only longer.

Loose infinity scarf - crochet version

Size L hook
Size F hook

Lightweight yarn I used Silken Effect by 5th Avenue

Chain 20 with larger hook
hdc in 3rd chain from hook & across

Rows 2 - 78
Chain 2 (counts as first hdc)
in back loop only hdc across

fasten off and weave in ends

Fold the scarf in half lengthwise matching up the ends a to a and b to b then give it a twist and match corners a to corners b

sew the ends together

you now have an infinity loop

For the gather strip use the smaller hook 

chain 11

hdc in 3rd chain from hook and across

Rows 2 - 20
Chain 2 (counts as first hdc)
in back loop only hdc across

fasten off and weave in ends

sew the small strip together in a tube around the scarf.  I position it to hide the seam where the scarf ends were sewn together.    Tucking a side under is a great alternative to just wearing it looped

  

  

Wear it long or looped.

Loose Infinity Scarf - Knitted Version

Size 11 needles
Size 6 needles

225 yards of a lightweight yarn.  I used Silken Effects by 5th Avenue.  Using a large needle gives the scarf a very loose light body.

cast on 150 stitches with size 11 needles
Work 3x3 rib for 6 inches
bind off loosely

Fold the scarf in half lengthwise matching up the ends a to a and b to b then give it a twist and match corners a to corners b

sew the ends together

you now have an infinity loop



for the small gather strip
cast on 12 with size 6 needles
work 3x3 rib for  20 rows
bind off

sew the strip together in a tube around the scarf.  I position it to hide the seam where the scarf ends were sewn together.  It's also great for tucking an end under for an alternative look to just wearing it looped.

Wear it long or looped

Kitty Keeper

 

A soft, warm, hidey space for kitty to get away from it all.  Or a small dog who just needs a break from the big world.  I don’t have a cat OR a small dog, so Thumper had to stand in as my model.  His heads a bit bigger than a cat,his body is smaller, but you get the idea.  It’s a gift for my daughter, so I’ll add photos of actual kitties playing with it when she gets them.

I used double strands of yarn to make this extra thick.  It does collapse flat when you want to put it away.  When you have it out for kitty, just open it up and kitty has a nice hiding space.  The colors I used and the shape made me think of some kind of chocolate puff pastry.  I almost named it “Puff Pastry with Kitty Filling” but that didn’t seem to be a search engine friendly name - so Kitty Keeper it became.

Soft Jellyfish Toy

   

A big soft Jelly fish made with Bernat’s Pipsqueak which is a pain crochet, but worth the plush softness.   The pattern is easy, it’s just hard to keep track of the stitches with the fuzzy yarn.

Pipsqueak yarn 1 ball each of main color and contrast

Size H hook

yarn needle

stuffing

Body

----

R1)

make a magic/sliding ring

10 sc in ring

R2)

ch 1

2 sc in same stitch and every stitch around

join with ss to first sc

R3)

Ch 1

2 sc in same stitch

1 sc next stitch

*2 sc next stitch

1 sc next stitch

repeat from * around

join with ss to first sc

R4)

Ch 1

2 sc in same stitch

1 sc each next 2 stitches

*2 sc next stitch

1 sc each next 2 stitches

repeat from * around

join with ss to first sc

R5)

Ch 1

2 sc in same stitch

1 sc each next 3 stitches

*2 sc next stitch

1 sc each next 3 stitches

repeat from * around

join with ss to first sc

R6 - 14

ch 1 sc same stitch

sc around

join with ss to first sc

R15 - 17)

Switch to contrast color

ch 1

sc same stitch

sc around

join with ss to first sc

R18)

Switch back to main color

ch 1

sc same stitch

sc around

join with ss to first sc

R19)

ch 3

counts as first dc

2 more dc same stitch

skip 2 sc and ss next sc

*skip 2 dc

5 dc next sc

repeat from * around

On the last repeat you will do 2 dc in the starting stitch and join with ss to top of beginning chain 3

fasten off

Bottom

--------

R1)

make a magic/sliding ring

10 sc in ring

R2)

ch 1

2 sc in same stitch and every stitch around

join with ss to first sc

R3)

Ch 1

2 sc in same stitch

1 sc next stitch

*2 sc next stitch

1 sc next stitch

repeat from * around

join with ss to first sc

R4)

Ch 1

2 sc in same stitch

1 sc each next 2 stitches

*2 sc next stitch

1 sc each next 2 stitches

repeat from * around

join with ss to first sc

R5)

Ch 1

2 sc in same stitch

1 sc each next 3 stitches

*2 sc next stitch

1 sc each next 3 stitches

repeat from * around

join with ss to first sc

Fasten off

Tentacles

--------------

Make 3 - two with a starting chain of 23 and on with a starting chain of 27

chain 23 (27)

2 hdc in 3rd chain from hook

3 hdc in all other chains

fasten off

Assembly

------------

sew all 3 legs to the bottom before inserting it into the body.  I center all 3, but there are no rules about arranging them.

Sew the bottom to the inside of the body, lining it up with the bottom of the contrasting stripe.

Once you have ¾ sewn stuff with polyfil.  I leave it a little soft and squeezable, but make it as firm as you want.

Sew the rest of the way

fasten off and weave in ends.

Tidal Pool Baby Blanket

This plush, snuggly blanket is made with a size N hook so the work goes by fast.    I used a couple of types of yarns, but any super bulky yarns will do.

2 big balls of Bernat Baby Blanket yarn for the main color  About 500 yards of yarn

Motif A Day - Feb 20