6/18/10 Free Pattern Friday: Daddy’s Baby Afghan Crochet Pattern (and a Diaper Bag Idea)

When I saw this cute picture of a young man with a baby and the afghan (and with Father's Day coming up), I thought about the new daddys in my life and thought this afghan crochet pattern would be a cool Free Pattern Friday giveaway.

I have just the right colors of yarns in my stash: Bernat Softee Baby and Patons Bamboo Baby—which you can purchase right here on Crochet Soiree.

Then, I started thinking about the new daddys carrying diaper bags. I saw another really cute picture of a daddy and his baby. Daddy was carrying a cloth diaper bag with a long strap that went across his chest with the bag hanging in the back. I thought hmmmm… I wonder if I could find a crocheted bag pattern that I could crochet into a more masculine looking bag for a daddy to carry. I didn’t have to look far.

I found this pattern called Shoulder Sack Purse that you can purchase for just $2.99 on Crochet Soiree. I purchased it and downloaded it right away. I was anxious to Tamarify this purse into a diaper bag that a daddy who had a baby girl wouldn’t mind carrying.

So here’s my version of the Shoulder Sack Purse made with Moda Dea Tweedle Dee, Bernat Softee Chunky, and Patons Shetland Chunky. I love the way the bag turned out, and it was so fast and easy. If you know me, you know I’m not quite finished with this as I think it needs to be lined with many pockets for all those special things that babies need.

Of course, it was so fast and easy I had to use some more of my stash of cotton/acrylic blend yarns and the colors that I love and make one for myself, too. Now, I have to get my fabric stash out and choose a fabric for the lining for this bag.

Anyway, I want to wish all the daddys in the world a Happy Fathers Day on Sunday and a very special Happy Fathers Day to my Daddy!

Monday, 6/14/10 I Finished My Pumpkin Pillow

I told you that I would keep you posted on my pillow ideas from the Free Friday Pattern Chunky Pillows, so here it is.

Since I could only find 12" x 12" pillow forms at the craft store before they closed on Saturday, I had to think of something. I used a sweater that my daughter purchased at the thrift store that had the same colors as my gold cotton crochet yarn that I made the base of the pumpkin pillow side A from. With the cotton yarn that I used, my pillow front ended up being 9" x 9", so that was another problem I had to solve.

I decided to add a few rows of double crochet around the entire square and then make a little scallop edge for the last row. I found just the right color warm rose from my Royale Fashion Crochet stash, and I think it matches the sweater stripes perfectly. Then, I sewed up the sweater to cover the pillow form, before stuffing the pillow form into the sweater, I hand sewed the crocheted pumpkin pillow piece onto the middle of the front of my pillow.

Then, I found these three little buttons from my button box and sewed some fabric loops on the other side and stuffed the pillow form in and buttoned it closed. I still have to add some snaps between the buttons so the inside of the pillow form doesn’t show. I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out. I’d like to hear how you plan on making your pillows.

6/11/10 Free Pattern Friday: New Years Cap Crochet Pattern

When I decided on this crochet pattern for this Free Pattern Friday, I thought hmm…I’m going to need to buy some of that fun fur. I had tried to crochet with it several years ago and didn’t have much luck, so I had given all of it to my daughter to make scarves out of.

Well, when I went to my local craft store, I found this really pretty color of fun fur and then found these two colors of one of my favorite yarns—Lion Brand Cotton Ease. I love that the Cotton Ease is cotton and acrylic, and it has some stretch to it, and it happened to match the fun fur just perfectly. You can purchase Cotton Ease right here at Crochet Soiree, and they have some really pretty colors. They also have novelty yarns that would work really well for this cap.

I think the cap turned out cute, and I think I know the only person that could pull it off is a friend of mine named Mimi from my LYS Twist. I hope you have as much fun making this cap as I did. Remember that this is a temporary pattern that will only be available for two weeks! Download it now!

And if you like great hats like this one, you need to check out the book it came from—iCrochet: Adventurous Hats & Bags by a really neat designer—Mary Estok Nolfi. It includes 11 crochet designs: a Harlequin Romance Hat (a bold pillbox shown 4 ways) and Bag; a Russian Cap and Document Bag; an Asian Influence Hat and Bag; our free New Year Cap, plus a coordinating Hat and Bag; and a Kente Colors Cap and Bag.

Wednesday, 6/09/10 Joshua Has Crocheted 4 Hats!

When Joshua completed his afghan, he already had some yarn lined up to be a hat. Little did he know that hats crochet up really fast, and he couldn’t just stop at one hat…

…so he continued to finish a second hat and couldn’t stop at two hats.

He made a third hat and decided to make it for his friend Rian and even learned how to decrease from the I Can’t Believe I’m Crocheting book. I found this hat completed the next morning and took this picture. He completed three hats in a day!

Just a couple of days ago Joshua decided to make his drama teacher a crocheted hat, so he picked a pattern that was made from single crochets in the back loop, (back and forth not around). Then you weave in a piece of yarn at the top to draw it up and then make a seam down the back. I think it turned out really nice, and I hear that it fit Mr. Lundin perfectly, and he loved it.

I hope that once Joshua gets done with all the Senior and year end things, he will have more time to crochet. There’s no telling what he plans on making next.

Monday, 6/7/10 Marking Your Crocheted Items

When I was trying my hand at quilting, my sister told me that I needed to make sure to always mark my quilts with my name, date, and who I made the quilt for. That made me think about my crocheted pieces and how I should be marking them. I decided I would start adding a tag to anything that I crocheted. I knew that doilies, lace, or openweave things would be hard to mark, but I thought I had better make a tag with fabric and a permanent type marker for everything that I give away, with the date, name of recipient, and my name. Then, I would sew it in the seam of garments or the wrong side of other items. I’ve been pretty good at doing this, but…

It looks like I was in too big of a hurry to include the date on this tag and my husband just delivered the crocheted blankets to our grandsons Eyan and Alex last weekend. Oh well, maybe I can make sure that I take my permanent marker with me the next time we go and visit them and add the date.

I know you can order labels made and have them personalized with your name on them, but wouldn’t it be neat if someone could make them to have blanks to write in the date of completion and the recipient’s name? Tell me how you mark your crocheted items—or do you?

6/4/10 Red, White & Blue June Crochet Along

In place of this week’s Free Pattern Friday, I thought we could kick off a crochet-a-long for the month of June. This month, I decided that it might be fun to make some red, white, and blue things and be ready to decorate for the 4th of July. I’ve picked out four free patterns that would work well for a red, white, and blue-themed crochet-a-long. They are Ice Tea Jackets, Red Hot Dishtowels, Lacy Coasters, and Hot Pad Roundup.

With these patterns, you have a variety of different items to choose from, and if you haven’t yet tried to make a doily, Lacy Coasters are a good way to find out if you like making doilies because they’re fast and easy to make.

The Ice Tea Jackets are fun to make and aren’t hard to make either.

The Red Hot Dishtowels are fun, too, and the great thing about the trim is you don’t just have to put it on a towel; you could trim a pillow or the edge of a sweater.

Of course, Hot Pad Roundup is one of my favorite things to make, and they are so quick and easy, plus they are fun to have on hand when you want that special gift for someone, too.

The only rules for this crochet-a-long are that you will have to make at least one item from any of these free patterns, and it has to be red, white, or blue, and you may use any kind of yarn or thread. I have made another doily for one of the prizes, and Crochet Soiree has some goodies to give away: a Boye CrochetMaster Hook Set and copies of both the knit and crochet versions of the new Celebrity Slouchy Beanies books. It will be another random drawing. Good luck to you all. The June CAL will end on June 30.

Wednesday, 6/2/10 Design Contest 2010 Pieces Sent Off

Well, it’s that time of the year to send my design contest piece off to be in the Knit & Crochet show in New Hampshire. Since the show is a little earlier this year, the deadline to have your entries sent in is June 15, 2010. Oh my gosh, I still have to fill out the form, write the check, and pack it ever so carefully and neatly into a box and hope that it gets there in one piece. I hope all of you who are entering have already sent your items in. I’ve got to run now, I’ll be back real soon.