Scrap Busters!

I am excited about tonight's post!  Probably not as excited as my husband though.  One of the hazards of a crochet hobby is lots of small amounts of left over yarn.  Me, being a good child who was raised by a Depression Child, cannot throw certain things away, like leftover yarn.  Now there is a point at which enough is enough and nothing can be made out of the yarn because there is simply not enough there to work with.


After doing several of the projects featured on this blog, I had quite a collection of small amounts of yarn.  So I set out on a quest to find patterns for little things I could go through this collection with.  And here is what I found!

Booties

First I found this super cute and easy bootie pattern.  I was looking for a pattern for baby socks and kept getting results for booties.  So I went with it, after some frustration with the all-knowing internet.

Here is the fun with these booties: they can be slippers or more like boots.  They are the closest thing I found to newborn socks.  They will be super toasty on those chilly nights.

Newborn Mitts

The other cute pattern I found was for newborn mittens.  These crack me up because they look like they could be coin purses or something of the like.  

These are easy to make for boys or girls and they have a drawstring to hold them on.  For mammas who have winter babies, these are great to keep your little one's hand warm.  Or if you have a little one who has long fingernail (or they grow quickly and mom does not have time to keep up with them).

50's Era Sundress

50s Sundress

What is a wife to do when her husband finds a show on TV that only mildly interests her? Go online, of course!  That is exactly what I did a bit ago.  I went online to find a cute toddler dress and came across a pattern from the early 50s.  Yes! This is the project for me tonight, I thought.  For those who are interested in seeing the pattern click here.

The only catch to this pattern is that I made the six month size because I was using yarn on hand.  What yarn on hand did I use?  Do you remember the Throwback post?  I used the hot pink yarn from that.  It was some of the scratchiest yarn I have ever worked with!  It was also very dusty and faded rather oddly because of time.  The other thing I noticed is that the dress was very stiff from the yarn.  I finished the dress and decided I would wash and dry it.  I made sure to use laundry detergent with fabric softener in it, and when it was done washing I put it in the dryer with a dryer sheet.  Now why was all of that important?  Because the fabric softener will help make the finished product less stiff and less scratchy.

For those of you who checked out the pattern, I modified it a little bit and left off some of the detail work, and used ribbon instead.  The shoulder detail turned out very cute, and a little more modern.

Girl's Backpack Part 2

The end of this project has arrived. For those who have followed it from the beginning, you may be saying "Whoa! What?!"  Not to worry!  I will explain more right here and right now.  First a caveat: I completely forgot to take pictures of the other pieces separately.  That usually happens when I get in the "zone."  So, I will do my best to explain.  Last time we talked about the front and the back, done!  If you are following along with the patter in discusses the gusset next.  If this is your first project, this could be the tricky part.  I mean that with all sincerity.  The gusset is created by 100+ rows of five single crochets.  I did not just speak a foreign language, that is really what the stitch is called.  The reason this part could be so challenging is because this piece does need to be straight.  It's function will be to act as the sides of the backpack. 

Next the pattern has you make two straps.  These are similar to the gusset, but narrow and shorter.  They also need to be straight.  You can do it! Keep working on it. 

Finally the assembly.  This consisted of crocheting the back to the gusset and the front to the gusset.  Attaching the straps with D-rings at the bottom and whip stitches at the top. Then came the details: adding the button, fringe and french knots.  When you see the finished product below, you will notice the stitches on the front are not french knots.  Embroidery is not my strong suite, so I used Xs.  Really creative - I know.  You will also note my finished version does not have fringe along the bottom.  I was not a huge fan of it, so I did not put it on.  That is the beauty of the pattern, any pattern.  You can use it more like a guideline (name that movie!).

Back

Front Detail

A suggestion when purchasing the D-Rings.  Buy the ones you think are too big.  It will be easier!

Tada! The finished product.

Again, congratulations to Tawna! She was our contest winner and this was her pattern idea.  Watch for That Yarn Girl turns 1!  There will be another contest, so stay tuned.

In Honor of the 4th of July

We are lucky enough to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave.  How wonderful is that?  I think it is pretty great!  Let me tell you a little bit more about me.  I have always been teary on Memorial Day, 4th of July, and Veteran's Day.  I have always been in awe of the servicemen and women and what they do for you and me.  This tendency to tear up became significantly worse when I married my husband.  He served in Iraq and was a member of the Army National Guard.  He has since left the Guard, but is one of the most Patriotic people I know.  It blows me away that we have veterans now who are my younger brother's age.  To all who have served, Thank you!

Military Set

In honor of the servicemembers everywhere, I created a baby bundle out of the old green cammo.  I know very well the cammo is different colors now, but I like this.  Luckily, I have someone to give this too and I think their family will love it.  

This set is geared for a little boy, because I did not have one done for a girl.  It includes a newborn baseball cap, booties, and mitts.  Check out the whole set on the baby page!

Girl's Back Pack Part 1

As promised, you will have the chance to see TYG in action!  The Winner of the pattern contest was Tauna, and she suggested a Girl's Backpack.  For those interested in the pattern click here. 

Hobby Lobby Yarn Isle

How do I start a project?  Usually it begins with pattern inspiration, but with that already done; next comes yarn shopping!  I tend to stay close to home when I shop, so I headed to the local Hobby Lobby.  Which is wonderful, because their store brand yarn (I Love This Yarn) is wonderful!. Why is it so wonderful?  A couple of reasons. One it is usually cheaper than other brands, and it is much softer than other yarn, without going to the more expensive cotton, wool, and other specialty yarns. Luckily this pattern calls for worsted weight (4 ply or size 4) yarn.  I purchased enough for two projects and home I went.

Now for those of you who do not already have a stash of crochet hooks at home, now would be a good time to purchase the hook called for in the pattern.  Here is a little secret I have discovered, I crochet larger than most patterns call for in the gauge.  So that means I use a hook size smaller than the pattern calls for, depending on the project.  If you are new to crocheting, start with the hook the pattern calls for.  As you progress with your ability, you will be able to use the gauge to your advantage.  Now that I have bored you to tears with details about things you may not be interested in, the beginning!

Chain base

This pattern is done by making all of the pieces for the backpack and then assembling them.  So I began with the front.  Most crochet projects begin with a chain base.  This can make or break your project because it is your start.  So the important thing with chain bases is to crochet them a little loose.

Do not be discouraged if your first ever chain does not look like this!  This comes from years of practice.  It may sound silly, but if this is a first time, or not something you do often, your chain base will be curly, bumpy, or just plain ugly.  It will be okay!  Next comes the tricky part: crocheting back over the chain.



Crocheting back over the chain will be the longest part of the project as far as one row goes.  The reason for that is because the chain is usually a little more difficult to work through than the stitches you will create.  Do not give up and do not be discouraged.  You will make it.  I would suggest you start with a project that does not have a large chain base, so you have the opportunity to be successful, and then move to a longer chain base.  A dishrag or hot pad would be a great place to start over an afghan. Afghans usually have a 200 + chain base and can be overwhelming.

Rows above the base

Once you move past the first row, your project will go smoother and your stitches will be what is obviously struggling now.  It is okay, keep going.  As you move through this pattern your front panel will look like this picture, kind of.  Again if this is a first for you, it will only resemble this picture.  Good job!

The plus about this project is that it is supposed to look triangular when you are done with it.  One of the many complaints people express to me about crocheting is their project turns into an odd shape, which is not what the pattern calls for.  The trick is to pay attention to where you are working and make sure you are working in all the stitches you are supposed to.

Front Panel

Here is the finished product for the front panel. Tune in for Part 2!

Teaser

Tank with Bolero

 Today's project is super cute!  I signed up to help with a service auction at our church.  On the page for the sign up it listed bringing a project would count as a service.  I thought, "well that is right up my alley!"  And the search for the project ensued.  What I found is I could not find the project I wanted, so I pieced a couple of projects together to come up with the super cute ensemble you see here.

Drawstring Skirt

For those of you who live local (Riverton, UT area), this cute outfit will be up for auction on June 29, 2012.  The auction is being held at the Canyon View Park.  Please come and see it in person!

Here is the story of how this ensemble came to be.  I found the skirt pattern and thought it was cute.  I was having a rough time just settling on the skirt though because I had signed up to make a toddler dress.  I could not find a dress pattern I liked, so I decided to go with the skirt and then added the tank and bolero from the Ruffle Skirt outfit I made earlier.

The outfit shown here is 18 month size.  It is also available up to 36 month size.

Check the baby page for ordering details.

First Runner Up

For those of you who are dying to know what other projects were submitted for the six month anniversary; here it is!


These are crochet Converse style booties. Here is the cool thing about these - they can be booties or soft sole shoes for the toddlers in your life. The color options are endless! Check out the baby page for order information.