I See You! (free crochet pattern)

Yeah, yeah, yeah...I know it's been a while since I've treated you to a new, free pattern, but I plan to make up for it. The prototypes for the book are basically made. The rough drafts of all the patterns are written. All that's left is a bit of spit and polish, and a whole lot of high quality picture taking. Until then, you get to reap the benefits of a newly finished project:

The Blog Collection

Eyeglasses Case

Supplies:

small amount of Color A

small amount of Color B

size G (5.0 mm) crochet hook

smaller hook or yarn needle for weaving in ends

Note: All instructions are in American terms. This pattern is worked in the round which may make your beginning stitch travel (as when working amigurumi). Instructions are given at the best places to correct stitch position so that color changes are obscured. There is no need to join and ch1 at the end/beginning of each round.

ch 15 w/Color A

Round 1: sc in second ch from hook and each ch across, turn, sc in unused loop of each ch across (28 sts here and throughout)

Round 2: sc in each st around

Rounds 3-10: repeat Round 2

Lay your project flat. If your last stitch is not at the side of the pouch, add or remove stitches until it is. Change to Color B.

Round 11: sc in each st around

Round 12: sc in BLO of each st around

Round 13: rep Round 12

Round 14: [sc in BLO of next st, dc in BLO of next st] rep around

Round 15: [dc in BLO of next st, sc in BLO of next st] rep around

Note: Yes, at the end of Round 14/beginning of Round 15, you will work two dc side by side.

Round 16: [sc in BLO of next st, dc in BLO of next st] rep around

Note: Yes, at the end of Round 15/beginning of Round 16, you will work two sc side by side.

Round 17: rep Round 15

Round 18: rep Round 16

Round 19: sc in BLO of each st around

Rounds 20-21: rep Round 19

Lay your project flat. If your last stitch is not at the side of the pouch, add or remove stitches until it is. Change to Color A.

Round 22: sc in each st around

Rounds 23-24: sc in each st around

Stop here and slide your glasses into the pouch. You should have about ½" of space from the top of the glasses to the end of the case so your glasses don't easily slip out on their own. If not, continue to add rounds of sc until you do.

Lay your project flat. If your last stitch is not at the side of the pouch, add or remove stitches until it is.

Optional Hanging Loop: join w/sl st in next st, ch 10, join w/ sl st in same st, sl st in each ch back to first ch

Optional Button Closure: Find the middle front of your project and mark it for attaching your button. Find the corresponding stitch on the back of the project and mark it for the button loop.

sc in each st stopping at marked st on back of project, ch12, attach in same st w/sl st, sl st in each ch around loop, sc in next st and each st around

finish off, weave in ends

This pattern has been tested only by me. If you find a mistake, please leave it in the comments below and I will make the necessary corrections. If you need help, feel free to post any questions in the comments and I will get to them asap.

Any pattern I design and post here is my property. Please do not duplicate my patterns for any reason especially to sell. Instead, please link to my blog or to the pattern page when referencing one of my patterns.

You are more than welcome to offer finished items made from my patterns for sale. I see no reason why you should not profit from your hard work. However, I'd really appreciate it if you gave me credit for the design; please reference my blog or the pattern page.

If you do make any of my patterns, I'd love to see your finished items; please feel free to email pictures to me.

BigGirlJewelry@yahoo.com

Happy Crocheting!

We Interrupt National Poetry Month . . .

A couple of years ago, I wrote this post which included a link to a pattern for slipper socks. That pattern was written by a designer named Sharon Klinsky. Well, several weeks ago, I was contacted by a woman who asked me to make a pair of the socks for her mother's birthday, which happens to be today.

Unfortunately, I had to decline. My schedule is too tight these days to be able to consign crochet work. Besides, I'm horrible with gauge, which is why I tend to work with items like kitchen linens and scarves that don't require an accurate gauge. It was too important a project for too important a person.

Although the potential customer/client was quite disappointed, my experience was bittersweet. I was thrilled that, of all the crocheters she could have chosen to do the work, she chose me. And yet I was horribly disappointed that my own honesty forced me to turn her down. Why? Patience, Grasshopper, I'm getting there.

You see, this woman was searching specifically for this pattern and found it through my blog. She had thought the pattern was lost to the ether because it has been around for so long and because it has been out of print for so long. But we craftspeople, crocheters, and others of our kind . . . we, just by practicing a hobby we so love, preserve the past, create a history. In this age of mass production, we make memories. We bind the past to the present, the present to the future. We preserve traditions, and sometimes, we touch lives, or they touch us.

Hi Laurie,

I have to tell you how happy I am to have seen your Etsy and blog online! I have been looking for info and a pattern for SLIPPER SOCKS...which led me to your 2010 blog about the socks and the genius designer, Sharon Klinsky (my mother)! 

My mom is amazing and talented and so creative, but she has not been able to crochet or knit in 13 years since she had a stroke. She has dealt more serious health issues, and the loss of my father, these past few years - but remains amazing and strong. 

She is turning 75 soon, and I want to do something special. Would you be interested in making some of her design slipper socks for me to buy and surprise her? She would be so shocked I found this!!

Let me know if possible, and if it is then we can talk details.

Thanks for making my day just by seeing your rave review of her design!

The woman who contacted me was Sharon Klinsky's daughter. (Whose name I've chosen to withhold for the sake of privacy.) Today is Sharon Klinsky's 75th birthday. So happy birthday, Sharon. I hope it's terrific!

And to the rest of you, Happy Crocheting!

I've Finally Gotten It Right (Free Crochet Pattern)

I'll spare you the details of the saga. Suffice it to say, my poor, beloved, decrepit, hot pink, Dell laptop went belly-up a couple of weekends ago. The battery has been useless for about two years, but the power cord is now fried. (Thank you, Hurricane Sandy!) Ironically, she finally breathed her last breath maybe twelve hours after the new one shipped. The good news for me is that because it's just a power issue, if I choose, I can replace the battery and cord and have a backup.

The good news for you, my beautiful, highly intelligent readers, is that because I spent a few days without a computer I finally found the time to finish the beanie pattern I've been promising for about a year.

Before I post that, however, I need to tell you how awesome Newegg.com and UPS are. Between fast service and fast shipping, I had the new machine in five days. That, mind you, was over a weekend. And the price was fabulous. The new baby was on sale, so for what would have been the full price, I was able to get Office installed on it as well. You can bet I'll be checking Newegg whenever I need electronics in the future.

Okay, enough about my new toys, let's talk crochet! This has definitely been the most difficult pattern I've ever developed. I could not get it to work right no matter what I did. Then I finally figured it out. It wasn't so much the pattern but how I was going about it. Getting the right curve in a round pattern comprised mainly of single crochet is tough. It wants to flatten. So I flipped it over and treated it like piece of amigurumi. That's when it all came together. It's still not quite as domed as I would have liked, but once the wearer has the hat on, the curve is more pronounced.

Some of you will find it odd stitching a hat from the bottom up rather than the top down, but trust me on this. It gives you a better curve at the top. Still, all that work wasn't for naught. The "failed" attempts at making the  hat showed me exactly what I need to do to make the handbag pattern I wanted to put together. THAT you'll just have to wait for. Heh. What can I say? I love to tease you.

Sample was crocheted using 100% cotton
worsted weight Peaches and Cream (discontinued)
and yielded a small/medium adult sized hat

The Blog Collection Beanie

by Laurie Laliberte

Supplies needed:

about 4 oz. (180-190 yds.) worsted weight yarn

size I-9 (5.5 mm) crochet hook for main body

size G-6 (4.0 mm) crochet hook for band

stitch marker or scrap of yarn for marking end of rounds

yarn needle or smaller size hook for weaving in ends

All instructions use American terminology and standard abbreviations.

Special Stitches:

front post double crochet (fpdc)—yo, insert hook behind post of stitch (from front to back to front), yo, pull up loop, yo, pull through 2 loops (2 loops on hook), yo, pull through remaining 2 loops

back post double crochet (bpdc)—yo, insert hook around post of stitch (from back to front to back), yo, pull up loop, yo, pull through 2 loops (2 loops on hook), yo, pull through remaining 2 loops

single crochet decrease (sc dec)—insert hook in next st, yo, pull up loop (2 loops on hook), insert hook in next st, yo, pull up loop (3 loops on hook), yo, pull through all 3 loops (counts as 1 stitch)

Construction note:

The term join, as used in this pattern means join with slip stitch in first stitch of round.

You will notice that I do not instruct you to join at the end of every round.  I found it easier to work the body of the pattern in continuous rounds.  This prevents having a visible seam up the back of your hat.  If you choose to join at each round, begin the next round with a ch1, even when that round begins with a dc.

If you join and ch1 at each round, your ch1 does not count as your first stitch.

with smaller hook, ch 72, join w/sl st in 1^st ch being careful not to twist chain

Round 1:  ch3 (counts as first stitch), dc in 2^nd ch from hook and in each each ch around, join (72 sts)

Round 2:  ch2 (counts as first st), [bpdc in next dc, fpdc in next dc], 35 times, bpdc in last dc, join (72 sts)

Round 3:  ch 2 (counts as first st), [bpdc in next bpdc, fpdc in next fpdc], 35 times, bpdc in last bpdc, join (72 sts)

Round 4:  repeat Round 3, switch to larger hook

Round 5:  ch1 (does not count as first st), sc in each st around (72 sts)

Round 6:  sc in back loops only (blo) around (72 sts)

Round 7:  repeat Round 6

Round 8:  [sc in blo of next st, dc in blo of next st] around (72 sts)

Round 9:  [dc in blo of next st, sc in blo of next st] around (72 sts)

Round 10:  repeat Round 8

Round 11:  repeat Round 9

Round 12:  repeat Round 8

Round 13:  sc in blo of each stitch around (72 sts)

Round 14:  repeat Round 13

Round 15:  repeat Round 13

Round 16:  [sc dec in next 2 sts, sc in each of next 4 sts] 12 times (60 sts)

Round 17:  sc in each st around (60 sts)

Round 18:  [sc dec in next 2 sts, sc in each of next 3 sts] 12 times (48 sts)

Round 19:  sc in each st around (48 sts)

Round 20:  [sc dec in next 2 sts, sc in each of next 2 sts] 12 times (36 sts)

Round 21:  sc in each st around (36 sts)

Round 22:  [sc dec in next 2 sts, sc in next st] 12 times (24 sts)

Round 23:  sc in each st around (24 sts)

Round 24:  [sc dec in next 2 sts, sc in each of next 2 sts] 6 times (18 sts)

Round 25:  [sc dec in next 2 sts, sc in next st] 6 times (12 sts)

Round 26:  [sc dec in next 2 sts] 6 times (6 sts)

Round 27:  [sc dec in next 2 sts] 3 times (3 sts)

At this point, you should be able to draw a loop through the remaining stitches and close any gap you may have.  Finish off, weave in ends.

To increase size slightly:

Add to foundation chain by twos until desired size is reached. Adjust decreases at end to compensate.

To increase size significantly:

Begin with 84 chains instead of 72 (stitch count for Rounds 1-15 will be 84) and add the following after Round 15

Round 15a:  [sc dec in next 2 sts, sc in each of next 5 sts] 12 times (72 sts)

Round 15b:  sc in each st around (72 sts)

Now proceed to Round 16 and continue pattern from there.

For links to all of my free patterns, click the link to the left.

To find out how to get a free pdf of this, or any of my other hat patterns, go here.

The Blog Collection Beanie as modeled by my adorable four-year-old niece

Da Roolz:

Any pattern I design and post here is my property. Please do not duplicate my patterns for any reason especially to sell. Instead, please link to my blog or to the pattern page when referencing one of my patterns.

You are more than welcome to offer finished items made from my patterns for sale. I see no reason why you should not profit from your hard work. However, I'd really appreciate it if you gave me credit for the design; please reference my blog or the pattern page.

If you do make any of my patterns, I'd love to see your finished items; please feel free to email pictures to me. Also, if you make my patterns to sell and want a bit of free advertising, send me pics and a link. I'd love to send customers your way.

BigGirlJewelry at yahoo dot com

Happy Crocheting!

What I've Learned

I wrote this post way far back when I began this blog and never published it. I came across it a few minutes ago and now I wonder why I never shared it with my readers. These are a few tips I picked up while working my very first amigurumi project, way back when, and yet they're wise words for any beginning crocheter.

So, better late than never, I thought I would share them with you now:

• Read your pattern before you begin stitching -- I will usually skim through a pattern before I even make a trip to buy yarn for it. Some designers give instruction differently than others, so it's important to make sure you understand the project before you begin.
• Count your stitches often -- Few things are more frustrating than getting half way through a project and discovering that your stitch count is off. Although many mistakes can be easily corrected, many others can not.
• Use stitch markers -- I usually use just a piece of scrap yarn to mark stitches. This is most important when working in continuous rounds as you would when making mittens or amigurumi.
• Take a breath -- If I become frustrated or overwhelmed with a project, I'm more likely to finish it if I fold it up and set it aside for an hour, a day, or even a week than if I force myself to continue working through the problem. Many times I return to find that I just misread an instruction or messed up one stitch.
• Know when to walk away -- If you've started a project that turns out to be more than you can handle, allow yourself to let it go. Remember that crocheting should be a stress relief, not a cause for stress. You can always try again when you feel better prepared to handle it.
• Ask for help -- There are so many designers/bloggers out here on the www who are very willing to lend an ear and help teach the next generation of crocheters. Drop an email to someone who can help you solve your dilemma. Mine is BigGirlJewelry (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Happy Crocheting!

My first amigirumi project, the (free) Toad and Toadette patterns by Wolfdreamer, can be found here.

It's All in How You Phrase It

I have been writing a lot lately. A LOT. To most people that means fiction. To me that means quite a bit more. This is why, when asked, I'm more likely to refer to myself as a writer rather than an author. I realize it's a fine distinction, but there's a difference. Truth be told, I'm both.

Most people call anyone who writes, not just writes for a living, but anyone who writes, a "writer." To be considered an "author," one must publish. I have. Not only have I published, I've been published. Ah, semantics again. Heh.

When I say, "I've been published," I mean someone else has taken my work, honed it, and chosen to publish it. When I say, "I have published," I mean I have taken my own work, honed it, and self-published. I am an author.

But more than that, I am a writer. I've spent the past few weeks writing like a mad woman because I know this window of opportunity will soon close for me. You see, I love to write. I do it for the love of the craft. And I write many things in may ways, both fiction and nonfiction. I take advantage of these open windows to write more than just publish.

You see, the editing is what pays. For me. So I write with all the pleasure that a hobby brings. And my writing is never a chore. Even when I'm wide awake at 2 a.m. on Sunday morning knowing that I need to post a blog entry within an hour or miss my own deadline.

So what have I been writing you ask? In the past month I have written no fewer than six guest blogs (including one that was actually just a Q and A interview). I've written my own blog weekly for my faithful followers, but that's a given.

And here's the curve ball:  I've been pattern writing again.

I hadn't designed and written new patterns since last October. However, I've completed a pattern for a coaster, and mostly written a pattern for a pinwheel-style handbag. I've also roughed out the patterns for two other bags and yes, the coveted Big Girl Beanie (finally).

Don't get me wrong, I've also been writing fiction. Writing with the intent of publishing. I currently have two groups of stories waiting to be honed, and built upon, and finessed. They will need to wait a little while. They'll sit and rest until another window opens and I find time in my schedule between edits to finish them. They are patient. They will wait. And I will find them again. I will embrace them again. Perhaps I will even finish them. Next time.

Oh, by the way, the Big Girl Beanie will be the free pattern for Christmas in July. So long as I can perfect it by then. Wish me luck! Until then you get a teaser. The photos for this post are the prototypes of the Big Girl Coasters and the Big Girl Pinwheel Bag (in progress).

Namaste.

New Projects New Designs

 

I don't have a whole bunch of exciting news to report except that my dear crochet friends are going to be blissfully happy pretty soon. My fingers have been terribly itchy and I haven't had much editing work to do this week, so I pulled out the crochet notebooks and roughed out a few ideas.

Specifically, I worked on a motif-based group of patterns I began about a year ago that I never fully completed. THAT design group was intended to be my first crochet book, but I didn't get it done because I pushed it aside "for a bit" to work on the Kindle All-Stars project. When it came time to pull together designs for the first book, in the interest of getting my end done quickly, I chose patterns that were complete.

I guarantee this group is worth the wait. It's adorable, if I do say so myself. It's also incredibly versatile, which is why the design process is taking me so long. Making samples can be ridiculously tedious and take quite a bit of time. There's also the problem of I keep adding to the idea file for it. Go figure. Once I start designing, my imagination goes a little bonkers.

The other group of patterns I've been working on is super secret. What I will tell you is that it's for the blog. You all know what that means. Yep. Free with a capital FREE. I've roughed out no fewer than four new patterns and I'm developing a couple more.

So here's where I need your help. In keeping with the Christmas in July tradition, I plan to publish a new free pattern on July 25th. Would you all rather see a beanie, a scarf, or mittens? OR would you be happy with a pattern of my choosing? Leave me a comment to let me know because I've got to get the sample done and photographed so I can post it for you.

By the way, if you aren't already aware, my first real, honest to goodness, crochet book Quick Crochet for Kitchen and Bath (Volume 1) is currently available in print from Amazon. The link is near the top left of this page.

The Kindle edition is still in the hands of a professional e-book formatter. (There was no way in the world I was going to tackle formatting an edition that included so many photos without professional help.) I'm hoping it will be done soon, but in this crazy world, who knows what could happen?

Happy Crocheting!

What's on Your Hook / Needles?

This post, for me, was FUN with a capital F-U-N! I asked a few of my online yarn diva friends a fairly simple question and got very different answers. I wanted to do a blog post that would feature a few of my pals from different parts of the country and various levels of crazy (heh) who have one thing in common:  yarn.

So I asked them, "What is on your hooks/needles right now? projects/yarns/stitches involved. Anything you wish to share about it is appreciated like what drew you to the project(s) in the first place. If you've got more than one project going right now, pick three that you're willing to share along with links to the patterns if you can." And my girls delivered.

First up is Talia who ran away from corporate America and is now living the dream as a stay-at-home mom, spinner, and knitter. She is also the web mistress extraordinaire from International Fleeces. Here's what she had to say:

Oh, Ravelry, Ravelry, how you inspire! Moms have a lot of odd moments where the baby isn't quite awake yet but is not quite asleep. There are times when a quick check of my boards on Ravelry is all I can do in a day and this usually takes place in those odd-almost-awake-baby moments. I found the two projects I am currently working on in such a way.

The first is a scarf made from commercial yarns by Knit Picks. The pattern caught my eye when I saw a movie still, of Jude Law conversing with Robert Downey Jr., from the movie "Sherlock Holmes:  A game of Shadows." A kind knitter on Ravelry, after seeing the movie, started a discussion about the scarf. It is a basic knit 1, purl 1 striped scarf. As the discussion about the scarf and Mr. Law's hunkiness continued to grow, someone posted photos of the actual scarf that they got to see in person, which helped other knitters to count the number of stitches, rows, and repeats. It was communally decided that there are 72 stitches of K1,P1 pattern done in repeated stripes consisting of 12 rounds of brown, 2 grey, 6 blue, and 2 grey. Teresa Ferreira offers a free pattern to download from Ravelry called "Elementary, Dr. Watson." (LINKY: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/elementary-dr-watson) She uses 3 colors of Knit Picks:  Wool of the Andes, which is nice because it didn't break the bank. Her pattern is slightly different with 12 less stitches and different row counts but her scarf came out as fabulous as the original.

The second project is a garment I truly adore though it comes without the handsome model of the first. It is an Orenburg triangle shawl called Four Season:  The Autumn created by Russian Lily Designs. (LINKY: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/four-seasons-the-autumn-orenburg-triangle) Russian Lily showcased this shawl in a Spinner's Marketplace listing to give an example of lace yarn made from grey Orenburg goat down that she sells. Needless to say, I bought the down to spin on my Orenburg metal-tipped spindles, which I had previously purchased from the designer. I plied the Orenburg gossamer lace singles with some grey, commercial spun, silk thread that I imported from India. If I were forced to make a choice between Jude Law and the handspun yarn for this shawl, I would pick the yarn.

The pattern for this shawl is incredible; it is like an e-book. Russian Lily talks about the music of shawls and goes into traditional Orenburg methods of construction. There are 2 complete sets of charts and an excellent photo tutorial. This project is still in the beginning stages of knitting but I am already finding it to be a thrill. Don't worry all you not-yet-handspinners, the designer suggest several different commercial yarns in the directions so you don't have to learn how to spin...yet.

Next is Megan whose blog, Crochet Every Day, featured one free pattern each day last year and her commitment to complete every posted project by the end of 2014. That's how we met and became online friends. You can also find Megan at Newlywife.

the woman herself, Megan, holding her finished Basket Case Scrubby designed by Laurie Laliberte (yes, me)

I just finished a gingham blanket and let me tell you -- I am so excited to be done! It was on and off the hook for about a year. Once I found out my friend was pregnant with a boy, I knew it had to be hers! That gave me a deadline (the shower last weekend) and I made mini goals to finish. I was done about a week ahead of schedule and it felt good! Why was it so tiring? Each square was 2 rounds of a granny square -- that's tiny! So lots of joining and weaving (and I hate weaving in ends). I've moved into a ripple blanket in bright summer colors -- so fun! The pattern is from Attic24 and the yarn was a gift from my Mother-in-Law. When I picked it up to work on it a few days ago, I realized that I had done the whole first portion in dc and not tc like the pattern calls for... so dc ripple blanket it is! And I have some scrubbies on my hook -- the perfect gift for a bride to be. In case you were wondering, it's a set of both the basketweave and horizontal stripes in a few different colors.

And now, Melissa, whose tastes are so similar to mine in everything we do that I call her my "Sistah from anotha Mistah." She is definitely my official online bestie. Melissa left the navy to settle down with her sailor and become a stay-at-home mom to her two boys. She swears she's going to get her Etsy shop up and running, but seems to be doing a great job of selling her finished crochet projects by word of mouth. You can find her on twitter @coppertop97.

Awww!! I DID settle down with my sailor!! So cute how you put it!! Okie doke...here goes.

I have 3 things going on right now, well 4 but you only want 3, but I gave you 4. Cause I prefer even #'s. [ed. See? We're so much alike, it's scary!]

Color Me
It's dc in one st and sc in next using an H hook. I find it makes for a really neat texture for the crayon. I have to drop colors and change them, then pick the old color back up. There are TONS of ends to weave in and slip stitches for the letters. I'll also have to attach the words to the crayon and each crayon together, which is something I've never done before. I also had to do decreases for the crayon point, much easier than I thought!! It's really a labor of love!! Since I'm making it for my 5-yo son. I'm using Red Heart Super Saver so it's a little sturdier and can hopefully make it through his childhood without getting all stretched out. I have to admit, I've come to adore RHSS. The colors are so pretty & vibrant. The yarn is surprisingly soft once washed.

Swirl Baby Blanket
I've made two of these before. At first I didn't understand how to start the pattern and I didn't know how to make sure it kept getting larger with each round. Thankfully another crochet friend taught me how to make it when we were living in VA. I'm really proud of myself for starting another one (for an upcoming baby shower) all by myself. I'm using a baby yarn from my stash, Bernat Baby Jacquards, Berries & Cream. It is SO soft & pretty, and the design the variegation creates is lovely. It's going to make a very light, soft, but warm baby blanket.

Purely Square Baby Throw
This is my first granny square baby blanket and I'm hooked, lol. I'm in love with variegated yarns. I chose Bernat Baby Sport, Pajama Party, for its springy colors, and an H hook. It's for another baby shower. The pattern is very easy. I'm surprised I don't need to look at the pattern anymore. You just keep going around and around. I already have a bunch of ideas for more granny square blankets, all sorts of different color combos.

Shell Sleep Sack & Cap
I'm also giving this a try. I've tried making sleep sacks/baby cocoons before, but they haven't gone well. This one MIGHT. I'm using another beautiful variegated Bernat Baby Sport, Chiffon Print, and an H hook. If I can get this sack done, I might have the confidence to make a matching hat. Hats and I do NOT go together well. I wish I could make hats.

These lovely ladies have given us all so many patterns to checkout that I think I'll leave it at that. Maybe I'll talk about my finished projects after April's big event. Thank you all for helping me make National Craft Month worth its weight in yarn.

Oh, by the way, the first five yarn divas (male or female) to leave a comment to share their latest projects with us will receive a complimentary copy of the Basket Case Scrubby pattern. Don't forget to leave us a link for the pattern or your project on Ravelry so we can check it out.

Happy Crafting!