Here are pics of some of my recent projects.  There is a ruffled purse of black and pink and a pink dishcloth of an angel. Presently I am working on a dog sweater for my little Bell who is a chichuahua and since the weather is getting cooler she is shaking. This sweater is done in a cross stitch and I have never worked with this stitch before but it is easy and I am really liking it. I am surprised in the 40 years of my crocheting that I haven't come across this stitch before. The purses pattern is called Bella ruffled bag3 and the dishcloth pattern I got from Mary's Knitting Corner Yahoo group. Once I get Bell in her sweater I will post a pic.

Female football team hat with flower

Cindy and I decided we wanted to be football fans for Halloween so we are going to wear our football jerseys and jeans and we are going to wear these football hats to match our jerseys, so I had to design something and the following is what I came up with.

 

Female football team hat with flower

 

Red=Kansas City Chiefs; Teal=Jacksonville Jaguars

 

 

Team  colors (at least two colors-main and contrasting)

I hook

Yarn needle

 

Abbreviations:

dc=double crochet

sc=single crochet

sl st=slip stitch

st=stitch

ch=chain

hdc=half double crochet

 

Starting with main color yarn for hat:

Ch 4, sl st to form ring, then start rounds joining with sl st at the end of each round

1.       C3 (counts as a dc), 11 dc in ring, join with sl st in top of ch 3 (12 dc)

2.     Ch 2, dc in same st as joining, 2 dc in each st around, join with sl st in top of ch 2 (24sc)

3.      Ch2 counts as st,* 2dc in next st, dc in next st*,  repeat around and join with sl st in top of ch 2 (36dc)

4.     Ch2 counts as st,dc in next st, *2dc in next st, dc in next 2 sts* around and join with sl st in top of ch 2 (48dc)

5.      Switch to contrasting yarn: ch 2, dc in each st around and join with sl st in top of ch 2 (48dc)

6.     Switch back to main color yarn: ch2, dc in next 2 sts,* 2dc in next st, dc in next 3 sts* around and join with sl st in top of ch 2 (60dc)

7.      Ch 2, dc in each st around and join with sl st in top of ch 2, do this in each round until the length of the hat is 6 inches long.(60dc){approx. 6 rounds between contrasting color rounds}

8.     Switch to contrasting yarn: ch2, dc in each st around and join with sl st in top of ch 2

9.     Switch to main color yarn: ch 1, sc in each st around and join with sl st in top of ch 1

10.   Ch 2, hdc in each st around and join with sl st in top of ch 2

11.    Ch 1, sc in each st around and join with sl st in top of ch 1.

Fasten off. To change size of hat vary the size of the hook and yarn and can add or decrease rounds in non rounds without increases.

 

Finishing-use yarn needle with contrasting yarn color doubled stitch the the thread lines of the football see pic. I added a flower as it was for a female fan.

 I will give directions for flower below:

 

Flower:

Ch4 and sl st in first ch to join into a ring

1.      Ch 1, 7 sc in ring and join with sl st in first st (7sc)

2.     Ch1, 2sc in each sc around and join with sl st to ch 1 (14sc)

3.      Ch 7, skip 2 st and dc in third st, *ch4, sk 2 st, dc in next st* around ch 4 then join with st st in 4^th ch of chain 7.

4.     * Insert hook in first sc to right side of dc post in round 3 and sl st, ch 3, dc 12 times in ch 4 space.* repeat around 5 petals,tTo secure the last petal to the back, wrap your crochet hook around and through the first stitch of the first petal. Sl st to secure.

5.     Sl st one stitch to the left of the dc post of round 3. Chain 9. Position your petals forward to expose the two stitches underneath the petals (from round 3). Dc into the left stitch of next dc. *Chain 6. Dc into the left stitch underneath the next petal.* Repeat all the way around. Join your last chain 6 into the third chain from your first step.

6.     * Insert hook in first sc to left side of dc post in round 3 and sl st, ch 3, dc 16 times in ch 4 space.* repeat around 5 petals,tTo secure the last petal to the back, wrap your crochet hook around and through the first stitch of the first petal. Sl st to secure.

 

Finish Notes:

Bind off and finger block your flower to take it’s shape.  Leave long tail to use to sew flower onto hat.  See pic for placement.

These hats have been such a hit that I am taking orders from friends and my other niece decided she had to have one too. The red hat is for the Kansas City Chiefs and the teal hat is for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Please let me know if you find any errors or have any trouble with pattern. Would love for you to send me a pic of your hat for me to post as well. Send to rnlaughalot@yahoo.com.

Have fun with this pattern,

 

Esther

I am posting some pics of the Christmas presents I have been working on. If you would like the pattern or the link to the pattern just post a comment and I will send it to you.

I  will be posting more later on. I just finished football team hats for Cindy and I to wear with our football jerseys for Halloween. We are excited to look like twins except she roots for the Chiefs and I root for the Jaguars.

We Begin

     My niece Cindy and I are both on limited incomes but we love Christmas and the act of giving so we want to have a big Christmas this year but as I said "limited income" so what to do? Big idea--craft our gifts, so that is what we are doing. We are probably one-fifth of the way through and having a ball. It's fun to think of the person and decide what we can make that will make a smile come to their face.
     Pinterest has become my best buddy as I can find great ideas and sometimes the patterns, but if there is no pattern I make it anyway. Like this month my grandaughter turned 10 and wanted to do something special for her so made her a Hello Kitty purse and a Minnie Mouse purse. Had to design the Minny Mouse but had a pic to go by.
     Won't you join us on this journey? I will place pics and patterns or links to patterns as I go along. Need to get pics of what I have done so far. I guarentee with Cindy and I you will have a blast!!

Until next time
Esther