dressy towel-topper tutorial

I made one of these dressy towel-toppers last Christmas just by 'winging it' you could say.  No pattern.  Just stitch after stitch.  A little bit of ripping out.  A little bit of head-scratching and I had a dressy towel-topper, but still no pattern.

Well, some of you asked if I could possibly do a pattern for this.  

Oh, golly.  Me & numbers?  Me & strategy?  Not such a good thing.

But here you go (and any mistakes [there may be many] let me know!)

*+*+*+*+*+*

What you need:

size G hook

worsted weight yarn

kitchen towel ( I bought mine at Target)

sewing thread

sewing needle

button

Each round ends with a slip stitch to close.

Ch 3 at beginning of each round counts as 1st dc

Begin by chaining 28.  Slipstitch to close ring.

Rnd. 1--- Ch 1, work 1 sc in each sc around -- 28 sc. 

Rnd 2--- Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc) 1 dc in same stitch, 1 dc in next sc 

*2 dc in next sc, 1 dc in next sc* repeat * around.  -- 42 dc

Rnd 3---  Ch 3, 1 dc in the next 2 dc, ch 3 

*1 dc in the next 3 dc, ch 3*

repeat * around -- 14 sets of 3dc.  Fasten off.

Rnd 4--- Join new color in ch 3 space, Ch 3, dc2tog, ch 3, dc3tog 

* dc3tog, ch 3, dc3tog* in each 3 chain space

repeat * around

You will have 14 -- dc3tog, ch 3, dc3tog clusters.  Fasten off.

NOTE! This round includes many pics

Rnd 5---Join new color in any ch 3 space.  Ch 3, 1dc, ch 2, 2dc in ch 3 space

*2dc, ch 2, 2dc in next ch 3 space in the next ch 3 space

1 dc between the 3rd dc and 1st dc of next cluster (see pic)

Now you have to pinch your piece together to form the sleeves of the dress.  You will have 4 groups of  2dc, ch 2, 2dc that you will be pinching in your left hand.  Yarn over and slip your hook under both layers of 'sleeve'...

 ...to complete the next dc in that same space as the first dc.*  

Sound confusing?  It might! -- but if you look at it like it's an actual sleeve that you are trying to form --- it looks easier than what you might think.  I hope the next 3 pics can help you see what I am trying to describe.

Rnd 5 continues -- repeat from * 3 more times.

Rnd 6--- Slip stitch to first ch 2 space.  Ch 3, 1 dc, ch 2, 2 dc in chain 2 space

*2 dc, ch 2, 2 dc in each ch 2 space, 1 dc in each dc* that forms the underarm of sleeve (see pic)

Repeat from * to end

Rnd 7--- repeat rnd 6

Rnd 8--- Join new color.  Ch 4 (counts as 1st tr), 5 tr in ch 2 space

*6 tr in each ch 2 space

2 tr in each dc in underarm of sleeve*  Repeat from* to end

Add a hanger:

On the top edge, I added the hanger by sc into 5 stitches of the collar.  

And then just a simple back and forth of sc and ch 1 (turning ch) until you reach the desired length of you hanger.

Optional: I added a blue sc border to the bottom edge.  You may or may not do this --- it's your choice.

I hand-sewed a button to attach to hanger to the front part of the dress.

I'm not sure if there is method to attaching this to a towel, but I do know that I don't like it when the towel is cut in half.  So I used the entire towel and just hand-sewed a gathering stitch right along the center of the towel to create a rouching effect.

I then folded the towel in half and gathered the towel until it was the width as the bottom edge of the towel-topper...

...and hand-sewed the crocheted top to the towel.

And there you have your dressy towel-topper!

square into star

A Christmas star that started out as a square.

Weaving ch-28 loops over and under the sides of the square...oh, I love this pattern!

The pattern is from MAGIC CROCHET magazine October 2002 - Number 140 and designed Hiroko Hanai.

At first, my crochet thread was causing quite a knotted mess (because you are unable to shove the ball of thread thru each corner opening when weaving) but I just let it.

Cause a mess, that is.

Because in the end, after you clip your threads --- voilà! -- the twisted square turns into a beautiful Christmas star.

brown footies

Did you know that you can't find brown footie socks anywhere?  Well, maybe you can & I just shop at the wrong stores.

I have looked & looked & looked for brown footie socks to go with brown shoes & can't find them in any store. 

Black ones.  White ones.  Pink ones.  Polka dots ones.  But never, ever brown.

(And yes, they must be footies because regular socks seem to always fall below my heel in these shoes.) 

So?  What to do?

Find a cool pattern for footies (I found mine here at purlbee) and begin knitting my own pair. 

Now if you had overheard my conversation with my sister a few days ago, you would think me a complete whack-job a bit discontent about this whole knitting thing.

I might have gone off about how hard knitting is -  how I can't knit lace to save my life - how I end up with way too many stitches at the end of the row - how the pattern does not match up with the previous row - how, blah, blah, blah..........

Honestly, I am surprised she just didn't hang up on me.

After sitting around, long after my ranting -- I realized something.  Just because it doesn't come easy, doesn't mean I have to give up.  For some reason, that has always been my mantra (my husband says I do this all.of.the.time.)

So, I am going to fix that. 

And it starts with sticking with the sticks, even when it doesn't make sense or doesn't always end up right.

       yarn: Deborah Norville sock yarn      dpns: Clover Bamboo size 1      sock blockers: KnitPicks 

And it starts right now with these brown footies.

patchwork star potholder

Who knew you could do patchwork with crochet!?

After finding the loveliest Leisure Arts Leaflet at the thrift store called NOSTALGIC POT HOLDERS TO CROCHET by Terry Kimbrough (copyright 1991) I noticed a pieced potholder that seemed to be put together very much like fabric patchwork.

Three words?  I. love. this.! 

The way each patch flows out magically like a piece of fabric...

...and yarning over to make a granny hexie for the back.

And I just SMILED when joining the front to the back and seeing the windows of color peeking out.

The icing on this cake was poking out the popcorn stitch in the center of this potholder just like a cute belly button peeking out.

I used up all of my leftover cotton yarn to make this potholder, but now I can see this in so many cute color combinations.

Of course, I'll need to run to the store for more yarn...

'miss scarecrow'

She didn't start out being a 'miss'.

In fact, when making her --- I definitely thought 'she' was a 'he'.

But after making the final stitches, I thought she was more of a 'Miss Scarecrow' than a 'Mr. Scarecrow'.

And she turned out cuter than I thought she would.

 

Now for the pumpkins & crows that will make her complete.

 

 

(see previous post for all pattern info)

 

 

stuffing a scarecrow

 

Anne Marie and I have been 'talking' about cute crochet patterns for fall.  And after some digging I found my pattern for an adorable scarecrow. I hit my bin of yarn & starting pulling lots of skeins of fall-like colors to use -- along with a G hook, poly-fil and a stuffing tool.

 

 

And oh, my! if his little britches aren't just the cutest, ever!...

 

 

 

Now it's off of the laptop and onto finishing this little guy.

 

Oh!  And what makes this scarecrow pattern even cuter (if that's possible) -- she includes a pattern for crocheting the crows perched on his shoulder & the adorable pumpkins.

 

(btw--this pattern is from a 2007 issue of Crochet World and designed by Cindy Harris.  I see that her patterns are on Ravelry, but I don't see the pattern for her scarecrow/crows & pumpkins included on her page.  I also noticed that you can purchase a downloadable copy of this Aug. 2007 edition* of Crochet World here.)

 

*edit 10/12/12: arrrrrrrrrgh! I was just informed by someone who purchased this edition of the magazine that this pattern was NOT included in the magazine. 

 

If you need the pattern please let me know.

 

 

 

 

 

the farthest I have ever gotten

 

 

 

Okay.  So I am enamoured with all things lace. 

 

 

 

After knitting my cherry tomato scarf and LOVING how delicate & intricate it turned out, I wondered if I could do this for a garment.

 

 

 

Now if you know me -- trying to crochet or make any type of garment never happens for me.

 

Never. 

 

Whether it is sewing a garment, crocheting a garment or making anything that I might wear ----> it.does.not.happen!

 

Oh, believe me! I always start out with good intentions, but sheesh! after a few rows or a few stitches it ends ups in that dark corner of my closet, all balled up, never to be seen again.

 

 

But lace....the lace!  It just intrigues me.  Calls me.  Speaks to me.

(Yup.  This is where my husband/kids reeeeeeeeally begins to question my sanity...or lack thereof.)

Regardless, I'm on a mission & pattern hunting begins.

 

And I found one!  The pattern:  Four Season Vine Lace Vest from Classic Elite Yarns. 

 

So far? 

 



 

 

Knitting the lace is working. 

Nicely.

And the added bonus?! -- which I can not believe -- is that it actually resembles something that I can might be able to wear...