by Heather Mastrangeli | Feb 13, 2017 | Crochet, Patterns
Happy Valentines Week! Love, flowers and hearts abound as people express their love to each other on February 14th. Truth be told, Valentines Day isn’t a big deal in my home today. However, as a kid, I used to relish everything about Valentines Day. When we woke in the morning, there was always some yummy heart shaped candy waiting for us with a card, reminding us how much our parents loved us. Exchanging valentines day cards with classmates was tons of fun after spending several nights customizing the perfect mailbox to sit on my desk, clearly decorated in hearts too. Hearts, a universal symbol of love and Valentines Day.
I wanted to whip up something special for Valentines Day this year. These simple and quick crochet hearts can be made into magnets or bookmarks! Both these gifts can be crocheted up in a jiffy and used year round! This pattern is super easy and can not only remind you of your place in a book or magazine or hold papers on the fridge, but also act as a reminder of those you love.
This project is a great stash buster!
Materials
Crochet heart in progress!
Pattern
To begin, chain 7
Row 1: Starting with the second chain from hook, 5 sc across, 2 sc in last chain, chain 1, turn
Row 2: 2 sc in first stitch, 6 sc, chain 1, turn
Row 3: sc 6, sc2tog, chain 1, turn
Row 4: Sl st 3, sc 4, chain 1, turn
Row 5: sc 4, chain 1, turn
Row 6: sc2tog, sc 2, chain 1, turn
Row 7: sc 3, chain 1, turn
Row 8: sc2tog, sl st, chain 1, turn
Row 9: sc2tog, fasten off, weave in ends.
The images below show the various steps in order!
Construct a Bookmark
Now is the most complicated part of the whole pattern (not really, I’m just joking 🙂 ). Cut three strands of yarn to approximately 18”-24” in length. Using your crochet hook, pull all three strands of yarn through the end of the heart. Pull the strands so they are equal. Holding two strands of yarn together at the same time, braid the yarn. Tie a knot at one end (We’re such rebels tying knots in our crochet projects!), leaving about half an inch of fringe. Your bookmark is ready!
Create a Magnet
To create a magnet, simply glue the crochet hearts to a simple magnet!
Abbreviations:
sc- Single Crochet
sc2tog- Single Crochet Two Together
sl st- Slip Stitch
by Heather Mastrangeli | Apr 28, 2016 | Crochet, Patterns
Looking for the perfect baby gift for a friend, I looked to Pinterest for inspiration. Having pinned loads of knitting and crochet goodies in the past, I went through my past pins for inspiration. There it was, the cutest little pink piglet baby booties! Enthusiastically gathering my supplies and starting to crocheting away, I realized that the pattern on my board was rubbish. Back to the drawing board.
With a little searching, I found a sweet little baby boot pattern on Red Heart’s web site. The boots weren’t exactly what I was looking for, but with a little modification, it could be just the right fit! I also swapped the yarn I was planning to use for Red Heart Super Saver that was in my stash. Red Heart yarn is great for baby and children’s projects because it’s so easy to care for. In the washing machine it goes!
Realizing that I’d need to make serious modifications, I thought about slippers I’ve made over the years and other baby booties that I’ve created and got to work.
Thankfully, the Warm Baby Boots pattern was the perfect base for my Piglet Booties. Following the instructions through round 6 gave me the perfect base to add ears, snout and eyes.
If you’re interested in the original pattern, you can check it out here. It’s really great and offers more coverage than the Piglet Booties below.
To make the Piglet Booties, grab your supplies and get crocheting!
Materials
Worsted Weight Yarn (Red Heart Super Saver shown)
6-9mm Safety eyes or buttons
Size H Crochet Hook
Pattern
Red Heart Warm Baby Boots Pattern, make through Round 6:
Bootie (make 2)
Ch 9
Round 1: Work 2 dc in 3rd ch from hook, dc in next 5 ch, 6 dc in last ch, turn to work along opposite side of beginning ch, dc in next 5 ch, 3 dc in last ch, slip st in top of beginning ch to join. – 22sts
Round 2: Ch 2, hdc in same st as slip st, 2 hdc in each of next 2 dc, hdc in next 5 dc, 2 hdc in each of next 6 dc, hdc in next 5 dc, 2 hdc in each of next 3 dc, slip st in top of beginning ch to join. – 34sts.
Round 3: Ch 2, hdc through back loop in each st around, slip st to top of beginning ch to join. – 34sts
Round 4: Ch 2, hdc in next 8 sts, [dc2tog] 8 times, hdc in next 9 sts, slip st to top of beginning ch to join. – 26sts
Round 5: Ch 2, hdc in next 8 sts, [dc2tog] 4 times, hdc in next 9 sts, slip st to top of beginning ch to join. – 22sts
Round 6: Ch 2, hdc in next 8 sts, [dc2tog] 2 times, hdc in next 9 sts, slip st to top of beginning ch to join. – 20sts
Begin boot modifications:
Round 7: slip stitch along the top of the bootie
Snout: (make 2)
Set-up: Using the magic loop method, single crochet 6 stitches into the loop and pull tight. Join with a slip stitch, chain 1.
Round 1: 2 dc in each stitch, slip stitch
Ears: (make 4)
Ch 2.
In second chain from hook: sc, hdc, dc, ch 2, dc, hdc, sc
Fasten off
Finishing:
Sew the snout onto the middle front of the bootie.
Place safety eyes or sew in buttons.
Sew ears in place.
by Heather Mastrangeli | Apr 6, 2016 | Knitting, Patterns
Browsing through the yarn aisle at Jo-Ann Fabrics, I came across Red Heart’s Scrubby yarn. What an awesome idea! The skein was on the smaller side, but the yardage looked good. I thought I could make some great little kitchen scrubby gifts and bought a couple colors to experiment with. I crocheted a cute little red square scrubby and was a little skeptical how well it would work. So that night after dinner, I gave it a try. My little scrubby just wasn’t doing the job. It felt flimsy in my hands and I had to fold it up to get it to take the grime off the pots. The scrubby got pushed to the side and the kitchen sponge came back out. I knew there had to be a better option.
The Coconut Scrubby Yarn and the Sugar ‘n Cream yarns complement each other well!
After some brainstorming, I bought a couple skeins of Lily Sugar ’n Cream yarn. Knowing that the crochet method didn’t give the right weave for the scrubby to be functional, I started to knit the Sugar ’n Cream and the Red Heart Scrubby held together to create a mitered square. Success! My fuzzy scrubby dish cloths are perfect for the kitchen!
The scrubby yarn is perfect for getting the grime off kitchen pots and dishes. The cotton yarn adds stability, giving the scrubby yarn a better feel in your hand. These two yarns complement each other nicely and are fun to work together.
The mitered square pattern creates an interesting pattern both visually and to knit.
I love the mitered square because it’s an easy pattern to memorize and the rows take less time as the project continues because you are decreasing two stitches every other row! There is a high satisfaction level when knitting these cute dish cloths, they make great gifts and are an easy project to travel with.
Materials
US 8 or 5mm straight knitting needles (These are my favorite!)
Stitch marker
1 skein of Lily Sugar ’n Cream Cotton yarn (Over the Rainbow Ombre and Summer Prints shown)
1 skein of Red Heart Scrubby yarn (Coconut shown)
Yarn needle to weave in ends
Pattern
This is what your knitting needle will look like once the Setup step is complete and before starting Row 1.
Setup: Holding both yarns held together, CO 30 stitches (I used a long tail cast on, but use your favorite method!)
Place a stitch marker 15 stitches in
Row 1: Knit 13 stitches, k2togtbl, slip marker, k2tog, k 13 (28 Stitches)
Row 2: Knit across
Row 3: Knit 12 stitches, k2togtbl, slip marker, k2tog, k 12 (26 Stitches)
Row 4: Knit across
Row 5: Knit 11 stitches, k2togtbl, slip marker, k2tog, k 11 (24 Stitches)
Row 6: Knit across
Row 7: Row 4: Knit 10 stitches, k2togtbl, slip marker, k2tog, k 10 (22 Stitches)
Row 8: Knit across
Row 9: Knit 9 stitches, k2togtbl, slip marker, k2tog, k 9 (20 Stitches)
Row 10: Knit across
Row 11: Row 6: Knit 8 stitches, k2togtbl, slip marker, k2tog, k 8 (18 Stitches)
Row 12: Knit across
Row 13: Row 7: Knit 7 stitches,k2togtbl, slip marker, k2tog, k 7 (16 Stitches)
Row 14: Knit across
Row 15: Row 8: Knit 6 stitches, k2togtbl, slip marker, k2tog, k 6 (14 Stitches)
Row 16: Knit across
Row 17: Knit 5 stitches, k2togtbl, slip marker, k2tog, k 5 (12 Stitches)
Row 18: Knit across
Row 19: Knit 4 stitches, k2togtbl, slip marker, k2tog, k 4 (10 Stitches)
Row 20: Knit across
Row 21: Knit 3 stitches, k2togtbl, slip marker, k2tog, k 3 (8 Stitches)
Row 22: Knit across
Row 23: Knit 2 stitches, k2togtbl, slip marker, k2tog, k 2 (6 Stitches)
Row 24: Knit across
Row 25: Knit 1 stitch, k2togtbl, slip marker, k2tog, k 1 (4 Stitches)
Row 26: Knit across
Row 27: k2togtbl, slip marker, k2tog (2 Stitches)
Cut a long tail and using your tapestry needle, pul through both loops on the needle and tie off. Weave in ends and block.
Note
There is no need to count rows! If the cast-on tail is on the right side of the work, knit across all stitches. If the cast-on tail is on the left side, then work the decreases using the stitch marker as a guide until there are 2 stitches left.
Abbreviations
CO – Cast On
k2togtbl – Knit Two Together through the back loop
k2tog – Knit Two Together
by Heather Mastrangeli | Mar 31, 2016 | Knitting, Patterns
There is a treasure chest hidden within the walls of my local yarn store. Ok, it’s actually a wire basket filled with mark downs and discontinued yarns, but it serves me well and I always feel like I strike gold when I find a treasured hank of something special inside. The quantities are minimal, but somehow at 40% off I manage to convince myself that it’s great stash material and I make a purchase.
About six months ago I was digging through the treasure chest and found a beautiful hank of Cascade Magnum Paints. It was a captivating blend of multiple earth tone colors and thick single ply wool that seemed to have a halo of light radiating from it. Maybe a slight exaggeration, but I couldn’t put it down!
Not yet knowing what I was going to do with this giant hank, a purchase was made! That hank sat in my stash four months. There wasn’t enough yardage to do anything special with, and this was surely a special yarn. So it continued to take up real estate on one of my many yarn shelves. The yarn stash continued to grow and projects flew off the needles, and Magnum Paints sat idle.
Several months and multiple trips later, I was digging through the treasure chest again and I couldn’t believe my eyes! There was a luxurious hank of Cascade Magnum Paints in what appeared to be the same color way I had at home! I snatched that hank right up and immediately started to design the perfect cowl in my head. Wanting to develop a pattern that leveraged the beautiful color, but was fun to knit with interesting stitch patterns, yet simple, the wheels were spinning. Yes, let’s make it bulky, wrap it around the neck twice…
I got home and cast on. 127 stitches to be exact. Working in the round, I started with a couple of rows of garter stitch to prevent rolling and went from there. The result? A gorgeous, warm cowl with simple and interesting stitch patterning that leverages the yarn coloring for interest.
Want to make your own?
Materials
2 hanks of Cascade Yarns Magnum Paints (Super Bulky Weight)
US size 15, 32” circular knitting needles
Stitch Marker
Gauge: 8 stitches x 12 rows in stockinet = 4×4
Finished size is 35″ x 7″
Pattern
Cast On 127 stitches using the long tail cast on method.
Join yarn for working in the round and place stick marker. Move stitch marker up at the beginning of each round.
Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Purl
Row 3: Knit
Row 4: Knit
Row 5: Knit
Row 6: Knit 1, Purl 1 to the end.
Row 7: Purl 1, Knit 1 to the end.
Row 8: Knit 1, Purl 1 to the end.
Row 9: Knit
Row 10: Knit
Row 11: Knit
Row 12: Knit
Row 13: Purl
Row 14: Knit
Row 15: Knit
Row 16: Knit
Row 17: Knit
Row 18: Purl 1, Knit 1 to the end.
Row 19: Knit 1, Purl 1 to the end.
Row 20: Purl 1, Knit 1 to the end.
Bind Off
Weave in ends and block!
by Heather Mastrangeli | Mar 22, 2016 | Crochet, Patterns
One thing I loved as a kid were holiday crafts. Easter brought paper bunnies and decorated Easter eggs. As a child, my sisters, brothers and I would spend hours investing in coloring Easter eggs, arguing over who got to use which color when, trying to figure out who was hoarding the clear wax crayon and I especially remember my sister Stacy mixing the dark dye into the lighter colored dyes and causing a muddy color for the rest of us to work with. (Ugh!) Grandma always gave each of us a Fanny Mae milk chocolate bunny and the Easter bunny came with gifts of his own for all 5 of us. Those were the days.
Seeing I haven’t done an Easter craft project in well over a decade, I decided this was the year! My most favorite medium these days is yarn, and I have an increasingly growing stash that desperately needs to be busted through. Seeing Easter is right around the corner, I wanted something quick, not gauge specific and a project that required little yarn to make the most of the bits an pieces that I haven’t been able to part with.
These super easy mini Easter baskets work up in less than an hour and are big enough to hold a few candies or egg for someone in your life who needs a little Easter cheer.
Materials
- Size G crochet hook
- Worsted Weight yarn
- Yarn needle
Pattern
Bottom of basket:
Set-up: Using the magic loop method, single crochet 6 stitches into the loop and pull tight.
Join in the round with a slip stitch, chain 1
Row 1: 2 single crochet in each chain around, sl st to join, chain 1 (12 stitches)
Row 2: *(sc, sc, 2 sc in next stitch) *repeat to the end, join with slip stitch, ch 1 (18 stitches)
Row 3: 2 sc in first stitch, sc, sc, *(2 sc, sc, sc) *repeat around, join with slip stitch, chain 1 (bottom of basket should measure 2″ in diameter)
Sides of basket:
Row 4: Working in the back loops of the bottom of the basket, increase 1 in the first stitch by single crocheting twice in the first loop, single crochet in back post around, join with sl st, chain 1 (25 stitches around)
Rows 5- 7: Working in both loops, single crochet around, join with sl st, chain 1
Handle:
Row 8: sc 2, ch 1 turn
Row 9: sc 2, ch 1, turn
Row 10: sc 2, ch 1, turn
Row 11: single crochet 2 together, chain 1, turn
Rows 12- 18: sc 1, ch 1, turn
Row 19: 2 single crochet in stitch, chain 1, turn
Row 20: sc 2, ch 1 turn
Row 21: sc 2, ch 1 turn
Row 22: sc 2, ch 1 turn
Join the end of handle half way around basket and slip stitch in place. Tie off an weave in ends.
Abbreviations
sc – Single Crochet
sl st – Slip Stitch
ch- chain
by Heather Mastrangeli | Mar 5, 2016 | Patterns
MountainTop Chalet yarn has a beautiful drape.
Have you ever started a simple garter stitch scarf to find that it doesn’t have the drape or thickness that you were hoping for? On one of my recent knitting store field trips I came across MountainTop Chalet yarn by Classic Elite Yarns. I was immediately drawn to it’s soft feel and was intrigued by the chainette construction, like the yarn had an i-cord appearance as opposed to a traditional plyed yarn. I also loved the chic colors the yarn came in, none of it dyed, all of it natural!
Determined to make something special with this yarn, I decided to use it to make a handmade gift for my mother-in-law. The goal was to make something soft and warm for the harsh Wisconsin winters she endures yearly while dog walking.
I started with a garter stitch scarf, but I didn’t like the drape of the fabric and it seemed much too thin to provide adequate warmth on a cool winter walk. After spending days scouring Pinterest for a special reversible pattern, relating in little inspiration, I decided to swatch a 2x2 rib. Success! A super simple, warm scarf was born!
Wanting to keep the edges tidy and also always wanting to start with a knit stitch at the beginning of each row, (it’s a weird preference of mine, I loath starting a row with a purl- it’s weird, I know) I cast on a multiple of 4 stitches and knit though one and a half hanks of MountainTop Chalet while slipping the last stitch of each row purl wise. It was super simple!
Materials:
Directions:
- Using a long tail cast on, cast on 28 stitches
- Row 1- K2, P2, repeat to end
- Rows 2 through the end- k2, p2 to the end, slipping the last stitch purl wise
This pattern is great to refining continental knitting skills, TV viewing and practicing knitting without looking!
