What an interesting hat

So the other night I was all like "I wanna make a hat... Ravelry, show me a hat to make!" and Ravelry said... No.

So I was frustrated and decided, screw you Ravelry and your lack of hats to make instantly, I'll make my own.

Ta Dah! This crocheted hat is a bottom up hat, but with a sweet brim!!

This pattern is pretty simple, I'm not going to lie to you. But I think the end result is like a knitty/crochet-y hat. Want the pattern? Huh? Ok!

Notions:

Yarn: Worsted

Hook: H or however you can achieve the right size for your noggin. Yarn needle.

Abbreviations: st - stitch ch- chain ss- slip stitch sc- single crochet sc2tog- single chain 2 together.

Rd 1: Ch 5

Rd 2: Sc in each ch, ch 1 and turn (5 st)

Rd 3: Sc in back loop only, ch 1 and turn (5 st)

Rd 4-60: Sc in back loop only, ch 1 and turn (5 st)

*Note- you can always crochet more rows if you have a bigger head. I used malabrigo yarn which is a loose wool so I only needed 60 rows. But if you use more rows, you'll have to tweak the decrease, send me an email and I'll help you out with that should you need the assistance.

Rd 61 (This is the joining row!) Hold both ends together and ss to join rd 1 to rd 60. Do not fasten off, turn the brim inside out (which is now right side out) ch 1 and turn.

Rd 1: 1 sc at the base of the ch 1, and sc in each st. ss to join, ch 1, turn (60 st)

Rd 2: sc in each st. ss to join, ch 1 turn (60 st)

Rd 3-15 (or more if you need): sc in each st. ss to join, ch 1 turn (60 st)

Rd 16: sc in next 8 st, sc2tog. Repeat 5 more times. ss to join, ch 1 turn (54 st)

Rd 17: sc in each st, ss to join. ch 1, turn (54 st)

Rd 18: sc in next 7 st, sc2tog. Repeat 5 more times. ss to join, ch 1 turn (48 st)

Rd 19: sc in each st, ss to join. ch 1, turn (48 st)

Rd 20: sc in next 6 st, sc2tog. Repeat 5 more times. ss to join, ch 1 turn (42 st)

Rd 21: sc in each st, ss to join. ch 1, turn (42 st)

Rd 22: sc in next 5 st, sc2tog, Repeat 5 more times. ss to join, ch 1 turn (36 st)

Rd 23: sc in each st, ss to join. ch 1, turn (36 st)

Rd 24: sc in next 4 st, sc2tog. Repeat 5 more times. ss to join, ch 1 turn (32 st)

Rd 25: sc in each st, ss to join. ch 1, turn (32 st)

Rd 26: sc in next 3 st, sc2tog. Repeat 5 more times. ss to join, ch 1 turn (24 st)

Rd 27: sc in each st, ss to join. ch 1, turn (24 st)

Rd 28: sc in next 2 st, sc2tog. Repeat 5 more times. ss to join, ch 1 turn (18 st)

Rd 29: sc in each st, ss to join. ch 1, turn (18 st)
Row 30: sc in next 2 st, sc2tog. Repeat 5 more times. ss to join, ch 1 turn (12 st)
Row 31: sc in each st, ss to join. ch 1, turn (12 st)

At this point in my hat, I fastened off and left a long tail. I then took a yarn needle and sewed loosely through each st around and then pulled the tail tight, bringing the hat together without that funny cone effect that sometimes happens with bottom up crochet hats. You can always just continue the decrease as well, whatever makes you happy.

Anywho, I hope you like my pattern! And I hope it works. Send me an email if you have an issue, or just leave me a comment. I'm pretty quick about answering.

Now to pack, so I can go home to the mountains for Christmas!

Ze Bag is Done

So after a solid week of crocheting away, I finished the bag I started last week. And it is all kinds of awesome.

I loved working with this pattern. I get bored super easily with single crochets over and over again. But this pattern was constantly moving, so I never got tired of it.

The one drawback to this pattern is how much yarn it takes to complete. The ravelry page says it takes 900 - 1000 yards of yarn. Ugh... But if you don't mind it, you can totally make it a scrap bag. I just went into the yarn cabinet and grabbed all the yarns I had that kinda went together (except that blue/yellow on the bottom, don't know where that came from....) and went to town with it.

The other great part about the bag is the strap. Its thick and continues the bobble pattern so it doesn't hurt your shoulder and it goes with the bag seemlessly.

Now I am off to bake all afternoon. Wish me luck with my Grandma Kolberg's wicked hard gingerbread recipe!

Bobblin' along

I've needed a new bag for awhile (I'm still using the purse that was my very first pattern). So I took to Ravelry to hunt for a good pattern.

I found this one: The Bobbling Along Aran Tote. Its super super cute and just complicated enough to keep my interest.

The pattern starts off really really hard to understand, and you will curse at it. In fact, after yelling at it and starting it 6 times, Pete told me I wasn't allowed to do it anymore, but I gave it one last shot and finally got it. Once you get into the groove with it, it goes by really fast and its a very easy pattern. As with all crochet patterns, this is a total yarn eater. I'm using scraps of yarn from my cabinet to make this guy, so it'll be a little mixed up but thats the way I like 'em.

In other news, I bought a sweet candle at Cost Plus today and now my house smells like a wicked awesome Christmas tree farm.

Walkin' the Dog Cowl

So while I was walking Cody this morning in the howling MI wind, I was thinking about how nice it would be to have a cowl around my face. So when I got home, and I finished my morning chores, I sat to work on a new project.

A cowl is essentially a scarf, but its also kind of like a hood and its

quite nice for winter mornings with the dog. Now last year, my mom sent me a care package full of yarn and inside was Lion Brand's Thick and Quick super bulky. I've been sitting on this yarn for awhile, and this seemed like the perfect project for it.

I used The Crimson Owl's Convertible Cowl pattern. This blog is adorable by the way. She's not strictly about yarn, she's more about craft in general, and she always has something cool on there.

The pattern is a little wonky on the join. In fact, I got half way through the pattern and realized that I went from 55 stitches to 44 because of the join on every round. I like the way the cowl feels though and its thick and warm and just the right weight. I used 1 1/2 skeins of the thick and quick yarn, and it wasn't quite enough, but I don't know that it matters. In fact, this pattern is so loose that small things like amount of stitches and amount of yarn doesn't really matter. As long as its tube like in the end, you're golden.

I couldn't get my husband to take a good picture of me in the end product to save his life, so I don't have a photo of me. But if you're bored and you're cold you should give this pattern a try. Plus, your neck will thank you on your next walk with the dog.