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.

Knittin' Time

So I know I'm all hook happy and just a little stuck up about knitting... And I know I frequently rant about knitting, knitters, and everything needle-ish.

But I'm also tired of looking at awful, awful crochet patterns, and wondering "What the hell...?" And waiting for Interweave Crochet to come out, only to have the 'Carmen's Jazz Scarf' on the cover. What is wrong with the crochet world that this scarf is on the cover of our fanciest magazine? WHY?!

Look I'm all for motifs and funny colors, but no one in their god damn mind is going to wear this scarf. Unless you're 80. And if you're 80, then go ahead and stitch this, but, there is a whole new generation of fiber lovers out there and if crochet mags keep putting this crap on the cover, we'll never grow.

--End Rant--

Anywho... I started knitting because I want to make the cute patterns that I see on Ravelry all the time. I started by using wooden straight needles and just started knitting a scarf-y thing. After doing this for a week, I got the hang out of it, and I started to be able to read the stitches so I thought "Hat time!" Enter the "Regular Guy Beanie" from Yarnman Knits.

This hat is meant for double point needles and I used circular, but in the end, it came out really cute and with very little cursing. I used Vanna's Choice yarn (and by the way, knitting takes waaaay less yarn), so I could see the stitches well. If you're an avid crocheter and you're going needle-y, its important to learn to read your stitches before you throw yourself into a pattern and using a yarn you can see well is absolutely necessary.

And now I'm working on knit hat #2. I'm using Malabrigo yarn (drrrrroooooool). I'll keep you updated!

photo: Interweave Crochet

Hello again!

Alright, I know its been a long time since I've updated; but to be fair, I moved across the country...

I am now officially an Ann Arborite. Which is a pretty significant change from the Rocky Mountain Wonderland that is Salt Lake City, UT. There are no mountains here and while there is a blizzard raging against the Wasatch Front, its sunny and brisk here in the Great Lakes region.

Two months after we moved to Ann Arbor, my lovely man friend and I went to California and got ourselves hitched, and that was pretty life changing too. It was a very successful marriage and the weather was beautiful.

All this life changing stuff made it really hard to update the ol' blog. But don't think that I wasn't hooking and knitting and spinning. That's right... I was knitting too. Because I have no friends in Ann Arbor, I decided that my new best friend would be fiber.

First and foremost, I ventured into the land of home decorations and made a curtain for our kitchen. Living in an apartment complex is really f-ing depressing, and Pete and I didn't even have furniture until October, so anyway, I decided that yarn would make my kitchen feel better and it did.

I got it out of Special Techniques and Stitches and it worked up really really fast (I

actually crocheted it during my lunch breaks at work). It was a pretty easy pattern, but it did eat up a lot of yarn.

When I was done in the kitchen, I decided the try my luck at a new hat. Its pattern that's always evaded my understanding and patience, but I was feeling stubborn...

Its the Lattice Hat, by Sarah Arnold. Its a really unique pattern, and the hat you end up with is thick and oh so warm. But you have to really read the pattern. It gets a bit tricky when you first start to lattice, but once you pick up the pattern its easy and very quick. This is a yarn eater too, so make sure you have a lot before you start in on it.

The pattern also calls for an H hook for the body and a G for the ridge, but I went one hook bigger because 1) I have a huge head and 2) I crochet on the tight side. If you're a little looser, then by all means go with an H, but I would gauge this one out if you don't know your hooks terribly well.

Finally I went into Christmas land right around Turkey day and made Pete and I

Lauren Osborne's Stuffable Stockings to spruce up the fireplace. I got the Pattern from Crochet Today, and while their patterns tend to walk down the cliche road, this one is cute and not stab your eyes out with a blunt object annoying.

I used scraps from my yarn shed and they came out very nicely. When I did the first one it took me a solid five minutes to figure out why my sewing was being so annoying. I then realized I am left handed. And being left handed means sometimes (always) your patterns come out backward. So if you're crocheting on the left side of life, don't get disgruntled, and take a deep breath before you start to sew.

Anyway, I think that's all the space I have right now. But don't fret my friends, I will be updating regularly again! Being alone in the midwest makes fiber arts 1000x more important.

Keep on hookin'!

Wallets!

So I'm feeling a bit under the weather but I wanted you to see my newest creations. They're wallets! The blue and the multicolored ones use a basket weave stitch which is a really easy stitch but it makes amazing patches. The brown is just a back stitch crochet but I still like it.

Sorry this won't be longer but I'm afraid I'm allergic to SLC... Ugh...

Little Red Riding Bag

So I've been experimenting with fabric and yarn recently so I made a bag for fun. Its just a test bag but it turned out good enough that now I know what I'm doing so I can make a "final copy."

Its a cute little 8in by 8in bag with a checkered cable pattern. I thought the red would be cuter than it actually turned out to be. But it makes a good hand bag if nothing else.

Sewing together cabled squared is a little trickier than I originally planned it would be but its a good little floppy bag. What I really needed was just a base to be able to sew fabric into.

A few weeks ago, while going through our dressed Pete became incredulous when he saw just how many pj pants I actually own. He told me that I needed to find a new place for them because we weren't moving 18 pairs of pants to Michigan in August. So I took a pair of checked red ones my brother bought me when I was 20 pounds lighter and cut them up.

I then measured them to the size of my bag (before I stitched it all up) and sewed the fabric into the yarn. It worked surprisingly well too!

Now my stuff won't fall through the cracks of my stitches and I have a very cute, very washable bag.

Now to make a much cleaner, much neater final version!

Guess who's hats are for sale online?

Revolution climbing, via Pusher gear, is up on the internet!

They're selling them for $35 which is a good price. I was really worried when I saw they were selling them for $50 but they lowered them to a much more manageable price.

Anyway, I am so very very excited because I'm on a website!

My current project is a cable bag with a fabric inside. I've never sewed fabric into my crochet before. I hope it works.

Photos to come!

-Sarah

Cheese Heads

So this past weekend I picked up some Queensland Collection - Kathmandu Aran yarn. I purposely picked out green and yellow so I could make myself a Cheese Head Beer Sweater.

I knew the minute I picked up the Queensland yarn that I was going to love it. Its soft but sturdy and its thick enough to do what I need it to do without having to double it up.

Plus, I feel so damn fancy when I get to crochet with silk and cashmere. I mean really.

In other news. When I was in CA the last time I picked a bunch of lavender in my mom's garden. I then put all that lavender I cut in my carry on luggage and brought it home with me to SLC. I'll admit, I smelled really weird and I'm sure the security guards thought I was insane, but whatever.

But now I have a ton of lavender and not much to do with it.

I was thinking I could do a sachet with it, and make little bags with my really thin white yarn, but I'm still not sure how to do that.

But as of right now, my room smells like my mom's garden which is pretty awesome.

Lastly, in very exciting news, Pete and I bought a freakin' iMac last night. Its ENORMOUS! (27 in. screen). I have never bought something so expensive or so fancy in my whole life. The Dell that I'm working on right now is like half the size and not nearly as nice. I'm still a little sick over spending that much money in one fell swoop.

But still... its super exciting.

That's all the news I have for today. Keep on hookin!

Three Wishes Fiber

So I went out to West Jordan, UT today for a yarn spinning class. But unfortunately it was cancelled. But I did look around the shop and bought some yarn too!

Three Wishes is one of the only places in the Salt Lake area that offers classes in more than just knitting. They have all sorts of classes on all sorts of topics! From knitting and crochet all the way to basketry, if it has to do with fabric, the ladies at Three Wishes teach it.

I went for the Drop Spindle class but I was the only one who did. Which was a huge bummer because I have been looking forward to this class for a couple months. But I did get to take a look around the shop and I really liked it.

The owner, Kristine Bullock, opened up the store for me and showed me around. I've got to say that this shop is unique. They have a ton of yarn that you just don't find very many places. They have the standard Noro, and Berrocco, but they also have Nashua, Queensland Collection and a pretty good selection of local hand spun/dyed yarns which I really don't see in very many shops.

I picked out some Queensland Collection - Kathmandu Aran yarn. This yarn is beautiful, and well priced at $7 for a 1 3/4 oz ball. Because its a blend of merino, silk and cashmere, its extra soft, but thick to call worsted.

I think I'm going to make a Greenbay Packers inspired beer sweater for Pete and I. Cuz its adorably and I love my Packers.

Generally speaking, the yarn was affordable. There were some really shockers (like $48 2.5 gram ball of hand spun yarn) but all in all this was a place that you can find high quality yarn that won't break your bank.

For you hookers out there, Three Wishes is very crochet friendly. Kristine told me that she was originally a crocheter, and totally appreciates the burden we bear! They carry a ton of crochet books and really nice hooks too, so if you're in search of some new reading material, you should check this shop out.

All in all, even though I didn't learn to spin, I was happy with my experience, and I will definitely try and get back out there (especially now that I have a frequent buyer card!).

Keep on hookin!

Three Wishes photo from Three Wishes Fiber

Another Beer Sweater

Here's another beer sweater. I thought I'd add this one because its a wee bit different but oh so hilarious.

Beer Bottle Sweater

So I thought I'd share my newest creation:

The Beer Sweater.

So I bought that cool self patterning yarn a couple days ago but just didn't know what to do with it. Should it be a purse? A hat? A baby hat? And then Pete texted me while I was in the airport on the way to CA to see my mom with this AMAZING idea. Its a beer sweater! Complete with little arms and a sweet collar.

It took me awhile to figure out the collar, and the arms are a little off, but its still really cute and it sits perfectly on a Sierra Nevada.

In other news. Pete bought me a present right before I left Salt Lake for San Diego. Its a very good book called the "Handmade Marketplace" by Kari Chapin. Its chalk full of useful hints, good ideas, and just makes you feel good about crafting. Its definitely worth a look!

That's it for now you hookers! Hope all your projects are going well! Keep on stitchin'

Book photo taken from Craftster.org

Baby pig!

I made a baby piggy to go on my etsy. He's pretty much adorable. I like to put him in bed with Pete. Right next to his face. And then he turns around, he's face to face to this little piglet. I would love to wake up to this little guy all the time.

Plus he's tennis ball size. Which is hilarious.

Anyway, I thought I'd share him with you.

In other news, I bought this crazy yarn today. I got it from Hobby Lobby and it is known as Yarn Bee - Snowflake Wool Blend.

Its a pretty cool looking yarn. Its a 50-50 wool/polyester blend. Its soft but I think it'll be durable. I got "Fawn" which is delightfully retro. Actually, I should say Pete made me choose fawn (Pete always chooses my yarn colors, and they always work...). I think its a self patterning yarn which is generally useless to me as a crocheter but will work none the less.

Finally. I signed up for wool spinning class... which is SOOO exciting!!!

photo of yarn from: Hobby Lobby.

Etsy Universe

So I entered into the Etsy universe. I need to be able to sell my stuff and Etsy seems to be the place to do it.

If you've ever wanted to buy something off my blog, here's the place to do it. Someone else (damn them!) stole the name "the crafty hooker." So I'm 'A Crafty Hooker,' so look for that name whilst you're browsing.

I really suggest looking around the site though. Its a great place to look for handmade goods and you're helping out an artist. Which is an awesome feeling.

Spring Has Sprung!

Spring has arrived here in Salt Lake City (finally!). I was feeling a bit burnt out with my hooks for a while but now that all my trees are in bloom and the sun is so nice and warm I finally felt my yarn calling my name again.

So I came up with this lovely hat.

A few weeks back, I saw a guy come through my line at work and he had a plain white hat with a really cool pattern on the bottom. His hat was knit, so I couldn't completely recreate it but I knew I could try.

I took the Secret Method Hat for the top and worked about 15 rounds of white then began with the colors. I love the look of spikes but I've never really been able to master them. This time I just sat down and stopped thinking so hard and stitched.

I'm really proud of myself too. I think this is a cool look and something definitely different than what's in my vast hat collection currently. I'm also proud of the inside of my hat. When you're pulling your colors throughout your work, its extremely important to keep everything neat. If you don't, your yarn will start to knot up and then your head will hurt every time you try and wear your creation.

My trick to is to keep one ball on my right and one on my left. I also try really hard to keep a good eye on twists and knots. This is not quick crochet. Its slow and deliberate but the end product is so satisfying that you'll love every minute of it.

Anyway, that's project for this week. I adore it.

Look at my flowers!!

Happy Easter!

So Pete's Nana decided I needed some alpaca yarn a few days ago. (Have I mentioned how much I adore her?) Her good friend owns Sea Hill Farm, an alpaca farm in Maine and so Pat bought be 3 skeins of 100% alpaca wool. Drooooool.

If you have never held 100% alpaca anything, you should really consider it. The fiber is buttery soft and extra light. And its such nice to know that I got my yarn from the farm this this adorable guy came from. His name is Teddy Bear and he lives at Sea Hill.

Anyway, I thought I'd share my Easter present with my blog. Hope you're all making yourself sick with chocolate bunnies!

Sarah

Photo is from seahillfarm.com

Cute photo for the afternoon

Oh here's an adorable picture of my dog:

He really loves yarn too.

Sorry!!

So I know I've been terrible! No posts in two weeks. Geeeez. So first of all I wanted to update you on the Revolution Hats. Here are two of them. I've made four in all so far and they all have tags on them which is kind of a big deal.

After using Chloe Nightingale's pattern so many times, I have to insist that it's still one of my all time favorite hats. Its a tight gauge and its so warm and cozy, perfect for climbers out in the cold.

I used Cascade Eco Wool which is a really awesome yarn, especially for a project like this. Its a 250 gram skein (478 yards) which is a good hunk of material, so you have to be in love with the color but if you find the right color... this is a great buy.

The second thing I was going to write about was my new stuffed

animals. Just in time for Easter I made a bunny rabbit. I used Vanna's choice which is a good, solid yarn for making stuffed animals.

People keep asking me if he's an amigurumi pattern. That would be a negative because I despise amigurumi patterns. He's my own creation. His name is Percy. I also made a fat little bird too. I haven't come up with a name for him.

Anyway. Sorry it's taken me so long! It won't happen again for awhile. Promise!

Happy Easter!

Revolution Climbing + Hats

So a couple of days ago Johnny from Revolution Climbing approached me about making hats for his company and after I thought about it for... 5 seconds... I said of course! This morning we met up at my favorite yarn shop (Blazing Needles) where the owner, Cynthia helped us pick the perfect yarn for the job.

So I thought I'd take some pictures of the beautiful yarn we chose. Its Cascade Eco +. And at 250 grams a skein... it should make a lot of hats...

Baby Animals

Oh how I love to stitch stuffed animals. Nothing makes me more excited than when I'm coming up with a new little creature to annoy Pete with. That poor boy has to sit through me squealing over numerous animals, asking his advice and then poking him with the finished product.

Well here's my latest design. Mini animals! Weeee. These little guys fit in the palm of my hand and they are AWESOME! I don't like to toot my own horn (well, actually I do, this is why I have a blog) but I am way impressed with myself with these little critters.

I made a chick, a baby bird, a frog, a cow, and a piggy (the frog was my first attempt which is why he looks a little off...). Hehehe I can't stop giggling.

Mailing List

I'm trying to put together a mailing list of people who read my blog. It might make it easier to let you know when there are new posts and other such news! So if you would like to be on my list just shoot me an email at thecraftyhooker@gmail.com.

image from urbanescapee.com

The Secret Method

So Chloe Nightingale on Ravelry and Crochet Me has made, quite possibly, the easiest hat ever. And the best hat to use as a template to make a myriad of different hats from one simple pattern.

She calls the hat The Secret Method Hat and if you haven't tried this hat, you have to!

Since I have to make a ton of hats for SLCitizen and now for Whole Planet (more on that in a sec) Chloe's hat pattern is ideal. Its super quick and the hats turn out warm and perfect.

Now, if you're not down for an entire hat made of single chains (it can get REALLY tiresome) that you should tweak this pattern into something a little more varied, but if you can hold out for a single chain hat, yours will look like mine above. A really tight, very simple hat but absolutely worth it.

Now. Whole Planet. I was approached a couple weeks ago by my bosses to see if I would be interested in donating my time and projects to our Whole Planet Foundation at work. How could I really say no to micro-credit loans to women in developing nations. I dare you to try. You won't succeed... So I said yes, and sold 2 hat and a pair of booties with all 40 dollars going to the foundation (sweet!). Now I'm back to my hooks to make some more stuff and see what I can't sell. Ah giving. How good it it feels.

Hope your weekend is swell and your hands are hookin!

Baby Booties

So in my last post I made a reference to these super cute baby booties Well here are a pair of the ones that I've done.

I thought they needed a little something on the toe to break up the green so I made a button out of some baby weight white yarn. (Really simple, sc 10 in a magic loop, then 2 sc in each sc, sl st together and you've got a button!).

I also lopped off the top of the boots because 1. I hate putting baby feet in anything taller than a sock and 2. It wasn't working and it looked weird so I just made them super simple, basic little slippers.

There were some problems with the pattern, I'm not going to lie and its a really rough one to try and read because she wrote it kind of funny but once you get it right these work up fairly quickly and obviously they're adorable. If you've got some fingering weight yarn and a D hook, this is your kind of pattern.

Now, my nose needs to get back to the grindstone.

Keep on hookin!

Ho hum

So it rained today. All day. And I have absolutely no inspiration and an enormous deadline due. Crap. I made some itty bitty baby slippers based on this cute little pattern. It takes some reading and investigating to understand the phrasing on the pattern at first, but it comes and its a great one. I didn't like the top so I just lopped it off and now I have little tiny slippers. Adorable.

Anyway, if anyone know of some good hat patterns, send them my way!

photo from freefoto.com

Photos Galore!

So as promised, here are the photos of the projects I finished out of the new book I bought.

Here's the Alpine Hat:

I used Cascade 220 so its washable but still has the warmth and heaviness of wool. Its also a good kelly green. Perfect for St. Patty's Day. I got the skein at Blazing Needles (my favorite yarn shop in Salt Lake City). The picture makes it look a bit washed out here but I promise its a much deeper shade.

I love how the small cables wind around themselves in this pattern, as opposed the fatter cables usually associated with cable crochet.

Here's the Aran Pillow (which I might just make into a purse...). This is the easiest pattern in the world but it looks so complicated which is awesome cuz you look like a pro without breaking a sweat. I hate sweating while I hook. Plus you can brag about your skills and no one will be the wiser! I made the other side out of a denim blue, both are Bernat Alpaca which is REALLY soft and feels a lot more expensive than it is.