Wrapped-Up Bookmark

This cute crocheted bookmark wraps around the outside of the book to help you keep your place. The best part? - It won’t slide out of your book like a traditional bookmark can.

Difficultly Level:
Late Beginner - Intermediate

Materials:
A small amount of size 5 crochet cotton thread
Five beads that tickle your fancy (the bead itself should be about 1 cm. in diameter)
A needle to string the beads with (if you need one)
A size E crochet hook

Instructions:

The beaded closure:

String your five beads onto the thread
Ch. 4
Row 1: Sc in second chain from hook and each ch. across (3 sc). Turn.
Row 2: Ch. 1, sc in 1st sc., slide up the first bead, 2 sc in next two sc (3 sc and 1 bead). Turn.
Rows 3-5: Ch.1, Sc in each sc across (3 sc). Turn.
Repeat rows 2-5 until you have one bead left.
Repeat row 2 and then row 3 one more time.
Move on to creating the body of the bookmark…
Note: All of your beads should be on the same side. This is the right side of the bookmark.


Start the body of the bookmark:
Row 1: Ch. 1, 2 sc in first sc. 1 sc. in each sc across (4 sc). Turn.
Repeat row 1 until there are 9 sc,
Row 2: Ch. 3, work 1 dc in every sc to the end (9 dc). Turn.
Row 3: Ch. 3, *skip two dc and work {1 dc, ch. 1, 1 dc} in next dc* - repeat ** once more. End with a dc in the top of the beginning chain from previous row. Turn.
Row 4: Ch. 3 (counts as a dc) *3 dc in ch.1 loop of previous row,* repeat ** once, 1 dc in top of the beginning chain of previous row (8 dc).
Repeat rows 3 and 4 until the bookmark is approximately 23” long, or until it reaches the desired length. Move on to create the bead loop…

Bead Loop:
Row 1: Sc decrease across the first two sc. Sc. to the end (7 sc.) Turn.
Repeat row 1 until there are three sc. left. Turn.
Ch. 6, join with a sl. st. to the last sc.

Tie off, weave in ends, block (I recommend using a steam iron), and enjoy!

Dainty and Delicate Flower Pattern

A customer of mine wanted several delicate flowers with eight petals crocheted out of cotton thread. And this is what I came up with! I decided to share the pattern with my fellow crocheters.


Use these flowers to embellish hats, bags... anything! Or use them on their own to make brooches, necklaces, headbands, etc.

Dainty and Delicate Flowers

 

Materials:

Crochet Cotton Thread, size 3

Crochet hook appropriate to your thread

Create a magic loop or ch. 3 and join to form a ring

Rnd 1: Ch. 1, 8 sc in loop/ring, join with a sl st to 1^st sc (8 stitches total)

Rnd 2: Ch. 2 (counts as a dc), 1 dc in 1^st sc. 2 dc in each sc around, join to top of ch.2 with a sl st (16 dc total)

Rnd 3: *Ch 2, skip 1 dc, sc in next dc* around, end with a sl st in the base of the first ch. 2

Rnd 4: (no chain here!) In first ch. 2 loop work *(1 sc, 1 hdc, 2 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc), sl st in next sc* around

Tie off and block!

To make a smaller flower create Rnd 2 as follows:

Rnd 2: Ch. 2 (counts as a hdc), 1 hdc in 1^st sc. 2 hdc in each sc around, join to top of ch.2 with a sl st (16 hdc total)

Or for an even smaller flower

Rnd 2: Ch. 1 (counts as a sc), 1 sc in 1^st sc. 2 sc in each sc around, join to top of ch.1 with a sl st (16 sc total)

Copyright info: Please feel free to use this pattern for personal use only. If you'd like to sell these flowers please ask me first. Thank you for respecting my request! 

Scarlett O'Hara Bag Is Finished!

Whoot! I finished my bag for the April Project Yarnway challenge. As I blogged about earlier, I chose to make a dress to match Scarlett O'Hara's dress from "Gone With The Wind."

I used Lamb's Pride worsted weight wool yarn in green and gold. It is all hand crocheted by yours truly. ;)

I made it just large enough to hold anything that Scarlett might have need to carry, but left it small enough that Scarlett could have made it in one or two evenings.

The base of the bag is a square, and the main body of the bag is worked in a spiral with strategically placed decreases. The top portion of the bag has a row of dc and ch. stitches to allow the drawstring to slid through. The very, very top of the bag has shell stitches that are capped with glass beads in gold and amber colors. The appearance of the top portion looks a bit like a flower when it is closed. I love that! The drawstring is a crocheted chain using bulky weight Lamb's Pride wool and a small hook. I did that so the stitches would have great definition.

Closer to time, I'll submit it on the Runway thread of Project Yarnway. I would kind of hate to be the first contestant in the thread though...

Pictures for you!

(I think I need to take a photo of it on white instead of black)

Weeellll....

You know that feeling when life gets in the way and you wake up only to realize that a month has passed without your realizing it? Yeah. That's what I feel like right now.

I liked the vase design I came up with for Project Yarnway, but I ended up not having sufficient time to complete it. For one, the "yarn" was a total pain to work with. It broke all the time. And I'm preparing for a craft fair... Oh well! I had good intentions.

But this month should (fingers crossed) go more smoothly.

The Project Yarnway challenge this month is to create a bag. Any bag will do, as long as it is crocheted or knitted. Thus, I will be crocheting a Scarlet O'Hara bag. Granted, I'm reading "Gone With The Wind" right now, so that is where my inspiration came from. I'm using a green wool and it is going to be made to match Scarlet's famous Drapery Dress.

Isn't it gorgeous, Dahling? And since I'm from Georgia, this project will be especially fun. :) 

I look forward to seeing all of ya'lls creations!

Project Runway Update: March

Alrighty. This week has been totally hectic, hence the lack of updates. I'm sorry about that!

But I'm here now, so that is what counts. Right?

So far, I've gotten a really rough sketch drawn up. The whole project is tentative at this point. I'm wanting to make a flower basket. It will be a crocheted basket with a plastic cup for holding water. The flowers will sit down in the cup, which will be hidden by the basket.

Warning: There is a reason I don't draw. LOL!

 

 So that is a rough draft of the design.

The real clincher is that I'm using "paper" yarn. I'm spinning it myself on my makeshift spindle (which is a knitting needle taped to a weaving hook):

 

All I have done so far is the base:

The paper yarn is horrendous to work with. It breaks like crazy. I imagine that I've woven at least 20 ends in so far. So I'm not sure if I'll be able to keep this project up to the end. I'm keeping my eye out for other materials to use.

Project Yarnway: March Challenge

I've joined the group titled Project Yarnway in Ravelry. It is based off of the same concept as the T.V. show Project Runway, only there are no eliminations and each challenge must be either knitted or crocheted.

Last month's challenge was to use up any yarn in our stash. So I used some of Paton's Natural Blends Soy for my Butterfly Scarf. Although it doesn't seem to be in the winning streak, I'm still quite proud of it. ;)

 

 

This month's challenge is to use a material other than yarn. Basically, it has to be something that isn't sold for knitting or crocheting. Ahhhhhh!!!! :runs screaming:

I keep racking my brain trying to come up with some sort of unique material to use. Duct tape, fabric, plastic, an old T-shirt, jeans, etc... Of course, the real issue is what to make out of those odd materials? I highly doubt a duct tape cami would be too terribly comfortable (can you imagine the rash the glue might give you in some uncomfortable places?). Raveling fabric might not be too nice either. A plastic garment would be easy cleaning! Just wipe it off... LOL!

You get the picture. Lots of possible materials, so few ideas of what to make with them. 

I'm thinking about going with the unoriginal idea of a bracelet using jewelry thread. I just can't seem to reconcile myself to that idea though. I want to do something uniquely me. Something that hasn't been done before. Something just plain cool. Inspiration hits at the oddest times though. So maybe I'll have a brilliant idea during the night. And forget it by the time I wake up, most likely. ;)

So wish me luck! And I wish everyone else who is participating in the challenge the best of luck. May the best design win! Although, all of the designs are so good it would definitely be hard to say one design is "better" than another....

The Hook Book!

I'm thrilled to announce that you can now download my free pattern for The Hook Book. It has been tested by 5 wonderful testers, but if you find any errors, please don't hesitate to let me know! I hope you enjoy it. ETA: It has been brought to my attention that they publisher I was using was requiring a membership and a fee to download the pattern. That is a no-no, in my book, so I am posting the pattern here for free.

Thank you so much for visiting!

 

The Hook Book

Skill Level:  Early intermediate/late beginner

Materials:

Size I and G hooks

Approximately 145 yards of worsted weight yarn 

Scraps of yarn for the  flowers and leaves (optional)

A small button (and needle and thread to sew it on!)

A blunt yarn needle

Abbreviations:

CH = Chain

Sc = Single Crochet

Hdc = Half Double Crochet

Dc = Double Crochet

Instructions for the case:

Using the I hook...

Ch. 51

R1: Sc in 2nd chain from hook and in each chain across (50 Sc).

R2-26: Ch.1, Sc in the back loop only of the next Sc and each Sc across (50 Sc).

R27: Ch 1, single crochet in the front loop only in the next Sc and each Sc across (50 Sc). This row creates the "spine" for your book.

R28-53: Ch. 1, Sc in the back loop only of the next Sc and each Sc across (50 Sc).

Cut yarn, tie off, and weave in ends. 

Assembling the Book

This part of the case is tricky and tedious, so just hang in there.

Lay the case out in front of you with the ribbing going vertically. Fold the lower edge up approximately 4 inches. I recommend pinning it in place.

Starting at the lower right corner, work 2 slip stitches into the corner. Slip stitch evenly around the two edges and the top of the case, working 2 slip stitches in each corner. Make sure that you slip stitch through both layers and not just one. Slip stitch loosely or your edges will be curly.

Now, Cut a length of yarn and and thread it through your yarn needle. Sew tubes in the book for your hooks to slide into (see the photo at the end of the pattern).

  

 Stitch Marker Swag (Optional)

Slip stitch on one of the ridges at the top of the right "page." Ch. 25. Slip stitch in the 5th chain from hook. Tie off. Weave in ends. Sew your button at the end of the swag (the loop created from slip stitching in the 5th chain goes around the button).

Flowers and Leaves:

Using your G hook... 

For the flower...

Ch. 3. Slip stitch to form a ring (or you can use the magic loop method). Up to you! Work 10 sc into the ring.

R1: *Ch. 3. Skip 1 stitch. Slip stitch in the next stitch.* Repeat around. You should have five loops. 

R2: Work *1Sc, 1Hdc, 2Dc, 1Hdc, and 1Sc* in each loop around. Tie off, leaving enough yarn to sew it on to the book.

For the leaves...

Ch. 6. Starting in the second chain from the hook, Sc, Hdc, Dc, Hdc, Sc across. Tie off, leave enough yarn to sew onto case.

Place the flowers and leaves using the photo as a guide or as you please.

Finishing:

Block the case. You can add a button closure if you wish.

Have fun with it!

Key:

Yellow = sew

Green = slip stitch

Teal = fold