Olivia's Hello Kitty Hat and Scarf

 Miss O is my niece and also my Goddaughter.  This little hat was conjured up with her sweet face in my mind.

I'm kicking myself for not writing the pattern down.  Yes, you heard it.  I didn't write the pattern down, I just "winged-it"...

***UPDATE****
Apparently I DID write this pattern down! What a ninny. :)  I wrote it on my ravelry project page.  Whoohoo.  Here it is:


"I" Hook
Cotton Bernat yarn for hat
Caron simply soft for bow

Magic circle 8hdc then increase* by 8 each round (no chain one, no sl st, just use a marker to know when a new round is being made)
*Increase
After initial 8 hdc in magic circle follow the pattern as follows:
Rnd 1:[ 2 hdc in first stitch, hdc in next] Repeat around. (16 hdc)
Rnd 2: [2hdc, hdc, hdc] Repeat (24 hdc)
Rnd 3: [2hdc, hdc, hdc, hdc] Repeat (32 hdc)
Etc...
Increase to 63 stitches , then decrease* by 8hdc.

*Decrease Round:
 Rnd 9: [hdc, hdc, hdc, hdc, hdc, hdc, hdc2tog] Repeat around (56hdc)

Rnd 10: One row of 1hdc in each stitch. (56 hdc)

Rnd 11: Repeat Rnd 9 (decrease round) 48 hdc

 Repeat Rnd 10 until the size you want.  

I then did three rows of sc with the rose colored yarn.  


EARS
Lay hat flat. 
Right ear: (stitches are worked around the post of hdc’s) 

• Refer to my less than stellar artwork for more clarification. ;)

Working on the right edge of the hat:
First:  join yarn to the post of hdc  (on picture this is labeled as "1"), ch 1
Second: work 10 dc (double crochets) around the post of hdc of the st directly above that same st that you joined. (Labeled "2")

Third:  sl st around post of st directly above that st for step 2, ch 1 turn. (Labeled "3")

Now work this row across the 10 dc:  sc, sc, sc, dc, dc, dc, dc, sc, sc, sc. 

 Join with sl st to 1st ch 1. FO. Pull ends through to the inside of the hat. Tie off and weave in all ends.

Left ear: (Refer to drawing)
The left ear is worked the same as the right ear WITH THE EXCEPTION that you work in the opposite direction.  Take note of this on the drawing.

I made the bow by stitching a rectangle using hdc.  I sl st around it; Then using a needle, I weaved the yarn down the middle and cinched it.  I wrapped yarn around the middle then attached it to the hat near one of the ears. 

Giving a little smolder for the camera.

There's my sweet girl

The ever popular "duckface"

I believe I used an H hook** I used an I hook**and did hdc in a round, using a stitch marker so there wouldn't be any seam.  I know I decreased a row or two toward the end to give more of a rounded look.  The band at the end is single crochets with a slip stitched border.   Hopefully that makes sense to anyone who wants to know.

The scarf is made with hdc and tassels in red and pink.  Very basic.

I can almost feel Olivia's sweet snuggle and hear her praise, "Oh Auntie, I'm so proud of you."
She's so stinkin' cute. :)

Seth's Hat

A very quick little crochet project 

that I think most beginners will have no trouble with.

Oh my.  Isn't he a cutie?
This is Seth.  Seth is almost 2 and he has been coming to my house to play and nap a few days a week for the last year and a half.  He calls me Lah-lah, and I adore him.

So this little hat was made for Seth.  I think he wears it well, don't you?

Some beanie basics: 

Look closely to see the seam.

Beanie hats are crocheted in rounds as opposed to being crocheted in rows like you would for a blanket.  The hat is made from the crown down, working in a spiral-like fashion.  It starts as a circle with stitches made into the circle and with each round the stitch count is increased.  For example, if I were to do 8 stitches in my circle, then in general, I would increase each round by 8 stitches.  If I started with 6 stitches in my circle, I'd increase each round by 6... get the idea?  The number of increase rounds you'll do for your beanie will depend on how large or small you want the hat.  To get the size hat you want... whether for infant, teen, or adult, depends not just on the number of increase rounds or initial stitches, but it also depends on the size hook you use and the weight of your chosen yarn.  It may take a few tries, and a few frogs, before you get comfortable with sizing a beanie.  Worst thing that can happen is you'll know how to make a size for someone else ;)

Another thing to keep in mind is whether you want to begin each round with a chain up (1 chain for single crochet, 2 chains for half double crochet or double crochet, 3 chains for double crochet...etc.) and then end with a slip stitch into the initial chain to finish the round... OR forgo the chaining up and just use a stitch marker to remind you where each completed row ends and just crochet in rounds.  The benefit of this second method is that there will be no annoying little seam that wanders through your work.  I used the first method and if you look closely on the picture down at the bottom left of the hat, you will see a slight seam.  I made a second hat (for my husband) which I used the second method and there was no seam.

Okay, so for Seth's hat I used a "G" hook  (4.25mm) and Caron Simply Soft yarn in Gray. **

** I love Simply Soft for hats... because, well, it's soft.  It takes some practice using this yarn though, if I'm being honest.  It has a tendency to split and can be frustrating for the beginner.  Red Heart yarn isn't quite as nice, in fact I find it a bit scratchy, but it is VERY easy for beginners to work with.  Plus it is about the cheapest yarn out there and you can get it conveniently at Walmart.  Caron Simply Soft is also stocked at Walmart. Also, the beginner will want to use a light colored yarn for the first attempt. Using dark yarn makes it difficult to see the stitches.

Abbreviations:

ML           Magic Loop

Rnd           Round

dc             Double Crochet

ss              Slip Stitch

st              Stitch

ch             Chain

fpdc          Front Post Double Crochet

bpdc         Back Post Double Crochet

To start my circle, I use a Magic Loop.  This is a technique that I am so glad I learned, even though it was quite awkward at the beginning.  There are other methods, but I think the ML is worth learning.  Here is a tutorial for learning it.  Magic Loop Tutorial

Rnd 1: 10 dc into ML

Rnd 2:  ch 2, dc into next st, 2dc into each st around, ss into top of ch2 (20dc)

Rnd 3:  Repeat round 2
Rnd 4:  ch 2 (will counts as the final stitch in the round), dc in next st, 2dc, [dc, 2dc]* Repeat around, ending with a final dc next to ch2 counting as the final 2dc in the pattern.
Rnd 5:  ch 2 (final stitch), dc, dc, 2dc, [dc, dc, 2dc]* repeat around, ending with final dc next to ch2 as the final 2dc in the pattern.

The alternating fpdc/bpdc makes a
"ribbed" effect that I really liked.

This would be the end of the increasing rounds if you were making the size hat that Seth is wearing for a toddler.  If a larger hat is desired, continue adding increasing rounds.  For ex. [dc, dc, dc, 2dc] then [dc, dc, dc, dc, 2dc] and so on until you reach the right size.  For adults (we have large heads in my family) I will usually go up to 6 or 7 dc's then the 2dc.  Don't worry if it's too big, slouchy is "in" ;)

Pattern Continued:

Rnd 6-13:  dc in each stitch, ss to top of ch2.
Rnd 14:  ch 2,[ fpdc, bpdc] around, ss into top of ch 2.
 Here is a tutorial on how to do the front post double crochet and the back post double crochet.    
Rnd 15-17: repeat Rnd 14, fasten off and weave in ends.



Okay, here's my disclaimer.  I am not a great pattern writer.  I'm sure there are mistakes and unclear parts to this pattern.  If you have any questions or would like to have something made clearer, I beg you to ask.  I am not sensitive about having my mistakes pointed out. :) Thanks.  If anyone actually makes this beanie.. I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to see your finished work. Send me a link or find me on ravelry @ Iowaycrochet.  Thanks!!

The video Tutorials that I have recommended are from Teresa Richardson.  Subscribe to her youtube here:
Crochet Geek

Crochet Ole!

I've attempted knitting a few times.  I think my earliest memory is of my mom trying to teach me how to knit when I was around... 7?  I quickly forgot, but tried again, much later.  Last winter I made my third (and final) attempt at knitting.  I knitted a scarf.  Which no one will wear because it's too short... and it took me FOREVER.  I'm sorry if I offend any die-hard knitters out there... but I need results way quicker than what knitting produces.  

    After my last epic fail at knitting, I decided to look into crocheting.  After all, my sister, Katie was with me in our first knitting class with mom... and she's abandoned it all together for crocheting. Perhaps she knew something I didn't.  

       Off to Ohio for a crochet lesson! Katie got me started on some basic crochet lingo and stitches. At first, I just practiced on old yarn until I felt that I could handle a project.  It dawned on me that perhaps youtube would have some educational videos that showed how to crochet.  Jackpot!  For an uber visual person such as myself, these homemade how-tos were perfect for me.  One You-tuber: "tjw1963" even does slo-mo!  She's awesome.  I followed her project instructions closely, "rewinding" over and over to make sure I was doing everything just right.  By the time I was finished with my project, it was so cute, I wished I had used higher quality yarn!  Wanna know what I made???

A Tam...a beret, if you will... A HAT.

This is my daughter, Emily.  She's not real thrilled with how I made her wear the hat.
I get this look a lot. :)

   

The most important thing, is that someone
actually wants to wear it!  

Top view

Here's the link to the written instructions. 

http://crochet-mania.blogspot.com/2010/01/crochet-kingston-hat.html

You can find all of Theresa's videos by going to youtube.com and searching for The Art of Crochet.

Aww, now she's happy.  Of course I can't see the
hat... but she's so darn cute.