Free Patterns, Stocking Stuffers

Until I figure out how on earth I can edit my web page more easily, I'll add a few free patterns here.
Just in time for Christmas, for that naughty someone on your list...

Lump of Coal


App. size:  5.75cm in diameter
Materials:
worsted weight acrylic yarn
eyelash or fake fur yarn
12mm-15mm safety eyes
polyester stuffing
crochet hook size H (5mm)
Lump is worked by holding acrylic and eyelash yarn together as one.
Rounds are not joined, place marker in first stitch of each round to keep track.
To sc 3 sts tog:  draw up loop in each of next 3 sts.  YO, draw through all 4 loops.
To dec:  draw up loop in each of next 2 sts, YO, draw through all 3 loops.

Rnd 1:  Ch2.  8sc in 2nd ch from hook.
Rnd 2:  (3sc in 1 st, sc in next) around.  (16)
Rnd 3:  Sc in 1 st.  (3sc in one, sc in 3) three times.  3sc in next st, sc in last 2.  (24)
Rnd 4-6:  Sc around.
Place safety eyes on one side between rnds 4&5. 
Rnd 7:  (Sc in 1 st.  Sc 3 sts together.) around.  (16)
Stuff.
Rnd 8:  Dec around.  (8)  FO, leaving long end for weaving.  Finish stuffing tightly.
With long end, weave in and out of stitches of last round, pull tightly to close and weave in securely.

And for those that weren't quite so naughty:

Everlasting Snowballs


Materials:
worsted weight acrylic yarn
eyelash or fake fur yarn
12mm-15mm safety eyes
polyester stuffing
crochet hook size H (5mm)
Snowball is worked by holding acrylic and eyelash yarn together as one.
Rounds are not joined, place marker in first stitch of each round to keep track.
To dec:  draw up loop in each of next 2 sts, YO, draw through all 3 loops.





Round 1:  Ch2.  6sc in 2nd ch from hook.
Rnd 2:  2sc in each stitch.  (12)
Rnd 3:  (2sc in 1 st, sc in next) around.  (18)
Rnd 4-6:  Sc around
Rnd 7:  (Dec, sc in next st) around.  (12)
Place safety eyes between rounds 4&5.  Stuff piece firmly.
Rnd 8:  Dec around.  (6)  Join, FO, leaving long tail for weaving.
Stuff more firmly.  With long tail, weave in and out of stitches of rnd 8, pull tightly to close and fasten in end securely. 


*I've also made these snowballs with a Christmas eyelash yarn in white with red and green flecks along with white acrylic yarn for a 'peppermint' ball.  They make great Christmas ornaments, just thread some ribbon or invisible nylon line through the top and make a hanging loop.


**These patterns have been tested by myself.  If you do find an error, please feel free to contact me at crochetsal (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Chasing away the winter blahs

We had a teaser of decent weather last week, of course being on midnights I slept half the day away and missed it, and now we're back to the brutal reality of winter.  Freezing temps, more snow, and even freezing rain in the wee hours this morning...with more snow expected tonight.
I love creating with colour, and browsing through Herrschners one day, found their kids brites yarns.  I will say, I was slightly disappointed with their green and pink, and I do think it's hard to make a vibrant/almost neon lilac, but the afghan made from this yarn was bright nevertheless.

Now, I have bought bright yarns before, think they were Red Heart yarns, and they were bright!  I think that's what I was expecting with the Herrschners yarns; even knowing that computer monitors can vary, the colours on their site seemed to almost glow.  The colours I used were the pink, lime, aquamarine, light purple, and tangerine, which is more like a true orange than a tangerine.  The square used is my Autumn Warmth 12" square, although with the yarn/hook used, they were a bit smaller than 12".  They were assembled in strips of 3, with a border around each strip, then a final border around the entire assembled ghan.
The afghan measures 36" x 36" (about 91.5cm x 91.5cm), and would make a great gift either for a shower, or for a new baby--I can just see a toddler holding a favourite doll in one arm while dragging this as it hangs from the other.  This one is finished and ready to ship, just click on the picture for the listing, or one can be made in your choice of colours--including more traditional baby colours!

Current works

I've been having fun lately working with thread.  Plus a traditional granny square afghan on the side when I need a 'break'.
In particular, I've been making teddy bear bookmarks.  I've seen some people make bookmarks out of worsted weight yarn, and this always makes me cringe.  I think it 's just me--I imagine the thick yarn 'stretching' the book while it's holding the reader's place.  Then, especially if the reader doesn't return in a timely manner, for sometime afterward, the book will remember that spot all by itself and automatically fall open to it.

I do much prefer thread bookmarks, although they still are thicker than a sheet of paper, they're less than half the thickness of a yarn bookmark.  And these teddy bears I have to say, look so cute peeking above the book cover waiting for your return!

So far, I have only 5 of them in my shop, but do hope to have more (plus a few different ones I have in mind to start when my thread order comes in!) soon.  You can click on the picture to be taken to the listing and see other pictures, along with a closeup of the face!

Ghoulish Fun

Have I mentioned I LOVE fall and Hallowe'en? Now and then, this twisted little voice inside spurs me to do something a little...well..twisted. This month, it was my Eye Scream. So far, I've done two flavours, Putrid Pistachio and Revolting Raspberry Ripple. These ones sport body parts and tapeworm topping or deep-fried worms. (I ran out of 'fresh' worm colour)
I also thought my Dismembered Digits would be nice stuck in some Eye Scream. Other flavours we thought of (my 10yo and I had fun coming up with some, I just wish I'd written them down then!) were: Moldering Mint Chip, Sickening Strawberry, Gross Grape.
Pattern is now available in my Etsy store, and will be available on my site within the next 2 days.
Also available this month are Witch Frizzy Head (witch costume for 32" 'walking' dolls), a Sugar N Spice Baby Afghan, and Sugar (I made Gingerbread) Cookies.

Unfortunately, our Thanksgiving always kind of jumps out at me from just around the corner, and I never seem to have a pattern for it. Maybe next year, or maybe in time for the American Thanksgiving!