School Spirit Earflap Hat - Crochet Pattern

The end of winter break came too quickly, but now that I'm back in the swing of things, I've got a new hat pattern! This pattern is somewhat of a combination of my beanie pattern and my Jayne hat pattern. Although it doesn't necessarily look like it, I created this hat with only one skein of Red Heart School Spirit yarn.

School Spirit Earflap Hat

Materials:
I hook
1 skein Red Heart Team Spirit (or a worsted weight yarn)
Stitch marker
Scissors

DIRECTIONS:

Note: Mark the last stitch in a round with a stitch marker or piece of yarn to hold your place, as this pattern is worked continuously.

Hat
Rnd 1: 10 sc in magic ring (10)
Rnd 2: 2 dc in each sc around (20)
Rnd 3: *2 dc in next stitch, 1 dc in next stitch* repeat around (30)
Rnd 4: *2 dc in next stitch, 1 dc in next two stitches* repeat around (40)
Rnd 5: *2 dc in next stitch, 1 dc in next three stitches* repeat around (50)
Rnd 6: *2 dc in next stitch, 1 dc in next four stitches* repeat around (60)
Rnd 7: *2 dc in next stitch, 1 dc in next five stitches* repeat around (70)
Rnd 8 - 14: 1 dc in each stitch around (70) If longer hat desired continue these rounds.
To Finish: 1 hdc in next two stitches, 1 sc in next two stitches, slip stitch in next stitch. Fasten off.

Note: Earflaps should be spaced 18 stitches apart

Earflaps (make 2)

Row 1. Make loop on hook and insert into correct orange stitch on base of hat and make a sc stitch. Continue along base until you have 14 sc (14)

Row 2-7. Ch 1, sc across (14)

Row 8. Ch 1, sc2tog, sc 10, sc2tog (12)

Row 9. Ch 1, sc across (12)

Row 10. Ch 1, sc2tog, sc 8, sc2tog (10)

Row 11. Ch 1, sc across (10)

Row 12. Ch 1, sc2tog, sc 6, sc2tog (8)

Row 13. Ch 1, sc across (8)

Row 14. Ch 1, sc2tog, sc 4, sc2tog (6)

Row 15. Ch 1, sc across (6)

Row 16. Ch 1, sc2tog, sc 2, sc2tog (4)

Row 17. Ch 1, sc across (4)

Row 18. Ch 1, sc2tog twice (2)

Row 19. Ch 1, sc across (2)

Row 20. Ch 1, sc2tog (1)

Fasten off leaving long tail. Cut another long piece of yarn, fold in half, slip knot through the last stitch, and braid with the tail. Knot the end when at desired length.

Now I can finally brave cold football games in style! Maybe.

Jayne Cobb Hat - Crochet Pattern

Think Geek recently released an officially licensed Jayne Cobb hat from the TV show Firefly. I love this show. I really really wanted to buy one but decided they were too expensive for my budget and thought that I could maybe make one for myself. So I tried searching for a pattern but only found one that I liked that used super chunky weight yarn. Problem is the Hobby Lobby and JoAnn's in my town were fresh out of the colors I needed. With my boyfriend's encouragement I decided to try to write my own pattern, and I would like to share with you the final product!

Jayne Cobb Hat

Supplies:

A little less than half a skein each of medium (4) weight yellow, orange, and red

I hook

Tapestry needle

Scissors

Instructions:

HAT

With yellow

Rnd 1. Make a magic ring with 10 hdc, slip stitch to join (10)

Rnd 2. Ch 2, 2 hdc in each st around, sl st to join (20)

Rnd 3. Ch 2, *2 hdc in next st, 1 hdc in next st* repeat around, sl st to join (30)

Rnd 4. Ch 2, *2 hdc in next st, 1 hdc in next 2 sts* repeat around, sl st to join (40)

Rnd 5. Ch 2, *2 hdc in next st, 1 hdc in next 3 sts* repeat around, sl st to join (50)

Rnd 6. Ch 2, *2 hdc in next st, 1 hdc in next 4 sts* repeat around, sl st to join (60)

Rnd 7. Ch 2, *2 hdc in next st, 1 hdc in next 5 sts* repeat around, sl st to join (70)

Rnd 8-13. Ch 2, I hdc in each st around, sl st to join (70)

Change to orange

Rnd 14-20. Ch 2, 1 hdc in each st around, sl st to join (70)

Fasten off and weave in loose ends.

EARFLAPS (2)

Right earflap start 10 stitches from seam in back, left earflap start 8 stitches from seam in back

With red

Row 1. Make loop on hook and insert into correct orange stitch on base of hat and make a sc stitch. Continue along base until you have 14 sc (14)

Row 2-7. Ch 1, sc across (14)

Row 8. Ch 1, sc2tog, sc 10, sc2tog (12)

Row 9. Ch 1, sc across (12)

Row 10. Ch 1, sc2tog, sc 8, sc2tog (10)

Row 11. Ch 1, sc across (10)

Row 12. Ch 1, sc2tog, sc 6, sc2tog (8)

Row 13. Ch 1, sc across (8)

Row 14. Ch 1, sc2tog, sc 4, sc2tog (6)

Row 15. Ch 1, sc across (6)

Row 16. Ch 1, sc2tog, sc 2, sc2tog (4)

Row 17. Ch 1, sc across (4)

Row 18. Ch 1, sc2tog twice (2)

Row 19. Ch 1, sc across (2)

Row 20. Ch 1, sc2tog (1)

Fasten off, leaving long tail. Cut another long red string, fold in half, knot through last stitch and braid with the tail.

Add pompom and go be a Big Damn Hero.

If you have questions or notice mistakes, let me know in the comments! Enjoy! :)

Christmas Presents, Part 2

As promised, here are the last items for my grandmothers!

This is the second hat. I made this with a super chunky weight yarn. Because of this I ended up using 50 stitches in a round rather than 60, which was plenty.

The first scarf! Again, I used the infinity scarf pattern. Even with a chunky yarn I used the pattern exactly (except for using a J hook), but I made the scarf shorter than the scarves I've made with medium weight yarn.

This is the second scarf. Instead of four shells in a row I used to three, which worked out surprisingly well. I also used an N hook.

Even with slightly different construction, the scarves ended up being about the same thickness. I'm very pleased with how they turned out, especially because I needed to make modifications to the patterns I used. I even found a model!

Now that I'm all done with Christmas presents I can look ahead to other projects! Yay!

Christmas Presents

This was my first Christmas while knowing how to crochet, and so needless to say I put this skill to good use!

Above is what I made for my mother. 

The scarf is the same infinity scarf pattern I had used before because while I was making the first scarf my mom commented how much she loved it. I really like the yarn I used for this set. I found it in a local yarn shop in a small town about 30 minutes from where I live. My only complaint is that they tied to pieces of yarn together in the middle of the skein! UGH! You can see the awful red to suddenly purple transition in the picture. Luckily you can hardly tell when it's worn.

I used about one and a half skeins for the scarf and so decided to make this headband with the extra. Turns out I had the perfect amount! I created this by using a double crochet stitch with an I hook. It was very quick and easy.

This next set is what I made for a gift exchange at a family Christmas gathering. The rules were that it had to be a unisex gift, so neon orange and neon green totally work, right?

Matching hat and scarf! As you can see, I didn't exactly finish before my family had to leave... However, I did manage to barely get it done in time. Whew!

I was tired of making an equal size stripe pattern (plus I had less green than orange) so I decided to try out stripes of different sizes, and I really like how it turned out. Double crochet stitch with an I hook.

Lastly I am making a hat and scarf for each of my grandmas! Below is the hat I have finished.

This was the first time I worked with chunky weight yarn and I didn't realize how much quicker projects take when you use it. Too bad it's more expensive. I used my hat pattern from a previous post, same number of stitches in a round and everything. This made a looser hat, which was my goal.

And because it was Christmas, I had to include a picture with the tree! :)

Infinity scarf post: http://linz-craftingadventures.blogspot.com/2012/11/infinity-scarf-surprise.html
Hat pattern post: http://linz-craftingadventures.blogspot.com/2012/10/neon-green-beanie.html

Octopus Army

As the pattern says these octopuses are cute. Very cute. They do only have 6 tentacles though. These were made for my friends for Christmas and I've still got about three more to make...

I hot glued buttons on for the eyes since these are all going to young adults I don't need to worry about them being torn off and eaten (at least as far as I know). The mouths were made using black yarn and a yarn needle. Each octopus is different.

This one is for my friend who is studying abroad in New Zealand so I had to get her's done. The bow could've been a little higher but still very adorable.

For my boyfriend. Holding a quick and easy crochet heart :)

My first octopus. He didn't have a home so he will be staying with me, which is very ok. Since he was my first one I couldn't get all the tentacles to fit (oh no!), but I figured it out for the other ones. Needless to say, when the pattern says you have to squeeze them in to get all of them to fit, it's not kidding.

These are the other three octopuses!

This one is for one of my guy friends. And no, I had nothing to do with the color choice, it was all him. I am a huge fan of the top hat.

This one is actually for the same friend that received the dinosaur I made. The dinosaur's name is Ned and now he and this octopus can be best friends!

The last one! Yes he has three eyes. He's based off the purple pentapus from an episode from season 2 of Avatar: The Last Airbender.

These guys!! Adorable.

Octopus pattern: http://whimtasticalcreations.blogspot.com/2011/04/cute-little-octopus-amigurumi.html
Top hat pattern: http://whimtasticalcreations.blogspot.com/2011/04/top-hat-and-bows-pattern.html

They're Coming

What are they? You'll find out in about a month! :)

Infinity Scarf Surprise

She has no idea yet, but as a frequent reader of my blog she'll find out soon. My best friend of 13 years is an absolutely amazing person, and significantly more fashionable than I am. I hadn't created anything for her yet and I'd been seeing a lot of infinity scarves around campus lately and they look like something she would absolutely love. So combining this pattern (http://yarnchick.blogspot.com/2011/10/simple-shell-stitch-infinity-scarf-free.html) with some black, sparkly yarn will do the trick! :)

I really liked this pattern because of the shell stitch. It's unique and the scarf pattern almost has a vintage feel to it (as described by my boss). If you were to undo the scarf so that is was straight, it's approximately four and a half feet long.

Hey, look, it's a vertical infinity symbol!

The great thing about this pattern is that pretty much every female I've shown it to has said how pretty or neat it is!

So...surprise, Natalie :) Thanks for being an amazing friend!