Pins 73 and 74 Crochet Owl Hat Free Pattern and the Crochet "Divine" Hat Free Pattern

Yesterday I got all my errands run, and reclaimed most of my house (which took FOREVER) but I failed to put away all the Christmas Decorations!  Am I the only one that hates taking down all the decorations?  It's not that I hate putting them away, I'm just not a fan of how empty and boring everything looks when they are gone.  It always makes me a little sad.  So I decided to put my time to a "better" use, and search my Pinterest boards for a few projects......

Pin 73 Crochet Owl Hat

Over the Christmas Break it snowed, and it snowed a lot.  In fact we still have piles of snow everywhere.   Don't get me wrong, I love the look of a fresh snow, but it's been around a while and it's starting to look messy, dirty snow isn't so pretty........Oops!  Back on point, because of the snow and cold everyone was wearing hats everywhere we went, and my children have a real talent, losing their hats.  I'm not lying when I say we probably lost about 10 hats over a 2 week period.  Which is really sad because with everyone sick we pretty much only left the house for hospitals, dr's appts. and trips to the grocery store and pharmacy.    The girls have been asking for an owl hat for ages, so I was happy that I happened to have a pin for one that included a free pattern!

 

Source: repeatcrafterme.com via Nicole on Pinterest

If you have never stopped by the Repeat Crafter Me blog, you have to go visit it.....It's a fantastic blog, and has some really great projects for you to try.  This blog offers the owl hat pattern in many sizes, ranging from newborn to a large adult.

Since there are such great instructions and pictures on the Repeat Crafter Me blog, I didn't take any pictures of the actual process.  It also would have been hard to take pictures, since I started working on this while I was in the car waiting on one of the kids to get out of track practice, then again while waiting on another to get out of wrestling practice.   I love projects that I can throw in my purse and work on while I wait! 

The whole hat took about an hour.  I decided to try the Teen/Adult size.  I'm glad that I didn't go any smaller.  The hat snugly fit my 8 & 9 year old girls.  Any smaller and they wouldn't have fit at all.  Next one I do I will increase the initial round by a few stitches.   I admit I crochet extremely tightly so this could have been part of the issue.   I'm also a lazy crocheter, I do not tend to check my gauge when I'm crocheting for me and mine.....If you follow the teen/adult hat I found that starting with 10 DC in the magic ring, then following the same formula for increase led to a more comfortable fit for my girls.

 Now I have to say I wasn't impressed with the hat at all.....then I attached the eyes and the owl hat started to come to life, but once you attach the nose it really all comes together, so if you start the hat and you think it's boring hang in there till your all finished! It's will be worth it!





When it came to the eyes, I opted to do the center of the eye brown instead of using buttons.  I like the look better.   I didn't measure anything, I just laid the eyes on the hat where I thought they looked best and used a piece of yarn and "sewed" them on.   I had cut my tail to short, or I would have used it to attach the eyes to the hat.   Once the eyes were on, I made and attached the nose.



Currently working on one in Ohio State Buckeye Colors.  Hope that it turns out as cute as I think it will.

Pin 74  The Crochet Divine Hat

Ok so in all honesty I have made this hat before.....many times. This is, and has been, my go to hat pattern if I need a hat in a hurry.  I'm fitting it into my blog since I have it pinned to my Pinterest Boards.  This pattern works up quickly, and looks fine without any embellishments.   The spiraling of the hat really stands out.  

Source: rheatheylia.com via Nicole on Pinterest

Do not be fooled by the picture.  This really is one of those things that looks so much better in person.
The pattern is shared for free, in Adult, Preemie and Infant sizes at Rheatheylia.  For the adult hat I add one more round of the spiral, and one more round of the bottom edging.

The "Divine" hat looks great plain, but my girls loved adding flowers to their hats.   So we added a few, the other hats they want me to add pom-poms too, but I haven't gotten to that yet.



I just got to love my girls......they just woke up for school this morning and I realized that I had somehow deleted the pictures I had taken before so they put on a few of the hats for me before they were even really awake. 



For me, this hat took about an hour start to finish.  Now I'm off to make a few more hats.......

Pin 68 Textured Ripple Crochet Blanket

Ok, so all the kids went back to school today!  WOOT! WOOT!  Now don't get me wrong, I really do love having my kids around, but this Christmas break just felt unusually long.  Each child decided to get sick and my oldest son had surgery, to top it off the Hubs got sick too!  Why do men revert back into children when they are sick? 

I needed a project that would keep my hands busy, that wasn't complicated, and was something that I could pick up and put back down without losing my place.  I also wanted to do something that would help shrink my yarn stash.  I haven't bought yarn in months and I'm determined to not buy any (unless needed to finish a project) until I use at least half my stash up.  Blankets tend to be yarn eaters, especially when I make them, because honestly, who wants a blanket that doesn't cover you all the way up.  I wanted just one color.  Weaving in a gazillion ends wasn't an option with my stress level.  I settled on this pin.

Source: youtube.com via Nicole on Pinterest

this one would work too......

 

Source: newstitchaday.com via Nicole on Pinterest

The stitch works up really quickly, and makes for a pretty heavy blanket that will actually keep you warm even when using plain old Red Heart Super Saver.   The texture in the stitch helps keep a solid color blanket from looking boring.

I worked on this blanket over the course of the last two weeks......I didn't take any pictures while I was making it because quite frankly there was nothing I could show you that you can't find on YouTube.  I didn't measure my blanket but it will cover my son who is 6'4" tall, all the way from the neck down to the toes with enough to curl under his feet.   I used 4 (maybe 5, I just can't remember) 1 lb skeins from Caron.



I finished mine with a fringe on the ends.....It would have looked fine without it, but I was determined to use up every last bit of the yarn.  Here is a better look at the texture.



I think I have some catching up to do.  I think I might work on some Granny Squares, I haven't done them in forever and it would be a great way to  use up a lot of yarns that are partial skeins,  now to find a pin for inspiration.

Pin 50, 51 & 52 The Magic Circle, Crocheting in the Round & Crochet Jar Covers

I really like to find ways to re-use items.   I get this weird sense of pride whenever I "save" something from the trash or recycling bin.  I have re-used glass jars before by painting them, but when I saw a pin with a crochet jar cover I couldn't help but think it was perfect.   I can re-use my jar and some of my yarn stash (that is only slightly out of control).  Now, the best way to start a jar cover is a magic circle..........so that is where our pins begin!

Pin 50 The Magic Circle (Crochet)

The simplest way to start crocheting in the round is a Magic Circle.  This allows you room to do all your stitches without being crowded and the best part is it allows you to pull everything tight so there is no hole in the middle where you started.  This pin has pretty good pictures and directions on how to do the magic circle.   It might be awkward at first, but once you get the hang of it, it is the way to go.

Source: crochetme.com via Nicole on Pinterest

Follow the directions in the pin and wrap the yarn around your fingers.....then make your first stitches,  remember your 3 sc count as your first dc.  Sometimes I forget that!



Once you complete the number of dc you need, it will look like you still have a gap....don't fear, that is the beauty of the magic ring.



Just take the end of the yarn and pull, and your circle will close the gap



Then just join with a slip stitch.   Your first round (Round 1) is complete.  Since the bottom of the jar cover is done in rounds we are going to move on to a pin that shows how to properly increase.

 

 

Pin 51   Crocheting in the Round (How to Increase)

This diagram is one of the easiest to read that I have seen.  It shows the increases for when you are crocheting in the round.

Source: mimibazar.cz via Nicole on Pinterest

If you are not used to reading diagrams, let me see if I can break it down without being too confusing.  The symbols that look like t's stand for single crochet.  The symbols that are o's stand for slip stitches.  The Darkened t's that are joined at the bottom and look like it makes a V are 2 single crochet in the same stich of the previous round......I think I might have lost myself there, so if you have any questions fire away!   I did mine with double crochet to keep the project quick.

The way I remember it  is.....Round 1 double crochet in your magic circle (in my example I will go 12 stitches) join with slip stich.  Round 2, do 2 double crochet in each of your previous double
crochet for a total of 24 stitches,  join with slip stitch.   Round 3,  you will do 2 double crochet in your your first double crochet of the previous round, then 1 double crochet in the next stitch.  So basically you will do 2 double crochet, then 1 double crochet, 2 double crochet, 1 double crochet till you get to the end of your round and join with a slip stitch.  That will give you a total of 36 double crochet.  For my project this was big enough.   If you need to move on to Round 4, you would  do 2 double crochet in your first double crochet of the previous round, then 1 double crochet in your next 2 stitches, then 2 double crochet in the next stitch.  You would continue doing 2 double crochet then 2, 1 double crochet till you reach the end of your round.  You should have a total of  48 stitches.

This is what Round 2 looks like



and Round 3 looks like



Crocheting in the round is how you start most hats, can be used for the jar covers like I'm doing, pillows or even blankets.  

Pin 52  The Crochet Jar Cover

The possibilities are endless here.   You can use a variety of stitches, of yarns and of colors.

 

Source: lovethebluebird.blogspot.com.au via Nicole on Pinterest

To start your covers, begin with the first two pins.  Make your magic circle and crochet in the round till it is big enough to fit the bottom of your jar/tin that you are using.  I am just using a small coffee tin for this one.



3 rounds was large enough to fit the bottom of what I was working with.  If it is just a little bit smaller don't worry about it.  The yarn will stretch some.  Next all you do is crochet one stitch in each of your previous stitches.  You can single crochet, double crochet, or even treble.  I chose to follow the directions in the pin,  She did 2 sc in the  first stitch of the previous round, then skipped the next stitch, then did 2 sc in the next stitch, then skipped the next stitch till you get to the end of your round and join with a slip stitch.  Do this till you reach the height you want.



I switched up colors at my Daughter's request.  She wanted these to put on your her desk to keep her paint brushes in ( She is an extremely talented painter)



I did not follow the directions for the scalloped edging in the pin, I did 1 sc, then skipped the next 2 stitches, then did 5 double crochet in the next stitch, then skipped the next 2 stitches, then sc crochet in the next stitch.  and repeated for the round, and joined with a slip stitch.



These work up really quickly, and you can even add embellishments if you want too.  My middle daughter was home sick from school last week and decorated these jars for me. Not too shabby for a 9 year old!



A nice quick project. I see more of these in my future!  Oh and before I forget I used a G sized hook, and used Sugar and Cream Cotton Yarn along with scraps of  Red Heart Super Saver Yarn.

Pin No. 5 & No. 6 The Crochet Flower

So we gained an extra hour today, and it feels as if I have less time in my day. The whole house seems a little bit out of sorts. Everybody is just spending the day lounging around watching football. Well almost everybody, the Hubs had to head back to work for the week! Boo! I have been working on a crochet blanket from another pin, but that is obviously something that can't be done in a day, so I wanted something simple that I could do while sitting on the couch watching football. These crochet flowers were perfect!

Source: 2crazy4crafting.blogspot.com via Nicole on Pinterest

or this (this one has pattern in link)

Source: jennozkan.com via Nicole on Pinterest

I thought these would be great since I needed some flowers for hats that I made.....ummm, last year.  They have been sitting in the bottom of the my yarn pile and with the weather getting colder I figured it was time to finally finish them.  Small flowers, especially ones made with cotton yarn work great on hair clips, or headbands also.


The first one that I did I made using cotton yarn, with a size H hook.  I chained 40 to start. 


It didn't turn out to badly.....I missed a few stitches (I was paying more attention the TV,lol)

The next one I tried I still chained 40 but used some cheap old Super Saver Worsted Weight yarn.  I still used my H hook.  You can see the spiral that should form if you are paying attention and not skipping stitches........

Once you have your spiral it is just a matter of rolling up the yarn to form the flower.  Just cut a piece of yarn and thread your needle.  The really nice thing about yarn is it is really easy to hide sloppy stitching.  I was not careful about where I placed my stitches, I followed no rhyme or reason, just did what I needed to do to keep my flower together.

Here is what is looks like as your are rolling it up to form the flower

I did the tan one by also using worsted weight yarn and my H hook, but I only chained 20 this time.

The tan flower where I chained 20 and the cotton yarn (creme) where I chained 40 turned out the same size.  All in all a good project and these can be used to embellish a ton of things.  If you are new to the world of crochet I encourage you to check out The Crochet Geek.  Teresa has a ton of youtube videos that are really easy to follow, and she slows things down so you can see what she is doing step by step. http://www.youtube.com/show/crochetgeek