creative jewish mom

Crocheted Giant Doily Rug In Two Colors, And Pattern Corrections!

Isn't this crocheted giant doily rug made with two colors of t-shirt yarn just gorgeous? I can say that since while it is my pattern, it's not my ingenuity, the two color idea that is! This is the work of Liat, who blogs in Hebrew about her crochet love, here. And the two color idea was just one of those things....she ran out of turqoise and decided to use what she had on hand!

And guess what, just as thrilling as seeing her execute my pattern so nicely, was the fact that she has worked out one little problem with the pattern, isn't that just too wonderful? And for those of you who are more comfortable reading in Hebrew, a hebrew pattern will be on the way, sometime soon, thanks also to Liat. How about a big round of applause for readers who help me make this blog a collaboration!

So do take a look at my pattern for this crocheted giant doily rug, with revisions indicated, and enjoy!

Crochet LIttle Crown Ornaments For Shavous!

Aren't these little crocheted crown ornaments just the cutest? I whipped these up in just five minutes each, so one really could make a bunch for a garland, a mobile or maybe even napkin rings. Ah yes, I like that idea as a fun touch for our Shavous table (since the crown is a symbol for the holiday, which celebrates the giving of the Torah on Mt. Sinai) .....just crochet the middle row of the base in double crochet and weave a ribbon through....okay you're right, I'll just have to make some!

So I was about to say that I hadn't yet figured out how to use these little crowns just yet, but in the course of writing this I came up with the above idea, which I think will be perfect. I've recently done a bit of redecorating in our living room/dining room, and the new minimal/modern/Moroccan look doesn't quite fit in with cute and crafty, but napkin rings should be fine. You can find the pattern here, (in Dutch but with photos so easy to figure out) and I used chunky yarn and a 5mm hook, though those in the tutorial look better than mine since a lighter weight yarn was used.

(And in case you're wondering, since I only just figured it out myself, the orange crowns from my readers from The Netherlands are on account of the fact that they just coronated a new king, so exciting, and surely worthy of some crocheting!)

That's all for now, Shavous is in less than two weeks, so in the meantime, do check out my archives for lots of great holiday crafts! 

Chunky Knit Baby Blanket — Simple and Classic

The recipient of this luscious yet very simple chunky knit baby blanket is about to arrive for a visit, so I at long last got around to weaving in the ends and taking some photos of it. And fortunately for me, the beautiful spring weather has suddenly become wet and cold, so the gift of a warm chunky knit baby blanket that I started in January (and blogged about here) doesn't seem strange at all. Phew!

Though crocheting is my first love, once in a while the desire to knit washes over me, and this time I satisfied that desire with a cuddly soft baby blanket. I love the results, and had planned on embroidering some designs on the blanket, using duplicate stitch embroidery, but when a test didn't go so well, see my post here, I decided to keep it simple and classic.

This blanket was knit using two strands of chunky yarn (100g = 1oom) and size 17 US/ 12 3/4 mm knittting needles, though of course you can opt to buy some extra chunky yarn and achieve the same look with just one strand. 

Decide the size you'd like your blanket to be, either newborn/baby size or even toddler size, make a test swatch and then calculate the number of stitches you'll need to cast on to achieve the desired width. 

It's generally a good idea to make a garter stitch border to avoid edges that curl, unless you happen to love that look. And also worth noting is that vertical rows and horizontal rows are not equal, so in my case, two rows of garter stitch at the top and bottom of the blanket are not the same width as the garter stitch border which is two stitches wide. Next time I'll make three horizontal rows which will visually match the width of the left and right border.

So do give chunky knits a try, either with multiple strands or specialized yarn, and a baby blanket is the perfect project to get you started, before for example you decide to knit a chunky bedspread! Enjoy!

Giant Crocheted Doily Rug Pattern, At Long Last!

At long last, namely almost a year and a half later, I have gotten around to figuring out the pattern for this sweet crocheted doily rug! My apologies to those of you who have been waiting, I quite simply could not find the large chunk of time or the brain power to do this until now! Plus I am not a professional crochet designer or pattern writer by any means, and I knew that there was an inconsistency or two in the pattern, that I had hoped to solve. Now after having made a smaller version of this rug to check the pattern, it turns out that there is one small inconsistency, that I didn't have time to work out, so please do be aware of that, though I state the problem clearly, and it's not something that is noticeable in the outcome of the rug. If any one feels like tackling this problem in the pattern, by all means, give it a try, one just needs to re-work a row or two I believe.

I used spaghetti t-shirt yarn and a size 12mm hook, and while the rug looks great in the photo, it is honestly too floppy to be used on the floor (unless you sew it to a backing, or it's just for decoration in a spot never walked on.) So, I'd recommend trying to crochet with a smaller hook, or 2 strands of spaghetti, or using a few strands of rug wool or better yet, rope, to get a more stable result. Do a swatch before diving in! Or make one just like this and toss it over your couch or use it on the dining room table, also lovely, photos of that to come!

Giant Crocheted Doily Rug Pattern:

Guage in not important for this pattern, any hook size and corresponding yarn, rope or crochetable material can and should be used! That said, I used 2 skeins of zpaghetti t-shirt yarn and a size 12mm hook.

R1: Ch8, sl st in the first ch to join forming a ring. Ch3, 17dc in ring. Sl st in top of beg ch3. (18dc)

R2: Ch4, do not turn. (Dc in next st, ch1) around. Join with sl st in 3rd ch of beg ch4.

R3: Sl st in next ch sp. Ch3, 2dc in same sp. 3dc in each remaining ch sp. Join with sl st to beg ch3. (54dc)

R4: Ch1. Work the following across ea 3dc group: Sc in 1st dc, hdc in 2nd dc, dc in 3rd dc, ch 3.

R5: Sl st in first sc made. Sl st in dc. Sc in the 3 ch space. Ch5 (Sc in the space between the next dc and 3 chs, ch5) around. Sl st in first sc made.

R6: Ch5. (Sc in next ch5 space, ch5) around. Instead of ending with ch5, end with ch2 and dc in first sc.

R7: Ch1. In next loop: (Sc, ch5, sc) ch 1 and in next look (sc, ch5, sc). Continue around, and after last sc ch1 and sl st in first sc.

R8: Sl st in first 5ch loop, sc into loop, ch6, sc in next loop, ch6 around. After last ch6, sl st into first sc.

R9: Ch3, 5 dc in loop, 1 dc in next sc, 5 dc in loop, 1 dc in next sc. Continue around, ending with 6dc in last loop, and join with sl st to top of first ch3.

R10: Ch1, sc in same stitch, hdc in next stitch, dc in next stitch, ch 3. Continue with sc,hdc,dc,ch3 sequence around and join with sl st to first stitch.

R11: Sl st up to 3 ch loop. Sc in loop, ch5, sc in next loop. After last ch5 join with sl st to first sc.

R12: Sc in loop, ch 5, sc in next loop, ch5. Continue around, and at end ch2 and dc in first sc.

R13: Ch3, 3 dc in first ch5 loop, 4dc in next loop, and 4 dc in every ch5 loop around. Join to first ch with sl st.

R 14: Sk first 2 dc (3dc in next dc, ch1, 3 dc in next dc) (shell made), sk next dc, sl st in next dc, *sl  st in next dc, sk next dc, 3 dc in next dc, ch1 3 dc in next dc, sk next dc. Continue around and sl st at base of first dc to join.

R 15: Ch 6 (counts as dc, ch3), sc in next ch1 sp, ch3 dc between next 2 sl sts, *ch3, sc in next ch1 sp, ch3, dc between next 2 sl sts, repeat from* around, ending with ch3, sc in next ch1 sp, ch3 sl st in 3rd ch of beginning ch to join.

Note: a little fudging was required here on my part at the very end of the row, by skipping over what could have been a double crochet between two slip stitches at the end of the row. Just skip it, and you'll never notice the difference. Okay, there might be a slighty bigger space here, and not exactly clean professional crochet I know, but that's what we have to work with, so onward, unless of course you'd like to figure out how to fix this? 

 A generous reader has come up with a solution to the above problem which I have posted as the end of this post!

R 16: * Ch 3, sk next ch3 sp, (dc,ch3,dc) in next sc (V-st made), ch3, sk next ch3 sp, sl st in next 9 stitches, repeat from * around, omitting last 4 sl sts, ending with sl st in last sc.

Note: I know, a diagram would be great here! The 9 stitches that you make slip stitches are as follows: the double crochet (that you made into the space between the two slip stitches in the previous row) the next 3 chains, the single crochet, the next 3 chains and the next double crochet. This produces the effect of a half moons spaced out, with the slip stitch areas in between, you'll see what I mean when you do it, hopefully!

R17: Sk next ch3 sp of round 16, *5dc in each of next 3 ch3 sps (fan made), sk next 4 sl sts, sc in next sl st (above sc from round 15); repeat from * around, sl st in first dc to join.

R18: Optional. Single crochet around, though to make the fans pointed, crochet 3dc in the center dc of each fan. Fasten off and weave in ends. Congratulations!

Note: This pattern may not be reprinted on any other sites, please link back to my post if you'd like to share this!

Pattern Revisions For Rows 14-17: (Thanks to Liat)

R 14 ch 1 *sk 1 st, 6 dc in next st, sk 1 st, sc in next st* continue around and sl st at first ch.

R15 ch 5 (counts as 1 dc + ch 2), *sc in 4^th dc, ch 2, dc in sc between shells, ch 2* continue around and sl st at 3^rd ch of the first 5 ch.

R 16 *Ch 3, sk next ch2 sp, (dc,ch2,dc) in next sc (V-st made), ch3, sk next ch2 sp, sl st in next 6 stitches, repeat from * continue around and sl st in first st.

R 17 ch1, Sk next ch2 sp of round 16, *5dc in each of next 3 ch3 sps (fan made), sk next 3 sl sts, sc in next sl st (above sc from round 15); repeat from * around, sl st in first ch to join.

 

A Crocheted Rag Rug Doily In Progress!

Crocheting rugs from rags, or rather from yarn that you make from old sheets is just so much fun, I just had to start another one! But this time I'm doing something a little different, in that the end result will be a simple flower shaped doily, and I'm using the double crochet stitch rather than the single crochet stitch.

So far all goes well, I am crocheting with a 10mm metal (the plastic one broke, couldn't believe it!) hook, and strips that are about 1 1/2 inches wide. I have used up four vintage (read smallish) twin sized comforter covers and the rug measures 40 inches diameter. Yupp, you need tons of sheets to make these rugs, no exaggeration!

I for some reason picked up seven matching comforter covers at a thrift store because I loved the fabric, and and so relieved to have found a use for them a mere seven years later! And just in time for a mini makeover of my daughter's room as we clean for Passover.

I'll keep you posted, though hope to finish this in the next two weeks or so. The pattern that I'm following, (so far) or rather the photo that I'm following, since the instructions are in Danish, can be found here, though I'm making mine quite a bit bigger. I don't know whether another three comforter covers will be enough, rather it's very likely I'll have to find that other box of vintage sheets in the attic to finish this one up! I'll let you know, of course!

Cupcake Liner Bunting Banner — Party Decor In A Pinch!

Looking for some sweet decorations in a pinch? Cupcake liner bunting banners, or cupcake liner garlands as you may prefer to call them, are fabulous and so easy to make! While decorating a space for a Purim party a few nights ago I needed to come up with a quick idea to add a little color to some strings that had been installed for me to hang some paper Chinese lanterns. The strings were unfortunately installed quite a bit lower than I had expected, so I could only hang larger items at the corners......fortunately I thought of this cupcake liner garland idea, that I've seen before, and had some polka dot cupcake liners on hand!

You'll Need:

• cupcake liners, with patterns, or go metallic, that could look great too!
• string
• a stapler (for the super quick version) or double sided tape or glue dots

How To:

Fold cupcake liners in half, and make a nice crease with your finger, flattening the liners as much as possible. Place on string and staple, or affix with tape if  you're making this for a child's room and will want to leave it up.

Cupcake liners make great crafting supplies, and I've used them before to make a fun birthday party number wreath, as well as cupcake liner flower carnations and more cupcake liner flowers for a teacher appreciation gift. Enjoy!

Crocheted Hearts Wall Hanging On A Limb!

How about making a crocheted hearts wall hanging to remind someone that you love them? I made this crocheted hearts and leaves wall hanging using a real branch, to hang over my daughter's bed. Our drill is broken, so the wall hanging has been hanging out in the hall outside her bedroom, for the whole family to enjoy! Ahem.

This is a fun project that covers quite a bit of wall space and can be done fairly quickly, as I've used chunky yarn, so the hearts are a nice size. Join your hearts and flowers with some silver wire edged ribbon, and tie the leaves onto the branch with the ends that you needn't weave in, and voila! I've done all the work for you in figuring out how many hearts to make and what looks the best compositions wise, so it should be a cinch! Plus you've probably got some odds and ends hanging around that would be perfect for this project!

You'll Need:

• seven crocheted hearts, using the pattern, here.
• three crocheted flowers, using just the center portion of the heart pattern, here.
• crocheted leaves, made using the pattern and advice, here.
• a real branch
• white paint to paint the branch
• silver wire edged ribbon to tie the hearts together

Enjoy crafting and spreading the love!

Simple Crochet Filet Starburst Patchwork Blanket.....Finished!

I'm so very happy to report, that I have completed the simple crochet filet starburst patchwork blanket that I started way back in July! Truthfully, the squares have been hanging out in a big garbage bag for months just waiting to be noticed, and just in time for the heart of winter, a fun blanket was born with much greater pleasure than I had anticipated!

And while I honestly never would have chosen this color combination, I just love it! I had ordered a bunch of skeins of yarn to pick up in the US last year this time, to have on hand for various projects, never planning to actually use them all in one blanket, but I'm so glad that I did!

I wove in all the ends over two days, with a goal of doing it over a period of a week, but it went much more quickly than I'd anticipated, so on to joining the squares, another unknown! I spread them out on the floor, as I shared with you here, and then there was a power outage, and so I quickly made little piles of my squares in the dark, lest someone step all over my layout.

Later when the lights were back on, I sat in bed and joined all the rows going across the blanket. In the morning, I then joined the squares going down the length of the blanket, and added a border of one row of grey and one row of black. And that was it! And while I really didn't plan the size, rather I just used up all the yarn that I had, it does work as a bed spread, though one more vertical row would have been preferable. In retrospect, I do have one more skein of black and grey, and a few blue squares, so I really could have made the blanket bigger, better luck next time, silly me!

So my friends, if you'd like to have the option of using your blanket as a bed cover, figure that out after you've crocheted a few squares and measured them!

I'd certainly recommend this as a first blanket project, or for those of you who shudder at the idea of weaving in lots of ends, everyone loves it! And it's also quite a forgiving pattern as I can honestly tell you that I somehow ordered yarn that was not all the same weight, and thus the squares were not all the same size, but you really can't tell, phew!  Sure is amazing how many little mistakes got incorporated into this project and yet the end result is still successful!

How To:

• Using worsted weight yarn and a 4.5mm hook, (or any yarn and appropriate hook) make squares according to my simple filet crochet starburst square pattern. I got about 7 or 8 squares from one skein of Red Heart Super Saver acrylic yarn. This blanket was made from 8 colors and 60 squares, but in retrospect I should have added another vertical row, for a total of 70 squares.
• To give the blanket added interest, I chose to join the squares using a raised single crochet method, which is so very simple and looks great. Simply place adjacent squares back to back, and crochet though both loops of both squares. When you reach the end of a row, tie off yarn. Once you have joined all the squares going in one direction, you'll have a blanket that's one piece but with gaps that need to be joined going in the other direction. When joining in the second direction, you will encounter the ridge of the single crochet join made in the first direction, but just skip over it and continue on your merry way, if that makes sense?
• Make a border row all around the blanket in the same color as the joining rows to pull the whole blanket together, and then add another row or more as you like.   For the border rows, make six single crochet stitches in each corner.
• Weave in all the ends and enjoy! 

The Perfect Crocheted Heart Ornament For Any Time!

Last week I had a vision of making my daughter a winter scarf with tiny crocheted hearts, based on an afghan stitch I'd seen. Well, that vision wasn't realized as nicely as I'd hoped when I tried out that stitch (I'll share it with you, not to worry!) so then I decided to try out a granny square with a heart in the middle. On the second attempt, I arrived at this adorable crocheted heart, with a fun dimensional flower in the center, and decided to stop there! And that my friends is how this cute crocheted heart ornament to was born. Yupp, no heart scarf in sight, but I do believe there will be a fun crocheted hearts wall hanging that I hope will look sweet over her bed! I even purchased some chunky yarn in colors to match her new comforter cover, so I believe it will happen!

To make this heart follow the pattern here. My flower formed in row two is much more pronounced than that in the link, which is correct as a popcorn stitch is specified. I used chunky yarn and a size I/5.50mm hook, which gives a nice tight result. (Just tried the same pattern with a J/6mm hook and the results aren't as nice.)

Addition to pattern: After completing final round of Row 4 in pattern, turn and slip stitch back to the very middle of the heart. Chain 15 and then join to base of chain with a slip stitch. Cut yarn and weave in ends. Enjoy just about anytime, hearts always look great, and if you'd rather not have the association with the American holiday coming up in February, so make your hearts in colors other than red!

Crocheted Chunky Ankle-Tie Baby Booties

Hip hip hooray, after many many attempts, I've finally managed to crochet a pair of baby booties that were cute enough to actually give as a gift! I don't know why it's been such a challenge, but I think it mostly has to do with not using the appropriate yarn and hook size, and also wanting something that looks cute just sitting there, which many booties do not, or at least the ones I've tried!

I had some chunky yarn on hand, which I had used to make this baby sweater and this ear flap baby hat, so I wanted to use the same yarn to make some booties. I had the idea to google chunky baby booties, and whaddya know, I found a pattern! 

Of course, I did make a few changes in the pattern just for fun, which you might like to take note of  below.

You'll Need:

• two colors of chunky yarn, namely 100g to 100m
• size I, 5.5o mm hook
• pattern found here

How To:

Crochet according to instructions, and incorporate following changes to make booties that look like mine:

• Change to color B on Round 4
• Crochet in back loop around on Round 4
• In Round 8, double crochet around (instead of sc) to make a place to weave in tie
• single crochet in row 12, rather than slip stitch.....I didn't do this on purpose, and will try just slip stitching around next time, as it makes a more solid finish
• Crochet a chain to make a tie, though use a smaller hook, in my case, 5mm. Weave in tie on round 8.

I would recommend that you make sure know difference between dc2tog and hdc2tog before starting to crochet, I didn't really, and ended up having to re-crochet most of the first bootie having realized I didn't know what I was doing on the second one!

Happy crocheting! You can make a ton of these little booties in the blink of an eye. Well, at least after you've given it a try with the first pair! I'm going to make another pair soon with an eye on the clock and I'll let you know.