creative jewish mom

Crocheted Chunky Lacy Quick Scarf

Looking for a quick chunky scarf to whip up? Something a little lacy with a bit of texture that you can crochet at the speed of light? This is it! And actually after looking at one crocheted cowl after another, a long scarf actually looks great!

Now, one might think that after crocheting gifts of five delicate neck warmers and four chunky masculine cowls for family in New York, (in addition to the flowers and other recent projects) I just might want to take a break from crocheting, but no my friends, the crochet bug is alive and well. So while I had planned on making this scarf during my trip, I actually got around to it while fighting jet lag, first mine and then my eight year old son's, like at three in the morning! Of course at times like that what better way to lull the little one back to sleep than with some crocheting?

The thing that I love about this scarf is that you could drape it casually to show off it's open work, or wrap it around for warmth. Oh look, a young model has just appeared on the scene to show us just how that might look!

I followed this Lion Brand pattern using two strands of medium weight Vitalgo (Israeli brand) acrylic yarn and a size k hook. I used exactly two balls of yarn, and stopped there, but you could make this one super long according to the pattern if you like and it would be great. Their version uses a much chunkier yarn and a bigger hook, as you can see in their photo. And I might add, that while their wool yarn version will look great for years to come, my acrylic version will most likely start to look like a rag at some point in the not too distant future, sigh.

Note: In the Lion Brand pattern, the two ends of the scarf do not look the same, so I took the liberty of improving upon their pattern and adding a final row that at least resembles the first row, an important finishing touch in my book. I'll be back with the final addition soon in the mean time, start crocheting!

 

Crochet Rib Stitch Simplified

Crocheting a rib stitch won't get you ribbing exactly like a knit rib, but it is possible to come close. Or, if you're looking for a way to add some texture to say a basic scarf or cowl or even a little baby blanket, then I'd recommend making a double crochet rib that looks like my example here. Plus the edges have a sort of chevron look to them and actually look much nicer that the edges would of a piece that was just made with rows of double crochet.

The oh so simple secret to this? Double crochet in the back loop only of every row, and after turning at the end of each row, chain 3, but do not count this as a stitch. It's that simple!

Crocheted Ear Warmer With Giant Flower

Crocheted ear warmers are quick to make and look great. A fun winter accessory that you can whip up as a great gift or make a bunch for the family. And of course, topped with a giant crocheted flower, your crocheted ear warmer is just irresistible!

How To:

Start by making the basic ear warmer shape as seen in the photo below. For approximate measurements I followed the advice here, and for the basic pattern I followed the directions here. Note: unlike the pattern I've linked to, I finished the project by crocheting a row of slip stitches all around the ear warmer to give it a more finished look.

And then, crochet yourself a fun flower, like my giant crocheted flower with a button center. Sew on a large button, weave in any ends, attach the flower and that's it!

As with any crochet project in which your hook and yarn aren't exactly the same as those indicated in the pattern, follow the guide for overall measurements, and better yet, measure it on yourself or your child to make sure the fit is right. Enjoy!

Crocheted Children's Cloche With Giant Flower

Here's a fun crocheted hat with a giant flower to keep things a little cheerful right about now. Winter has finally arrived in our mountain town in Northern Israel, so I just had to crochet my daughter a few cold weather accessories. Plus she's now ready to wear large flowers on her head so I just couldn't resist! I decided to go with one color for the hat and the flower, but you could certainly have fun playing with color, why not?

You'll Need:

• Pattern for crocheted cloche from Aesthetic Nest, link here.
• Pattern for crocheted rosette flower, see my post here.
• Yarn of your choice and appropriate sized hook.

Note: I used two strands of worsted weight yarn and a size K hook to make a chunkier hat than the pattern calls for, so I had to play around with the pattern a bit, but that's not a problem as long as the person you're crocheting for is at hand! Enjoy.

Crocheted T-Shirt Yarn Rug

You can crochet with yarn made from old t-shirts, and making a little rug from t-shirt yarn is a great way to start! Okay, I have to admit, this rug is so little that I had wanted to add to it before sharing it with you, but there's no time like the present. So grab some of those old t-shirts, or thrift some, and get started..... crocheting with recycled materials is so much fun!

You'll Need:

• old t-shirts
• how to make t-shirt yarn tutorial
• large crochet hook, say at least 10mm
• a little patience

How To:

Just a few words of advice. Do try to use t-shirts of the same weight and yarn of the same width. Do not use t-shirts that are actually ribbed, as some of the undershirts I cut up were, unknown to me. I got into some problems with this rug and had to tear a whole bunch out due to differences in yarn weight which then made my rug look very very wonky....is that a word? (And that is why my rug is so small, alack alas....)

Also, I do love the stripes, but keeping the rug square with even edges is quite a challenge......if you're a perfectionist you may want to try crocheting a round rug first. 

And by the way, if you don't crochet check out my fun woven placemats with t-shirt yarn or even make a latch-hook rug with t-shirt yarn, which I'd love to try someday too! Enjoy!

Today Is The Tenth Of Tevet

Today is the Tenth of Tevet, an important day on the Jewish calendar. A day on which in 425 BC (2,436 years ago!) the walls of Jerusalem were surrounded by the army of Nebuchadnezzar. This was the first of a series of events that eventually led to the tragic destruction of the First Temple in Jerusalem, so this day is considered a day of mourning and is for many a fast day. 

The interesting thing about events on the Jewish calendar is that we don't just commemorate history, we actually re-live it.....we believe that even today thousands of years later we can help rectify this tragedy by our actions. We as a People take collective responsibility for all that has occurred in the past, and rather than assuming an attitude of "let bygones be bygones" we roll up our sleeves and get to work. What kind of work you may ask? Well of course that is highly individual, but the main points are to be truly grateful for all that we have, to work towards bringing goodness into the world, to have compassion for others, and to believe that we each individually have the power and ability to make positive changes in ourselves and in the world around us. Wishing you a meaningful Tenth of Tevet!

(Oh and by the way, I had hoped to do a craft project with the boys, but since they ran out to play in the winter sunshine I crocheted around a page my six year old brought home from school instead. A fun idea to keep in mind if you ever need to dress up a little sign or notice or even some pieces of children's art, and if you don't crochet, well a blanket stitch with some thick yarn or ribbon would work too.)

Crocheted Flower With Button Center

I've got crocheted flowers on the brain! You know, not little delicate crocheted flowers, but big chunky crocheted flowers to make a fun statement this winter. This flower will adorn a crocheted ear warmer for my daughter that I'll share with you soon, but I'm thinking of making some more, even bigger ones for myself to adorn my winter coat or even as a pin to keep a scarf in place.  And one of the fun things about this flower is that you can certainly use all kinds of little yarn scraps to make it even more interesting! I used two strands of pink for the smallest flower, a strand of the same pink plus a lighter pink for the next round, and then two strands of some variegated yarn for the last round. Love the tweedy look!

You'll Need:

• yarn of any kind, I used two stands of worsted weight yarn crocheted together
• size K crochet hook
• flower pattern found here
• my crocheted button cover pattern, I used it without the button insert

The great thing about this pattern is that you can make flowers as large or small as you wish by adding on more rounds of petals, so have fun with this one! And of course, any kind of button could look great as the center, especially say a fabric covered button if you have the supplies for that.

On the other hand, the crocheted button only takes minutes so do give it a try. And one more thing, it just occurred to me that if you'd like to make the center shaped more like a bobble as opposed to flat, you can make the crocheted button and stuff it, how about that? There really is no end to the creative things you can do with crochet!

 

Giant Crocheted Rosette Flower

Okay, maybe not exactly a giant crocheted rosette flower, but definitely a very large crocheted flower. You know, the kind of flower that will certainly make a cheerful statement worn on a hat or a winter coat right about now. So I do hope that you crochet, since everyone could use a little wardrobe pick me up, especially one that's as simple and quick as this one! Of course, you don't have to make your flower in turquoise (this one is for my daughter) a more neutral color like gray or creme would be gorgeous too.

The reason that this flower is so simple is that it's made by crocheting a strip and then rolling up the strip and sewing it all together. And of course, if you use chunky yarn, or a few strands together like I did, you can make flowers just about any size, even to cover a pillow front, how about that?

You'll Need:

• chunky yarn, or in my case 3 strands of worsted weight yarn
• size 9mm crochet hook, or the hook size to suit your yarn choice
• large-eyed yarn needle
• rosette flower pattern, thanks to Lion Brand

If you're looking for another idea for making a flower of this kind, check out my rosette flower headband, which uses a similar, yet slightly different pattern. Have fun adding some crocheted flowers to your life in no time! And stay tuned for a few more crocheted flowers and the projects that go with them. Don't know about you, but winter in full force all I want to do is crochet!

Crocheted Gelt Bags For Chanukah!

Phew, I did it, Chanukah is tonight and I did get around to crocheting little gelt (coins) bags for my young ones. Truthfully giving gelt is really the Chanukah tradition of yore, the idea of giving presents only really snuck in on account of the Dec. 25th holiday, so I realized that the first night of Chanukah would not be complete without these little bags to hold the chocolate coins we traditionally give every Chanukah. (The rest of the year my kids are somewhat chocolate deprived, so they really look forward to this one!)

Given that I was a little pressed for time, I made some chunky, scrap buster versions of my crocheted pouches from last year. You can follow the instructions from last year, (with another example here) or to make bags like these, grab a size K hook, two strands of yarn (in my case the blue versions were a variegated strand and an aqua strand crocheted together, the pink version uses combos of solid colors) and crochet as follows:

Crochet a chain of 4 and join with a slip stitch.

• Round 1: Chain 2 (serves as the first double crochet) and then crochet 12 double crochet stitches into the circle.
• Round 2: Chain 1, Single crochet 2 stitches into every double crochet from the previous round.
• Round 3: Chain 1, working in the back loop only, single crochet one stitch into every stitch from the previous round.
• Round 4: Working in both loops single crochet around and join with a slip stitch to the first stitch of the previous round.
• Rounds 5-16:  
• Round 17: Chain 2, double crochet in each stitch from the previous round, this is the row to insert the drawstring.
• Round 18-20:
• Round 21: Slip stitch around for a really nice finish, as seen in the pink pouch.
•  To finish, weave a ribbon or chord through the stitched on round 17 and tie with a bow. I used some yarn called "ruffles" which I happened to have on hand. More about that later.

 

Fill your little handmade pouches with some chocolate coins and some small prizes, and there will be smiles all around, promise! Wishing you all a joyous Chanukah, and not to worry if you don't have time today to crochet some little pouches, well you've got a whole week to think about it!

And by the way, a reader with an educational site called school sparks wrote to me to tell me about her educational Chanukah work sheets, which you can find here......maybe a great way to keep the little ones busy as you sneak off to do some crocheting? 

 

Crocheted Ruffles In The Round

At long last I had the chance to try out this crocheted ruffles in the round pillow cover pattern. It's actually called the blooming flower cushion, a lovely pattern generously worked out by Lucy over at attic 24.We had to take a little road trip, so I grabbed some cotton (four colors: white, pink, peach and coral) I'd purchased in Amsterdam, quickly went on line to check out the pattern, and off we went. (Take note that the pattern is in English crochet terms as opposed to American crochet terms, but Lucy explains where to substitute the American terms.) 

Using the cotton does give a less dense look than her lovely cushion, but I'm happy with the results just the same. Just a few more rounds to go, and then on to the back! My first ever crocheted pillow cover!

I think this would be a great pattern to try in chunky yarn for a quick gift to whip up this holiday season. Hmmm, with Chanukah just two weeks away I'd better stop dreaming and start doing! See ya later!