Popcorn Cowl

Alright... You're getting another sneak-peek at a Christmas gift for my mother:  what I like to call the Popcorn Cowl!

For this cowl, I followed Crafty Begonia's Julie Cowl pattern.  I'm not sure if I stitched 90 chains like the pattern called for-- I just counted by twos to be sure I stitched an even number of chains.

For yarn, I used Red Heart Super Saver in Grey Heather with a size "H" crochet hook.

This cowl measures 24 inches around and 9 inches tall.  When worn, it folds into cute and cozy layers.  See?

This pattern was fun to do, because it alternated stitches for each row (double-crochet stitches for one row, followed by single-crochet and treble stitches in the next row).  This kept it interesting and enjoyable.  I could see using this pattern again for a blanket-- how cozy!!

Hope you're feeling inspired to start your next crochet project.  

Happy hooking,

Jilliane

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Half-Double Crochet Cowl

Can you keep a secret?  This beautiful cowl will be a Christmas present for my mother!

I used a size "L" crochet hook with less than one skein of Caron yarn in Fresh Green.  For the pattern, I loosely followed the Easy Weekend Afghan pattern by Baby to Boomer Lifestyle. Instead of using three strands of yarn like the pattern calls for, I used just one strand.  I can see how using multiple strands would create a beautiful, thick blanket in no time flat!

To finish, I whip stitched the first and last rows together.  Altogether, the cowl measures 9 inches wide and 22 inches around.  Can't wait to see it on my mom!

Have a wonderful holiday season full of family, fun, and crochet projects!

Happy hooking,
Jilliane


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Houndstooth Infinity Scarf

After crocheting so many blankets lately, I was excited to work on a smaller and quicker project.  This houndstooth infinity scarf is a birthday gift to my sister, Allison who's turning 29... again.  (Love ya, sis!)

I was inspired by the Hounds Tooth Scarf pattern by Kathy Lashley.  My stitch tends to be a little tight, so I used a size K crochet hook-- one size larger than recommended in the tutorial.  For yarn, I used Red Heart Super Saver in Zebra (244 yards) and Red Heart with Love in Boysenberry (370 yards, used about half).

I had good luck using the black/white blend yarn (Zebra) before with the Thick and Quick Steelers Blanket. With both projects, the blended yarn created a neat pattern with no effort on my part.  With this scarf, I noticed the zig-zag pattern emerging after about 20 inches and was able to choose a stopping point that completed the pattern perfectly.

This pattern was really fun to do!  Switching back and forth between single crochet and double crochet stitches kept it interesting.  And the project moved so quickly with the blogger's suggestion to crochet around the loose yarn, rather than cutting it when switching colors after each row.

Modeling my amazing creation... :)

The scarf measures approximately 9 inches wide by 60 inches long/around.  As you can see, it layers nicely to create a cute cowl effect-- perfect for cold winter weather!  (Perhaps I'll crochet another one for myself!)

Well, hope this gives you some inspiration.  Happy hooking!

Jilliane


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Puffy Spike Stitch Infinity Scarf for Child

This was a short and simple project that put a big smile on my niece's face!

I used a size H crochet hook and scraps of Red Heart Super Saver in Orchid and Heather Grey.  I was inspired by the puffy spike stitch tutorial by Crochet N' Crafts, and only made a few minor adaptations to these instructions.

1. For my pattern, the puffy spike rows involved 5 single crochet stitches between each puffy spike. To replicate that look, you would start with a foundation in a multiple of 6 (plus 1 more). 
2. My puffy spikes had 3 "spikes" each, which were all inserted 3 rows below the skipped stitch.  The tutorial says to stagger the spikes at 1, 2, and 3 stitches below; however, I liked my adaptation better for this project.
3. The tutorial shows the puffy spikes stacked directly above each other.  I decided to shift the puffy spikes so that they were more nested and layered with each change of colors.

My pattern (color & stitches):

Grey:  foundation row, 3 rows single crochet
Purple:  1 row puffy spike, 2 rows single crochet
Grey:  1 row puffy spike, 2 rows single crochet
Purple:  1 row puffy spike, 2 rows single crochet
Grey:  1 row puffy spike

As mentioned in the tutorial, the puffy spike stitches look slightly different from the front and back-- it looks very similar, if you ask me.

Front

Back

I really enjoyed this stitch and expect to use it again for edging on a blanket.  The scarf measures 3-1/2 inches wide by 59 inches long-- perfect to keep a little girl warm in the cold winter weather.

Hope this inspires your next project.  Happy hooking!

Jilliane


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Fall Scarf, Tunisian Stitch and Crocodile Stitch

I am so pleased with how this scarf turned out and excited to see my mom's reaction when I give it to her!

My inspiration started with this gorgeous Fleurette Scarf Pattern.  I love the contrast of the simple Tunisian stitch complemented with the fluffy fleurettes on each end of the scarf.  I'm not one to buy crochet patterns so, of course, I decided to re-imagine my own version of it.

To achieve this look, I paired the Tunisian stitch with the crocodile stitch.  You can learn how to do each stitch here:
- Tunisian stitch
- Crocodile stitch

I used a standard afghan hook and one entire skein of Red Heart Super Saver (244 yards) in a beautiful blend of fall colors which was appropriately named "Fall."

Helpful tip:  While practicing the crocodile stitch, I figured out that the foundation chain should be made in increments of six.  Every six chains will give you a pair of double crochet stitches which are called "ladder rungs" in the tutorial.  Each pair of ladder rungs will become one full shell. 

For my scarf, I started with a chain of 18 to create 3 shells in the first row.  The crocodile stitch creates a layered pattern, so the scarf alternates between 3 shells and 2 shells for a total of six rows.

After the six rows of crocodile shells, I switched right to the Tunisian stitch without knotting or cutting the yarn.  Instead of creating another foundation row of double crochet stitches for crocodile shells, I began collecting loops onto the afghan hook.  Altogether, I collected 18 loops-- the same as my foundation chain.  If you're wondering where exactly to stitch,  I made two single crochet stitches into each space (where the double crochet stitches were made earlier in the pattern), plus I made two slip stitches between each of those (making sure to pass through yarn from both layers to help it lay flat). 

Next, I made the Tunisian stitch for the body of the scarf.  Sorry-- I lost track of how many rows I made.  Something I really love about the Tunisian stitch is that the front and back look completely different!

Front

Back

Connecting the second crocodile section proved to be more challenging than I expected.  After a lot of experimenting, here's what I did:

• After the last Tunisian row, I created a crocodile-style foundation row which involved making five pairs of ladder rungs (two double crochet stitches in the same space, followed by two chains and three empty spaces... repeat until end of row).  At the end of the row, I knotted off and cut the yarn.

• Next, I made a chain of 18 to begin the second crocodile section and continued like before for a total of 5 rows of crocodile shells.  For the sixth and final row of crocodile shells, I wrapped the stitches around the ladder rungs at the end of the scarf body that I made earlier. 

• Finally, to make the stitch transition on this end of the scarf look identical to the first one, I finished off with two crochet stitches into each space (the same place as before), along with one slip stitch in between these pairs.  All of these stitches were made from the backside of the scarf which felt very awkward but looked better (I tried it from the front a few times, but it came out too thick and didn't look like the other end of the scarf).

Finished at last!

I hope these notes made sense.  If you're trying to replicate this pattern, please feel free to ask questions.  The scarf came out to be 58 inches long and about 6 inches wide.

Happy stitching!

Jilliane


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