I Wrote My First Crochet Pattern!!

My very first crochet pattern is for a preemie hooded cape using double crochet and single crochet stitches so it works up pretty fast.

I was inspired by a pattern I saw on Mamma That Makes. I really like her pattern but as she said in her post, it does take a bit more time and I am a slow crocheter. Here is a picture of the cape that I worked up using her pattern.

The slip stitch, chain 3, 2 double crochet makes a really nice texture and it is tightly stitched so it covers the preemie angel really well.

I spoke with “Mamma” and told her I used her pattern as a guide to create my pattern using only double crochet and single crochet stitches. I didn’t want to step on any toes or infringe on her pattern. She was more than happy to let me do so. As she said, the more patterns the better, as we are all able to help more angels.

So here is my version of my pattern with pictures.

 The first is made with Lion Brand Pound of Love Blue. The second one is made with baby yarn I had on hand with no labels in pink and white. I did small shell stitches on the bottom of the pink one to make it a bit frillier for a girl. I don’t think gauge is important because angels come in all sizes. I realize many of you probably don’t have the steel crochet hook on hand so I gave what I believe is a comparable size in a regular crochet hook.

EASY DC-SC PREEMIE HOODED CAPE

I used: size 0 Boye steel crochet hook

Probably comparable to a C or D hook

Lion Brand Pound of Love 4 ply yarn

This should fit around an 18-20 week angel baby.

This is made with alternating rows of double crochet and single crochet.

 

1. Ch 61, sc in 2nd chain from hook and each across. Ch 2, turn (60 stitches)

2. Dc in each sc from previous row across. Ch 1, turn

3. Sc in each stitch across. Ch 2, turn

4. Repeat row 2 (dc)

5. Repeat row 3 (sc)

6. Repeat row 2 (dc)

7. Repeat row 3 (sc)

8. Repeat row 2 (dc)

9. Repeat row 3 (sc)

10. Repeat row 2 (dc)

11. Repeat row 3 (sc)

12. Repeat row 2 (dc)

13. Repeat row 3 (sc)

14. Repeat row 2 (dc)

15. Repeat row 3 (sc)

16. Repeat row 2 (dc)

17. Repeat row 3 (sc)

18. Repeat row 2 (dc)

19. Repeat row 3 (sc)

20. Repeat row 2 (dc)

21. Repeat row 3 (sc)

22. Repeat row 2 (dc)

23. Repeat row 3 (sc)

24. Repeat row 2 (dc)

25. Sc in first st, ch 3. (*sc in next st, ch 3*) repeat across ending with sc in last st.

Fasten off and weave in end.

HOOD

26. Turn so that the first row of your cape is at the top.

Join yarn with sl st in first st, ch 2. DC 2 tog, repeat across (30 stitches) Ch 1, turn

27. Sc across, ch 2, turn

28. DC across, ch 1, turn

29. Repeat row 27 (sc)

30. Repeat row 28 (dc)

31. Repeat row 27 (sc)

32. Repeat row 28 (dc)

33. Repeat row 27 (sc)

34. Repeat row 28 (dc)

35. Repeat row 27 (sc)

36. Repeat row 28 (dc)

37. Repeat row 27 (sc)

38. Repeat row 28 (dc) But don't ch 1 at end.

End off leaving a long tail. Fold the hood in half and use the long tail to sew up the seam.

Join yarn to the bottom of the cape and sc evenly up the side, around the hood, and back down the other side.

End off and weave in the tails.

TIE: Chain 125. Weave in and out of row 28.

GTA Donations April 2014

I know, I haven’t posted for quite awhile. The urge just hasn’t been there. So just to catch up here are the items I donated to God’s Tiny Angels in April.

Also: I wrote my very first crochet pattern and will be posting it in the near future. I wanted to make sure I have all the “bugs” worked out first and wanted to be able to post pictures of the finished product. I promise, it will be soon!

Here are my most recent donations. A few blankets, some sweaters, one quilt and an assortment of burial gowns.

GTA Donations 2013 Halloween and Christmas

This time my donations were a few Halloween items and some for Christmas.

  This is my wild neon colored Halloween blanket. See who had to assist me as I was taking my pictures. These are all Red Heart yarn. I did a simple double crochet and edged it with a shell pattern. I seem to be able to crochet faster just doing a no brainer double crochet so when I do blankets that’s what I tend to use as my favored stitch. I don’t do too many blankets because I just don’t have the patience to wait for it to be done.

This sweater was made from Red heart yarn. The variegated is called Bikini and I also used bright orange. By using the orange for the sweater sleeves and the hat trim I had enough of the Bikini left to make a second hat.

 

 

 

  The center  of this one is a circle in a square and then just double crochet around. The edging is a shell trim. I think the purple is Red heart yarn too but it may be Caron One Pounder.

Sometimes by the time I donate an item I don’t remember what yarn or pattern I used. Guess I need to start keeping a list.

That’s all I got done for Halloween this year. Now for some of my Christmas items.

This pretty little newborn set is made from yarn that I bought at our local DAV thrift shop. It’s hard to tell in the picture but it has a fine silver thread running through it. My 18 year old grandson said he liked the yarn because the silver in it made it look like it had snow on it. No idea what brand the yarn is as there were no labels on it. It’s kind of fine and very soft. Drapes really nice.

There was enough of the sparkly green yarn to get a second newborn blanket out of it. Just my standard double crochet for the pattern. I got a bit fancy with the edge and did a row of double crochet, then a row of 1 double crochet, chain 1 then double crochet again to make it look like filet crochet, then a row of shells.

This newborn blanket is made from silver threaded red yarn that I bought in the same lot as the sparkly green. Again there wasn’t a label on the skeins so brand is unknown. It’s very soft and fine like the green but the skeins were smaller so only got one blanket out of it.

 

 

This newborn cocoon and hat set is made out of Michaels store brand yarn. It’s soft and easy to work with plus economical. The pattern I used is from www.redheart.com and is called Holiday Baby Cocoon. The difference in this pattern is you double crochet between the double crochets on the previous row instead of in each double crochet. This makes for a thicker heavier cocoon in my opinion. Very easy no brainer pattern once you get the base made.

 

 

This is my snowman cocoon and hat. It was fun to make. I used this pattern from Karen’s Crocheted Garden of Colors. The pattern is here http://karensgardenofcolors.blogspot.com/2012/10/honey-bee-cuddle-sack-with-matching-hat.html and is called Honey Bee Cuddle Sack With Matching Hat. I used Lion Brand Pound of Love yarn. The last few rows I used some royal blue yarn from my stash to make it look like the snowman is wearing a scarf. The extra piece is just 3 rows of double crochet folded over and sewn on to hang like a scarf.

 

I used Karen’s pattern here again. I really like the pattern and it works up fast. The green yarn I bought at Goodwill. It is Caron brand Victorian Christmas Gold yarn, which is weird because the thread running through it is silver. Anyway the color is called balsam. I don’t know if they still make this yarn or not. It’s very soft.

 

 

 

Not real sure I like the way this one turned out but it’s not bad. I was trying to make it look like a Christmas tree with ornaments on it and trimmed it in gold to try and make it look like garland. The idea was there but not sure I like the way my execution of my idea turned out.

 

 

 

   I’m pretty sure the red yarn is from a partial skein I had of Michael's store brand yarn. Went as far as I could with the red I had and finished it off with Lion Brand Pound of Love white yarn. I thought using the black buttons would at least make it look something like a Santa suit.

 

 

  Well, Abby the black lab, the skunk, and their mom have returned home and are no longer staying with us.

 

I know our cat Rocky misses Abby. Abby would clean Rocky’s ears for him. She would just lick and lick for minutes at a time.

 

 

If Abby stopped and Rocky didn’t think she should be done, he would either walk under her and rub against her or he would nip at Abby’s back leg to get her attention to start up again. The crazy antics of our critters.

 

That’s it for now. Take care and hug your loved ones.

Check In Easter Sunday 3-31-13

Yesterday and today were pretty good days.

We didn’t have a traditional Easter dinner because today was also my grand son Landon’s 10th birthday. We were invited to my stepson’s and his girlfriend’s home to celebrate.

Landon wanted spaghetti and garlic bread so that’s what we had. My stepson’s lady Melissa made this totally awesome birthday cake for Landon. Isn’t it cool??!!

It’s a cookie dough flavor cake with cookie dough frosting between the layers. The bunny butt and carrots are fondant and the grass is colored coconut with a ring of Kit Kats around the outside of the cake. It was so moist! I knew I shouldn’t but I had a half a slice of a thin sliver of it. It was so good! And since I took my diabetes medicine, even with all the carbs and sugar I ate today, my blood sugar was only 112 three hours later, so it was all good.

Saturday I went shopping for about 3 hours with my daughter. We went grocery shopping and I went to JoAnn’s to get some buttons and bigger safety pins. I have been working on crocheting burial kimonos and crocheted diapers for angel babies for our group God's Tiny Angels . I didn’t get a picture taken yet but will post it soon. They work up pretty fast and the need is great. I got the pattern for the diaper and kimono here Love You More Than The Bus Blog. The pattern has been approved by Teeny Tears for use for charity donations.

All the buttons at JoAnn’s were on sale for 50% off which sure helps. It’s amazing how expensive buttons are any more.

So, two days in a row out of the house. It’s been a very long time since that has happened. My daughter drove yesterday and my husband today. I’m still having just a bit of dizziness off and on so still just a little leery about driving yet. But, the weather was so nice the last 2 days and it sure was nice to get out in it.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m still having some bad days, more like bad hours than full days though. I’m still needing to sleep more than I would like, so an afternoon nap is pretty much a given daily at this time. The anxiety still comes and goes, sometimes for no reason at all. I know I felt shaky and nervous when I needed to leave home the last two days, but I’ve found a fourth of a Xanax seems to take the edge off and once I’m out of the house I seem to be ok for at least 3 or 4 hours. My mood is definitely better. I do seems to have some more energy than I did, actually getting some housework done that’s been needing to get caught up. I actually have more interest in doing things and wanting to get out of the house than I’ve had for quite awhile. I’m still not anywhere near 100% there yet, maybe 40% at this time. But things are for sure getting better. I know it’s going to take time but I really feel the Effexor is taking me in the right direction. I’m starting to see a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.

Until next time….take care of yourself.

GTA Donations March 2013

This time we were concentrating on making Easter items for the babies. I got carried away this time with hats but got some blankets and sweater sets done too.

This is my “brights” filet crochet newborn blanket. It was fun to make with all the different colors.

 

This is my lavender and white preemie blanket. It’s just double crochets with a bit of filet thrown in so it wouldn’t be quite so plain. The edging is shells.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is my Easter egg quilt. I really like the way it turned out. The left pic is the whole thing and the right is a close up since the pattern in the material didn’t show up very well in the first picture.

Here is my lavender and white dress and diaper cover. I used Pound of Love yarn for both colors. It’s probably a newborn size.

 

 

 

 

 

I made a few little headbands just for something different and a pair of booties. Don’t make very many booties because they always seem to turn out different sizes. I like making the headbands because they work up pretty quick.

 

 

 

 

I made lots and lots of hats this time. So I will just post all the pics of them. My stepson and his lady went out of town and stopped at a Goodwill store. They found some really pretty variegated yarn that they bought for me! Got the kids trained well !!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then there are the sweater sets. This one is made from Pound of Love yarn. I like the bright colors.

 

 

 

 

Made from aqua yarn. I don’t remember what yarn I used.

 

 

 

 

This was made from some of the pretty yarn my step son and his lady got me. It’s really soft.

 

 

 

 

The color of this yarn is called cornflower yellow. It’s a vintage Redheart yarn I had. I don’t know if they even make this color any more.

 

 

 

This is a variegated blues and greens set.

 

 

 

 

Variegated brights and white. I made the sleeves white because otherwise I didn’t think I would have enough yarn to make a matching hat.

 

 

 

Variegated pastels with assorted pastels buttons to set it off. Very soft yarn.

 

 

 

 

Last but not least, a pretty pale blue and white dress, hat and booties. This could be used for Easter but may also be used as a burial set. Sadly the need for burial sets always is there.

That’s the end of this batch this time. As you can see, I’ve been pretty busy this time.

 

Working on hats for the Fourth of July now.

Until next time, stay safe and do for others.