All in One Wrap Flower

So I'm always on the lookout for flower patterns and something different and beautiful.  I love the look of those wrap flowers but hate having to sew them together.  Often times I just can't get them to wrap right and it's just a mess.  Also, I found them to be a little too bulky for a recent project I had.  I set out to create something of my own.  Here is a wrap flower that is fairly flat and it's worked all in one piece, no need to make a long spiral and no sewing here!  It works up pretty quick and is easy to make!  That's just the way I like it, LOL!

So for this project I used a worsted weight yarn and an H hook because that was what I was working with.  You are more than welcome to use whatever size yarn you have and the hook needed for that yarn.  My flower ended up being about 4 inches wide, so of course the smaller yarn and hook you use then the smaller the flower will be, while the larger they are then the larger the flower will be.

This pattern has been edited 08/10/2015 due to an error. Round 5 of the flower base creates too many loops and the the rest of the pattern then doesn't make sense. IF you download the PDF file please make sure to omit round 5 for a correct flower.

:: Download PDF Pattern ::

Note: Do not join rounds in the base, work in a continuous spiral.  You may want to mark the beginning of each round with a stitch marker.

Flower Base
Make a magic loop/ring.
Rnd 1: ch 1, work 8 hdc in loop. (8 hdc)
Rnd 2: in back loops only, work 2 hdc in each hdc around.  (16 hdc)
Rnd 3: in back loops only, (hdc, 2 hdc in next st) around.  (24 hdc)
Rnd 4: in back loops only, (hdc in next 2 sts, 2 hdc in next st) around.  (32 hdc)
Rnd 5: in back loops only, (hdc in next 3 sts, 2 hdc in next st) around.  (40 hdc)
Sc in next st and turn.
Don't fasten off.

Petal Loops
After you've turned your piece you should be looking at the side edge of it. Now you will slip stitch around the edge of your piece and in the front loops that were left unworked from the spiral. 
Ch 3, skip the sc and 1 hdc, slst in next st, (Ch 3, skip 2 hdc, slst in next loop) until you have 19 Ch3 spaces.
(Ch 2, skip 1 hdc, slst in next loop) around for 12 Ch2 spaces.
Turn.

Petals
In each of the 12 Ch2 spaces work (slst, hdc, 2 dc, hdc, slst).
In each of the 19 Ch3 spaces work (slst, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, slst).  At the end of the flower slst to the next stitch on the flower base.
Fasten Off and weave in ends.

That's it!  I hope it was easy to follow and if you have any questions then please feel free to leave them below so I can help you!  You are more than welcome to sell what you make from this pattern but please link to this blog.  :)

I've made a wrap flower square using this flower with double crochets. Check it out for a full photo tutorial of these flowers.

TERMS :: You may sell whatever you make with my pattern, but please link back to my blog. Please DO NOT alter my pattern and repost it in any way, claiming it as your own.

Happy crocheting!
Chassity O.

Simple Fingerless Gloves Pattern

I absolutely love fingerless gloves, and I love to whip up a quick and easy pair also, but I hadn't been able to find some that I really liked.  That got my mind whirling and I set out to create my own.  Others I had seen just weren't the shape that I wanted or used yarns I didn't have readily available and so on!  These are even so simple that you could certainly add anything to it to make them super cute and unique.  Why not add some appliques to the outside or a cute flower or bow at the cuff.  The possibilities are endless!  :D  So, here they are!

This pattern is not meant to be shared or resold with others in it's original or altered form.  Please direct people to this blog to get the goodness for themselves.  You are more than welcome to sell the items that you make, but please link back to this blog or my etsy shop!  :)

Simple Fingerless Gloves

Materials Needed:

• Worsted Weight Acrylic yarn of choice, I used I Love This Yarn from Hobby Lobby

• crochet hook size H (5.0 mm)

Guage is about 16 hdc = 4 inches.

This pattern is worked continuously, making it easy to follow.  It's just one simple pattern for both hands, so they are interchangeable!  Make two.

Cuff

Ch 11

Rnd 1: sc in second ch from hook and in ch across, turn (10 sts)

Rnd 2: ch 1, sc in first sc, sc in back loops only of next 8 sc, sc in last sc, turn (10 sts)

Rnd 3-24: repeat rnd 2 (10 sts)

Slst or sc the two ends together to form a cuff. Begin the next round by crocheting along the edge of the cuff to start the hand portion of the glove.

Hand

Work in the round, joining at the end of every row and continuing in the same direction. The first stitch will always be in the same stitch as the join from the previous round.
(pattern edited)

Rnd 1: ch 1, sc 25 times along the edge, join to first sc (25 sts)

Rnd 2: ch 1, 2 hdc in first sc, hdc in each sc across, join to first hdc (26 sts)

Rnd 3: ch 1, hdc in each st around, join (26 sts)

Rnd 4: ch1, 2 hdc in first st, hdc in next 2 st, 2 hdc in next st, hdc in each st around, join (28 sts)

Rnd 5: ch 1, hdc in each st around, join (28 sts)

Rnd 6: ch 1, 2 hdc in first st, hdc in next 4 sts, 2 hdc in next st, hdc in each st around, join (30 sts)

Rnd 7: ch 1, hdc in each st around, join (30 sts)

Rnd 8: ch 1, 2 hdc in first st, hdc in next 7 sts, 2 hdc in next st, hdc in each st around, join (32 sts)

Rnd 9: ch 1, hdc in first st, skip next 9 sts, hdc in next st and each st around, join (23 sts)

Rnd 10-13: ch1, hdc around, join

Rnd 14: ch 1, sc around, join

Fasten Off and weave in end.

ALL DONE! ENJOY YOUR SIMPLE FINGLERLESS GLOVES!

There's a new pattern available with additions for the entire family HERE.

TERMS :: You may sell whatever you make with my pattern, but please link back to my blog. Please DO NOT alter my pattern and repost it in any way, claiming it as your own.

Happy crocheting!
Chassity O.

Super Giveaway Winners

Yayy!  Congrats to everyone who won and thank you to everyone who entered and made this SUPER GIVEAWAY such a success!  It's been a lot of fun and I'm so very grateful for everyone who entered!  :D

And the winners are...

Obsessed with Nyan Cat

Have you ever heard of Nyan Cat?  Nyan Cat is a YouTube video sensation that merges a Japanese pop song with an adorably animated cartoon cat with the body of a pop-tart.  The best part is that the cat is flying through space leaving a rainbow trail behind it.  I know, it sounds crazy, but once you watch it it's like you instantly become hooked!  The video ranked number 5 on the list of most viewed YouTube videos in 2011.  I couldn't believe I hadn't seen this video sooner.  Here it is, so check it out!

I think it's by far the most adorable thing I've seen on the internet in a long time.  Once I started doing some digging, I ended up finding the Nyan Cat website, where I also found out that there are all sorts of Nyan Cat "flavors".  Basically they took the Nyan Cat idea to another level by creating holiday versions, other food varieties, and even some off the wall ones like Zombie Nyan Cat and the villainous Tac Nayn (which is Nyan Cat spelled backwards).

Now, the best part of this meme is the fan art that it has produced.  People have turned Nyan Cat into their personal plushies, paitings, jewelry, and so much more.  There are now even games available for iPhone and Android.  I was inspired by other crochet works I saw to create my own Nyan Cat scarf.  Isn't it adorable?

This was sorta my first attempt at it and I ran into a few speed bumps that I would probably change for the next one I make. I can't really tell if the fact that the eyes and legs being so big add to the charm of the scarf or if I should change that!?

I'm thinking that I might need to play around with it and see what I come up with, but I still love it regardless! I can't wait to wear it out and about tomorrow! This has of course sparked some other ideas in me that I can't wait to make, like maybe a matching hat, fingerless gloves, and of course an applique to put on just about EVERYTHING! Hehe!

Stay tuned for more Nyan Cat fun in the near future!  :D

Happy crocheting!
Chassity O.

Washing Scratchy Yarns

Months ago I saw a cool photo tutorial on washing scratchy yarns to make them softer by A Girl and her Needle. Like the blogger, Charmain, I absolutely love acrylic yarns. They are durable and cost effective, and you can really get some beautifully bright colors now (something I absolutely love).

Some brands are really nice and soft, while others can be pretty scratchy. Generally I use those scratchier yarns for things like accessories and some toys, depending on where it will be placed. Like most people, I don't like to use them for my hats or child items because of the unfavorable feel of them. This tutorial really opened my eyes and is bringing a whole new life to some of that unfavorable yarn I have in my stash.

I have a bunch of old scratchy yarn still hanging around in my stash. Most of it is from older projects and not being able to afford nicer yarn at the time. Well, a few weeks ago there was a charity hat project that I wanted to participate in (a little late now though) and I happened to have this green yarn that was needed as a required color, but I hated that it was scratchy so of course I never made my hats. After finally remembering this tutorial and buying a laundry bag, I decided to test it out for myself. 

So, here is the tutorial and my thoughts on it.  You'll also find some tips and tricks at the end.

:: Tutorial ::

What you'll need is your yarn of course, a laundry/lingerie bag, and your normal washer and dryer.  I found a 3 pack of laundry bags that are just the right size for a skein of yarn at my local Dollar Tree.  If you don't have any laundry bags, an old pair of nylons tied on the ends will also work.

Pull the labels off of your yarn so they don't get all wet and clogged in your yarn.  Now you want to loosen up the layers of the yarn by pulling on it.  I pulled along the sides and also got down into the center and gently pulled within as well.  Don't forget to loosen up the ends, but not too much because you don't want it to completely unravel.

Once you have it loosened up, close it up in the laundry bag. If you have more than one skein of yarn, I suggest using separate bags for each skein.

Throw the bag of yarn in the washing machine with a load of laundry of like colors! If you happen to have a bunch of yarn bags I suppose you could wash them all together, but if you have only one like me then you'll need more. Washing it with clothes is what will help to agitate it and get it to soften up.

Wash it like normal, with detergent and whatever. When the wash is done I suggest putting it in the dryer. Air drying probably isn't the best idea because it would take the layers on the inside much longer to dry.

Even after an hour in my dryer the center of this skein was still a little damp.  I decided that it was dry enough to allow it to air dry the rest of the way.  And that's it!  You should have a softer yarn!

:: My Thoughts ::

I used a skein of Red Heart Super Saver (RH SS) for this project. Anyone who has ever used this yarn knows it can be pretty scratchy (even though I've seen a few skeins that are softer lately). 

The washing process did soften it up, but I wouldn't say it was amazingly soft or anything. I generally buy I Love This Yarn from Hobby Lobby and their acrylic yarn is SUPER SOFT, but I wouldn't say that a washed skein of RH SS was as soft as that. 

There are times when I end up buying RH SS because the store might be out of my yarn or because it's the color I really want, and in those instances I would definitely use this washing technique. 

I wouldn't say that I'm going to start running out and buying cheaper, scratchy yarns just because I can now make them soft, but I can rest easy knowing that if I have to buy a scratchy yarn that I can wash it.

:: Tips & Tricks ::

If you have more than one skein of yarn I suggest using separate bags for each skein. On my facebook I had a nice lady tell me that she has had problems with the yarn tangling. If your yarn tangles, or if you have larger laundry bags, you can wrap each skein in an old pair of nylon pantyhose and knot the end. 

Don't unravel the yarn too much or it will tangle, even if it's in the bag by itself. I washed a second skein and did just that. It tangled up badly and it took me FOREVER to untangle it.

I used an older skein of yarn that I had already used and even unraveled and just wrapped back around the skein. You don't want the yarn to be tightly wrapped around the skein so make sure to wrap it back around loosely. This will still allow it to fluff up nicely in the wash without constricting the inner layer.

I've thought about washing it a second time to see if it will soften up even more. If I do that then I will let you all know how it turns out!

If you've done this before then tell us how it turned out for you!  :D