Cream and Pastel Chunky Infinity Scarf

A few weeks ago, I started working on a new crochet project. It started out with a forest green chunky-stitch infinity scarf, which I blogged about here. After working on a few crochet square designs, I returned to my infinity scarf project to make a cream and pastel version of my chunky infinity scarf.

With my trusty wooden Q hook in hand, I stitched up this beauty, working on it in bits and snatches of time over the course of a few nights.

Made with Redheart acrylic yarn in Aran along with a variegated pastel brand from Germany, this infinity scarf will be one of two basic patterns in an upcoming infinity scarf pattern book. It's soft, has just the right amount of elasticity and the bits of pastel color woven through give a classic scarf an attractive look.

I think it's safe to say that I'm officially addicted to infinity scarves. My next scarf has already been planned, and it's a fun fun fun pattern designed for intermediate crocheters. I can't wait to share it here! Do you like or wear infinity scarves? What crochet project are you addicted to right now?

Fancy Yarns -- Do You Like Them?

I have to admit, just the word "fancy" piques my curiosity. The little girl in me conjures up visions of tutus, castles and lace. As an adult who's crochet crazy, the idea of fancy yarns delights me. Yet, I don't often know what to do with them.

Various fancys

By definition, fancy yarns are any type of yarn with a deliberate interruption or discontinuity in color or form. I have a bag full of fancy yarns -- eyelash yarns, yarns with tiny bobbles or rickrack-like things. Initially at a loss as to what to do with them, I turned to my go-to project: the hat.

A slightly metallic variegated fancy.

Eyelash yarn, which looks like yarn with fine eyelashes.

 Although the yarn was hard to work with at first, I eventually got the hang of it. A few fellow crocheters suggested using a second strand as a guide, then pulling it out after each row. I preferred to feel my way through each stitch, instead. They can be difficult to see.

My grandmother left behind a bag full of fancys when she passed away. She almost always crocheted with pastel colors of regular, four-ply yarn, so I can't imagine what on earth she was planning to do with an entire bag of eyelash yarn! Perhaps, like me, the little girl inside her was lured in by the word "fancy" and her mind envisioned tea parties with princes, moonlit dances and fun yarns that delight, even if they're only sitting in the bag.

Yarn Colors -- Do You Gravitate Toward Vibrant or Muted?

Just lately, I've noticed quite a few crochet items stitched up in vibrant colors. A deep purple infinity scarf, a kelly green neck warmer, and even a pair of hot pink mittens. It got me thinking about the yarn colors I use and tend to gravitate to.

I do love color. I'm attracted to bright colors and color combinations that make the item I'm crocheting stand out. But there are times when I shy away from the bright colors I'm attracted to and use something muted instead. Such as for these projects which, although they're not "stand up and get noticed" colors, I don't think they're dull either.

Forest green

A paler purple paired with cream.

Pale pink paired with shades of mocha brown.

Of the bright-colored projects I've made, the following are the brightest. (Which has me thinking that I need to start buying some bright-colored yarn that says "Hey, notice me!"

Granny scarf made with scraps of bright colors.

Bright-colored block afghan.

Berry red saves the day against muted green and cream.

The kelly green and deep purple I've recently seen have really inspired me to crochet something bright, even as I finish up another infinity scarf made of cream yarn with pastel shades woven into it. Or perhaps, I'll just have to be more mindful to combine toned-down colors with those that say "pick me, pick me!"

What colors do you tend to gravitate toward? Is there a color family you find yourself using over and over again? I'm interested to hear about the colors of yarn you find yourself attracted to.

For the Love of Crochet Hats

Somewhere in here, there's a hat waiting to be crocheted.

One of my favorite crochet projects to make is a hat. When I first started relearning crochet, I made granny squares. Then I made a hat. In retrospect, it should have been the other way around.

Hats are so easy to make, and they provide nearly instant gratification. A basic beanie, shown in this fantastic tutorial, can be crocheted in a couple hours if it's for a newborn or two nights if it's for an adult.

Basic beanie

I can't even begin to tell you how many crochet basic beanie hats I've made! It's my go-to hat pattern, which I usually personalize with favorite colors or embellishments, like this:

Basic beanie with flower

 Because I need creativity the way we all need oxygen, I've tried many other crochet hat patterns. A few have been unraveled and made into something else. Many have gone on to a new home. That's what I love about hats -- they're easy and fun to make, and are great gifts. After all, is there any such thing as too many hats? Here are a few other styles I've enjoyed creating.

Newsboy cap

Pumpkin hat

For the football fan

Owl hat

My last hat project was for the two baby girls that were born into our family last week. I used the basic beanie instructions, but changed to the granny stitch after the last row of increases. This simple change adds such a pretty twist to a basic hat.

Basic beanie with granny stitch in the middle

Hat Tips: One of the most important things I learned -- the hard way, of course -- is to crochet hats to the HAT size, not the HEAD size. If you crochet to the head circumference (at the widest part), you'll end up with a hat that's too big or too lose. Measure the widest part of the head and subtract 2 inches or 5 cm. You'll get the perfect fit every time.

Do you enjoy making crochet hats? What's your favorite pattern? Today it's all about hats!

Intimidating Crochet Projects

No matter how long you’ve been crocheting, there are likely to be one or two crochet projects that intimidate you. Perhaps you’ve seen pictures on Pinterest or read someone’s blog and thought “Wow! I’d love to make that.” But you still haven’t gotten up the nerve to start.

I feel pretty confident about my crochet abilities, but there are two projects that I’ve yet to try: a crochet sweater that’s stitched up in pieces and Tunisian crochet. 

Beautiful Tunisian crochet stitch.

Crochet sweaters are on my list of projects I’d like to tackle. But as soon as I see a pattern that involves crocheting and sewing together several pieces, I back out of it and continue searching for something simpler. I’ve gone as far as modifying a one-piece infant cardigan in order to avoid what I view as the more difficult approach. My attempt led to a crochet project gone wrong, and I’ve still yet to crochet a sweater that I’ll actually wear.

Tunisian crochet, on the other hand, always looks so beautiful, and I’m tempted to try it. Then I read the instructions, and I’m put off. It’s not so much that I avoid difficult crochet patterns as much as it’s that crochet is a Zen-like experience for me. I want it to be a stress-buster, not a stress-inducer!

Intricate Tunisian crochet wrap.

Do you have an easy-to-follow sweater pattern that you’d like to share? Have you attempted Tunisian crochet? What projects intimidate you? Come on; ‘fess up! Maybe, together, we can become brave enough to try a project that’s intimidated us. I’m game if you are! And I bet we’ll find out it’s not as bad as we originally thought.

Favorite Yarn Brands: Are You Loyal or Do You Try Them All?

I'm game for trying anything and, as a crochet rule breaker, I'll try different yarns even if they're not recommended for a particular project.While I'll play around with any type or brand of yarn given to me, I tend to gravitate to a select few when I'm doing my own shopping.

Until very recently, I hadn't spent any time crocheting with cotton yarn, which I talked about in yesterday's post. Now that I have, I've got to say my first love for cotton yarn is Yarnspiration's Sugar n Cream. The color selection in solids, stripes and twists inspires me to create. Soft to the touch but durable, I have many plans for upcoming cotton yarn crochet creations.

 
But, of course, my cotton yarn experience isn't very vast. I've looked at, felt and priced other cotton yarns. And then I always gravitate back to Sugar n Cream.

Over the past years, more acrylic yarn has worked its way through my fingers and off my hook than anything else. Again, I'll try just about any acrylic yarn if it's given to me or I find a great deal...and I mean a great deal. But, given my druthers, I choose Redheart's "With Love"  and Lions Brand. The large, soft skeins make me want to crochet large afghans or chunky scarves. There are more colors than I can choose from, leaving me feel like a kid in a candy shop trying to figure out which treats to choose.

Do you have favorite yarn brands? Tell me what you like for different crochet projects. I'd love to hear from you and possibly be introduced to a new favorite!

100% Cotton Spa Cloths (Free Pattern)– Discovering the Joys of Cotton Yarn

I confess. Sometimes I’m resistant to trying new things. Although some forms of change excite me, I’m also of the mindset that “if ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Thus was the case with yarn types. New colors thrill me, and I’d tried a few fancies – liked some of them, didn’t care for others. Until recently, I was an acrylic yarn girl all the way. The softness and the multitude of  brands appealed to me. And, if I’m honest, it’s easy to find inexpensive acrylic yarn.

After my grandmother passed away in October 2012, I inherited some of her yarn and a few crochet hooks. Tucked in amongst the various balls of acrylic pastels, variegated yarns and numerous skeins of heather gray were four balls of Yarnspiration’s Sugar n Cream 100% Cotton Yarn. 

Solids

Twists

Stripes, showing the blue and green yarn that hooked me.

The turquoise-blue, lime-green and rose-pink skeins (all with flecks of white and part of the Twists Collection) were unused and still in their original wrappers. A work in progress was attached to the fourth skein, which was red, and sealed in a plastic sandwich bag. My grandmother had been working on a dishcloth before she passed away. She’d crocheted five rows and the hook was still attached. I couldn’t bring myself to use the yarn or even remove the hook for that matter, so I tucked the plastic bag safely into my yarn stash and let it be. 

For about a year, I continued crocheting with acrylic yarns. I couldn’t bring myself to use my grandma’s skeins. Then my mother added to my very small selection of cotton yarns with a skein from Sugar n Cream’s Stripes Collection. The beautiful shades of turquoise, green and yellow dazzled me, making me want to turn that colorful skein of cotton yarn into something useful. Knowing that a close friend of mine was allergic to acrylic yarn, I decided to surprise her with a set of spa cloths (appropriate for using as washcloths or dishcloths). 

Spa Cloth Directions

This set of spa cloths is easy to make, and the textured effect of the stitches makes them great for scrubbing. Choose colors that appeal to you to add to your bathing or kitchen-cleaning experience. Sugar n Cream has a dangerously large selection of cotton yarn, and I will soon be expanding my collection! You can also order your own set of spa cloths from me right here.

1. Chain 26 to start. If you want a wider cloth (mine are about 7-8 inches), add a few more chains.
2. Create texture by Chaining 1 (does not count as st). Crochet (1 SC, 2 DC) in the first stitch. Skip the next 2 stitches. *Crochet (1 SC, 2 DC) in next, skip next 2 stitches*. Repeat from * to * across until the last 3 stitches. Skip the next 2 stitches. 1 SC in the last stitch, turn. (25 stitches total) Make sure to crochet into that little "hump stitch" on the side from your last row so your spa cloths have straight edges!
3. Crochet 18 rows using the directions in Step 2. Modify with more or less rows if you want to alter the size of your spa cloth.
4. For the last row, SC into each stitch. Continue to SC all the way around the spa cloth until you return to the last row. SC all the way around the cloth once more to finish the edge. Fasten off.

 Tips:

Add a scalloped edge to your spa cloth if you want something a little more fancy or feminine. *Crochet 5 DC into the same stitch. Skip the next three stitches, then SC into the fourth stitch.* Repeat from * to * all the way around. 

Add a loop for hanging your spa cloth. After completing the second round of SC’s, slipstitch into the corner. Ch 8-10 for your loop, and then slipstitch into the corner again. Fasten off.

Clearly, my cotton yarn adventures have only just begun. I can’t wait to crochet more cotton items, which means a trip to the craft store will be necessary. Yippee!! Tell me what you love to crochet with cotton yarn. Sharing ideas is half the fun.