Stitches the Pig

First things first, I would like to start this post by giving some amazing reason for my delay between posts. Like, maybe, I was abducted by aliens and just returned to earth. Or bite by a shark and my hands have ben recovering. But the truth is I've just been incredibly lazy at home/busy with work. It's a good thing because I love my job but I also love being able to share crafty things with the internet world. Did you notice the absence? No? Okay, then I'll just move on...

Part of the busy-ness at work has been planning our Piggy Bank Auction. That's right, we auction pigs. Bill Davis, from Thomas Creek Brewery here in Greenville, makes the bare pigs then local artists add their spin. This year I HAD to get in on the action! I wanted to do something that hadn't been done before and eventually decided I would crochet a pig. Because I'm that much of a nerd. 

I started with mini granny squares using remnant yarn, then I combined the granny squares and experimentally added on some ears using the corner spaces of two squares. I made the face by creating a small circle for the nose and crocheting only on the back stitches to make the edges. Stitches were added as they seemed to be needed until it was big enough to cover the whole face and be attached. Of course, the buttons and eyelashes had to be sewn on as well. Lastly I made another growing circle for the bum and little straps to go around the feet and connected everything together. 100% trial and error but in the end I really enjoyed how it turned out. And it sold! So that's a good sign, right?

Here she is in her social debut at the auction. Makin' that coin.

I never really think of myself as being an artist. To me, that seems like a title that has to be earned. Crafter, yes. Artist, not so much. It was fun to pretend though for the night :)

What do you think of Stitches? How would you make a pig if given the chance/choice? I'd love to know!

Sheila

Granny Square Seat Cushions

You may have seen my dismay yesterday when my post was lost somehow. Have no fear! It's ready for your crafty consumption. 

$25 solid wood chairs? Yes please. Sitting for any extended period on solid wood? No thank you. I love these simple, plain pine chairs from Ikea but they needed a healthy dose of color and comfort. These seat covers were my handmade solution.


It's actually 2 different layers but it doesn't take nearly as long as you would think. I could finish 2 in a night. Or, 4 episodes of The Good Wife if you prefer that measure of time.

You will Need:

A bunch of random yarn in any color you like (it's a GREAT way to use up scraps)
1 full skein of your background color
crochet hook, I used 5.5
optional: stitch markers



It's easiest to start with the backing square:

Instead of repeating the steps to make a corner each time, I'll write them here and note "corner stitches". To make a solid corner, dc 2 in same stitch, dc 3 in next, dc 2 in next.

Ch 6, slip stitch to join in circle
Row 1: Single crochet 12 through center hole, slip stitch to join
Row 2: chain 2, dc in next 2 stitches, corner stitches, *dc in next 3 stitches, corner stitches* join with slip stitch

At this point, it would be helpful to add stitch markers to the center corner stitches. If you don't have stitch markers, you can use safety pins, other pieces of yarn, or anything else on hand to mark your corners.

Row 3-12: From here on out, you will dc in each stitch across until you get to the 3 stitches that make up the corner and join the end of each row with a slip stitch.



Finish it off and remove your stitch markers. You can make as many rows as needed for the size of your chair, but 12 worked well for mine. Also, if you're making the back squares different colors, make sure your yarns are the same weight or it will result in different sizes in you cushions.

Now on to the granny square part which is much faster even though you have to change colors:

This time in the corners you'll dc 3, ch 3, dc 3 in the space

Ch 6, slip stitch to join in circle
Row 1:ch 2, dc 2 in center, *ch 3, dc 3 in center* join with slip stitch
Row 2: change color if desired,*ch 3, dc 3 in space* corners
Row 3-12: change color each row if desired, dc 3 in each space, ch 3, corners

That's the worst explanation ever for a granny square... I should stop trying to write patterns. But it's so repetitive! If you've done it right once, you can just keep doing the same thing over and over. Don't forget to weave in the tails as you go so you don't hate yourself at the end of it.



Once you've finished the granny square and the solid square, you'll join them together by single crocheting all around the edges. The number of stitches don't line up perfectly so you'll have to use your judgment and spacing.



When you finish that, you're done! It'll look a little something like this:



Just lay it flat on your chair. It doesn't provide a ton of padding but it definitely helps. I'm brainstorming what to add to the back of it to keep it in place better without ruining the look.



Are you a fan of multicolored decorations? Any suggestions on what to add to give it a little grip? I'd love to know!

Sheila

Crochet Pumpkin Patch Garland

TINY THINGS. Do you loves them as much as I do? I stand by my choice to adore things more for the simple fact that they are smaller than their full-sized counter parts. This love has most recently manifested itself in this little crochet pumpkin patch that even a beginning crocheter can make in less than an hour.

You will need:

Orange yarn
different shades of green and brown yarns
crochet hook

The size and gauge of the yarn/hook don't matter. Use whatcha got. I made about 10 pumpkins for my 3ft garland.

Start by making your pumpkins:

Chain 3.
Row 1: Double crochet 9 stitches into 3rd stitch from hook (the first chain you made). The last 2 chain stitches will count as a double so you'll end up with a circle of 10 double crochets. Slip stitch to join.
Row 2: 2 single crochets into next 3 stitches, 2 double crochets into next 2 stitches, 2 single crochets into next 3 stitches, 2 double crochets into next 2 stitches to make the oval shape. 20 stitches total.
Finish it off by tying and weaving in your ends.

Time to add them to the vine:

Use your first color of green or brown to chain at least 15 stitches. Add a pumpkin in by single crocheting through the top few stitches. I did each one a little different but used about 3 or 4 stitches each time. Chain anywhere from 15 to 30 stitches in between each pumpkin for desired length and variation.
Add other colors to give your vine dimension by chaining with 2 pieces of yarn at once. No need to tie in a new color, it seems to stay just fine. Occasionally, I would chain a few of one color and wrap the other around it then pick it back up in the chain. Leaving the ends loose looks cute.

You could add more variety by crocheting leaves along the vine as well. Or make little jack-o-lantern faces! I'm thinking about adding some acorns when it gets closer to Thanksgiving.

Do you decorate for the holidays? Living alone, I'm the only one who enjoys it but I still love to do it. Do you decorate for yourself or for family and visitors? I'd love to know!

Sheila

Crochet Basics for Lefties

Aaannndddddd with this one post I'm excluding 90% of the population. Sorry y'all.  You might still enjoy the preview at the bottom of some coming patterns.

I first started knitting in 6th grade, I believe. I learned from my right-handed Mom, so I knit right-handed. I only learned to crochet about 2 years ago when I first moved to Montana from a friend who just happened to be left-handed. I WAY prefer crocheting over knitting. It's so much faster and, in my opinion, easier. There are plenty of crochet tutorials out there but way less for us southpaws. You're doing the exact same thing but it can be confusing to see it the opposite direction. If you're a cynical righty and don't believe me, just look below and see if it confuses you at all.

I'm starting from the very basics. Please, please, please feel free to comment and ask any questions or make any suggestions for clarity.  Also, these are the American terms. The European stitches are different. Always make sure to check your pattern, just in case.

Here are some terms that will make learning the stitches a lot easier. First, the hook. This metal one was about $2 from Joann's and it's the one I use most frequently. I recommend size I, or 5.5 if you're getting one hook to start with. The tail is the end of the yarn which usually is just weaved in to the work. The working yarn is the part still connected to the source that's doing all the work, basically. Any time you have to "yarn over," you'll want to have the yarn resting across the front of the hook (pics below). You don't need to wrap it all the way around as some beginners tend to do. It is easiest if you hold the working yarn taught with your right hand so you can use the hook in your left hand to pick up the yarn, instead of wrapping. It goes much faster that way. Learning how to hold your hook and yarn takes practice and can be a little different for everyone.  Need a video? Let me know! 

Slip Knot 

Loop the tail over the working yarn (1). Pull the working yarn through the center (2). Insert hook (3). Tighten the working yarn gently until the knot fits the hook (4). This is how you will start almost all crochet projects. See how easy that was?

Chain Stitch or Foundation Stitch (ch)

The chain stitch it the EASIEST stitch. With the hook through the slip knot, yarn over (1). Pull the hook back through the slip knot with your yarn you just picked up (2). That's it! See how they form a chain (3)? 

Single Crochet (sc)

Now we're ready to start building on to our chain. As you can see, there are two parallel section of yarn at the top of each stitch in the chain and another piece on the bottom. Insert the hook through the top 2 pieces (1). Once the hook is through, yarn over (2) and pull it back through. You will have 2 loops on your hook (3-sorry the working yarn made this hard to tell!). Yarn over again and pull through both loops to complete the stitch (4). See how they look in a row(5)? 

Double Crochet (dc)

A double crochet starts with yarn over (1) BEFORE you put your hook through anything. After the yarn over, go through the top of a stitch the same as you would a single crochet. Yarn over (2). When you pull your hook back through, you should have 3 loops on it (3). Yarn over and pull through the first 2 loops only, leaving you with two loops left on your hook- the original loop, and the yarn over you just pulled through (4). Yarn over again and pull through the last 2 loops to get back down to 1 loop (5). It sounds like a lot of steps, but once you get the hang of it this stitch goes very quickly. It's the most common stitch used in patterns. Check out the difference between single crochet and double crochet when they're right next to each other (6). 

Now get to practicing! There will be many simple projects and easy patterns coming in the days ahead. Here's a small preview of things yet to come:

Are you left-handed? Are you interested in crocheting at all?? I'd love to know!

Sheila

P.S. If you're already a crocheter, you should definitely be following My Rose Valley. I love everything Annette makes and her pictures are always gorgeous!