Spiderman Inspired Hat

Here's what I've been working on this week!
I just finished a Spiderman hat for a little boy that goes to our church and I think it's turned out pretty well.  It took some time for me to figure out how to shape the eyes just right, but altogether it seems to work.  The hat is worked as a basic beanie and the web is sewn in place with a needle, so it wasn't quite as complicated as I first thought it would be.  Now to get that pattern typed out!  Hopefully I'll have it listed in my ravelry shop soon.  I welcome your comments!



Jaden really took this photo shoot seriously!

 

Our New Addition

Welcoming the newest Croninger to the family tree, Rylan Abigail, our fourth child (and third girl!). She is the sweetest, most adorable baby on the planet, by far.  I'm really enjoying being at home with this little bundle of cuteness and she is really doing well.  We are so very thankful for the joy of our precious children and they bring so much fun and life to every day.

Alas, my crochet habit has been put on hold for a few months, but I will be posting new projects soon. Luckily I've mastered the art of crocheting and baby rocking at the same time, so maybe I can get back in the saddle and on with a few new ideas that have been rattling around my sleep-deprived brain.

I'm really excited about writing a series of tutorials for those beginning to crochet.  So many people have asked me to teach a class, so I'm thinking this would be a good way to share what I know in plain English.  So stay tuned!

 

All my babies! Jaden holding Rylan, Eden and Adelyn.

Gobble Gobble Turkey Hat

Just finished this hat yesterday and I must say, it's gonna be one of my favorites! Since August I've been wanting to try a turkey hat and finally got around to it, before November. I couldn't really figure out how I wanted to make some feathers so instead I made a really long pompom, so it has "crazy hair" as my daughter calls it. I would love to hear what you think about it! And, both the hat and pattern are available in my etsy shop.

Coupon Code for October

Hey ya'll :)
Thought I'd run a special coupon code for my blog readers. It will be available for the rest of the month of October, 2011. This coupon code will save you 20% on anything in my etsy shop!
Coupon Code: BLOG20
So now go and use it!!!

Free Instructions! How to Make Korker Bows

No, it's not crochet, but I thought I'd share how I make korker bows (or curly bows, as my daughter calls them). Perfect for any little girl, korker bows are a great way to add a little spark to any outfit. Korker bows allow you to mix and match ribbons, with color combinations as endless as your creativity.

You will need the following supplies:

3/8th inch grosgrain ribbon in desired colors

Wooden dowel rods

Wooden clothes pins

Starch

Aluminum Foil

Needle and thread in coordination colors

Glue gun and hot glue

Scissors

Hair accessory to put the korker on

Lighter or wood burner

* To start, preheat your oven to 215 degrees. Choose the ribbon colors you would like to use for your bow and plug in your glue gun to get it warming up.

* Next, begin to wrap the end of your ribbon around one end of a wooden dowel. Clip this end with a wood pin to secure it, and continue to wind the ribbon in a spiral around the dowel until you reach the end. Cut the ribbon when it reaches the end of the dowel and secure this end with a clothes pin as well. Continue this process with three to five more dowels so there will be enough korker ribbon for your hair bow.

* When all your dowels have been wrapped with ribbon, spray heavy starch on each wrapped dowel, turning them to cover all sides.

* Place each of your covered dowels in the oven, preferably on a piece of aluminum foil. Set a timer for fifteen minutes, removing the dowels promptly when the timer sounds. Allow the dowels to cool for a few minutes, then unwrap them.

* Once the ribbon has cooled, use scissors to cut the korker ribbon into 1 to 2 inch lengths. Once these lengths are cut, use the lighter and pass the flame gently across the ends of each ribbon length. This will seal the ribbon to keep it from unraveling in the future.

* With the needle and thread, begin to thread the lengths of ribbon by inserting the needle through the center of each length and gathering the ribbons together. This should create the pom-pom effect, with ribbons going in all directions. When you have threaded the desired number of ribbon lengths, secure the bow with a tight knot and cut the thread.

* Finally, it's time to glue the bow to the hair clip or accessory of your choice. A lined alligator clip works well, but the korker can also be attached to a french clip or hair band. Use the hot glue gun to adhere the bow to the accessory and let the glue dry. Your bow is complete!

What I've Been Working On

Today I started working on a new hat pattern for this Fall. I'm calling it the Autumn Breeze Hat (but if anyone can think of a better name, I'm up for suggestions!) It's an open-weave beanie with dark brown trim and features two flowers and three leaves on one side. I was originally planning to do a pumpkin hat, but I've seen sooooo many of those online and I wanted to do something different that would be appropriate for the fall season and not just October. I really wish I could get some pictures of my girl wearing it on a hay-ride! Let me know what you think about it!

Free Pattern! Pumpkin Headband

YAY! I finally have my first free pattern ready to post. Please feel free to use this pattern for any purpose, including making items to sell, anywhere you wish. Let me know if you have any questions. I hope you enjoy it! For this pattern, you will need a size J and size G hook and a yarn or tapestry needle. For the headband pictured, I used 100% cotton yarn in orange, dark brown and kelly green by Peaches and Cream.

st = stitch

sl st = slip stitch

sc = single crochet

ch = chain stitch

dc = double crochet

sc inc = work 2 sc in one stitch (to increase)

I also start this pattern by using an adjustable (or magic) ring.

This hat is worked in spiral rounds of single crochet, much like amigurumi, so you will not be ending each round with a slip stitch to join to the previous round. For this reason, a stitch marker is very helpful; just make sure to move it up every few rounds to help keep your place.

Headband – using J hook and dark brown yarn

Rw 1- ch 61

Rw 2- sc in 2^nd ch from the hook and in the next 3 chains (4 sc total), ch 52, sc 4 in the last 4 chs of rw 1, ch 1 and turn

Rw 3- sc 4, ch 52, sc 4 in the sts of rw 2, sl st to the side of your work, ch 30 (this creates 1 of the ties), tie off.

*To make the tie on the other side, attach yarn on other side of the work, ch 30, tie off. Then tie small knots at the end of each tie to complete.

Pumpkin – using J hook and orange yarn

Make an adjustable ring and ch 1

Rnd 1- Work 6 sc, pull to tighten ring (6 sts total), sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 2- Work 2 sc in each st around (12) sl st to first, ch 1
Rnd 3-*sc in next st, sc inc in next st, repeat from * around, (18) sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 4-*sc in next 2 sts, sc inc in next st, repeat from * around (24), sl st to join, ch 1
Rnd 5- *sc in next st, sc inc in next st, repeat from * around (36), sl st to join, tie off.

Backing Piece – using J hook and orange yarn

Make an adjustable ring and ch 1

Rnd 1- Work 6 sc, pull to tighten ring (6 sts total), sl st to first, ch 1
Rnd 2- Work 2 sc in each st around (12) sl st to first, ch 1
Rnd 3-*sc in next st, sc inc in next sc, repeat from * around, (18) sl st to first, ch 1
Rnd 4-*sc in next 2 sts, sc inc in next sc, repeat from * around (24), sl st to first, tie off, leaving a tail for sewing.

Leaf – using G hook and kelly green yarn

Make an adjustable ring and ch 1

Rnd 1- Work 6 sc, pull to tighten ring (6 sts total), sl st to first, ch 1
Rnd 2- Ch 2, {dc 2}, {hdc 2}, {sc 2}, ch 3, {sc 2}, {hdc 2}, {dc 2}, sl st, tie off.

Stem – using G hook and dark brown yarn

Row 1- ch 7, work sc in 2nd ch from the hook, sc 1, sc inc, sc 4, tie off

Assembly

• First, use the yarn/tapestry needle and orange yarn to sew the stem to the back of the pumpkin, tie off.
• Use the yarn needle again to sew the leaf on the side of the stem, just at the top of the pumpkin, tie off and weave in ends.

• Now to sew the completed pumpkin onto the headband! Use orange yarn (so it will blend into the pumpkin); position the pumpkin where you’d like it on the headband. For the headband pictured, I positioned it just below the center of the headband on one side. Sew each of the 3 straps to the back of the pumpkin, making sure to keep them straight.
• Finally, sew the backing piece in place to stabilize the pumpkin and hide all the messiness.

That's it! Let me know what you think!