New Pattern WIP

So I am working on a tank top cover up pattern.  Something I can toss on when I am wearing a tank top and the A/C is a bit to much.

I started while gaming last night with an idea in mind.  I thought a butterfly motif would look cute.  I wasnt sure it would work, and I had just planned on figuring out stitch repeat and some how it just worked on the first go.  It will definaly need to be blocked when its finished so the butterfly's will stand out better.

My issue right now is I decided to use a ball of yarn I bought from a LYS and only had one of so I had to go and order more of it.  They didn't have the same dye lot so I am hopping it will match up well.  1 ball got me almost one finished panel, as this will in the end be 2 rectangular panels I sew together to make a short top that should cover up just the exposed skin on my shoulders and back and about 1/3 of a sleeve.

I am also working on making a small diagram of the stitch pattern

Also NYR update I got a few more motifs done I am up to 13, I decided the 'saddle' section of the hippo would be in Shoal, and the underside, legs, and possably head will all be in Eggplant!!

The Presentation I used at Kawa Kon!

People have showed intrest in wanting a copy of my PP presentation from the pannel I ran at Kawa Kon.  

Sorry it has take me so long to get it up, the weather here has been freezing-summer-cold-mild-frost bit which has my immune system just sputtering.  Now that I can focus here is the slide show!!









I want to give a huge shout out to a few people--

Twinky Chan --Thanks for letting me show off some your awsome work.    
                 
Crochet-gifs -- Invaluable to people just learning to crochet thank you for all the work you share.

Su-ami -- Your Micro crochet wow's people, and I love pointing your work out when I talk about crochet being an art form and not just a craft.
       
Lastly to all the people of reddit who sent me photos of blankets/amigurumi's/crochet to share.

Tunisian Hat top down- Is it possable? [hat pattern+math]

Yes.

So I fiddled around today with my need double ended hooks and some yarn.  I decided to see if I could start a top down hat worked in a Tunisian knit stitch.        
             
I worked the hat out for about 5 rows of increase and these photos below are the  results.  I realize I didnt use the best colors for an example work, since I used a white and black variegated MC with a black CC but it was the yarn I had that was handy and easy to unravel if I decided to try working the hat differently if it didn't work up like I had planned.

So here is what I used --
Size M/N 9mm double ended hook
Worster Weight yarn in 2 colors (Mc/Cc)
Stitch marker (I used a scrap of white yarn)
You need to know some tunisian before attmpting this, how to work a TSS(simple stitch) and a TKS (knit stitch)

Here is the basic pattern I started working--

R1- MR sc 8 (work normal sc)
 R2- This is where you will leave your loops on the hook-- I did this increase round by picking up a loop from the front, then back loops of the top of each stitch.  You should need to work off loops as you add them on, for me I was comfortable having 6 stitch's on the hook at any time.  You work them off as you would work a return pass in normal Tunisian with the CC, leaving 2 loops of the MC on the hook to maintain consistent tension. [16]
R3- Inc, tks  (the way I increase was to work a normal tss then in the same stitch work a tks)[24]
R4- Inc, tks 2 [32]
R5- Inc, Tks 3 [40]

Just keep fallowing this pattern of increases till you get the width you need for the person the hat will go to.  The Tunisian knit stitch has a natural curl to it so dont worry when it starts to curl out wards, once you start working the length it should work itself out. 

A little math to help you out--

C=2piR

What that means-
C= the circumference of the head
R= the radius you need to get to insure your increase row will leave you with the circumference you need.
pi= 3.14~~~~~

So lets say you want to make a hat for a toddler with a 18 head.  To make sure you work the right amount of increase and dont make a hat to small or way to large we need the radius (that is the length of the start to the edge of the hat ((or from the center of the circle to the edge))).

So 18=2piR  we divide both sides by 2;  9=piR;  and now we divide both sides by pi (3.14) so we get 3=R (I rounded up the real number was 2.86).  So from the start of the hat to the edge needs to be 3 inches (or 6 inches across from edge to edge) in order to be wide enough to fit.

If you want the math for the diameter (from edge to edge) its C=piD so that math would be 18=piD; divide by pi  D= 5.73 which I would round up to an even 6 inches.

Front-1

 

Back-1

Front-2

Back-2

New hooks in!!

I just got my new set of double ended Tunisian hooks in!!

 I was hestint at first on buying these.  I wanted some double ended hooks for a while, but local stores only had it in size G (which I bought) and its a bit small for some of the things I wanted to try out.

This set originally 'said' it costed $59.99 which is way out of my budget.  It was on sale for  $16.95 + $3.90 shipping in the amazon market place, the reviews mostly seemed honest.

What do I mean by 'mostly seemed honest'?  Well now days you can pay company's to boost your product ratings by leaving 5 start reviews.  Typically these reviews just regurgitate the details listed in the description with colorful adjective's thrown in.  I dont want to waste my time and money on a seller who pays to inflate their ratings.

Now that being said, I saw no reports of anyone paying out the $60 for these hooks almost every review payed the $20 (16+S&H).  The only real complaint's I saw where a few people mentioning that some of their hooks snagged the yarn, but its easily fixed with sanding paper/nail file and a touch of wax.

I opened some of them and they all felt smooth but working with them will really test them.  The kit come in size C-P, I have a shot of all the hooks semi in order from largest (on left) to smallest.  Then I took a close up comparison of the P and C next to each other.  I have to say I am hesitant to use the smaller hooks that C hook is about as thick as the bamboo skewers I use for grilling but not as flexible, where the P is sturdy and I cant image it snapping with out some very deliberate attempting. 

Once I get the time, I am going to try and make a top down hat using Tunisian crochet.  I will let you in on a secret- I hat working bottom up hat's.  I have yet to find a top down tunisian hat pattern, a month ago I was chating with u/StitcherUniverse over on reddit's r/crochet we where debating how to work a top down, at the time I did not have the time/supplies to attempt to work it myself and now I do!!  They worked through a version where the top had some small puckering issues I am hopping when I work it up I can come up with an easily repeatable pattern that anyone can work up.

Wish me luck!!

Hippo Butt! (NYR photo update)

Ok so here is my current progress on the Happypotumus.

This is the first time I have gotten a nice clear picture that shows most of the colors true.  Unfortunaly the lighter shades seemed to be washed out by the flash, and with out the flash the darker shades all looked the same.   I do love how the purple and dark green work together here.  I havent been doing any ploting of colors other then the finishing rounds, the legs are finished as you can see in the eggplant where the body is finished in Shoal.  I think I will keep the front legs in eggplant but I am still deciding on if I want the bell in shoal or eggplant.         


To top it all off some time during the Kawa Kon rush to make items for examples I misplaced the only 2.00mm hook I own.  I typically leave the hook with the project it is used on, and I swear I had left it in the box with all the yarn and wip but it is no where to be found.

I am going to see if I can match the gauge using a 2.10 mm or a 1.90mm and hope my 2.00mm pops up some time soonest.

Kawa Kon--- Thank You!! (also pattern)

Thank you Kawa Kon!  

Hosting my first pannel at Kawa Kon was a blast.  I was up against a few really compelling other pannels so I want to give a shout out to the people who stuck with me through technical issues and made my first pannel fun.

For those of you who where un able to come to the Kon, I gave away some cute mini octos, cthulhu, chibi dragon, and 2 pokeball DIY kits.    In the time of the pannel, one of the people who voluntered and got a kit to work on during the pannel was able to start and finish in the 1 1/2 hour and she had only been crocheting for a few months.

Pokeball- Red/Black/White yarn (small amounts) size G crochet hook, a yarn/darning needle, and stuffing where all included in the kit but I had forgoten to print the pattern so I am posting it here!

With Red-
R1- Mr 6
R2- Increase in all
R3- Increase, sc (repeat around)
R4- Inc, sc 2 (repeat around)
R5- Inc, sc 3 (repeat around)
R6-7- sc all
R8-9- Switch to black- SC all   
R10-11- Switch to white- SC all
R12- Dec, sc 3 (repeat around)
R13- Dec, sc 2 (repeat around)
R14- Dec all
FO-- leave 6 inch or longer tail, stuff ball, and using the darning/yarn needle and weave threw the front loop of each stitch in that last row, giving it a tug when your done to chinch the opening closed.  You can make a small knot to secure the yarn then poke the needle all the way through the ball and out the other side and just snip the tail so it hides itself back into the finished ball.   

 To make the button on the front of a ball-

R1- With white, MR 6
R2- With Black, increase all

FO leaving a long tail to sew to the ball, when worked in a spiral I like to place it right over the color change hiding the little jump in colors.

I have a few things I want to work on, but when I get the time I will whip up some more mini octos and post the pattern for them.
 

$1000 yarn, Furls hooks, and Happily Hooked Magizen Giveaway

HappilyHooked is doing a $1000 give away!

One Grand Prize Winner will receive over $1,000 in prizes: 
40 skeins of choice from Red Heart Yarns, 
a mega accessory pack from Susan Bates Hooks & Needles, 
a lifetime subscription to Happily Hooked Magazine, 
and 4 premium crochet hooks from Furls Crochet.

 

There will also be 15 runners-up that will win some great prizes, too!

PLUS, earn extra entries by sharing this amazing giveaway with your friends!

 

************************************************************************

 

I have no affiliation with Happily Hooked.  I am just sharing with you guys because if I dont win one of you might!!   

NYR Update

Because Feb was so short I completely forgot to post an update for my New Years Reasulotion work on the Happy Hippo.

No photo as I have been getting all set up for the Pannel I will be running this weekend at Kawa Kon. After this weekend I will try to get some photos of it posted here!

I am up to 9 out of 44 motifs. I finished assembling the back end.  For March I plan on finishing up the belly and back, possibly starting the front legs.   

There are a few things I want to work on after the convention is done that I was inspired to try but wont have the time till them.

I was hoping I could finish my 'Not a Jayne' hat to wear to the convention as I was working on it in a new variation of a sc stitch so it would mimic tunisian knit with out having all the stitchs on a hook.  Basically I was working between the post's instead of under the top bar's.   Because this is a new way of working a stitch I am still getting my tension figured out and had to frog it 3 times before I just gave up on it for the night.

If I can figure out a good way of working it with out the stitch's getting all tight I might try and do a tutorial for it.  Normally I dont have an issue with my stitches being tight but because I am not working into the top but into the post I am trying to adjust the right spot with out the whole stitch being loose. 
  

Want your own Faux Fox? [Pattern]

Faux Fox Stole my Heart.

I used a bulky yarn for this, two brands because neither brand had all the colors I wanted.
Orange-Lion Brand Thick and Quick Wool Ease (3 1/2 skeins)
Black & White (technically its silver >.>)- Loops and Threads Cozy Wool ( less then 1/4 a skein each)
Worked up with a size K hook.
I will be writing in short hand so -o- means do this in Orange, -b- black, -w- white.
My finished scarf (just the body not including the tail or head) is 6ft, you can make yours longer or shorter by adjusting the amount of rows you work for this part. I sugest for a child do 3-4ft, for a teen 4-5, adult 5-6, for crazy fox scarf 6+.
This pattern is a quick clean up of my notes I took when making the scarf so please let me know if something is off so I can fix it.
I just want to say a quick thanks to my handsome model for showing off the scarf for everyone to see, he opted for a bit of anonymity by hiding his face. 

 

Head-

R1- -b- MR sc 6
R2- -w- INC all
R3- -w- sc 2, -o- inc 2, -w- sc 3
R4- -w- inc, sc, -o- sc, inc 2, sc, -w- sc, inc 2
R5- -w- inc, sc, inc, -o- sc 6, -w- inc, sc, inc 3
R6- -w- sc 2, inc, sc 2, -o- sc 2, inc 2, sc 2, -w- sc 2, inc, sc 6
R7-  sc all, white in white, orange in orange
R8- -w- sc 4, -o- sc 12 -w- sc remaining stitchs
R9- -w- sc 3, -o- sc 14, -w- sc remaining
R10-16- -o- sc all

Ears- make 4 (two in white, two in orange)

I suggest making the 2 white first so you can easily assemble them with the orange and not have to cut the yarn then sew the pieces together later.

R1- MR sc 2
R2- SC all
R3- Inc all
R4- SC all
R5- SC all

Holding the white aginst the orange, sc around, putting 2 sc into the bottom corners and 3 into the top.

Eyes- Make 2

I made my eyes by unplying a length of the black yarn, its equivalent to a thin WW.  You can use buttons or safety eyes instead I didnt have any in a size that would work well for me so I just crocheted mine.

MR DC 12, sew onto face, I used some of the scrap white unply'd it and added in the lense flair affect you see on the eyes.

I also take this time to place the ears and sew them on to the head as well.

Legs- Make 4

 R1- --b--MR DC 4 --DO NOT JOIN IN ROUND-- this is worked flat, just tighten up the MR and weave the tail into the first row.
R2-3--b- dc all
R4- -b- dc, dec, dc
R5-10- -b-dc all
R 11-16- -o- dc all

Tail-

R1- MR DC 6  -w-
R2- INC, dc 2, around-w-
R3-Inc, dc 3 -w-
R4- Inc 2, dc 3 -w-
R5- Inc, dc 2, inc, dc 3 (repeat around)
R6- Inc 2, dc 2, inc 2, dc 3 (repeat around)
R7-8- dc all -w-
R9-19- dc all -o-  (this should leave you with about a foot and a half of tail worked, if you want a shorter or longer tail work a few more or less rows)
R20- Dc 4, dec -o-  (you may more may not wind up with 3 or 4 dc at the end and no dec that is ok)
R21- DC all -o-
R22- DC 3, dec -o-
R23- DC all
R24- Dc 2, dec -o-
 R25- SC -o-

FO with long tail for sewing into the end of the scarf.

Body - Make this as long or short as you want, I worked my body to 6ft so on me it can be wrapped around 2 or 3 times with both tail and head still sitting in front.

I also assemble as I worked, when I start the body of my scarf I start it by picking up the stitches from the head (working threw both layers), and the front legs.  You do not have to do it this way but it elimitates having to sew on both head and legs.

R1- Work 12 DC along the seam of the head peice (working through the front and back at the same time, as well as the legs on the sides-- IE first 3 stitchs are worked threw 3 layers leg/fhead/bhead; then 6st through just the f/b of the head, then the last 3st are worked threw 3 layers of leg, f/b head)
--If this is to complicated you can chain 14, turn and work 12 DC across the chain (12 ch + 2 ch for turn; turning chain DOES NOT COUNT AS A ST)
R2--till lengh you like-- Chain 2, DC all
I end with a row of SC for sewing my tail and legs into so it wont stretch out and leave big gappy holes on DC.  For extra security I like to sew the legs on first then the tail, and use the tails yarn to go over both of the leg seams as well.