Hooker Chick: easy

Showing posts with label easy. Show all posts

Monday, 11 May 2015

Cute Pixie Hat

If, like me, you are permanently bespectacled, well-fitting, woolly hats can be a bit of a pain to find. When I could see to walk about without my specs I used to wear beanies, but they just don't fit right with specs ~ the arms get pressed in, raising the bridge off my nose slightly, which means that I'm constantly fiddling about with hat and specs in order to make the ensemble comfortable. It just never feels quite right!

So my answer to the problem is this cute little pixie hat, which fits perfectly over the wide arms of my specs.

And it hooks up really quick too, in just a few hours.

You will need approximately 220 yds (200 m) / 3.5 oz (100g) of medium weight yarn (I used Cascade's now discontinued 'Souk', which is a self-striping, wool/silk mix), a 4.00 mm hook, and a darning needle to sew in the ends.

Abbreviations:
slst ~ slip stitch
ch ~ chain stitch
dc ~ double crochet (UK)
htr ~ half treble (UK)
tr ~ treble (UK)

The hat is worked in rounds in the same direction, into the spaces between stitches. Tension needs to be 15 stitches/12 rows to 4 inches.

Foundation ring ~ ch 3, slip stitch to join circle.
Round 1 ~ ch 3, tr 7, slst into 3rd chain (ch 3 counts as a stitch, so 8 stitches in all).
Round 2 ~ ch 3, *tr 1, tr 2 into same space*, repeat * - * 3 twice more, tr 1, tr 1 into same space as ch 3 (so this counts as 2 trebles in the same space), slst into 3rd chain. You should have 12 stitches in all, in alternate sets of 1 and 2.
Round 3 ~ ch 3, *tr 1, tr 1, tr 2 into same space*, repeat *-* twice more, tr 1, tr 1, tr 1 into same space as ch 3, slst into 3rd chain. You should now have 16 stitches in all.

Continuing in this way, increase 4 stitches per round, so round 4 will be in sets of tr 1, tr 1, tr 1, tr 2, round 5 tr 1, tr 1 tr 1, tr 1, tr 2, and so on, until you have 60 stitches (14 rounds in all). The tr 2 into the same space always falls in the space between the tr 2 of the previous round.

The starting ch 3 of each round plus the tr into the same space at the end is the back of the hat.

Rounds 15 & 16, lose the increase treble at the front of the hat, and increase at the back and sides only, so 3 increase stitches per round.

Rounds 17 - 22, increase 3 stitches per round, but the back increase now changes to ch 2 as starting stitch plus htr as last stitch.

So that's 8 rounds of increasing 3 stitches per round, 84 stitches.

From here on we lose the increase stitch at the front of the hat and we start to shape the sides.

Round 23 ~ dc 14, *htr 4, tr 4, tr 2 into same space, tr 4, htr 4* (side), dc 21 (front), repeat * - * (side), dc 15.

The increase continues at 2 stitches per round, one at the centre of each side. If you get lost, you can always find your place again by using the increase as your marker.

Round 24 ~ *htr 4, tr 5, tr 2 into same space, tr 5, htr 4* (side), dc 20 (front), * - * (side), dc 29 (back).
Round 25 ~ *htr 4, tr 6, tr 2 into same space, tr 6, htr 4* (side), dc 19 (front), * - * (side), dc 28 (back).

Rounds 26 - 30, continue the *htr 4, tr 6, tr 2 into same space, tr 6, htr 4* stitch pattern at the sides, and dc along the front and back. There will be an additional dc at the front and at the back on each round (20/29, 21/30, 22/31, 23/32, 24/33). If you find that your dc is out by a stitch and you can't see where you've missed one or picked one up, don't stress - as long as the htr/tr stitch pattern is in the correct place at the sides, a lost or gained dc stitch isn't going to spoil the fit or look of your hat.

Finish the hat at the end of round 30, so where the back meets the righthand side. Weave in end with darning needle.

For the dangley bits, cut 6 x 10 foot lengths of yarn. Fold each length of yarn in half, and with right side of hat facing out, holding the fold/loop of one length under the centre space of one side (so space between the set of 2 trebles), hook into space and pull the loop through. Leave the loop on the hook and work both strands of the yarn together into a chain until the ends - around 50 stitches. In the space either side of this first chain, add 2nd and 3rd chain. Make sure you do the same amount of chains for each. So you now have three chains attached to the side of your hat. Keeping the chains nice and flat, plait the chains to the end, and knot together. To finish, you can either trim the ends neatly and leave as a tassel, or add a little pom-pom. Repeat for other side of hat.

To scale the hat up and down to fit larger and smaller heads, my suggestion is to add/subtract a number of 'increase x 4 stitches' rounds, so for a man-size hat, add 3 rows to give 72 stitches instead of 60, and for a child-size hat subtract 3 rows to give 48 stitches. 3 rounds is approximately 1.25 inches in length, and (if I've done my sums correctly) will give an overall circumference increase/decrease of about 3 inches.

Happy hooking!

Monday, 6 April 2015

Bold Stripe Jumper

Another Hooker Chick original! And it's an easy one, so even a novice (like me) could make this.

I have designed the jumper to fit me ~ I'm a UK size 10. It's a good fit, not tight, not loose. Therefore the pattern that follows is for size 10 only. The back and front pieces each measure 18" wide (54 sts). Body length is 23". Sleeve length (from wrist to armpit) is 14.5".

If you are larger than size 10, you could still have a go at making it if you are prepared to do a little math.

There are 3 sts per inch, so for finished garment to measure 38" around, make front and back pieces 19" wide (57 sts). However, I can't figure out how best to adjust the front and back decrease, and sleeve increase/decrease so that the number of rows in the front, back and sleeve decreases a) match up and b) end with the correct number of sts for the neck. Unless I made a jumper in each size, I couldn't be sure that I'm giving you the right pattern! Maybe I'll get my head around it one day. Hmm.

So ... to make the jumper to fit size 10, you will need:

Yarn ~ I used Drops Nepal, which is an aran weight, wool/alpaca mix, but there is no reason why you can't use any other aran weight yarn - just make sure that you buy the correct number of balls to make up the total lengths for each colour :

Colour 1 ~ 656 yds / 600 m (Drops Nepal, dark grey (0506), 8 balls)
Colour 2 ~ 328 yds / 300 m (Drops Nepal, grey (0501), 4 balls)
Colour 3 ~ 164 yds / 150 m (Drops Nepal, orange (2920), 2 balls)

Hook ~ 5.5 mm

Darning needle, scissors.

Abbreviations :

st ~ stitch
sts ~ stitches
ch ~ chain stitch
dc ~ UK double crochet
tr ~ UK treble stitch
yo ~ yarn over

Tension ~ 12 sts x 11-ish rows = 4" square

BACK

To make the back, crochet 54 sts as foundation row in colour 1. I used the method in the following video - it's not my video and it uses the US term 'double crochet' for what is the UK treble stitch. So in UK terms, it's foundation treble (not foundation double crochet) ...

Apart from the foundation row, the stitch combination throughout the entire pattern is alternate tr and dc. If (like me) you are merrily hooking along and vague off a bit and then have to stop to check that you're keeping to the stitch pattern, it's easy to see where each stitch needs to go ...

Next 12 rows ~ ch 3, dc into first space. Continue to alternate tr and dc into each space to end of row (you should still have 54 sts including your starting 3 ch, which counts as a tr).

Join colour 2. Continue as before for 8 rows.

Join colour 3. Continue as before for 4 rows.

Join colour 1. Continue as before for 2 rows.

Join colour 3. Continue as before for 4 rows.

Join colour 2. Continue as before for 8 rows. *

BACK DECREASE

Decrease 1 st per row over 24 rows as follows:

Join colour 1.

Row 1 ~ ch 2, miss first space, tr into second space. Cont. alternate dc and tr to end of row (53 sts ending on a dc).
Row 2 ~ ch 2, miss first space, tr into second space. Cont. alternate dc and tr to end of row (52 sts ending on a tr).
Row 3 ~ ch 3, miss first space, dc into second space. Cont. alternate tr and dc to end of row (51 sts ending on a tr).
Row 4 ~ ch 3, miss first space, dc into second space. Cont. alternate tr and dc to end of row (50 sts ending on a dc).

Repeat these 4 decrease rows 5 more times (30 sts remain). To finish, cut yarn, yo, pull tail through st on hook, pull tight.

FRONT

Make as back to *

FRONT DECREASE

Using back decrease rows, work rows 1 - 4 three times, then 1 & 2 only (i.e. decrease 1 st per row over 14 rows, 40 sts remain).

SHAPE LEFT SIDE OF NECK

** ch 3, miss first space, dc into second space, cont. alternate tr and dc for further 9 sts (11 sts in all).
Turn, ch 3, miss first space, dc into second space, cont. alternate tr and dc for further 8 sts (10 sts in all).
Turn, ch 2, miss first space, tr into second space, cont. alternate dc and tr for further 7 sts (9 sts in all).
Turn, ch 2, miss first space, tr into second space, cont. alternate dc and tr for further 6 sts (8 sts in all).***

Repeat from ** to *** (4sts remain).

Last two rows ~ turn, ch 3, miss first space, dc into second space, tr into third (last) space(3 sts in all). Turn, ch 2, miss first space, dc into second (last) space (2 sts remain). Cut yarn, yo, pull tail through st on hook, pull tight.

SHAPE RIGHT SIDE OF NECK

With right side facing, join yarn 11 spaces from left edge.
^^ ch 3, dc into next space, cont. alternate tr and dc for further 9 sts (11 sts in all).
Turn, ch 3, miss first space, dc into second space, cont. alternate tr and dc for further 8 sts (10 sts in all).
Turn, ch 2, miss first space, tr into second space, cont. alternate dc and tr for further 7 sts (9 sts in all).
Turn, ch 2, miss first space, tr into second space, cont. alternate dc and tr for further 6 sts (8 sts in all).^^^

Repeat from ^^ to ^^^ (4sts remain).

Last two rows ~ turn, ch 3, miss first space, dc into second space, tr into third (last) space(3 sts in all). Turn, ch 2, miss first space, dc into second (last) space (2 sts remain). Cut yarn, yo, pull tail through st on hook, pull tight.

SLEEVES (make 2!)

Crochet 26 sts as foundation row in colour 1.

Increase 11 sts over next 38 rows as follows:

Rows 1 - 3 ~ ch 3, dc into first space, cont. alternate tr and dc to end of row (26 sts).
Row 4 ~ ch 3, dc into first space, cont. alternate tr and dc to end of row, plus tr into last space to make 27 sts in all (so last space has 1 dc and 1 tr).
Row 5 ~ ch 2, tr into first space, cont. alternate dc and tr to end of row, ending on a dc (27 sts).
Row 6 ~ ch 3, dc into first space, cont. alternate tr and dc to end of row, ending on a tr (27 sts).
Row 7 ~ as row 5.
Row 8 ~ ch 3, dc into first space, cont. alternate tr and dc to end of row, plus dc into last space to make 28 sts in all (so last space has 1 tr and 1 dc).
Rows 9 - 11 ~ as rows 1 - 3.
Row 12 ~ ch 3, dc into first space, cont. alternate tr and dc to end of row, plus tr into last space to make 29 sts in all (so last space has 1 dc and 1 tr).
Row 13 ~ join colour 2. ch 2, tr into first space, cont. alternate dc and tr to end of row, ending on a dc (29 sts).
Row 14 ~ ch 3, dc into first space, cont. alternate tr and dc to end of row, ending on a tr (29 sts).
Row 15 ~ as row 13.
Row 16 ~ ch 3, dc into first space, cont. alternate tr and dc to end of row, plus dc into last space to make 30 sts in all (so last space has 1 tr and 1 dc).
Rows 17 - 19 ~ ch 3, dc into first space, cont. alternate tr and dc to end of row (30 sts).
Row 20 ~ ch 3, dc into first space, cont. alternate tr and dc to end of row, plus tr into last space to make 31 sts in all (so last space has 1 dc and 1 tr).
Row 21 ~ join colour 3. ch 2, tr into first space, cont. alternate dc and tr to end of row, ending on a dc (31 sts).
Row 22 ~ ch 3, dc into first space, cont. alternate tr and dc to end of row, ending on a tr (31 sts).
Row 23 ~ as row 21.
Row 24 ~ ch 3, dc into first space, cont. alternate tr and dc to end of row, plus dc into last space to make 32 sts in all (so last space has 1 tr and 1 dc).
Row 25 ~ join colour 1. ch 3, dc into first space, cont. alternate tr and dc to end of row (32 sts).
Row 26 ~ as row 25.
Row 27 ~ join colour 3. As row 25.
Row 28 ~ ch 3, dc into first space, cont. alternate tr and dc to end of row, plus tr into last space to make 33 sts in all (so last space has 1 dc and 1 tr).
Row 29 ~ ch 2, tr into first space, cont. alternate dc and tr to end of row, ending on a dc (33 sts).
Row 30 ~ ch 3, dc into first space, cont. alternate tr and dc to end of row, ending on a tr (33 sts).
Row 31 ~ join colour 2. As row 29.
Row 32 ~ ch 3, dc into first space, cont. alternate tr and dc to end of row, plus dc into last space to make 34 sts in all (so last space has 1 tr and 1 dc).
Row 33 ~ ch 3, dc into first space, cont. alternate tr and dc to end of row (34 sts).
Row 34 ~ ch 3, dc into first space, cont. alternate tr and dc to end of row, plus tr into last space to make 35 sts in all (so last space has 1 dc and 1 tr).
Row 35 ~ ch 2, tr into first space, cont. alternate dc and tr to end of row, ending on a dc (35 sts).
Row 36 ~ ch 3, dc into first space, cont. alternate tr and dc to end of row, plus dc into last space to make 36 sts in all (so last space has 1 tr and 1 dc).
Row 37 ~ ch 3, dc into first space, cont. alternate tr and dc to end of row (36 sts).
Row 38 ~ ch 3, dc into first space, cont. alternate tr and dc to end of row, plus tr into last space to make 37 sts in all (so last space has 1 dc and 1 tr).

Join colour 1.

Decrease 34 sts over next 24 rows as follows:

Row 39 ~ ch 3, miss first space, dc into second space, cont. alternate tr and dc to end of row (36 sts ending on a dc).
Row 40 ~ ch 2, miss first space, tr into second space, cont. alternate dc and tr to end of row (35 sts ending on a dc).
Row 41 ~ ch 2, miss first space, tr into second space, cont. alternate dc and tr to end of row (34 sts ending on a tr).
Row 42 ~ ch 3, miss first space, dc into second space, cont. alternate tr and dc to last two spaces, work last 2 sts together (32 sts).

How to work 2 sts together ~ hook into space, yo, hook back through space (2 loops on hook), hook into next space, yo, hook back through space (3 loops on hook), yo, pull through first 2 loops on hook, yo, pull through remaining 2 loops on hook (leaving 1 loop on hook).

Row 43 ~ ch 2, miss first space, tr into second space, cont. alternate dc and tr to end of row (31 sts ending on a dc).
Row 44 ~ ch 2, miss first space, tr into second space, cont. alternate dc and tr to last two spaces, work last 2 sts tog (29 sts).
Row 45 ~ ch 2, miss first space, tr into second space, cont. alternate dc and tr to end of row (28 sts ending on a tr).
Row 46 ~ ch 3, miss first space, dc into second space, cont. alternate tr and dc to last two spaces, work last 2 sts tog (26 sts).
Row 47 ~ ch 2, miss first space, tr into second space, cont. alternate dc and tr to end of row (25 sts ending on a dc).
Row 48 ~ ch 2, miss first space, tr into second space, cont. alternate dc and tr to last two spaces, work last 2 sts tog (23 sts).
Row 49 ~ ch 2, miss first space, tr into second space, cont. alternate dc and tr to end of row (22 sts ending on a tr).
Row 50 ~ ch 3, miss first space, dc into second space, cont. alternate tr and dc to last two spaces, work last 2 sts tog (20 sts).
Row 51 ~ ch 2, miss first space, tr into second space, cont. alternate dc and tr to end of row (19 sts ending on a dc).
Row 52 ~ ch 2, miss first space, tr into second space, cont. alternate dc and tr to last two spaces, work last 2 sts tog (17 sts).
Row 53 ~ ch 2, miss first space, tr into second space, cont. alternate dc and tr to end of row (16 sts ending on a tr).
Row 54 ~ ch 3, miss first space, dc into second space, cont. alternate tr and dc to last two spaces, work last 2 sts tog (14 sts).
Row 55 ~ ch 2, miss first space, tr into second space, cont. alternate dc and tr to end of row (13 sts ending on a dc).
Row 56 ~ ch 2, miss first space, tr into second space, cont. alternate dc and tr to last two spaces, work last 2 sts tog (11 sts).
Row 57 ~ ch 2, miss first space, tr into second space, cont. alternate dc and tr to end of row (10 sts ending on a tr).
Row 58 ~ ~ ch 3, miss first space, dc into second space, cont. alternate tr and dc to last two spaces, work last 2 sts tog (8 sts).
Row 59 ~ ch 2, miss first space, tr into second space, cont. alternate dc and tr to end of row (7 sts ending on a dc).
Row 60 ~ ch 2, miss first space, tr into second space, cont. alternate dc and tr to last two spaces, work last 2 sts tog (5 sts).
Row 61 ~ ch 2, miss first space, tr into second space, cont. alternate dc and tr to end of row (4 sts ending on a tr)
Row 62 ~ ch 3, miss first space, dc, tr (3 sts remain). Cut yarn, yo, pull tail through st on hook, pull tight.

JOIN PIECES TOGETHER

With right sides facing out, join sleeves to back and front using slip stitch join in colour 1.

With wrong sides facing out, join back to front and seam sleeves using slip stitch join in colour 1.

Here's a video that shows the slip stitch join. Because you are joining side seams, and so when you place your two pieces together and line up the edges, the stitches will look uneven, just do your best to match up the stitches and create an even slip stitch seam. Hook through one loop on each stitch that you pick up rather than two as in the video - as you are working all the seams in colour 1, this will give you an invisible seam on your side and sleeve seams.

Here's what my seams look like ...

NECK

With right side facing, starting at right side of back, join colour 1, ch 3 in a tr space, and alternating dc and tr, crochet 30 sts along back neckline, 3 sts at top of left arm, 44 sts along front neckline, and 3 sts at top of right arm (80 sts in all).

Next row ~ turn, ch 3, work next 2 tog., work next 2 tog., cont alternating dc and tr for 9 sts, work 2 tog., work 2 tog., cont. alternating dc and tr for 17 sts, work 2 tog., work 2 tog., cont. alternating dc and tr for 9 sts, work 2 tog., work 2 tog., work 2 tog., cont. alternating dc and tr for 23 sts, work last 2 sts tog.

Finishing row ~ turn, ch 2, miss first space, dc into each space until end of row, join with slip stitch at top of beginning ch 2, cut yarn, yo, pull tail through st on hook, pull tight.

Use darning needle to sew/weave in all those pesky ends, and you're done!

If you decide to make this, please let me know how you get on. As my first jumper pattern I hope it's easy enough to follow, but if you get stuck, give me a shout and I'll try and work it through with you!

Saturday, 21 March 2015

Hexagon Blanket

It's a long time since I made a blanket and I didn't want to do squares or rows, so after brief fiasco with pentagons (see the trouble with five) I decided that hexagons were the way to go. And don't they look fabulous!

All my projects start out with an idea and some yarn, and then I freestyle it until I arrive at something workable. I've tried my best to make the instructions as clear as possible. It was surprisingly complex when I started to type it up!

You will need :

690 yds/630 m aran/worsted weight yarn in colour 1
610 yds/560 m aran/worsted weight yarn in colour 2
1200 yds/1100 m aran/worsted weight yarn in self-striping colour 3
I used Drops Nepal 0618 & 0612, and Lion Brand Amazing 'strawberry fields'.
4.5mm hook, darning needle, scissors.

Abbreviations:
ch : chain stitch
tr : UK treble stitch

From flat side to flat side, hexagons should measure 4" across. Length of finished blanket 4 ft, width 3.5 ft measured point to point.

You will need to make 100 hexagons + 8 half hexagons.
Row 1 in colour 1, rows 2 & 4 in colour 3, row 3 in colour 2.

Here's how to make a hexagon ...

... and make half hexagons as follows ...

ch 4, slip stitch into 1st ch to join ring.
row 1 : pushing hook through centre of ring, ch 3, tr 5.
row 2 : joining yarn at top of row 1 chain, ch 3, then tr 2 into space, cont tr 2 into each space, tr into top of last row 1 treble.
row 3 : joining yarn in space between row 2 chain and 1st treble, ch 3, tr 2, tr 3, ch1, tr 3, tr 3, ch 1, tr 3, tr 3.
row 4 : joining yarn at top of row 3 chain, ch 4, tr 3, ch 1, tr 2, ch 2, tr 2, ch 1 tr 3, ch 1, tr 2, ch 2, tr 2, ch 1, tr 3, ch 1, tr into top of last row 3 treble.

Weave in ends using darning needle. You may wish to do this after making each hexagon!

Join hexagons to make up 9 rows ~ 5 rows of 12, and 4 rows of 11 + half hexagon at each end. Line up flat edges, right sides facing out, join yarn at one end then hook through top of stitches of each hexagon, yarn over, pull through (2 loops on hook), yarn over, pull through both stitches on hook. This gives a raised join, which adds a nice feature to the blanket.

Join rows together using same method, working one way down the length and then up the other way, so that the way that the raised join lays alternates between rows ...

To make the border, join yarn in colour 1 at end of long side, ch 3, then trebling into chain spaces tr 2, ch 1, tr 3, ch 1, tr 2, ch 2, tr 2, ch 1, tr 3, ch 1, tr 2, ch 1, tr 1, * tr 1, ch 1, tr 2, ch 1, tr 3, ch 1, tr 2, ch 2, tr 2, ch 1, tr 3, ch 1, tr 2, ch 1, tr 1. Repeat from * to last tr 2 from end, tr 1 (so you miss out the chain between the last tr 2 and tr 1).

Continue in a similar fashion for 6 rows, except miss out the chain space that is now in line with the raised join. Yarn colours as follows :

Row 2 in colour 2
Row 3 in colour 3
Row 4 in colour 1
Row 5 in colour 3
Row 6 in colour 2

The final row continues all the way around the blanket. Join colour 1 at the start of the first border row (i.e. at the first chain stitch you made) then ch 3 and tr 2 into the space between the ch 3 & tr 2 of the first border row. Continue tr 3 into end of each border row, then ch 2 to make a corner, tr 3, ch 1, then continue as before along the long side. The photo below shows how the stitch pattern should look at the corners ...

... and the next two photos show the stitch pattern for the short sides, at each whole and half hexagon ...

And that's it! A cosy blanket to snuggle under on chilly winter evenings.

Happy hooking!

Wednesday, 4 March 2015

Infinity Scarf

Infinity scarves are brilliant. All the warmth of a normal scarf, but no ends to get blown about and in the way! This one is so simple to make and a great first project for the novice hooker. You will need around 350 yds of medium weight (aran or worsted) yarn, a 4.5 mm hook, and a darning needle.

Before I give you the pattern, a bit about yarn weight. Yarn weights ~ lace, DK, worsted, aran, etc ~ refer to the number of individual strands that make up the 'ply' of the yarn. Aran and worsted are both 10 ply, medium weight yarns, but whereas worsted has 9 wpi (wraps per inch), aran has 8 wpi. This makes the diameter of aran yarn slightly wider than worsted.

For this scarf pattern, I have used Lion Brand, self-striping 'Amazing' yarn, which is a US wool/acrylic mix yarn branded as medium weight. I also made up a test strip using another US branded yarn ~ Drop's 'Nepal', an aran weight, wool/alpaca mix. Although both are medium weight yarns and with many worsted and aran yarns there's very little, visible difference in thickness (many consider aran to be the UK term and worsted the US term for the same weight), there is a clear difference in the thickness of Amazing and Nepal. A 50 g ball of Amazing is 147 yds/135 m, whereas a 50 g ball of Nepal is 83 yds/75 m. So a ball of Amazing is nearly twice the length of a ball of Nepal. I would say that Nepal is definitely aran weight, but Amazing is much more like DK (DK = double knitting) and a light, not medium/worsted weight yarn. However, it is quite fluffy, and suited the 4.5 mm hook okay. Here's how the two yarns compare ...

... and when crocheted on a 4.5 mm hook (both 26 sts wide) ...

Okay then ... on to the pattern.

Abbreviations as follows:

ch ~ chain stitch
tr ~ treble (UK)
st ~ stitch
sts ~ stitches

Make a slip knot and ch 25, keeping your tension loose. As a guide, your chain should measure about 8 inches.

Row 1 ~ ch 3 (normal tension), then tr into the top of st 25.

Cont. tr into top of each st to end of chain ~ 26 sts in all including your first ch 3.

Row 2 ~ ch 3, tr into first space.

Cont. tr into each space to end of row. You should still have 26 sts.

Repeat row 2 a further 106 times (108 rows in all) or until piece is 48 inches long. Seam short sides together using darning needle and weave in ends. That's all there is to it! Your infinity scarf is finished and ready to wear.

The 8 " x 48 " dimensions of the scarf can be transferred to other yarn weights and hook sizes. Here's another I made in some cheap, super chunky acrylic yarn I bought in Aldi (6.5 mm hook, 15 sts to a row, 78 rows) ~

Happy hooking!

Saturday, 28 February 2015

Really Useful Bag

I've been playing around with various scarf designs over the past week, working with different yarns, hook sizes and tension. This was my first attempt, and whilst the design itself works fine, the yarn is very scratchy. Not very comfy to wear!

So I decided to re-cycle it, and came up with this bag design instead.

If you're a novice hooker, this is a good project for learning basic decreasing and increasing ~ essential for making jumpers, cardigans, and other shaped garments. You will need around 700 yds of aran weight yarn (I used Plymouth Yarn Boko, which is a 95% wool 5% silk mix, but I think the bag would work well in a wool/cotton mix too), a 4.5mm hook, a darning needle, and some contrasting yarn to mark stitches.

Abbreviations as follows:

st - stitch
sts - stitches
ch - chain
dc - double crochet (UK)
tr - treble (UK)

To begin, make a slip-knot and ch 49, keeping your tension very loose ...

Next, (in normal tension) ch 3, tr into top of st 49 ...

Continue to tr into top of each st to end of foundation chain (50 sts in all including the beginning 3 ch).

Second row, ch 3, tr into first space and continue to end of row (you should still have 50 sts including the beginning 3 ch). Repeat for further 76 rows.

Using darning needle, neatly seam short sides together.

Next, join bottom edge like this (please excuse my rubbish videoing technique, I'll get better at it, promise) ~

Count 16 sts either side of seam at top edge and mark (32 stitches in all). Count 8 sts from markers and mark. This should give you 32 sts, 7 sts, 32 sts, 7 sts ...

Making the handle

Join yarn at one end of a 32, ch 2, tr 30, dc 1 (32 sts in all). Next row, ch 2, tr into 2nd space, tr 28, dc 1 (31 sts in all).

Using this stitch pattern - ch 2, tr into 2nd space, tr until last space, dc into last space - continue decreasing 1 st per row until 8 sts remain.

Cont. straight for further 29 rows, stitch pattern per row of ch 2, tr into first space, tr 5, dc 1.

Next row, ch 2, tr into first space, tr 6, then dc into last space (so 1 x tr and 1 x dc in same space). You should now have 9 sts. Cont. this stitch pattern, increasing 1 st per row, until 31 sts.

Final row as above (making 32 sts in all), but keep a loose tension, or your work won't stretch wide enough to join to side of bag.

It's the ch 2/dc 1 at the start/end of each row gives the handle its curved shape.

With darning needle, join edge of handle to side of bag matching up the 32 sts with corresponding spaces ...

For the finishing touch, hook a row of trebles in sets of 3 into the spaces along the top line of the bag and handle seams. Voila!

So there you go ~ a really useful bag that you could put all sorts of stuff in. Of course now that mine is full of yarn, it's unlikely to be used for anything else!

Hooker Chick