Baptism Blanket - free crochet pattern

I had a request last night for the pattern for this blanket:

Truth is, I made it up and used my KAL (knit-a-long) creation skills to create the image. (eh - I'm not a big knitter -it takes me forever and I make a lot of mistakes - but I have fun with washclothes with pictures on them). Instead of the purl replacing a knit stitch, I used a ch1 space to draw the picture, dot matrix style.

I make this rectangular. Typical sizes I get asked to create are 24x30 (baby) and 32x40 (toddler)

So here's the pattern:

generally, I use a 5.5 mm hook with sport weight yarn (my fave - knit picks shine sport).

Row 1: dc foundation chain row (how to HERE) made to the desired width minus double the height of a dc (that's the trim)

Pause -
1-Since gauge is not that big of a deal for this pattern, count your stitches here - it just needs to be an even number. I make various sizes of this blanket and have never written down the number of stitches. The toddler blanket shown has about 100 stitches across. My gauge is generally around around 3-4 stitches per inch.
2- Grab some graph paper. Using your number of stitches, draw out your image using 1 square across = 2 stitches (double crochet) and 1 square down = 1 row. For the toddler blanket, I use 10 holes (20 stitches) as the width of the vertical portion of my cross (width of stipes) centered on the blanket, 10 holes (10 rows) including the top row down to the patibulum (crossbar), the patibulum is a total of 56 stitches wide (10 holes out on each side including the last hole that makes up the stipes). The stipes continues down an additional 19 holes/rows for a a total of 38 rows down. Yours doesn't have to be the same as mine.

Row 2 & 3: ch2 turn, dc in the same stitch, dc across, dc, ch2 turn
Row 4: assuming 100 stitches (use your graph if you got something different or have a wider or narrower stipes), dc in same stitch as the ch-turn, dc 39, *ch1, skip a stitch, dc in the next stitch* repeat from * to * 9 times, dc 40, ch2 turn
Row 5-12: dc in the same stitch as the ch-turn, dc 39, ch1, dc 18, ch1, dc 40, ch2 turn
Row 13: dc in the same stitch as the ch-turn, dc 20, *ch1, skip a stitch, dc in the next stitch* repeat from * to * 9 times (the last ch1 should be under the ch1 space), dc 18. *ch1, skip a stitch, dc in the next stitch* repeat from * to * 9 times (the first ch1 space should be under the ch1 space in the row above), dc 21, ch2 turn
Row 14-21: dc in the same stitch as the ch-turn, dc 20, ch1, dc 56, ch1, dc 21, ch2 turn
Row 22: dc in the same stitch as the ch-turn, dc 20, *ch1, skip a stitch, dc in the next stitch* repeat from * to * 9 times (the last ch1 should be under the ch1 space), dc 18. *ch1, skip a stitch, dc in the next stitch* repeat from * to * 9 times, dc 21, ch2 turn
Row 23-40: dc in the same stitch as the ch-turn, dc 39, ch1, dc 18, ch1, dc 40, ch2 turn
Row 41: dc in same stitch as the ch-turn, dc 39, *ch1, skip a stitch, dc in the next stitch* repeat from * to * 9 times, dc 40, ch2 turn
Row 42 & 43: ch2 turn, dc in the same stitch, dc across, dc, ch2 turn
Row 44: ch2 turn, dc in the same stitch, dc across, dc, ch2 do not turn

Pause -
Starting trim rounds here - you can do any trim you want. I kept this one simple with 3 rounds. You can pick a different one that you like better if you want.

ROUND 1- turn the blanket so that you are working down the side of the blanket, sc in the same stitch as the turning chain, sc down the side putting 2 stitches in the side of every dc. At the corner, ch1 and sc in same stitch. sc across; at the next corner, ch1, sc in same stitch, sc 2x in the side of each dc; last corner now, ch1, sc in the same stitch, sc across except the final stitch where the ch 2 is. Join with a slst in the ch2 space. ch4  do not turn
ROUND 2 - dc in same stitch as chain, working down the side of the blanket, *ch1, skip a stitch, dc in next stitch* across. At the corners, ch2 and dc in the same ch1 space. join with a slst when you get around. ch1, do not turn.
ROUND 3 - In the ch2 space, sc-ch1-sc2. sc in each dc and ch1 space. In the ch2 space of the corners, sc2-ch1-sc2. join with an invisible join slst bind-off.

I don't write a lot of patterns. Please let me know if you have any trouble with it or find a mistake. Thanks!

Don't want to make it? I can make it for you! Check me out on Etsy!

update: I was asked for a pattern for a throw-sized blanket. I use math to expand this so I don't know if it works quite right but here's the throw sized version: 

the typical size of a throw blanket is 50”x70”

If you’re using the same materials I used and about the same gauge, doing the oh-so-fun ratio math, your blanket will be 156 stitches wide x 90 rows long which is a little longer than a traditional throw but it makes for some easy math with the cross!

to turn all these rows, I ch2 and the first stitch was in the same stitch as the ch2

R1 - foundation chain dc 156 stitches 
R2-5 - dc across 
R6 - dc 58 stitches, ch 1, skip 1, dc in the next stitch 20 times (40 stitches), dc 57 stitches (156) 
R7 - dc 58 stitches, ch 1, skip one (will be directly under the first ch-space), dc in the next stitch, dc in the ch-space, dc in the next stitch until you have one ch-space left, ch 1, skip one, dc in the next stitch, dc 57 (156) 
R8-24 - dc 58 stitches, ch 1, skip one (will be directly under the first ch-space), dc until you are at the ch-space, ch 1, skip one, dc in the next stitch, dc 57 (156) 
R25 - dc 10, ch 1, skip 1, dc in the next stitch 24 times (48 stitches, the last ch-space will be under the previous row’s ch-space), dc 37, ch 1, skip 1 (the ch-space), dc in the next stitch, ch 1, skip 1, dc in the next stitch 23 more times (24 ch-spaces total), dc 10 (156) 
R26 - dc 10 stitches, ch 1, skip 1 (will be directly under the first ch-space), dc in the next stitch, dc in the ch-space, dc in the next stitch until reach the center section, dc in each stitch until you read the next ch-space, dc in the ch-space, dc in the next stitch until you have one ch-space left, ch 1, skip one, dc in the next stitch, dc 9 (156) 
R27-44 - dc 10 stitches, ch 1, skip 1 (will be directly under the ch-space), dc until you reach the ch-space, ch 1, skip one, dc in the next stitch, dc 9 (156) 
R45 -dc 10, ch 1, skip 1, dc in the next stitch 24 times (48 stitches, this will line up with the top ch-space), dc 37, ch 1, skip 1, dc in the next stitch 24 times, dc 10 (156) 
R46 - dc 58 stitches, ch 1, skip 1 (will be directly under the last ch-space), dc in the next stitch, dc in the ch-space, dc in the next stitch until you reach the next ch-space left, ch 1, skip one, dc in the next stitch, dc 57 (156) 
R47-84 - dc 58 stitches, ch 1, skip one (will be directly under the first ch-space), dc until you are at the ch-space, ch 1, skip one, dc in the next stitch, dc 57 (156) 
R85 - dc 58 stitches, ch 1, skip 1, dc in the next stitch 20 times (40 stitches), dc 57 stitches (156) 
R86 - dc across with a dc in the ch-spaces (156) 
R87-90 - dc across

I like to add a border but you don’t have to. There are whole books written on different blanket border patterns! The one pictured is a simple border: sc around once then ch 1, skip 1, dc in the next stitch and then sc around again. A picot would also look nice or something more elaborate like pineapples would also look great!

Marshmallows!

So I was up late one night and saw Kristen Bell promoting both Disney's Frozen and the Veronica Mars movie! It's on Amazon Prime Instant Video and I'm hooked and it turns out, I missed way more than I thought of the series - 22 episodes per season and 3 seasons... oops! Well, I'm thru season 1 and 1/2 thru season 2 (Duncan just left).  When the kids are at school, I can watch on the big screen while I work but when they're home, I'm on earphones on the laptop. I can work while I watch on the screen but the headphone cord gets in my way!

Last week was Spring Break for my kids. We went swimming at the neighborhood indoor pool, bowling (with my daughter's boyfriend - when did she even grow up that much?) and on a Family Scavenger Hunt at Maymont Park in Richmond. I also made a new product - my first for sale garment - a Christening gown!

Bunny ears crochet pattern

I had the opportunity to make a fuzzy bunny hat for a photographer recently. I found some really great bulky fuzzy yarn (Yarn Bee Cameo) - it's soft, it has fluff and fuzz - it's great except...it's super bulky (6)...I love sport weight yarn and often use it (with a size larger hook) when worsted weight is called for. It's light and lacy. But bulky and then some? Yes, it works up faster but it's just so big! No problem though, I'll have to find a pattern that calls for bulky yarn. um... yeah... so...

Well, a beanie hat isn't hard to make. I loosely followed Red Heart's Bunny Hat pattern for the beanie - I love the dc row amid the primarily sc rows. Granted, the pattern was written for a worsted weight (4) so I had to make modifications - I switched to my largest hook (M) and cut down on number of rows. but even then the ears didn't really work - they were too stiff with the bulky yarn.

I went looking for another pattern. I couldn't really find one that would work with bulky yarn or gave me the look I was going for so I made up my own!

Inner ear (crochet 2)
with sport or worsted weight yarn (I did white with the pink hat and cream with the tan hat) and a I hook, leave a longer tail and ch 21.
R1: sc in the second ch from hook, sc 18; in the last ch, 5sc. working on the other side of the ch, sc 19 to the end, do not join, ch1 turn (43)
R2: sc in the same sc as the ch1, sc 18, 2sc in each of the 5 turning stitches, sc 19, ch1 turn (48)
R3: sc in the same sc as the ch1, sc 7, hdc 3, dc 10, hdc, 2sc, sc-ch-sc, 2sc, hdc, dc 10, hdc 3, sc 9, ch1 turn (52 including sc-ch-sc)
R4: slst in the first stitch, slst 5, sc 19, in the ch1 space, sc-ch-sc, ,sc 19, slst 6, bind off leaving long tail (53 inclusing sc-ch-sc).
using the longer starting tail, sew up any gap made by crocheting on both sides of the ch.

Fuzzy Outer Ear (crochet 2)
using the super bulky yarn and the M hook, ch 13.
R1: sc in the second ch from the hook, sc 10, sc 5 in the last ch, working on the other side of the ch, sc 11, ch1 turn (27)
R2: sc in the same stitch as the ch 1, sc 10, 2sc in each of the 5 turning stitches, sc 11, ch1 turn (32)
R3: sc in the same stitch as the ch 1, sc 10, hdc, dc, 2dc, dc, 2dc, dc-ch1-dc, 2dc, dc, 2dc, dc, hdc, sc 10, ch turn (38 including dc-ch-dc) do not bind off
weave in the starting tail

*here come the tricky part - joining the inner and outer ears together. You'll notice that they aren't the same size and don't have the same number of finishing stitches and that the M hook will not fit in the I hook space. I switch to a J hook. I use 3 removable stitch markers (safety pins) to hold them together temporarily. The first one is placed in the ch space at the turn for both inner and outer ear. The other 2 attach to the top of the ear for both parts of the ears. As the next row is worked, there's a bit of "easing in" that goes on - the stitches with stitch markers are the only ones that have to match up.
R4: holding both part of the ear together, insert the hook with the fuzzy working yarn still looped under the first slst of the inner ear and thru the same stitch as the ch1 of the outer ear, draw a loop through both pieces and make a sc. Do the same for the rest of the slst and the sc on the inner ear (24 st) to the next stitch marker - some of the outer ear stitches will have 2 stitches in each stitch but not all of them (this is the easing in part). In the ch spaces, sc-ch-sc. sc in each of the inner ear sc attaching it to the outer ear - remember, some of the outer ear stitches will hold 2 of the sc - use your best judgement. bind off leaving a long tail.

tuck the starting tail of the inner ear between the layers and use the long tail of the inner ear to sew the top closed with a whip stitch, I knot it and weave in ends. Using long tail of the fuzzy yarn, sew the ears on the hat where and how you like them. Weave in the ends of the fuzzy yarn, put hat on a baby - adorable!

Hopping Down The Bunny Trail fuzzy bunny hat at hamburke.com

Another Easy Crochet Pattern Share - snowman coffee cup coozy

I do a lot of socializing at Starbucks and I meet a lot of people by simply crocheting in public. It's an amazingly simple marketing/networking strategy. Here's an easy-peasy pattern that I use to draw attention to myself!

I like to use a J hook but you can adapt this to any hook you like to use.
I used 2 strands of yarn for most of the coozy (Knit Picks Cotlin DK for the scarf and hat, Knit Picks Shine Sport for the face). I really think that 2 strands, no matter the weight, makes it look better.
scraps of black and orange - both of these happened to be Shine Worsted.

ch - chain
sc - single crochet
sc3tog - single crochet together
hdc - half double crochet
dc - double crochet
slst - slip stitch
sk - skip

I like to use a no-chain single crochet foundation row b/c it leaves such a pretty edge. Here's a video tutorial which I totally think is necessary if you've never done a foundation row before.

Foundation Row: 29 stitches or 9 inches, being careful not to twist the row and slst join, do not turn
R2: ch1, sc in the same stitch as the slst, sc around, slst join
CHANGE YARN HERE to white for snowman face
R3-6: ch2, hdc in the same stitch as the slst, hdc around, slst join
CHANGE YARN HERE to hat color
R7 and hat: ch2, hdc in the same stitch as the slst, hdc 17, TURN,
ch1, sk next stitch, sc in the next stitch, sc 7, slst in next stitch, TURN,
ch1, sk slst, sc in next stitch, sc7, slst in last stitch, TURN,
ch1, sk slst, sc in next stitch, sc5, slst in last stitch, TURN,
ch1, sk slst, sc in next stitch, sc 2, sc2tog, slst in last stitch, TURN,
ch1, sk slst, sc in next stitch, sc2togslst in last stitch, TURN,
ch1 sk slst, sc2tog, ch1, sc down the side, hdc in the same space as the last stitch before the first turn, continue hdc around the round, slst join
R8: slst around R7, keep going thru the hat portion, not around it, join and bind off.  I do the seamless join with this that I learned from The Lovely Crow - pull the end thru the last slst so there's a loose end on the outside; with a yarn needle, thread the loose end, then go under the first slst in the round and back thru the last slst so you can't find the join.

Scarf end
I only use 1 strand of the scarf color for this so it lays down nicely. Leave a long tail (8 inches or so) at the beginning.
R1: ch4, sc in second chain from hook, sc to end
R2-3: ch2, hdc in same stitch, hdc across
R4: ch1, slst across
use 4 strand for fringe, slst on. I wanted to use 3 section but I only fit 2 on. I also tucked my end into the closest fringe - that's my favorite part of fringe - no weaving in ends!

PomPom
I really don't like making pompoms but...IT'S JUST SO CUTE! Here's a tutorial - I only used 2 fingers for this since it's a mini.

Eyes (make 2)
10 sc in your magic ring (complete with cheesy music, here's Planet June's video tutorial), invisible join and bind off.

Carrot nose
ch4, slst in second chain from the hook, sc in next stitch, hdc in last stitch, bind off.

PUT IT TOGETHER: Use the loose ends at the bottom to finish that edge - I pull it thru the bottom of the last stitch and tie it off like I do a sewing stitch. Weave in the ends including the ones from the bottom. Using long tails, sew on the scarf, eyes and nose. Weave in those ends. Fold down the hat and sew on the pompom through both the tip of the hat and the coozy. Weave in those ends and VOILA! Enjoy your yummy drink (butterbeer anyone?)

nah - this one's better for the Butterbeer!

(This pattern hasn't been tested by others, just by me. If you find a mistake, send me a message or leave a comment)

Also - Introducing PRINCESSES! to my fabric sandwich bag repertoire!

Oh the dread! I went to the dentist!

and I had 5 cavities! Ouch! Anyway, I've had them all filled - 3 last week, 2 yesterday - and I'm all sore. Back teeth are terrible since they give you a shot in your jaw. Since I haven't felt much like eating or talking in a week, I've been busy crocheting. Here's 4 hats that I made plus a diaper cover (coming soon to my shop)! Plus, I'm showing off my new photography prop - a water goblet from my china cabinet!

After a successful dinner, time to move on to Vendor Fairs

The only thing that was a bit of a snag was the fact that I don't have a serving platter - oh well! Something to ask for for Christmas!

I signed up for a Vendor Fair on December 8 at the kid's school and I'm considering signing up for the fair the following day at the dance studio that my daughter dances at. I'm so unmotivated to create hair bows this weekend though and my backordered velcro hasn't arrived to finish the sandwich bags so I spent yesterday crocheting up a storm. I finished a sweater and beanie for my cousin (no pictures, please - in case she reads this!) and a new bonnet pattern (sans tucking ends and sewing on ribbon ties) for my table at the PTA Vendor Fair.

Onto Booties! and hopefully, I'll want to make some hair bows!

Okay, I photographed this hat that I made a while ago too - it's off-white (yarn package says cream, I say beige and a customer called it ecru, somewhere in there, it has to match one of the Pantone colors!).