Annoying Knots

Don't you hate when you are sitting there relaxing crocheting along and all of the sudden you come along a huge knot in your skein of yarn? UGH!! Well this is the kind of day I am having today. It's a good thing I was close to the end of this granny square when I found it. I managed to pull enough yarn from the knot to finish the square before having to cut it. I will have to work on untangling it later.

Welcome May! :)

Here's to an awesome month!!

Looking forward to a few changes this month... keep checking back for what's new! :)

Work In Progress

I'm swimming in granny squares! My current WIP is a shaped character granny square blanket. Can you guess who it is? :)

Happy Monday!

Hope you have a wonderful week! Happy Monday and Happy Crocheting!

Crochet Bunny Lovey Blankies for the Twins

Here are a couple of crocheted bunny loveys or blankies. I made these for the twins for Easter. I used Redheart Super Saver for mine. They are so cute and easy to make. I followed the tutorial by Yolandasotolopez on YouTube to make these. Her tutorial is so easy to follow and she explains every step very well. Took me a while to make them only because I had to find time during my busy schedule each day to crochet. Find the tutorial here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wn_8UagKXc8 . 

Crochet Pink Ribbon Pattern

Crochet Pink Ribbon

Written by Adrena Donnelly 2012

a.k.a. Crochet Crazy Mama

Size: One Size (Approximately 2 3/4 inches long)

What You'll Need:

*Size H Crochet Hook

*Small amounts of 4-Ply worsted weight yarn in Light pink and Dark pink.

*Small Pink Button (I used heart shaped buttons)

*Saftey Pin (If you are making a pin)

*Key Ring (If you are making a Key Chain)

*Yarn Darner/Needle

*Scissors

Skill Level: Beginner/Easy

Abbreviations:

Ch=Chain

HDC=Half Double Crochet

SC=Single Crochet

St(s)=Stitch(es)

SlSt=Slip Stitch

Foundation: With Light Pink, Ch 22.

Round 1: HDC into the second Ch from the hook, and in each remaining Ch across.

Round 2: With Dark Pink, attach new color by pulling one strand of new color through the last HDC on the previous row. Ch up 1 and turn. SC in the next 20 Sts. 3 SC in the next St. Working on the opposite side of the Ch, SC in the next 20 Sts. 3 SC in the last St. Join with a SlSt to the first SC. End off and weave in yarn tail. 

Fold the yarn so that the lighter pink is to the front and the darker pink to the back. Then take one side and cross it over the front of the other. Using a yarn darner/needle sew the center of the ribbon securely at it's crossing point. Then sew on a small pink button at the crossing point on the front side of the ribbon. The ribbon is complete.

To use the ribbon as a pin simply place a safety pin on the back side of the ribbon and pin onto clothing, hats, or other accessories. To use the ribbon as a key chain, slide a key ring through the top loops of the ribbon.

Lastly, wear or show off your ribbon for breast cancer awareness to show your support for the cause! :)

***Terms of use: You may do whatever you wish with the finished product made from this pattern. If you do plan to sell the item, I ask that you give credit to where you got the pattern from. You can NOT claim the pattern as your own. You may NOT sell the pattern itself.

Sleepy Bunny Lovey Pattern

Sleepy Bunny Lovey
Written by Adrena Donnelly 2012
a.k.a. Crochet Crazy Mama

Size: One Size (Star measures 20 inches across)

What You Need:
*Size H Crochet Hook
*Soft 4-ply yarn in 3 main colors of your choice(1 skein each), labeled A, B, and C. You will also need White for bunny head, small amount of pink for ears and nose/mouth, and a very small amount of Black for the eyes. (I used Caron Simply Soft Yarn)
*Poly-fil for stuffing
*Ribbon (For optional embellishment)
*Yarn Darner/Needle
*Scissors

Skill Level: Easy

Abbreviations:
Ch=Chain
DC=Double Crochet
SC=Single Crochet
HDC=Half Double Crochet
HDC Dec=Half Double Crochet Decrease
SlSt=Slip Stitch
Skp=Skip
St(s)=Stitch(es)
*=Repeat from * as directed in pattern


Blanket:

Foundation: With color A, Ch 4, SlSt in the beginning Ch to form a circle.

Round 1: Ch 3, DC into the center of the circle 11 times. SlSt in top of beginning Ch 3 to join. (12 Sts)

Round 2: Ch 3, Dc into bottom of the same Ch space. 2 DC in each DC around. SlSt in top of beginning Ch 3 to join. (24 Sts)

Round 3: Ch 3, Sc in next St, skip next St, 3 Dc in next, Ch 3, 3 more DC in same space. This creates your first point. *Skip next St, Sc in the next. Skip next, 3 Dc, Ch 3, 3 Dc in next St. Repeat from * 4 more times. SlSt into top of first Sc to join.

Round 4: S1St in the next 2 Sts. Ch 3. DC in next St. (3 DC, Ch 3, 3 DC) in next point space. DC in next 2 Sts. Skp next 3 Sts. DC in next 2 Sts. *(3 DC, Ch 3, 3 DC) in next point space. 2 DC in next 2 Sts, Skip next 3 Sts, DC in next 2 Sts. Repeat from * 3 more times. (3 DC, Ch 3, 3 DC) in next point space. DC in the next 2 Sts. SlSt in top of first Ch 3 to join. End off.

Round 5: Start color B by pulling a loop through the top of the Ch 3 on previous round where SlSt was made. SlSt in the next DC. Ch 3, DC across until the next point space. (3 DC, Ch 3, 3 DC) in point space. DC in the next 4 Sts. *Skp next 2 Sts. DC in next 4 Sts, (3 DC, Ch 3, 3 DC) in point space. DC in next 4 Sts. Repeat from * 4 more times. SlSt in top of beginning Ch 3 to join.

Round 6: SlSt in the next DC. Ch 3, DC across until the next point space. (3 DC, Ch 3, 3 DC) in point space. DC in the next 6 Sts. *Skp next 2 Sts. DC in next 6 Sts, (3 DC, Ch 3, 3 DC) in point space. DC in next 6 Sts. Repeat from * 4 more times. SlSt in top of beginning Ch 3 to join. End off.

Round 7: Start color C by pulling a loop through the top of the Ch 3 on previous round where SlSt was made. SlSt in the next DC. Ch 3, DC across until the next point space. (3 DC, Ch 3, 3 DC) in point space. DC in the next 8 Sts. *Skp next 2 Sts. DC in next 8 Sts, (3 DC, Ch 3, 3 DC) in point space. DC in next 8 Sts. Repeat from * 4 more times. SlSt in top of beginning Ch 3 to join.

Round 8: SlSt in the next DC. Ch 3, DC across until the next point space. (3 DC, Ch 3, 3 DC) in point space. DC in the next 10 Sts. *Skp next 2 Sts. DC in next 10 Sts, (3 DC, Ch 3, 3 DC) in point space. DC in next 10 Sts. Repeat from * 4 more times. SlSt in top of beginning Ch 3 to join. End off.

Round 9: Start color A by pulling a loop through the top of the Ch 3 on previous round where SlSt was made. SlSt in the next DC. Ch 3, DC across until the next point space. (3 DC, Ch 3, 3 DC) in point space. DC in the next 12 Sts. *Skp next 2 Sts. DC in next 12 Sts, (3 DC, Ch 3, 3 DC) in point space. DC in next 12 Sts. Repeat from * 4 more times. SlSt in top of beginning Ch 3 to join.

Round 10: SlSt in the next DC. Ch 3, DC across until the next point space. (3 DC, Ch 3, 3 DC) in point space. DC in the next 14 Sts. *Skp next 2 Sts. DC in next 14 Sts, (3 DC, Ch 3, 3 DC) in point space. DC in next 14 Sts. Repeat from * 4 more times. SlSt in top of beginning Ch 3 to join. End off.

Round 11: Start color B by pulling a loop through the top of the Ch 3 on previous round where SlSt was made. SlSt in the next DC. Ch 3, DC across until the next point space. (3 DC, Ch 3, 3 DC) in point space. DC in the next 16 Sts. *Skp next 2 Sts. DC in next 16 Sts, (3 DC, Ch 3, 3 DC) in point space. DC in next 16 Sts. Repeat from * 4 more times. SlSt in top of beginning Ch 3 to join.

Round 12: SlSt in the next DC. Ch 3, DC across until the next point space. (3 DC, Ch 3, 3 DC) in point space. DC in the next 18 Sts. *Skp next 2 Sts. DC in next 18 Sts, (3 DC, Ch 3, 3 DC) in point space. DC in next 18 Sts. Repeat from * 4 more times. SlSt in top of beginning Ch 3 to join. End off.

Round 13: Start color C by pulling a loop through the top of the Ch 3 on previous round where SlSt was made. SlSt in the next DC. Ch 3, DC across until the next point space. (3 DC, Ch 3, 3 DC) in point space. DC in the next 20 Sts. *Skp next 2 Sts. DC in next 20 Sts, (3 DC, Ch 3, 3 DC) in point space. DC in next 20 Sts. Repeat from * 4 more times. SlSt in top of beginning Ch 3 to join.

Round 14: Ch 1, Reverse single crochet around, putting 3 reverse Sc in each point space. SlSt in beginning Ch 1 to join. End off. Weave in all ends.


Bunny:
(Head)

Foundation: With white, Ch 4, SlSt in beginning Ch to form a circle.

Round 1: Ch 2, 11 HDC in the center of the circle. SlSt in the top of beginning Ch 2 to join.

Round 2: Ch 2, 2 HDC in each St around. SlSt in top of beginning Ch 2 to join.

Round 3: Ch 2. *HDC in the next St, 2 HDC in the next. Repeat from * around. SlSt in the top of beginning Ch 2 to join.

Rounds 4-9: Ch 2, HDC in each St around. SlSt in the top of beginning Ch 2 to join.

Round 10: Ch 2. *HDC Dec over next 2 Sts, 1 HDC in the next. Repeat from * around. SlSt in the top of beginning Ch 2 to join.

Round 11: Ch 2, HDC Dec in each St around. SlSt in the top of beginning Ch 2 to join.

*Before working Round 12, you'll need to embroider the eyes, nose and mouth onto the face of your bunny head using small amounts of black and pink. Once face is complete, begin to lightly stuff bunny head (not full).

Round 12: Ch 2, HDC in each St around. SlSt in top of beginning Ch 2 to join. End off leaving a long tail for sewing.  Finish stuffing head.


(Ears)

Inner(Make 2): With Pink, Ch 13, HDC in second Ch from the hook, and in each remaining Ch across. End off and weave in ends.

Outer(Make 2):
Foundation: With White, Ch 13, HDC in second Ch from the hook, and in each remaining Ch across. Ch 3, turn.

Round 1: DC in the next 10 Sts. 3 DC in the next. Working on opposite side of the foundation Ch, 2 DC in the next St. DC in the last 11 Sts. End off leaving a tail for sewing.


Completing The Lovey

To complete the lovey blanket you will need to sew all of your parts together. Begin by sewing the inner part of the ears to the center front of the outer part of the ears. Then you will have to sew the ears to the top of the bunny head, making sure that the front pink side of the ears is facing the same direction as the face of your bunny. Then you will have to attach the bunny head to the center of the star blanket. Sew it securely so that it won't come apart later. Lastly make sure to weave in and hide any remaining yarn ends.

*Optional: Cut a small amount of ribbon to match your blanket and make a bow around the bottom of the bunny head where it meets the blanket.

***Terms of use: You may do whatever you wish with the finished product made from this pattern. If you do plan to sell the item, I ask that you give credit to where you got the pattern from. You can NOT claim the pattern as your own. You may NOT sell the pattern itself.

Crochet Pink Ribbons for Breast Cancer Awareness

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. I came up with these crocheted pink ribbons in honor of those who have lost, won, or are still currently fighting in the battle against cancer. I personally know many of those who have fought the battle.

The pattern for this ribbon will be posted for FREE here on my blog. I will be posting that either tonight or sometime tomorrow. The pattern is very simple, uses up a small scrap amount of yarn, and takes only a few minutes to make. I came up with 2 different ways to display your support for the cause. The first ribbon in the picture above is displayed as a key ring. Proudly display your support right from your key chain. The second ribbon in the picture is being displayed as a pin. Pin the ribbon to your shirt, jacket, scarf, hat or wherever you would like to show your support wherever you go! What do you all think?

Keep a look out for the pattern. It will be up soon! :)

Crochet Pink Ribbon Pin (Front)

Crochet Pink Ribbon Pin (Back)

Crochet Pink Ribbon Key Ring

Seasonal Projects

Anyone working on projects for the coming seasons? I have a few ideas for things to make for Autumn/Fall, Halloween and even Christmas/Winter. I would love to work on some gifts for friends and family to give for Christmas. I'm just not sure how much time I will really have to work on my crochet things when the new babies come. I'm sure I will make time. I will be up several times a night to feed, i'm sure I can BF and crochet at the same time! :) I have a few short updates to post here soon. A little about crochet and a little about my family and the coming new additions.
In the meantime I would love to hear about what you are all working on. Feel free to share pics! Anyone have any patterns they would like for me to try out and review for you? I haven't done any reviews in a while. I love to try new patterns and stitches so I am up for anything! :)

Crochet Ribbed Baby Hats

So these are fresh off my hook! 2 absolutely adorable baby hats I crocheted for my twins! I made these hats following a tutorial on YouTube by yolandasotolopez. It is a crochet ribbed stitch hat. It was super easy to follow her tutorial and the hat worked up very quickly. I made them both in the same day. What I like most about these little hats is that they are very thick and will be nice and warm! My babies will be born toward the colder months where I live and so thick, warm hats will be perfect for them! The only thing I changed about her pattern was that I added a single crochet stitch along the bottom just for a nice finished edge. I am adding these to the hospital bag so that they can wear them after they are born! :) I made these with RedHeart Super Saver yarn and I just love how they turned out. Can't wait to put them on the twins!

RedHeart - Light Blue

RedHeart - Honeydew

Newest Pattern! - Sleepy Bunny Lovey

I would like to introduce my newest pattern, Sleepy Bunny Lovey! This is a combination of a small baby starghan lovey and an amigurumi bunny. I created this pattern with basic stitches so that it would be easy for anyone to follow. I am very happy with how it turned out. I think it is absolutely adorable! I made this cute little baby bunny blankie with Caron Simply Soft brand yarn. It can be made with any soft 4-ply yarn. It is very cuddly and would be perfect for any new addition. (I'll have to make a couple for my little jelly beans due in November :) ) This pattern will soon be available for purchase. You can find it listed in my "Patterns for Sale" section on this blog. If you are interested in getting this pattern sooner, you can head on over to my Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/CrochetCrazyMama-Blog/196370060448021) and enter in the giveaway for a chance to be one of two winners of the pattern for free! :)

Here are a few more pics of this adorable bunny lovey! (Sorry I'm no photographer :/)

Sleepy Bunny Lovey - Video

Check out my video for another look at my newest pattern!

Crochet Humor

Here is just a little crochet humor I thought I would share! :) Hope you enjoy!

Gifts for the TWINS :)

Here are a couple of crocheted baby blankets that my mother made for my twins due in November. She only recently learned to crochet and she is a fast learner! :) The blankets are adorable. There was no pattern for these, she just made them up herself. Pretty good for a newbie huh? Thanks mom! <3

Yellow Striped Baby Blanket

Green Striped Baby Blanket

Crochet Lovey/Security Blankets

I crocheted these 2 Lovey/Security blankets as baby shower gifts. They are made with Caron Simply Soft yarn and a size H crochet hook. The first one is a frog, and the second one is a bear. This is a modified pattern. The original pattern I purchased from Anniesattic.com. The pattern is called Zoo-curity Blankets.

Getting back to crochet!

So I know that I have been VERY inactive both here and on Facebook in the last month or so, but you all know why that is by now. I am feeling much better these days and have recently picked up the hook again. I am currently working on a baby blanket for one of my little jelly beans. I still have to make a second one for the second twin! :) I do have some older stuff I have made or that I was working on before the baby stuff came about and I will be sharing some of that stuff with you. I just have not felt like crocheting anything the last month or so... I just did not have the energy to even try to work on anything. It didn't stop me from thinking of new things to make though. I am happy to be back to crochet again, and I am excited to share my new ideas and projects with you! Thank you all for hanging in there and waiting for my return, it means a lot! I'm back! :)

Crystalites Crochet Hooks by Susan Bates (Review)

I just recently purchased a set of these Crystalites crochet hooks by Susan Bates from shopredheart.com. I was ordering some new yarn anyway and decided to grab these just to try something new. They only cost a few dollars. I had never used a plastic hooks before. I mostly use the aluminum ones.

There were things I liked about these hooks and things I didn't really like. One of the things I did like, was that each hook is a different translucent color. I have already memorized which color is which sized hook. I also liked that these hooks came with a clear plastic case with the sizes of each hook printed on the outside. So very easy to store and find the hook you are looking for. Something I didn't like about these, is that in the description it stated that the head of these hooks is designed to reduce wrist fatigue. I didn't get that effect when I used them. My wrist seems to tire just as fast as they do with my aluminum hooks. Another thing I didn't like about these hooks, was that my yarn did not smoothly run across the surface of them. It would almost catch on them at times and it actually got a little annoying. I only tried them with 100% acrylic yarn. I'm not sure if using a different yarn I might have had a different experience with that. One thing about these that I noticed is that they are slightly shorter than the aluminum hooks and even the bamboo hooks that I am used to. I had to adust the way I held my hooks. 

Overall I would rate these hooks a 3 out of 5. I will most likely continue to use my aluminum and bamboo hooks more than these. I think I will try to use a different yarn type with them just to see if they work any better with it. If I do that i may post an update about that. If any of you have used these and had better luck with different yarn types let me know. If anyone is interested in purchasing these hooks I found mine on shopredheart.com for around $7. Happy Crocheting!

Crochet Toilet Paper Cover

This is a crocheted toilet paper cover that I made for a request. She requested that it be made with a lighter purple color and that she did not have a preference for a specific kind of flower. Her bathroom theme is white and purple, so I went with a white flower. I decided to create a new type of flower just for this cover. I really really like it a lot. I cascaded the flowers across the top and down one side of the cover. I embroidered yellow centers onto the flower to add a touch of color. I added little green crochet spirals to bring out the colors of the whole thing. I thought it came out really pretty. She loved it too!

Here is a close up of the flowers I designed for this cover.

Side view of the cover.

Puff Stitch Hat

This is my completed crochet puff stitch hat. This hat pattern in by Teresa Richardson (The Crochet Geek on YouTube). I love this hat. It was very easy to make and I followed right along with the video tutorial. I was actually unfamiliar with the puff stitch before making this hat. I really like it though and it was easy for me to learn. Teresa is a great teacher. I am already thinking of a few patterns of my own that I can incorporate this stitch into. The flower in the picture is actually one of my own patterns. It is posted here on the blog: http://crochetcrazymama.blogspot.com/2011/05/spring-bloom-pattern.html. I thought adding the flower made the hat even better. There are many ways you could accessorize a hat like this one. This was another awesome pattern by Teresa!

Baby Cupcake Hat Pattern

Baby Cupcake Hat

Written by Adrena Donnelly 2012

a.k.a Crochet Crazy Mama

Size: Newborn

What You Need:

Size I/9-5.50mm Crochet Hook

Soft 4Ply yarn in Brown, Pink, and Red (I used Caron Simply Soft yarn)

Yarn Needle

Scissors

Skill Level: Easy

Abbreviations:

Ch=Chain

HDC=Half Double Crochet

FP HDC= Front Post-Half Double Crochet

SC=Single Crochet

SlSt=Slip Stitch

St(s)=Stitch(es)

*= Repeat from * as directed

Body of Hat

With Pink, Ch 5, join with a SlSt to beginning Ch.

Round 1: Ch 2, 9 HDC into the center of the loop. Join with a SlSt to top of beginning Ch 2.

Round 2: HDC in same St, 2 HDC in each of the remaining Sts around. Join with a SlSt to top of beginning Ch 2.

Round 3: Ch 2, * 2 HDC in the next St, 1 HDC in the next St. Repeat from * around. Join with a SlSt to top of the beginning Ch 2.

Round 4: Ch 2, 1 HDC in the next St. * 2 HDC in the next St, 1 HDC in each of the next 2 Sts. Repeat from * around. Join with a SlSt to top of the beginning Ch 2.

Rounds 5-8: Ch 2, 1 HDC in each St around. Join with a SlSt to top of the beginning Ch 2.

Round 9: Ch 2, Working in back loops only, 1 HDC in each St around. Using Brown, join with a SlSt through the beginning Ch 2 and last HDC.

Round 10: Ch 2, 1 HDC in each of the next 3 Sts, FP HDC in the next St. *1 HDC in each of the next 4 Sts, FP HDC in the next St. Repeat from * around. Join with a SlSt to top of beginning Ch 2.

Rounds 11-15: Ch 2, 1 HDC in each of the previous HDC, and 1 FP HDC in each of the previous FP HDC around. Join with a SlSt in top of beginning Ch 2.

Round 16: Ch 1, SC in same Ch space. SC in each remaining St around. Join with a SlSt to beginning Ch 1. Tie off and weave in yarn ends.

Frosting

Attach pink to any St on row 9. Ch 2, 2 HDC in the same Ch space. 3 HDC in each remaining St around. Join with a SlSt to top of beginning Ch 2.

Pom Pom Cherry

Using the Red yarn, wrap yarn around 2 fingers several times and then cut leaving a long tail. Thread yarn needle. Weave yarn tail  through middle section of the yarn on your fingers. Don't poke yourself! Pull yarn from fingers and while holding the center of the bunch of yarn, pull the yarn tail tight. Secure it with a few knots. Carefully cut ends of yarn bunch, and then fluff out your yarn. Trim ends until you are satisfied with the size of your pom pom. Use remaining yarn tail to sew the pom pom to top of your cupcake hat.