Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Sunrise Sunset Scarf/Cowl Pattern


A Free Crochet Pattern

Have you ever had an idea but you did not know what to do with the idea. This scarf or cowl is one of those ideas. I first came up with it when I was thinking about hairpin lace and how you have to crochet strips of lace together to make it into something. I wanted to make strips of lace that would come together to make a cowl.

 When I was finished I was really excited with how it turned out, but then I thought the strips are really pretty by themselves. I wonder what it would look like if I chose a chunkier yarn and just had one strip. That brought about the scarf. Then I thought to myself what would it look like if I added some more color. It was stunning.

Some times that is how patterns happen, they evolve and grow into something more than what they were. Sometimes patterns have a hard time deciding what they are, this one sure did.

I like all the sides of it and all of the different personalities that it can have. I wanted to share with you what can happen with one simple pattern and that sometimes the possibilities for something is limitless.

This pattern is available for a Ravelry Download. This is a printer friendly ads free pdf.
download now.
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Sunrise Sunset Scarf/ Cowl Pattern



Yarn: I used a fine lace weight yarn for the cowl.
I used Caron Simply Soft for the scarf.  
 
 Hook: For the cowl: size 7 steel hook
 The scarf: I/8 6.00 mm hook
Gauge:For the cowl each strip is 8 by 4 in.
 The scarf is 8 by however long you want it.

 

Foundation Row: Ch 4, (2 dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in forth ch from hook, {ch 1, turn, sl st into next 3 dc and into the ch 2 space, (ch 3, dc, ch 2, 3 dc) in ch 2 sp} repeat {to} till you have your desired width if making a cowl or till you have your desired length if you are making a scarf. Do not finish off.

Row 1: (You will be working down the side of the foundation row), Ch 6 (counts as tr and ch,2),{ tr, ch 2 in next dc that is sticking out} repeat {to } till last dc group, tr in last dc group.

Row 2: Ch 3 (counts as a dc), sk 2 ch make 2 more dc in same starting st, {sk 2 ch, 3 dc in next tr}, repeat {to}.

Row 3: Ch 2, dc2tog with the next two dc, {ch 2, dc3tog in the next 3 dc}, repeat {to}.

Row 4: Ch 8, sl st in forth ch made ( tr, picot just made), {ch 2, Tr in dc3tog, picot}, repeat {to}. Finish off.

Repeat rows 1 through 4 on the other side of the foundation row.

(If you want to add color to the scarf like the picture you will change color at row 2, and change back at row 4.)

To make cowl: (connect the strips together)



Make the scarf pattern (1 strip)

Repeat the scarf pattern on one side (2nd strip)

On the second side of the foundation row repeat rows 1- 3:

Row 4 for joining piece: Ch 6, sl st into first strip’s first picot, ch 2, sl st into forth ch of beginning ch 6, {ch 2, tr in dc3tog, ch 2, sl st in next picot of first strip, ch 2, sl st into tr just made}, repeat {to} till all picots are joined.

For the last strip you make for the cowl you will be repeating the second row 4 on each side, joining up both sides. 

Once it is all pieced together you can sc around both sides of the cowl to give it a finished look.


Some More Patterns You Will Love

Garden Party Clutch 

The Love Patch 



Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Tears in Baby Hats



There was an ancient practice of catching your tears of grief in a vessel when someone died. When it was time to bury or cremate that person your vessel of tears would go with that person. This past year I cried all of my tears in to baby hats.


In February of last year my husband and I found out we were expecting. We had only been trying for a couple of weeks and I was pregnant. We were excited about having our dreams come so soon, and at the same time frightened at expanding our family and change. Within a week of finding out I started having complications. It came about that our precious little one was an ectopic pregnancy.  The doctors were never able to locate were my baby decided to grow, but it was not where it should have been, so it was only growing at 5 % instead of 100 %. My husband and I had to make the decision to end my pregnancy. At 11 weeks into making dreams and a new family I took a shot that would end all those dreams.  Then for another 11 weeks I had to go to the doctor and get my blood taken to watch my pregnancy numbers go back down to 0.

During all of this time I was crocheting. I was so excited to start making things for my new little one. I started making hats, sweaters, little booties. When we found out we would not be able to keep the baby I could not bring myself to stop. When the grief became overwhelming I would get out my hook and I would make a hat, some days that hat would turn into three hats. Often times I could not even see what I was making for the tears that were dropping on to the hat. After three months I had two under the bed totes full of baby hats, diaper covers, booties, and sweaters. After that time I found I did not have to go to my hook so often to shed my tears.



Now that a year has passed I am down to just one tote. Some of the hats have been given to friends. Some have gone to a local hospital. And I have even sold some.  

I wanted to tell you dear friends how much those hats mean to me. I have poured my dreams and prayers into those hats and I pray that the baby that fills them will grow big and strong and that they will be cherished and loved. When I give you a hat or other crochet items, I’m not just giving you something to keep you warm I am giving you something that has been saturated in prayer and thought for you and even sometimes tears.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Railway Ties Scarf and other things

I still exist I promise. This month has been crazy. My husband and I were having really bad luck finding a place to move in to in Toronto, so on the forth we packed a U haul truck and moved all of our stuff to Toronto, and put it into storage. On our way across the Border we picked up our visas. We stayed at different friends houses for  the next four days while we ran around the city looking for a place to live in our budget, and without needing a cosigner. It was crazy. It seemed like all the places we could look at my husband was to tall to live in them. He is only 6 ft.

We did find a place. It is a basement apartment with 7 ft ceilings. The land lords are an older lady and her daughter. It took seven hours all together to get the contract all together, because of translation and different customs. It is in North York.

During this time my Grandma passed away so we then had to go back to the states for the funeral. We also had to wait for the different banks to transfer our money to pay for the rent. But now we are finally moved. Boxes are every where, but we will get there.



Also during this time I had a new pattern published with Crochetvolution. It is a very simple scarf pattern. Rail way Ties Scarf . It is a free pattern so go take a look.