business card holder

A Free Crochet Pattern

I recently created new business cards for myself. The last time I made cards was 5 years ago. A lot has happened in 5 years and a lot of my information was no longer relevant. And if I am being honest they looked awful. They were hard to read and they really did not match who I was. 

This time I really wanted to get it right. I spent 3 days designing them and getting them just right. I had a lot of help from some other bloggers in a couple of the blogging groups I am a part of on Facebook to really capture the look and design I was looking for in my new cards.  I'm sure my family and friends got tired of all the Facebook posts about them. I am really pleased with them and I won't be embarrassed passing these out.   

Do you still use business cards? I feel like they are still relevant for today, especially for makers and for those that need to network outside of the internet. They are easy to add to any packages that you send out, and they are easy to have on hand to give to people who ask about you and your business.  

On the website that I printed them from, they asked if I wanted to purchase a business card holder to go with my cards. That got my design juices flowing, and I decided to make one myself instead of pay for one. 

This holder is full of color and texture, two of my favorite things. This pattern is worked all in one piece so there is no seeming. You can keep it all one color if you chose or you can go crazy like I did, and make it really pop. The finished holder holds about 10 cards, and it is perfect for keeping in your wallet or purse. 

Yarn: 4 colors of Size 10 crochet thread. For the flower I used an omber shade.
Hook: size 4 steel hook.
Notions: tapestry needle 
Size: 4 in. by 2.5 in.
Gauge: 12 dc equals 2 inches 4 rows equals 2 inches

Copyright: Julia Schwartz. Do not reproduce, copy, distribute, or sell this pattern without permission of the designer. This pattern must not be translated, reproduced, or circulated in another language without prior consent. If you have questions about this pattern please contact Julia.diligence@gmail.com.

Where You Can Get the Pattern: 
This is a free pattern keep scrolling to see the pattern. If you would like a printer friendly, ads free pattern that you can down load you can through my Ravelry Store.
<------------>buy now<--------------->

Pattern Instructions

Holder Flap

Round 1:With color a, Start with a sl knot, ch 4, 11 dc in the 4th ch from hook, sl st into the starting ch 3 (12 dc).

Round 2: Working in the back loops only, 2 sc in 12 dc, sl st into starting sc. (24 sc)

Round 3:Switching to color B,  Ch 1, {sc in the next 2 sc, long sc in the front loop of row 1} Repeat {to} 11 times, sl st into starting sc. (24 sc, 12 long sc)

Round 4: Sl st into next sc and long sc, ch 1, {sc in long sc, 5 fpdc in the next long sc} repeat {to} 5 times, sl st into the starting sc. (6 sc, 6 fpdc petals)

Round 5: Ch 1, sc in fist empty sc in row 3, ch 2, sk 2 sc, {sc in next sc, ch 2, sk 2 sc} repeat {to} 10 times, sl st into starting sc. (12 sc, 12 2 ch spaces).

Round 6: Sl st into first ch sp, ch 1, {sc in ch sp, ch 3} Repeat {to} 11 times, sl st into starting sc. (12 sc, 12 ch 3 sps)

Round 7: Switch to color C,  Sl st into first ch sp, ch 1, {sc in ch sp, 7 dc in next ch 3 sp},  repeat {to} 11 times. (6 sc, 6 petals)

do not break string. 

Holder Body

Row 8: Switch to color D, carry color C under your working thread, Sl st into next st, ch 4 (counts as dc ch 1), sk 1 dc, dc in next st, {ch 1, (sk 1 st, sc in next st) twice, (ch 1, sk 1 st, dc in next st) 2 times}repeat {to} once. (6 dc, 4 sc, 9 ch 1 sps)

Row 9: Switch to color C, carry color D under your working thread,  Ch 1 turn, sc in each st and ch sp. (19 sc)

Row 10:  Switch to color D, carry color C under your working thread, Ch 3, turn, dc in each st. (19 dc)

Row 11: Switch to color C, carry color D under your working thread, Ch 1, turn, sc in each st. (19 sc)

repeat rows 10 and 11, until row 30

Break string. Weave in your Ends.

Assembling the Holder

Fold the holder body in half, starting at a corner, sc through both layers of fabric, sc evenly across up the side of the bag, at corner ch 1, sc in each dc of last row, ch 1, sc through both layers of fabric back down the other side of the bag.Finish off. Weave in your ends.

More Crochet Patterns You Will Love:

Poinsettia Christmas Ornament

Copycat Striped Bag

Newsletter October 2017

 I have been throwing around some ideas about how I want to keep my reader's informed. I have thought about changing my subscription service so I can send out more personalized email's, and newsletters. I have also been thinking about making monthly reports to keep a record of my gains and struggles.

I'm not sure if I am ready to change the subscription service yet, and I didn't see why I couldn't just make a newsletter in a blog post those of you who get an email every time I post something new will see it and new comers will find it also.

Patterns

September was a great month. I published 3 patterns.

A new knitting pattern: The Baby Helix Hat 

A new crochet pattern: In a Flash Mitered Corners Blanket

An older crochet pattern: The Painted Sunflower.

I also shared with you some Fall Stock Photos

Social Media Gains

 

My biggest gain this month would be Instagram. I grew to just under 300 followers. 6 months ago I didn't even have a account so I find this really great.
I also gained new followers for Pinterest. 
I finally broke 100 likes and follows on my Facebook page. I worked the hardest on this platform this month and it paid off. 

Income

With the income I made this month I was able to pay for our internet bill. I also paid for my domain name. I'm sure you didn't even notice the switch, which is how it should be. I've always said my goal for the blog is to make enough money from it to cover the grocery bill. I have all the confidence to get there.

What's coming up

 For October I am gearing up for the Christmas Season. I am re-opening up my Etsy Shop. I hope for have some finished objects (like my embroidery necklaces) in the shop by the end of the month. I have one pattern lined up at the moment for October. I have other patterns on the queue for later months. I am even in the planing stages of a CAL that I am hoping to have ready for January. 

In a Flash Mitered Corners Blanket

A Free Tunisian Crochet Pattern

This blanket was so much fun to make. I always find Tunisian stitching so relaxing. I think it is the repetitiveness of it. This blanket would be easy to adapt for knitting, but I liked the thickness that the Tunisian stitch added to the blanket.  I like to describe this pattern as if a log cabin pattern got together with a 10 stitch blanket and had a baby it would be a mitered corner blanket.

Mitered Corners make great boarders and they add a clean and modern edge to projects. The baby blanket that I made my daughter for when she was born was finished off with mitered corners.

I wanted to make a tutorial for mitered corners and I thought what better way to teach it than to make a blanket that is made completely out of mitered corners. By the time you are finished with this fun blanket you will have conquered this technique, and hopefully you will love it as much as I do.

In A Flash Mitered Corner Blanket

Yarn: Loops and Threads Charisma Net WT 3.5 oz. 100g. 100% acrylic (9 balls) colors: Off White (2), Fuchsia (2), Yellow (3, I only needed a tiny bit of the 3rd ball), Bright Pop (2, I only needed a tiny bit of the second ball)

Hook: K/ 10 1/2 - 6.50mm

Notions: Yarn Needle (to weave in your ends)

Size: Blanket is 32 in. by 32 in.

Gauge: 8 TKS  equal 2 inches, 5 rows equals 2 inches

Special Stitches:

TKS: (Forward pass)working with the yarn behind your work, insert your hook between the vertical bars below the horizontal bars in the st below, yo, pull the yarn through, keep your loop on the hook.

(Return pass): follow instructions in the pattern.

Notes:
When working the blanket each color change will add 4 rows when you go through the instructions of the Mitered corners. I can't not encourage you enough to keep counting your rows at multiples of 4. By keeping count you will insure that your corners will stay sharp and the blanket will be even on all sides. 

Copyright:
Julia Schwartz. Do not reproduce, copy, distribute, or sell this pattern without permission of the designer. This pattern must not be translated, reproduced, or circulated in another language without prior consent. If you have questions about this pattern please contact me through e-mail.

Where Can I get this pattern? 

This is a free pattern. Keep scrolling down to see this pattern. If you would like to purchase a pattern that is ads free and printer friendly for $3.00 you can through my Ravelry Store.

buy now

You can click the link above or if you like you can start at my Ravelry Store.  

Instructions

Starting Square

Row 1: Ch 8, insert your hook into each ch st, and pull up a loop. (8 loops on your hook)
(return pass): yo pull through 1 loop, {yo, pull through 2 loops} Repeat {to} until there is one loop left on the hook.

Row 2-8: (forward pass) TKS in the next 7 st (for a total of 8 loops on the hook)
(return pass) yo, pull through 1 loop, {yo and pull through 2 loops} repeat {to} until there is 1 loop on the hook. At the end of row 8 add the next color by yo and pull through the last 2 loops.

Side Rows

Row 1: (forward pass) With the next color, ch 4, TKS in the next 3 sts, insert your needle in the the same stitch as your starting ch, yo and pull loop through the yarn
(return pass) {yo and pull through 2 loops on your hook} repeat {to} until there is 1 loop left on the hook.

Row 2- 8: (forward pass) tKS in the next 3 sts, insert your needle in the next row of the previous color, yo and pull loop through the yarn
(Return pass) {yo and pull through 2 loops on your hook} rpeat {to} until there is 1 loop left on the hook.

Mitered Corner:

Row 1: (forward pass) TKS in the next 3 sts,
(return pass), yo and pull through 1 loop on your hook, {Yo and pull through 2 loops on your hook}repeat {to} until there is 1 loop on the hook.

Row 2: (forward pass) TKS in the next 2 sts,
(return pass), yo and pull through 1 loop on your hook, {Yo and pull through 2 loops on your hook}repeat {to} until there is 1 loop on the hook.

Rows 3- 5: (forward pass) TKS in the next st,
(return pass), yo and pull through 1 loop on your hook, Yo and pull through 2 loops on your hook

Row 6: (forward pass) TKS in the next st, TKS in the missed stitch of row 2,
(return pass), yo and pull through 1 loop on your hook, {Yo and pull through 2 loops on your hook}repeat {to} until there is 1 loop on the hook.

Row 7: (forward pass) TKS in the next  2 st, TKS in the missed stitch of row 1,
(return pass), yo and pull through 1 loop on your hook, {Yo and pull through 2 loops on your hook}repeat {to} until there is 1 loop on the hook.

Row 8: (forward pass) TKS in the next 3 sts, insert hook into same stitch as the last stitch before the start of the mitered corner
(return pass), {Yo and pull through 2 loops on your hook}repeat {to} until there is 1 loop on the hook.

Repeat Rows 2-8 of Side Rows. At the end of row 8 add the next color by yo and pull through the last 2 loops.

Repeat the instructions for the side rows and mitered corners adding 4 rows to the sides at every color change. Its okay and encouraged to count at multiples of 4 to make sure you are getting the right numbers.

More Crochet Patterns You Will Love:

Super Chunky Twisty Neck Warmer

The Love Patch