Sunday, December 26, 2010

Merry Christmas!


Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I made my own Christmas Tree this year out of sticky note flags. Total cost $0.50. 100% recyclable & reusable. Couldn't want better than that!

Snowflake photography is my new hobby for winter. And, yes, my observation so far is that they are all different. They really do look like they do in cartoons though!

Sunday, December 12, 2010

A Snowy Sort of Christmas Scarf


Its almost Christmas so I thought I'd share some nice gift* with my one or two readers. This is a simple scalloped scarf that falls nicely when draped or when wound around makes a nice lacy collar. You can even wrap it around your head and pretend to be a lion if you like. It works well for that too. I made mine out of a handspun 2ply alpaca which was somewhere between a light to medium weight wool (sport-worsted range) and I used a 4.5mm crochet hook so the scarf is nice and flexible for wrapping around. You will need about one ball somewhere between 40-50g. If you run out you can stop after 4 rows and just have a less scallopy scallop. It will still look nice after 4 rows.

*Most definitely for personal use or for gifting to friends & family. Not for evil profit making purposes, commercial use of any kind or in way. Pattern is not for sale, hire or exploitation. Be good, its Christmas... But if you make it send me a picture cause I'd love to see yours :) Also if my instructions make no sense or you can't figure them out, please let me know!

Hangs nicely for casually throwing about your neck...

A closeup of the scallop repeat.

The scarf curves around into a circle as the stitches are 'overloaded' on the scallop side. This gives it it's nice fall.

The pattern.

Key to the pattern.



The pattern is a five stitch repeat.
(SC= Single Crochet, DC= Double Crochet, CH= Chain)

You start with a chain that is a multiple of 5 + 1 (the +1 is the turning chain). My scarf has 30 scallops so that's 30x5 + 1 =151 chains. If you want it longer or shorter just test out the length while you are chaining along. So go ahead and make chain merrily.

1) The first row is all single crochet. So skip the first chain from the hook and make a single crochet into the second and every chain along until you have 150 single crochet stitches. Then at the end of the row chain three for the turning chain and turn.

2) The second row is all double crochet. So skip the three chains and make double crochet stitches into every single crochet along including the first one until you have 150 double crochet stitches. At the end of the row chain one and turn.

3) The third row starts with one single crochet into the first double crochet of the row below. Then skip one stitch of the row below and (double crochet, chain 1, double crochet, chain one, double crochet into the same DC of the row below) then skip one DC of the row below and make single crochets in the next two stitches. Then repeat the (DC ch 1 DC ch1 DC) + SC until you get to the end of the row. You should have 30 little scallops. At the end of the row ch 1 and turn.

4) The fourth row begins with a single crochet into the first single crochet of the row below. Then three double crochets into the gap made by the ch1 of the row below. After you have made the 3DC then chain 1 and make another 3 DC into the next ch1 space of the row below. Then make a single crochet in the SC of the row below. Then repeat the SC, (3DC, ch1, 3DC), SC until you get to the end of the row. SC in the last SC and then chain one to turn.

5) The fifth row begins with a single crochet into the first SC of the row below. Then ch1 and make DC ch1 DC ch1 DC ch1 DC ch1 DC ch1 DC ch1 into the ch1 gap of the row below. Then make one single crochet into the SC of the row below. Repeat SC (DC, ch1 x 6) SC until you get to the end of the row. Make your last SC and then cut your thread leaving a 10cm long tail to weave in. Weave in the other end and you are done!

Twirl around the room and do a dance!