North Star

Many people start their year with resolutions, goals, intentions, a word of the year … or a North Star to guide their path.

This is a small star to crochet at the beginning of a new year, or at any other time.

Techniques and abbreviations:
MC: main colour
CC: contrast colour
sl st: slip stitch
ch: chain
sc: single crochet
hdc: half double crochet
dc: double crochet

dc2tog: double crochet 2 stitches togeter – * yo, insert hook in indicated stitch or space, pull up a loop (3 loops on the hook), yo, pull through 2 loops *, repeat from * to * once more, yo, pull through the 3 remaining loops on the hook.

picot: Ch 3, 1 sc in 3rd ch from hook

invisible needle join: https://www.gathered.how/knitting-and-crochet/crochet/how-to-do-the-invisible-crochet-join/

The star in the photos was worked in my Wool and Linen yarn with a 5 mm (US H-8) hook.

Pattern

With MC, ch 6, close to a ring with a sl st in the 6th ch from the hook.

Round 1: Ch 2 + 1 dc in ring (count as dc2tog), ch 3, repeat [dc2tog in ring, ch 3] 5 times, fasten off and close the round with an invisible needle join. There are six 3-ch spaces separated by dc2tog clusters.

Change to CC

Round 2 (with CC): (1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 picot, 1 dc, 1 hdc) in a 3-ch space, ch 1, * (1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 picot, 1 dc, 1 hdc) in next ch space, ch 1 *, repeat from * to * to end of round, close the round with a sl st in first hdc. Fasten off.

Change to MC.

Round 3 (with MC): 1 sc in a dc2tog in round 1, working around (enclosing) the ch-1 in round 2, ch 5 going behind the stitches in round 2, * 1 sc in next dc2tog in round 1 working around (enclosing) the ch-1 in round 2, ch 5 going behind the stitches in round 2, * repeat from * to * to end of round, close the round with a sl st in first sc. There are six 5-ch spaces placed behind the stitches in round 2.

Round 4: (1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 picot, 1 dc, 1 hdc, 1 sc) in each ch space in round 3, close the round with a sl st in first sc.

Fasten off.

Weave in all ends.

How to make a cowl in any yarn, with any stitch pattern!

Several years ago I made a tutorial on how to design your own crocheted cowl.

This weekend, a crocheter came across the “pattern” on Raverly, but couldn’t access it. My website has been updated since, and the link was broken.

The link is now fixed, and the tutorial is updated (the pictures had been lost, too…).

This new-again tutorial is a mini-course on how to design a simple pattern, and how to adapt a stitch pattern worked flat to working in the round!

Check it out here!

A winter light

A quick project to light up the winter darkness – a candle holder dressed up in crochet.

If using a real candle, please make sure that the flame does not, under any circumstances, come into contact with the crocheted cover. If in doubt, use a LED candle. We don’t want 2020 to end in a house fire!

For the candle holder, I used a Godis glass from IKEA (size 8 oz). You could use any glass with a straightish shape, or a small jar.

The Godis glass measures approx 6.5 cm (2.5″) across at the bottom and 8 cm (slightly more than 3″) at the top. It is 9.5 cm (3.75″) high. I give instructions below on how to adapt the bottom of your project to the glass used.

I used my own fingering weight merino yarn (approx 10 – 15 g) and a 2.5 mm (between a US B-1 and C-2) hook.

Stitches used:
ch = chain
sl st = slip stitch
sc = single crochet
dc = double crochet
dc blo = double crochet in the back loop only
tr = treble

This pattern uses US terminology

Bottom:

Ch 4, close to a ring with 1 sl st in 4th ch from hook.

NB: All rounds in the bottom close with a sl st in the first dc in the round.

Round 1: Ch 2 (do not count as a st), 12 dc in ring. Close this round, and all rounds of the bottom with a sl st in the first dc in round.

Round 2: Ch 2 (do not count as a st), 2 dc in each dc. There are 24 dc.

Round 3: Ch 2 (do not count as a st), 1 dc in first dc, 2 dc in next dc, * 1 dc in next dc, 2 dc in next dc; repeat from * to end of round. There are 36 dc. [1 st between increases]

Round 4: Ch 2 (do not count as a st), 2 dc in first dc, 1 dc in each of next 2 dc, * 2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in each of next 2 dc; repeat from * to end of round. There are 48 dc. [2 sts between increases]

Measure the bottom by placing it on the bottom of the glass or jar used. If your bottom is about the same size, it’s perfect. It shouldn’t be significantly larger or smaller. If needed, you can remove or add a round of dc, or adjust the height of the stitches in the last round (using hdc or tr). The number of stitches in the last round must be a multiple of 6.

Sides:

From this point on, we are going to continue working in the round, without increases, to create a tube which will be the visible part of our crochet-covered candle holder. Depending on the size of your glass and the gauge of previous rounds, the first round of this tube might straddle the edge of the bottom, or even end up under the glass.

Round 1: Ch 2 (do not count as a st), 1 dc blo in each st. Close the round with a sl st in the first dc blo in round.

Round 2: Ch 4 (count as 1 dc + 1 ch), skip first and second dc, 1 dc in next dc, * ch 1, skip 1 st, 1 dc in next dc; repeat from * until 1 st remains at the end of round, ch 1. Close the round with a sl st in the 3rd ch at the beg of round.

Round 3: Ch 2 (do not count as a st), 1 dc in the 3rd ch at the beg of previous round (the same st as the one where you made the sl st to close the previous round), 1 dc in ch-1 sp, * 1 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next ch-1 sp; repeat from * to end of round. Close the round with a sl st in first dc in round.

Round 4: Ch 3 (do not count as a st), 2 tr in first st in previous round (the same st as the one where you made the sl st to close the previous round), * skip 2 sts, 3 tr in next st; repeat from * until 2 sts remain at end of round, 1 tr in first dc in previous round. Close the round with a sl st in first tr in round.

Round 5: Ch 5 (count as 1 tr + 1 ch), 1 tr in first st in previous round (the same st as the one where you made the sl st to close the previous round), * skip 2 sts, [1 tr, ch 1, 1 tr] in next st; repeat from * until 2 sts remain at end of round. Close the round with a sl st in 4th ch at the beg of round.

Round 6: 1 sl st in first ch-1 sp, ch 3 (do not count as a st), 2 tr in same ch sp, 3 tr in each ch sp to end of round, 1 tr in first ch sp. Close the round with a sl st in first tr in round.

Round 7: As round 5

Round 8: Ch 2 (do not count as a st), 1 dc in 4th ch at the beg of previous round (the same st as the one where you made the sl st to close the previous round), 1 dc in 1-ch sp, * 1 dc in each of next 2 sts, 1 dc in next 1-ch sp; repeat from * until 1 st remains at the end of round, 1 dc in last st. Close the round with a sl st in first dc in round.

Round 9: As round 2.

Round 10: As round 3.

Round 11: Ch 1 (do not count as a st), 1 sc in first st in previous round (the same st as the one where you made the sl st to close the previous round), [1 sc, ch 1, 1 sc] in next st, * 1 sc in next st, [1 sc, ch 1, 1 sc] in next st; repeat from * to end of round. Close the round with a sl st in first sc in round.

Fasten off. Weave in ends.

Funky Doily (or whatever)

Sometimes, the simplest things become classics.

This is the case with this simple square that can be used as a doily, as a blanket square, as a cushion cover, or whatever you want it to be.

14 years after the first publication of this free pattern, on the Crochet Me website in 2006, I have revised it lightly and decided to make it available here on the blog.

You can download the short pattern here:

I can’t wait to see what you make with it! #funkydoily

Sun motif

A third motif from my 2016 Advent Calendar. At the time, I saw a star at the center of this motif, now I see a sun !

One of the participants used this motif to make a colourful blanket – perhaps you would like to do so as well?

You can download the pattern for the motif in pdf format here:

My ideas for this motif can be found here. There are some interesting ideas about joining motifs to check out!

The round-up of the different interpretations is here!

Three-colour motif

A second motif from my 2016 Advent Calendar. What would you like to make with this one?

In my Advent calendars, the mini projects are presented step by step over 4 or 5 days (depending on complexity). It a mini mystery CAL and sometimes, I build in a small surprise. Here, the motif starts out as a square in the center but ends up being circular.

You can download the pattern for the motif in pdf format here:

This motif would, of course, look lovely and interesting in a single colour, too!

My ideas for this motif can be found here.

And all the lovely interpretations are here!

Two-colour motif

If you’re like me, in these strange and troubled times, there are moments in your day when the feelings of anxiety and stress peak. This happens to me around 4 a.m. – I wake up and can’t go back to sleep.

To cope and feel a bit better, for the past few days, I have been crocheting motifs in the early mornings. One day, if I come up with something interesting enough, I will show you the result of these experiences at the break of day.

But right now, I’d love to share the first motif designed for my 2016 Advent Calendar. At the time, the instructions were distilled over several days on my blog. To facilitate things, I have made a recap pdf that you can download here:

My ideas for this motif can be found here.

And all the lovely interpretations are here!

How about you? What kinds of motifs do you like to make? And how do you use them? Do you make blankets, scarves or something else?

Flower Brooch in leftover yarn

Here is my little layered flower, made using the tutorial I discussed yesterday.

I made it with some leftover Zauberball yarn. Since this yarn changes colours slowly, I took out some yarn between the layers to get better contrast.

So now I have a couple of tiny yarn balls. I might use them to make the back of the flower brooch, or for something else!

Love Scarf

In 2005 I made a scarf for the man I love. The pattern was published on the website Crochet Me.

15 years later, I still love the same man. But the Crochet Me site has changed owners, form and shape several times, and the link to the pattern is sometimes lost in the process.

And yet, after all this time, I still get requests for this simple pattern.

So this year, I’ve decided to celebrate Valentine’s Day by making the Love Scarf pattern available again!