Ballet Slipper/Heart Patterns

Hey friends!

My niece is turning 11 in less than two weeks and I wanted to make her gift something really special. I looked around for free patterns for slippers and found a great one on youtube.

Here's the link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5SBXwDPh8I&feature=relmfu

I love the chunky style and ribbon idea so I used that in a ballet slipper style and added some flare in all of my niece's favorite colors. Here is the pattern with my alterations to it. 

(All credit for the basis of the pattern goes to originator of the youtube.com video listed above. Her version of the pattern can be found on etsy.com as well.)

Hook: K/Size 10.5/6.5 MM

Use two strands of yarn from either one skein of color or two. I used two in hot pink for mine.

Tools: 
Yarn Needle
Ribbon (at least long enough to tie around the ankle)

Stitches:
SC- Single Crochet
SLST- Slip Stitch

With both strands at the same time, Chain 2.

- 9 SC in 1st chain. SLST into first chain. Chain 1 and Turn.

- 2SC in every stitch around (18 STs total)  SLST into first chain. Chain 1 and Turn.

(If you require a wider slipper, add another increase row as follows:

1SC in 1st stitch, 1SC in next stitch, 2 SC in next stitch, repeat all the way to the end.  SLST into first chain. Chain 1 and Turn. Should be 24 stitches around)

- *1SC in every stitch around then SLST into first chain. Chain 1 and Turn.*

*Repeat until the front of the slipper reaches the start of your toes (Usually 4-6 rounds)

From here until the end you will be crocheting rows but not all the way around. 

-*1SC in the next 10 stitches (you may want to increased this to 12 stitches if you want your slipper to cover more of your foot. If using the wider stitches you may need to increase this to 16 SC) then SLST into first chain. Chain 1 and Turn.*

*Repeat until the length of the slipper reaches the back of the heel. 

-Fold the slipper in half at the heel end. SLST the two halves together, tie off, and weave in ends.

At this point you may use your ribbon, woven around the edges of the slipper at the opening to create the ballet style. 

I added some stitched hearts for added adorableness! Here is a small heart pattern:

Hook: G/4.5MM

Stitches:

SC- Single Crochet

HDC- Half Double Crochet

DC- Double Crochet

SLST- Slip Stitch

Chain 4, Join with a SLST at first chain to create a loop. Chain 1

-In loop: 1HDC, 1DC, 1HDC, SLST, 1HDC, 1DC, 1HDC, 3SC, 1DC, 3SC then SLST into first chain. Tie off and leave at least a 6 inch tail for sowing.

It should look like this! I stitch it tight so the shape stands out more. :)

That's all for now friends. I hope you like the free patterns and you have a blast making your ballet slippers!

Thanks for reading.

Love,

Mery Ann

DIY Crochet Patterns

Today has been a long and productive day for me. I went to the mechanic and got a lovely bill exceeding $550.00 to fix my grinding brakes and calipers. I went to the grocery story and spent more than $250 in groceries. I called my insurance company to get it reinstated which should be another lovely monthly bill and doctor and hospital copayments. Needless to say, keeping up with the cost of living can be daunting and every little bit helps.

Since I've learned to crochet I have been making a lot of varied crocheted projects but it didn't hit me how much it could help around the house. I found some awesome patterns for household items on Pinterest and Ravelry and I would love to share them with you.

Loofa's aren't exactly expensive but it can be very annoying if the cheap store bought ones keep unraveling and breaking apart for you. Here's the answer! This pattern is not my own creation, the original creator and her awesome blog can be found here:
http://virkning-crochet.blogspot.com/2011/05/duschboll-i-bambu.html

Bath puff

Yarn: Bamboo Soft, 100m/50g, from Ullcentrum

Hook: 3½ - 4mm (crochet loosely)

Ch 5 sl st in first ch to make ring

Rnd 1: ch 3 (counts as dc), 14dc in ring, join with sl st in top of beg ch-3 = 15dc

Rnd 2: ch 3 (counts as dc), 4dc in same st as joining, *5dc in next dc*, repeat, join with sl st in top of beg ch-3 = 75 dc

Rnd 3: ch 3 (counts as dc), 2dc in same st as joining, *3dc in next dc*, repeat, join with sl st in top of beg ch-3 = 225 dc

Rnd 4: ch 3 (counts as dc), 2dc in same st as joining, *3dc in next dc*, repeat, join with sl st in top of beg ch-3 = 675 dc

Fasten off. Make a twist of the remaining yarn. The finished product is about 10cm in diameter.

I loved Swiffer products when they first came out on the market, then after some time, the refill cost piled up. If like me, you're ready to upgrade to a more permanent and less costly solution, why not crochet dusters and mops? I found this pattern on ravelry.com. Check out this Swiffer Duster by Krysten L. & Gherkin’s Bucket :

copyright Krysten L. & Gherkin’s Bucket 2007. Don't steal my stuff y'all. It's for personal use only, to bring joy to others.

Give credit where credit is due. Selling the finished product for non-profit charity uses is OK.

Materials

Size H (US 8) crochet hook 1⁄4 oz worsted weight kitchen cotton (I used Sugar n Cream) 1 1⁄4 oz machine-washable novelty yarn (dependent upon type ~35 yards)

Abbreviations

Ch – chain Sc – single crochet Ea – each Dc – double crochet Tfl – through the front loops Hdc – half double crochet Sl st – slip stitch St - stitch Rep - repeat

Pattern

Ch 21 Sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc in ea ch across, turn (20 sc)

Create Round: Ch2,*dctfloffirst5sc,hdctflinnext10sc,dctflinlastfivesc,ch2*,turnwork and rep from * to * working in remaining loops from the row of sc you just worked into (i.e., what was the back loop of each stitch), join with sl st to first dc of the round

Close Round: ch 1, sc tbl of both sides of previous round all the way across (this will create a pocket, and leave a ridge to attach the novelty yarn to later), turn (20 sc)

Repeat last two lines once more, fasten off and weave in ends.

Attach novelty yarn to one loop of an edge stitch on the long side with a sl st, ch 10 loosely, sl st into loop of next st. (SEE NOTE BELOW)

* Sl st in loop of next stitch, ch 10 loosely, sl st in loop of next st *, rep from * to * across.

At the end of the row, ch 2 and turn, continue back in the same manner through the “ridge” of loops you created when you closed the round. Repeat for 2nd ridge and the other side edge; you will have four ridges of novelty yarn loops. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Slip prongs of Swiffer Duster into the two pockets and get dusting! Note that the first time you put it on it will be snug and may require some “scooching” to get the handle prongs all the way in.

NOTE – Use my directions for the fringe as a guide, if you have particularly bulky novelty, you may need to adjust these directions. Try making your chain length a little longer and slip stitching into every other loop, etc. It all just depends on how loose or compact you want the dusty part to be: looser and longer fringe will allow for more corner and small places dusting; compact and shorter fringe will make for a more “scrubby” duster.

You can also purchase these pre-made through my etsy shop, for those of you who are less than crochet-inclined. www.gherkinsbucket.etsy.com

For this Reversible Swiffer mop, please click this link:

http://blog.craftzine.com/archive/2010/03/craft_pattern_crocheted_revers.html

Last but not least is all cotton scrub pad's for washing your face and removing make up:

http://barbarabradford.blogspot.com/2009/01/butterfly-facial-scrubbie-gift-set.html

I'm going to keep searching for more ways to put my skills to the test and I'll be sure to share my findings with you, my friends.

Thanks for reading.
Love,
Mery Ann

**Christmas in July**

I've had the idea to make a blog post about Christmas in July and today feels just right for it. I love Christmas!


I'm doing it as a pick me up mostly because lately I've been feeling down and in pain. I went to the hospital to check a painful lump in my right breast and they referred me to Libby's Legacy Breast Foundation in downtown Orlando on Orange Ave. for a free mammogram.


If you're a woman, please get yourself checked. Its better to be safe than sorry.


 If you have no health insurance and you live in Orlando, you can call and set up an appointment with Libby's Legacy here 


1718 South Orange Ave
Orlando FL 32806
(407)898-8991


If you would like more information on where to get free screenings in your area, please check out this site:


http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dcpc_Programs/default.aspx?NPID=1


I'm hoping the lump in my breast is just fibrous and swollen due to fluctuating hormones but I'm going to get it checked either way.


Now that you know why I need a pick-me-up, let's get on to the good stuff...recipes, patterns, and ideas!


RECIPES

Here's a fun one for "Lumps of Coal". Use a regular rice krispies treat recipe from this site:

http://www.ricekrispies.com/en_US/default.html#/en_US/default

and add black food coloring! Look how cool it looks!

There are some great Christmas snack recipes at the Pilsbury site too! Check out these Santa Crackers

http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/santa-grahams/69f0fff6-8ccc-418a-8e23-58d5cfd491e6/

DECORATION

Check out this pipe cleaner Christmas Tree from Martha Stewart:

http://www.marthastewart.com/265414/pipe-cleaner-decorations-christmas-tree

TOY IDEAS

Make some CLOUD DOUGH and put it in a decorative container to play with the kids! All you need 8 cups of flour and 1 cup of baby oil. It feels like flour but you can mold it!

http://www.jugglingwithkids.com/2011/11/cloud-dough.html

PATTERNS

Here's an idea for crochet Christmas trees for a garland or ornaments.

http://theroyalsisters.blogspot.com/2009/11/grandma-tree-tutorial.html

Here's another garland idea, Christmas Lights!

This one is a Ravelry.com Download. You need to be a member of the site to download the free pattern**

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/holiday-lights-2

These are so cute! Here are some more traditional ornaments.

http://greedyforcolour.blogspot.com/2011/12/christmas-bauble-tutorial.html

That's all for now friends. Stay tuned for more stuff.

Thanks for reading,

Love,

Mery Ann

Scarves Galore!

I've come across some amazing free scarf patterns that I thought I would share with my friends. I have a design in mind for a new scarf and once I write up the pattern, I'll be sure to share it. In the meantime here's a pattern I made for a rose to accent anything you'd like.

http://www.facebook.com/notes/cool-beans-and-things/free-rose-crochet-pattern-by-cool-beans-and-things-mery-ann-m/343496765716715

Here are some awesome free scarf patterns for your enjoyment!

http://www.learn-how-to-crochet.com/flower.html

http://clevercheshirecats.blogspot.com/

RAVELRY DOWNLOADS

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/stained-glass-scarf-5

http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/the-wavelength

That's all for now friends. I hope you find this entry helpful and happy crochet adventures to you all.

Thanks for reading!

Love,

Mery Ann

Cause Crochet is Awesome

What's better than a Free Pattern?

Wait for it..........FREE YARN!
Too bad there isn't any. :(

But at least I have a free pattern for you!

I came across this adorable newborn dress pattern and I just had to tackle it. I found it on Ravelry.com and let me tell you, if you aren't already a member, go join! It's free and painless. It could seem a little intimidating at first because there's so much to do and see but with a little practice I'm sure you'll get the hang of it. (See bottom for quick tips.*)Besides, you could always ask me for help! I'm always happy to lend a hand!

I had previously crocheted a pair of baby sandals and a headband from an original pattern I wrote and used the same colors and puff stitch flower for each of them like this:

And then added the dress to the set as shown here:

This set is available for sale on my etsy shop here:


https://www.etsy.com/listing/101238603/summer-newborn-baby-dress-headband-and


For the free dress and diaper cover pattern click this link:

http://www.oocities.org/crotiques/bgs.htm


And for the puff stitch flower check out a fellow crocheters Blogger page here:


http://easymakesmehappy.blogspot.com/2010/07/6-petal-puff-stitch-flower.html


I have a database of free crochet patterns on my Pinterest page here:


http://pinterest.com/cbatcreations/favorite-free-patterns/


I have the sandal and headband patterns scribbled into my crochet notebook and I haven't decided if I write it up and post it. I'd need people to test it of course and then I would post it for free, just because.

Do you think I should write it up and post it?

I don't know why but I don't think I would ever be the kind of person to sell patterns. I love seeing all the amazing patterns people have for sale but if I wanted to make something bad enough, even at my amateur level I would probably just try and figure it out myself first. It could just be because I'm stubborn though. It would definitely be easier to just use an already created, written, and tested pattern instead. Oh logic, why must you lose to stubborn all the time?

HA! Just thought of something. What if kids said, "Let's play logic, stubborn, pride!" instead of rock, paper, scissors?

Anywho :)

Thanks for Reading
Love, 
Mery Ann


*Ravelry tips: At first you'll want to look around at the literally thousands of free patterns for either knitters or crocheters by typing a category into the search bar on the top right of the main screen. From there you'll see pictures and descriptions of the patterns and a menu on the left hand side of your page to narrow down your search by category, sizes, and even hook or needle size. Once you find some you like, click on them and either favorite them to show support or add them to your library so that you can access them at any time. I'm CoolBeansnThings on there so add me if you'd like and message me for help with anything. :)