Gracie's Sun Bonnet

Gracie's Sun Bonnet is very much like Lily's Sun Bonnet. The construction of the hat is a bit different but simple.

Just remember to use cotton yarn. It's light and easy to clean. It is also very absorbent so if your child get a little too hot and sweats a bit, it won't be running down into their eyes and face. You can always add or take away a row to make the hat longer or shorter as needed. You can do the same with the brim just remember to keep doing the increase in each round until you get the look you want.

You can purchase the pattern here. I am going to try to get a sun hat for boys. I have just been using my yarn stash for my recent projects and don't currently have any good colors for the kind of hat I'd like to make. Maybe a trip to the store is in my very near future. :)

Happy crochet!

Lily's Sun Bonnet

I have been working on so many different projects and I realized that they were all for cooler weather. I have adjusted my focus to summer.  We are outdoors a lot in the summer and I needed something to keep the sun off my little girls. Sunscreen always ends up in their eyes but a sun hat or bonnet would be the perfect solution. I like to use cotton yarn for my summer projects because it's cooler and easy to clean.

My daughter loved being my model. I would have used my foam head, as I usually do with all of my pictures, but I think my little girl modeled it better.

This hat is pretty simple to adjust. I used a G/4.25 mm hook for child size hat and H/5.00 mm hook for the flower.  You can buy the pattern here. If you have any questions, feel free to let me know and I will respond as soon as I can. You can also add a row after row 13, if you need it to be a little longer.

I hope to have more summer patterns soon. If you have any requests, feel free to send me a message and I will see what I can do. Thank you for stopping by and happy crochet!

Basic DC Beanie

There have been a lot of requests for my basic dc beanie pattern. This pattern is the one I use for most of my hats. The seam is almost invisible and straight. This pattern does not include earflaps. It's just a basic beanie. Here is the pdf, printable version of the pattern. Otherwise, you can find it below.

Supplies:

Hook: Teen/Adult H/8- 5.0 mm

Child: G/6-4.25 mm.

Yarn: Worsted weight yarn, scissors, yarn needle, fiberfill or yarn scraps.

Abbreviations:

ch = chain                                                    

hdc = half double crochet

rnd = round 

dc = double crochet                                    

st = stitch     

sp = space                             

slst = slip stitch                                           

Special Instructions:

Always join rounds in first dc of round, not ch 2. This will make the seam harder to see when the hat is completed. Ch never counts as st.

Beanie:

Rnd 1: Chain 4, 12 dc in 4th ch from hook, join w/ slst in first dc, Ch 2 

Rnd 2: 2 dc in same sp as ch 2 and each st around, join w/ slst in first dc, ch 2 

Rnd 3: dc in same sp as ch2, 2 dc in next st, *dc in next st, 2 dc in next st* repeat from *to* around, join w/ slst in first dc, ch 2.

Rnd 4: dc in same sp as ch2, dc in next st, 2 dc in next st, *dc in next 2 sts, 2 dc in next st* repeat * to* around, join w/ slst in first dc, ch 2.

Rnd 5: dc in same sp as ch2, dc in next 2 st, 2 dc in next st, *dc in next 3 st, 2dc in next st* repeat *to* around, join w/ slst in first dc, ch 2. 

Rnd 6-13: dc in same sp as ch 2, dc in each st around, join w/ slst in first dc, ch 2.

Rnd 14: dc in same sp as ch 2, dc in each st around, join w/ slst ch 1, fasten off and weave in ends.

I hope you like this pattern. It's really easy and is a great basis for all of your creative beanies. Thank you for stopping by. Happy crochet!

Droid Beanie

Life has been happening over the last few months and so I had to step away from crochet for a little while. I am happy to say that I am back and excited about the things to come. I finally got around to making my droid hat. I have made other hats like this before but have never been happy with the patterns I have used. Here is the link to where you can buy the pattern.

My 5 year old son  and his cousin are obsessed with robots and droids. They are the reason I decided to create this beanie. I have to apologize for the weird angle of the picture. I hope it doesn't make the beanie look too weird. My husband likes this beanie so much, he actually wants me to make one for him. I told him I would if he would wear it to work. He seemed to think his co-workers would want one too. I'm not to sure about that. LOL!

 

This pattern requires someone to be at the intermediate level, at least. It is a little more difficult than some of my other patterns. If you have ever done a graph, this hat will be simple for you. It does require frequent color changes.

 The pieces are a little bulky. I designed them that way because it made me think of little boys and their Lego toys and games. I also thought it looked more playful and appealing to a child. Although, I am finding it is also appealing to grown men. ;)

 When sewing on the circle pieces, I sew just inside the circle so that it doesn't change the shape or flatten the circle in anyway.

If you would like the applique pieces smaller, you can always go down in hook size or even use a thinner or lighter weight yarn.

I really loved creating this beanie. This would be a great item to make and put away for Christmas or a birthday. I hope you enjoy this pattern as much as I have and remember you can always sell your creations, just not the patterns. Please share the link to this pattern instead of the actual pattern.

Thank you for visiting my blog and giving me feed back. I really appreciate all of your input.

Happy crochet!



Twilight Pony Hat

I have finally completed the last pony hat order. This one was inspired by Twilight Sparkle. The mane was interesting to design. If you have a problem with the pattern, please let me know and I will do my best to help you and I will get back to you as soon as possible. The colors in the pictures are not true to what they are in person. You can honestly choose whatever colors work for you. The only color I specifically named was Carron One Pound Cape Cod Blue. This was because it was the only color I could find that was the closest to Twilight Sparkles mane color.

You can buy the pattern here.

Twilight Pony Hat

There is a typo in the pattern but only when referring to the colors when making the eyes. Instead of saying "darker purple" it says "dark pink". I will fix the PDF pattern as soon as I can.

 

There are some tricks to attaching the mane. When sewing on the front mane, make sure you tack it down around the ears in both the front and the back. I even tacked it down on parts of the horn. This will prevent the mane from flopping in front of the eyes. It also makes the slit fit around the horn better.

 

When attaching the back mane, make sure you wrap it around the hat and tack it down on the side, otherwise it will flop down behind the hat and won't be seen from the front. Line the mane up with the back edge of the front mane. I actually stitched into the bottom edge of the front mane to ensure there weren't any gaps when the hat was being worn. You might want to make a few stitches in the middle of the back mane or pin it down to keep it from bunching up as you sew around the edges.





The horn is pretty long. If you prefer a shorter horn, you can always do fewer rows.

I hope you enjoy the pattern. I have appreciated all of your feedback. I feel that it has helped me improve my skills. Please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have. yarneemarmee@gmail.com .

Happy Crochet!

 

 

 

 

 

Owl Beanie

In a previous post, I had mentioned creating a pattern for an android from a popular movie. However, I have other orders that are more pressing and will be completing those first. I had to make a couple of owl beanies for a customer so I thought I would just write up the pattern while I was making them. I know there are a lot of great owl beanies out there, this is just my version of it. You can use an array of yarns and make it your own.

There are a few pictures in this pattern that do not necessarily belong to the pattern. They are pictures of another beanie I made, however, the yarns used for the owl beanie made it difficult to see how to do certain steps so I used pictures that required the same steps but used yarns that were easier to see the details. Here is the link to buy this pattern. I hope you all like it.

Owl Beanie

 

This pattern calls for a variety of yarns. Some of the yarns can be difficult to work with. I used a bulky yarn that was kind of fluffy and furry for the trim of the hat. I found that using a larger hook made it easier to work with and to see my stitches. So instead of using the H/5.00 mm hook, which the pattern calls for, I used an L/8.00 mm hook and it turned out perfect.

 

The eyelash or fun fur yarn was also easier to work with when using a larger hook. I used a J/6.00 mm hook when working with this yarn.

 

Finding the right hook for the job can be tricky. It's okay to use a bigger hook when using these types of yarns for trims. It usually doesn't change the pattern too much. Try it for a few stitches to see if it works for your project, you can always undo it and start again with a different hook as long as you didn't fasten off.

 

This is a great hat for beginners who are looking for something other than a basic beanie. If you have any questions about the pattern or find any mistakes, please email me at yarneemarmee@gmail.com If there is a mistake, I will revise the pattern and send you the revised version.

 

Happy crochet!

Rainbow Pony Hat!

So many of you have requested this hat and here it is, finally! I hope it lives up to your expectations. You can always change things up a little if you are not satisfied with the pattern. I just look at a picture of the character and try my best to get it close to what the character looks like. There are a lot of versions of this pony out there, however, I usually enjoy designing my own. The process is fun and I always look forward to the finished product. This particular pony requires a lot of colors. If you don't already have a stash that you can use, you are going to have to get a lot of yarn. The good thing is that the
 yarn can always be used in other projects. I panicked just a little when I thought I was going to run out of orange before I was finished. But, I found a little remnant and it was just enough to finish it off.

The pictures do not show true color. Keep in mind that this is a brightly colored pony when choosing your yarn colors. Here is the link to buy a PDF version of this pattern.

Rainbow Pony Hat

This was a really fun pattern to make because as I added more color, the pony just came alive. There is a trick to doing the mane. For the front part of the mane, I sewed it on at an angle with part of it going over the top of the hat and onto the top part of the back of the hat. It is easier to see the eyes this way. Otherwise it will be straight down, in front of the face and the eyes won't be seen very well.

 

The back part of the mane is also sewn on at an angle so that it meet up with the part of the front mane that is on the back of the hat. You can see what I mean in the picture below. Of course you can always sew the pieces on however you would like. That's the great thing about making your own hat instead of buying one already made. You can always change it to make it suit you. 

The eyes on this one are also a little different. I tried to go off of a picture to make them the right shape and to be sure the color was in the right place. When embroidering the highlights in the eyes, I like to imagine a light coming from a certain direction and put the highlights in accordingly. If you forget to put the highlights in before sewing the eyes on the hat, no worries, you can still put them in after the eyes have been sewn on. Just slide the needle under the eye and back up through the eye. Try not to go through the hat because your yarn will be noticeable on the inside of the hat. A clean, finished look on the inside is always nice if you plan on selling your creations.

 

 

In order to be sure the muzzle doesn't look like a pig snout, embroider the nostrils on the corners and slightly to the outside instead of on the front of the muzzle as seen in the picture above and below. 

 

When sewing on the back part of the main, make sure you tack it down about 3/4 of the way down before you get to the front of the hat. This will help the mane stay in place and keep it from falling behind the hat and flopping around when someone is wearing it. 

I hope you all like it. Now off to more designing. Happy crochet!

Pinkie Pony!

 Pinkie Pony Beanie!

 

 

Here is another pony hat. The first few patterns I'm putting up are ponies because I have had more requests for these patterns than any others. This one is a lot of fun and a little less labor intensive than the Rare Pony Hat. If you want a PDF copy of the pattern,  you can buy it here.

 

I know some of you may think this is basically the same pattern as the other ponies but each pony is a little different. Their eyes are not always the same and their manes are quite different.

 

This pattern can be tricky if you're not used to applique and embroidery. I definitely would not suggest this patter for beginners. There are many ways you can do the mane. You don't necessarily have to follow the pattern. Some feel that they should do a few long ringlets and some short. I just form them around the back as I sew them on. You should do whatever you are comfortable with.

If you do have any problems with the pattern, please email me at yarneemarmee@gmail.com  or leave a comment. I will try to get back to you as soon as possible. If there are any mistakes in the pattern, I will fix them and email you the revised version.

 

 I know some of you have been to my blog and Ravelry store in the past and a lot of my patterns were free. I have been designing for a while but I was just starting to write patterns and wanted to test them out until I knew I could create a good pattern that was worth buying. I want to thank those of you who have given me feed back, you have made me a better designer and pattern writer. I hope you will continue to use my patterns.

 

 

Watch this blog. On occasion you will find free patterns and also some tips and tricks to using my patterns and others'. I will also, on occasion review yarns and wools and give you my honest opinion.

 

 

Happy crochet!

 

 

 

 

 

Pesky, Ugly Seams!

I am in a few yarn groups and have noticed that a lot of people have a really hard time with seams when crocheting a hat that requires joining at the end of each round. The biggest complaint is that it spirals around the hat.

There are several ways to remedy those ugly seams. Of course, there is always crocheting in a continuous round. I do some of my projects that way but my stitches are not as straight as I would like. You can also join, ch and then turn your work and crochet going the other direction. I don't think the seam is as flat with that one, but it does hide it fairly well and it is straight.

I'm going to share the technique I use most. First, I never count the ch as a stitch. When starting the hat, whether using the magic circle or chaining first, never count the chain as a stitch. If you pattern requires 12 sts in the circle or in a chain st, only count the actual stitches, pretend that the ch isn't even there. Then, when you come to the end of the round and you are ready to join with a slip stitch, be sure to slip stitch in the first actual stitch of the round, skipping the ch. Make sure you pull it snug each time and your seams will be flat, and almost invisible. They won't be perfectly straight but they will be close and they won't spiral around the hat. I have also noticed that seams are not as noticable if they are placed in the back and to the left or right.

When I crochet a hat with ear flaps, I put my seam right where one of the ear flaps begin at the back of the hat. The seam is harder to see when this is done. The eye is not drawn to that area of the hat.

If you need a visual, here are two videos that might help. One is for double crochet and the other is for single crochet. You can also do this with half double crochet. The concept is the same.

Hopefully this helps you. I know there are probably better ways of hiding a seam, this is just one I like to use.

Rare Pony Hat

Here it is! The Rare Pony Hat! Of my seven children, six of them are girls, so My Little Pony is very much apart of our family. I have made several different pony hats but this is my first written pattern. I hope to have more in the near future. The Rare Pony Hat was inspired by Rarity Pony. She is a very glamorous pony and was a lot of fun to design. You can buy the written pattern here. If you find any mistakes in it, please feel free to send me an email at yarneemarmee@gmail.com  or leave a comment.  I will do my best to fix it and send you the revised version. The pictures in the pattern are not the best. I had very poor lighting and my camera is not the best. I hope to change that in the future. 

I am going to warn you, pony hats have a lot more work involved than a lot of hats. The eyes have many steps and some may think the time it takes to applique everything onto the hat is a bit too much. I think the finished product is well worth all the work. 

 

The most confusing part of the pattern will be the eyes, especially when adding the eye shadow. Please let me know if you need help. 

Happy Crochet!

Welcome!

Welcome to my new crochet blog.  I am the mother of seven, all of whom I homeschool. I knit and crochet but I prefer crochet. I enjoying designing my own work but I also enjoy using other designer's patterns. My life is usually pretty crazy which is why I have been hesitant in doing a crochet blog but after many requests for patterns and tutorials, I decided it was time. I will always let you know where I found a pattern and share a link to the designers page. I will also share my own creations and patterns. Please, when sharing my creations and patterns with others, include a link to my blog. You cannot sell my patterns but you are, of course, more than welcome to sell the finished product. I hope you enjoy this blog and feel free to make requests and comments. I would love feedback on what you liked and didn't like from my patterns and tutorials.