Beary Velvet Crochet Blanket Hoodie - June 2024

I don't know about you guys, but I keep seeing all these ads for those awesome 'Oodie's' however I couldn't quite find a design or colour or style that I liked.  Then I saw the Yarnspirations Beary Velvet Crochet Blanket Hoodie and I was hooked (#notsorry about the pun).

Pattern

Yarnspirations are known for their well laid out and informative patterns. The Beary Velvet Crochet Blanket Hoodie pattern was super easy to follow and enjoyable to complete.  It was a really nice project if you are looking for some mindfulness or a break from a pattern that requires more concentration. It comes with 5 pages of instructions including schematics and clear images of the finished product - it's also available to purchase as a kit.

The sizes to fit bust size are:

XS/XL 28-46" (71-117cm)

2/5XL 48-62" (122-157.5cm)

I did have a little trouble when I came to doing the hoodie portion of the pattern in regards to where to start the stitches. I worked this out by looking at the schematics that are included and started on the front panel and at the top by the shoulder where the pattern stated to leave it open.  As mine was open quite wide, I had to close it up a bit more to use the number of stitches it stated. 

I found it a little challenging as the bulk of the pattern gives you information based on doing the pattern inches rather than the actual number of stitches and rows.  Then at the point of adding the hoodie section it mentions number of stitches rather than the inches that should still be available.  I eventually got it though (after sleeping on it) and have now finished this gloriously big cuddly hoodie!

Thank you to my lovely friend Caroline for modelling the finished product!

Beginner Baby Beanie - March 2024

Here's a sweet little beginner beanie suitable for bubs 0-3 months.  I'll update this pattern when I've worked out the other sizes.

Skill level: Beginner - Basic (CYC Standard) 

Size: 0-3 months (14 inches diameter, 5.5 inches height)

Supplies Needed: 

• 4 Seasons Marvel 8ply 100% Acrylic 100gm 

• 3.5 mm (6/0) Hook

• Yarn Needle

• Scissors 

• Stitch marker (if needed) 

Gauge:

17 stitches (HDC) x 14 rows (4in/10cm)

Abbreviations:

• ch – chain

• sc – single crochet

• hdc – half double crochet

• dc –  double crochet

• sl st – slip stitch

• st(s) – stitch(es)

• blo - back loop only

Notes:

• Chains at the beginning of a row do not count as stitches

• It is recommended that you count each stitch in the row before continuing

Pattern:

Chain 6 and sl st to join.

Row 1 - Ch 2, 8 hdc into centre of circle, slp st to first st of row (8)

Row 2 - Ch 2,  2 hdc into each stitch, slp st to first st of row (16)

Row 3 - *Ch 2, 2 hdc into 1st stitch, 1 hdc*, *repeat around, slp st to first st of row (24)

Row 4 - *Ch 2, 2 hdc into 1st stitch, 2 hdc*, *repeat to end, slp st to first st of row (32)

Row 5 - *Ch 2, 2 hdc into 1st stitch, 3 hdc*, *repeat to end, slp st to first st of row (40)

Row 6 - *Ch 2, 2 hdc into 1st stitch, 4 hdc*, *repeat to end, slp st to first st of row (48)

Row 7 -*Ch 2, 2 hdc into 1st stitch, 5 hdc*, *repeat to end, slp st to first st of row (56)

Row 8 - Ch 1, sc in each stitch around, slp st to first st of row (56)

Row 9 - Ch 3, dc in each stitch around, slp st to first st of row (56)

Row 10 - Repeat Row 9 

Row 11 - Ch 2, hdc in each stitch around, slp st to first st of row (56)

Row 12 - Repeat Row 9 

Row 13 - Repeat Row 9 

Row 14 - Repeat Row 11

Row 15 - Repeat Row 9 

Row 16 - Repeat Row 9 

Row 17 - Repeat Row 11, slp st to first st of row.

Hat Brim:

Row 18, 19 & 20 – ch 1, sc blo - repeat to end, slp st to first st of row. 

FINISHING

Fasten off. Turn beanie inside out. Weave in ends.  

Your project is now complete!

If you have any questions, feel free to post in the comments section below.

If you would like a downloadable version of this pattern, it will soon be available to purchase via Etsy or Ravelry. 

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What tools do I need to get started with crochet? - May 2023

One of the best things about crochet as a craft, is that it's suitable for most ages and reasonably cheap compared to other crafts when you are first getting started.

When first starting out, you'll need a few basic tools and supplies:

Cute Crochet Beanie Tutorial - July 2022

Learn how to crochet this cute adult beanie, step by step and with just one skein of Hobbii Amigo XL yarn! This pattern is suited for those confident with standard crochet stitches and can be done in one afternoon! 

Skill level: Advanced Beginner - Easy (CYC Standard)

Size: Adult - 22"

Supplies Needed: 

• Hobbii Amigo XL or any Medium (4) Weight Yarn

• 5.00 mm (H-8) Hook

• Yarn Needle

• Scissors

• Stitch marker (if needed)

Gauge:

6 DC3TOG = 4" (10cm), 8 pattern rows (DC3TOG and V ST) = 4"(10cm) Adjust hook size up or down to meet gauge

Abbreviations:

• CH – Chain

• SC – Single Crochet

• HDC – Half Double Crochet

• DC – Double Crochet

• SL ST – Slip Stitch

• SK ST – Skip Stitch

• ST(S) – Stitch(es)

• YO - Yarn Over

Notes:

• Chains at the beginning of rows 1-7, and 16-17 do not count as stitches

• Chains at the beginning of rows 8-15 do count as stitches

• DC2TOG and beginning CH, count as DC3TOG

• It is recommended that you count each row before continuing

Special Stitches:

Crochet Advent Calendar Review - January 2022

Introduction

If you weren't already aware from my unboxing video's on my facebook page, I purchased the @CrochetSociety Advent Calendar last year and thought my fellow kiwi crocheter's might want to know more about this for next year.

Price

Price approx $187.38 NZD including shipping.

Pros

Each day you receive a small ball of yarn in different colours. The yarn is from Bella Coco (who also runs Crochet Society), is 33g/66m and called Confection DK. The yarn was nice to work with, has lovely pastel colours for the project.

You also get access to a pattern. The ball of yarn you receive links with the section of pattern you are doing each day and you can either read instructions or watch video. This year it was a small blanket/lap rug.

The pattern started off with the snowflake in the middle and worked outwards towards the end. The snowflake in particular was interesting to do as we attached the yarn to different parts rather than adding it on top later.

The pattern is quite fun to do as it takes through through a few different techniques like Mosaic crochet which you fasten off at the end of each row, then an adjusted mosiac technique that goes back and forth like traditional crochet.

Although not to everyone's taste (i.e. my husband's) I quite liked the colour scheme. I wouldn't have put these colours together myself so it's interesting to see them used like this. I also enjoyed how the pattern repeated below the snowflake is in slightly muted colours of the pattern above.

But wait....there's more!

You also get other small items like stitch markers, Christmas decorations and cookie cutters! They all seems like they are good quality.

AND........3 pretty glittery crochet hooks in the sizes needed for the project. They seemed pretty solid and were ok to work with, however, I didn't use these myself as I love my Clover Amour hooks.

The box is pretty impressive. I believe it's made out of cardboard but is very sturdy. I liked how on the first side of the box you can see the numbers for the advent calendar but then if you turn them around the artwork continues so you are able to use the box as storage or something similar later on.

The package arrived within plenty of time. I think I received it in October so I didn't have to stress that it wasn't going to turn up on time for me to enjoy it with everyone else. I had some other advent calendars (yes I had 6 this year) that didn't get set out till the beginning of December, which, with all the delays in deliveries, meant that I didn't receive the box till sometime in January.

Cons

I felt that the instructions for pattern were not always clear or laid out in a way that was easy to read or understand. I had to refer to the video for almost all sections and sometimes the video didn’t show the full details clearly so that you could be confident you had done it correctly.

I would have preferred more consistency with the extra items – i.e. some items were Christmas decorations for the tree, some were cookie cutters, some items were things like stitch markers. I would have preferred the 25 boxes to all be crochet related notions and tools, or all Christmas decorations etc. The mix of different types of gifts meant that there wasn’t quite enough of all of them to make a lovely set.

The size of the finished item was a bit odd. I think it may be able to fit a baby bassinet or something? Being someone who doesn’t have children or know people at this stage of life, I’m not sure what I will do with the end product. It would be good if there was a way to choose from a small selection on what the end item type may be? That' just me being fussy though, I realise I'm not the average crocheter type :-)

Other

When following other people who also received this box, I saw a lot of comments over missing elements of the advent calendar. Of course, we all understand that these things can happen, however, it sounds like the customer service to get some of these issues resolved was much to be desired.

I can understand that sending replacement items to somewhere like NZ would be difficult, but it looked like a lot of these were people reasonably local so I would have thought a replacement would be easy (assuming they had stock). If a replacement was not available, then you would expect some other kind of compensation for not receiving what was advertised. I'm not sure where people got to with their complaints but I just wanted to make you aware that it seemed a bit of a theme.

Conclusion

Personally I received all items as promised in the advent calendar so didn’t have any issues myself in this area.

It was super fun to be able to open a box each day and discover what was inside, and share with my clan (you guys!).

Would I order this again. Maybe.

It would depend on my budget at the time. I think its pretty good value considering you get 25 balls of yarn, 25 accessories, 25 days of pattern, it arrived in good time. Just be aware that it may be an issue if anything is missing or doubled up.

I would love to hear about the crochet calendars you got this year! Any you would recommend I try next year to review?

How to achieve gauge in crochet - June 2021

The gauge required for crochet could arguably be considered the most important part of any crochet project while simultaneously also being the part crocheters procrastinate over or simply miss all together.

What is the gauge?

The gauge is a measurement of the main stitches of a crochet project. These measurements ensure the project you end up with, is the same as the intended outcome. The gauge has two parts - the number of stitches across the project (horizontal measurement) and the number of rows down the project (the vertical measurement).

Gauge can also be measured by a certain number of repeating patterns i.e. 3 repeats of the pattern may be equal to 4 inches (10cm).

Why is gauge so important?

There are several reasons gauge is important, with the most common being that if you are crocheting a garment, you’ll want to ensure that the garment comes out in the intended size to fit the recipient.

Also, the designer may crochet in a different way to yourself. They may crochet with a much looser technique so therefore their gauge might end up bigger than someone who has purchased their pattern.

On any given day, depending on whether you’ve had a stressful day or a relaxing day, your own crochet tension may change. It is always good to be able to warm up your hands by crocheting a gauge swatch before starting in on your project again.

The amount of yarn needed for a project will be based on the gauge of the pattern. If you crochet bigger than the gauge swatch you may run out of yarn - which is every crocheter’s worst nightmare!

The look and feel of the project may not be the same as the pattern.

How to measure your gauge.

First create your swatch using the required yarn and hook size. The swatch should be larger than the gauge that has been advised i.e. if your gauge is 4 inches (10 cm) square, then make sure your swatch is at least 5inches (12.7cm) square.

Lie your swatch flat and using a suitable measuring tool like a gauge ruler, measure the number of stitches (horizontal measure) within the gauge length i.e. 4 inches. Then measure the number of rows (vertical measure) within this same area. The two together will give you the gauge of your swatch.

Note: Ensure your swatch has been completed in the same way as the designer’s i.e. they may advise the swatch needs to be blocked or that the gauge measurement is before blocking has happened.

How to adjust for incorrect gauge

Example - too many stitches, too many rows

Your tension is tight and your project will be smaller than intended.

If you have too many stitches and too many rows within your gauge then try adjusting your hook. If the gauge is just slightly off, go up a half size. If the gauge is way off, go up a full hook size or more depending on how far off the gauge is.

Example - not enough stitches, not enough rows

Your tension is loose, your project will be bigger than intended and you may run out of yarn.

If you don't have enough stitches or rows within your gauge then the easiest thing to try is to adjust your hook. If the gauge is just slightly off, go down in a half size. If the gauge is way off, go down a full hook size or more depending on how far off the gauge is.

Here’s where things start to get more complicated

Example - right number of stitches, not enough rows / or right number of stitches, too many rows

To adjust for the right number of stitches, but there are either too many or too few rows takes a bit more work.

If you are a beginner, I would suggest just trying to get your gauge as close as possible using different hook sizes, or even different types of hooks. For example, if you tried your swatch using a simple metal hook, try a hook made out of wood or bamboo, or try using an ergonomic hook - this may change your technique slightly and get you closer to the gauge. You may also want to try a different yarn as the different fibres or weights could help adjust your gauge.

If you are a more experienced crocheter, adjust your stitches. You can sometimes adjust the style of your stitches to help achieve the right row height. You may want to try the extended single crochet, half double crochet or double crochet etc. to gain a little more height if this is your main stitch for the gauge. This may alter the look/feel of the project though so can only be used in some circumstances.

The next option is to look at your crochet style or tension - this is probably the hardest thing to adjust, but with a bit of practice, it can be done. If you crochet too tight, you will need to look at loosening your stitches, if you crochet too loose you will need to tighten up.

Check out my blog post on Understanding your Crochet Style to see how you can adjust your work further to achieve gauge.