Make it ! Sombrero Ring Holder !!!

The inspiration for these sombreros comes from Lauren's Mini Sombrero Crochet Pattern .

In fact, the first sombrero (the one with the blue edging) is crocheted following the original pattern, while the next ones (pink and yellow edgings) have in my personal variations to Lauren's pattern.

My sombreros (all of them) were made using a 3,5mm hook and cotton threads.
You need, also, a pair of scissors, a yarn needle, a stitch marker (as working in spiral, it's a good idea to identify the first stich of the round) and a small amount of toy filling.

All the sombreros are crocheted using a pale blue cotton thread

and the colourful edging is made with single crochet stitches (=SC, abbreviation) (US crochet terminology) and picots (each made of 3 chains). Every 3 single crochets, you make a picot!

First Sombrero

Is the one with the blue edging

I simply followed Lauren's pattern.
The only difference is the final embellishment, as I preferred picots to French knots ! ;oD

Second Sombrero

This one has a pointy cone and a slightly larger base.

Some variations were added to the original pattern :

chain 2
round 1 : 4 SCs in the first chain made (4 stitches)
round 2 : 2 SCs in each stitch (8 stitches)
rounds 3 and 4 : crochet 8 SCs around (8 stitches)
round 5 : repeat [1 SC + 2 SCs] 4 times (12 stitches)
rounds 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 : crochet 12 SCs around (12 stitches)
round 11 : 2 SCs in each stitch (24 stitches)
round 12 : crochet 24 single crochets around (24 stitches)
round 13 : repeat [1 SC + 2 SCs] 12 times (36 stitches)
rounds 14, 15 and 16: 1 SC in each stitch around. Slip stitch in first stitch of the round (end of round 16), cut yarn and trim ends in.

With a different colour, add the round of SCs and picots.

I added even a third sombrero to the group

To put the sombrero's cone in the condition to stay straight, you have to contrast it's natural floppiness with the help of some toy filling (use a skewer or the bottom of a pencil to push it inside)

I think that it would be nice to gift a set of sombreros to a friend, maybe 3 or 5 : What do you think??


My cat Margot was very sweet to try one on ....

xxxx, Alessandra

Make it! April Fool's Day Fish !!!

Today could be a day full of jokes .... all over the world !!!!
In Italy we have the custom to cut out a fish from a piece of paper (read here !) and we try to stick it on the back of a person (trying to be gentle, so that the victim is not aware of it) and then laugh at her/his shoulders .... silly, but such fun when I was a kid!!!

Today, instead, I will love to give you a mini pattern (no photo tutorial, sorry!) that allows you to crochet some little fish to gift to your friends ... no jokes here!!!

WHAT YOU NEED :

• some colourful cotton yarns
• a hook or more : I was working both with  3,5mm (one strand) and 4mm (2 strands). I've used once even a 3mm hook!
• a pair of scissors
• safety pins
• buttons
• yarn needle
• a needle to sew on the buttons

Remember that I follow the US crochet terminology ! ;oD

April Fool's Day Fish PATTERN :

Choose a bright colour from your cottons (any other fibre is fine, too!) and make a slip knot on your hook
Row 1 : chain 3, make 3 hDC (= half double crochets) in first chain, chain 2 and turn
Row 2 : (increasing row) 2 hDC in first stitch, 1 hDC in next stitch, 2 hDC in last stitch, chain 2 and turn
Rows 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 : work 5 hDC, chain 2 and turn
Row 8 : (decreasing row) 2 hDCtog (= half double crochets together : decreasing!), 1 hDC, 2 hDCtog , chain 2 and turn
Row 9 : (decreasing row) work 3 hDCtog, chain 2 and turn
Row 10 : work 3 hDC in same stitch, chain 2 and turn
Row 11: 3 hDC, chain 2 and turn
Row 12 : (increasing row) 2 hDC in first stitch, 1 hDC in next stitch, 2 hDC in last stitch

From now on, you can choose between two options :

OPTION 1 :

chain 1 and slip stitch all around the fish body, until you reach again the tail and
Row 13 : 1 SC (= single crochet) in first stitch, [2 DC (= double crochet), 1 slip stitch, 2 DC ] in third stitch, 1 SC in last stitch

Cut yarn, fasten off and trim ends in . Sew on a button as the fish eye.

OPTION 2 :

You can decide to not slip stich all around the fish body, so, instead, at the end of row 12 you can chain 1 and then turn
Row 13 : as in option 1

Cut yarn, fasten off and trim ends in. Sew on a button as the fish eye.

When working on my colour block fish, I preferred to use option 1, while working with two strands together (baker's twine effect) I used option 2 !!



The only exception was the above pink/white one, where I still used option 1 !!!

As usual, I'm not able to post just a couple of pictures .....

So, if you wanna follow the Italian custom, just add a pin to your fish and wear it all day long !!!!

You can even decide to make a simple necklace , as I did ..

Have fun today, xxxx Ale

Today party links : Link your Stuff! and Craft Schooling Sunday

Choco Bunny Placemats for Easter !!!

It all started with this little guy, made a couple of years go ...

He has similar friends, who populated my blog in various periods ( a fox and a matryoshka, just to name a couple), but today I'll talk about this choco bunny only!

After I made it, I had the idea to develop it differently, but it was put in a box, instead, and I forgot about its existence until ....
Two weeks I was cleaning my "studio" (that is the dining area, where I actually work everyday) and in a box I found that choco bunny : I didn't have any excuse to put it back in where I found it and then pretend I didn't see it, so ....

I kept it on my "working" table in front of me for some days and eventually I decided what to do with it!

First try was to crochet a big granny circle, just following this free pattern ...

My idea was really simple : from a coaster (first choco bunny) to a placemat (my new experiment) good for the table of Easter morning!
I liked to work with colours and different cottons (from catania fine, alize bahar, katia espiga,  katia new orleans,  windsurf by sesia, cable' 4 by silke .... just to name a few!) and with a 3,5mm hook.

Then I had a flash through my mind : 'What if I use some mandalas from Mandalas to crochet by Haafner"??? .... well, I did.... 3 times!!! ;oD

The first mandala was the "Granny Circle"...

.... when completed the mandala, I added 2 extra rounds in dark brown to resemble milk chocolate ...

Then, I added a bunny head and a bunny tail to my first granny I made ....

I did the same with Haafner's granny circle ...

The two bunnies together ...

Then was the moment to crochet the "Oriental Lily" ....

.... still without the pompom tail ...

.... and then in full "pompomness" ....

My last attempt was with the mandala "Dazzling Days" ...

... so the last choco bunny is ...

And here, all they are ...

A happy family of bunnies!!!

xxxx Alessandra

Today links : Link your Stuff! and Craft Schooling Sunday