Last year I bought some self striping yarn, totally on a whim. I thought that perhaps I would finally learn how to knit socks. Haha, that’s never going to happen (I want to, I just don’t have the time). Instead, the colourful yarn sat twisted in its skein and waited.
I have seen the Mind the Gap yarn many times before, beautifully knitted up in colourful, stripey socks, in hues that are taken directly from the gloriously higgledy-piggledy London Underground map design. All the Tube stations are represented in bright, cheerful colours, which clash brilliantly in ways that make me very happy indeed.
Intrigued as to how it would look when worked up in crochet stitches, I figured a quick fix project was the way to go. Given that this particular self striping yarn has colour changes that are designed to be showcased in something small like socks, and given that I am not yet a crochet sock convert, the obvious answer was to make some crochet wrist warmers.
Before you read on, don’t forget to check out my other free crochet patterns. Let me know your favourites!
Self Striping Yarn
I confess that self striping yarn doesn’t often capture my attention. I’m not usually a big fan of the stuff. The colour changes are decided for you and that means there’s limited control. My preference is to be able to control all the elements of my designs so I rarely reach for skeins or cakes that do the job for me. However, I think a lot of people would disagree with me and would like to have that decision made already. Fair enough. Essentially, it removes the stress of choosing the colours. I guess, in that sense, it’s a more mindful way of crafting. Plus, no ends to sew in!!
With the Mind the Gap yarn, it’s intended as a sock yarn and that means the colour changes are placed at deliberate points to create evenly balanced stripes for socks. If you’re a sock knitter, there’s guidance on the label for making the most of the stripes but seeing as I am here with a crochet pattern, it didn’t apply to me and my intentions. But it is very helpful to have that info on the label. A nice touch!
I used the self striping yarn for the main part of the wrist warmers. The stripes do jog a little bit here and there because it proved very difficult to be precise. Due to tension and the slight variations in each stripe, jogs are inevitable but I think that’s absolutely fine here. I actually took the time to measure a few of the stripes to see how long each colour change was. I measured four different changes (by hand, so it’s not an exact science), I got 418cm, 405cm, 407cm and 430cm. So you can see, there’s little bit of variation in this beautiful hand dyed yarn.
Crochet Wrist Warmers Pattern
The pattern I came up with is pretty much just a tube to wear around the wrists. This tickles me way more than necessary. I have made tubes out of the Tube map!
As the colour changes were out of my control, I thought I would also change other elements of the design that I might not ordinarily include either. Therefore, I did something I don’t normally do and that’s to just work around and around without joining. Working a tubular spiral of colourful crochet was actually really good fun!
I also did away with a thumb gusset. I wondered if this would be a disadvantage to the wearability but, no, I have worn my wrist warmers a lot since I made them and not once have I missed having a separate thumb.
So, yes, these are very much just tubes as wrist warmers! However, do note that I added a couple of increases to accommodate for the widest part of the hand. Feel free to play around with these increases. Perhaps you have wider hands than my smallish paws. In which case, add another couple of stitches at different points.
These crochet wrist warmers are very simple but very practical and fun to make. I hope you think so too.
You Will Need:
Less than one skein of sock weight yarn for the main colour. I used aprox 35 grams of Mind the Gap by Trailing Clouds, which I bought from Etsy. This sock yarn is 75% Bluefaced Leicester, 25% nylon and 425m/464yds per 100 grams.
A mini skein of complimentary colour. I went for an orange I found during a deep dive for stash. I don’t know why but for the very first time in my life I am well into orange. It has never happened before! Weird. Orange is fast becoming a favourite colour!!
I used a 2.5mm crochet hook. This yarn is a fine sock weight so you need a small hook. Sorry about that.
2 stitch markers to indicate increase placement.
Tension
My wrist warmers haven’t been washed or blocked but I have worn them several times before any of the measurements were taken. Therefore they have stretched out a little bit. In pattern, 5cm measures = 10 rows/13 sts.
Measurements
Circumference at wrist: approx 17.5cm Circumference at hand: approx 19cm Length: approx 21cm
These are the measurements for the crochet wrist warmers and there will be some positive ease at the wrist blending into a little bit of negative ease at the top of the warmer. If you check out the photos you can see that this isn’t extreme.
Abbreviations & Crochet Terminology
ch = chain, BPtr = back post treble (US BPdc), dc = double crochet (US sc), FPtr = front post half treble (US FPdc), htr = half treble (US hdc), sl st = slip stitch, st(s) = stitch(es), tr = treble (US dc), rep = repeat, yo = yarn over
Special Stitches
Foundation Treble (US foundation double)
This is an alternative to beginning with a chain. It creates a neater, more elastic start to the ribbing.
Ch4 (counts as a st), *yo, insert hook in 4th ch from hook, yo, pull through, yo, pull through 1 loop (this creates the space you’ll work the next stitch into), yo, pull through 2 loops, yo, pull through 2 loops; rep from * working the next ftr (foundation treble) into the created space and loop behind it.
I have aFoundation start video tutorial on how you can do this. Instructions for foundation tr begin at 6:45. Continue watching to the end as I show you how to join and begin working the post stitches for a cuff.
No, I don’t know what’s going on here either!
Pattern Notes:
The main section of the pattern is worked in the round with no joining.
This pattern is for one size. It’s worked in multiples of 4. Adjusting by 4 sts will add or subtract just under 1.5cm.
An increase is 2 stitches in the same place.
The pattern is written in UK terms. Check out the Abbreviations section above for US terms in brackets.
I started with a foundation row of UK treble stitches (That’s US doubles). I have a video tutorial to show you how (see above in Special Stitches).
Wrist Warmer Pattern
Make 2 Rnd 1: 44ftr, join with sl st to form a ring, do not turn. Rnd 2: 1ch (does not count as st here & throughout), [2FPtr, 2BPtr] around, join with sl st to first st, do not turn. Rnd 3–5: Rep Rnd 2. Rnd 6 – 23: Begin Rnd 6 with 1ch, htr around, I worked in a spiral without joining the rounds. Rnd 24: Work an increase and place a stitch marker, cont with htr until half way through the round, work another increase, place marker, cont in htr around. [46 sts] Rnd 25: Cont working htr in the round. Rnd 26: As Rnd 24. Place the increases above where the stitch markers are placed. [48 sts] Rnds 27 – 33: Cont working htr in the round. Rnd 34: Cont working htr in the round. As you reach the last colour change on the self striping yarn work 3 dc, 1 sl st. Join the contrast ribbing colour on the sl st. Rnd 35: 1ch, tr around, join with a sl st to the first st. Rnds 36 – 39: Rep Rnd 2. Fasten off and sew in ends. Use the tail to sew the ends of Rnd 1 closed.
In the photo above you can see that the stitch markers are equidistant. I eyeballed this as it’s just about creating extra space for the wider part of your hand rather than making any special shaping.
Voila! Finished Wrist Warmers!
And there you have it! Two super straightforward wrist warmers that are essentially just tubes of colourful crochet!
Don’t forget to add your finished projects to Ravelry, I’d love to see you crochet wrist warmers! And you can also share on Instagram tag me @zeensandroger. Also, you can use #zeensandroger too and I have also seen #Mindthegapyarn
I didn’t mean to make this granny square sweater! Honest! I have other projects to work on but bright colours and my favourite stitch called to me. This quite often happens. I have a list of designs I “should” be working on when something else catches my eye. Usually, it’s quick and easy makes because I’m craving mindful crochet rather than brain-busting designs.
So, that’s where this granny square sweater comes in. I have just finished an intense commission which involved a lot of head scratching maths. Anything with the granny stitch is a counteractive remedy to the hard stuff so, because I have a very frazzled brain right now, this is a relatively basic “recipe” rather than a full on graded pattern.
It’s not quite as evil a recipe as on a Bake Off final, by which I mean, I do provide plenty of information! However, I haven’t written a round by round, row by row pattern. With my helpful video tutorial and charts below, you won’t need them.
It’s an eyeballing, intuitive project, that you can make up as you go along without worrying about getting the calculator out.
If you enjoy this blog post and the accompanying tutorial, perhaps you’d like to buy me a ko-fi! Thank you, you’re a superstar! You can find more of my Free Crochet Patterns HERE.
This “recipe” for my granny square sweater is for those who enjoy a laid back kind of project. I would love for you to have the confidence to make it up as you go. Play with placement of increases for sleeves, explore ways of basic shaping. Add length, add width. Shoulder tabs can be different too. Don’t like my crochet ribbing? Try a different one.
However, there are techniques here that will improve beginner crochet skills. The ribbing is fancier than a bog standard one, it is also attached with a Join-As-You-Go technique, which I love. There are shaped shoulder tabs for a nice neckline, and the sleeves aren’t just straight tubes. None of these things are set in stone. You can do what you want.
Also, the more you mess about with crochet by winging it, the more you understand the fibres you work with, and how crochet stitches behave. Crocheting your own clothes will become easier and your skills will grow. Therefore, just get started with experimenting and playing…
Stashbusting Yarn
Let’s start with the yarn. I have lots of colourful aran weight wool leftover from a few different projects: My first garment design, the stripey Perfect Cardigan, All the Fun of the Fair, which is a granny stripe cowl/snood, and the second JW Anderson inspired cardigan I made for my sister. Plenty of colours in this lot! And it’s what I used to make my sweater.
I would say that 95% of stash used here is Paintbox Worsted Superwash (200m per 100g) and Paintbox Wool Mix aran (180m per 100g). There are a couple of other brands in there too. They have slightly different yardage/metreage but in the final jumper, you can’t tell. My fave is the wool mix aran, it’s much softer than the worsted superwash.
What Fibre?
You could use other yarns and fibres if that’s what you have in stash. The beauty of this jumper is that it is adaptable. Ultimately, the main body is a granny square so you just make it until it’s the right size. The sleeves would require more faffing but I quite enjoy the tinkering to get them just how I want them. More info on sleeves is further down the post.
Using acrylic? It’ll be grand for a few wears and washes without blocking (instead, use fabric conditioner and tumble dry so it doesn’t come out squeaky). Just know that it will grow and stretch a little bit upon wearing it. Usually, it’s not a drastic change but eventually, over time, acrylic sort of gives up and becomes flatter and more plasticky than its original fluffy self. That’s my experience anyway.
Using cotton? I can’t give much advice on a cotton version I’m afraid as I never make cotton garments. It’s just not my bag. There’s no bounce in the fibre. It stretches and drapes differently to wool and, so far, I’ve not required that for my designs. If I’m making a jumper I want warm wool. You may wish to make swatch to try it out (see below).
Choosing Colours for your Crochet
Yarn amounts (stash, leftovers) may have an influence on where you place the colours. The more colours you have, the more higgledy-piggledy and awesome it’s going to look. The fewer hues, the more “arranged” it will look. There are about 24/25 colours in mine. Some colours only feature once or twice as were only a few grams left of them.
I had the stash and balanced it all out following my gut. A couple of tips: don’t put all your brights together and evenly place the darker colours throughout. You can read more about how to choose colours for your crochet in another of my blog posts.
How much stash have you got? Use the smaller amounts early on in the squares, have you got enough for a sleeve row? You only need small lengths for the shoulder tabs too. Think about where to use the yarn in clever ways.
How Much Yarn do you Need to Crochet a Sweater?
How much yarn will you need to make your Granny Square Sweater? Oh crikey, how long is a piece of string? It depends on so many factors! The biggest one, however, is it depends on the size you’re making. There’s more info on sizing further down.
Most of the yarn I used is from Paintbox Yarns (aran & worsted, as I mentioned earlier). The worsted is 200m per 100 grams. I’m going to use this to work out how many metres I used. My jumper weighs about 810 grams, which means I used approx 1620 metres. You get this figure with the following equation: weight of the garment divided by the weight of a full ball, multiplied by the meters (or yards, if you prefer) in one full ball. Note that you will probably need more than this in reality as it’s made up of around 24 colours and you’re going to use various amounts of each.
The problem is that as it’s lots of leftovers, of many different colours, giving amounts for other sizes is difficult. Even giving specific amounts for the size I made is nearly impossible because I made no notes on my stash. Eek, sorry. But if you’re a hoarder like me, you’re gonna have loads of stash to use, yes?!
All I can give you is this, if you want to have matching ribbing on the cuffs, waistband and neck, ensure you have at least one full 100 gram ball of yarn for that. Maybe get two balls to be absolutely sure because I probably used approx 1 full ball of green but haven’t worked out how much exactly cos in my stash it was two partially used balls and some went in the main body of the jumper as well). Sorry again!
How to Size your Granny Square Sweater
So, as you know by now, this is a recipe rather than a fully graded pattern, which means you might need to do some work! I will help you as much as possible here. And I will make sure it’s not painful. However, we are all making unique versions, right?
The absolute easiest way of making a jumper that’s going to fit you is to dig out your favourite fitting jumper and use that to work out how big to make your square. Take into account that your granny square sweater will stretch with wear (whether you’ve blocked it or not). Therefore, when I made mine, I made it approx 2 cm smaller than my favourite jumper, knowing it would stretch to become a similar size. There’s a slight risk of it stretching more than 2 or 3 cm but that’s ok for this project. We’re not after a fitted garment that’s super precise. This is a laid-back way of clothes making.
It’s worth mentioning, that the larger your square, the more it’s going to stretch. If each stitch stretches and you have more stitches, well, it’s going to make a difference. Fancy working up a gauge swatch, just in case?! Keep reading…
More Accurate Sizing
Ok, so I’ve popped this lil chart here as a useful guide to show a pretty standard width of a sweater with 10cm positive ease (positive ease = additional roominess in a garment, the opposite is negative ease, which makes a garment fitted against the body).
If you’re not sure about using your fav garment to measure against, you can always use this instead. You want your final granny square to be about this size in width. You can findmore info about standard garment sizes on the Craft Yarn Council’s website.
Size
1 (xs)
2 (s)
3 (m)
4 (l)
5 (xl)
6 (2xl)
7 (3xl)
8 (4xl)
9 (5xl)
10 (6xl)
UK sizing
4
6-8
10-12
14-16
18-20
22-24
26-28
30-32
34-36
38-40
Width of granny (cm)
43.5
48.5
53.5
58.5
63.5
68.5
73.5
78.5
83.5
88.5
Sweater Length
At this point, you need to know that adding shoulder tabs and a waistband is going to add length to your jumper so the end result is that the sweater won’t actually be a square. Bear it in mind. With 4 rows of shoulder tabs and, just shy of 5cm for the waistband, my jumper is approx 57cm in length.
This can be intimidating, I totally get it. And, although I’m totally winging it, I do have a good understanding of how washing and wearing a garment can alter the clothes you make. This is actually big big subject and I don’t want to scare you off by writing a massive essay about it.
Blocking?
Simply put, blocking means to wash or steam your woolly items and then (gently or aggressively, depending on the situation) pin out to stretch the item as it dries. It will then be fixed in its new state.
Spend a few minutes to work up a granny square that measures about 15cm (6 inches) and pop it in warm water (with a dash of detergent – I use wool wash soap for my handmade garments). Rinse, blot in a towel, then pin onto foam blocking boards and wait patiently for it to dry.
I didn’t mention it in the video tutorial but I pinned out and steam blocked my main pieces before sewing them together. It’s a really quick blocking method. I have a steamer but the steam function on an iron works too. For me, this helps for more accurate sewing. The pieces are less likely to bunch or pucker.
The picture below shows what crochet looks like on the blocking boards. If you have a cat, it is pretty much guaranteed that they will want in on the blocking action.
Arghh, Maths! How Gauge Affects Size
I’m going to assume that you’ve read my quick blog post about gauge. My gauge for this project (after blocking) is about 8.5 rows per 10cm. If you don’t want to eyeball the granny square like did, you can use a formula to work out how big to make it instead. Using the measurement from your size in the chart above, multiply it by the row gauge (8.5) and divide by 10 (cos that’s how many centimetres get you 8.5 rows).
It turns out my eyeballing is surprisingly accurate. Check this out: 53.5 (size 3 as per the size chart) x 8.5 / 10 = 45.475. I worked 23 rounds of grannies. 23 x 2 =46!! Wowsers! (I’ve multiplied by 2 because we go around in a square, not rows. From the granny’s centre to the top, it’s 23 rows, from the centre to the bottom, it’s 23 rows).
And I know, I know I said you wouldn’t need a calculator. sorry about that. But technically it’s true if you’re winging it!
crochet granny squares
Make Your Granny Squares
You probably already know how to make a granny square but if not, I show you how in the video tutorial. I like to turn mine every round so that there’s no dreaded twist.
Once you have two granny squares that are the chosen size, add shoulder tabs to the top. I also demonstrate this in the vid. It’s a Granny stripe method with a touch of shaping so that the neck is a nice, rounded shape. See below for the charts.
On the bottom of the granny squares, work a row of UK dc (US sc) stitches. This is the base upon which you’ll work the waistband ribbing. Use the same colour that you’ll use for the ribbing.
By the way, at any point during this process, you’re going to have to sew in the eleventy bajillion ends. Hahahahahaha! Quite honestly, looking back, I don’t know how I did it without crying.
Add Shaped Shoulder Tabs
This is the next step beyond the most basic of boxy crochet garments. There is absolutely nothing wrong with basic square shaping for a crochet sweater. I make ’em sometimes. But here, let’s go one step further and add shoulder shaping. This creates a scoop neckline, which will sit nicely across your clavicles!
Of course, this is open to adapting in different ways. To keep it simple I have kept the front and back the same. I won’t mention too much more on this because I have a plan to demonstrate how you can tweak this in another version of this gloriously colourful granny square sweater.
Below is a chart showing the tabs attached to the main body (the granny square). I chose to add four rows for mine. You have the left and right tabs there. I should have drawn them mirrored. I didn’t. Oh well, it is still very useful to see them visually.
And by the power of Photoshop, it should look like this! Sort of…
Sleeves
Ok, so you’ve got the main body done. Now for the sleeves. They’re worked flat, in rows.
I want shaping here, very basic shaping. Luckily, arm length can stay the same regardless of the size of the main body so what I’m sharing here is going to work for the majority of folks. Of course, it’ll be different if you’re not using aran or worsted yarn. Obvs, things will vary if your tension is different so work more or fewer rows if needed.
My sleeves measure 46cm without cuffs, I worked 41 rows. Decide how long you want your sleeves and work as many rows as you want. And don’t forget that the cuffs add to the length too. They are 4cm so in total, I have 50cm length sleeves. This works for me and my arms. I’m a fan of 50cm sleeves!
Sleeve Width
Begin by working a foundation row of UK double crochet (US single crochet) using the ribbing colour. Check out my video tutorial for the foundation start. You need multiples of 3 plus 1. I worked 43 stitches for the beginning of my sleeves. After the first row of grannies appear, it measures approx 27cm at the wrist, and after you’ve worked 41 rows, the width at the other end (upper arm) measures 40cm. You might need to make yours narrower or wider than mine. Add or remove multiples of 3 stitches to change the sleeve width. Treat every 3 stitches as 2cm, so you’re adding or subtracting 2cm if you change the stitch count.
If you worked 43 stitches, the first row will have 13 granny clusters, plus the two ends.
Then add the JAYG cuffs. To be honest, you can add ribbing before or after you’ve constructed the jumper. I wanted them blocked at the same time so added them before. I’m not sure if I’d do this again but it worked in the way I wanted.
Next is a pic of the sleeve chart. Sorry for the hand-drawn nature of all my charts in this post. It was the quickest way of doing it!
Below is a not particularly tidy way of demonstrating where I put the increases at the ends of each row. There are more regular increases at the beginning before I decided I didn’t need as many to get the shape required. Play around with increases as much as you desire to create different sleeve shaping.
Only after making this chart did I realise I only crocheted 41 rows not 42. Oops.
Crochet Ribbing
I decided to add ribbing for the cuffs and waistband before sewing the pieces together. I was happy with my measurements of everything and knew I wouldn’t need to make further adjustments. If you’re not sure, add these after you have sewn the main pieces together. That way, if you need to adjust the depth of the ribbing, you only need to undo those sections and not the whole thing. I added the neckband once everything else was constructed.
For this granny square sweater, I opted for my current favourite crochet rib stitch. It looks fabulous and is an interesting technique that’s more sophisticated than basic rib stitches. It’s still Back Loop Only, like a lot of ribbing but this time with a two row pattern repeat.
With the wrong side facing you, attach the yarn to where you want the ribbing and chain 8 for the cuffs, 10 for the waistband and for the diddy neckline, chain 6.
Working down towards the foundation/base I used a yarn over slip stitches (yoslst) and on the way back up on the next row it’s just a simple slip stitch. Once again, you can see a demo of this in the video tutorial.
As a written pattern, the ribbing looks like this:
Chain 10 (for example) Row 1 (w/s): Working in back bumps, yoslst in second ch from hook, yoslst to end, sl st in next 2 sts of foundation row, turn. [9 sts] Row 2 (r/s): Miss 2 sl sts, 9sl sts BLO, turn. Row 3: ch1, 9yoslst BLO, turn. Rep Rows 2 & 3 to end.
Sew Everything Together
Remember to sew on the wrong sides to keep the right side as neat as possible. Use whip stitch, mattress stitch, whatever floats your boat.
1. Lay the front and back panels together (right sides together) and sew shoulder tabs together first. 2. Then, sew flat, the sleeves to the shoulders. Get them nicely lined up so that the centre of the upper sleeve is in line with the middle of the shoulder seam. 3. Fold everything in half and sew the sleeves and body in one fell swoop. 4. Add a round of UK dc (US sc) stitches around the neckband so there’s a foundation for the ribbing (matchy matchy with ribbing colour please). 5. Add neck ribbing (and cuffs & waistband if you left them to the end) and sew the ends to close.
Then, gently handwash and block if using wool yarn (yep, blocking again! I was thorough). The weight of itself should be enough to ensure it stretches appropriately. Once the excess water is gently squeezed out and blotted with towels, I didn’t bother to pin it out, just relied on the wet heft of it to stretch itself. [jeez, wet heft!] If using acrylic, wash in a machine (not forgetting fabric conditioner to avoid the squeaky squeaky) and tumble dry.
And there you have it. A Granny Square Sweater!! That was a lot of words, right?! Eek, my longest blog post I think.
Please do let me know when you make yours, I would absolutely love to see. Upload your project to Ravelry and tag me onInstagram. #zeensandroger
BTW, This post contains an affiliate link, which means, if you buy through the link I set up forLovecrafts.com, I get a small percentage of what you spend (at no extra cost to you).
If you thought this was completely brilliant and amazing, please consider buying me a ko-fi!
I don’t need a new crochet hat, I have plenty of hats, but when is that ever an excuse? As a crocheter compelled to make stuff, hats are pretty good palette cleansers in between more complex projects. They are also great stash busters and I am definitely a fan of a decent stashbuster.
The idea behind this crochet hat is to use my pretty leftovers of mohair yarn from all the fluffy adventures I’ve been on over the last couple of years.
Before you read on for the pattern and its details, I have also made a YouTube video tutorial, which you can find HERE. During the editing process I noticed that I tell everyone I used a 4.5mm hook to make the hat, I didn’t. I used a 5mm. Please ignore “Tutorial Zeens”, she doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Well, mostly she does, everything else is good information….
Notes on Making your Crochet Hat
A Crochet Rib Stitch
I wanted to keep things simple but also use the best kind of crochet rib stitch. There are lots of hats crocheted in this kind of method but often I see a half treble (US half dc) worked in the back loop only. I love a htr back loop only but not for a rib. There are better options that are tidier and more effective, like the one I’ve used in this pattern.
For this hat I opted for a yarn over slip stitch (YO sl st) worked in the back loop only (BLO). It worked just as I wanted it to. It’s a stitch that would look great in fishermans’ rib style jumpers (must make one of these).
Please watch the video tutorial for a stitch demo. It’s one of those stitches that’s a little bit fiddly when you’re just learning but once it becomes a rhythm, it’s actually quite fun to do.
The stitch goes like this: Yarn over (YO), and insert hook into the stitch, yarn over and pull through all loops on hook.
The Yarn
The main yarn I used was a DK merino held with a laceweight kid silk mohair. If you have never used mohair yarn before but fancy giving it go, check out my tips of using mohair yarn.
The blips of contrast colours were a selection of all fluffy yarns in my stash leftover from previous projects. Mine range from laceweight to DK weight to chunky.
You can get fluffy yarn across all budgets and I threw everything into this hat regardless of weight or brand. The Christmas before last I made mohair and brushed alpaca scrunchies for my nieces. The leftovers are in this hat. The summer of that year I made a colourful cardigan out of MYPZ chunky mohair. (oh lordy, I called it DK in the video – another mistake!). I also had fluff from other projects too. Let’s chuck it all at the hat!
The colour changes are pretty lazy. Working with two strands all the time, whenever I wanted to introduce a new shade, I popped the one I didn’t want out of the way and laid a new strand with the one still in use. Then I swapped back when the contrast colour ran out, or whenever it felt right. When not in use, I floated most of the main colour across the wrong side of the work. Sometimes, if they were overly long, I’d snip them and rejoin later.
Crocheting a Hat to Fit
I worked 70 rows of 40 stitches. The piece of fabric measures 23 (the hat’s depth) x 47cm (the hat’s length). My head measures 56cm, which is quite a few centimeters more than the length of the hat. This is because you need negative ease in a hat so it stretches to fit. Standard negative ease is about 5-6cm for a hat. Mine is a little more than that as it will stretch out further upon wearing. Essentially my own head is “blocking” it out as I wear it.
Blocking? Simply put, blocking means to wash or steam your woolly items and then (gently or aggressively) stretch out the item as it dries. It will then be fixed in its new state. I have no intention of properly blocking the hat. I have no intention of washing the hat at all (unless it falls into a muddy puddle or something) so I don’t think blocking is too urgent. It depends on your own personal preference for a project like this. Yes, a gentle steam block will even out stitches. And yes, it will create additional length and width by being stretched out. It depends on how particular you are as to whether you want to do it properly. This is a quick win crochet hat so I’ve just eyeballed it.
By all means, if you’re a harcore perfectionist, make up a swatch, wash it and leave to dry. You can then measure how many rows and stitches there are over 10cm (4 inches). From these measurements you can work out Gauge.
Here’s my unblocked gauge: 18 sts and 15 rows per 10cm. It varies a little bit here and there when the different weights of yarn are applied.
Crochet Ribbed Mohair Hat Pattern
Things You Need
100g of DK yarn, I used West Yorkshire Spinners “Bo Peep”, which comes in 50g balls.
25g kid silk mohair, laceweight. I used Drops.
Lots of different contrasting colours of various mohair, brushed alpaca, or similar.
You will need extra of everything for the pompom. If you’re shopping for the whole shebang, add 3x 50g dk and 2x 25g laceweight to your shopping basket for the main body of the hat.
5mm hook. This is me going up a hook size than I’d normally use. I found it too fiddly to get the hook into the Back Loop Only (BLO) with a smaller hook.
Hat Pattern
Chain 41 Row 1: In the second chain from hook YO sl st, YO sl st to end, turn. [40 sts] Row 2 – Row 70 (or however many rows you need for a bigger/smaller noggin): 1ch, YO sl st BLO to end, turn. [40 sts]
This finished piece measures approx 23 x 47cm.
When changing colours, ensure ends are all on the “wrong side”. I didn’t worry about sewing them in. I am going to let their flyaway fibre structure do the work for me. Mohair never wants to let go so I’m pretty sure none of these contrast colours will work themselves loose. If in doubt, feel free to tie ends together before tidying up the ends with a pair of scissors.
When you fasten off, leave a long tail for sewing. Sew up the side using a whip stitch, do this wrong side out. I have demonstrated a way of doing this in the tutorial that ensures it’s pretty much invisible. Using the same length of yarn, run the needle along the top circumference of the hat, going in and out of the rows. Gently but firmly pull to close. Then, secure everything in place by working the needle around the gathers, back and forth, again and again to lock it all in place. Tie off but don’t snip just yet.
Tiddly Om Pom Pom
I am not going to write a step by step process for pompom making. I am not good enough! But you will hear my delight in the video tutorial when I made the one for the hat. I have every confidence that you will be better than me at making a pompom. But at least I didn’t break the yarn this time. Be careful when tying off the pompom as I have a tendency to break the yarn by pulling too hard!
When attaching your big fluffy sphere to the hat, be firm with the tying so the pompom won’t loosely flap about atop your head. Once secure, I also tied all loose ends together and then snipped to trim rather than sew them in. No one has time for that, especially you aren’t going to see them.
If you don’t want to make a fool of yourself like I did you can always buy a ready made one?
When one thinks of crochet, it is almost guaranteed that most of us will conjure up a picture of a colourful square with rounds of uniform granny clusters. It is THE quintessential stitch that represents crochet whether we like it or not. The granny square has been around since the Victorians, growing in popularity during the 1960’s and 70’s. Then it seemed to disappear for a while, along with crochet in general. But for the last few years it has exploded in popularity again, hasn’t it? Crochet, and the granny stitch, is everywhere!
Crochet is definitely back in fashion and the symbol upon its banners is a granny square! We are in a granny renaissance! And luckily this means a whole new generation of fans who are learning to love, not only the granny, but all things crochet.
What I want to do here is celebrate the humble granny (everyone always calls it humble, don’t they?!). I thought it would be a good idea to get a selection of granny stitch patterns where there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Read on…
Why Granny is the Greatest
Honestly, I could be here forever and a day, sing songing about all the fab reasons about why the granny stitch is just soooo good but let’s stick to a small handful…
Firstly, rose-tinted nostalgia! For me, and for others I know, crochet harks back to a time when our mothers and grandmothers were, with busy hands, stitching away at yarn crafts (and yes, fathers and grandfathers too!). For decades my Nanna would stash bust her way through yarn scraps with a make do and mend mentality. She was always making giant granny square blankets from leftover yarn. Yarn that was left over from all the knitted jumpers she made. It’s satisfying to know that we’re carrying on a version of those traditions, and being economical too.
Secondly, it’s how we learn to crochet isn’t it? Not that I think it’s the best way to learn, it really isn’t (that would be the methodical process of learning rows and rows of single/double crochet before graduating to row and rows of other stitches. But that’s not as exciting though, hey?!). Nevertheless, a granny square seems to be the most taught pattern for beginners and that’s because it has an easy pattern repeat and is quick to work up. Instant gratification!
It doesn’t need to be written down, it just gets handed down from generation to generation like an old fairy tale. Sometimes there are slight differences but ultimately it’s a square of squishy goodness.
A classic Granny Square blanket, made for my sister.
Other Reasons to Celebrate the Granny Stitch
One of the other reasons I love this classic stitch so much is because it is the ultimate in comfort crochet. Whenever life gets too much, or I’m working on a pattern that’s a bit complicated, I turn to Granny for a bit of soothing stitchery. It works wonders! Almost like a hug from your real granny! It’s the ultimate in mindfulness.
You can literally do it with your eyes closed! With a little bit of practice, the granny is the best stitch for resting your eyes and crocheting at the same time. Those gaps between each cluster are easily found by touch alone.
Like Nanna knew decades ago, granny stitch projects are fantastic for busting that stash. Granny squares are perfect for using small scraps, you only need small amounts to create a pretty mishmash of colourful squares.
Granny is the gateway drug to “proper” crochet. I say this knowing that some of you might tell me off and argue that granny is real crochet! Yes, of course it is, I don’t dispute that (this whole post is a big love letter to Granny so it would be remiss of me to throw it under the bus) but there is also soooo much more to crochet than this stitch alone. It’s really exciting to see new and different designs coming out that really push the boundaries of what crochet can do. Once you’ve conquered how to make a granny, why not try something new?!
The Ultimate Versatile Crochet Stitch
You can pretty much grannify anything you want. This is because it’s such a simple, no frills crochet stitch. If you’re not ready to move on to pastures new just yet then there is plenty of fun things that Granny has to offer. Oh, the limitless potential!!
To be honest, I don’t think the granny will ever truly go out of style as there are so many options for patterns. Even when the time comes when it’s not featuring in Vogue or whatever, there will still be crocheters building little piles of squares, or working on their stripes in all kinds of ingenious ways.
One day it is my goal to decorate my old Nikes in bright squares. I’ve seen it, it has been done, and it looks amazing!
Collection of Granny Patterns
So after all the waffle, extolling the virtues of my fave stitch of all time (probably…), here is a selection of granny patterns to check out. Not gonna lie, I have more than enough to ensure that this post could be all about me me me, but I have also added awesome patterns that are from other designers. I’ve made them and can attest to their brilliance.
The majority of patterns below are available as written instructions. I have also created video tutorials for a few of them too. There are lot of shawls, scarves & cowls, bags aplenty, a blanket and garments here and there too. Phew!!
Wayward Sisters – Granny Stripe Shawl
I’m starting with my latest granny pattern. This is the Wayward Sisters and it’s a free crochet pattern. You can find it here. It’s a straightforward pattern using granny stripes and is super fast to work up. I pretty much made this in one weekend!
Granny Market Bag
Photo courtesy of Inside Crochet magazine
Another new pattern from me! I love love love how this awesome crochet market bag turned out. It’s stripey clusters worked diagonally from corner to corner which is then magically transformed into a super modern shopper. You can find it on Etsy or Ravelry.
Miu Miu Inspired Granny Stripe Scarf
This is from last year when Miu Miu had granny stripe scarves on sale for a LOT of money. Make one for free here on my lovely crochet blog!
See My Vest – Crochet Tank Top
See My Vest, See My Vest, not made from gorilla chest! (sorry, it’s a rubbish Simpsons reference, I apologise). I came up with this design as homework for upping my grading game. It was a good lesson as this colourful crochet tank top comes in 9 different sizes. You can get a copy of the pattern from Ravelry, Etsy, Lovecrafts or Ribblr (that’s a lot of pattern platforms!)
Chevron Cowl Pattern
This chevron cowl is just so quick to work up! Find the pattern and tutorial here so you can make one, two, three or more! It’s a snug fitting cowl but you can keep on going to make a version that’s more like an infinity scarf.
Granny Christmas Hat
As hats go, I have only designed a Christmas hat with clusters of extra chunky yarn. Perhaps I should consider more hats (even balaclavas) to add to my catalogue of grannies…
Granny Stitch Cowl
Another crochet cowl but this one is super contemporary and cool. It brings the granny stitch to the modern day and looks totally effortless. Find the pattern on Etsy and Ravelry.
Gudrun – A Modern Shawl Design
This is the Gudrun pattern and is my interpretation of what “grown up” granny looks like!
Fun fact, did you know that this shawl is named after Gudrun Ure, the actress who played Super Gran in the eighties kid’s TV show! Thanks to Alyson Chu of Moorit magazine for coming up with that gem.
Join As You Go squares are worked in a rectangle, folded in half and joined at the sides. The bag is lined so nothing can escape through granny’s holes! Find the free pattern and tutorial here.
Another Crochet Market Bag Pattern!
Oh my goodness I have made a lot of these cotton market bags! A lot of market bags in general to be fair! I use every single one and they make fabulous crochet gifts too. This one has lots of drape. If that’s not your thing, go down a hook size or two.
Hotchpotch Granny Purse
You can make this Hotchpotch purse in so many different sizes. Add a zip, add a magnetic clasp, add handles. Do whatever you like! Worked from the bottom up, in the round, it’s a very easy pattern to adapt. The video tutorial shows you how to line it too.
Granny Edged Rainbow
This one is going back a bit and is more of a recipe rather than a standard pattern. I mean, do you need a pattern for a granny square? OK, sorry, you might be looking for one here. Fear not, you’re in luck, this one has a video tutorial! Find the blanket recipe here.
Simple Granny Stitch Shawl
A very early pattern from me that is a step by step photo tutorial of this very easy crochet shawl, which is super useful for beginner crocheters.
Asymmetric Cowl Pattern & Tutorial
I know, I know, another cowl. Better to have all the choices, no? This one is another speedy project as it’s nice chunky yarn on a big hook so it has a nice drape. Although it’s not very “me” I still have a soft spot for it even if the yarn I used left fibres EVERYWHERE! Find the pattern here.
Perpetual Dawn Granny. Retro Square Shawl
This is a recent design I came up with for a crochet collection from The Fibre Co. You can find the pattern on their website and get the kit if you wish. I love the summery retro feel of this one. The lace weight yarn makes is floaty light and ever so silky.
Revival – A Granny Square Jumper
This fabulous crochet sweater is by crochet designer, Heather of HG Designs. The granny stitch is her modus operandi and definitely someone to visit if you are a major fan of all things granny. Revival is a jumper that always gets checked out when I wear it.
Just Feel Festive Shawl
I wear this colourful stripey shawl scarf allllll the time. I wear a lot of plain colours in real life and if I feel that something needs a splash of colour, then this is the scarf I reach for. You can can this free crochet pattern from Caleisha Ryan. Mine is made from all my DK acrylic scraps, it is the perfect stash buster!! But do make a luxury version, like the original beauty, by using your pretty merino minis. They will look stunning!
Granny Go Round Jumper
Everyone has made a Granny Go Round, right? Oh my goodness, how many versions could you make? As with all Grannies, there are so many options for colour work. I went off piste in a couple of places when making this, including making the sleeves more balloony by adding some decreases near the cuff. I love this top down jumper. It’s fab!!
Which is Your Favourite?
I mean, if you got this far I know you must be a fan, right? What have I missed? Is there a Granny pattern you love that deserves a mention? Let me know!
Also note that I haven’t included all of my granny projects. make sure to look at my FREE CROCHET PATTERNSfor more inspo, not just for the clever little clusters that we all love but for other patterns outside the Granny arena too.
We three met on the cusp of autumn. No thunder, lightning or rain, just glorious September sunshine and lots of crochet goss. It was the perfect weather for a weekend in the Cotswolds for three people obsessed with the same thing. Crochet!
The crochet shawl pattern I’m sharing here was borne from our weekend. Practically whipped up the whole thing whilst we were there, it’s that easy! Crocheting granny stripes is a doddle and just the thing needed to relax the brain.
The free pattern is below. Or, if you’d prefer, you can buy a downloadable PDF that isn’t littered with waffle and ads. The PDF can be found on Ravelry, Etsy and Lovecrafts.
(Btw this post contains one affiliate link for the yarn if you want to directly check out the yarn I used)
One Wayward Sister
Wayward Sisters
We all convened on a Friday afternoon when the sun was at its warmest. I can’t speak for the others but driving through picturesque English towns and country lanes to find an old barn to stay in felt proper exciting. The idea of a weekend away to literally focus on crochet, work on projects, and generally have a good time was much needed.
The last time I met up with Fay (of Fay H Designs and the Provenance Craft Co.) was in the early summer. She was vending at the John Arbon Textiles Mill Open Weekend and I was teaching a crochet class. Over the years, we’ve always managed to have quick chats at yarn festivals but I don’t think we’d ever sat down to have a proper chinwag. As we caught up she proposed the idea of a weekend away with crochet and friends. She and Michelle (of Dora Explored) had already been brewing plans for this so it was an easy Yes from me. Hovering over Google Maps, we poked a finger on the map, somewhere equidistant for all three of us, it landed on the Cotswolds. That’ll do nicely, thank you.
I met Michelle (of Dora Does and Dora Explored) for the first time three years ago. Rather fortuitously, she was in Devon for a family holiday and I recognised her IG pics so knew she was literally ten minutes from my house. We met up for tea and cake, with me being v late, dragging two kids who just wouldn’t get dressed that morning. We chatted for ages and I knew I’d found someone just as obsessed with crochet as me!
Yarn Everywhere
The funniest bit upon arriving was discovering that we had all brought a car full of yarn. Bags and bags, stacks of boxes, WIPs and secret projects! Yarn everywhere!
Despite bringing half my yarn stash I didn’t want to work on anything already begun. My new granny stripe crochet shawl has been on the agenda for the longest time but it has never been a priority. Ultimately it was the right balance of fun, relaxing and new. It fit in really well with the chilled atmosphere where there was zero pressure. Sometimes that’s just what everyone needs.
So the weekend went thusly: wake up, do a bit of crochet, wander round the garden picking pears, apples and sloes. Find some walnut trees (good for yarn dyeing), go back inside for a spot more crochet. Have a cup of tea. Go for a walk, go into town, have a pub lunch sat alongside the river Thames. Sniff out any yarn shops (hmm, half a one). Do a bit more crochet. Have some wine, do some crochet at a different tension…
I’ve shared a few photos here. There was a creepy old shed that I loved. It had great angles and light but my photography skills aren’t up for taking advantage of such a backdrop. The town of Lechlade was a great host. Amongst the interesting shops there was an antique place stuffed full of crazy taxidermy. What a fab weekend.
The Chosen WIP
After all that, you will want the pattern for a crochet shawl, right? I’m so happy to share this as I want you to enjoy the fun of relaxing crochet.
I made this crochet shawl because it was repetitive, methodical and I could trust it to do as it was told without me using too much brain power. In my holiday yarn stash were several (already wound) cakes of Cascade 220 Fingering yarn. Quite honestly, there were a few different projects I could have started with it . There’s still plenty left so, no doubt, you’ll see designs with related colour palettes at some point. But because a granny stripe crochet shawl had been on the To Do list for a while, it easily won as the thing to make.
Soothing Granny Stripes
Oky doky, before you begin, please know that this is a very easy single row pattern repeat. Once the first couple of starter rows are out the way, every row is the same. This is Easy Crochet at its finest! Adding stripes of colour in the mix stops too much monotony and really lifts the shawl. But ultimately, we’re just talking stripes of wonderful granny clusters.
When I started working on the shawl I felt almost embarrassed. I felt like I should be working on something impressive and fancy. I was with professionals who take this art very seriously!! But this was when it dawned on me why I like the granny stitch so much. It’s because it is the ultimate in comfort crochet. This shawl is the very definition of comfort crochet! It’s not out to impress, it only wants to make you feel good.
Do you often return to your favourite stitches? This could be why. Our favourite stitches make us feel safe and relaxed. That’s perfectly OK. I don’t always want or need crochet that soothes me but when I do, Hello Granny!
Colourful crochet shawl
Crochet Shawl Pattern
Here we go! Things you will need are: a 4mm hook, 3x50g skeins of Cascade 220 Fingering for the Main Colour, and 6 contrasting colours. I used approximately 20g of each.
Pattern Notes
The pattern is written in UK terms. The main stitch is a UK treble, which is a US double crochet.
Contrast colours (CCs) are used three times each with 18 stripes of colour in total.
In established pattern, the CCs are placed every fourth row.
Rather than sewing in ends, I attached tassels to hide colour changes. Knot the loose ends together first before attaching tassels.
The PDF contains a chart with crochet symbols to follow.
The PDF also has a table charting where the colour chances are and where they are.
Work the first 4 rows in the MC, then change colour to a CC for the first time on the last st of Row 4. Then work a CC every 4th row.
Chain 4 and join with a slip stitch, or make a magic circle. Row 1: ch4 (counts as 1tr and 1ch here & throughout), 3tr, 1ch, 1tr, turn. [1 cluster of 3 tr + 1 st at either side] Row 2: ch4, 3tr in first ch-sp, 1ch, (3tr, 1ch, 1tr) in last ch-sp, turn. [2 clusters + 1 st at either side] Row 3: ch4, 3tr in first ch-sp, 1ch, 3tr in next ch-sp, 1ch, (3tr, 1ch, 1tr) in last ch-sp, turn. [3 clusters + 1 st at either side, increasing by 1 cluster each row] Row 4: ch4, 3tr in first ch-sp, 1ch, *3tr in next ch-sp, 1ch; rep from * to last ch-sp, (3tr, 1ch, 1tr) in last ch-sp, turn. Rows 5 – 76: Rep Row 4.
Comforting Crochet Shawl
To Tassel or Not or Tassel?
Are you a fan of tassels? The jury is still out for me. The tassels are there because I couldn’t be bothered to sew in the ends. That’s all. As much as they add lots of mood lifting colour, I am tempted to undo them and add a less jazzy border. It’ll be simple to do, and if it happens and I shall come and report what I did.
And there you have it. Did you get beyond the tangenty gas-bagging?!
To give you a crochet shawl pattern I have to tell a story behind its construction. I enjoy telling the tale of how a design comes about. I just hope people enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy writing them!
Anyway, with that, the Wayward Sisters came together, worked some magic, and then bid each other farewell. Until next time…
Or would you call it a sweater? I will probably use them interchangeably here but they are essentially the same thing. Here in the UK, Riley is a jumper. To my US chums and other worldly friends, I think it’d most likely be a sweater. Whatever you call it this is a crochet pullover (?!) that is sure to keep you warm as the season changes and the weather gets a bit more chill.
Get Your Hands on the Crochet Pattern
As usual, rather than make you jump through hoops, I’ll leave the info right up top. To get a copy of Riley (V2), pop over to Ravelry, Etsy or Lovecrafts, whichever is your fave place to shop for crochet patterns. This jumper is size inclusive for nine different sizes.
The crochet pattern is written and available in both US & UK terms. I don’t always get round to doing this (soz See My Vest) but given that this one uses a few different stitches (in a fun way) I thought it would be helpful for all makers.
Riley, a Crochet jumper by Zeens and Roger
The Life Story of Crochet Riley
The incarnation I’m giving most of the attention to here is not the first Riley jumper. No it is not. Last year I was asked by Inside Crochet magazine if I was interested in designing a cosy sweater of simple construction with some lovely wintery colours in it. I think they asked me because they know I love chucking loads of random colours together to create peculiar rainbow palettes.
The first Riley
Riley was, at first, a frosty mornings sort of jumper. Something warm and cosy for January temps when the skies threaten, or promise, snow (yay, snow!). The colours didn’t go as far as bleak mid winter vibes but they weren’t totally into fiery fiestas either. I finished Riley V1 last October and in January of this year it was the front cover star of Inside Crochet magazine! It looked fab, it really did! It still looks fab. I will no doubt wear it again and again, much like I did last winter. But there were things I wanted to change…
Riley on the front cover of Inside Crochet!Riley, a fun crochet jumper!
Adjusting a Handmade Garment
Here’s the thing, designers are never satisfied. There is never a moment when a design is as perfect as it could be. Designers are always striving to make one last tweak, one extra adjustment. Unfortunately there comes a time when you must accept that it is time to step back and say a project is finished. I had to do that with the first Riley but when August came to an end and I stumbled upon my leftover stash of chunky yarn, I had this idea that I needed to make an autumn version. So I did. But with tweaks.
The main differences between 1 & 2 are the colours, the stripe depth, and the sleeves.
If there are any changes you feel you want to make then go for it! Crochet, and making your own clothes in general should always have an element of freedom to change if that’s what you want. We all have different bodies and making adaptations to suit personal preference is all part of the joy of handmade.
Main Design Tweaks
Colours? So yes, mostly I had yarn in stash leftover from jumper number one but I swapped out three or four colours to liven up the palette. Simple. Job done. Obviously makers can choose their own shades should they wish, it’s great that handmade has this flexibilty. Go for whatever colours you want!
The body count (stitch count of the body that is) remains the same. It’s the stripes I changed. I wanted to know what more stripes looked like. Stripes that weren’t so deep so that I could squeeze more in and therefore get more of a colour party happening.
The depth of stripes is also up for mixing and matching but obviously has an impact on the amount of yarn required for each. More stripes means more texture, which is a win in my book. This is achieved by the front post stitches. Everytime a colour changes occurs, they are introduced and it creates superb little ridges and pops of colour. Another win, don’t you think?!
In the pattern I have only given the yardage/metereage for what I have done. I’d be here for weeks if I worked out every possibilty, Not prepared to do that I’m afraid. But the option for playing around is there if you want.
The last, and biggest, difference between versions is the sleeves. Upon giving Riley V1 its first proper bath, it stretched a little bit further beyond my initial blocking. Not horrendously, just enough that the sleeves (always the overstretch culprits!) covered hands almost to the finger tips. This didn’t surprise me in the slightest as it was intended to be a slouchy fit and as per the brief, long, digit tickling sleeves were part of the remit. Nevertheless, day to day wear? Bit annoying if sleeves are in your breakfast so I knocked off a few rows to accommodate.
Colourful crochet sweater
More on the Sleeves
I’ve also changed the stitch count on the sleeves a little bit. Not so much that it’s obvious, it’s important to keep the oversized nature of them. But here was the problem: I struggled to squeeze my arms into my favourite winter coat. There was way too much bulk in the upper arm.
My advice would be to read the measurements of the sleeves in the crochet pattern to determine what you want to go for. You don’t necessarily have to rely of the size you’re making if you want a snugger fit. However, do note that the upper arm depth is already a couple of centimetres smaller than the original.
I’m hoping Riley V2 fits inside my fave coat now. At the beginning of the year, when I forced my arms inside that coat, I had the bulky appearance of a muscle man. We’d been watching Henry Cavill in the Witcher and I looked just like him, I swear! So yeah, sleeves are improved.
The colours are gorgeous and very modern. I really liked using a roving yarn in the design, just the glide through the fingers was enough for me to be sold but once worked into a fabric it is also incredibly warm. I would definitely recommend giving this yarn a go, but if you wanted to use something else, try visiting Yarn Sub. Here’s a direct link to the Re:treat in case you fancied checking out some alternatives.
The Photoshoot
Photo shoots for my crochet designs are sometimes great fun, sometimes not. As has happened before, I rather bossily turned a lovely family weekend walk into a crochet fashion shoot (see the Dreckly mittens blog post – one of my fave posts ever by the way. I was in a very silly mood that day!) I did it for the January Hues hats too, and others, so it is a bit of a habit. It’s not always fun for the kids as they get fed up with their mother stopping countless times for good light and taking “just one more” picture in case all the others are a disaster. The husband also has to take a big sigh every time I expect him to read my mind about how the composition should be set up. He’s often the designated pusher of (camera) buttons.
I did think about sharing some additional pics of where we were but this would be a very long blog post if I did that. Maybe there needs to be a separate one for those? It is a very pretty part of Devon, all we need to do is walk a little bit out of town and there’s countryside. A story for another day I think.
Anyway, I very nearly forgot to say! Riley has nothing to do with the ubiquitous “Life of” I’m afraid. Riley is named after British artist, Bridget Riley. It’s all the stripes you see. Google her name and you’ll see what I mean. She’s cool.
PS If you have scrolled to the bottom looking for the pattern, the links to my shops are at the top! But since you’re here: Ravelry, Etsy, Lovecrafts is where you will find my crochet designs. And don’t forget to share your makes on Instagram!
Living the Life of Riley.Use up leftovers on the Hepworth Mittens
Crochet Mittens
And finally, as a PPS, you can also get the crochet pattern for the Hepworth mittens (named after another female artist, Barbara Hepworth). You can find them on Ravelry here.
It has been a while but here is Episode 101, the latest crochet podcast which, you can watch over on YouTube now! I hope it’s worth the wait. It’s chock full of lots of different yarny projects so I think (I hope), you will enjoy spending some time with me.
To watch the episode, you can find it by clicking on the picture above, or popping across my YouTube channel HERE.
The list below is representative of the topics discussed in this latest crafty chat but if there is anything missing please do give me a shout…
Perpetual Dawn for The Fibre Company
Notes & Links to the Crochet Good Stuff:
A couple of blog posts that might interest you are: Working with Mohair Yarn which has a few tips on working with the fluffy stuff. And another, which is an easy guide to How to get Gauge for crochet clothes.
The cotton bucket hat is my latest free pattern. You can find it on the blog right HERE. There’s lots more detail on that blog post about the yarn I used and the pattern itself.
More is to follow about the Farmer’s Field cowl so no actual links yet. I’m feeling self conscious about it. Is it good enough? I like it, I am pleased with the eyelet details. Having a few wholes makes the yarn go further and is a bit different from my usual Corner to Corner crochet patterns.
The Granny Square Market features in issue 149 of Inside Crochet magazine. Since recording I have already started working on a V stitch version. The release date for it on my own online sales platforms will be at the end of October.
Have you seen Perpetual Dawn yet? It’s a granny square shawl designed by yours truly for The Fibre Company’s “By Hook” Collection. There’s nothing quite like a giant granny project is there?! And I like how this one looks very grown up. I don’t know if you remember but I used their yarn before in the Foragers’ Shawl.
Happy Crocheting. Cheers! X
Granny Market Bag for Inside Crochet magazineAn easy Crochet cotton bucket hatA cardigan with no name. YetA new crochet design in progressFarmer’s FieldSummer ripe figs.Destined to be crochet socksCotton Crochet Bucket HatBlocking swatches
A few weeks ago I shared this cotton bucket hat on Instagram and I’m really pleased to say that it has been quite popular. Well, I have seen lots of fab crafters make their own versions of what is a very easy hat to crochet, which must mean it’s something people want to make, right? Anyway I’ve made a second hat because I’ve already lost the first one… oops! As I was hooking it up I decided it deserved a place here on the blog, a blog that I’ve neglected since when? April? (my longest break ever!!)
Obvs bucket hats are every where at the moment, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that! It’s been at least a couple of years since they started popping up as a trend. I know because I made a straw hat version last year. This new pattern uses the US dc (UK treble) rather than a half double (UK htr) and the brim is different too. Essentially they are both bucket hats and they’re both free patterns right here for you to use! Also, let me point out that the other one even has a video tutorial!
changing colour every 2 rows for this crochet hat.
Crochet Pattern Preamble
The pattern then…here we go. I’m gonna use US terms here because I originally wrote the pattern to put in an Instagram post. A lot of followers over on my IG are from the US or are familiar with US terms so I thought that might be a good idea. Please know that all this dc stuff means a UK treble stitch. And because I boshed it out for Insta it also means that it is a pattern with basic detail. That just means I assume you already know the crochet basics, sound okay?
I changed colour every row for this one
Notes for before you start Crocheting your Hat
You will need to grab yourself a 4mm crochet hook and dk cotton yarn to make your bucket hat. I used King Cole Cottonsoft. If I’m using cotton in a project this is the yarn I go to first as I find it nice to work with and it has a good range of shades (plus, I’ve got loads of it as stash!). I’m not a major fan of cotton but it definitely has a place, which is usually crochet bags and summer items.
Chose whatever colours you like and change them as often as you want, tis up to you. You know there are no rules here for that sort of thing. For my first hat there is a colour change at every stripe. For the second hat I changed colour every other row. I think the two stripe is slightly more my cup of tea but that’s only if I’m being picky.
The hat fits an average adult human head. I believe my head is probs an average human size. To adapt the pattern to fit a different sized bonce, try going up or down a hook size, or add/take away an increase round. Remember to adjust the brim increases if you’re going to do this though. You can see that the increases follow a certain formula in that the number of stitches in between increases also grow regularly. Once you get to the brim, it’s a case of continuing on with that formula.
I mention crab stitch as an instruction in the last round. This is a reverse US single crochet. You literally work an sc (UK dc) the opposite way to normal. It creates a sort of spirally effect, which is great for edging lots of different crochet projects (I use it quite often!).
Cotton Bucket Hat. Crochet Pattern
Note that “Inc” means “increase” ie, to make 2 stitches in the same place. Also note that you join each round by slip stitching to the first st of that round (I just don’t want to write that instruction multiple times!🤣).
Make a magic circle, or chain 4 and join ends with a slip stitch to make a circle, which you work into. Rnd 1: 3ch, 11dc in circle [12 sts] Rnd 2: 3ch, 1dc in same space, increase around [24 sts] Rnd 3: 3ch, 1dc in same space, 1dc, *Inc, 1dc; rep from * around. [36 sts] Rnd 4: 3ch, 1dc in same space, 2dc, *Inc, 2dc; rep from * around. [48 sts] Rnd 5: 3ch, 1dc in same space, 3dc, *Inc, 3dc; rep from * around. [60 sts] Rnd 6: 3ch, 1dc in same space, 4dc, *Inc, 4dc; rep from * around. [72 sts] Rnd 7: 3ch, 1dc in same space, 5dc, *Inc, 5dc; rep from around. [84 sts] Rnds 8 – 15: 3ch, dc around. Rnd 16: 3ch, 1dc in same space, 6dc, *Inc, 6dc; rep from * around. [96 sts] Rnd 17: 3ch, 1dc in same space, 7dc, *Inc, 7dc; rep from * around. [108 sts] Rnd 18: 3ch, 1dc in same space, 8dc, *Inc, 8dc; rep from * around. [120 sts] Rnd 19: 3ch, 1dc in same space, 9dc, *Inc, 9dc; rep from * around. [132 sts] Rnd 20: 1ch, crab stitch around (remember, it’s a reverse single crochet). Done!
Having a chat with Pod.
You’ve just crocheted a hat
And that’s how to crochet a cotton bucket hat, I hope you like it. As patterns go, it’s really quite simple. One of the most basic crochet stitches creates a super summery hat that can be worn all throughout the year. Then there’s the option of adding a crab stitch to finish, if you’re feeling fancy, but you don’t have to add this if you’d rather not. As usual, do what you want, that’s the great thing about making your own stuff! Make some tweaks and adapt it so that it suits what you want.
Cheers! x
PS. This post contains an affiliate link, meaning I get a teeny fraction of the price if you spend spondoolies at Lovecrafts via this link at no extra cost to you.
With no messing about here is episode 100 of the Zeens and Roger crochet podcast! That’s just over five years of me blathering on about my favourite subject!
Please note that I am having a Flash Sale on the 3rd, 4th and 5th of May. Use the code: MAYDAY22 on these days to get 25% off any of my patterns. The code is valid on Ravelry and Etsy.
Links to the Crochet Good Stuff
See My Vest is now available to buy! It is a written pattern with charts and you can find it as a PDF download from Ravelry, Etsy, Lovecrafts and Ribblr. I also wrote a blog post to have that information all in one place forever!
Gudrun is also available to buy now on Ravelry and Etsy! Gudrun is a granny stitch crochet shawl with a contemporary twist. It was featured in issue 1 of Moorit magazine last year.
I will be at the John Arbon Textiles Mill Open Weekend in June!! Lots of good stuff going on over the course of this woolly weekend. I’ll be running a C2C workshop on the Saturday afternoon.
Get Your Fluff On is a yarn I’m using in my new design. This is not an affiliate link (just in case you’re wondering).
The Dodgy Bag MAL has been going on for a few years and I think it’s time to get sewing again. It’s hosted by Claudia of Crochet Luna and Ali from Little Drops of Wonderful. You can find out about this years’ MAL on the latest Crochet Luna Podcast.
Join the Zeens and Roger Patreon gang! We are a small and friendly group. Zoom chats usually consist of lots of crochet/yarny chat plus what we’ve been watching on TV, and what we’re gonna have for dinner!
Or, you can always buy my crochet patterns. I was looking on Ravelry the other day, How have I managed to design over 100 different crochet patterns!!? I’m bamboozled. … There are other ways to support a designer too. Watch their stuff on YouTube, check out blog posts, tell your yarny friends about them….
It is a relief and a delight to get to the stage where I release my second official crochet garment pattern. Wahoo! (My first official garment pattern is the Perfect Cardigan published last year). This new design is See My Vest, a granny stitch crochet vest pattern. It’s also known in the UK as a tank top.
Buy the Vest Pattern
It’s important that you have choice here. I know certain platforms aren’t for everyone so the answer to that is that you can purchase the pattern from Ravelry, Etsy and Lovecrafts.
Size Inclusive
See My Vest comes in 9 different sizes. It has been graded and tested and I can confirm that it looks great in each size. Please check out Ravelry or the Instagramhashtag #SeeMyVest to check it out for yourself.
See My Vest Features
I have really enjoyed working on this crochet vest pattern. It’s a project I have worked on to continue learning about designing crochet clothes. A couple of months ago I signed up for an online class run by Nomad Stitches about garment construction and grading. I needed a project for “homework” and thought this vest would be quick and easy. In many respects it has been but a sleeveless garment is far from being a breeze to grade and write up. I did it though! Another goal achieved! Feeling quite chuffed about that. The course really helped and added to the grading information I had already gathered from the Workbook written by Heather of HGDC.
Made using acrylic DK yarn this is a great top for stash busting yarn you already have in your collection. I didn’t enjoy sewing in the many many ends for the Hotchpotch version but it looks so good! I’ve made a couple of stash busters during the design process and also a crochet vest all in blue. The bonus of making it in one colour is the lack of ends. Just a couple of them to sew in, yay!
I really hope you like it. It has some good features that I reckon are very pleasing indeed. The most common comments from testing was how fab it was that this is a seamless garment. You don’t have to sew any thing other than a couple of inches at each shoulder. Not bad, hey? The second most popular comment was that it was just so easy to adjust. In the pattern I have included some different, easy to follow options for making tweaks. Thus, you get to create your own unique garment. And there are charts! Another winner!
Crochet to Fit You
Whilst working on the grading I applied zero ease, meaning that I based the measurements on standard sizing without adding or taking away any room. So it’s not completely fitted but is not boxy either.
During the testing phase, myself and the See My Vest testing gang chatted about fit quite a lot. Shock, horror, guess what? We are all different shapes and sizes, with our own individual preferences for how we like to wear our handmade clothes. I was very lucky that in the testing group there were makers who loved the vest so much that they made two vests! They experimented with adding additional rows at the neck or back, they added or removed rows to the straps. To create different looks some made a smaller size to get negative ease (this creates a fitted look). The versatility is my favourite thing. As I have already mentioned, there are options within the pattern that tell you how to make alterations. I am a firm believer in tweaking, adjusting, and playing around to get a handmade garment that is unique and perfect for the wearer.
One of the things that helps with crochet fit is to make sure you have done a gauge swatch. Conveniently, I’ve got a blog post for that! The idea behind this post is that it’s an overview of the important bits without any major deep-dive. More of a tldr solution for people like me who are too lazy to read for more than a couple of minutes! I hope this isn’t revealing too much about my bone idle nature…
Getting the Vest Just Right.
There are four See My Vests in my house right now and potential for them to multiply. The first one was the ultimate in stash busting. Rather than sewing in ends, I knotted the ends and snipped them short having used the magic knot method. I don’t have a tutorial for this but it’s on my list of things to do.
Sample number one was made differently to the pattern so don’t zoom in on the pic below! The ribbing was added after as I suppose I wasn’t certain how the vest would be constructed at first. I also abandoned the idea of including this image in the final pattern. Not only is it not accurate, I also don’t have a clue how to instruct people to “chuck as much colour at it as possible. But not too much. Balance it by eyeballing. Add less in this bit, add more here…”. How do you write that professionally, in a document that people will pay money for?
Dithering over the placement of the shoulder straps was a bit of a thing. In the second sample I moved the positions of the straps but they fell off my shoulders. (I still have to rip the shoulders back and redo them because the yarn used in that top are my faves and to be treasured for a long time).
The yarn came in the form of Christmas presents from two fabulous people. Amanda, who is Queen Ambrosia on Insta sent me a beautiful, soft bundle of Polwarth DK minis all the way from Australia. The vibrancy of those shades are gorgeous and brought to life by the contrast of the creamy yarn that my long time podcasting pal, Claudia, sent to me from sunny California. Claudia has been on a mission to create yarn especially for crocheters. It’s a Z twist yarn with a textural quality I’ve never seen before. OMG it’s like butta! It works really well in the ribbing for this vest and I can’t help squidge it for comfort whenever I wear it.
Then I made the blue one, which is basically what the final pattern is. A low scoop neck crochet vest. But the pattern has options to make adjustments too! So I made a fourth sample. I added additional rows so make the scoop a little higher and returned to colour city with lots of different yarns thrown in to make a crazy rainbow.
This is the first sample. It went through a couple of changes after this.Sample 2. Playing around with shoulder placement. Bit too wide and they dropped off my shoulders.
Crochet Community
When making something like this, I am not sure that I could do it entirely on my own and to claim as much would be dishonest. We all learn from each other and it would be remiss not to thank the amazing group of testers who made sure my first and second drafts got turned into a very clear third draft, with charts to boot. Thanks guys!
Same goes for the tech edit. This bit is essential for each and every designer. It’s best done by someone else as you can’t spot all the inevitable mistakes when it’s your own work. It’s not so bad for simpler patterns and you can sometimes edit your own work for those. But garments are a different kettle of fish and I think it’s an extremely valuable step in the process. So thank you Michelle for being brilliant, and reading me like book. She knows when I’m trying to cut corners and tells me so!
So that’s it. I really hope you enjoy making a crochet vest for yourself. Please let me know what you make and share pics on instagram or Ravelry etc. After all it isn’t much of a crochet community without you too!
