Comfystretchyrollycute

seven months is a long time to not be posting, eh? i'm pretty sure i've had the time... just that it got away from me before i realized it... anyway, sorry about that :)
to help make up for my lazy, i'll post a kind of general pattern of my favorite knit hat. even though it's hot as heaven's alternative ;) here we go!

i used a skein (more about half) of Lion Brand Wool-Ease
and size 8 double pointed knitting needles (4 of them)... i have circulars but they bother me somehow that i can't articulate yet or possibly ever...

cast on 66 stitches, distribute 22 stitches evenly to 3 needles, join without twisting work.

knit every round evenly for about 7 inches, then start the decrease like so:

round 1: (fight!) <--kidding... k2tog every first and last 2 stitches on each needle, you will have 6 decrease stitiches

round 2: k every stitch

repeat rounds 1 and 2, so that the decrease rounds are "cushioned" by regular knit rounds, until there are 4 stitches on each needle. you can either bind off or sew them shut using a drawstring-ish style.. or you can decrease all the way til there are no more stitches, but that might leave you a point (which is ok if you like that sort of thing).
i believe i drawstringed it at 4 stitches though.

fasten off yarn and weave in the end, and you have hat!

see?:)

this is my original (if lame and simple) pattern, straight out of my own brains.. (i forget how to do these notes)
please don't sell this pattern since i've provided it for free, but the work of your own hands is your business so feel free to sell finished product if you like, at fairs/garage sales/to friends or friends of friends or coworkers/church bazaars/etc.

the end,

love, mari

Mrs. Crazyface

Wow i have really got to stop abandoning my internets :P sorry about that.
For a while i've just been off in insane-o-land... busy? Not really "busy" but eh, "preoccupied".. unoccupied too, for 3 months. (had to get a new job)
Since my last post i've gotten a new job, graduated fake college (with honors), and gotten real married. i've still been yeening but i haven't been patterning :( but i have determined to put up pictures of what i've made so far at least. one of these days i'll get this blogging thing right and i'll do it consistently. yep. here is a public link to my recent projects (facebook link) and here is a pic of me and my husband :D after we got married and went to go eat... we were both blind from flashes on cameras

Love, Mari

Slouchybaby

i made a baby version of the Kinda-Slouch hat :) by accident. when i saw how cute it was i couldn't unravel it. the brimmy thing is stretchy so i'm thinking it would probably fit a baby from birth/few months to a year. depending on the stretch o' hat and the size o' head.

i used US size 9 dpn's (set of 4) and a tiny bit of Caron Simply Soft. i apparently had forgotten that i told myself not to use this yarn for knitting because it snags on friggin everything. but its soft and cute so i dunno, fooled again.

here goes the pattern :)

cast on 45

distribute evenly onto 3 needles. (15 sts each)

join into circle (eh, triangle) being careful not to twist the stitches (because that will give u a sort of hare-lip or curtain effect which supersucks)

work in (k1, p1) around, this makes the moss stitch pattern. do this for about an inch or an inch and 1/2

switch to stockinette stitch, which is just plain knitting around.

on the second round of knitting, start the increases. there are only 2 rounds of increases & they are identical:

*(k1, m1) 3 times. knit thru to the last 4 sts on needle and work (k1, m1) 3 times. knit last stitch on needle*, repeat from * to * 2 times more.

after both rounds of increases you will have 81 stitches total

continue to work evenly in stockinette stitch until hat measures total of about 7 inches or more.

then start the decreases :

1. (k next 7 sts, k2tog) around

2. (k next 6 sts, k2tog) around

3. (k next 5 sts, k2tog) around

4. (k next 4 sts, k2tog) around

5. (k next 3 sts, k2tog) around

6. (k next 2 sts, k2tog) around

7. (k2tog) around

at the very end you will have only 3 sts total. slip these onto one needle and knit them together. i put an extra sl st after the k3tog cuz it made a soft point and also reinforced the closure of stitches.

fasten off yarn, weave in ends.

this is my original pattern. do not sell this pattern, or distribute in any form of publication or email. link to my pages to share. feel free to print out a copy of the patterns for your personal use.

Mari

Mouse Ears Hat (edited but not "fixed")

**An Edit In Response To Many Replies:

10/10/2011 -- I made this hat intending it to fit a 2 year old child, but people are coming up with a much smaller size. While my version fit its victim snuggly, different hands create in different sizes. This pattern was posted for fun and for free, after I made it for one specific child with no other size adjustments. I'm not a professional designer and there's no refunds on freely shared ideas, all I can say is I wanted to share, sorry that it's not perfect. **

it's supposed to be able to fit a 2 yr old, but i don't have a 2 yr old on hand to see if it really does :) i usually don't care if nobody comments on my posts but it would be helpful to me if those who try this hat would tell me what size it actually is. anyways here's the pattern (crochet!!!)

Materials used:

1 or 2 oz of WW yarn (i used caron one pound)

Size I hook (i used US size aluminum)

scissors

Hat:

ch 2

1- make 8 sc in 2nd ch from hook. join with sl st to top of first sc.

2- make 2 sc in each sc around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (16 sc around)

3- make (sc, 2sc in next) around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (24 sc around)

4- make (sc in each of next 2 sc, 2sc in next) around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (32 sc around)

5- make (sc in each of next 3 sc, 2sc in next) around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (40 sc around)

6- make (sc in each of next 4 sc, 2sc in next) around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (48 sc around)

7-19) make sc in each sc around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (48 sc around)

20- work one row of reverse sc.

Fasten off yarn, weave in ends.

Ears: (make 2)

ch 2

1- make 8 sc in 2nd ch from hook. join with sl st to top of first sc.

2- make 2 sc in each sc around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (16 sc around)

3- make (sc, 2sc in next) around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (24 sc around)

4- make (sc in each of next 2 sc, 2sc in next) around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (32 sc around)

5- make sc in each sc around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (32 sc around)

Fasten off yarn, leaving a long tail to sew ears to hat.

Enjoy!

this is my original pattern, please do not sell. do not redistribute in any form of publication or email. link to my pages to share. print out a copy for your personal use if desired.

Mari

Kinda-Slouch (a knitted hat)

LOL i keep forgetting that the pics show up in reverse order of upload...

i made this hat :) this is the "goofing around pretending to be stereotypically french by attempting to tilt my hat at a 'jaunty' angle...

a kinda slouchy hat can also be worn a-la-ragamuffin, especially if you have cute eyeballs over which the hat can float. and you will not be scrolling down in vain, i promise you a pattern at the end of this rainbow...

that hand is as much a mystery to me as it is to you..

the back

this is the one that should have been at the top if i'd been paying proper attention.

i used caron simply soft (like 2 or 3 oz from a 6 oz skein) and US size 8 dpn's (one of 15 pairs i got from amazon, yay!)

cast on 75

distribute stitches evenly onto 3 needles (25 each) and join into round without twisting work

work k1, p1 around, for about half an inch. you can do more if you prefer, but i did about 5 rounds. this would normally give you a rib stitch, but since you have an uneven # of stitches it will give you a moss stitch.

once you have the desired length for your "brim", start the increases like this:

(k1, m1) 7 times, working evenly across 7 sts. knit across the remaining sts on needle.

repeat for each needle, so you have 21 increase stitches.

knit across evenly for 1 or 2 rounds

repeat previous increase, so that you have 21 more increase stitches. you will now have a total of 117 stitches.

knit across evenly for about 6", so your hat will measure about 6 and 1/2" before you start the decrease. if you prefer, you can always make it longer or shorter by adding or decreasing amount of rounds.

start the decreases like this:

(k1, k2tog) 7 times, working evenly across 21 sts. knit across the remaining sts on needle.

repeat for each needle, so you have 21 decrease stitches.

continue to decrease in this way, until you run out of "remaining stitches"

then switch to (k1, k2tog) around.

you will not come up even on one of the rounds, but that's fine, just k the stitches that don't fit.

eventually you will end up with 2 sts on each needle. transfer all to one and work (k2tog) 3 times. slide the sts over to the other end of needle and k3tog the last 3 stitches.

fasten off yarn, weave in ends, enjoy hat :)

this is my original pattern. please do not sell this pattern, or distribute it in any form of publication. link to my pages to share, and print out a copy if you like for personal use.

Mari

Nook Case

i made a case for my Nook ;)

paulie got it for me for my birthday, and i am struggling with paranoia about it...

i really, really reallyreally don't want to break/scuff/scratch/drop it. cuz i have a terrible history of so maiming all things electronic

my lining skills are second-hand... i cut the cloth too big and pretended i did that on purpose :)

i call it "rouching" lol. or something.

so anyway if any of u have a Nook or similar sized e-reader it's really easy to make a case (mine is crochet, i will eventually get around to making a knit one, also just as simply made)

i used an aluminum size J hook (US) and some chunky yarn because i wanted the thing to be squishy enough to protect the Nook in case it got dropped. heh.

here's what i did:

chain 16

sc in 2nd ch from hook and each across, putting 3 sc into the last sc.

then turn your work and make an sc in each of the loops on the foundation chain.

yes, you're going in a non-circular circle.

when you get to the last chain of the loopies on the foundation chain, put 2 sc's in there instead of one or three. yes, 2.

join with sl st if you prefer. i know some people don't like to join but i do because i always lose track of my rounds if i don't. stich markers, schmitch markers.. shutup.

now just keep making sc in each sc, until you have about 28 rounds. this is how many rounds my case has but yours might need more or less depending on some things that are not in my control.

fasten off when your e-reader fits inside :)

i made my lining by cutting a rectangle (if you ever took home economics or had a maternal/paternal figure that had a sewing machine, you have probably been forced/encouraged to make a pillow case for a grade or otherwise) and sewing it into a pouch.

its easier to cut one piece and fold it in half and sew up 2 sides rather than cut 2 pieces and sew them together evenly. especially if you dont have sewing pins.

...then sew the pouch into the case. that part should be done by hand and not by machine, because it will get messy.

i hope this has made sense :)

Mari

Knit Homespun Scarf

after i made the first homespun hat pictured in a previous post, i ended up making a second one because i have a tendency to misplace things and find them again at odd times :P eh.

i had some left over yarn from that skein so i decided to see if i could crank out a matching scarf.

it was a success :)

i dunno the exact amount i used but it was literally just enough. u cant see this in the pictures but since the homespun has a thick and thin thing going on with it, the scarf has a repeating wavy hourglass shape to it. very cute

i used size 13 needles (i dont have regular straights so i just used 2 dpn's and was careful not to let them slip off the end)

basically i just cast on 20 and knit until the yarn ran out, which was fortunately a long enough size to wrap around my neck twice and tie in the front. this yarn is very stretchy and squishy, and will probably stretch with use too.

Wahooooo!! (i made a hat)

lol. im not trying to look creepy in that pic honest

i made this hat with size 13 dpn's and a lil bit of homespun

it was kinda a pain to work with at first but after a few rounds it got easy

this hat is so squishy and soft i think if i was a small child i would fall asleep in it on a short car ride.. i dunno. so anyway here's the pattern

(oh yeah it's also super stretchy, it will fit an adult or a child. also, if you want a thicker hat you could use 2 strands at once)

cast on 36 and distribute evenly onto 3 needles (12 sts each). join without twisting yarn

knit evenly for 6 and 1/2 to 7 inches

decrease rounds for crown:

1. (k 4, k2tog) around

2. (k 3, k2tog) around

3. (k 2, k2tog) around

4. (k 1, k2tog) around

5. (k2tog) around

k2tog around until there is only 1 stitch on each needle. then move all stitches onto one needle and k3tog. pull tight! and make sure there is no (or very minimal) opening at the top.

fasten off yarn, weave in ends.

;)

this is my original pattern, do not sell, copy, or distribute. link to my pages to share. print a copy for your personal use.

Mari <3

I've Actually Been Finishing Stuff

mom sent me cookies... in a pix mail.. lol

i found this in my local Pick n Save

finished about an hour ago? its 12something...

it's the neatest top of a hat i've ever had the privilege of making...

i'm not extra-good at making tassels but i gave it a try :)

i just made it up, it's very basic and i can't remember if i decreased every other row on all the decrease part...

here is a hat i made, my first adult size hat in knit. the joining on the top could have been done better but i didn't know how to do it better... it's cute.

really, i have been finishing stuff :)

i just havent gotten around to posting. i don't want to type out the patterns for these things right now so if you like one of the pics, just check back in about a couple days or a week... i'm not "busy" busy, but my brain is currently being crammed with a crapload of information and also i'm working and trying to spend as much quality time with a certain paulieface who i see for maybe a total of 2 hours a day before one of us drops off to sleep or heads to work/school.

so anyway, i went christmas shopping like this last week, and it was fun.

i bought for my mom and brothers and paulie and josh, i wasnt sure if i should pick out some things for paulie's parents cuz i dunno what they like or whatever. i know his mom likes books :) i love books. and his dad likes planty stuff and probably science or history, maybe. i guess i just got shy? but on a sunday i will take paulie out to pick some things lol. that reminds me of the santa's secret workshop from grade school, where the school would have a little store where kids could buy presents for their moms and dads without the parents knowing what they bought. i dunno exactly why it reminds me but it does.

also working on something for my cousin's baby, whose baby shower i couldn't attend cuz of both work and school.. i dunno if it will be a december baby or what cuz nobody told me anything. i just guessed, texted mom, and she said "yep, yep, and yep". and i think she's naming him jonathan? which is pretty close to the name that popped into my head right before i texted mom "who's pregnant?", julian. eh. so i'm getting rusty :)

sleepytime!

Mari <3

Praise :)

i know it's something little-tiny, but...

a couple days ago i had a look at my phone bill, and saw that it was about 20 dollars over the usual amount, which isnt a lot but every dollar counts for something. lunch for the week or the bus if it's too cold out to walk. i'm not able to save very much because of school kind of taking over the work week and the work week becoming less and less days.

so anyway, i was dreading having to call the phone company to get my bill adjusted because nobody ever listens to me. like seriously and especially on the phone because i sound like a child, so i will usually have to spend hours trying to get something fixed whereas an irrate grownup voice might make people jump a little quicker. honestly my angry voice just sounds cute.

i havent had time to call the company because of my schedule, but i was going to today before school and i can't believe i just paused VCY America on my audio but wow i couldn't think with that lady's voice in my head (she sounds very nice but it was pulling my brain apart and making a short story long by hindering my concentration on PRAISE)

so anyway i was going to call today but i just got it in my head to look at my bill so i would be able to tell them exactly what the name of the charge was that needed to be taken off... and all these days i have been praying to God to give me the patience and the strength to deal with phone people, and also to be able to use the right words so that they know that i know what im talking about... and...

my bill amount had already changed!

it was in fact a negative balance!

this was my brain upon seeing the info---> oh. wow. YES!!!

and i'm reminded, as apparently i must be, daily, once again... that God is wonderful. He takes care of me in even the smallest most insignificant-to-others-except-me ways, and He's the only one who can reach right in and pull out my whole heart, just rip it out completely and the only thing i feel is sweetness.

and now for some pictures!!! cute ones, cute ones :)

here is Zeus, i told u the pix would be cute :)

this is a pic from steak n shake that i forgot to put earlier

this is a "me and my family on thanksgiving" pic minus jose... we put the camera on auto-timer and set it on the table lol. turned out pretty good

here's the scene at thanksgiving... monopoly! :)

well those were all the pics i had :) actually no, i have a pic of my aunts but i dunno if they want to be made public lol. its a cute pic

Mari <3

Amigurumi Flower and Flower Pot

hi :) i've been working on this little flower thing for a few weeks
it came into my brain one night when i was supposed to be sleeping
i hurried up and started, and i got the whole thing done in about 2 days minus the flower petals... the flower petals took several tries, after which i just opted for the most simple of methods :)
the whole thing is worked top down in one piece, and then the leaves are sewn on, then the petals are worked right onto the top of the flower.
hope you enjoy!

Materials:
aluminum size G hook (US)
small amounts (less than 3 oz each color) of WW yarn in yellow, green, black(or brown), flower petal color of choice, and flowerpot color of choice
fiberfill for stuffing
(optional) fuzzy pipecleaners for "bendability" and structure of flower stem

Pattern:
starting with YELLOW (work in rounds. ch1 at beginning never counts as an sc)

ch2
1) 10sc in 2nd ch from hook. join with sl st to top of1st sc (10sc)

2) ch1, 2sc in same st as joining and in each around. join with sl st to top of 1st sc (20sc)

3) ch1, sc in same st as joining. 2sc in next sc. (sc in next sc, 2 sc in next) around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (30sc)

4) ch1, sc in same st as joining and in next. 2sc in next. (sc in each of next 2 sc, 2sc in next) around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (40sc)

5-10) ch1, sc in same st as joining and in each around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (40sc)

11) ch1, sc in same st as joining and in next. sc2tog over next 2 sc's, (sc in each of next 2 sc, sc2tog over next 2 sc's) around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (30sc)

12) ch1, sc in same st as joining. sc2tog over next 2 sc's, (sc in next, sc2tog over next 2 sts) aroundjoin with sl st to top of first sc. (20sc)

13) ch1, (make sc2tog over next 2 sts) around. join with sl st to top of first st. FASTEN OFF YELLOW

*stuff as you go along, since it will be really hard to stuff the whole flower at one time on account of the narrow stem... if you have decided to do the bendy stem, put your piple cleaners in the head of the flower and hold them in place as you work while stuffing*

join GREEN with sl st to any st of previous round

14) ch1, sc in same st as joining and in each around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (10sc)

15-45) ch1, sc in same st as joining and in each around. join with sl st to top of first sc
AT END OF ROUND 15, FASTEN OFF GREEN.

join BLACK (or brown) with sl st to any st on previous round

46) ch1, 2sc in same st as joining and in each around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (20sc)

47) ch1, sc in same st as joining, 2sc in next sc. (sc in next sc, 2sc in next) around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (30sc)

48) ch1, sc in same st as joining and in next sc, 2sc in next. (sc in each of next 2 sc, 2 sc in next) around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (40sc)

49) ch1, sc in same st as joining and in each of next 2 sc. 2sc in next. (sc in each of next 3 sc, 2sc in next) around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (50sc)

50) ch1, sc in same st as joining and in each around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (50sc)

51-52) repeat round 50. FASTEN OFF BLACK

join FLOWER POT COLOR to any st on previous round, work in BACK LOOPS ONLY thoughout round 53

53) ch1, sc in same st as joining and in each around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (50sc)

54) ch1, sc in same st as joining and in each around. join with sl st to top of first sc.

55) ch1, USE BACK LOOPS ONLY throughout this round, sc in same st as joining and in each around. join with sl st to top of first sc.

56-62) ch1, sc in same st as joining and in each around. join with sl st to top of first sc.

63) DECREASE ROUND- ch1, sc in same st as joining and in each of next 2 sc. sc2tog over next 2 sc's (sc in each of next 3 sc, sc2tog over next 2 sc's) around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (40sts)

64) ch1, sc in same st as joining and in each around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (40sc)

65-66) repeat round 64

67) DECREASE ROUND- ch1, sc in same st as joining and in next, sc2tog over next 2 sc's, (sc in each of next 2 sc, sc2tog over next 2 sc's) around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (30 sts)

68-70) repeat round 64. (30sc)

71) DECREASE ROUND- (work in BACK LOOPS ONLY throughout this round) ch1, sc in same st as joining, sc2tog over next 2 sc's, (sc in next sc, sc2tog over next 2 sc's) around. join with sl st to top of first sc. (20sts)

72) DECREASE ROUND- ch1, sc2tog over same st as joining and next sc, (sc2tog over next 2 sts) around. join with sl st to top of fist st. (10sts)

73) DECREASE ROUND- repeat as for round 72. (5sts)

FASTEN OFF YARN, leaving a long tail for sewing hole shut. weave taol in and out between sts of last round and pull tight for drawstring effect closure. it should close neatly and evenly with no bumps.

FLOWER POT BRIM:

with FLOWER POT COLOR, join with sl st to any free loop on Round 55 (remember back loops only? this is why)

1) ch1, sc in same st as joining and in each around. join with sl st to top of first sc.

2-5) repeat round 1. fasten off yarn at end of Round 5.
weave in ends.

LEAVES: (make 4, as you will pair them up, stitch them together and lightly stuff them before sewing them onto the stem of the flower)

with GREEN,
ch2

1) sc in 2nd ch from hook (1 sc)

2) ch1, turn (sc never counts as an sc). 2sc in sc of row 1. (2 sc)

3) ch1, turn. 2 sc in same st as ch1, and in next. (4 sc)

4) ch1, turn. 2sc in same st as ch1. sc in each of next 2 sc's, 2sc in last sc. (6 sc)

5) ch1, turn. 2sc in same st as ch1 and in each of next 4 sc's, 2sc in last sc. (8sc)

6) ch1, turn. sc in same st as ch1, and in each across. (8 sc)

7-10) repeat Round 6. (8 sc)

11) ch1, turn. sc2tog over first 2 sts, sc in each of next 4 sc's, sc2tog over last 2 sts. (6 sts)

12) ch1, turn. sc2tog over first 2 sts, sc in each of nexr 2 sc's, sc2tog over last 2 sts. (4 sts)

13) ch1, turn. sc2tog over first 2 sts, sc2tog over last 2 sts. (2 sts)

14) ch1, turn. sc2tog over those 2 sts. (1 st)

ch1, turn. sc evenly around the whole piece. Fasten off.

once you have all your pieces, pair them up RIGHT SIDES FACING OUT
join together as evenly as possible, using sl st. stuff lightly with fiberfill before closing up.
sew one leaf to the right on the flower stem and the other to the left.

FLOWER PETALS: (this SOUNDS complicated maybe, but it is VERY easy. you will be joining yarn to "head" of the flower and then working in rounds (2)

join FLOWER PETAL COLOR to any st on Round 9 of flower (top yellow part) with a sl st.
you should insert the hook with the flower face facing you, not through the tops of the sts but from bottom to top longways

chain 7
sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc in each of next 2 sts, dc in each of next 3 sts. join with sl st to 3rd st over on flower head. make sure u have the sts on the same Round. (flower petal made- ya, it will curl in, dont worry about that)

continue in this way around the Round. now the sts by the end will come up uneven but that's alright just work the petals in neatly.

for the second round of petals, after u have joined the first round to itself, sl st into Round 8 of the flower head, the top yellow stuff.
work another round of petals in the same way

fasten off yarn, weave in ends

now you can either paint or embroider your faces on the flower and flower pot. or you can use safety eyeballs, felt or what have you. OR you can leave it be faceless :P whatever you prefer

this is my own original pattern. please DO NOT SELL this pattern. do not copy to any other website or publication. you MAY print out a copy for your own personal use. please link to my blog to share. you may sell the finished product, although not in mass quantity.

<3 Mari