Sock spectacular!

So a few days ago I sat down with my girlfriend Kat and had her be morale support for the casting on of my first ever knitted sock. So far so good on the quality and progress. I had a friend make a comment on Facebook on one of my pictures of my efforts and said “pretty good for a crocheter who vowed to never knit” it made me laugh and I definately had forgotten and then remembered saying that. Another friend of mine, Danielle was complimenting my efforts but bemoaning the fact that she doesn’t knit and would love to make some funky socks. So I’m dedicating this blog to linking to the top few sock patterns I’ve ever found on the internets.

Now, some of these may be on a website called ravelry and you need to be a member to view them. If you’re a crafter/knitter/crocheter you should become a member regardless. It’s a great website with new content daily and there are some really cool people there.

but first a picture of my humble little sock

Now onto the good stuff, LINKS! :

#1. this is the very first pattern I ever found and attempted when I learned to crochet. I never completed one but it was because I just got bored of making a sock 🙂 http://www.crochetandknitting.com/socks.htm

#2. this pattern is great for people that like to experiment, or at least feel like they are. It’s a basic toe-up pattern and you decide how long or short and wide each section is. It’s a really neat diy guide for socks. I made a great sock from this pattern and only had enough yarn to make one, so it sits in a drawer now… 🙂http://www.crochetme.com/ultimate-crocheted-socks

#3. link to crochetville message boards, cute little ankle socks. http://www.crochetville.org/forum/showthread.php?t=71739

#4. I love canadianliving.com I’ve found a lot of neat patterns over the years there and they have a different sock pattern of their own. http://www.canadianliving.com/crafts/crochet/basic_crocheted_socks.php

#5. this is not a specific link to a pattern. Go to ravelry.com and sign up if youre not a member already. Under the patterns tab search for crochet in the craft and socks in the category and it will bring up 17 pages worth of patterns that folk like you and me have posted. Some are free, some you can buy. Some are in swahili but most are in english 🙂

Regardless, happy crafting everyone and I hope that my efforts to help a few people find patterns end up being successful!

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knitting bug

Well, tis the season for everyone to get sick and stress over the holidays, and it isn’t even Halloween yet. Close but no cigar. Makes me thankful I’m not in school anymore, otherwise I’d be a part of the sore-throated masses that are miserable at home right now. Instead, I’ve caught a different sort of bug, and its called knitting. Ever since I’ve gained confidence from working on the Dr.Who scarf I can’t stop myself. I bought a few sets of circular knitting needles. I’ve made a cute headband/earwarmer for my bestest, Elizabeth. It’s insane and just one more obsession that I don’t need…

But its fun 🙂

I’ve also made a pattern for a pouch, that I doubt will be useful to nearly nobody aside from myself. Last Christmas, my local Wal-Mart sold coke bottles in the shape of christmas ornaments. The bottles were really cool shapes, and as a LARPer, my thoughts immediately turned to “wow, that would make an awesome potion rep!” So I’ve had a few lying around for a while collecting dust. I got some nice thick vintage-esque rug yarn from my girlfriend Nikki a few weeks ago with every intention of crocheting it into pouches. Little did I know that it would be a match made in heaven.

I will take pictures at some point and update the blog post, but for now I’m going to post my (poorly written) pattern for a fist-sized belt pouch. Perfect for renn faires and re-enactments, as well as LARPing.

using a 6mm crochet hook and thick bulky weight yarn.

6sc into a magic ring, pull ring to closed, sl st to join

ch1, 2sc in each sc around, join  (12sc)

ch1, *2sc in next st, 1sc in next st*, repeat around, join (18sc)

ch1, 1sc in next sc, *2sc in next sc, 1sc in next 2 sc* repeat around, join (24sc)

ch1, 1sc in next 2sc, *2sc in next sc, 1sc in next 3sc* repeat around, join (30sc)

ch1, 1sc in next 3sc, *2sc in next sc, 1sc in next 4sc* repeat around, join (36sc)

work 4 rounds even in sc, spiral (36sc)

dec. 2sts in next row, spiral (34sc)

dec. 4sts in next row, spiral (30sc)

dec. 2sts in next row, spiral (28sc)

work 3 rounds even sc, spiral (28sc)

dc even for 1 round, join -this is to thread the drawstring through later- (28dc)

1dc in next 8dc, turn

ch3, 1dc in next 7dc, turn – repeat 4 more times

fold strap over on itself and sc across to form a belt loop, weave in ends

ch ~75 for drawstring, weave through dc round and tie into a bow in the front.

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Halloween witch hat

So I started a project a few days/weeks back with grand aspirations. Usually when I do this, things go terribly wrong and I give up. But not this time! I found a pattern here  for an awesome witch’s hat that I wanted to try. In the process I altered the pattern a bit to suit my pesronal tastes better and I think it turned out amazingly.

UPDATE!!! The pattern has been completed and here it is!

Witch’s hat pattern

 Materials:
• Worsted weight black yarn
• USH8/5.00mm hookCone:Row 27: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 26 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (84dc) 

Row 1: Ch 3, join with sl st to form ring. Ch 2 (counts as first dc now & throughout), 5 dc in ring, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (6dc)
Row 2: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next st, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (10dc)
Row 3: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 2 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (12dc)
Row 4: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 3 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (15dc)
Row 5: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 4 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (18dc)
Row 6: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 5 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (21dc)
Row 7: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 6 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (24dc)
Row 8: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 7 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (27dc)
Row 9: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 8 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (30dc)
Row 10: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 9 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (33dc)
Row11: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 10 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (36dc)
Row 12: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 11 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (39dc)
Row 13: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 12 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (42dc)
Row 14: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 13 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (45dc)
Row 15: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 14 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (48dc)
Row 16: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 15 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (51dc)
Row 17: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 16 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (54dc)
Row 18: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 17 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (57dc)
Row 19: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 18 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (60dc)
Row 20: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 19 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (63dc)
Row 21: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 20 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (66dc)
Row 22: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 21 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (69dc)
Row 23: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 22 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (72dc)
Row 24: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 23 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (75dc)
Row 25: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 24 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (78dc)

Row 26: Ch 2, dc in same st as Ch 2, *dc in next 25 dc, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (81dc)

For the brim:This is where life gets a little wonky. Bear with me and trust me in that it doesn’t need to be precise. You can add or drop a stitch in the process of a row or two and it won’t make a lick of difference. 

Rnd 1: ch 2, dc in same st as ch 2, *1 dc in next st, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of ch 2. (126 dc)

Rnd 2: ch 2, 1 dc in next st, 1dc in each st around, ~2 dc in 1 st somewhere in the row, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (127 dc)

Rnd 3: ch 2, 1 dc in next st, 1 dc in each st around, ~2 dc in 3 different st throughout row, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (130 dc)

Rnd 4: ch 2, *1 dc in next 11 st, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around, join with sl st to top of Ch 2.  (140 dc)

Rnd 5: ch 2, *1 dc in next 23 st, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around ~should total 6 increase st, will have a few extra st at the end, just 1 dc in those as well, join with sl st to top of Ch 2. (146dc)

Rnd 6: ch 2, *1 dc in next 20 st, 2 dc in next st, repeat from * around ~should total 7 increase st, will have a few extra st at the end, just 1 dc in those as well, join with sl st to top of Ch 2 (153 dc) 

To finish: ch 1, *1 sc in next 10 st, 2 sc in next st, repeat from * around, sl st to beginning ch 1, fasten off, weave in all ends

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