Kids and Creativity

Long Tail Hat

2013-05-04T22:31:00.001-07:00

I've always liked the long tail baby hats so I decided to try to make one. It went pretty well. I made a newborn size hat. (I always start with that since they're quick and easy : )

It's pretty late at night and I'm writing this up from memory (before I go to bed and forget). So if you find errors or something that needs a better explanation, please let me know so I can correct it or clarify.
Materials: 2 colors of worsted weight yarn and one color of sparkly crochet cotton. (The extra crochet cotton isn't necessary. I used it just to add a little sparkle to the hat.)
I used green and brown because I was trying to make something for a baby boy. The cotton is a gold color. I'm not sure if these photos show it very well.

Use both of the worsted strands of yarn and the cotton together as if they're one strand. Or just the two strands if you're not using the cotton.
Hook: size N

Row 1: Make a magic ring and chain 2. Then make 5 DC into the ring. (The chain 2 will NOT count as the first DC). Join in the top of the first DC with a slip stitch. (5 stitches)

Row 2 - 15: Chain 2. Make one DC in the next stitch and then 4 more DC around. Join in the top of the first DC. Every row will have 5 DC and a chain 2. Always join into the first DC of the round and not the chain 2.

Row 16: Chain 2. Make 2 DC in the first stitch and 2 DC in every stitch around. (10 stitches total)

Row 17: Chain 2. Make 2 DC in the first stitch and 2 DC in every stitch around. (20 stitches total)

Row 18: Chain 2. Make 1 DC in the first 9 stitches. Then make 2 DC in the 10th. Then 1 DC in the next 9. Then 2 DC in the last stitch. (22 stitches)

Row 19 - 21: Chain 2. Make 1 DC in each DC around. (22 stitches)

Row 23: Chain 2.* Skip one stitch. Insert hook into next stitch. YO and draw up a loop. Put the hook back in the same stitch, YO and draw up another loop. Put the hook back in one more time, YO and draw up the last loop. YO and pull the yarn through all loops on hook. Then SC into the next stitch *and Chain 1.
Repeat from *to* around. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Don't weave in the ends at the end of the long tail. You'll use those to attach the tassel.

To make the tassel just wrap the yarn around your hand about 10 times (more or less depending on how big you want your tassel). Then gently pull it off and tie a piece of the thin cotton around at a little bit above center. Cut the loops on the long side of the tassel. Then thread a tapestry needle with yarn from the long tail. Run the needle through the top of the tassel. (The closed loops) Then run it back through the end of the tail part of the hat. Do that a few time until its nice and tight. Then I put the needle back into the hat and pulled it out through the bottom of the tassel. I trimmed the ends off to match the tassel length.

This pattern and all photos are owned by me (Kathryn Stone) and are not to be reproduced in any way without permission. Never sell this pattern. It's intended to be free. Feel free to sell any hats you make from this pattern, but please acknowledge the creator of the pattern and add a link to this website. Thanks

2013-04-22T11:45:00.000-07:00

Double-Sided Coaster

So I started making hotpads that were nice and thick and double-sided (both sides made at the same time). That was fun, but I wanted to see if the technique could be applied in the round. I looked for a tutorial or pattern but didn't find one. I'm sure there's one out there somewhere I just didn't find it. Sooo... I just went to work and came up with my own. I applied a few new tricks that I learned. I used an invisible join after each round and then I started the new round by wrapping the yarn around the hook and doing a DC from the bottom up so that I didn't have to start by chaining 2. I think that makes them look nicer.

The coaster pictured below was my practice one. It was made using super cheap really scratchy acrylic yarn :) I have to keep that stuff around to practice on and also because the girls LOVE to make things with yarn :). Now that I know what to do I'll make some more nicer looking coasters and post those pictures as soon as I can get them done.

Of course you don't have to stop at coaster size. You can do a few more rounds and have a some nice thick hot pads or whatever else.

I'm not sure I could properly explain what I did in just writing so I'm going to take some pictures to go along with this pattern. It might take a couple of days, but I'll get the pattern up for anyone that wants to try one out for themselves.

Crochet Rainbow Hat - Toddler Size

2013-04-15T13:49:00.002-07:00

This is the toddler sized version of the rainbow hat. And one of the toddlers wearing it. She's three. It fits both her and the five year old just perfectly.

The instructions for the Newborn size are Here
Use a P (10.00mm) hook and worsted weight yarn

R 1: (Red) 10 HDC into a ring
R 2: (Red) 2 HDC in each stitch around (20hdc)
R 3: (Orange) [1 hdc, 2 hdc] around (30 hdc)
R 4: (Orange) 1 hdc in each (30 sts)
R 5- 6: (Yellow) 1 hdc in each (30 sts)
R 7-8: (Green) 1 hdc in each (30 sts)
R 9 - 10: ( Blue) 1 hdc in each (30 sts)
R 11-12: ( Purple) 1 hdc in each (30 sts)
R 13 - 14: (White) 1 hdc in each (30 sts)

When you get to the end of row 14, chain 4, skip a stitch, slip stitch in the next. Do this all the way around twice. On the second time around you'll be slip stitching into the previously skipped stitches.
Then ch 3 and slip stitch onto each stitch post in row 14. Do that all the way around (no skipping this time).
Then ch 3 and slip stitch onto each stitch post on row 13. Do that all the way around also.
Fasten off and weave in all your loose ends.

If you would like one made for you, then go to my Etsy store. I'll be making them to order.

This pattern and all photos are owned by me and are not to be reproduced in any way without permission. Never sell this pattern. It's intended to be free. Feel free to sell any hats you make from this pattern, but please acknowledge the creator of the pattern and add a link to this website. Thanks

Crochet Rainbow on a cloud hat

2013-04-11T07:09:00.001-07:00

One of my daughters requested a rainbow hat with a cloud. So this is what I came up with.

It turned out pretty cute so I whipped up a newborn sized one just to see if I could. I wanted to make it nice and airy since we're heading into spring and summer and don't need the thick winter hats anymore. I think I might attach a butterfly or a flower just to make it a little more "springish".

This is what I did for the newborn size.
The toddler size is Here

I used one strand worseted weight yarn and an N hook. I know that the yarn and hook combo might not seem right, but that's what gives it the "airyness". If you use more than one strand you'll end up with a thicker, more tightly crocheted hat. It won't have all those holes in it for the breeze to blow through : )
R1: (red) 10 DC into a magic ring
R2: (red) 2 DC into every DC. You'll have 20 sts total
R3: (Orange) [1 DC in the first and 2 DC in the second] repeat all the way around. You'll have 30 sts total.
R4: (Yellow) 1 DC into every DC. (30 sts)
R5: (Green) 1 DC into every DC. (30 sts )
R6: (Blue) 1 DC into every DC. (30 sts )
R7: (Purple) 1 DC into every DC. (30 sts )
R8: (White) I HDC into every DC all the way around and then Ch 4, skip a stitch, slip stitch. Then Ch 4 again, skip a stitch, slip stitch. You should be slip stitching into every other stitch all the way around. Then go around again but this time slip stitch into the skipped stitches. (I hope that makes sense. If not let me know and I'll try to take some pictures or something.) Then Ch 3 and slip stich onto the post of the Hdc. Ch 3 again and slip stitch onto next post. Do that all the way around then fasten off. Of course you could go around with the chaining and slip stitching as much as you'd like to get the fluffiness that you want from your cloud.

This is the first pattern I've tried to write for other people to read so If you find that it's lacking in something, just let me know and I'll try to fix it.
Thanks and I hope there will be many cute rainbow hats out there.

If you would like one made for you, then go to my Etsy store. I'll be making them to order.

This pattern and all photos are owned by me and are not to be reproduced in any way without permission. Never sell this pattern. It's intended to be free. Feel free to sell any hats you make from this pattern, but please acknowledge the creator of the pattern and add a link to this website. Thanks

More Worms!!

2013-04-11T06:03:00.001-07:00

Even though its been a few years, my girls still LOVE worms. They pull them out of the ground and try to organize them into families. They even make little houses for them. They beg and beg and beg to keep them in the house. You just wouldn't believe all the tears that flow when a poor little worm accidentally gets pulled apart. I sure like my girls. They always keep me smiling.

This batch of worms was discovered while helping Grandma and Grandpa plant flowers. They had them out on the table and separated into two groups: the parents, and the kids. They played house with those poor little guys for a long time before finally returning them to the Earth.

Laundry Soap

2013-03-29T12:13:00.000-07:00

I've been making my own laundry soap for awhile now. It's great. Super cheap and the clothes have never been cleaner. However, it was a bit messy in the beginning. I used to cook it on the stove and then ladle it into old milk jugs. Next I got a large bucket to pour it in, but it was still kind of a pain to make. So today I tried something different and I liked it a lot.

First I shredded up a whole bar of Fels-Naptha soap. I mixed that with 6 cups of water and put it into this old bowl that I never use anymore. I then popped it into the microwave. After 3 minutes I stopped and stirred. I did this about 4 times until all the soap was dissolved.

Then I added 1 1/2 cups Borax and 1 1/2 cups Washing Soda. (I found all of these ingredients on the laundry isle at Walmart. )

The liquid in the bowl was already starting to gel up so after I stirred in the washing soda and borax I popped it back into the microwave for another 3 minutes.

I then poured it into this bucket. I'm not sure how many gallons this is exactly. (I ended up using a total of 3 gallons of water and it filled it up almost all the way. ) After pouring the soap mixture in, I added another 4 cups of hot water and stirred it around. I then added another 38 cups or so (I'm pretty sure I counted right : ) and stirred again and then put the lid on and took it back to the laundry room to cool down.

This is what it looked like when I was done. I usually use 1/2 a cup per load. Sometimes a little more if the clothes are super dirty (my girls Love to play in the dirt). That should give me roughly 96 loads. I've used it with hot, cold and warm water without any trouble. I've never used it in the new front load washing machines so I don't know how that will work out.

Even though I didn't spill anything on the counter when I was measuring, the Borax tends to leave a little bit of a dusty film on the counter. I don't like that. Soooo... next time I make the soap (which shouldn't be for several months) I'm going to melt the Fels-naptha and water then pour that into the bucket and then take it into the laundry room to add the borax and washing soda and hot water. I want to keep as much of the dust out of the kitchen as I can.

My New Hobby

2013-03-17T21:11:00.001-07:00

I have discovered that I LOVE to crochet. I can't stop. I think about all the things I can make and then as soon as the kids are in bed, I pick up a hook and some yarn and create. This is what I've been making lately. Baby cocoons and hats. I don't usually have a pattern. I just pull out whatever yarn I have and see what I can make. Since I can't really use all of these or even give them all away (I don't know of that many new babies :), I started selling them on Etsy.

Crochet Eyeball

2012-09-21T19:46:00.001-07:00

This was my first attempt at making the eyeball. I like how it turned out. I followed the pattern that I found here: Crochet eyeball with optic nerve

I thought it might be easier to attach the nerve after completeing the eyeball so I tried it. It turns out that I did like that method better. I was able to zigzag and make it look more like a blood vessel and the point of attachment was smoother.
Overall, I loved this idea and I'm going to make a whole bunch for Halloween. I'm going to make each eye a different color. : )

I'm Back!

2012-09-21T12:24:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I posted anything. I had another daughter come along and that kind of put things on hold for awhile. However, now that she's sleeping well and giving me time in the day to do things, I have a lot of projects to post that I'm working on. I crocheted some interesting eyeballs for Halloween. I'll post that one soon. I need to make a few small changes to the pattern before I get them just the way I want them. I also came up with a cute little loom knit hat and an interesting way to hold yarn while I work to keep it from getting tangled. Hopefully I'll have these up in the next few days.

The photo is a dandelion that popped up on our lawn. It looked so pretty in the evening light that I had to get a picture of it.

Worms

2011-04-19T06:57:00.000-07:00

Of course after the rain come the worms. There are a lot of them in the driveway and my children love worms. My 3 year old goes outside and tries to rescue as many as she can onto the lawn : ) My one year old sees what's going on and decides to try to help and ends up squishing one. It was really funny to watch. I need to keep the video camera out where it's handy.

Fingerprints

2011-04-16T09:13:00.001-07:00

I used to get annoyed at the kids fingerprints on the appliances. then i realized that one day they wouldn't be there anymore and I'd miss them : ) So now I don't complain when I have to wipe off the 100's of prints that appear every day. I'm just happy to finally have the opportunity to have little finger prints on my fridge.

Such a big girl!

2011-04-13T07:37:00.000-07:00

Today my three year old got up and got herself completely dressed before I even knew she was awake. Wow! She even went to the trouble to pick out some socks for her little sister. I'm both excited and sad. That's one less thing I have to do in the mornings, but I don't recall giving her permission to grow up yet!!!

Grocery Store

2011-04-11T12:02:00.000-07:00

Never take a hungry one year old to the grocery store. She was grabbing things off shelves, trying to jump out of the cart and she even tried to eat the food. The banana's were almost destroyed and the cereal bar box was half open by the time I got to the register : )

Bubbles

2011-04-11T05:05:00.000-07:00

Little kids say the cutest things. I try to write them down so we can remember them later on. Yesterday my three year old wanted me to blow bubbles. I blew them for a long time then told her I had to take a break because I was out of breath. So she looks at me with a very serious expression; like she was trying to figure something out. She leaves, then comes back with another bottle of bubbles and says, "here's some more breath mommy." I couldn't say no to that : )

The first thing

2011-04-10T22:27:00.000-07:00

The first thing I learned was not to worry. They'll do things when they're ready so just relax : ) But I still catch myself stressing out over little things that shouldn't matter; mostly over the mess at meal times. I'm still a work in progress. : )