The Dainty Daisy

Newborn Textured Newsboy Hat

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Sat, 15 Nov 2014 19:02:00 +0000

A friend of mine is due for a baby in December, and requested a newsboy hat. For some reason I have struggled to find a newsboy hat I really like. Whenever I make them the hat either seems to small, or I feel the brim lays funny. So, naturally, I figured it meant that I had to make up my own go-to newsboy hat.

Hook: I

Yarn: Worsted Weight

Gauge: 6 sc = 2 inches

For a preemie size, lower the hook size and/or change to a lighter weight yarn.

Round 1: Start with a magic ring, 9sc inside of ring. Join. (9sc)

Round 2: Ch2 (counts as first hdc), 1 hdc in same stitch, 2hdc in each stitch around. Join to top of chain 2. (18hdc)

Round 3: Ch2, 1 hdc in same stitch, 1 hdc in next stitch, (2hdc in next stitch, 1hdc in next stitch) around. Join. (27hdc)

Round 4: Ch2, 1hdc in same stitch, 1 hdc in next 2 stitches, (2hdc in next stitch, 1 hdc in next 2 stitches) around. Join. (36hdc)

Round 5: Ch2, 1hdc in same stitch, 1hdc in next 8 stitches, (2hdc in next stitch, 1hdc in next 8 stitches) around. Join. (40hdc)

Rounds 6-11: Ch 2. Skip first stitch and 1hdc in next stitch, next 1hdc back into first stitch (this will criss cross), *skip next stitch, 1hdc in next, 1hdc in skipped stitch* Repeat from * around. Join to first hdc. (40hdc)

Rounds 12: Ch2, 1hdc in each stitch around. Join. (40hdc)

BRIM:

Row 1: slst in next stitch, 1sc in next 2 stitches, 1 hdc, 2hdc, 1dc in next 8 stitches, 2hdc, 1hdc, 1sc in next 2 stitches, slst. TURN. (18stitches)

Row 2: Ch1, (skip slst), 1sc in next 2 stitches, 1 hdc, 2hdc, 1dc in next 10 stitches, 2hdc, 1hdc, 1sc in next 2 stitches, slst. TURN (20stitches)

Round 3: 1sc in each stitch up side of brim, slst across the front of the brim, 1sc in each stitch down other side of brim and around rest of hat. Join to first stitch. FINISH OFF.

STRAP

Round 1: Ch25, 2sc in first ch from hook, 1sc in next 22 chains, 4sc in last ch. Now working on opposite side of chains, 1sc across 22 chains, 2sc in last ch and join to first sc. (52sc)

Round 2: Ch1, 1sc in same stitch, 3sc in next stitch, 1sc across next 22 stitches, 3sc in next, 1sc in next 2 stitches, 3sc in next, 1sc across next 22 stitches, 3sc in next, 1sc in next, join to first sc. Finish off and attach to front of hat.

Attach the strap and 2 buttons. Voila!

Preemie/ Newborn Elf Hat

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Fri, 14 Nov 2014 18:50:00 +0000

I know that it's only November, but everything around me is looking like Christmas. Here in Grand Rapids we got our first snowfall with flakes that are actually sticking! I am not a cold weather fan, but there is something beautiful and powerful about the first snow coming down. Maybe it's the excitement I see in my kids' faces, or maybe it's the nostalgic memories of seeing the first snowfall every year as a kid. Either way, it makes me think of Christmas!

That being said, it's time for a Christmas hat pattern! This will work perfectly for any newborn pics, and using a hook smaller will make this ideal for a preemie!

Hook: G or H hook for preemie
I hook for newborn
Yarn: Worsted Weight

Color A:
Round 1: Start with a Magic Ring. Ch1, 6sc in ring. Join to first sc. (6sc)
Round 2: Ch1, (1hdc, 2hdc) around. Join to first hdc. (9hdc)
Round 3: Ch1, 1hdc in each stitch around. Join to first hdc. (9hdc)
Now, switch to next color. I do not cut the first color. I drop it and then pull it back up the next time I need it. This helps so you don't have to weave in a bunch of ends.

Color B:
Rounds 4-6: Ch1, 1hdc in each stitch around. Join to first hdc. (9hdc)

Color A:
Rounds 7-9: Ch1, 1hdc in each stitch around. Join to first hdc. (9hdc)

Color B:
Rounds 10-12: Ch1, 1hdc in each stitch around. Join to first hdc. (9hdc)

Color A:
Rounds 13-15: Ch1, 1hdc in each stitch around. Join to first hdc. (9hdc)

Color B:
Rounds 16-18: Ch1, 1hdc in each stitch around. Join to first hdc. (9hdc)

Color A:
Rounds 19-21: Ch1, 1hdc in each stitch around. Join to first hdc. (9hdc)

Color B:
Rounds 22-24: Ch1, 1hdc in each stitch around. Join to first hdc. (9hdc)

Color A:
Round 25: Ch1, 1hdc in each stitch around. Join to first hdc. (9hdc)
Round 26: Ch2 (counts as first hdc), 1 hdc in same stitch, 2hdc in each stitch around. Join to top of chain 2. (18hdc)

Round 27: Ch2, 1 hdc in same stitch, 1 hdc in next stitch, (2hdc in next stitch, 1hdc in next stitch) around. Join. (27hdc)

Color B:

Round 28: Ch2, 1hdc in same stitch, 1 hdc in next 2 stitches, (2hdc in next stitch, 1 hdc in next 2 stitches) around. Join. (36hdc)

Round 29: Ch2, 1hdc in same stitch, 1hdc in next 8 stitches, (2hdc in next stitch, 1hdc in next 8 stitches) around. Join. (40hdc)

Rounds 30: Ch2, 1 hdc in each stitch around. Join(40hdc)

Color A:

Round 31-33: Ch2, 1 hdc in each stitch around. Join(40hdc)

Color B:

Rounds 34-35: Ch2, 1 hdc in each stitch around. Join(40hdc)

Color C:

Round 36: Ch1, 1sc in each stitch around. Join. (40sc)

Round 37: TURN!!! Working in BACK LOOPS ONLY, 1hdc in each stitch around. Join (40hdc)

Round 38: Ch1, 1hdc in each stitch around. Join.(40hdc)

Round 39: slst in next stitch, *In next stitch (sc, dc, picot*, dc, sc) slst into next 2 stitches* repeat from * until end. Finish off.

*PICOT: ch3, slst into 3rd chain from hook

Make a pom pom for the top of the hat in Color C. I use the Clover Pom Pom Maker. If you don't have one of these babies, you need to get one! Get it here.

Big Hero 6: Baymax

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Thu, 13 Nov 2014 12:21:00 +0000

The theme of this blog should be "Bad Project Photos"

Although I have not seen the movie yet, I have heard nothing but rave reviews about Disney/Pixar's new movie, Big Hero 6. I have seen the previews and fell in love with the adorable Baymax. And...he is a crocheter's dream. Easiest crochet pattern to come up with ever!

To start, with white yarn use my Basic Beanie Pattern here.

Now, for Baymax's face:

Hook: F
Yarn: Worsted Weight in black

EYE (Make 2)
ROUND 1: Start with a magic ring, Ch1, 6sc into center of ring. DO NOT JOIN. (6sc)
ROUND 2: 2sc into the first sc of the first round. Repeat 5 times, slst into next stitch and finish off. (12sc)

To make the black line between Baymax's eyes, I attached my yarn to one of the eyes with a slst, then I crocheted a chain and join it to the other eye with a slst. I would eyeball how many chains to make across based off of the size of your hat. The hat in the picture is a newborn size, and I made 10 chains.

Attach it all to your white beanie and voila!

Basic HDC Beanie Pattern (I hook and HDC)

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Wed, 12 Nov 2014 21:35:00 +0000

Hook: I
Gauge: 6 sc = 2 inches
Yarn: Worsted Weight

Sizing:
0-3 months (12-13" measurement) 5" high
3-6 months (13-14" measurement) 5 1/2" high
6-12 months (16" measurement) 6" high
12-36 months (17" measurement) 6 1/2" high
Child (3 years +) (18" measurement) 7 1/2" high

0-3 Months

Round 1: Ch2, 9sc in 1^st chain. Join. (9sc)

Round 2: Ch2 (counts as first hdc), 1 hdc in same stitch, 2hdc in each stitch around. Join to top of chain 2. (18hdc)

Round 3: Ch2, 1 hdc in same stitch, 1 hdc in next stitch, (2hdc in next stitch, 1hdc in next stitch) around. Join. (27hdc)

Round 4: Ch2, 1hdc in same stitch, 1 hdc in next 2 stitches, (2hdc in next stitch, 1 hdc in next 2 stitches) around. Join. (36hdc)

Round 5: Ch2, 1hdc in same stitch, 1hdc in next 8 stitches, (2hdc in next stitch, 1hdc in next 8 stitches) around. Join. (40hdc)

Rounds 6-12: Ch2, 1 hdc in each stitch around. Join(40hdc) (FOR NEWBORN SIZE DO ONE LESS ROUND OF HDC)

Round 13: Ch1, 1sc in each stitch around. Join. Finish off. (40sc)

3-6 Months

Round 1: Ch2, 9sc in 1^st chain. Join. (9sc)

Round 2: Ch2 (counts as first hdc), 1 hdc in same stitch, 2hdc in each stitch around. Join to top of chain 2. (18hdc)

Round 3: Ch2, 1 hdc in same stitch, 1 hdc in next stitch, (2hdc in next stitch, 1hdc in next stitch) around. Join. (27hdc)

Round 4: Ch2, 1hdc in same stitch, 1 hdc in next 2 stitches, (2hdc in next stitch, 1 hdc in next 2 stitches) around. Join. (36hdc)

Round 5: Ch2, 1hdc in same stitch, 1 hdc in next 2 stitches, (2hdc in next stitch, 1hdc in next 3 stitches) around. Join. (45 hdc)

Rounds 6-14: Ch2, 1 hdc in each stitch around. Join. (45hdc)

Round 15: Ch1, 1sc in each stitch around. Join. Finish off. (45sc)

6-12 Months

Round 1: Ch2, 9sc in 1^st chain. Join. (9sc)

Round 2: Ch2 (counts as first hdc), 1 hdc in same stitch, 2hdc in each stitch around. Join to top of chain 2. (18hdc)

Round 3: Ch2, 1 hdc in same stitch, 1hdc in next stitch, (2hdc in next stitch, 1hdc in next stitch) around. Join. (27hdc)

Round 4: Ch2, 1hdc in same stitch, 1 hdc in next 2 stitches, (2hdc in next stitch, 1 hdc in next 2 stitches) around. Join. (36hdc)

Round 5: Ch2, 1hdc in same stitch, 1hdc in next 3 stitches, (2hdc in next stitch, 1hdc in next 3 stitches) around. Join. (45 hdc)

Rounds 6: Ch2, 1hdc in same stitch, 1hdc in next 8 stitches, (2hdc in next stitch, 1 hdc in next 8 stitches) around. Join. (50hdc)

Round 7-15: Ch2, 1 hdc in each stitch around. Join. (50hdc)

Round 16: Ch1, 1sc in each stitch around. Join. Finish off. (50sc)

12-36 Months

Round 1: Ch2, 9sc in 1^st chain. Join. (9sc)

Round 2: Ch2 (counts as first hdc), 1 hdc in same stitch, 2hdc in each stitch around. Join to top of chain 2. (18hdc)

Round 3: Ch2, 1 hdc in same stitch, 1hdc in next stitch, (2hdc in next stitch, 1hdc in next stitch) around. Join. (27hdc)

Round 4: Ch2, 1hdc in same stitch, 1 hdc in next 2 stitches, (2hdc in next stitch, 1 hdc in next 2 stitches) around. Join. (36hdc)

Round 5: Ch2, 1hdc in same stitch, 1hdc in next 3 stitches, (2hdc in next stitch, 1hdc in next 3 stitches) around. Join. (45 hdc)

Rounds 6: Ch2, 1hdc in same stitch, 1hdc in next 4 stitches, (2hdc in next stitch, 1 hdc in next 4 stitches) around. Join. (54hdc)

Round 7-16: Ch2, 1 hdc in each stitch around. Join. (54hdc)

Round 17: Ch1, 1sc in each stitch around. Join. Finish off. (54sc)

3 Years+

Round 1: Ch2, 9sc in 1^st chain. Join. (9sc)

Round 2: Ch2 (counts as first hdc), 1 hdc in same stitch, 2hdc in each stitch around. Join to top of chain 2. (18hdc)

Round 3: Ch2, 1 hdc in same stitch, 1hdc in next stitch, (2hdc in next stitch, 1hdc in next stitch) around. Join. (27hdc)

Round 4: Ch2, 1hdc in same stitch, 1 hdc in next 2 stitches, (2hdc in next stitch, 1 hdc in next 2 stitches) around. Join. (36hdc)

Round 5: Ch2, 1hdc in same stitch, 1hdc in next 3 stitches, (2hdc in next stitch, 1hdc in next 3 stitches) around. Join. (45 hdc)

Rounds 6: Ch2, 1hdc in same stitch, 1hdc in next 4 stitches, (2hdc in next stitch, 1 hdc in next 4 stitches) around. Join. (54hdc)

Round 7: Ch2, 1hdc in same stitch, 1 hdc in next 8 stitches, (2hdc in next stitch, 8hdc in next stitch) around. Join. (60hdc)

Round 8-17: Ch2, 1 hdc in each stitch around. Join. (60hdc)

Round 18: Ch1, 1sc in each stitch around. Join. Finish off. (60sc)

This pattern is the property of Betsy Thompson of The Dainty Daisy. This pattern may be used for personal use, and products made from pattern may be sold. Pattern may not be copied, reprinted, or redistributed in any manner. If you have questions you may contact Betsy at thedaintydaisycrochet@gmail.com.

PLEASE feel free to sell products made from this pattern, but give me the credit. Also, DO NOT sell this pattern.

Collection Time!

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Wed, 17 Sep 2014 10:54:00 +0000

I need to apologize. I have hardly posted, and I am sorry to those who have wondered where I have been.

Basically, I had a baby in January and put this side of my life on hold for awhile. This usually happens every time I have had a baby. There are seasons in life where we need to put one thing down to make room for another, and this guy was well worth the break.

However, my hands miss playing with yarn, and we are LONG overdue for another collection. I have been putting off setting a collection date until I wrote up a few patterns, but I have decided to just go with it already and patterns will come (hopefully)!

Our NEXT Rosie's Cozies collection date is going to be January 1st. We discussed a Pixar/Disney theme on the Facebook page. Currently, I am open to patterns to post for people who want to stay true to theme, so feel free to design and send me links!

As ALWAY we collect ALL hats even if they aren't within the theme. I am sure that the NICU will have a few people who prefer not to put a minion hat on their new teeny tiny baby!

Thank you do all those who have been patiently waiting! I am glad to get back in the groove and to start putting hats on those sweet babes!

Update!

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Sun, 24 Aug 2014 11:32:00 +0000

So much has happened since I last wrote! Sorry for the absence for the past 7 months, however, I have been busy with a new baby and summer activities.

So yes, let's do some updating. On January 22, our sweet Samuel John was born. This kid is a heart breaker. He has the greatest smile, a fabulous head of hair, and somehow handles his crazy older sisters with ease! I think loving on this guy is a pretty good excuse for taking some time away:

I have also taken on a new business venture in the past month that you can read about here. It's been a lot of fun so far, and I am enjoying it. I am always looking for new people to host FB parties, so if you're interested at all let me know (yes, I know it's a shameless plug ;-) )

Our summer has been amazing and full! We went camping with friends, took our annual family vacation to Traverse City for a week (and I recommend if you ever go to stay here), and made it to Michigan's beautiful upper peninsula! Honestly, as much as I love to crochet, it was a really nice break from the yarn and hooks. I know, am I crazy??

Alas, my hands are missing playing with yarn, and winter is coming up--which means orders are already coming in. I'm ready to get back into the creative groove. The first area I want to start working is for Rosie's Cozies, which many of you already know about. For those who are unfamiliar with Rosie's Cozies, you can read about here.

There is major news for Rosie's Cozies too! We are now OFFICIALLY a 501c3 non-profit organization! It took a lot of work and time (and I can't take most of the credit for this at all), but we are FINALLY there! This being said, we are OVERDUE for a new collection. This is where I would love some help. We are going to do a Disney/Pixar collection---Mickey Mouse, minions, Monsters Inc, Princesses, etc, etc....but I need YOUR help with pattern writing. Please consider helping out! Although I am ready to get crocheting, my brain might still be mush when it comes to writing patterns.

If you want to help write a pattern (or two!) email me at thedaintydaisycrochet@gmail.com. Once I feel we have a good number of patterns I will post a link with the collection date.

I've missed this area of my life and I am glad to be back at it! The past few months have been really great to focus on my family and start some new things, but it's time to get back to one of my original loves. Thanks to all of you for hanging with me as I took some time to figure out life with three kids!

Holy Moly, It's December!

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Sun, 29 Dec 2013 02:27:00 +0000

I just realized that the last time I ACTUALLY posted was in August. August! Time to check in!

First things first. I made a drop-off to the Helen DeVos Children's Hospital a couple weeks ago with over 700 little Rosie's Cozies Hats! As always, the staff was extremely thankful and I have heard from a couple of mothers that they are appreciative and touched by the donations. Again, thank you so so so much for those who have donated!

Next, I have been busy with finishing up orders and prepping for this baby boy--who is due to be here in a little over 3 weeks! Eek! I have just a couple more orders to finish, and then I will be all caught up.

Speaking of this baby, I have been doing a lot of crocheting for his nursery. This has included a mobile for his nursery, as well as a faux taxidermy moose head. The moose took me a lot of time getting the right shape and trying to figure out the best way to mount it, but I am MORE than thrilled with how it turned out in the end. I was going to write up the pattern, but at this point I think it has been lost out of my brain and don't think I will get to writing anything down anytime soon. I thought I would share some of the pictures of his room. I'm pretty proud of how it turned out. Please forgive my terrible photography skills.

Sorry, again, to be so MIA. I will be sure to post soon to announce the arrival of our new bundle. Hopefully I can get myself back into my crocheting groove in a few months! I have a feeling I'll be itching to find some cute little boy patterns :-)

Holiday Preemie Patterns

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Tue, 20 Aug 2013 00:27:00 +0000

OOOOKAY, so I am struggling to find patterns specific to Fall, Thanksgiving, Halloween, and Christmas. Below is the list I have compiled, and it is pretty pathetic:

Pumpkin
Pumpkin #2

Fruits

Knit Santa Hat
Elf Hat
Santa Hat
Apple Hat
Frankenstein Hat
Mickey and Minnie Mouse
Bow Hat
Crown Hat
Football
Football II
Monster
Candy Cane
Reindeer

I am asking for some help! Please consider designing some patterns for us, or even doing some searching around! I would love to add some footballs, witches, Santa hats, turkeys, gingerbread men, Frankensteins, etc. I even think a prince or princess hat would be adorable as a costume for those babes on Halloween! Something....ANYTHING! If you are willing to write up a pattern please email me at bhuizinga@gmail.com, or comment on here or on Facebook. I would love to make this list much larger so people have loads of ideas to choose from.

THANK YOU!!!

Rosie's Cozies Holiday Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Thu, 15 Aug 2013 01:33:00 +0000

Let's get our next collection started! I have decided to make the deadline:

November 16th

That will insure that we get hats in before Thanksgiving and Christmas, so those sweet babes can be decked out for the upcoming holidays.

I am currently struggling to find patterns specific to pumpkins, elves, and santa hats. If you would like to design a pattern or if you find one PLEASE pass it along! I will be posting again soon...hopefully with a long list of patterns!

Knit vs. Crochet

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Mon, 05 Aug 2013 11:43:00 +0000

I asked people on my FB page if the honestly knew the difference between knit and crochet. Thought you would enjoy their answers :-)

Rosie's Cozies Business

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Wed, 31 Jul 2013 13:56:00 +0000

Last night marked the first official board meeting for Rosie's Cozies! We are VERY small, but it is a start towards getting 501c3 status.

I had debated making Rosie's Cozies a non-profit for awhile, but when I had looked into it I was quite overwhelmed and the paperwork was far over my head. Thankfully, there are a lot of people who want to help out. Megan, Rose's mom, has many friends who definitely take an interest in Rosie's Cozies and are willing to step in and offer anything they can to help out.

Enter Kyle. He is a friend of Megan and Ryan's and is a lawyer, with a HUGE heart who stepped in and decided to help us out. He has been the backbone of getting this thing rolling, and honestly, I could not have gotten this far without him! He has helped us come up with by-laws (okay, he did all of them), and went over all of the legal jargon with me. He has assisted me in figuring out who to appoint as officers, and he led our board meeting last night.

Although I have always worked in non-profits, I have a lot to learn about RUNNING a non-profit. Thankfully I have a lot of help. I am really excited to be able to have something more professional for Rosie's Cozies. I am excited to open a bank account to put in donated funds, and maybe someday work towards forming a more organized way of offering support to families with babies in the NICU through gas cards, cafeteria gift cards, etc. Overall, I just feel that making Rosie's Cozies a legit non-profit is going to open up may more opportunities for this ministry.

We are still working towards official 501c3 status, and it may be a bit before all is complete. Keep praying all goes smoothly and that it won't be much longer till we can announce that Rosie's Cozies is an OFFICIAL non-profit with 501c3 status :-)

NEW Rosie's Cozies Collection

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Fri, 26 Jul 2013 13:05:00 +0000

We are quite due for another official collection! Just in case any of you didn't know, I do collect Rosie's Cozies ALL year long, but we have certain times we do more organized collections to make a nice push for a bunch of them. It is also fun to have a theme!

I posted on FB asking what our next theme should be, and have decided to go with more of a holiday theme. I know it's July, BUT Fall is right round the corner, AND if we don't do another collection for awhile Christmas will come and go.

So, with the help of some of your suggestions, I think we should do a holiday theme. These means all things related to Thanksgiving/Fall--apples, scarecrows, turkeys, etc. AND all things Christmas/Winter--snowmen, gingerbread men, elf hats, Santa, etc.

Thoughts? I think this would be a great way to bring a little holiday cheer into the NICU, AND make sure those babes are looking quite festive :-) I will start doing some work looking for patterns that will help us along, but please feel free to share any you have.

Oh, and let me get back to you on the deadline. Still trying to figure out the best goal and deadline for this one :-)

THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO!!! Rosie's Cozies is such a blessing to so many, and it could not be what it is without you!

(and a quick side note--for those of you who have non-holiday hats finished, please still send them!)

Checking In

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 12:37:00 +0000

I need to apologize. I have been quite absent lately, and I really have no excuse. Right now I haven't been crocheting much, so there hasn't been much to talk about. Weather is warming up, so I have fewer orders, and every once in awhile I find that I take some long breaks from all my hooking.

With that being said, I do have some stuff coming up for little baby newborns :-) I have a cocoon, some hats, and a new niece who will be here on July 1!

I still have quite a few Ready to Ship items if you are looking for something! Not loads of newborn stuff, but maybe something for this fall???

So, this was just quick little check in to let you know that I am still here, and hope to pick up my hooks again soon! Am I the only one who has crocheting lulls, or can anyone relate?

Beginner's Dishcloth

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 12:08:00 +0000

I am part of a MOPS group and for our April Mom's Night Out I have agreed to help teach the group how to crochet! How much more fun does it get for me than to hang out with a bunch of women, eating good food, and crocheting?!?! I had searched for a good starting project, but just didn't find much I was thrilled with. I finally decided to write up my own dishcloth pattern. I wanted to make sure that it gave a beginner ample time to practice the sc, because I feel once you master this, the other stitches come easy. I also wanted to make sure it also was a pattern that worked in rows and in rounds. Below is what I came up with. Enjoy!

Hook: H
Yarn: Sugar 'n Cream

Abbreviations:
sc = single crochet
dc = double crochet
slst = slip stitch

Chain 26
Row 1: 1 sc in second chain from hook and in each chain across. Chain 1. Turn (25 sc)
Row 2: 1 sc in each stitch across. Chain 1. Turn (25 sc)
Rows 3-28: Repeat Row 2
Row 29: 1 sc in each stitch across. Chain 3 (counts as dc). DO NOT TURN. You will now work in rounds to complete edging.

Edge:
2 dc in same stitch as chain 3 to make the first corner. Work dcs evenly across edge of piece until you reach next corner. 3 dc in corner. Now work along beginning chain, work dcs across until next corner. 3 dc in corner. Work dcs evenly across edge of piece until you reach the beginning chain 3. Join with a slst to top of chain 3. Finish off.

Flower:
Chain 4, (dc, chain 3, slst) into first chain. (chain 3, dc, chain 3, slst) into first chain 4 times. Finish off. Sew to dishcloth.

Running for Rosie: Round 2

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 03:04:00 +0000

Do you all remember when I ran my first ever 5K last September?!?! We raised almost 1000 hats and OVER $1000 for Helen DeVos Children's Hospital here in Grand Rapids! It was awesome!

I have to admit that I have not put on my running shoes much since then. I have wanted to, but haven't been very motivated. Recently, I learned of the Color Me Rad Race that is happening here in Grand Rapids the end of May. The kicker for me was that Helen DeVos Children's Hospital was the charity benefiting from this race. Obviously, this meant it was time to lace up my running shoes!

This time I am not making a hat goal. We have a couple hat collections going on right now, so instead we are just sticking to the monetary goal. I actually have quite the large team forming of people who are committing to "Run for Rosie," and I cannot wait! You can help out too! You can either run with us or donate to our race!

If you would like to donate to Helen DeVos through our running check out this site here.
If you would like to run with us check out this site and join the "Running for Rosie" team with the team captain "Thompson."

So, PLEASE consider helping us out!!! Whether you run or donate $5, it all helps!

For Sydney

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 01:58:00 +0000

I receive stories from so many of you about your own personal reason for giving to Rosie's Cozies. Each one touches me in a different way, and more often than not your stories bring me to tears.

I have read stories of triumph. Ones where you have given birth to a preemie and after many weeks or months in the NICU you were able to bring your baby home. Others of you have had heartbreaking stories where your babies were never able to come home and you were left with a huge hole in your heart where your baby was supposed to be.

I have heard from a woman in Africa who donated hats in order to give back to the rest of the world because so much of the world gives to Africa. I have heard from a grandmother who watched as her grandchild fought for life because he was born far too early. And I have heard from of you who just want to use your gift to give back.

A couple of months ago I heard from Deborah. She began to crochet after an awful loss and has been giving to Rosie's Cozies. In January she dropped off hats she had made, but I wasn't home and wasn't able to meet her, so she left them on my porch. Today she dropped off another bag of gorgeous hats and I had the amazing privilege of meeting her in person.

You see, Deborah lost her sweet Sydney Michele this past October. She was born full-term, but she was still-born. I can't even imagine.

Deborah told me this amazing story about how she began to crochet to help with her loss. She had found my Shell Stitch Beanie pattern and was able to make that. Then, in searching for help with hat sizing she found this post from Oodles4Noodles and found a comment of mine explaining Rosie's Cozies. Deborah went to check it out and realized it was the same site that she had found the Shell Stitch Beanie. She decided she wanted to help out and then realized that of all places in the entire world we were in the same city, AND, the Rosie's Cozies were donated hats to the children's hospital connected with the same hospital where she delivered Sydney.

What are the odds, huh? Today we were talking on Facebook and she wrote this:

"I am so glad that I was given this sign from my daughter and that I can do something for others."

My heart aches for her. The mother in me cannot fathom. I just can't mentally even put myself in her shoes because it is too hard, yet here she is....making hats, giving to others, and bringing light out of her darkness.

This is so many of you who give to Rosie's Cozies and share your stories with me. I wish I could meet each and every one of you and sit down with a cup of coffee or talk over a glass of wine. I want to hear WHY you give to Rosie's Cozies, and to give each and every one of your stories their moment to be heard. Their moment to be felt.

One thing I have learned through Deborah is that Rosie's Cozies is just as much for herself as it is for the babies wearing her hats. Making hats has become therapy for her, and it is a way to give honor to her Sydney and to give her life a legacy. Rosie's Cozies is named after Rose DeVries, but it could just as well be named Sydney's Cozies, or any other name of who YOU make hats for. It is a ministry to honor every one of those sweet babies and the families who know the pain of infant loss, prematurity, and the uncertainty of whether or not they will be bringing their child home.

This project is far more than giving to babies and families in the NICU. I have found that it is something that has given people a purpose, a way to honor their children, and a way to use their gifts. I am beyond thankful to all of you who give to Rosie's Cozies. I am beyond thankful that Deborah has found an amazing gift she possessed that she is using to bless so many families. And let me tell you, this woman can crochet! She JUST started in October and she showed me pictures of her work and I was floored.

I have included the video below with permission from Deborah. It is the memorial video made for her Sydney. Please watch and honor their daughter and their family. It's a hard video to watch, but sometimes I think there something special when we can relate to the pain of someone we don't know and hurt for them too. Please say a prayer for this family, as Deborah was very open about the daily struggle it has been since October. To follow along with Deborah's family and their story you can check out their blog here.

Thank you Sydney, for your sweet life taken too soon, and for inspiring your mother to share her AMAZING talent.

We Need You!

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 12:07:00 +0000

A bit ago I put out a plea that we try to raise 500 animal hats for Rosie's Cozies. Well, we are not very close to the goal....at all. We currently have about 100 hats, of which only about are animal. I will say that even the ones that aren't animal hats are stinking adorable, so I cannot complain because they are awesome!

I am asking people to step up and even commit to one or two hats if they can! I would love to walk into Helen DeVos Children's Hospital with the goal we had originally and with our mission accomplished. PLEASE consider making even just one hat. Trust me, it will make a difference and put us closer to our goal. Each hat is a blessing to a family, so either way you are touching people's lives and bringing a bright spot to a family that might be scared. You don't HAVE to send 50 hats! I have had many people send me 2 or 3 hats and they are just as exciting to get as the boxes with 20-30 hats in them!

So please join me in reaching out goal! Share the word, tweet about it, Facebook about it, and throw it up on Pinterest. Let's get there together! :-)

3 + 3 Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 20:43:00 +0000

I recently posted on Facebook about an idea to have a giveaway where I would give away three of my crochet patterns. Then, those who win the patterns would commit to make the pattern for someone who won the actual product in the pattern. I have many followers who crochet, and many who don't. I figured this was a great way to get everyone involved and to really show the love all around--crocheters or not.

Please, choose to either win patterns OR completed project. I would love for those who can't crochet to be blessed by this community of crafters by receiving something they might not be able to do for themselves. Have fun and good luck! Now, get to it!

CROCHET PATTERN GIVEAWAYS:

Curious Monkey Pattern

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hooded Baby Cocoon Pattern

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Newborn Ruffly Diaper Cover Pattern

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Actual Product Giveaways:

Curious Monkey Hat

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hooded Baby Cocoon

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Newborn Ruffly Diaper Cover and Hat

a Rafflecopter giveaway

GOOD LUCK!!!

Anyone With Me?

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 19:33:00 +0000

Hi all! Look, another blog post so soon!

I have been debating making myself a sweater for awhile. It is hard, because many patterns out there aren't real hip and look a little too matronly for me. Today, I was reading other crochet blogs and I saw this pattern. I felt like it was THE sweater to do. It was cute, looked simple, and the big ol' bow made it unique.

I just posted asking people for advice on what color to make. It seemed every color suggested would have been awesome! Navy or gray would make it a great neutral, but I wondered if a bright green or yellow would give this piece more of a statement. I have decided on the latter. My first gut was to do a kelly green, and I think that is what I am going to go for. Maybe when I get to the yarn shop I'll think otherwise, but for now that is my plan.

I wondered if anyone want to do this with me and we could compare how the project is going? Right now I have about 4 orders to complete, and then I am taking some time off of orders to focus solely on pattern writing and making stuff for fun. Not that orders aren't fun, but it's is always nice to not have a deadline hanging on my calendar.

You can purchase the pattern here. So, who is with me? What color are you going to do?

Collection and A New Pattern

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 13:26:00 +0000

Wanted to give an update on our Zoo Babies collection. Right now, we hardly have any hats at all. I am hoping I start to get a bunch of packages soon, but if you haven't decided if you wanted to help out or not, please consider making even just a hat or two! There are adorable patterns out there and they work up so quick!

If you are newer to my blog, you can read about our preemie hat project here. It is called Rosie's Cozies and it is in honor of a sweet baby girl.

On another note, I have really by trying to do a bit more pattern writing. I have just released a Curious Monkey hat, and hope to have a couple more to release here soon. I have one out to testers and need to try to figure out how to make the changes necessary to make it an easier pattern.

I still have a sale going on for my Curious Monkey hat on over at Etsy. Just use the coupon code MONKEYMADNESS to get it 20% off!

Sorry I have been a bit slow on my blogging lately. I hope to get back into the blogging swing again and update this more often! Hopefully my next post will be showing off pictures of all of the adorable little animal hats we collect!

Zoo Babies

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 01:25:00 +0000

Our next hat collection is starting, and the goal is to raise 500 animal hats! I CANNOT wait to start finding these in my mailbox! I am even more excited to be able to bring them up to the NICU at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital!

I had been hoping to post patterns and links to patterns written by myself and others, and I am so thankful for those who have designed patterns for this next collection! You are such a blessing to this project and to all of those families who will receive our hats. You can find our list of patterns below. PLEASE keep checking back, because I am hoping to add more as designers get back to me.

I think it would be awesome if we shared with everyone what has been made. You can either post it to the Rosie's Cozies Facebook Page, OR use #rosiescozies for Instagram or Twitter.

I would like to have all hats to be sent in by March 23rd (or so). This will give me time to deliver them by Easter and bless all those babes with some cute little hats :-) Hats being sent to me can be mailed to the address below, or I TOTALLY understand if you want to send them to your own local NICU:

Rosie's Cozies

6026 Kalamazoo Ave SE #119

Kentwood, MI 49508

Thank you again to all of our designers, as well as those of you who plan on making hats. I know that they will be a huge blessing to the families who receive them. I think I am most excited about this collection than any other that we have done so far!

One quick reminder! The hat patterns below are written for preemie size. Do not be afraid to go up a hook or down a hook to make hats in all different sizes. The NICU needs hats for babies as small as 1lb and as large as 10+lbs. Babies grow quickly, and as they get bigger they will need larger hats.

Okay, get those hooks ready, because I know you are going to want to make at least one of each of the adorable hats below!

The Dainty Daisy Owl

The Dainty Daisy Monkey

Calleigh's Clips & Crochet Creations Tiger

My Sweet Potato 3 Hippo

Niccupp Crochet Sock Monkey

Deanna from Dandy Mountain Boutique created the following hats. She does not have a blog, but be sure to show her some love at her Facebook page. Below you can find the links to the pdfs:

Dandy Mountain Boutique Zebra

Dandy Mountain Boutique Lion

Dandy Mountain Boutique Chick

Dandy Mountain Boutique Giraffe

Below are the hats I already hast listed elsewhere on this blog.

Bear

Winnie The Pooh

Kitty 18-20 Week Gestation

Monkey 16-18 Gestation

Owl

It's A Zoo!

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Sat, 05 Jan 2013 01:08:00 +0000

After hearing that all of the Rosie's Cozies we dropped off recently have already been snatched up, I realize that although this is an on-going collection, it's always nice to have a big push for hats and a timeline. It keeps things exciting and I LOVE dropping off so many at a time.

I have found that a ton of the loved favorites are the animals hats. I felt that this might be a good theme to go off of for our next drop-off. How fun would it be to fill the NICUs with babies wearing teeny tiny owl, dog, lion, bear, cat, etc hats?!?!

This round of hats I would LOVE to offer a plea out to designers to help me out. I have an owl and monkey hat pattern, but I would love to share this with other designers. I took part in Sunset Crochet's 12 Days of Giveway this past Christmas as a designer and I loved it! It was awesome to see so many people making hats and their adorable pictures.

So, here is my thought. I would love for designers to offer up some free patterns for animal preemie/newborn hats. I could post a link to your blog from here, or I could directly post the pattern onto my site (and obviously give you credit and links to your FB or shop site). I would love for you to include in your pattern the hook size, yarn used, and overall dimensions of your final product.

I would love if we could collect 500 hats. I know these kind of hats can take a lot longer, so I didn't want to make our goal too lofty.

If you are interested in designing a pattern please email me at thedaintydaisycrochet@gmail.com. I would like the final pattern to be completed by January 18, so I can post them that following weekend. I haven't decided the final date on hat collection. I am still working that out to give enough time for the patterns to be made and for people to be able to spend some time on these as they will take longer. In the meantime, those of you who want to get started can start mailing me hats now!

So, there are two ways you can help:

Design an animal hat pattern that is free for us to use to make some Rosie's Cozies
Crochet/Knit some animal hats and mail them to me or donate them to your local NICU

Hopefully, I find a zoo in my mailbox soon!

Thoughts Please

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 13:39:00 +0000

I have been debating about the direction of this blog for awhile. I admit that it needs a face lift, and I am hoping to do that soon. I love having a space to post all of the things about crochet that I want. I love to share my new projects, patterns I have found, or even throw around some ideas.

I have gone back and forth with offering ad space and making this blog more than what it is on that front. Part of that scares me, because I really like the laid-back feel I have going on here. I don't want to force my blogging because I have sponsors, but it would be a nice little added bonus as well, and may make me not neglect this place sometimes.

So, I need some of your help. What would you like to see here? I would LOVE to get some more free patterns up, and I would really love to finish some of my patterns for my shop here soon. I have had some in the works for months! Would you like more links to patterns I have found? More advice on how to crochet? My thoughts on yarn? More about my personal life? Would you be interested in purchasing ad space? More projects to give back? Linky parties to share projects? You tell me :-)

I am not a writer. I am a crocheter who LOVES to share with others, and I am thankful that so many of you want to follow along and see what I have to say! Please lend your thoughts and help me form some sort of focus and direction! We all know I need it! :-)

Family Name Picture Tutorial

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:22:00 +0000

I wanted to share a little tutorial on a gift we made for my in-laws this Christmas. I was really proud of how it turned out and I had a couple of people ask how we did it. Unfortunately, I am not near as good at doing tutorials on these types of things as other bloggers, so there aren't many pictures of the process. However, it's pretty simple.

The idea came from my husband's sister. She found it on Pinterest. This is about as far back as I can trace this. We thought it was a great idea for people who don't live in the same city, but still wanted to be in a picture together. Paul's family lives two hours East of us. Although we see each other a decent amount during the year, there was no way we were going to pull together a picture quick enough for Christmas.

We had everyone make their own letters however they wanted. As you can see, Marc made his "T" out of pieces of regular 8.5x11 paper. I kind of love how his son, Caden, is holding the bottom piece a bit crooked :-) Monique and Caden's "Os" were made out of foam board. The rest of the letters I made out of poster board.

Once pictures were taken and sent to us, the hardest work was really cropping, cutting, and formatting the picture. We had a basic idea of the size we wanted, but it was really hard to get 8 pictures to fit the same height and still show off the person and the letter in each one. It took some finagling, but eventually we got it. Next we had to find someone that printed this size. FedEx Kinkos is always a GREAT option for things like this. They made it as big as we wanted on photo paper and cut it for us. I think it cost us $10 to get two of them printed off.

Our other dilemma was finding a frame that would fit the picture. I think in the end it ended up being a 5" x 22" picture. We knew that getting it professionally framed was going to be FAR over our budget, so I decided to head to Hobby Lobby and do my best to think outside of the box. Oddly enough, I found this wall shelf and thought that if I turned it on it's side the picture would fit nicely on the top portion, AND it would be able to be set on a table.

I took the shelf and painted it black. There was a funny lip on the bottom of the shelf that looked a little blank, and I felt something had to be written there. Thankfully, I have a friend who is an amazing calligrapher and asked if she could help us out. I have awful handwriting and knew that if I attempted to write anything on this I would either misspell it or totally ruin it. Jen, from Graceful Expressions, beautifully added the "Established 1977," on the bottom for us. This was the year that Paul's parents were married.

The final step was Mod Podging (Mod Podge CS11235 Mod Podge Paper Matte Finish (Google Affiliate Ad) the picture to the shelf. This part was easy. Slap on the Mod Podge, slap on the photo, cover it with more Mod Podge, let it dry, and voila!

Here is a picture of the final product. It looks huge on my in-laws' table, but I promise it isn't near as big as the picture makes it look. Again, it is about 6" high total and 24" wide:

Needless to say, it was a success!

My New Favorite Necklace

noreply@blogger.com (Betsy Thompson) — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 15:47:00 +0000

Ann Troast Photography

(Left to Right: Stacy, Me, My Mom, Jill, Cricket)

I am so thankful for the relationship I have with my mother and my sisters (sister in law included). This year I wanted to do something special to convey in some small way how much they all mean to me. So, I decided to get us all matching necklaces. Originally, I had really wanted all of us to get matching tattoos, but I wasn't sure if we would all be game for that, so I settled on the necklaces.

Ann Troast Photography

Recently, I discovered that my old college roommate has been making jewelry. She does awesome work, and I knew she was the perfect person to go to make these necklaces. I obviously love to support anything handmade, and especially someone like me who does it as a little side business.

I contacted Val from V's Jewels, and shared with her a design I had seen on Etsy. Basically, I wanted a cross with our birthstones and an anchor. I wanted it to symbolize how each of us are anchored together through Christ. Val loved the idea and went to work right away brainstorming and ordering supplies. The final product is better than I imagined and I LOVE it. She did an amazing job.

I include my sister-in-law in on this as well because she is just as much a sister to me as my two actual sisters. She has been with my brother since I was in high school and stuck by him when he was in the worst of his alcohol addiction. Thankfully, he is almost 6 years sober (whoop, whoop)!

Along with the necklaces, I wanted to include a poem to explain their meaning, as well as convey to them what they each mean to me. You can read it below:

To my favorite women

A small gift for you

To honor our love

And all we’ve been through.

At the bottom you’ll find

Five stones hung on

They represent us

And our very close bond

The anchor shows

How solid we are

Though waters get rough

We don’t move too far

The cross, as you see

It rests on our heart

With God as our center

We won’t fall apart

Through Christ’s awesome love

We are anchored together

In the good and the bad

And all of life’s weather.

So, thanks each of you

And how much you care

What God has given us

Is extraordinarily rare.

A HUGE thank-you to Val for making such an amazing and meaningful piece of jewelry for each of us. Please head over to her Facebook page and show her some love, and order from her! She is awesome to work with and makes beautiful stuff. You really cannot beat something that is handmade from someone who truly loves her craft.