Behind the Scenes: Designing a Houndstooth Pattern

Behind the Scenes: Designing a Houndstooth Crochet Pattern

How is it my husband knew what houndstooth was and I did not? A friend of mine said she was going to try to come up with a crocheted houndstooth pattern.  I had seen this pattern many times before but never knew what it was called. Trying to come up with a pattern intrigued me and I, too, made several attempts at getting an approximate pattern.

Lion Brand Fun Fur

Lion Brand Fun Fur

First I had to decide if I wanted a small houndstooth pattern or a large one. There are several lovely small patterns available online often using an alternating pattern of single crochet and double crochet. I wanted to come up with a larger pattern, one that really incorporated the diagonal lines of the houndstooth. However, the diagonal spike stitch patterns I came up with seemed jumbled and messy. I finally decided to use a spike stitch that went straight down. The effect was quite lovely.

Trendsetter La Furla

Trendsetter La Furla

I first proposed the houndstooth trio to a crochet magazine with Lion Brand’s Fun Fur. Paired with Vanna’s Choice yarn it made a lovely set. The magazine’s editor suggested I redo the set in Trendsetter’s Merino wool and La Furla. These are quite luxurious yarns. They are both incredibly soft and warm. The La Furla is thicker and softer than Fun Fur. They are stylish and functional for even the coldest of weather. Lion Brand has since come out with an equally soft and thicker fur like called Romance. Both yarn brands make for a beautiful houndstooth set.

So, just how did my husband know what houndstooth was? From football, of course. College football coach Paul Bryant was often seen at games wearing a houndstooth hat!

Learn more about the Houndstooth Trio in the shop.

Houndstooth Trio available on Etsy.

Houndstooth Ladies Crochet Winter Accessories

Houndstooth Ladies Crochet Winter Accessories

Photo: Love of Crochet

Photo: Love of Crochet

This delightful and warm Houndstooth Trio first appeared in Love of Crochet magazine Holiday 2014 issue. It is now available in our shop.

The crochet pattern includes a fur brimmed hat, fur brimmed cowl and fur lined muff. The trio fits ladies 8 years old and older.

The Houndstooth print is created with stitches of various heights and the spike stitch. It’s surprisingly easy to create. The most difficult part will be working with fur. But it is sooo worth it because it is super soft, very warm and absolutely gorgeous.

Pictured here is yarn from Trendsetter Yarns. This set used Merino 8 and La Furla. Both are super soft and delightful to work with.

Available in the Store

Learn more about the Houndstooth Trio in the Shop.

Houndstooth Trio available on etsy.

His and Hers Cowl Crochet Pattern

His and Hers Cowls – Crochet Pattern

Photo: Love of Crochet Magazine

Photos: Love of Crochet Magazine

 

You may recognize these delightful cowls from the Holiday 2013 Issue of Love of Crochet Magazine. The pattern is now available in the Yarnovations Shop: His and Hers Cowl.

I, Dana, specifically designed these with beginners in mind. Deborah and I love playing around with a wide variety of stitches and techniques…but for this I wanted something that was simple and classic. The yarn and accents have a chance to shine in this crochet pattern.

The pattern includes suggestions for how the pattern can be modified for longer cowls and scarves. With the suggestioned variations, you can make gifts for the whole family that look unique even though they use the same basic design.

His and Hers Cowl is now available.

Available in the Store

Coral Blooms: In Love of Crochet Spring 2014

Coral Blooms Scarf – Published in “Love of Crochet” Magazine: Spring 2014

LOC_SP14_Cover_FINAL_200pxCoral Blooms is the latest crocheted piece we have in a publication. You can find the pattern in the Spring 2014 issue of Love of Crochet Magazine.

CoralBlooms_DSC3800_200px

The Coral Blooms scarf is constructed of repeated sections of blooms and lattice. This is a quick and easy project that is made primarily with interconnected chain work.

This  scarf uses yarn from KnitPicks.com. Pictured is Gloss Fingering yarn in Guava. It’s 70% Merino Wool and 30% Silk. It has wonderful drape and blocks really well.

Check news stands for the Spring issue of Love of Crochet to get your copy of this beautiful pattern.

Scarf pattern available on Etsy.

Sock Monkey Hat, Mittens and Scarves

Sock Monkey Hat, Mittens and Scarves – Crochet Pattern

Love Sock Monkey? This crochet pattern has Sock Monkey Hats (Beanies), Mittens and Scarves to fit everyone in the family from newborn to adult men!

sock monkey hat, mittens and scarf

Skill Level: Easy

The colors of this set are gender neutral and look adorable on boys and girls. The sock monkey applique gives this set a touch of whimsy.

sock monkey hat and beaniesSock Monkey Hat / Beanie

There are 6 sizes of hats in this crochet pattern fitting newborn to adult men.

Crocheted in the round, top down, this beanie has a ribbed brim crocheted in short rows directly to the work. Add a pom pom (pictured above) for even more charm.

Worked primarily in half double crochet, this hat whips up quickly.

sock monkey mittensSock Monkey Mittens

There are 5 sizes of mittens fitting baby to adult men.

Crocheted in the round, top down, these mittens also have ribbed cuffs crocheted in short rows directly to the work.

Worked in single crochet, this is the perfect accessory for early winter or cool spring weather.

sock monkey scarvesSock Monkey Scarves

There are 3 scarf patterns fitting children to adult.

Constructed in rows, each scarf is a series of stripes. Each is unique with different width striping but equally fun with the addition of the sock monkey applique.

Worked in primarily single crochet, these will keep you and your family warm all winter long.

Sock Monkey Crochet Pattern

Teen wearing sock monkey setThis Sock Monkey Winter Accessories crochet pattern is available in the store.

Sock Monkey Winter Accessories pattern on Etsy.

Available in the Store

Boys and girls of all ages will love this set. There’s just something about sock monkey that makes people smile.

These are so much fun, you’ll probably catch the kids wearing them inside the house! If you do, just throw coats on them and send them out to play.

Crimson Cowl in Love of Crochet Fall 2013

Crimson Cowl in Love of Crochet – Fall 2013 Issue

Crimson Cowl Love of CrochetWe have another scarf / cowl featured in Love of Crochet Magazine. The Fall Issue 2013 is available in stores until October 21.

This Crimson Cowl is a great 1 skein project! We’ve used Boutique Changes by Red Heart. There are 6 different yarn fabrics in one skein.

For anyone learning how to do broomstick lace, this is a great first project. This stunning cowl looks more complicated than it is because of the yarn changes.

Update 5-15-2014

We have the rights back on this beautiful cowl pattern. You can now get the free Crimson Cowl pattern in the shop.

Magazine Errata: On Row 3, the ch 1 is only done at the beginning in order to lock your yarn at the top of the loops. Here’s the correction:

Row 3: (broomstick lace row) insert hook in 5 loops, yo, pull through loops, ch 1, work 5 sc in same group of loops. *work 5 sc in each set of 5 loops* across.

Please also note that the tassels are just one strand of yarn folded in half and attached with a lark’s head knot.

The Pasta Challenge

The Pasta Challenge

A small group of us meet regularly to chat, sip coffee and crochet or knit. At one of our meetings we got a crazy idea to have a Pasta Challenge. We wanted to see who could come up with the best  hand crafted project that incorporated pasta!

The rules for the challenge weren’t well defined…so the projects varied greatly. No winner was selected this go around…but there will be more quirky and crazy challenges ahead.

Unfortunately, I was unable to get a collective photo of them all…so here is the reveal, one item at a time:

Glitzy Necklace, by Alice

pasta and yarn necklace

This glittery piece includes spray painted noodles! That little detail may not show up well in the photo…but it did have sparkle in person. Some noodles are painted gold and some with glitter making this one glitzy necklace.

Colorful Jar Cozy, by Deborah

Pasta Cozy

This mason jar cozy illustrates two ways to attach “beads” to a crochet project. The little pasta is attached using a beaded crochet technique. The elbow noodles are attached with thread and needle. A vivid example of how to attach beads.

Adorned Purse, by Lorien

adorned purse

Pasta adorns this cloth purse with large painted elements and in the little details, too. It’s difficult to see in these photos, but there are small star shaped pastas lining the opening of the purse and in the center of the flowers.

Beaded Broomstick and Shell Bag, by Dana

broomstick and shell beaded crochet

This bag illustrates beaded crochet with three different crochet stitches including: broomstick lace, shell stitch and single crochet. This bag was created with two handle pieces, two broomstick lace panels and joined with a round base.

The challenge was unusual, but a lot of fun. Stay tuned for the next wacky challenge coming soon!

Summer Scarf – Single Stranded Broomstick Cowl

Summer Scarf – Single Stranded Broomstick Cowl

Summer Scarf

As the temperatures start to rise, a summer scarf project is just the thing. We’ve whipped up our Broomstick Lace and Puff Stitch Cowl in a soft and luxurious Milky Whey yarn.  Oh la la, it’s heavenly!

Broomstick Lace and Puff Stitch Cowl pattern on Etsy.

Not only does the Milky Whey yarn have beautiful drape, it’s extremely soft and comfortable to work with and feels silky and smooth around the neck. It’s my number one go-to scarf these days!

The light and airy single stranded broomstick lace pattern makes this a nice summer scarf. The cowl pictured is extra long…allowing it to wrap around the neck once or twice. For a cooler version (for those really hot summer days) I would recommend crocheting a shorter or thinner piece.

Summer Scarf – The Pattern

milky whey broomstick closeThis summer scarf was made following the Broomstick Lace Scarf Pattern. It’s amazing how different a piece will look when you simply change the yarn!

The Milky Whey pictured has really nice drape. And if you can get your hands on some, I would highly recommend it. You won’t be disappointed, promise! Nice alternatives would be bamboo or silk (or a cotton blend). I think the stitch pattern really stands out with a yarn that has little elasticity.

The repeat in this pattern is easy to memorize. This is a great project to toss in a bag and take with you as you run errands. It uses only a few stitches – chain, single crochet, puff stitch and broomstick lace.

We have created a couple of quick videos that demonstrate the stitches used in this piece. You can see them on YouTube:

Broomstick Lace and Puff Stitch Cowl pattern on Etsy.

Enjoy!

Baby Pilot Hat, Scarf and Goggles

Baby Pilot

A new baby pilot…so sweet and adorable. Little ones like this fly straight into your heart with this hat, scarf and goggle set.

baby pilot hat goggles scarf

Cami Hickman-Adams crocheted this fun baby pilot set for photographer Megan Nagase. Cami modified the Bomber Hat Set a bit but kept the overall look and feel of the piece. Nice work Cami!

Baby Pilot Set Available For Purchase

Crocheted Set
Cami crochetes finished pieces at Cami’s Creative Commodities. Contact her on Facebook for your own baby pilot hat and google set!

Crochet Pattern Only
Buy the Aviator Set pattern in our store and crochet the set yourself. This sent includes 6 hat sizes, 3 adjustable goggles and 3 scarves. The whole family can take to the skies in this set.

Aviator Set pattern also available on Etsy.

Here are more fun photos of this adorable baby pilot.

Nagase Photography

Photography Information
A special thank you to Megan Nagase for sharing these lovely photo. Megan is located in Frisco, Texas and works in the Dalls/Fort Worth area. She specializes in children and boudoir photography. You can learn more about her work at Nagase Photography.

Broomstick Lace Scarf and Cowl Pattern

Broomstick Lace Scarf and Cowl Pattern

Have you tried Broomstick Lace? It is a lot of fun. We’ve incorporated it into this scarf and cowl pattern. Not only does this broomstick lace use two different sizes of knitting needles, it has a repeated motif that includes single crochet and puff stitch.

broomstick lace scarf

This is an adorable scarf and attractive cowl. The design is so fun, you’ll want to make both the cowl and the scarf for yourself!

Don’t be fooled…this is 100% crochet! It only looks like a knitted project!

Broomstick Lace and Puff Stitch Videos

red scarf folded in half

We’ve created a couple of videos to show you how easy those stitches are to crochet. So, if you don’t know how to crochet broomstick lace or the puff stitch…or if it’s been a while since you have…No problem.

The Broomstick Lace video shows traditional broomstick lace and single stranded broomstick lace like this pattern uses.

A link to the videos is in the pattern.

Broomstick Lace Scarf and Cowl Pattern Details

The scarf in the above photos is crocheted in Vanna’s Sequins. It’s a light weight yarn (3). The scarf is shown in Ruby.

The cowl is crocheted in Sensations Enchantment. It’s listed as a Medium weight (4) yarn but it feels similar in weight to the Vanna’s Sequins. The cowl shown below is crocheted in Pink Metallic.

pink broomstick cowl

The pattern includes lots of photos. It has all of our signature stuff like checkboxes to mark your progress, supplies list, instructions for special stitches, etc. And now, the special stitches have videos.

pink broomstickSkill Level: Intermediate

Stitches used: Broomstick Lace, Puff Stitch, Single Crochet, Chain

Once you learn the stitches, this scarf is super easy and fun to crochet.

The pattern is available in the store.

Broomstick Lace and Puff Stitch pattern available on Etsy.

****New photo 4-14-2013

We’ve whipped up this pattern using Milky Whey yarn. It’s sooo dreamy. You can read more about our thoughts on our post: Summer Scarf!

milky whey broomstick close Milky Whey is a yarn from Kollage yarns. It’s 50% Milk and 50% Soy.

Milky Whey is soft and dreamy. I love working with it and wearing it!

Alternatives would be bamboo or silk or some blend of yarn that has little elasticity.

Enjoy!