If you’re not familiar with the Crochet Charity Drive, you gotta check it out!  Over a dozen designers are bringing you some really fun free toy patterns that you can use to donate to those in need!

It is my pleasure to have a 2nd toy pattern during this drive, and I’ve decided to offer my Razzle Dazzle Dolly!

Skill level:  Easy

Yarn weight:      #4 Worsted                 

Yarn in sample:  leftovers from Caron Cakes in Jelly Roll and Cherry Chip

Amount of Yarn Needed –

Hook size:  F

Gauge:  Not important!  Isn’t that great?

Additional materials:  stitch marker, yarn needle for weaving in ends, embroidery thread, embroidery needle, poly fil stuffing

Finished size:    6-8″

Notes: Face is worked in spiral, so use a stitch marker to keep track of rows.  There are lots of options for personalizing the dollies!  Short hair, long hair, different faces on each side – the possibilities are endless!

Abbreviations: beg – beginning
ch – chain
lps – loops
rem – remaining
rep – repeat
sc – single crochet
sc2tog – single crochet 2 together
sk – skip
sl st – slip stitch
st – stitch

Face

R1 Using MC, work 10 sc in circle (10)

R2 2sc in all sts around (20)

R3 *2sc in next st, sc in next st, rep from * around (30)

R4 *2sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts, rep from * around (40)

R5 *2sc in next st, sc in next 3 sts, rep from * around (50)

R6 *2sc in next st, sc in next 4 sts, rep from * around (60)

R7 *2sc in next st, sc in next 5 sts, rep from * around (70)

R8 *2sc in next st, sc in next 6 sts, rep from * around (80)

R9 *2sc in next st, sc in next 7 sts, rep from * around (90)

R10 *2sc in next st, sc in next 8 sts, rep from * around and fasten off (100)

Body

Join body color in left sc of any 2sc on face.

R1 ch1, sc in same st and next 9 sts, turn (10)

R2 ch1, 2sc in same st, sc across to last st, 2sc in last st, turn (12)

R3 ch1, sc in all sts across, turn (12)

R4-13 Rep R2-R3, increasing st count by 2 on each even row

R14-19 Rep R3, do not fasten off after R19 (22)

Right Foot

R1 ch1, sc in same st and next 7 sts, turn (8)

For short leg, go directly to R2.  For longer leg, work 4 more repeats of R1 before going to R2

R2 ch1, sc2tog over 1^st 2 sts, sc across to last 2 st, sc2tog over last 2 sts, turn (6)

R3 Rep R2, fasten off (4)

Left Foot

Join yarn in 7^th st to left of last st in Right Foot R1, then repeat the instructions for Left Foot.

Repeat the instructions for the face and body once more so that you have 2 pieces – one for the front and one for the back.

Joining Front and Back

With WS together, sc through both layers all the way around to last 2”.  Stuff your doll, and then continue with sc to close.

Arms

Cut 12 lengths of yarn about 10” long for each arm.  Fold yarn in half and use a cow hitch knot to secure in seam.  Braid to desired length, and tie knot in end to secure.  Trim ends and repeat for other arm.

Hair

Amount and length of hair is completely up to you.  Cut as many strands as you like about twice as long as you want the hair to be.  Use a cow hitch knot to attach strands in groups of 3 across top of doll head.  Untwist the strands and separate the plies for a wavy look, or leave yarn as is for thicker strands.  Trim as desired.

Face

There are lots of options for the face.  You can either sew on buttons, use embroidery thread to embroider a face, use felt, or whatever other method you want.  For extra fun, make another face on the back side for a reversible doll.

Finishing

Weave in all ends.  You can also make a little scarf for your dolly or accessorize however you like!

Here are some dollies that my testers created!

I’d love to see what you create!  Feel free to join The BSB Crafting Community to share pictures, get notifications of new pattern releases, and member-exclusive sales!

I am so stinkin’ excited to be participating in this round of the Battle of the Stitches design competition!  I’ve designed for several rounds in the past, but this one is super special because we’ve changed it up just a tad.  We’re hosting this round as a blog hop, and I think that’s extra fun!  I mean, who doesn’t love a good mystery and learning about new designers???  Right???

My design for this round is the Marguerite Summer Cardigan… and I can’t stress enough how much I enjoyed creating this garment!

My favorite things to design are items that bring crochet into the public eye, which is why I love to make garments.  I was desperate for a really cute, fun summer cardigan to wear over a tank top, and when I saw the stitch for this round – the vision instantly popped into my head!

A nice drape was extremely important to me, and the slanted puff stitch lends itself quite nicely, especially when worked with light weight yarn.  You can see the lacy texture in the stitch detail, which is featured in the body of the cardigan as well as the sleeves.

The bodice has a denser fabric and features a really fun and spunky stair-step detail along the neck line.

I chose Premier Cotton Fair yarn in Slate Grey and Cloud Gazing… it’s my favorite #2 cotton yarn for garments – so soft, pliable, and very easy to work with.  You’ll likely see it in more future designs 🙂

The pattern features sizes S – 3X, as well as photo tutorials for each specialty stitch, so even though it’s rated with an intermediate skill level, it’s a great opportunity for beginners to expand their skills 🙂

Everything about this cardigan just makes my heart go pitter pat – and I hope it does the same for you!

If you’re not familiar with the Crochet Charity Drive, you gotta check it out!  Over a dozen designers are bringing you some really fun free toy patterns that you can use to donate to those in need!

To see the full schedule for each designer, click here.

I’ve got 2 separate spots on this drive, and this week is my 1st week!  Pretty cool huh?  I wanted to design something that makes noise – my 2 infant granddaughters LOVE noisy things 🙂  So here’s my pattern for Tony the Tiger Heximal Rattle!

Tony the Tiger Heximal Rattle

Skill level:  Easy

Yarn weight:    #4 worsted – 2 colors        

Hook size:  H (5 mm)

Additional materials:  Safety eyes & nose or buttons, yarn needle, stitch marker, optional rattle insert

Gauge:  Not important

Finished size:    approx. 5-6”

Notes: This pattern is written as being a rattle, but you can omit the rattle and make it a soft stuffy.  The hexagon shapes are worked in a spiral pattern so you will need to mark the beginning of each row with a stitch marker.

Abbreviations:
beg – beginning
ch – chain
lps – loops
rep – repeat
sc – single crochet
sk – skip
sl st – slip stitch
st – stitch

Written in US terminology

Hexagons – make 2

R1      Magic Ring (MR), 6 sc into MR (6)
R2      *2sc* around (12)
R3      *(sc, ch2, sc), sc* around (18 sc, 6 ch2sp)
R4-7     *sc to next ch2 sp, (sc, ch2, sc) in next ch2sp* around, sc to end (30 sc, 6 ch2sp)

At the end of R7, slst into marked st and fasten off.

Add eyes, nose and mouth to 1 hexagon.

Surface Crochet
Face

Lay the Face hex right side up, and join Color B in ch2sp above either eye.  Work 3 strips of surface crochet to point of hexagon and fasten off, leaving a long tail about 5” or so.  Do the same above the other eye, making sure to leave a long tail at the end of each strip.  Repeat around.

Back

Lay hex right side up, join Color B in ch2sp above MR, repeat same process as face around.

Connecting Band

With Color A, ch8

R1       sc across, turn (7)
R2-10        Ch1, sc across, turn (7)

Join Color B

R11-13        ch1, sc across, turn (7)

Repeat 10 rows Color A followed by 3 rows Color B 5 times. With RS facing, slst the 1^st row to the last row to close the band.

Assembly

Line up a straight edge of the hexagon with an orange section of the band.  Join Color A at the left edge of any section of surface crochet, slst across the orange section and fasten off when you reach the next section of surface crochet.  Stretch the hexagon slightly if necessary to make sure the orange sections line up.  Repeat around hexagon, flip over, and join 4 sections of other side.

Stuff halfway with Polyfil, insert rattle, and complete stuffing.  Close remaining sections.

Cut 36 pieces of Color B about 9” long.  Fold 3 strands together in half, insert hook through band and hexagon, and pull loops through.  Use cow hitch knot to secure, making sure you capture the long tails left from creating the surface crochet.  Pull tight, braid, knot and trim.  Repeat around hexagon on top and bottom.

PDF copies of this pattern, which contain tutorial pictures, extended instructions, and other bonuses, are available in my Ravelry shop for a small fee!

I’d love to see what you create!  Feel free to join The BSB Crafting Community to share pictures, get notifications of new pattern releases, and member-exclusive sales!

Do you love to knit and/or crochet?
Can you read patterns?
Do you love getting patterns for free?
Do you have great time management skills?
Do you love learning new things?

If you answered yes to all of the above questions, then I NEED YOU!  My pattern business is growing by leaps and bounds, and I desperately need to add more pattern testers to my group!

If you’re wondering what the heck pattern testing is all about – let me give you the ol’ 411 🙂  (That’s “information” for those of us old enough to remember being excited to have a new rotary phone but not knowing anyone else’s phone number 🙂 )

When writing patterns, most designers make every effort to insure that the documents are written as clearly and accurately as possible the first time around.  But, alas, we are not perfect… so we rely on testers to be the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th – however many “ths” are necessary – set of eyes before we publish our designs.

Testers create the project from a customer’s point of view to verify that 1) the instructions are clear and easily followed, 2) proofread for grammatical errors, 3) submit photos of their finished items, and 4) provide feedback as requested by the designer.

You’ll notice that I didn’t list “Are you an EXPERT?” as one of the opening questions….  That’s because you do not have to be able to crochet blindfolded with one hand tied behind your back while being subjected to Chinese Water Torture in order to be a tester…  No, seriously – you don’t!  I love working with testers of all skill levels, as many other designers do.  In fact, it is often very helpful to have beginners as testers, because we want to make sure our beginner level patterns are clear and understandable.  And that’s a perspective that advanced knitters and crocheters often lose as they build their skills.  And speaking of building skills, working as a pattern tester is a fantastic way to do that very thing!

So you see, you can be a very valuable asset whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or advanced yarnie!

What’s expected of you as a tester:

1. If you sign up for a test, you must commit to completing it on time.  If you’re not sure you can meet the deadline, you shouldn’t sign up to test.
2. Be honest about your experience level.  As I mentioned above, all levels are welcome, but knowing your skills helps me to know which patterns are more suitable for you.  It also helps me know how I might be able to tutor you on if you are wanting to learn a knew skill.
3. You should consider this real work, even though you won’t be paid in cash money.  Compensation comes in the form of free patterns, tester-specific discounts, and free educational opportunities.  Of course we have a lot of fun too, but I depend on my testers to be focused and dedicated so that my designing reputation can continue to shine.  In addition, you will be building your own reputation in the yarn industry!  A solid relationship with one designer can open many more doors for you to test for others as well 🙂
4. You don’t have to be a professional photographer either 🙂  Cell phones, point & click cameras, and fancy schmancy cameras are all just fine! All I ask is that your photos use natural light whenever possible and are free of cluttery backgrounds.

Of course there is a bit more of the “fine print”, but it’s nothing too drastic 🙂

If you love yarn, and want to join my tester team, please visit the Pattern Testers section of my blog and click the link to fill out the application!

I don’t know about y’all, but I go through phases where I grow my hair long, and then I chop it off, and then grow it long, and chop it off….  and I LOVE LOVE LOVE pretty shiny hair doodads!  The only problem is I don’t have much hair!  I’m trying to grow it out (again! sigh), but that takes FOREVAH…  so, I just have to sit here and pine for all the fun hair fashion accessories.

Until now, that is!

My friend Leah sells these Lilla Rose hair clips that are… well… PERRRRRRTY!  I just love them!  They’re like shiny hair jewelry!  Again, though… no hair. But I was DESPERATE to find a way to have these in my life… D-E-S-P-E-R-A-T-E!

So I thought – I bet I could use these on my knit and crochet sweaters and scarves!  So I got the small size Interlocking Vines clip shown here…  Love that it’s silver and will go with anything!

I put on my off-the-shelf cardigan from Wal-Mart, and clipped it together… LOVE!

And then I thought, well, let’s test out the handmade garments… and OOOH-LA-LA…  it’s just SWEET!  I have my Trellis Waves Lace Cardigan on my mannequin Nancy, so I fastened the clip on.  And you know what?  It looks just as good!  I even shook Nancy all around to make sure it wouldn’t just come loose and fall off… and it stayed put.  So,  It’s a HUGE win for me!

If you are in the market for some really classy pretty hair jewelry that doubles as fashion accessories for your clothes, you MUST check out Leah’s Lilla Rose site.  You will have such a hard time just buying 1!

Since there are only 2 more weeks until Christmas, there isn’t much time for hand making gifts.  And if you are anything like me, you haven’t even made a dent in your gift-giving to do list!  So I went out on a search for ways to maximize the time that’s left.

Here are 8 really quick, super fun and unique items you can make for your friends and family.  Most of these can be done in just a couple of hours!

1. Christmas Sleeve Collection – by Creative Threads by Leah…  She’s got a bunch of other fun drink sleeves too!
2. Peeping Snowman Boot Cuffs – by Blackstone Designs…  there are several different peeping designs in her shop!
3. Christmas Tree Coffee Cozy – by Moogly Blog
4. Hootylicious Earrings – by The Blue Star Boutique (that’s me!) –
5. Panhandlers – by She’s Crafty Crochet
6. Beer-thirty Mitten Cozy – by Sweet Potato 3
7. Reflective Wrist Pouch – by Allie Cat’s Hats and Crafts
8. Buttons and Blossoms Ear Warmer – by The Blue Star Boutique (yep, me again Margaret!)

Of course there are LOTS of other great ideas out there…  what are some of the things you’re making as gifts?

One of the latest “big things” to hit the hooking world is Caron Cakes….  You know – those big fat sweet colorful delicious little (ha – BIG) yarn pastries…  I was skeptical at first, because they are a little more expensive, and I’m usually late to the party when it comes to all the new fangled things.  Not sure why – but I remember from way back in my college days in marketing class that I am usually in the late majority.  I guess I just want to see what everyone else thinks of something and have the item “prove itself” before jumping in.  Which explains why I’m a little late to the Caron Cake party with this review 🙂

Part of the draw of the Caron Cakes is that they have very long color changes, and the combinations of the colors is just delicious!  I had a new pattern design brewing in my mind, so I thought what better time to find out for myself!

It was during the period where Caron Cakes caught fire and was sold out most everywhere, which made me think “there must be something to this”…  SO I went to Michaels and bought a couple of cakes in the Jellyroll color way. and you can get it on their website (incidentally that’s where I got the photo of the Cake from, since I forgot to take a picture of it before I started working).

As I started working on my new design, I noticed how much I loved the feel of the fabric.  It felt warm, soft, and comfortable… which shocked me because it has 20% wool in the fiber content.  I usually don’t do well with wool because my skin is so sensitive, and wool usually makes me itch.  I read somewhere that there’s some trick to the processing that has something to do with whether wool is itchy or not, and if that’s the case, Caron did a great job!  I didn’t feel itchy!

That was the first hurdle for me – again, sensitive skin!  So far so good!

As I sorted working my way through the color changes, I noticed that I really did like not having to weave in a bunch of ends to add different colors.  It made it very easy breezy lemon squeezy to keep working in one solid rhythm!

When I got finished with the first section of the pattern, though, something was just bugging me.  I took a step back and I noticed that I wasn’t a huge fan of the color changes in the middle of the rows.  It kinda made the project look…. well….. for lack of a better word – sloppy, or discombobulated.  Maybe it was because the colors are so bold and contrasting, but I just couldn’t help my eyes being drawn to the color changes instead of the project itself.

Here’s a closeup view:

I tried and tried to look past it, but I just couldn’t get next to it.  So I frogged all of it…. yes.  ALL. OF. IT.  It nearly caused me physical pain to do it, but I just HAD TO.

I decided to actually cut the yarn at the end of the last full row of each color, and then rejoin the yarn at the next color.  I was really conflicted about doing it, because again, cutting it defeats the purpose of have one large cake.  I was conflicted… until I saw the reworked project.

What a difference it made… SO. MUCH. BETTER!

Obviously I’m a fan of crisp clean lines 🙂  It was as if this Caron Cakes Jellyroll was meant for my shawl pattern!  Get your copy of my Friendship Garden Prayer Shawl and try your own flavor of Caron Cakes!

Incidentally, I figured there had to be a way to use the Cake just as it is, without cutting the yarn, and still love the color changes.  So I decided to try a Cake that had more subtle colors in hopes that the changes would be less obvious.

Marly Bird hosted a CAL (Crochet Along) for a poncho a few weeks ago, and I decided it would be the perfect project for my 2nd batch of Cakes.  This time I went with Buttercream, and it definitely made a difference!  The only spot that caught my eye is where the lightest color transitioned to the darkest color.

All in all, The Caron Cakes were a success for me.  I would definitely buy the Cakes again, especially when I have a Michaels coupon 🙂

I do realize that some folks that have issues with wool cannot use the Caron Cakes, but recently Premier Yarns came out with Sweet Rolls – similar concept to the Caron Cakes, but made with 100% acrylic.

Either way, if there is a yarn out there that you’ve been itching to try but have just been too scared, I say go for it!  You never know how much you’re going to love it until you try it!

Do you work with balls of yarn?  If so, don’tcha just HATE when that sucker flip-flops and rolls all over the place with each “pull” of the yarn?  Not only does it provide more temptation than your dog or cat can withstand, every dust bunny in sight jumps on board that ball for a ride!  Heck, even skeins can be a pain in the toukis to manage sometimes!

There are all sorts of products out there on the market to help with the dilemma…  yarn bowls, yarn holders, yarn dispensers, yarn bags… It all makes my head spin, honestly!  I think the yarn bowls are beautiful, but for me, just not very practical.  Portability is a big issue for me, as I like to take my big balls (of yarn, y’all, of Y-A-R-N) with me on the go.  The bags and dispensers accommodate mobile hookery, but let’s face it…. many of those products are overpriced.  Well, maybe they’re not OVER-priced, but I have a hard time paying good money for things I can DIY… (or is is DIM?)  At any rate, I’d rather spend my money on more yarn or gadgets that I don’t have the time, energy, or know-how to make myself 🙂

So I started looking for a DIY (DIM) solution.  I have seen people use Clorox Wipes containers, but I didn’t have any on hand.  What I did have though, were baby formula containers!  Another perk of having an 8-month old granddaughter who spends lots of time with Nana 🙂

After some trial and error, I came up with a finished product that fits the bill for functionality and gets an A+++++ for total badassery and coolness!  And I thought, why not share it with a few of my closest friends?!

What you’ll need

Formula container
Adhesive remover (I used Goo Gone)
Hole punch that can reach the center of the lid (I used my old scrapbooking hole punch from Making Memories)
exacto knife
rubbing alcohol

First thing’s first… that label has got to go!  Peel off as much as you can by hand, and you can even try using dish soap and warm water to get more of the label off.  As a matter of fact, ya gotta wash the formula dust out anyway! I found, though, that some of that blasted adhesive residue was hanging on for dear life no matter how many times I washed it.  I even tried rubbing alcohol, but it didn’t help either.  So why is it on the supply list, you ask?  Well there is a use for it in one of the later steps 🙂

Anyway, I dug around under my kitchen sink, and I said a silent prayer of thanks to the Lord and the previous owner of my house as I discovered a big fat bottle of Goo Gone that was left behind.  A few drops of that liquid gold did the trick!  Of course, though, feel free to use whatever method floats your boat for removing that sticky business.

Here’s where the alcohol comes in…  You might notice your container has some factory stamped information on the bottom or sides.  If you don’t care about it, just leave it.  But it just bugged the bejeebers out of me.  So if your bejeebers feel the same, just take some rubbing alcohol and rub those ink stamps right off!

Once the container is all squeaky clean, wipe it dry.  Lay the container down on the back side, with the lid open.  You might notice there is a piece of excess plastic on the rim where the formula scoop is stored.  (At least the Parents Choice brand from WalMart does).  If your brand doesn’t, you’re actually a step ahead already!  In all reality this excess plastic probably isn’t going to cause any harm to your yarn if you want to leave it in there, but it just bugged the bejeebers out of me! ( you can probably tell that my bejeebers are sensitive little suckers, LOL)

To remove that bit of plastic, just take your exacto knife and gently follow the curve of the rim.  Be careful – those exacto knives are SHARP!  You don’t need to be cutting your fingers off!  If the edge has any jagged areas that could snag your yarn, you could smooth it out with sandpaper, but honestly mine didn’t need it.

At first I tried pulling the lid and rim off of the container altogether in order to get every little tidbit of foil off…  for an hour, LOL!  And it finally dawned on me that it wasn’t coming off.  See those ridges there?  Well, that’s where the container and the lid/rim are molded together at the factory.  So then I tried cutting around the top of the container, and it just wasn’t worth the effort.  Take it from me – just leave that sucker attached 🙂

Now it’s time to punch the hole in the lid.  A standard hole punch of course will not reach in the center of the lid.  So I whipped out my trusty old scrapbooking hole punch set from Making Memories.  It’s basically a hole punch on a stick that you whack with a hammer… It takes several good whacks to get through the plastic (who knew that plastic was so tough?!), but just think of it as a good way to let out some frustration 🙂

Here’s a chance for a little fun…  if you want, you can punch multiple holes to accommodate more than one ball of yarn.  Perfect for projects that need color changes, right?

Really, that’s all that you have to do to have a really inexpensive but amazingly functional yarn holder!  Now of course, you can trick it out like I did mine with your favorite sticker or decal.  If you’d like to order one of the “I Like Big Balls” vinyl decals, just let me know!  I am selling them for $10 for the 5 x 5″ size, which will fit the larger formula boxes, and $7 for the 3 x 3″ size that fits the smaller boxes.  You can either comment here or visit my Facebook page and let me know the size and whether you want the crochet version or the knit version.

After I shared yesterday’s post with 9 really cool back to school yarny patterns, I just kept finding more and more and more!!  So I thought, why not make a second post?!?!  I mean, after all, I KNOW you all like quick links to patterns, right?  🙂

Here are a few more I found from some really fun talented designers:

1. Rainbow Sherbert Tablet Cover – from Blackstone Designs
2. Lily Sugar ‘n Cream Pencil Holder – from Yarnspirations
3. Pencil Mug Hugger – from The Hookeraholic Crochet
4. One Strap Backback – from Snappy Tots
5. Crayon Scarf – All Free Knitting
6. Back to School Set – Too Yarn Cute
7. Dolphin Pencil Case – KT & the Squid
8. Knit Laptop Sweater – All Free Knitting
9. Key Lanyards for Teachers – Articles of a Domestic Goddess

Which one are you the craziest about?!?!