Origami Booties & a Guest Blog post!

Yes, here I am! I know, it's been a while. Life has taken me down some rather interesting avenues in the past 5 months. Yes, it's been that long!

First I was asked by a friend if I would write a guest blog post for her blog. I thought about it for a while and finally decided that I should. It would explain a lot and heck, it would be fun! So head on over to Susan's blog and have a read. I hope you enjoy!

I've also taken this opportunity to introduce a brand new pattern! I've always liked the thought of baby booties but have never had the patience for the increases, decreases, twists and turns so have avoided making them. But now a young friend of mine is expecting! What to do?!? Well, of course that meant that I would have to sit down and figure out how to make super cute booties with a super simple pattern. I think I've succeeded :)

Here for your enjoyment, my Origami Booties!

I created what I feel is the easiest way of making baby booties. One strip of crochet fabric, how much simpler can it get?

The fun comes with the folding of said strip. Hence the name Origami booties. There is a photo tutorial with the pattern to show you step by step how to fold the strip that becomes the cutest pair of booties around.

The other feature that I love about these, no buttons! baubles, etc... I've been designing clothing and accessories for children since my children were very young and one of the big things I avoided was adding anything to a design that might cause a choking hazard for the child wearing it. The way these booties are made, there is no need for buttons or strings. The booties stay on those wee footsies quite nicely by themselves. And if baby decided to have a chew on them, no problem!

As a part of the pattern, I have included the formula to calculate the length and number of stitches to make in order to create booties of any size, even for adults if they would like some!

Duckie booties!

And just for the heck of it, I decided to figure out how to turn these cute booties into duckie feet booties! Now how many toddlers do you know that would just love to waddle around the house quacking while they look down at their duckie feet?!? 

 

Aren't these the absolute cutest booties??!!?? 

 

This pattern is available for purchase from my Ravelry store. Please use the button below to go directly to my store. Thank you and have a great day!

Stacks Baby Hat (crochet pattern)

Click here to go to my Ravelry Store

Finally! After clearing the snafus and sorting out the yarn and the pattern, I have a new baby hat that I think will make any baby or toddler feel special. It works for both boys and girls, it can be finished with a crab stitch hem or just left as is or with a simple rolled hem.

This hat was inspired by both Lego/Duplo building bricks and the yarn itself.

I love color, especially vibrant colors for baby clothing. When my daughter was just born, the bright vibrant colors would catch her interest immediately over the pastel shades. Her favorites were red, purple, green and yellow.


So, without further ado, here is my all new Stacks Baby Hat crochet pattern.


It covers a range of sizes from Preemie to toddler.

SIZES
Preemie / Newborn to 3 months – 33 cm circumference by 13 cm high (13” by 5”) stretches to 41 cm (13”)

3 to 12 months – 37 cm circumference by 15 cm high (14” by 6”) stretches to 43 cm (17”)

12 to 24 months (toddler) – 46 cm by 18 cm circumference (18” by 7”) stretches to 56 cm (22”)

HOOK 4 mm (US G)

YARN Patons Look at Me baby sport, 50 gr (1.75 ozs) 139 meters (152 yards)
Used approximately half of a ball.
Any comparable sport or dk yarns that achieves the same gauge can be used.
Darning needle

DIFFICULTY Advanced beginner

This is also a fantastic pattern for using up partial balls of yarn we all have in our stash.

Detailed instruction for 3 sizes. Click here for my Ravelry pattern store.

This pattern is available for purchase at My Ravelry Store. Simply click the image of the hat in the sidebar and it will direct you to my store.

Strawberry Fields Forever (new crochet pattern)

As promised, I introduce you to my newest pattern!

I love strawberries, with milk, on their own, as jams and jellies, in pies, in shortcakes. Each of those reminds me of warm breezy summer days crouched over strawberry patches alongside my grandmother helping her to pick the wee wild strawberries for homemade goodness. I remember having a small tin pail, I think in it's former life it was a candy tin, with a piece of wire twisted at each end into holes that had been gently tapped in with a hammer and nail. My bucket was red and white, I can still see it in my mind. My grandmother would coach me on how to pick them without crushing the tiny berries and any that were crushed I was allowed to eat. So you can guess in those first years, more berries went into my tummy than in my tin pail. But the years went by and each summer I picked more and more berries to contribute to the breakfast jams and the holiday pies. Fast forward to 1985, finally my own daughter is old enough to come with her Mom to pick strawberries. I could replay that reel in my mind, mimicking my grandmother's way of teaching, watching my 4 year old daughter smeared with strawberry juice trying to pick one without crushing it and silently thanking my grandmother for her patient teaching of an art that is quickly disappearing.

I present you this, my Strawberry Fields Forever Hat in remembrance of my grandmother's patient teachings. The hat comes in 3 sizes, from preemie/newborn to toddler/child. You may add the stem and curlicues or just leave it plain with the plump strawberry hem. Either way, the hat makes a lovely sun protector and worn while strawberry picking, would be the beginning of a collection of precious memories for a child and parent to share.

STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER HAT

SIZES

The best way to judge if a hat will fit is to measure the intended child's head just above the ears for the circumference and from the crown of the head to the base of the ear lobe for the height which will give the best fit. Otherwise, follow the guidelines below for an approximate fit if the child cannot be measured. 

P/N (Preemie/Newborn /3 mth) - 11.4 cm (4.5")high by 35.3 cm (13.5") circumference

B (Baby) - 15.2 cm (6"0 high by 40.6 cm (16") circumference

T/C (Toddler/Child) - 17.8 cm (7") high by 50.8 cm (20") circumference 

YARN USED

Red Heart Super Saver 4-ply for main color (MC) Hot Red (P?N, B 1 ball, T/C 1.5 balls

Bernat Super Value 4-ply for contrast color (CC) Kelly (*(P/N, B 0.5 ball, T/C 9.75 ball)

Amounts of yarn are approximate as any brand of 4-ply yarn can be substituted.

A great project for using up small amounts of stashed yarn. 

SUPPLIES

Hook: 5 mm (H)

Darning needle 

DIFFICULTY LEVEL Advanced beginner to Intermediate