This cowl is meant to not choke you! For some reason whenever I wear something around my neck it feels a little too tight, but finally here is something that isn’t. It’s great for when the weather gets warmer or to add some flare to an outfit. The cowl is made with a big crochet hook to work up fast and use a small amount of yarn. Feel free to adjust the size of the cowl as you see fit!

Skill Level:

Finished Size: 8” (20 cm) tall, 19” (48 cm) around
Note: to adjust size, follow directions within pattern

Materials: Medium Weight yarn (approximately 90 yards) Crochet Hook N (10.00 mm)

Gauge: not really important, use the instructions in the pattern to adjust the size as needed.

Crochet Pattern: Cowl
Start by chaining 35 or as long as you want your cowl.
Row 1: ch 1, sc in second ch from hook and in each ch across: 35 sc
Row 2: ch 2, turn, dc in each sc across: 35 dc
Row 3: ch 1, turn, sc in each dc across: 35 sc

Repeat rows 2 – 3, seven more times or until cowl is as tall as you desire.

Slip stitch or sew the shorter sides of the cowl together and finish off. You may also choose to use buttons as a closure instead of sewing ends together.

If you need help with crocheting this cowl, let me know and I would love to help!

Crocheting with plastic bags is just like crocheting with any other type of yarn. The only difference is the texture of the material. The soap dish is a very small crochet project to start you off in exploring the world of plarn (plastic yarn). You can use the “How to Make Plarn Tutorial” if you don’t know how to yet! It is fun and a great way to recycle your old plastic grocery bags.

Skill Level:

Finished Size: 3” (7.5 cm) wide, 4 ¼” (11 cm) long, 1 ¼” (3 cm) tall
Note that size can be adjusted by following the instructions within the pattern

Materials:
Approximately 6 plastic grocery bags, cut into a ball of plarn
Crochet Hook G (4.00 mm)

Gauge: not very important
Since the thickness of plarn varies from person to person, use a crochet hook that you are comfortable with. Crochet as tight or loose as you want your soap dish to be.

Crochet Pattern: Soap Dish
Bottom
Start by chaining 12 or as wide as you want your soap dish
Row 1: ch 1, sc in second ch from hook and in each ch across: 12 sc
Row 2: ch 1, turn, sc in each sc across: 12 sc

Repeat row 2 fourteen times or until your work is as long as you want your soap dish.

Sides
Round 1: sc around bottom piece

Repeat round 1 four times or until sides are as tall as you desire, then finish off. If you find that your sides are a bit floppy, slip stitch around the last round to make it tighter or you may choose to put decreases in the last round.

If you need help with crocheting this soap dish, let me know and I’ll be glad to help!

Here is a round up for coupons this week! Some of the expiration dates vary so make sure you read them before using.

JoAnn – Here are 2 coupons! 40% off any one regular priced item. Valid through May 30, 2009. The second one is a 10% off your total purchase, which is valid from May 22 – 25, 2009. These can be used in store or online!

A.C.Moore – Here are 2 coupons! The first one is a 20% off your total purchase, valid May 17 to 23, 2009. The second is a one day special for 50% off any one regular priced item, valid May 19.

Michaels – 40% off any one regular priced item. Valid May 17 – May 23, 2009

This top is interestingly made, yet very easy. All you have to do is make two triangles and connect them together. Maybe that sounds weird, but it works! The triangles are connected at the neck by a simple chain and the rest is just wrapped around your doll and held together with a belt. This creates the V-neck in the front and an open back. You can also sew the back or front of the top together if you like, but it’s not required to crochet this awesome summer top for Barbie!

Skill Level:

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A Single crochet stitch is the most popular, basic and common crochet stitch. Single crochet stitches are used everywhere in the crochet world, so this is a great stitch to learn. If you are a beginner, this should be one of the first crochet stitches that you encounter. In this example of how to crochet a single crochet stitch, we will assume that you already created a foundation chain.

This tutorial is for both right and left handed people. For left handed pictures, roll your mouse over the image and it will change for you.

Let’s start with a foundation chain like this. (How to Crochet a Chain)

Insert your hook into the 2nd chain from the hook. You would now have two loops on your hook. You insert your hook into the 2nd chain and not the 1st because 1 chain is equivalent to the height of a single crochet. This way, your corner will be the same height as the rest of the row.

It’s no secret that all you need to make a really fast, really easy scarf is super bulky yarn and a giant hook. Since bulky yarn is so thick and dare I say it, bulky, it is really fast to make something with it! Not only that, bulky yarn looks great in very simple patterns. You don’t need to show off your fancy stitch work when all you need to do is show off the cool yarn it’s made with. So here is a really fast and really easy crochet pattern to use your really cool bulky yarn on! Skill Level: Finished Size: 4 ½” (11.5 cm) wide, 46” (117 cm) or as any size you want it to be Note: to alter the size, follow directions within crochet pattern

Materials: Super Bulky Weight Yarn (approximately 80 yards) Crochet Hook N (10.00 mm)

Crochet Pattern: Scarf
Start by chaining 87 or a chain as long as you want your scarf. The amount of chains must be an odd number.

Row 1: ch 2, dc in third ch from hook, (ch 1, skip 1 ch, dc in next ch) across: 44 dc
Row 2: ch 2, dc in first dc, (ch 1, skip 1 ch, dc in next dc) across: 44 dc

Repeat row 2 three times or until scarf is as wide as you desire.

If you need help with crocheting this scarf, let me know by leaving a comment and I’ll be more than happy to help!

In the previous post I gave a link to a Michaels Coupon.

Well of you don’t have a Michaels, then maybe you have a JoAnn! Here is a JoAnn Coupon for 40% as well. This one can also be used online.

And if you don’t have a JoAnn then maybe you have a Hobby Lobby? If so there is a 40% Hobby Lobby coupon.

Lastly here is a A.C.Moore 50% off coupon.

I wish I found these sooner so that I could share. But here they are now! Happy shopping!

This weekend I paid a trip to Michaels not only because I had two 40% off coupons, but because I read a rumor that there was 99 cent skeins of yarn. I thought to myself, even if there weren’t any for 99 cents, then at least I can still us my coupons and buy something. But I was so excited when I walked to the yarn department! There it was…racks of 99 cent yarn!!! I got some wool, simply soft, satin sport, cashmere, and some novelty yarn! Each at just 99 cents a skein!!! I spent about $20…so you can do the math on how many skeins of yarn I got.

I think I would have got more, but some other crocheter probably beat me to those baskets that were empty. Anyway, the moral of the story is you should go to a Michaels near you (if there is one) and see if they have 99 cent yarn too!

Here is a link to a 40% one regular priced item coupon that’s good for this week (May 10 – 16, 2009): Michaels Coupon

For the days when your pockets just aren’t big enough and you don’t feel like carrying around a giant purse, the hip pouch comes to the rescue! When I was a kid my mom always carried a hip pouch to put here stuff in because she hated purses. Since then I associated hip pouches with old people (no offense mom, and anyone else). Finally I come to the realization that I can create a hip pouch that isn’t just handy, but it is one that I would actually wear! This hip pouch can also be worn as a small purse if desired. So give this crochet pattern a shot!

Skill Level:

Finished Size: 6 ¼” (16 cm) wide, 5 ¼” (13 cm) tall not including belt
Note: size can be altered as you desire by following instructions within the pattern
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