This Barbie ball gown was born from my stash of tiny balls of yarn left over from previous projects. I had many shades of blue and wanted to do something with them, so I created this ball gown with scallops that ended up reminding me of the ocean. This gown is a great way to use up yarn scraps. You can mix yarn weights when it comes to making the scallops: I used a mix of worsted and DK. You certainly don’t have to use the colors that I did…I’d love to see what color combinations you choose!

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Looking for a simple fingerless glove pattern? I remember the first fingerless glove pattern I tried. It was very simple but still unique and I made many pairs for people I knew.

With this pattern I wanted to echo the simplicity of that design by working the glove in one piece from the ribbed cuff to the textured palm. If this looks complicated, it’s not! Even crocheting the thumb opening is easy.

The size of this pattern is for larger hands, great for the male members of the family, but it also includes instructions on how to easily adjust the size for any hand size.

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I’ve always loved mitten gloves (glittens)… normal fingerless gloves with a mitten top that flips on and off your fingers. Sometimes I get irritated with wearing regular gloves because it’s so clumsy to try to do anything. And if you’re wearing mittens, there’s basically no functionality. But fingers get cold in the winter, so what is a person supposed to do? Mitten gloves have been a lifesaver for me. Just flip off the mitten top if you need to send a text or find something in your purse, then flip it back on to warm up your fingers when you’re done.

I chose this chenille bulky yarn because it’s incredibly soft and warm. I highly recommend using it for the most luxurious mittens ever. But you could experiment with different bulky weight yarns to make your own dream pair of mittens. Let me know what you come up with!

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Lots of ribbing and quick, crochet beans make up this chunky hat!

The band of the Woolly Bean Beanie is worked in long rows of thick ribbing so that it can be worn turned up for a more traditional look. The body however is worked in a completely different textured stitch called the Mini Bean stitch, which is essentially a single crochet puff. How to crochet this stitch is also included in the instructions.

This is a perfect hat for keeping the cold out and works up pretty swiftly.
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While working in the San Juan Islands a few summers ago, a camp counselor had a super cute hat that I was always scrutinizing, trying to figure out how it was made. One day I found her hat in the lost-and-found and finally figured out the pattern before returning it to her. I found a ball of yarn in the art workshop and made my own hat to test out the pattern. Next time I ran into the counselor, we were both wearing our beanies, and she looked at me and said, “Nice hat.” She didn’t mind that I had copied her. What else can you do, when you see an awesome crochet pattern? It was perfect for chilly island evenings and works equally well for the changing temperatures of fall and winter. Although I made my version with worsted-weight yarn because it was available to me, I think this hat would be extra cozy if made with bulky weight.

Do you ever study people’s crochet accessories to figure out how they’re made? It makes winter a lot more fun for me!

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Some parts of the world are already getting snow! In the Pacific Northwest USA, though, we barely ever get snow. This is good news when it comes to commuting to school and work, but not so nice when you want to build a snowman. So every winter I get the urge to crochet some snowflakes. This one was born after a cozy afternoon experimenting with the cluster stitch, which is one of my favorite crochet stitches. Stay tuned for a variation of this pattern in the weeks to come so you can decorate in winter style!

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I’m delighted to share with you my second Christmas favor bag, the Santa Sack! (See the other design in the Christmas series, Christmas Ornament Favor Bag). I think this one might just be my favorite yet.

The bag is crocheted in a simple ball shape for the most part, and the black belt is worked in the rounds. The last few rounds are crocheted with a fuzzy white yarn, like Santa’s fur-lined coat, and a yellow buckle is made separate and sewn on the front.

Stuff the Santa Sack Favor Bag with goodies to give to friends and family for Christmas!

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It’s time to put a Christmas twist on our line of favor bags, don’t you think? The Christmas Ornament Favor Bag is designed after the classic frosted glass ornaments we put on our trees.

At first I was going to attempt tapestry crochet for the frosted effect but then the idea came to me to try the spike stitch. It took a few tries to get the right effect with the spikes, along with continuing the shaping of the ball, but I finally made it and I have to say, I like this a lot better than what I was first imagining. Plus, I would venture to add that this method is simpler.

Like the previous favor bag patterns, Carrot Favor Bag, Strawberry Favor Bag, Grape Cluster Favor Bag, and Orange and Blossoms Favor Bag, the Christmas Ornament Favor Bag is large enough for holding candy and other tiny trinkets we might want to give.

Want to give it a try? It’s not as difficult as you might think. You will find the instructions on how to work the spike stitch below. Enjoy!

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These adorable little stockings work up quickly and are a far cry better than the $1 kind you can find in the store, simply because they’re handmade!

If you’ve ever crocheted stockings or socks of any kind you’ll know there are a few different ways to work the heel, some of which are a little complicated. In an effort to keep this pattern simple, I designed it so that you gradually decrease in short rows and then increase back to original length, folding over to rejoin with toe to build the leg. The openings in the sides of the heels are then easily stitched shut.

Choose from either a solid stocking or a white heel. Or get especially creative and add stripes!

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I love making mandalas because of their repetitive and calming nature. After acquiring a ball of lovely gray yarn, I thought it would make a pretty mandala, and this is the finished design. Although I chose to make it all in one color, mandalas are an excellent way to experiment with color changing. I’d love to see how this design looks in multiple colors. Or you could make it with crochet thread and a small hook to make a doily.

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