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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Recently I’ve gotten quite a few request for some pictures of how to roll up the crocheted rose. The rose that I will be rolling up is from my original crochet rose pattern. If you are new to reading crochet patterns, you may find the detailed explanation of the crochet rose pattern useful, since it explains the rose pattern without the abbreviations.

There isn’t an absolute right or wrong way to roll up a rose. Here is the way that I did it.

First I leave some extra yarn at the end of the rose for sewing later.

I start with the end that doesn’t have the extra yarn and roll the first petal to make the center.

I wrap the next 2 petals around it.

Then the next 3 petals around that. Each time I wrap around I try to hold the center tight and make each round looser and looser. (don’t mind my thumb, I was trying to hold the rose from unraveling)

Then the next 4 petals around that. Try to stagger your petals so that petals from each around don’t line up with petals from previous rounds.

Then lay the rest of the petals underneath the other rose petals.

Lastly, use the extra yarn and sew the flower together. Weave the yarn needle through the bottom of the rose and also into the different rounds of petals made. Remember there isn’t an exact science for rolling up a rose, so just play around with it and find what works best for you.

If you still need help with rolling up a crocheted rose, let me know by leaving a comment and I would be glad to help!

Snyder County Prison in PA has a new program where inmates can crochet blankets for charity! I’ve never been to a prison before, but I was so glad to read an article about it today. The prisoners crocheted about 18 blankets so far and donated them to local hospitals. This rehab program has become a huge success as it “shows them there are good things that can be done for other people that doesn’t take a whole lot of time or money. There are learning to cooperate, take directions and learn responsibility.”

According to staff in the prison, there has been a positive change in the inmates. They are becoming more relaxed and respectful. One inmate even said that they often think about the families that they will be touching with the blankets they make.

I’m so glad that the inmates have a chance to do something great even if they are in prison. I hope that other prisons have this program as well!

Here is a fun stitch pattern that is used to make this simple elegant wrap. The wrap is shaped as a long rectangle that you drape over you’re shoulders to keep you warm. This wrap is made by combining single and double crochet stitches. You can make this wrap as long or as short as you desire, just follow the instructions within this beginner level pattern.

Skill Level:

Finished Size: as wide and long as you want it! Just follow the directions within the pattern to make the size you desire.

Materials: Medium Weight Yarn (approximately 600 yards) Crochet Hook (5.5 mm)

Crochet Pattern: Wrap
Row 1: ch 36 or a chain that is as tall as you want your wrap, (sc, dc) in second ch from hook, *skip 1 ch, (sc, dc) in next ch, repeat from * across: 36 sts
Row 2: ch 1, turn, *skip 1 st, (sc, dc) in next st, repeat from * across: 36 sts

Repeat row 2 until your wrap is as wide as you desire.

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

A few weeks ago I wrote about the Hyperbolic Crochet Coral Reef Project. Here is a video with Margaret Wertheim, one of the creators of the project.

This video is awesome (in my opinion)! It’s about science, mathematics and crochet working together! How awesome is that? There is a bunch of geeky talk in the video, so if you’re into that you’ll love it as much as I did. Margaret Wertheim is such a great speaker. See for yourself!