When I was a teenager I did intensive ballet. This involved dancing several hours a day, six days a week. For ballet, you need to have your hair away from your face, so I got really good at whipping my hair into a bun. However, it got boring wearing my hair the same way every day, so when I learned to crochet I started crocheting bunholders for myself. I designed this basic pattern when I was 14 years old and thought it should see the light of day. Make a few for the dancers in your life, or just for people who like wearing buns. It’s a great hairstyle for when you don’t want your hair in your face, and putting a bunholder on means that nobody can see if your bun is messy.

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If case you haven’t already noticed, scrunchies are making a comeback. And why not? Who doesn’t like a simple ponytail covered in material with an endless variety of patterns and colors?

After doing a bit of research I found that there are at least two ways to make a crocheted scrunchie. One method is by crocheting over the elastic ponytail and then working generous increases into each stitch until you have a remarkable ruffle. You can find a pattern right here by fellow designer, Claire, that is positively adorable. It is called the Sea Anemone Scrunchie.

The other method is to crochet a long, flat rectangle and then sew it over the ponytail. This is the method I will show you how to do today.

Does it sound a little daunting? I thought so too at first, but it’s not by far. Just give it a try and I’ll bet you won’t be making only one.

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I used to have a pet chicken named Harriet who was such a wonderful companion I wanted to make something in her honor. So here is a miniature version of my special bird. Harriet was a Plymouth Barred Rock, which are known for their striking black-and-white stripes. I chose a yarn that was black-and-white variegated to mimic her stripes, and I really like how the result turned out. This chicken is the perfect size to fit in your hand and would make a great keychain or fidget toy. You can use little safety eyes or small black buttons like I did. And you could use different colors of yarn to make different breeds of chickens. Try white yarn for a Plymouth White Rock (the classic chicken), tan yarn for a Buff Orpington, or black yarn for an Australorp. You can make your very own flock!

For those unfamiliar with chicken anatomy, the comb sticks up on the top of the head, and the wattles hang down from the beak. All chickens – both hens and roosters – have combs and wattles, but they look different depending on what breed. They are also bigger on roosters.

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The Easy Striped Hat is a great basic crochet pattern, versatile enough for all ages. It’s worked in a rectangle and then sewn up on one side.

The hat features some excellent striped ribbing, which is accomplished by working a modified double crochet in the back loop. It’s easy and I’ll tell you how below.

But before you let the color changes scare you away, let me tell you there is minimal ends to weave in. What you do is drop the yarn and pick up the other. All color changes happen on one side so when you are done the side with all the “loops” will be the side you sew up. A great way to hide the loops and minimize weaving in ends!

Instructions are given for 3 sizes, toddler, child, and adult. If you want a size not included just follow the same method, chaining 10 more and working 4 more rows for the next size up, and decreasing the same for the next size down.

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I had a lovely deck of cards that needed a home, so I whipped up this matching card bag. My deck of cards was purple with gold edges, so I chose matching yarn colors to make them go well together. You can pick any color combination, use up scraps, and do as many stripes as you like. I can’t wait to see what you come up with. The bag closes with a drawstring, using the Stretch-Free Crochet Cord I developed a few months ago. The whole thing works up in just a few hours.

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Crochet a lovely, chunky spring bouquet to brighten up your home in just a few minutes!

Chunky crochet projects are fun because they offer a lot of unique texture. I like nothing more than working up a squishy blanket or pillow with these yarns. Only what do you do when you only have a small amount to work with? I briefly thought of making some quick, chunky flowers but I just didn’t feel I could guarantee it would turn out right.

A few grimaces and doubtful tries later I had a surprisingly lovely, crocheted bouquet ready to be displayed for the coming springtime. I’m glad I gave it a go!

Want to give it a try? All you need is a small amount of chunky yarn, a crochet hook, some wooden dowels and hot glue. See below for pictures on how to make the flower!

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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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