Have you decorated for fall yet? Sadly, I’ve only just begun. But here is my start, three rustic-styled pumpkins made with Homespun yarn.

These pumpkins are easy to crochet. Because of the uniqueness of Lion Brands Homespun yarn I decided to keep the actual crocheting simple and stick with single crochet.

Have you ever made crocheted pumpkins before? It sounded daunting to me when I first tried it some time ago but it surprisingly isn’t as hard as you might imagine.

However, I’m not sure that I don’t prefer decorating them! I love the rustic elements you can add to these pumpkins: wood, jute, and even scrapbook paper.

Be sure to check out my tips near the bottom on how to more easily shape larger pumpkins! And as usual, have fun, and let me know what you think!

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I’ve always loved learning about space…and when I love something, I make crochet versions of it! A friend asked me to make a planet, and I was happy to oblige. In order to make it recognizable as a planet, rather than just a crochet ball, I added the rings that are iconic of Saturn. Plenty of other planets outside our solar system sport their own rings, though, so you can invent your own planet. It’s true that the smiling face isn’t exactly scientifically correct, but some things must be sacrificed in the name of cuteness!

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With “Back to School” on everyone’s mind, how could I not design a Kawaii Pencil Amigurumi?

This little school-themed amigurumi is an easy project, great for beginners, with just a few fun techniques to add particular looks.

I had reservations on how fine a point I would be able to achieve with crochet but it was surprisingly easy. By only increasing by 3 stitches instead of the normal 6 to begin a round you have the perfect point. However, I especially love the look of the pencil metal. First you work a round of single crochet and then crochet the next round over the last for larger and bulkier stitches. You do this twice and then work the pink for the eraser in the back loops only, to give the impression that it fits into the pencil metal. To cap it off, I could have simply decreased but I wanted a sharp edge to the top instead of a gradual edge. So you finish off the pencil and then crochet a separate round and sew it on top.

Be sure to read the Pattern Notes! Because of the nature of working in a spiral, the seam works its way around the project and can end up near the front — yikes! What I do with this amigurumi is move the seam. When you change to gray for the pencil metal you will work a few more stitches of yellow before starting the gray to make a new round beginning. It might sound complicated but it is really simple and described in the instructions.

Ready to give it a try? Let me know what you think about our Kawaii Pencil Amigurumi!

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Whenever my poodle Ruby went to her groomer, she came home with a new bandanna. She was adorable with her brightly-colored accessories, and we amassed quite the collection over the 13 years we had with her. I was feeling nostalgic and decided to design a crochet bandanna in her memory. It uses the Corner-to-Corner Crochet method, which is easy to memorize and fun to make. My dog Maisie is modeling it for you. She’s a Chinese Crested Powderpuff, which is a toy breed, meaning she’s quite small…but you can easily make this bandanna to fit any size dog. I’d love to know what dogs you would make this for!

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I’ve been so pleased with the response from all of you over my Favor Bag designs. I had no idea when I designed the Carrot Favor Bag that they would be so readily received. So here I am once again introducing another produce-inspired design: the Orange and Blossoms Favor Bag!

The bag is made with simple increases typical of crocheting in the round, while the greenery is designed to look like separate leaves within the material and is worked like filet crochet. If you haven’t done filet crochet, don’t worry, the instructions are not complicated. Then the bag is topped off with a blossom and a bud, crocheted with basic crochet stitches.
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Have you heard of air plants? I discovered them several months ago and fell in love. These adorable little desert plants don’t have roots, so they don’t need dirt. They just sit around looking cute. The most common type is called Tillandsia, and they’re quite affordable and easy to care for. Macrame plant hangers have been regaining their popularity, and I was inspired to crochet one. All you need is a hook to suspend the nest from. I’m going to make one for each of the plants in my ever-expanding collection; the one in the picture is my very first Tillandsia.

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I don’t know about you but I’m always feeling the retro vibes. However, I didn’t quite plan for it in this pattern. I merely decided on a very basic tapestry crochet design and found a few colors that really seemed to pop. While I was making it I realized how retro it was and found myself thinking about all the ways I could use this color pattern/design in other creations.

I think making your own tablet cover is the perfect way for crocheters to accessorize the techy things that they have. Like the Beachrock Tablet Cover, this one is basic and a great chance to play with color.

Follow along with the graph to crochet this chevron color pattern and be sure to read the Color Pattern Notes to best understand what to do. And as always, keep crocheting!

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Recently I found myself in need of a reusable lunch bag. My college classes were scheduled right through lunchtime, which meant I was packing a lot of meals, and I wanted something to carry them in. Reusable lunch bags are great for the environment and easier to carry than a paper bag. I had a lovely ball of cotton yarn in my stash that was waiting for the right project, and the color changes make me think of wild strawberries, hence the name. Perhaps best of all, the cotton yarn means you can toss the bag in the washing machine.

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After designing the Carrot Favor Bag and the Strawberry Favor Bag, I couldn’t stop myself from thinking of more. Although a grape cluster bag would be unique I was certain the design would be challenging. How could I design it so that it looked like a cluster of grapes and not just another purple bag? Bobbles, of course!

Have you worked with bobbles before? It is really easy once you know how. Be sure to check out, How to Crochet: Bobble Stitch for a photo tutorial on how they are worked.

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I really enjoy crocheting things I see on TV or in movies. It’s great for inspiration and it’s fun to wear what your favorite characters wear. The main character, Prairie, on Netflix’s original series The OA wears a crochet poncho in one episode, and I wanted to make one for myself. The finished poncho is asymmetrical and made of lacy flower motifs joined together as you go. It’s a perfect layering piece for the changing springtime weather where I live. Because the poncho is meant to be oversize, the pattern is written for one size, but I included directions on how to easily make it larger. I hope you enjoy this pattern, and let me know if you like this show too!

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