My sister and I spotted a cute set of nesting bowls in a home decor magazine. She suggested that I crochet some, and I was happy to oblige. Our version is made in ombre fall colors: cherry red, pumpkin orange, and light yellow. I found some gold buttons that I think complete the look…and I like shiny things. I love how the bowls store so easily, with each fitting perfectly into the other. And they’re so easy to make! All you need to know is the basics of working in a spiral and you can make a set of nesting bowls for your home. They’re lined with needlepoint mesh, which makes them sturdy and capable of holding things.

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Bags are one of the most exciting things to design, in my opinion. The variety is tremendous! For the Evelyn Drawstring Bag I wanted to do a simple drawstring bag… but with a few special aspects.

The bag is made with a cotton yarn in simple half double crochet stitches up until the middle when the stitch changes to the unique but easy to crochet, trinity stitch.

But what I like most might just be the flat braided straps. Anyone with a general knowledge of braiding will be able to pull it off.

Ready to add the Evelyn Drawstring Bag to your collection? Splendid!

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It’s back to school season, and cute pencil cases have been catching my eye all over the place. I spotted a plush dinosaur pencil case that I thought was the cutest thing in the world, and I wanted to make my own version. This spotted purple dinosaur is the result. It fits a large amount of pencils, erasers, and anything else you could need. It’s my first time incorporating a zipper into a crochet pattern, and I’m so happy with the result. I love combining plushies with practical items. This pencil case would be a perfect gift for a kid who just started school…or for grown-ups who never grew up. After all, I’m a college student who still uses plush pencil cases!

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I can imagine many reasons for crocheting a set of mini donuts: 1) they make great play food for tea parties and cooking playsets, 2) you can easily make them into keychains with a few jump rings and a lobster clasp, and 3) it’s just so much fun!

In the picture you see one with just sprinkles, one with just frosting, and one with both frosting and sprinkles. The instructions are terribly simple and customizable so don’t hesitate to design your own.
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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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