HONEYCOMB TOQUE

 Honeycomb Toque - a free pattern

 MATERIALS:    Approx. 175 yds. Worsted Weight Yarn (#4)

HOOK:            J (6 mm) hook; or use I (5.5 mm hook) for a slightly smaller head size.

SIZE:                One size fits most.

STITCHES USED:

CH	Chain:	YO and pull through loop on hook.
SL ST	Slip Stitch:	Insert hook in stitch indicated, YO and pull through stitch and all loop on hook.
SC	Single Crochet:	Insert hook in stitch indicated, YO and pull up a loop (you now have 2 loops on hook), YO and pull through two loops.
HDC	Half Double Crochet;	YO, insert hook into stitch indicated, YO and pull up a loop (you now have 3 loops on hook), YO and pull through all three loops.
DC	Double Crochet:	YO, insert hook in stitch indicated, YO and pull up a loop (you now have 3 loops on hook), YO and pull through two loops, YO and pull through remaining two loops.
INV. JOIN	Invisible Join:	When completing a round, SL ST into 1st DC of the round.  CH 1.  Then DC into same stitch.  Counts as 1st DC of new round.
FPDC	Front Post Double Crochet:	YO, insert hook from front to back to front around post of stitch. YO and pull up a loop, making sure to pull up the loop to the same height as a regular DC stitch.  Continue to work stitch as you would a regular DC.

INSTRUCTIONS:

 CH 6, Join with SL ST in 6^th CH from hook to form a ring.

ROUND 1:        CH 3 (counts as 1^st DC); work 11 DC into ring.  (12 DC);

ROUND 2:        INV JOIN (SL ST into 1^st DC of the round, CH 1. DC into same stitch.  Counts as 1^st DC of new round), 1 DC into same DC as INV. JOIN, work 2 DC into each of the next 11 DC (24 DC);

ROUND 3:        INV JOIN, DC into same stitch, [1 DC into next stitch, 2 DC into next stitch,] repeat from [ to ] all the way around; 1 DC into last un-worked stitch (36 DC);

ROUND 4:        INV JOIN, DC into same stitch, [1 DC into each of the next 2 stitches, 2 DC into next stitch,] repeat from [ to ] all the way around; 1 DC into each of the last 2 un-worked stitches (48 DC);

ROUND 5:        INV JOIN, DC into same stitch, [1 DC into each of the next 3 stitches, 2 DC into next stitch,] repeat from [ to ] all the way around; 1 DC into each of the last 3 un-worked stitches (60 DC);

ROUND 6:        INV JOIN, DC into same stitch, [1 DC into each of the next 9 stitches, 2 DC into next stitch,]  repeat from [ to ] all the way around; 1 DC into each of the last 9 un-worked stitches (66 DC);

ROUND 7:        INV JOIN, DC into NEXT stitch, and into each stitch all the way around (66 DC);

ROUND 8:        Repeat Round 7 (66 DC);

ROUND 9:        INV JOIN,  [FPDC around NEXT stitch (YO insert hook from front to back to front, around the post of the stitch below, continue to work as regular DC); DC into next stitch.] Repeat from [ to ] all the way around, DC into last stitch (32 FPDC and 34 DC);

ROUND 10:      Repeat Round 9;

ROUND 11:      Repeat Round 9;

ROUND 12:      INV JOIN, [DC into NEXT stitch; FPDC around next stitch.]  Repeat from [ to ] all the way around (32 FPDC and 34 DC);

ROUND 13:      Repeat Round 12;

ROUND 14:      Repeat Round 12;

ROUNDS 15, 16, and 17:        Repeat Round 9;

ROUNDS 18, 19 and 20:         Repeat Round 12;

ROUND 21:      INV JOIN, HDC into NEXT stitch, and each stitch all the way around (66 HDC);

ROUNDS 22 and 23:   Repeat Round 21;

ROUND 24:      SL ST to join Round 23, CH 1, SC into same stitch, and all the way around (66 SC).

Cut yarn and weave in ends.

VARIATIONS:

SMOOTH TOP (shown in green):

Work Rounds 1 through 7 as above.

Repeat Round 7 four or five times before beginning honeycomb pattern. Then work [two rounds each of 9 and 12.]  Repeat from [ to ] two more times, then work two more rounds of Round 9.

Work two rounds of DC, and one round of SC.  Finish off; weave in ends.

FLAT TOP, STRAIGHT SIDES (shown in gray):

Work Rounds 1 through 9 as above.

Repeat Round 9 for the remainder of the body of the hat (the photos below show 11 repeats of Round 9):

Work two rounds of HDC and one round of SC.  Finish off, weave in end.

FREE BASIC BEANIE PATTERN

The other day I was hanging around my favorite yarn store, Windy Knitty, where it just so happens I teach crochet, and a guy named Kevin walked in looking for yarn with which to make Christmas hats for all his kids, nieces and nephews.  Now, I've met a number of men who knit, but very few who crochet.  So, I jumped up and showed him the store sample of my hat (the Beshert Chapeau, available on Ravelry), and he showed me the hats he was making.  He said he'd learned to crochet from his grandmother, and that this was the basic beanie that she made for everyone.  As he described the hat to me, I jotted down a few notes.  Kevin said my notes looked exactly like the notes he'd inherited from his grandmother, and that it had taken him a few years to decipher them.  As I've always maintained, needlework connects people through the generations.  I felt honored to be connected to his grandmother in this way. 

I love this design because it's both simple and versatile.  You can play around with color and texture for variety, but the basic design remains the same.  

Since I haven't blogged in a long time, I decided to write up this pattern.  In addition to the basic instructions, I give two suggestions for changing up color (these are the suggestions handed down to Kevin from his grandmother), but really, you can do anything with it.  I used front post crochet stitches for texture, but you can use puff stitches, shell stitches, or any other stitch your heart desires. You can make the hat longer or shorter, fold up the brim or leave it straight, make it slouchy or snug fitting, make it in fingering weight yarn for a baby or child...  The variations are limited only by your imagination, and your stash.

And so without further ado, I present to you, Kevin's Grandmother's Basic Beanie Pattern.

KEVIN’S GRANDMOTHER’S BASIC BEANIE

MATERIALS:     Approximately 150 to 200 yds. worsted weight yarn
5.5 (I) or 6 (J) mm crochet hook, darning needle scissors.

STITCHES USED:

CH	Chain:	YO and pull through loop on hook.
SL ST	Slip Stitch:	Insert hook in stitch indicated, YO and pull through stitch and all loop on hook.
SC	Single Crochet:	Insert hook in stitch indicated, YO and pull up a loop (you now have 2 loops on hook), YO and pull through two loops.
DC	Double Crochet:	YO, insert hook in stitch indicated, YO and pull up a loop (you now have 3 loops on hook), YO and pull through two loops, YO and pull through remaining two loops.
INV. JOIN	Invisible Join:	When completing a round, SL ST into 1st DC of the round.  CH 1.  Then DC into same stitch.  Counts as 1st DC of new round.

Michael N. models his new hat.

INSTRUCTIONS:

CH 6, Join with SL ST in 6^th CH from hook to form a ring.

ROUND 1:        CH 3 (counts as 1^st DC); work 11 DC into ring.  (12 DC);

ROUND 2:        INV JOIN (SL ST into 1^st DC of the round, CH 1. DC into same stitch.  Counts as 1^st DC of new round), 1 DC into same DC as INV. JOIN, work 2 DC into each of the next 11 DC (24 DC);

ROUND 3:        INV JOIN, DC into same stitch, *1 DC into next stitch, 2 DC into next stitch,* repeat from * to * all the way around; 1 DC into last un-worked stitch (36 DC);

ROUND 4:        INV JOIN, DC into same stitch, *1 DC into each of the next 2 stitches, 2 DC into next stitch,* repeat from * to * all the way around; 1 DC into each of the last 2 un-worked stitches (48 DC);

ROUND 5:        INV JOIN, DC into same stitch, *1 DC into each of the next 3 stitches, 2 DC into next stitch,* repeat from * to * all the way around; 1 DC into each of the last 3 un-worked stitches (60 DC);

ROUND 6:        INV JOIN, DC into same stitch, *1 DC into each of the next 9 stitches, 2 DC into next stitch,* repeat from * to * all the way around; 1 DC into each of the last 9 un-worked stitches (66 DC);

ROUND 7:        INV JOIN, DC into NEXT stitch, and into each stitch all the way around (66 DC);

Repeat ROUND 7 until hat is desired length.  SL ST into first DC of final round to join; CH 1, SC in same stitch and in each stitch all the way around, SL ST to join, cut yarn and pull through.  Weave in ends.

VARIATIONS:

To add interest, you may choose to change colors for certain rounds.  For the hat pictured on the first page, I worked the rows as follows:

ROUNDS 1 through 3: Dark Brown

ROUNDS 4 through 7: Camel

ROUND 8:                    SC  (instead of DC) in Dark Brown

ROUND 9:                    SC  (instead of DC) in Camel

ROUNDS 10 and 11:   Chocolate

ROUND 12:                  SC (instead of DC) in Camel

ROUND 13:                  SC (instead of DC) in Dark Brown

ROUNDS 14 to end:    Camel

Final SC ROUND:         Dark Brown

I hope you enjoy this pattern, and have fun experimenting with colors and textures to make the hat uniquely your own.  Please feel free to sell or give away any hats made using this pattern.  If you print out the pattern to give away, I only ask that you include the information as to where you found it. 

CROCHET JEWELRY EXPERIMENTS

I received so many compliments on the fascinator I wore on New Year's Eve that I thought it might be fun to make one.  Thinking about what would go into creating a fascinator led me to thinking about crocheted jewelry in general.  Next thing I knew, I was purchasing red crochet thread, ribbons, hearts and flowers.

The hypothesis for my experiment was that Lisa Gentry's Unforgettable Wrap pattern could be converted into a really cute holiday necklace pattern.  You can find this pattern on Ravelry at Unforgettable Wrap Ravelry Link.

To test my hypothesis, I used No. 10 crochet thread and a 2.25 mm steel hook.  Starting with an 18" center row, I  worked the pattern as written until the last round.  On the last round, I added silver-lined glass beads instead of stitching picots; and I added a closure with a 2" extender.  I probably should have used a button instead of a group of beads for the closure, but didn't have any matching buttons on hand.

Here is the results:

My conclusion is that the Unforgettable Wrap pattern can be used to make a really cute bracelet, headband, or choker, but not an 18" necklace.  It's too wide to lie flat when used as a necklace.  

This is what the wrap looks like when stitched
 according to the pattern instructions.

In any case - if you're thinking about stitching up some fun jewelry to wear on Valentine's Day but don't feel up to designing just yet, why not give this a try!  You can use this pattern, or pick any scarf pattern you like.  Substitute crochet thread for yarn, add some beads or buttons, and see what happens.

Thanks and happy hooking everyone.

OH WRAPTURE, IT'S LAUNDRY DAY!

When the lovely and talented Kristin Omdahl asked if I’d be interested in writing a review of her new no-rinse delicate wash, Wrapture by Eucalan, I jumped at the chance.  Seriously, what person who has ever wielded a crochet hook wouldn’t be thrilled to have a chance to associate herself (or himself) in even the smallest, most tenuous way, with Kristin?  I mean, beeyotch, puh-leeze!  Am I right?  Of course I’m right!  She’s among the most talented of designers; she’s beautiful; she’s the nicest person ever; and she lives within a short drive of my favorite vacation spot on the planet!  Naturally, I wanted to be a part of this project.

Kristin Omdahl

Never having used Eucalan before, I didn’t really understand what I was promising.  You see, there’s the slightest teensy-weensy little problem.  I’m allergic to wool.  That is, I can work with wool, but only for limited time periods, and I definitely can’t wear it next to my skin. I have extremely sensitive skin.  Let’s say for example that you meet me somewhere for coffee, and you happen to be wearing something particularly itchy.  I will break out in hives the moment I see you.  The mere fact of you sitting near me experiencing the slightest discomfort will cause my immune system to generate a huge histamine reaction.   So, lanolin is an absolute no-no for me, and as if that weren’t annoying enough, I’m also allergic to most floral scents and additives. 

What to do – what to do.  The last thing I wanted to do was let Kristin down.  Here, one of my top crochet idols had asked humble little me for a favor.  I had to come through.  So what did I do?  Did I confess the truth?  Did I ask someone else to try the product?  Did I test it on a gift I was making for someone else?  No!  Of course not.  I did what I always do.  I procrastinated until I felt terribly awkward about the whole thing, and then, eureka!  I had an idea.

The first thing I did was to ask Mandy, owner of Chicago's finest yarn store, Windy Knitty (located at 5653 N. Clark St., Chicago), to try the product.  Mandy informed me that she’s used Eucalan delicate wash often, and she really likes it.  It’s very gentle, and because it has lanolin, it sort of re-invigorates wool garments and fibers.  She also uses it to block pieces.  Instead of dipping them in plain water and then pinning them out, she adds a little Eucalan to the mix.  Since I never make anything wool for myself, I hadn’t done a whole lot of research on best blocking methods for wool.  Mandy also said she’d opened the bottle of Wrapture I’d given her, and liked the scent a lot.

Armed with the information Mandy provided, I decided to do a little more research.  What exactly are the ingredients of Eucalan delicates wash?

  They are:  essential oil (pure, natural oil from lavender, eucalyptus, and night bloom jasmine.  So far, so good, though florals could be a little dangerous);  ammonium lauryl sulfate (vegetable based soap); ammonium chloride (a pinch of salt never hurt anyone, right?),  cocamide MEA; purified water (probably obtained from the office water cooler, wouldn’t you think?); hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (I’m not a chemist, but I’m thinking some kind of water-soluble plant fiber?); methylchloroisothiazolinone (preservative and anti-bacterial); and PEG 75 lanolin (ah – there’s the rub).

Okay, I now knew it wouldn’t be a good idea to use this product to wash anything I’d be wearing close to my skin. 

The next step was the sniff test.  I would open the bottle and smell the contents.  If it made me sneeze, I’d have to give the whole project up. 

I opened the bottle and sniffed.  I can’t remember exactly what happened next but it seemed I was transported to a magical fairy-land of fragrance from which I never wanted to return.  I swear, there was harp music in the background and little mythical creatures frolicking around.  Birds were standing on the window sill, chirping and whistling.  Squirrels were making the bed.   I found I was wearing a ball gown and glass slippers.  Bibbity bobbity boo!  I wanted everything I owned to smell like Wrapture.  I wanted to shampoo my hair and wash my dogs in it.  I wanted to paint my walls with it.  I wanted to build a swimming pool in the backyard and fill it with Wrapture. 

And then I sneezed.  The harsh sting of reality.

It was only a small sneeze, so I decided to try the product anyway.  I read the instructions, and washed a small load of lingerie using Wrapture.   Then, to be extra careful with my oh-so-delicate skin, I did put the load through the delicate rinse cycle...twice.  Then I hung everything up to dry and forgot about it. 

The next day, I walked past the room containing my drying unmentionables, and a diluted version of that wonderful fragrance wafted toward me.  This time, the results weren’t quite as dramatic as when I first opened the bottle.  After all, it was only a small amount and it had been through two rinse cycles.   No mythical creatures appeared, but I’m pretty sure that for a second there, my refrigerator did turn into a golden carriage.  I know what you’re thinking.  “Impossible!  For a plain white refrigerator to become a golden carriage!”  Well, all I can say is, you’ve never smelled Wrapture before!   “Impossible – things are happ’ning every daaaaaaay!”

So, after all this, what’s my review of Wrapture?  Well, if you like Eucalan, then you already know all the good things about it.  What makes Wrapture special is its scent – night bloom jasmine.   The press release describes it as romantic and intoxicating.  And honestly, as silly as it sounds, if ever there was a scent that was romantic and intoxicating; this is it.  I will definitely be keeping a supply of Wrapture in my home, and using it to launder all of my hand-crocheted pieces, for blocking, and for all my delicate washables.   I say this as a person with a pretty serious lanolin and floral allergy.  And that’s probably a good thing because if I didn’t have those allergies, I’d probably buy Wrapture by the gallon and use it to wash everything I own.

Try Wrapture!  You’ll love it!  And your wool and delicate washables will live happily ever after.

 © Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved.

Comment on this blog post about your experience, either with Eucalan or with Wrapture for a chance to win a free bottle of this great new scent by Eucalan.  One name will be chosen at random on 12/15/12.

RM 1: A STUDY IN CONTRASTS (April, 2002)

April 5, 2002

Gumby

I walk to the subway station in the late silvery morning.  The air is still too crisp but starting to soften.  My muscles, rigid and aching from having tensed against the brutal winter for so many months, are just beginning to relax.  The annual bone-melting of summer is just over the horizon; I can feel what I think of as my inner Gumby beginning to inhabit my skeleton.  My desire for that Gumby feeling borders on sexual.

Entrance to the subterranean cavern that is the Logan Blvd. station is blocked by a herd of sullen,  young toughs in baggy pants, their shirt tails hanging below their fleece jackets.  They're already in full Gumby mode.  They've probably been like that all winter.  I'm envious.  I glare at them ‘til they move out of my way - and then feel what a bitter old bat they must see in me.  They're just kids on spring break.  They don't know about earning a living yet.  I muster a small smile of gratitude as they let me pass, but not enough to make up for the scowl.

The Logan Blvd. Subway Stop

Waiting in the subterranean tunnel is the usual assortment of just-past-normal-commuting-time riff raff.  Nurses, students, moms with babies, and a few straggling working stiffs who just couldn't quite drag their sorry asses out of bed at a more appropriate hour this morning.  I'm among the latter category.  Among the gathering throng is one youngish guy I've noticed a few times before.  He's wearing the same dirty, faded bell-bottom jeans he's worn before.  I know this because the jeans have a raised seam running down the front of each pant-leg, and who would own more than one pair of pants of this description?  Parenthetically, I can't quite get used to the reappearance of bell-bottoms, some thirty years after Bell-Bottom Blues was released by Derek and the Dominoes.  He also wears an artificially distressed leather jacket.  I guess he didn't have the patience to distress it through use.  Slight build, pale freckled skin, square jaw, watery greenish eyes, and a beak of a nose that gives him an intellectual appearance he may or may not merit.  Your basic Ashkenazi Jewish kid.

The train arrives and we all crowd in.  A handful of lucky souls wedge themselves into the few remaining narrow seats.  The young toughs who barred my entrance to the station earlier have saved a seat for me.  I favor them with a dazzling smile, leftover from my days as a hot young babe and inherited from my mother.  One of them winks back. 

Mr. Ashkenazi is seated across from me.  He pulls a hand-held electronic device out of a non-descript backpack and begins doing whatever it is one does with those things.  There's nothing extraordinary in his behavior, his dress or his expression.  What makes him extraordinary is his ornamentation.  It's both primeval and traditional.  The tops of his ears are pierced many times; he appears to be wearing five or six little silver rings in the top of each ear.  It looks excruciating.  Then there are the earlobes, pierced and then stretched so that the hole in each lobe accommodates a hollow cylinder about an inch in diameter.  I can look right through each cylinder and see the acne on the kid's neck.  A young friend recently informed me that there's a sexual thrill to be gained from the pain of stretching one's earlobes to this extent.  Now I appreciate a sexual thrill as much as the next person, but I’ll pass on this one, thanks.

Hollow Ear-Plugs

The ears, bizarre as they seem, are not the feature that rivets my attention.  What calls my attention to this man and will not let it wander, is his hair.  It's been my experience that people who find it necessary to mutilate themselves to the point of scarring their physical beings for life, generally have also dyed their hair to some unflattering color not found in nature (and really, when one has a spider web tattooed around one's neck and arms, "unflattering" doesn't really come into play.  Picture such a person in a fitting room at Nordstrom's, trying on, say, a silk blouse, and saying "this color really isn't flattering for me."  Not so much).  

The Iguana

The Iguana-Do

The ears, bizarre as they seem, are not the feature that rivets my attention.  What calls my attention to this man and will not let it wander, is his hair.  It's been my experience that people who find it necessary to mutilate themselves to the point of scarring their physical beings for life generally have also dyed their hair to some unflattering color not found in nature (and really, when one has a spider web tattooed around one's neck and arms, "unflattering" doesn't really come into play.  Picture such a person in a fitting room at Nordstrom's, trying on, say, a silk blouse, and saying "this color really isn't flattering for me."  Not so much).  Anyway - this kid's hair is the same sandy-red color that he was most likely born with.  It matches his freckles and his eyes.  It's short and gelled up into a sort of iguana crest atop his head.  Okay, it's a slightly strange hairstyle, but it could be washed and combed into something more reasonable if he suddenly had to attend his cousin's Bar Mitzvah, a funeral or High Holiday services with his parents.  And let's face it, the hair is nothing compared to those - uh - ear cylinders.  

Payahs.
With the Iguana-Do?
Very Attractive.

The thing about his hair that rivets my attention is that, in addition to the reptilian crest, he's wearing payahs.    Yes, payahs: those side-curls or ear-locks worn by Orthodox and Chasidic Jewish men.  These are the men who never leave their heads uncovered, who always wear at least a yarmulke, if not a fedora or a big fur hat (though in the present instance, covering his head would mean flattening the iguana-do, so I imagine that's his reason for eschewing any such accessory).  These are the men who wear prayer shawls under their shirts and never touch another human being, except in the privacy of their own bedrooms (where, I might add, they’re rumored to provide their wives with a thrill that puts those silly earlobe-stretching cylinders to shame).

But I digress.  So here's this youngish guy, looking like a cross between a young Woody Allen and every parent's worst nightmare of a date for his daughter (come to think of it, Woody Allen kind of is every parent's worst nightmare of a date for his daughter, but that's another discussion entirely).  Where was I -------- oh yes - so here's this guy who's wearing your standard-issue youthful rebellion uniform, which, while unattractive, isn't particularly offensive except that it hasn't been washed in a month of Sundays.  He has a reptilian hairdo, which is silly, but not all that unusual, certainly nothing to stare at before one's even had one's first cup of coffee.  And then, this otherwise unremarkable young man exhibits two absolutely astounding characteristics, either of which might attract one's notice, but both of which I have never, in all my years, observed united in the same person.  He has mutilated his ears to the point at which they will require a surgeon to return them to anything resembling normal, and at the absolute opposite end of the cultural scale, he's sporting payahs.

Every parent's worst nightmare.

And I watch him.  He sits quietly, minding his own business.  He neither makes eye contact deliberately nor avoids it.  He doesn't shrink from the accidental touch of a fellow passenger, nor does he assert his presence obtrusively.  He doesn't invade the space of the person sitting next to him, doesn't seem to shrink into himself, doesn't listen to loud music, doesn't do anything that would attract attention.  He's just an average guy, sitting there, fiddling with his little hand-held computer thingy, while his physical appearance fairly shouts to the heavens some horrific internal conflict.

The train reaches Clark and Lake Streets.  My stop, and his also.  We both stand, among others.  He steps back to allow me to go ahead of him.  A perfect little gentleman.  We all trudge up the two flights of wide stairs to the street, where I watch him head south, before I turn north and walk toward my office.  I hope the warring factions in his head will reach detente before he explodes.  I enter the lobby of my office building, and am standing in line for that sweet nectar of the gods, a Dunkin' Donuts coffee, when I realize I'm quietly humming Hatikvah.