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. 

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.

The Favorite Grandchild

Crochet connects women through the generations (and men too).  We all have memories of family members who crocheted or knit or did needlepoint.  I didn't come from a family that did a lot of crafting.  What could be made by hand was better if purchased in a store.  I came from a reading family, an opinionated family, an animal-loving family, but definitely not a DIY family.  But even in my decidedly non-DIY family, I still feel connected to earlier generations through crochet.

My grandmother and I didn’t always get along.  I felt, rightly or wrongly, that I was her least favorite of her four grandchildren.  It may just have been that I took her criticism more to heart than my cousins did.  Nonetheless, toward the end of her days, when my sister and I would visit her in that stiflingly hot condo in Hallandale, FL, my grandmother and I finally bonded. 

Often she didn’t quite remember who I was, though she knew we were related.  She definitely remembered the faults she found in me (didn’t I think I could stand to lose a few lbs., was I dating anyone), and was sure to mention them at every opportunity, but still, I’d sit with her and crochet while she watched TV. 

And then one day she asked, “what kind of shell stitch is that?”  I described the repeat: 2 double crochets, 2 chains and 1sc.  She looked at me for a moment.  I wrote it on a piece of paper:

“Oh, and you work that into each 2-chain space in the row before?” she asked, and took the baby blanket I was making out of my hands.  I moved closer to her and watched as she stitched a couple rows. 

“This is an easier way to hold the yarn.  It won’t hurt your hands as much and you’ll get a more even stitch.” 

Though she didn’t say it, I knew that she was happy we had something to share.  It was something special because neither of her daughters nor any of her other grandchildren crocheted, knit, or did any kind of needlework.  Before that day, I hadn’t even known that she’d been a crocheter.  She wasn’t one of those grandmas who made little slippers and hats for everyone.  But for whatever reason, she’d learned crochet at some point in her life and the muscle memory remained.

So it was that crochet became the catalyst that created a bond between my grandmother and me; a bond that could not be extended to include any other grandchild.  And during those few hours we spent together amidst hooks and yarn, I was, at last, the favorite grandchild.

The Swirl: A Ruffled Moebius

Here is your first chance at a Yarnover Chicago original pattern.  This is a ruffled moebius scarf I designed for my beginning crochet classes at Sifu Design Studio and Fine Yarns, on Clark Street in Chicago.  The original pattern was called The Sifu Swirl, but I changed it to The Swirl for purposes of this blog.  The photos are of Lisa Whiting, owner of Sifu Design Studio and Fine Yarns, modeling the finished creation, made in Cascade 220.  If you stop by Sifu, you can see the scarf up close and personal.

I like this scarf because it's super warm.  If you make it a little longer than is called for in the pattern, you can double it up.  I do recommend that you use a nice soft yarn.  A number of my students tried this pattern in worsted weight crochet cotton (the kind you often see used for tote bags or dishcloths).  The results were pretty, but very stiff and dense, and not comfortable to wear.  Since I'm allergic to wool, I've made a few of these using Lion Brand Cotton Ease and they came out pretty nicely.

This is a free pattern.  Feel free to download and share.  If you're using it to teach a class, I'd very much appreciate it if you'd have each student download his/her own copy.  Feel free to sell these at craft fairs and the like.  If you choose to sell on ETSY or other similar on-line marketplaces, please be sure to include a link to the pattern.

I hope you enjoy this easy-as-pie beginner pattern.