Slouch hat and wristlets!

The best thing about being an avid crocheter with a large head is that I can go to the trendy stores and see that slouch hats are all the rage, try them on in the store and find only the mens sizes fit me, then go home and find a pattern I can modify for my huge melon.

That’s what I did here! I knew I wanted a slouch hat, so I spent quite a while browsing the web for a pattern.

(A secret about me: lately, the things I’ve wanted to crochet have been…well, eclectic.  It’s amazing how these things work.  What I do most of the time is do a Google search for what I’m looking for – in this case “free crochet pattern slouch hat”, but I first look in images so I don’t have to keep clicking pattern sites that don’t interest me.)

I discovered “The Strange Knitter” on Blogspot (see links section for direct link that contains PDF download).  It was a perfect start to what I was looking for!  My modifications: I added about twice as many rows as were called for and I didn’t knit the headband.

I had just a bit of yarn left over when I was done, so I threw together wristlets made in the same pattern as the hat.  I am no good at writing out my patterns, but if anyone was interested, I’d throw one together.

Now, not only am I somewhat trendy, I also don’t have to look like every other trendy person out there! My slouch hat is girly, warm, and big enough for my head – and in a color no one else has!

A Magic Wand for a Magic New Year

I made mustaches for my husband and toddler son yesterday in celebration of the new year, so I just HAD to find something for my baby girl so she didn’t feel left out! The pattern for this one will be added to my link section.  It went together very quickly, and since I’m a sucker for stars, I see myself making a lot of them whether I put them together to make a wand or not.

The biggest mistake I made on this one was overstuffing it and using a straw as the wand part.  I’m going to have to figure out a way to reenforce the poor straw before it is destroyed.  This whole project took me about an hour to complete, but that was because my darling daughter took off with my plastic jar that houses my stitch markers and yarn needles, so I had to sew them together using my crochet hook.

Not bad for a first time, and I used cotton so it should stay together and not stretch out.  My son is already asking for one in red.

And since it’s a magic wand, I’ll make a wish that 2012 is a fantastic year filled with dreams coming true and goals being reached.

New Obsession: Crocheted Beards and Mustaches

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I have spent a lot of time browsing the internet for a really good crocheted beard pattern.  I have even tried a few of the patterns to find them lacking.  Finally, I found one that works the beard from the bottom up, and it turned out PERFECTLY!

If you look at my links, Gumbo Soul’s beard pattern is what I used, and it just keeps getting better each time I use the pattern. The chin works up so it fits right around the natural contours of the face, which helps it keep the wearer a lot warmer. The purple beard and mustache photo is just waiting to be attached to a hat. It’s being sent to a friend, so I’ll post pictures once they put it on.

Also in my links, you’ll find my favorite mustache pattern ever.  When I make one for a beard attachment (like the purple one above), I just make one and attach it.  When I make a mustache to stand alone (like the red one in the photo above, modeled by my three-year old son), I crochet two and stitch them together, leaving enough of a tail on both ends so it can be tied around back.

These two ladies have created some amazing patterns and have made a lot of my friends and family very happy.