Free Crochet Pattern: Alma Hat

Turban-style hats are so elegant. I recently knitted one in seed stitch based on a 1940s pattern but wanted something that was a little easier to wear, so I scooted over to Jo-Ann Fabrics and picked up a trusty skein of Lion Brand Vanna's Choice for a crocheted version. I'm really happy about this color. I've always been drawn to mustard yellow, especially during the fall, and Vanna's Choice has it in the perfect hue.

At the time, I also happened to be reading The History of Love by Nicole Krauss, so this pattern is named after Alma Singer, a clever, quirky character in the story. Here's to you, Alma.

Materials:

• Vanna's Choice Yarn in "Mustard" (worsted-weight yarn, one skein)
• H hook (5.00 mm)
• tapestry needle

New Hat (っ・ω・)っ

Here's a preview of a new hat using Lion Brand Vanna's Choice. (Can you tell it's my go-to yarn?) Free pattern coming soon!

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival! I always look forward to mooncakes during the late summer season.

On a different note, thanks for the positive feedback on my latest projects! I really appreciate everyone's kind words. I have a few things that I've been working on in preparation for the cooler weather and hope to share soon.

Free Crochet Pattern: Pikachu Amigurumi

Pokemon Go revived nostalgic feelings in many of us, and it was incredible to see the number of people it brought out to the parks this summer. Sadly, the game isn't so popular anymore, but my love for Pokemon is here to stay! I recently designed this palm-sized Pikachu amigurumi pattern that I'm excited to share.

Finished Measurements: 

Approximately 2¼" x 2¼" x 2¼" (not including ears or tail)

Materials:

• Vanna's Choice Baby Yarn in "Duckie" Yellow (worsted-weight yarn, less than a skein)
• Caron Simply Soft in black and brown (worsted-weight yarn, small amounts)
• G hook (4.00 mm)
• 6 mm safety eyes
• small amount of red felt
• black embroidery thread
• tapestry needle
• polyester filling
• hot glue

Rose Heather Bonbon Bear

Just want to share to a quick project that I did over the weekend. I was excited about All About Ami's Bonbon Bears pattern as soon as I saw it and knew I had to try and make one. This was crocheted with worsted-weight (feels more like light worsted) Lion Brand Wool-Ease yarn in Rose Heather and a 2.75 mm hook, so my version is slightly bigger than the original. I also couldn't quite get the legs to turn inward, but I love how it turned out anyway. (Kind of looks like he's doing the splits?)

Free Crochet Pattern: Owl Amigurumi

I previously made a couple of owl amigurumi as a gift and just got around to putting together the instructions for them. For a more fluid appearance, I really wanted to create the points on the head as one piece, and was inspired by A Morning Cup of Jo Creations and Repeat Crafter Me to press an "incomplete ball" flat at the seam to form a crescent shape. (So clever!) This pattern is pretty quick to whip up and would make for an excellent beginner's project to practice the magic ring and foundation single crochet techniques.

Update 10/6/2016: For anyone who referenced this pattern before 10/6/2016, I apologize for errors in the instructions for the face. I had previously written "sc in next 10 st" for both rows 4 and 5 when it should have been "sc in next 12 st" and "sc in next 14 st", respectively. Rows 7 and 8 should have "sc in next 14 st" and "sc in next 12 st", again respectively. The pattern below has been updated to reflect these changes. Alvi Coedwig, thank you for catching this! :)

Finished Measurements:
Approximately 3½" tall x 4" wide

Materials:

• F hook (3.75 mm)
• G hook (4.00 mm)
• Worsted-weighted yarn in taupe (about ½ skein Vanna's Choice) and beige (about ¼ skein Vanna's Choice)
• polyester filling
• ½” black shank buttons (or 13 mm safety eyes)
• small amounts of felt for beak and bow
• small amount of thread (to attach bow)
• hot glue
• pink acrylic paint

Mollie Flower Necklace

I have a hard time tossing away yarn scraps, so I've accumulated a lot of odds and ends that aren't enough for any significant projects. Lately, I've been turning them into Mollie flowers. (I used Brigitte Read's instructions here.) Inspired by Arath's necklace on Ravelry, I made my own version using Vanna's Choice in Mustard, though if I had the patience to weave in all the ends, I would definitely love to make a blanket out of these. Maybe one day...

Link Amigurumi

I'm super excited (and relieved) that I finally finished this Link amigurumi after working on it on and off for the past few months. For this project, I used a free pattern by Becchin (translated by the blog Tanoshimou) and heavily referenced All About Ami's version for details.

Amigurumi Owls

These two owls here were crocheted from a personal pattern using worsted-weight Vanna's Choice yarn, buttons, and felt. For their finishing touch, I dabbed on a little pink acrylic paint for the cheeks.

Coincidentally, I came across a couple of birdhouse gift boxes at the dollar store, and they just so happened to fit the amigurumi perfectly.

China Doll Top

I have always admired Mandarin-collared dresses, so when I spotted the (free!) China Doll top pattern by Doris Chan, I knew I had to make one. Doris's stitch work is incredibly lovely, and I'm honestly surprised it took me this long to try one of her patterns.

As my first crochet garment, it was a little tedious to complete, though Doris's pattern was very well-written and helpful in figuring out tailored fit and detail. I used a G-hook and 6.5 skeins of Schachenmayr Catania (sport-weight cotton) in mint. (I'd consider choosing a lighter yarn for better drape.) For the closures, I opted for half-inch pearl buttons to create some contrast. Unfortunately, there's an issue with gaping along the neckline between the closures... I plan to sew on a couple of snaps to fix it.

Here's to New Beginnings

Hi, I'm Gladys. I've shared my DIY projects across various platforms in the past, but this is my first time launching an actual blog (my very own blog!). I'm super excited to share my work and look forward to connecting with other crafters out there.