knits, etc. - chunky scarves

It is frigid outside here in Boston. When I left for work this morning it was seven degrees out. SEVEN!! Ok, maybe I seem a bit dramatic to my readers further north, but for Boston seven degrees fahrenheit is seriously cold.

The one redeeming thing about uber cold weather though, is the ability to wear super chunky scarves and not look foolish. I love this crochet infinity scarf in oatmeal from the Etsy shop deroucheau. It reminds me of the K2 P2 chunky scarf I knit last year (free pattern here).

What's your favorite type of winter knitwear?

crochet, etc. - anna's cup cozy

Nothing is better on a cool fall day than a warm beverage to sip. And nothing ruins a nice fall day like getting your hands burned by said warm (*hot*) beverage. That's why I always try to carry a crochet cup cozy with me. They are so easy to make, fun to use, and will keep your drink warm and your fingers safe. Plus they are more environmentally conscious than those flimsy cardboard ones they have at cafes.

Learn how to crochet your own cup cozy with the free anna knits, etc. crochet cup cozy pattern here!

I love making these, because you can use left over yarn and be creative with your embellishment - get inspiration here and here.

knitting, etc. - knit cacti

Last week I blogged about spring floral arrangements. While I love decorating with fresh flowers, it can get expensive. I saw these knit cacti on Etsy, and think they are a really cute way for knitters to decorate their home with a little "plant life" that won't deplete your bank account.

You can even crochet your own cacti. I love this pattern by June Gilbank and on Ravelry:

crochet, etc. - crochet camera purse

How cute is this crochet camera purse available on Etsy?

It is by Meemanan. 

Want to make your own? Check out this pattern by Sky Magenta on Ravelry for a similar crochet camera purse. 

anna crochets - boston love blanket

I read about the Boston Love Blanket on the blog One Sheepish Girl, and knew I had to send in a square! The squares are going to be sewn together to create a blanket for relatives of one of the victims of the Boston bombing.

As some of you know, I've been working on my own flower blanket, so I decided to use some of the flowers I had already made for it in my 8x8 square.

There are so many beautiful flowers out in Boston this week. I snapped a pic of some tulips in the Public Garden that reminded me of my crochet squares:

Happy spring!

anna crochets - cotton perle update 3

After finishing my first crochet garland, I quickly started on another using the same cotton perle. (Read about my materials for this project here.)

This time I tried a new pattern (originally by Yvonne Eijkenduijn of one of my favorite blogs, Yvestown) for the crochet flowers, but modified it so that the flowers have six pedals. I also made a few crochet circles, using this basic pattern. 

I am getting faster, and hope to have a few more elements done for this garland soon!

anna crochets - flower garland

Sorry about the delay in posts! It has been a crazy week here in Boston.

I did get a chance to finish my first flower garland!

Here is a pic of me assembling the garland strand:

I used size 8 DMC cotton perle for the garland, and size 5 DMC cotton perle for the flowers. It is based on a pattern my Emma Lamb published in an issue 24 of Mollie Makes. See my progress here and here. 

anna crochets - cotton perle update 2

I finished some more cotton perle flowers during jury duty today. (Don't worry, I wasn't put on a trial!)

I'm getting closer to having enough flowers to make my garland. Learn more about my project here.

anna crochets - cotton perle

With the weather warming up, I decided to start a spring project in cotton perle 5, rather than wool. I got the cotton perle at Michaels, which had a great color selection. It is just one size bigger than the embroidery floss I used to make friendship bracelets out of.

I'm using a tiny size 1.5mm crochet hook - much smaller than anything I have ever crocheted with before. At first it was hard to grab the loops without letting them slip, but soon my hand adjusted to the size of the needle and it felt more natural.

I'm planning to use the flowers I make in a garland, much like the Emilia Flower Garland
by Emma Lamb.

anna crochets - cotton coaster

I bought some cotton yarn yesterday to make crochet garlands (see my Pinterest board on crochet garlands here!), but I decided to start with a crochet coaster instead.

It turned out a bit larger than I expected, but it is still sweet. Not sure if I will make three more for a set of four. I got the pattern for free from KRW Knitwear Studio. What do you think?

happy easter 2013

Get the crochet pattern here. 

crochet, etc. - chevron blanket

I love this vintage crochet blanket I saw on Etsy from the shop This Vintage Girl.

The colors are great, and the chevron pattern is really fun. This would make a nice summer project. If you'd like to try it, I found a similar free pattern for a crochet chevron blanket on Ravelry here. Enjoy!

anna crochets - flower granny squares 2

I just got back from a week in Europe. It was a wonderfully relaxing trip, filled with great food, art, and company. While I do tend to get stressed from the actual travel part of travelling, I have learned to enjoy airport and plane time as a chance to sit down and do some knitting/crocheting.

This trip, I brought along my flower granny square project. I packed a little yarn bag for the flight equipped with yarn, a crochet hook, a tapestry needle, and carry-on approved scissors. (You can read a post I wrote about travelling with knitting here.)

By the end of two long plane flights, I had amassed eleven squares.

Only 77 more - or so - to go before I can stitch up my blanket.

See my progress, and get the pattern I used to make the flower granny squares here.

anna crochets - flower granny squares

Despite the snow here in Boston yesterday, I am ready for spring! On that note, I finally started on my flower granny square blanket:

I used a pattern from the blog Rose Hip. In case you want to try it too, I took pictures of each step in the pattern to help you visualize it:

I also used this video to help me figure out the pattern. Once you get the hang of it, it is pretty easy!

For the inside of the flower, I used a Cascade 220 yarn in a dark gray/black, which I had left over from another project. For the pedals and border, I used ella rae classic, colors 47 (rose) + 104 (silver heather). I used a size H/8 crochet hook.

See my inspiration here.

crochet, etc. - flower squares

After finishing some big knitting projects (see my mittens, tea cosies, and bulldog), I am excited to start a big crochet project! I decided to make a blanket, and found this lovely flower squares pattern from the blog Rose Hip.

photo by Zandif

I crocheted a flower a few months ago, and was really happy with the result. I have some pretty colors of yarn left over from tea cosies, so I plan to use that for the squares. This is a long-term project, but hopefully I can finish it before next winter :). 

anna etsys - heart bookmarks

Crochet Heart Bookmarks are now up on my Etsy shop: anna knits, etc.!

Pair one with a great book to make the perfect gift for your favorite bookworm - or yourself!

Want to make your own? I posted the pattern (free!) here. 

anna crochets - heart bookmark

Since it is Valentine's Day week, I've been experimenting with crochet hearts. I ended up making a bookmark, which I am really happy with. Here is the pattern for you to try:

~ Crochet Heart Bookmark Pattern Idea ~

I used Cascade 220 worsted weight yarn in red and pink and an H/8 5.00mm crochet hook. Please note that this is less of a pattern and more of a pattern idea as you will be required to crochet a heart based on your own preference. There are many tutorials out there for crocheting hearts. Good luck!

Step 1: Crochet a heart. I used this photo pattern from the blog Cornflower Blue Studio  Please see below**.
Step 2: Crochet a second heart.
Step 3: Attach a second color yarn with a slip stitch to one of the hearts.
Step 4: Chain 30 (or as long as you like).
Step 5: Attach the other end of the chain to the second heart.
Step 6: Tie in loose ends.

Have a happy Valentine's Day!

** (12/10/14) A reader alerted me that the Cornflower Blue Studio pattern is no longer accessible. I found the same pattern with great instructions on another blog, a creative being.  Enjoy!

*** (2/12/17) Unfortunately the link from a creative being is also no longer accessible. Thanks to reader Madeleine for letting me know! I found a tutorial for making the same type of crochet hearts on Youtube from Chic and Cheap (Easiest Crochet Heart Tutorial). Happy Valentine's Day!

anna crochets - crochet heart

Valentine's Day is approaching, and I thought I'd get in the spirt by crocheting a heart. Not sure what I am gong to do with it yet, but I'll keep you posted!

You can learn how to make your own crochet heart with this great picture tutorial on the blog Cornflower Blue Studio. 

anna crochets - paperclip ice skate ornament

Still need presents for the holidays? Make a few of these paperclip ice skate ornaments! They are fun, easy, and oh so cute.

I saw a picture of crochet ice skate ornament on instagram (via sheepishknitcrochet), and thought it was a neat idea. I searched for a pattern on Ravelry, and found this one by Suzetta Williams, which I've tweaked to my liking. Here is my pattern - enjoy:

~ Crochet Paperclip Ice Skate Ornament ~

Materials:

Worsted weight yarn (I used Cascade 220) in a Main Color (MC) and White 

G crochet hook
Two jumbo paper clips

Step 1: With the long edge of the paperclip at the bottom, and the smaller loop facing right, put a slip knot onto the paperclip as shown using your MC.

Step 2: Double crochet (DC) 1 stitch around the paperclip into the smaller loop, and then DC 6 stitches into the larger loop as shown. Remember to crochet over the yarn tail!

Step 3: Chain 2. DC 4 stitches. This is the end of the MC for this skate. Bind off leaving a 1 inch tail.

Step 4: Starting from the opposite side as where you ended (in other words at the back of the skate), single crochet (SC) 4 stitches with white.

Step 5: Chain 1. SC into 4 stitches, and then chain 30 stitches.

Repeat steps 1-3 to form another skate.

Step 6: pull the existing white chain through the new skate and use that to crochet steps 4 + 5 (without chaining 30 stitches at the end).

Step 7: Bind off and sew in any loose ends.

Merry Christmas to all!

crochet, etc. - crocheted snowflakes

New a winter project? Try these crocheted snowflakes from Martha Stewart Living - too cute!

Get the patterns here.