Boy Beanie Pattern for Bernard

Here's the thing: everybody's very busy right now. It's been this way for quite some time, and it's difficult for two people in the modern world to find time in their schedules to sit down and learn to crochet a hat. This has been the case for Bernard Holcomb and me since I taught him to crochet in October. He's a crocheting machine with the one pattern that he knows -- as you'll recall, he made ten scarves by Christmas -- but man cannot live on scarves alone!!

I've been promising for months that we'd find time to sit down, I-hooks in hand, and make hats. I even went so far as to make it a point to repeatedly swing by his dressing room, stalker-style, during Aida in order to stumble upon him with some time on his hands. It hasn't happened. So, in the spirit of social media, and as a token of my supreme trust in Bernard's crocheting ability, I present the Boy Beanie Pattern. This pattern is from Debbie Stoller's awesome book, The Happy Hooker. It's easy, it's fun, and I can whip one out in about an hour. When I dressed the supplementary men's chorus at the Lyric for Lohengrin, before the fellows went onstage to sing a one-hour act of Wagner, I would ask, for example, Geoff what color hat he wanted. Geoff wanted green. So he went to work and so did I. When he returned after Act I, I had a beautiful, freshly-made green hat on his desk. Magic!

The pattern is for two colors; a main color and an accent color for Rows 10, 12, and 14. I usually do just one color straight through. In fact, I've gotten to the point where I just do 13 rows of Double Crochet instead of the accent rows. I'm smooth like that! You can get creative and switch out several colors if you want -- I just don't like to tuck all those ends. As I always say, if I'd wanted to sew, I would've taken up sewing.

So that's the news for now. Remember: if you want to Stitch 'n' Bitch tonight, go to Evil Squirrel Comic Book Shop -- I'm going to a concert! As always, my darlings, Peace, Love and Yarn!!

Boy Beanie

Materials

Red Heart Super Saver 971 Camouflage (MC) 
Red Heart Super Saver 0254 Pumpkin (CC)  

Finished measurements - length = 8'\ circumference = approx 20" unstretched. 

one size fits most ages teen to adult, repeat round 9 for a longer hat^ skip round 

9 for a shorter skull cap. 

Gauge - using 5.5mm (US size I) hook^ after round 4 your swatch should measure 5" 
in diameter. Adjust hook size to obtain correct gauge. 

Stitches - 

si St - slip stitch 

sc - single crochet 

dc - double crochet 

sc tbl - single crochet through the back loop only 

dc tbl - double crochet through the back loop only 

Pattern notes - this hat design is made crocheting in rounds^ each round will begin 
with a number of chains which will count as the first stitch^ and is ended by 
joining the last stitch with the top of the beginning chain creating concentric 
circles, ^^st" denotes the stitch of the previous round. 



Begin - with MC ch 3^ join with a slip st to first chain to form a ring. 

Round 1 - ch 3^ 9 dc into ring^ join with si st to top of ch 3. 10 sts. 

Round 2 - ch 2^ dc into same st^ 2 dc in each st around^ join with si st to top of 
ch 2. 20 sts. 

Round 3 - ch 2^ dc into same st^ dc in next st^ * (2 dc in next st^ dc in next st)^ 
repeat from * 8 more times^ join with si st to top of ch 2. 30 sts. 

Round 4 - si st into back loop of same stitch^ ch 2, do in next st^ 2 do in next 
st^ ^ (do in next 2 sts^ 2 do in next st)^ repeat from ^ 8 more times^ join with si 
St to top of ch 2. 40 sts. 

Round 5 - ch 2, dc into same st^ dc in next 3 sts^ * (2 dc in next st^ dc in next 3 
sts)^ repeat from * 8 more times^ join with si st to top of ch 2. 50 sts. 

Round 6 - si st into back loop of same stitch^ ch 2, dc in next st^ 2 dc in next 
st^ ^ (dc in next 9 sts^ 2 dc in next st)^ repeat from ^ 3 more times, dc in last 7 
sts, join with si st to top of ch 2. 55 sts. 

Rounds 7 , 8, 9 - si st into back loop of same stitch, ch 2, dc in each st around, 
join with si st to top of ch 2. hold MC to back of work 

Round 10 - join CC, ch 1, sc in each st around, join with si st to beg ch . 

Round 11 - with MC, ch 2, dc tbl in each st around, join with si st to top of ch 2, 

Round 12 - with CC, ch 1, sc in each st around, join with si st to beg ch . 

Round 13 - with MC, ch 2, dc tbl in each st around, join with si st to top of ch 2, 

Round 14 - with CC, ch 1, sc in each st around, join with si st to beg ch . 
tie off CC. 

Round 15 - with MC ch 1, sc tbl in each st around, join with si st to beg ch . 

Round 16 - ch 1, sc in each st around, join with si st to top of ch . 

tie off MC and weave in yarn ends with a tapestry needle. 

Spring Cleaning

In previous posts, I have alluded to the fact that I have ridiculous quantities of yarn in my apartment. This is, of course, de rigueur for a crafter. I also have copious amounts of other stuff. It's not that I'm a hoarder -- I don't want all that crap in my living space -- it's that I'm a dumper. I find myself constantly running from activity to activity, stopping home to DUMP OFF workout clothes and pick up yarn, DUMP OFF yarn and pick up art supplies. It's a horrible lifelong habit that is exacerbated by the presence of two curious and badly-behaved cats named Roxie and Velma (sidebar: NEVER name your pets after murderesses. They will terrorize you). They see new and exciting playthings in each and every item that I drop at home, and they root around and play with it, knocking things over to see if they're toys -- and EVERYTHING'S a toy.

And then there are Michael's things. Michael's been gone a year and a half, and I still haven't gone through his things. It's a big job, and it's easier to deal with his absence by just looking at his stuff rather than trying to sort and dispatch it. There are those who don't understand what's taking me so long. They just don't get it. Everyone grieves differently.

However, it's spring. And it's finally feeling like spring. So it's time to focus on new beginnings. Also I'm only semi-employed til June, which frees up some of my time for new adventures. And one of these adventures must certainly be organizing my apartment. I need to redirect some energy flow, give my eyes a relaxing place to rest. Establish a place where I can dump things in a safe and contained environment. I can feel my sister and neighbor Mia breathing a sigh of relief as I write this!!


I'm making Lily of the Valley my totem flower this spring, especially in my spring cleaning endeavor. Lily of the Valley signifies a return to happiness, and it's time for me to make that return. It's time to set aside my feelings of grief and loss -- I'm not GETTING RID of those feelings; I'll always feel them. I'm just going to find them a nice spot in the closet where I can take them out if I need them. You know, next to the off-season clothes and the skeins and skeins of baby yarn. It's time for me to return to happiness. And spring is the season to do it. And Lily of the Valley is a great reminder.

So that's the news for now, darlings! I'm off to start my cleaning project. No Stitch 'n' Bitch tomorrow -- I'm going to a concert. As always, until next time, Peace, Love and Yarn!

I. Love. Shawls.

(c) Debbie Stoller 2010




I have a new addiction, friends! It's the shawl. Shawls are fun to make, easy to toss in your bag, and the perfect all-weather layering piece.

My aunt Rosalea, who is my crocheting fairy godmother (in addition to being my actual, real-life godmother) and I were discussing the joy of creating lacy crocheted items such as the shawl. They're fun to make and they elicit oohs and aahs when finished because they have such an intricate look about them. They're also fun to stitch because the way that lacy look is created is generally by making one row of a base row that resembles netting followed by one row of some sort of shell design. I never get bored when I'm making a shawl!

Any sport-weight yarn is great for making all-weather shawls, but I like to use Stella yarn because it has a thin, iridescent, strand of nylon that makes the shawl shimmer. Also fun is Vanna's Favorite Glamour yarn. That has a metallic fiber in it. You'll need a larger hook size to achieve your gauge if you use the Vanna yarn because it's thinner.

Shawls are great for tossing in your handbag as an extra layer at any time of year. Even the lacy ones are deceptively warm, but still breathable. They also add a little oomph to any outfit. It's easy to dress up even a t-shirt and jeans with an awesome little shawl. I've been known to wear a shawl as a scarf as well. It can keep your neck warm outside and cover your shoulders inside. I love a versatile accessory!!

I found the pattern in the above picture on Ravelry today. I adore Debbie Stoller, author of the Stitch and Bitch knitting books and the Happy Hooker crochet book. She also has an amazing line of yarn called Stitch Nation Yarn. I'm going to start this shawl pattern tonight at the Glenwood Stitch 'n' Bitch. There's a link to the pattern here: Sidewalk Shawl. I'm doing it without the fringe -- I have cats!!

So that's all the news for now, darlings! Until next Tuesday, Peace, Love and Yarn!!

The Cure for What Ails Ya'!

I've been sick for the past couple of days. I had a mild version of the stomach thing that's going around. It crept up on me Saturday and was in full-force Sunday and Monday. Today I'm feeling human again. The magical cure? Noodles! RTC Noodles from Rice Thai Cafe, to be specific. Oh, and crocheting. Don't forget the crocheting.

Crocheting is an awesome activity for me to indulge in when I'm sick. The television can be on or not, music can be playing or not. I don't want to do anything that requires a lot of thinking. Nothing intricate or count-heavy. I just want to slow down and breathe and feel the yarn run through my fingers. It's like moving meditation. Crocheting narrows my focus. When I was sick, it gave me something to think about besides how ishy my stomach felt or how bad my headache was. I'd chosen the perfect project to work on in my infirmity. I'm making myself a yoga mat bag. It's basically round after round of half double crochet, so I relaxed my mind into a legato cadence of, "Yarn over, stitch into the work, yarn over, pull through." That and the noodles (and the concern and prayers of my mommy and my friends) are what got me healthy again.

The idea for the yoga mat bag was not mine. I ran into my friends Jason and Angie Bender at one of our fave neighborhood joints, Pillars, a couple of weeks ago and they asked me if I could crochet a yoga mat bag for Angie. I hadn't ever made one before -- hadn't even really thought of it before they asked me -- but how hard could it be? Just a cylinder with a drawstring and a strap, right? And you know my response when people ask me if I can create something new. Say it with me now: "Of course I can!!"



So I took measurements of my yoga mat, chose Lily Sugar & Cream cotton yarn to cut down on the stretch, and started stitchin'!! I used a J hook to increase ventilation and began making a cylinder of double crochet. Wow, even in an unstretchy cotton yarn, double crochet can get a little out of hand! So I pulled it all out and opted for a round of single crochet followed by a round of half double crochet. Now we're cooking!! Looking good! I got it to the length measurement I wanted, stitched the strap in row after row of single crochet, put my yoga mat in to make sure it was functional, and discovered that the weight of the mat in the bag made the bag W-A-Y too long!! I also didn't like the way the seam was structured. And I wanted to make sure it was something I was proud of, especially since I was selling it. SO I tore it out once again. But you know what they say -- the third time's the charm -- and now that purple yoga mat bag is a thing of beauty. A complete stranger who saw me working on it at my favorite coffee spot, the Common Cup, said it was the best yoga mat bag in the city. I thanked him and told him I'd coast on that compliment all day!

Tomorrow is the day that I deliver the yoga mat to Angie. I hope she loves it! I know that I loved making it -- so much so that I'm making one (in pink, of course!) for myself.

So that's the news for now, my angels! Until Thursday, peace, love and yarn!!

Creativity EVERYWHERE!!

Watch this video!!


My friend Angela Allyn, creative genius, posted this video with the caption, "Support Creativity. Where EVER you find it," on Facebook today. Well, I watched it and it brought so much joy to my day!! This kid is an inspiration! And his dad, George, who could have said, "Get your head out of the clouds, kid! And clean up all that cardboard crap," instead made space and time for his kid's creativity to take off! And take off it did! The claw machine is miraculous in its simplicity! And the fact that Caine climbs into the boxes to dispense the prize tickets? Brilliant!!

I love that Nirvan, the young filmmaker, stumbled into that particular auto parts store. I love that he couldn't believe that he was Caine's only customer. I love that he created a flash mob. I love that some crazy folk musician wrote and performed a song about Caine's Arcade.

I REALLY want to go to East L.A. some weekend and go play at Caine's Arcade. And I'll totally buy a Fun Pass!! Meanwhile, the existence of Caine's Arcade reminds me that no dream is too big or too silly, and creativity is EVERYWHERE!

Glenwood Stitch 'n' Bitch is tonight from 7-9, 6929 N. Glenwood in Rogers Park. Until next Tuesday, my darlings, peace, love and yarn!

Joining Ravelry

I cheated on my blog last Thursday so that I could attend the Cubs opening day festivities at the Glenwood. Wow, confession really IS good for the soul! I did, however, crochet during most of the game. And of course I hosted my Stitch 'n' Bitch Thursday evening.

In other yarn-related news, I joined Ravelry.com today. It's like online Disney World for knitters and crocheters! The community is worldwide (so I guess that makes it more like Epcot. Whatever!!), so if you happen to be vacationing in Kuala Lumpur, you can go to the Ravelry page for the group Knitter in Malaysia and learn where the happening yarn stores are and what patterns the hippest Malaysian knitters are rocking right now. Or if you want to find a Stitch 'n' Bitch in Sligo, Ireland, there's one that meets on Tuesdays at 7:30 at the Clarion Hotel. It's free.

There are 77,055 patterns available right now on Ravelry. 4,915 of those are free crocheting patterns! They break those patterns down into type of item as well as attributes such as design element or crochet technique. Ravelry also has a page of "UGHs", which are projects that didn't turn out quite the way they should have. I can't wait to post my first UGH!!

Every stitcher has tons of extra yarn, right? Lord knows I do!! And yet I still make my mom take me to Hobby Lobby every time I'm in Batavia! Don't judge me! Because on Ravelry's Yarn page, I can sell or trade that extra yarn! This page also suggests projects I can make with each color of each type of yarn on the Yarn page. Fun!!

You guys, I think I've found my new online addiction! There's so much information and so much pretty yarn on this site that I may never see the light of day, or any of my loved ones, ever, ever again!! I wouldn't even NEED to crochet -- I could just live vicariously through those who do and post about it on Ravelry! Oh, who am I kidding? Part of the joy of crocheting is that I can take it anywhere and can be a social butterfly while I stitch. And of course there's my love affair with yarn.

So that's about all the news for now -- I've got to get back on Ravelry!! Until Thursday, peace love and yarn, my darlings!!

THE ARTIST'S WAY, or Crocheting as a Bridge Drug

This picture is so representational of the New And Improved Me of late!!

I'm doing THE ARTIST'S WAY with my dear friend, Monty. For those of you who aren't familiar with this book, it is a twelve-week program for blocked creatives that was designed by the brilliant Julia Cameron. Each week's readings and tasks help to excavate different layers of junk that's keeping us from being authentically creative. It's a really amazing journey and I've been doing it on and off for nineteen years. I highly recommend it to anyone who wants a more well-rounded life. It's amazing, because each time I go through it, a different challenge is encountered -- or the same challenge on a different level, as Cameron says our creative journey is a spiral one and we face the same obstacles in different ways until we learn the lesson that lies within it. My most recent ARTIST'S WAY journey was in December with my friends Rick and Sonja, and I had to abandon the work at Week Five because I got too busy with my crocheting business, my blog, and my band. In other words, I was too busy creating to further unblock creatively!!

So Monty and I were both facing rather gigantic life changes, and we thought it would be a good idea to embark on this journey, and a GREAT idea to embark on it together! We're both experiencing amazing and swift progress in becoming more authentic to our true natures. We've just started Week Seven, in which we work toward Recovering a Sense of Connection. And tonight, for the first time since high school, I'm taking an art class!! I start my six-week Figure Drawing class at Gallery B1E in Rogers Park at 6:00 pm. I'm thrilled!

The reason for this art class is that I'm tired of telling myself I can't do things. And if crocheting has taught me anything, it's that I CAN do things. Cubs logo? It's basically just a circle, so of course. Tigger hat? Sure! Eeyore hat? Easy! Party Pat hat? Six and a half hours of labor, but Yes I Can!! So I'm venturing into another medium. And this is the lesson that Julia Cameron is instilling: action breeds creativity. Running a marathon makes it easier to write a mystery novel. Writing a mystery novel helps you in your marathon training. Yes You Can!! Crocheting makes me want to pick up a pencil and draw. (Don't worry -- I'm not going to start another blog called "I Sketch in Cafes" or anything like that!!)

The confidence I have derived from designing and creating crocheted items has empowered me to take up that pencil and draw. I know I just need the training to do it -- I've been attempting to draw my whole life. I KNOW I can't throw a football, and you don't see my trying that!!

I'm challenging myself to do one unexpected thing every day in April. Sunday my unexpected thing was to ride my bike 11 miles. Yesterday it was to buy a rhythm egg to carry around in case I need to make a little music in my travels. Today it was coloring in coloring books with Monty.

I'm making my creative life my priority, and it's causing me to discover my bliss. I don't think I've ever been happier in my whole life. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to sing zydeco songs while I ride my pink bike to art class! As always, my angels, peace, love, and yarn -- oh, and graphite!! XOXOXO