In August 2015 we bought white t-shirts for my kids to decorate with fabric markers and paint. The shirts were a little short, so I crocheted along the bottom hem to give them some length.
Photo description: white t-shirt with the handwritten words “It doesn’t matter what species you are to be friends”, with drawn hand and paws and wings and legs, with a crocheted bottom hem about three inches wide using double crochet, shell stitches, and picotsPhoto description: close-up of crocheted edge showing a blanket stitch base on the original t-shirt hem, three rows of double crochet, two rows of shells, and finished with slip stitches and picotsPhoto description: different white t-shirt with ivy and hummingbird stencils, and a small black cat, with a different style crocheted hem
I don’t have a closeup of the second shirt’s hem, but it does show one of the problems that can occur with an applied edge: drawing in. I prefer my shirt bottoms to be straight, or even flare out, rather than draw in, but I do like the leaf pattern. I think my kids wore their shirts at least once before they outgrew them?
When I’m not sure how much yarn I have, I try to pick a pattern that is flexible. This circle vest from LazyTCrochet Designs fits the bill. It is crocheted from the inside out, and the circle can expand. One downside of the pattern is that it only has two sizes, s/m and l/xl. It has instructions for expanding the circle for coverage, but that only goes a few more rows. The idea is expandable though, and the pattern is inexpensive.
Photo description: in-process circle vest crocheted with hand spun Jacob’s wool, pattern by LazyTCrochet Designs
I used the darker of my hand spun Jacob’s wool yarn for the center, then the lighter color for the next band. This is as far as my Jacob’s wool could take me, aside from a few small scraps. The vest needs more rows, so I’ll add some hand spun Teeswater wool for the next row. I just need to finishing spinning it first. Both Jacob sheep and Teeswater sheep are on the endangered list and part of the “Shave ‘Em to Save ‘Em” initiative by the Livestock Conservancy. I’m considering calling this my “Shave ‘Em Two Save ‘Em” vest since it will have two breeds from the list. Unless I end up needing a third breed, then I’ll have to rethink the pun.
In August 2015 I finished a crocheted doll for my youngest.
Photo description: crocheted doll with light skin, golden yarn hair, embroidered face, brown attached boots, and a blue/purple sundress
It wasn’t difficult to make, but did not end up being a very popular doll. It sat with the rest of the stuffed animals in a bin. I personally think these look better with thinner yarn and a tighter stitch, but if I were to make another soft doll, I would use fabric for the face and body because it is smoother, then crochet accessories.
Here is a cute teacher gift: crocheted pencil bookmarks. They make up quickly, use just single crochet, and use up yarn scraps, or those cute tiny skeins. I made these in May of 2015 using this pattern from LittleOwlHut on Ravelry.
Important note, as you crochet these curl. To get them flat, steaming them works well. You can also iron them between two thin layers of cotton. If you choose to do blocking (getting them wet and laying flat to dry), pin them down well.
In April of 2015 I was making crocheted mushrooms. They are cute little things, and can be made using yarn scraps.
Photo description: four crocheted mushrooms with a size F (3.75mm) crochet hook
I added some embroidered elements with more scrap yarn. I like the french knots most. The caps of the mushrooms are removable. They stand up better if something small and heavy is placed inside the stem.
Photo description: same four crocheted mushrooms with. The caps removed
These mushrooms use standard amigurumi stitches, basically a single crochet stitch with increases and decreases for shaping and done with a much smaller hook than recommended for the yarn.
Critters and Craft 