Fit for a Princess! - Crochet Edged Receiving Blanket

 When my brother got married (a few years ago now) my Aunt gave a shower gift wrapped in tea towels, I LOVED the idea!  I have to admit I've used the idea a few times myself for wedding gifts, as well as used receiving blankets as wrapping for baby gifts.

I think its a great idea to save a little paper (or when you forget to pick up paper!) and still give a beautifully wrapped gift.

 Last week I went a baby shower for a soon to be arriving little girl, and I not only used my Aunt's idea again, but I one-uped myself!  I decided to add a little crocheted trim to the edge of a store bought receiving blanket :)

It's a small little detail that gives the basic blanket so much more!  I hope it adds a little smile to her Momma's face when she sees her little princess wrapped up in the blanket that was made just for her (even if it started out as a blanket for commoners! HA!)

So now I'm sure you're thinking that you need to fancy up a blanket or two ;) Right?!?!  Well you're in luck because I'm going to share with you how I did it step-by-step! Yay!!!!

First, you need a steel crochet hook (I did my first blanket with an aluminum hook and I found it bent a little and was hard to work with, the steel was much stronger and easier to poke through), some fine yarn (I used Red Heart Luster Sheen in Lime because it was a perfect match to the green in the blanket) but any fine yarn should work, as well as the blanket you'd like to embellish (mine was in a 'Garanimals' four pack from Wal-Mart).

To start, pick anywhere along the edge of your blanket under the finished edge to poke your hook through.  

Next, pull your yarn through as a slip stitch (slst)

Using the crochet hook, poke another hole next to your first and pull the yarn through and single crochet (sc) being careful to keep the stitch along the outer edge of the blanket.

Continue sc along the edge of the blanket making sure to keep your stitches as even and uniform as possible (you could measure out your holes first using a ruler and a washable fabric maker, but I like to live on the edge!)  until you reach the beginning, join with a slst

Your next row (which I managed to miss photographing, sorry!) is a row of sc around, joined with a slst.

Then, ch 4, skip first 3 sc, join with a sc in 4th st, repeat around, join with a slst.

 

Final row: sc, hdc, 3dc, hdc, sc, in each ch 4 space around, join with a slst.

There you have it!  A beautifully edged blanket to give to a new mother as either wrapping for a gift, or as the gift itself because, let's face it, this blanket is a beautiful gift in itself!

Go ahead and give it a try, as always please let me know if you have any questions, I will try my best to help out!  

If you do try it out, please let me know!  I'd love to hear form you!

I've linked-up with Make It and Love It

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Thanks for stopping by!

- Jenn

Pocket Full of Posies - Free Flower Crochet Pattern

Have you been checking in looking for those free patterns I promised a few nights ago?  Well I finally had time to take a few pictures and write down how those sweet little flowers are made!

They really are simple and very quick to whip up as embellishments for a little headband or shirt or skirt or card or whatever you think needs a little flower :) 

I used my latest favorite, Bernat Handicrafter Cotton yarn and a 4.00mm hook to make a flower just bigger than an inch, but you can really use any yarn and hook you'd like.   

Begin with a magic ring, 5 sc in ring

Join with a slst and pull to close ring

working in next st, 1hdc, 1 dc, 1hdc (first petal made)

slst into next st and repeat (1hdc, 1dc, 1hdc) 4 times to make 5 petals

fasten off and weave in ends.

There you have it!  A completed flower in just a few minutes!  Wasn't that easy?  Now go make a whole bunch and brighten up your springtime projects like I did with the headband little Missy wore!

Did you try my pattern?  Let me know what you embellished with a comment!

Thanks for stopping by!

-Jenn

Crochet Wrap Slippers

Do you have a little one (or yourself) with chilly piggies?  Are you looking for a quick and simple project to perfect (or continue) your crocheting skills?  Are you hoping to find a last minute gift from the heart for Christmas?  These slippers will meet all of the above and put a smile on the lucky ducky who gets to warm their tootsies with these little wrap slippers!

My little man has been complaining about chilly piggies since the cooler weather set in and I had been meaning to make him some slippers for a while now but I couldn't find any patterns I liked for little boys (but girly ones ... holy Hanna are there ever some CUTE ones!) so I finally decided that I just needed to come up with my own.  I have seen wrap slippers around for a while now.  I like how simple they are and how easy they are to whip up (less than 2 hours start to finish for me) once the kinks are worked out.  My guy is 4 and wears a toddler size 11 runner (I will add more sizes as I work them up so check back soon!!!!!).

I just want to add, this pattern isn't new (are there really any new patterns out there), I'm sure you can find several around without much effort ... that being said I DID figure out the following pattern and I welcome you to use my pattern however you like but please give credit where credit is due, I ask that you link back to my original post when sharing or selling projects made using this pattern and please use your own photographs (I'm sure you could take better ones anyway).

Now without further adieu .....!

To start you will need some yarn (I used Red Heart Super Saver), a crochet hook (I used a size 5mm), and a tapestry needle.

Begin by crocheting a ch. of 14, turn hdc in the 3rd ch from hook continue across (12 hdc), *turn, ch 2 hdc across.  Repeat from * for 16 more rows (a total of 18 rows), fasten off.  You have now made the sole of you slipper.

Next ch 23, join with a slst to short end of sole, slst across, ch 25 (your work should now look like a T), turn hdc in 3rd ch from hook continue across (58 hdc), *turn, ch 2 hdc across.  Repeat from * for 7 more rows ( a total of 8 rows), fasten off.

The basic shape has been made (YAY!!!), now comes the assembling ...

Fold the right side of the T to the bottom of the sole (toe end), lining up the edges.  I chose to seam using a slst but this could easily be done with your darning needle if that's easier for you.  Begin seaming (either with a slst or sewing with the needle) at the heel end all the way down to the toe end.

Making sure to work through all three layers, continue across the toe.  Once you reach the corner continue seaming only the left side of your work.  Now you'll need to turn your slipper right side out.

You could weave in your ends now, make your second slipper, and call them done ... or you could carefully sew along the center so the wrap doesn't open while your mister is running around in them.  I counted up 15 st from the toe and used my needle and thread to sew along the edge down to the toe.  This step just finished the little slippers off nicely.

For your second slipper, follow the above directions except fold the left side of the T first so you have a right and a left slipper.  If you forget, don't fret, your slippers will still look great, I just think it finishes the pair off nicely!

So there you have it!  An adorable pair of wrap slippers to keep little tootsies toasty warm this winter!  Now go make a pair (or several) for someone you love!

******** Just a little side note, these slippers are SLIPPERY on wood/laminate floors so please be careful.  I will show you have to make them a little less slippery in my next post! ********