Button Bay Scarf

I am so excited to share my Button Bay Scarf submission as part of the CAL Crochet A Long Design-A-Scarf Challenge 2022. What a fun way to get the creative juices flowing!  Inspired by the beautiful waters of Lake Champlain, which borders the Adirondack Mountains of New York State and the Green Mountains of Vermont, I have created a design for either sex that has lots of textural interest and is so much fun to work up. This scarf works well for any season or recipient. Just choose a hook and fiber that works for you. Once you master the stitches in this scarf, you will want to use them again and again. I know I did!

This scarf design is appropriate for crocheters with an intermediate to advanced ability level. An adventurous beginner can easily complete this scarf with the help of the video tutorials which are included here in my blog.

So let's get started and have a little fun!

For your scarf you will need the following supplies:

Materials:

3 skeins of Yarn Bee Soft Stitch, 100% Acrylic, (5.0 oz/210 yards/142 grams per skein)

Sample colorway: #126/blue air

Size I (5.5 mm) crochet hook

Stitch marker - use to mark right side of fabric (optional)

Scissors

Finished Scarf Dimensions:

72” long X 7” wide (not including fringe)

Your finished scarf dimensions can easily be adjusted in length by adding an

even number of foundation stitches to the original foundation sc row.

Stitches/Abbreviations Used

(BEG-FS) beginning feather stitch

(CH) chain

(HDC) half double crochet

(FS) feather stitch

(MB) mini bean stitch

(SC)  single crochet

(SC 3L) single crochet in the 3rd loop

Gauge: 18 stitches in sc = 4 inches 

• gauge will vary depending on yarn weight, hook size and tension

• gauge is not essential to this design

Pattern Notes: 

• Pattern directions are written using USA crochet terminology

• This scarf is worked length-wise.

• If desired, use a stitch marker to mark the right side of your fabric; any even row.

• The ch 1 at the end of each row does NOT count as a stitch.

• When working your ch 1 turning chain, bring ch loop up to the normal height of the st you are working for that row.

Special Stitches:

Mini Bean Stitch - Insert hook into st indicated, yarn over and pull up a loop. Yarn over and insert hook into the same st, yarn over and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through all 4 loops on your hook.

Beginning Feather Stitch - Yarn over, insert hook into chain space, yarn over, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook); yarn over, insert hook into stitch directly below ch space in row below, yarn over, pull up a loop (5 loops on hook); yarn over, insert hook into next chain space, yarn over, pull up a loop (7 loops on hook); yarn over, pull through all 7 loops on hook.

Note: When pulling up loops in either the beginning feather stitch or any subsequent feather stitch, it is important to draw the yarn up to the height of the previous stitch for ease of completing the last step where the yarn is drawn through all 7 loops on the hook,

Feather Stitch - Yarn over, insert hook into the same chain space where the last portion of the previous feather stitch was worked, yarn over, pull up a loop (3 loops on hook); yarn over, insert hook into chain space directly below one just worked into, yarn over, pull up a loop (5 loops on hook); yarn over, insert hook into next chain space, yarn over, pull up a loop (7 loops on hook); yarn over, pull through all 7 loops on hook.

Single Crochet 3rd loop - a sc st worked in the horizontal bar below the V of the hdc st in the previous row (in this pattern, the SC 3L is worked from the wrong/back side of the fabric)

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Scarf Directions:

Foundation Row 1: Foundation SC 201, CH 1, turn. (201)

Row 2: HDC in each st across to end, CH 1, turn.

Row 3: SC 3L for 200, SC 1 as usual for last st. CH 1, turn.

Row 4: MB in the 1st stitch, *[CH 1, skip a st, MB in next st.] Repeat from *[  ] across until you have 2 sts remaining; CH 1, SC last st. CH 1, turn.

Row 5: MB in 1st (sc) st, CH 1. *[MB in next mb stitch, ch1, skip next ch-1 space.] Repeat from *[  ] across working a SC in the last mb st of row. CH 1, turn.

Rows 6 and 7: Repeat Row 5 (2 xs).

Row 8: HDC in each st across to end. CH 1, turn.

Row 9: SC 3L for 200, SC 1 as usual for last st. CH 1, turn.

Row 10 (Feather Stitch Set-Up Row): HDC in the first st, CH 1, skip one st, HDC next st. *[CH 1, skip one st, HDC next st.] Repeat from *[  ] across to end of row. CH 1, turn.

Row 11: HDC in 1st st, CH 1. *[BEG-FS (see special stitches above), CH 1.] Repeat from *[  ] across, placing a HDC in the last st of the row. CH 1, turn.

Row 12: HDC in 1st st, CH 1. *[FS (see special stitches above), CH 1.] Repeat from *[  ] across, placing a HDC in the last st of the row. CH 1, turn.

Rows 13 - 15: Repeat row 12. CH 1, turn.

Row 16: HDC in each st across to the end, CH 1, turn. (A hdc will be placed in each hdc, each ch and the top of each fs of this row.)

Row 17: SC 3L for 200, SC 1 as usual for last st. CH 1, turn.

Row 18: MB in the 1st stitch, *[CH 1, skip a st, MB in next st.] Repeat from *[  ] across until you have 2 sts remaining; CH 1, SC last st. CH 1, turn.

Row 19: MB in 1st (sc) st, CH 1. *[MB in next mb stitch, ch1, skip next ch-1 space.] Repeat from *[  ] across working a SC in the last mb st of row. CH 1, turn.

Rows 20 and 21: Repeat Row 19 (2 xs).

Row 22: HDC in each st across to the end, CH 1, turn.

Row 23: SC 3L for 200, SC 1 as usual for last st. CH 1, turn.

Row 24: HDC in each st across to the end. Work each hdc st right over the sc 3l you made in the previous row, placing your hook in the same stitch location as each sc 3l st  in the previous row. Do not turn.

Finishing: Continuing to work along the “right” side of the fabric, CH 1 for the corner, turn work 90 degrees, *[work an odd number of  SC stitches along the short side edge, CH 1 in the corner, turn scarf 90 degrees to continue working SC sts in each stitch of the long side edge.] CH1 in the corner, and repeat from *[   ] around to end. Join to first st of the round and fasten off, leaving a long tail to match length of fringe.  If you do not wish to add fringe, fasten off and weave in tail.

Adding fringe (optional): I wrapped my yarn around a sturdy book about 80 times, and then cut through one end to make several strands for fringe. I grouped them in sets of 4, and looped them every other stitch through the short end of my scarf. Before trimming, use a steam iron to straighten the fringe. Take care NOT to touch your fiber with the iron, but gently spritz the fringe with the steam from your iron to remove any wrinkles. Trim fringe and enjoy wearing your new scarf!

If you enjoyed making this scarf, you may be interested in the coordinating Button Bay Beanie, which is available for free in my Facebook Group. Purdy Sweet Crochet Facebook Group

Button Bay is a beautiful little anchorage on the east side of Lake Champlain, south of Vergennes, Vermont. It has a couple of islands nearby that are great for exploring for fossils. Additionally there are beautiful walking trails that lead into the Vermont State Park and Campgrounds. We happened to visit there in early August this year, and it turned out to be one of my absolute favorite places to anchor out this summer!   Below is a photo of our boat and a few others anchored in the bay taken from shore as we walked along the path to the state park.

 

Linen Stitch Fall Poncho

As the days grow shorter and a hint of cooler weather to come begins to fill the air, thoughts of crocheted ponchos saturate my mind. Over and over I have been drawn to the same easy flow of the Linen Stitch, which is a very easy single crochet, ch1 combination. I love it because it is very simple and rhythmical as you work it up and it gives the overall effect of a woven piece of fabric. It looks fabulous in solids, striped and blended yarn colors. A win-win!

Last fall when we returned to our sailboat after having been landlocked for over a year due to my very poor immune system and concerns of getting ill, we finally traveled south to meet up with Purdy Suite, our 42' sailboat that we planned to spend many months of retirement on. It was a happy reunion.  

Being aboard a sailboat forces me to limit the amount of yarn I have to play with because there is only so much storage space available. But one thing I DID make room for was 10 skeins of Premier Yarns Everyday Worsted yarn and a few cakes of Lion Brand Comfy Cotton! I was careful to pack it in a seal tight container and managed to stow it in the forward anchor locker, unbeknownst to my captain, affectionately known as "Captain Overkill." That's another story on its own!

So, after working for two solid weeks straight from sun up to sundown,  getting the boat ready for launch, I got busy on a poncho I had been thinking about for quite some time. Here is what my finished poncho looks like.

Turtleneck:

I started with the comfy cotton and using a 5.5 mm hook, I made 60 rows of 30 hdc stitches worked in the 3rd loop and joined it together to form the turtleneck portion of my poncho. I wish I had taken more photos at the time, but this will have to do.

I turned my piece to work along the bottom edge of the tube and worked 86 sc stitches evenly along the bottom. I divided my stitch count by 2 and placed a stitch marker in stitch 10 and stitch 53. This is where the increases took place for the body of my poncho. I purposely do not like increases where the join of the round takes place, and that is why I chose to place my first marker in stitch 10 instead of the first st of the round. 

Poncho Body:

Because I worked the body of the poncho in Linen Stitch, and knowing how this stitch tends to "pull in," I went up a hook size and using my 6.0mm hook, I joined my round and then turned to work the next round from the opposite direction. For each marked increase I worked [SC1, CH2, SC1, CH1]. Turning my work after completing each round eliminates the possibility of an unflattering curve that would develop if I were to have just continued working the piece from the right side of the fabric. Because of the two increases in each round, my poncho body grew plenty enough to comfortably fit over my shoulders. 

What can you do if you are a larger size?

If you are a bit larger, you could work more initial hdc rows for the turtle neck portion until it is wide enough to comfortably fit over your head. Also, adding more sc stitches along the tube base before beginning the increases at each "point" for the body of the poncho will give you a larger poncho overall.

As I worked the body of my poncho, I tried it on frequently to make sure that it was working up as I planned. I wanted this poncho to be warm and comfy and large enough to cuddle up in while sitting out in the cockpit of our sailboat in the late evening hours, when it was a bit cooler out.

Border: 

I continued until I felt it was long enough on me before deciding on the border. Once satisfied, I worked one round of HDC, continuing with the established increases at each point, followed by 5 additional turning rounds of alternating front and back post double crochet stitches. My final round consisted of working 1 sc stitch in the back loop only of each stitch around before fastening off and weaving in my tail. I'm pretty happy with the final results!

I hope my post has inspired you to try making yourself a poncho for the fall.  Photos are always welcome, encouraged and enjoyed! If you feel comfortable doing so, please consider sharing in my Facebook group, which you can find here: Purdy Sweet Crochet

Happy Crocheting!

Miss "M" Bucket Hat

I have been so looking forward to making a bucket hat this summer, but because my husband and I recently sold our home I have had no time for crochet fun. We are finally back aboard our sailboat and once settled it felt SO good to work up a little hat design.

I wish I had more time to add the pattern directions here, but instead I will make this a short blog with some photos of my newest design.

If you are interested in testing the design, please join my "Purdy Sweet Crochet" Facebook group. There I have uploaded a rough pattern for members to try. You can find the group here:

 fb://group/2379015795705856?ref=share

MOSAIC TRAVEL POUCH

Happy New Year!

My husband and I are spending the 2021-22 winter season on our sailboat in south eastern Florida. Because our sailboat is only so big, with limited storage, I had to be selective about how much yarn and crafting supplies I could bring. With one exception (that I will share with you at a later date) I am trying to keep my projects relatively small this season for that very reason.

Today's post is to share how I made a beautiful and functional mosaic travel pouch for another boating friend as a way of saying thank you.

Materials I used:

265 yards cotton Sample made using Caron Cotton Cakes (60% cotton, 40% acrylic) in the colorway "Peach Blossom"

4.0 mm hook

8" X 10" Pre-made zippered canvas pouch It is important to have this before you start in order to get an accurate sizing for your crocheted pouch sleeve. I purchased my pouch from Michaels Crafts. They can also be purchased on Amazon, or if you are handy with a sewing machine you can make your own to fit your sleeve after it is completed.

Stitch markers (optional)

Needle and thread for hand stitching mosaic sleeve to your pouch

Scissors

Decorative button (optional)

Stitches/Abbreviations used:

(Ch) chain

(SC) single crochet (always worked in the back loop unless noted)

(DC) double crochet (drop down DC refers to working your st in the corresponding front loop of the st  2 rounds below)

(SL ST) slip stitch

(blo) back loop only

(flo) front loop only

My cake was large sized and contained a total of 530 yards of self striping yarn. The color changes were much longer than I needed, so I separated and rewound each color into small balls in order to better manipulate where the colors would change. This meant working with multiple color strands. If your yarn is self-striping, with shorter color changes, you could simply work your pouch sleeve with a single strand without cutting or adding any yarn.

I decided to work my color sequence in this order: light blue, green, yellow, peach. 

Foundation Chain and Row 1:

I lay my pre-made pouch out on a flat surface and beginning with the light blue, I created a starting chain that was long enough to comfortably fit all the way around the base of my pouch without being too snug. I left a LONG tail at the start to use for seaming the base together later. You could make a shorter chain to the length of the base and work in the round along both sides of the chain, but I find it easier to work mosaic in a "tube" and seam later. Keep in mind that once you begin your first sc round, it will tighten up just a bit. My chain was 91 stitches long. Starting in the second chain from hook, work a sc in each st to the end.  Join your last st to the first sc st of the row using slip st in order to form a loop.  I find it easier to join after completing my first row of sc in order to prevent twisting. You can use your starting tail to seam up that little gap between the starting ch and where you joined the sc round now, or later, before seaming the base.

After joining your first round of sc to form a "loop," ch1, sc into back loop of the first st and remaining 89 sts. It is very helpful if you place a stitch marker into the first stitch to help keep track. Keep in mind that the ch1 does not count as a stitch, but you will join each round with a slip st to the ch1 and pull your yarn tight to hide the seam. If you are changing colors, you will need to join your round with a sl st into the ch1 with your new yarn color, then before working your first sc st, you will ch1 and pull your old color very tight to help hide the join.

Rounds 2 and 3: 

I worked two more rounds of sc in the back loop only using the light blue color before adding the green. At the end of round 3, I joined my new color (green) by slip stitching to the ch1, then ch 1.

Note: If you are working with more than one color, you can easily carry them up the inside of your tube. After you join your new color with a slip st, work your ch1 around all strands of yarn to "carry them along" the inside. 

Round 4: With green, SC back loop only into first st. For the next st, work a dropped DC into the front loop of the corresponding stitch two rows below. It will appear as though you are leaving the sc st in the row below unworked, but this is how it is supposed to look. *[SC (blo) in next st, dropped DC in next st.] Repeat from * around to the last st. Join new color (yellow) with a slip st, Ch 1. (90) 

Round 5: With yellow, drop down DC into the front loop only of the first st which corresponds two rows below. In the next st, SC (blo). *[Drop down DC in next st, SC (blo) in next st,] Repeat from *[  ] around to the last st. Join new color (peach) with a slip st, Ch 1. (90)

Round 6: With peach, SC back loop only into first st. For the next st, work a dropped DC into the front loop of the corresponding stitch two rows below. *[SC (blo) in next st, dropped DC in next st.] Repeat from *[  ] around to the last st. Join new color (light blue) with a slip st, Ch 1. (90)

Round 7: With light blue, drop down DC into the front loop only of the first st which corresponds two rows below. In the next st, SC (blo). *[Drop down DC in next st, SC (blo) in next st,] Repeat from *[  ] around to the last st. Join new color (green) with a slip st, Ch 1. (90)

For my mosaic pouch, I repeated rounds 4 - 7 seven more times, until I reached my desired height. When I worked a color for the last time, I cut the strand and worked over the tail end in the next round. I completed mine with one additional round of sc in the light blue, working under both loops for this last round before finishing off and weaving in my end. 

Finishing up:

Turn your pouch wrong side out. If you haven't already done so, be sure to stitch the gap between the starting ch and the first round of sc. Then, thread your long starting tail into a needle and use the mattress stitch to seam up the base. Turn right side out.

Photo below shows what my base looked like after seaming with mattress stitch.

Before sewing the crocheted sleeve to the canvas pouch, I added a personalized button near the top edge for a little decoration. 

Insert your zippered canvas pouch into the crocheted mosaic sleeve. Using needle and thread, hand stitch the crocheted sleeve to the canvas. Be careful to sew the top edge of your crocheted stitches in such a way that they are not caught in the zipper when you open or close your pouch. 

Photo below shows how I am checking to see how my sleeve is fitting over the pouch.  I am about 1/3 done in this photo.

It's getting there!

When joining the crocheted sleeve to the canvas pouch, I was careful to insert my needle up through the seam of the canvas and zipper. This kept the top edge of my crochet nice and neat and unable to get caught in the zipper when using.

Here is Lisa, enjoying her new gift. I am so happy she loves it!

For more crochet inspiration, please consider joining my Facebook group.

PURDY SWEET CROCHET