Simple Lace Shawl--the scarf version

Finished Scarf!

All DONE! Yaaayyyyyyyyy!

It's 15 pattern repeats for each "arrow". Each repeat is 8 rows, with the increase/decrease that makes the arrow on the right side (as opposed to the "wrong" side). The eyelet row is a "wrong" side row.

I went right from the "less than" side to the "greater than". If I do the pattern again, I will do 10 of each arrow (that's 20, if you're counting) with 10 rows in the middle just straight, no increases or decreases. When you reverse the arrows, it makes a diamond-y point in the middle on each long side. I don't really like it, but I don't hate it enough to frog it back and redo it.

The start of the scarf.

With this pattern, you don't cut your yarn. You knit two rows and then change colors--so you are always changing when you start a "right" side row. When it was time to change colors, I would position the yarn so that the ending row was twined around the yarn of the new row to lock the stitches in place. It's kind of hard to explain with still shots.

I made 6 extra rows after the final pattern repeat so that it would mirror the beginning side.

This scarf used probably about half of 1 ball of the Berroco, almost all of just one ball of the Debbie Norville, and probably about half to 3/4 of the Simply Soft skein. I'm happy about that, because the sock yarn is expensive. I am NOT going to unwind the yarn just to satisfy my curiosity as to how much is left. The before and after photos of the yarns are below. You can see what I mean, about the amount of yarn used.

Here is the Berroco, before it was used.

Berroco--it's fairly "squishy", now.

Simply Soft, before.

Simply Soft, after.

Aaaaand after.

Debbie Norville sock yarn, before

A Doll's Capelet

Both ponchos. The one for the doll is the smaller one.

I was asked to make a capelet for a little girl and a matching one for her doll. (See my post from 8/26/2013.) I'm using the pattern for poncho #1 for the girl.

The doll in question is an "American Girl" doll. The capelet should fit this kind of doll and any of the similar-but-not-quite-as-expensive types sold in various department stores. I do not have a doll like this. I have a couple of old fashioned china headed dolls, but their measurements are not the same, so I had to borrow one for a few minutes from the daughter of a friend to get the measurements. (Thank you, Karina and Nikki!)

A matching pattern for the doll's capelet did not exist. I did a cursory google search and found a grand total of ONE crochet pattern for this type of doll. I could have used that, but the client had asked that the doll's capelet match the little girl's. I tend to be a tad literal.

So I got to make a pattern! Yay! More blog fodder. Because you just can't exist without me, I know. This also means I had to do math. Ugh. I endeavored to face the math with proper Early Christian Martyr-ical fortitude. I used numbers of stitches that are multiples of 12's, 8's, 4's and 3's. You don't HAVE  to use those numbers, I just find it easier to work with them when crocheting in the round, maybe because of the geometry thingy.

I'm using scrap yarn for this, provided by the client. It's mostly older Red Heart worsted weight acrylic. I usually don't like to use this kind of acrylic, because they are scratchy to crochet. But this is for a doll, not for me. Additionally, when I run the completed item through the washer and dryer, it softens up.

I'm starting with a varigated green.

The Doll's Capelet

Size K crochet hook

Scrap worsted weight acrylic

Chain 24, join in a round. Chain up 1.

Row 1: HDC in each chain stitch, join with a slip stitch, Chain up 1.

Row 2 and 3: 1 hdc in the first stitch, *2 hdc in the next stitch, 1 hdc in each of the next 4 sts. Repeat from *. Join with a slip stitch,Chain up 1.

Rows 2 and 3 are the increase rows. At the end of Row 2, you should have 30 stitches. By the end of Row 3, you will have 36.

Rows 4-9: Repeat Row 1

Row 10: 2 hdc in each stitch all the way around. Join with a slip stitch and fasten off.

Don't crochet tightly with this kind of yarn. When you are working with smaller scale items, like doll clothes, sometimes the yarn diameter/hook gauge gets to be too chunky. In general, I prefer to use a dk or sport weight or thinner yarn when making doll clothes. Remember, you don't have to use the exact same yarn I use.

I was very pleased with the way this project went. I was most happy with how quickly I was able to complete it--it only took an hour, once I had the pattern down. I plan to make up some more, since it was so easy. I may also see about getting back into making doll clothes again.