Personal touch

Never too early to be thinking about Operation Christmas Child! I crocheted a bunch of barrettes this year to put in the shoe boxes which I plan on doing again this year but am also working on some of these. I already buy these small dolls for the boxes at Walmart and saw the idea of crocheting a blanket for them on someone else's site. It is just a simple granny square but what a nice personal touch. I just did this one this weekend and hope to get several more done.

Easter Egg Barrettes

Finished up these cute Easter Egg barrettes last night. For the base I used this simple pattern and then added an edge to a few of them.  http://lacycrochet.blogspot.com/2013/03/easter-egg-crochet-ornament.html?m=1

Shamrock Barrettes

I made these Shamrock barrettes this morning. I think they will be super cute in my daughter's hair! I used the same Shamrock pattern as I did the headband I previously posted. I then hot glued a plastic rhinestone in the middle and hot glued the whole thing to a hair clip. The pattern is here http://midwesternmoms.com/how-to-crochet-a-shamrock/

Easter

Easter barrettes!

Saint Patrick's Day

Getting ready for Saint Patrick's Day! I finished this cute headband up this morning and now think I will make some barrettes. The headband is just two rows of double crochet with a picot stitch edging. I got the pattern for the clover / shamrock from this website.  http://midwesternmoms.com/how-to-crochet-a-shamrock/   It is pretty simple and easy. :)

Crochet Barrettes

I had so much much fun making the barrettes for Operation Christmas Child in my previous post and received so many compliments that I started making them upon request. My daughter loves them and has matching ones now for most of her outfits.  If you are interested in buying any please check out my Etsy Shop or contact me via Facebook at Arctic Lily's Loops

Patriotic, red, white and blue.

Christmas! You cannot really tell in the picture but the bottom two were made using sparkly yarn.

Flowers and starfish

Buttons!

Operation Christmas Child

The We love participating in Operation Christmas Child each year and blessing children in the name of Jesus. This year I crocheted 50 barrettes to put in the boxes the ladies group I am a part of is putting together. We will be having a box packing party with our kids, which should be a great time. I have been picking up other items throughout the year to add as well. A great time to pick up things are at after Christmas sales and during back to school time. Here is the link for more information on this amazing international program. Operation Christmas Child

Below are the boxes my family put together on our own last year. The boys 10-14 category is the category that receives the least amount of boxes so I encourage you to pack a box for this group. These boys are probably out in the work force already or at the very least has a big responsibility around the home and neighborhood. I packed tools that may help them with those responsibilities and possibly to even help them earn income. However they are still boys who want to have fun so I also packed some toys and fun items for when they are able to play.

Because the boxes are clear I used bandannas as a liner, so that they still had that element of surprise. I also hot glued strips of scrapbook paper to the tops so that even though they were not wrapped presents, they still had that Christmas touch.

In the plastic soapbox you see in the girl's shoe box below underneath the crayons I took a stack of colored paper and cut it to fit the soapbox.

Daughter's Afghan

I finally finished crocheting my daughter's Afghan / blanket. It only took me like a year of working on it! In the beginning I only did a few squares here and there maybe going even a month without touching it but when I got to the last row around I kind of did a mad rush to finish it. She is only five now but I wanted it big enough she would not outgrow it.

Crochet Awareness ribbons

Here are some crochet awareness ribbon items I have crocheted over the last couple years.

First are some leukemia awareness items I crocheted to help raise money for the medical bills of our chapel youth leader's wife.  I am still making them, so if you want to buy one check out my Etsy Shop or Facebook page at Arctic Lily's Loops

Crochet leukemia awareness ribbon headband with orange trim.

Crochet leukemia awareness ribbon headband

Crochet leukemia awareness ribbon thin headband

Crochet leukemia awareness ribbon butterfly ornament 4"

Crochet leukemia awareness ribbon with angel wings ornament, 3"

Here is a breast cancer awareness ribbon headband I made for a friend.

Crochet breast cancer awareness ribbon headband. Hot pink background with bubblegum pink trim.

Here are some I have done for cervical/ovarian cancer. The first one is a simple one I did for walking in an American Cancer Society Relay For Life walk. The background is purple for the American Cancer Society and the teal is for cervical/ovarian cancer.

Crochet cervical cancer awareness ribbon thin headband.

Here is one I did for a fellow Teal sister.

Crochet cervical cancer awareness ribbon headband

This just shows the different shades of teal yarn I can do the ribbons in.

Granny Square Crochet Slippers

These are just too fun. When I saw granny square slippers on this site http://www.purlbee.com/granny-square-slippers/
I knew I had to make them. I did not follow the pattern exactly. I used double crochet instead of single crochet  and used only two colors as opposed to several.  I really like the color combo she  used on hers, but for my first time making them just wanted to use something I had on hand and really like the aqua/brown combo.

As you can tell from the pictures it only takes six granny squares. I used a G crochet hook and Red Heart yarn. I went around once with the aqua color, once with the brown, then two more times with the aqua.

On the Purl Bee website http://www.purlbee.com/granny-square-slippers/ she had her squares 4 1/2 inches from tip to tip diagonally, mine ended up being 5 inches, but the slippers were a little loose for my size 7 feet so will stick with the 4 1/2 next time. 

I joined the squares using single crochet and in order to connect the squares I highly recommend going to the Purl Bee website to follow her instructions because her squares are different colors and it is easier to instruct which square goes with which square. I will do my best to explain it, mainly with pictures.

Step. 1

                         

Step 2.

Step 3.

       

Step 4. 

Step 5.

Step 6.

                  Step 7.

This is a little confusing. Attach the two sides that I have marked with yarn in the pic on the left, which will look like where I started joining the two sides in the picture on the right. Once finished with step 7, it will look like the picture below. This is the top of the slipper.

Step. 8 Now continuing from where you are at, flip the slipper over to the bottom, and continue joining the two squares (top and bottom) to each other working diagonally to the middle of the bottom of the slipper, like the picture below.

The end of step 8should look like the picture below. Cut the yarn.

Step. 9  Flip the slipper over to the top, join new yarn and connect the toe square to the sole square, up one side and down the other. I forgot to take pictures of this step but the end of step 8 should look like the picture below. Cut the yarn.

Step 10. Now you are going to join the heel square to the bottom sole square, up one side and down the other. I start and end a little further up than the corners so it looks like the picture below. Giving it a more snug feel.

 

Step 11. Continue single crochet up and down the sides of the heel square, cut the yarn.

Voila! You have granny square slippers! Again I thought these were fun to make, look fun, and are comfy.

Crochet Flower Headband

So here is the main style of headband that I usually crochet, just in a variety of colors depending on what people ask for. They look a little big on the mannequin because the mannequin is more the size of a child's head. This particular one with the brown/tan is the fourth I have made in these colors, they seem pretty popular because they can go with a variety of outfits.  Can't say that I really have a pattern for it as I kind of just made it up through trial and error and no two are exactly alike. If there is interest I can try to write it down the next time I make one.  The purple has also been a popular request. Both are made with Vanna's Choice yarn (the tan / brown are the colors oatmeal and barley and the purple one is dusty purple and purple) and an H crochet hook. To see more headbands and other things I crochet please visit www.facebook.com/ArcticLilysLoops

The just of how to make the headband is to start off chaining 4 including the first chain.
Row 2: double crochet in the second chain from the hook and continue across (3 double crochet), chain one.
Row 3: double crochet in the second from the hook and continue across (3 double crochet), chain one .
Row 4: double crochet in the second from the hook, then to increase do two double crochet in the next chain, then continue double crochet across (should now have four double crochet across). Chain one.
Row 5: double crochet in the second chain from hook, do two double crochet in the next chain then continue double crochet across (should now have five double crochet across). Chain one.

I continue this increasing one in a row until I get the desired width which for me is usually just under 4 inches. Note: I do not increase in every row, here and there I leave a couple rows the same width. After I get the desired width I continue to add rows until I hit the halfway point which is 9 and 1/2 inches. I put a short piece of yarn there as a marker to mark the halfway point. I continue to double crochet the same width across for as many rows as I did on the first half, periodically folding it over to compare to first half to make sure I am still on track.  When you get to a row where on the first half you increased it is time to decrease on the second half. Here is a great tutorial on decreasing stitches, it is for single crochet but same idea applies. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahd2xwWi-F4  Continue until second half matches first half. On the second from last row to make the hole for the button, double crochet in the second chain from the hook, chain 1, skip a chain and double crochet into last chain in row (so you should have a double crochet a chain and a double crochet), chain one. For last row double crochet in the second chain from hook, double crochet around the middle chain, double crochet into last double crochet (should have 3 double crochet).  Cut the yarn and join with the yarn that you will use for your trim (unless you are using the same color). For the trim just double or single crochet around the headband until you get to your starting point and join both ends of the trim (I use a slip stitch), cut the yarn, tie it off and work the excess back in. Lastly attach the button of choice, I use yarn but some use thread.

Sorry I do not have a more exact pattern but like I said if there is interest I will try to write it down and take pictures the next time I do it.

For the flower, bare with me as it sounds way more complicated than it actually is. Again I made it up at a time that I could not read or understand patterns, I still don't very well. The whole flower is one long piece all the same row (not including the chain). Loosely chain 45, (I do not always use the whole 45 but better to have to much than two little).


In the second chain from the hook you are going to double crochet 7 into one chain. Start out by double crocheting one really tight, chain one, the second double crochet a little looser making it slightly higher than the first, chain one, the third double crochet a little looser than the second making it slightly higher, chain one, your fourth will be your loosest and highest double crochet, chain one, the fifth double crochet a little tighter than the fourth (should be about same as third), chain one, the sixth double crochet a little tighter than the fifth, chain one, the seventh double crochet tight, chain one. Should look like picture on left.

Then I do a tight slip stitch around the next chain just to kind of make the space between petals look more cinched.
In the next chain (if you cannot get into next chain skip a chain, I do not like to but sometimes have to) repeat steps for first petal including slip stitch at end.  Continue to do this until you have about 15 or 16 petals.

Should look something like this and yes will be all twisted if left on its own, this is normal. Do not cut it and tie it off until you check to see how it looks put together. Sometimes if there are too many or too few petals it looks a little lopsided, I usually coil it around periodically starting after petal 13. When you have the desired amount of petals go ahead and cut the yarn and tie it off.

To put it together I take the last petal as the top and coil the whole thing around underneath, kind of tweaking it as I go.  The final time I coil it around I attach it to itself as I go with about a 30 inch piece of yarn. Trying to make it as inconspicuous as possible, going in one petal and out the one underneath it, attaching it as I go. When you have it all together tie it off and cut off any excess yarn.

Last step is to place flower at desired location on headband, cut about a 25 inch piece of yarn. Work yarn in and out of headband and bottom of flower from underneath headband until you are satisfied it is securely attached. Tie off yarn and cut excess yarn. And you are done!!
Hope this helps!