Giveaway! Thank you for 1000 Facebook Likes! (and a peek at a new pattern coming soon!)

Mommy Made Crochet just reached 1000 Facebook fans and now it's time to celebrate!

Visit MMC on Facebook and see the pinned post for giveaway instructions.  And be sure to take advantage of the free pattern on Ravelry and 25% off in my Etsy shop!

And here is a sneak peek at one of my new patterns...

Holiday season!

With Thanksgiving, my husband's new promotion and grandkids, life was busy enough, but add crochet and I have a whole new level of busyness!

I have been making hats for some kids that are battling cancer.  A friend has a son with leukemia and she told me how the kids faces light up when they see the different hats he wears to All Children's.  So I decided to make a bunch of hats (she won't let me just give them, she insists on paying for supplies) She told me the parents have called them "Hats of Hope".  

Here are a few of the hats that I've sent up with her:

Minion inspired hat

Elephant, doggie, rat mix (special request)

Pig, Monkey, Bird mix (special request)

Rainbow Dash inspired

Fox- pattern from Repeat Crafter Me

Penguin- Pattern from Repeat Crafter Me

Lion

Monster High Draculaura - Pattern "Vikki Vampire" on ravelry

Funky Puppy Hat - Repeat Crafter Me dalmation

Beret in blue- changeable flowers

Beret Grey- changeable flowers

Beret ecru- changeable flowers

Extra Flowers for berets

Birthday Celebration!!

Today is the day that I turn 38!  To celebrate I have a coupon code for my Mommy Made Crochet Etsy Shop  38ISGREAT will save you 20% at checkout!  (Minimum purchase $5)

Have a great day and remember to have fun!

Mermaid Tail Blanket

I've been dying to make one of these blankets but I never had a real reason too...Florida is pretty hot so afghans don't get much use down here, but a picture of one of the many Mermaid Tail Afghans was making it's rounds on Facebook and I quickly had orders for a dew of them! (I love when crochet goes viral!)

The first designer to pop into my mind was MJ's Off the Hook Designs (anyone see the awesome Shark Afghan that went viral?).  Check out the pattern I used here: Bulky & Quick Mermaid Blanket .
 I used Red Heart With Love  and Red Heart Super Saver yarns in the blankets I made.  I used 3 strands held together with a Q hook for the body and 2 strands for the tail fin with an N or K hook (I used smaller for kids size blankets).
  For the Adult sized blanket I bought 6 skeins of With Love for the body and 3 for the Tail Fin.  I had enough left over to make a Preschool sized blanket for my Noo Noo in the end.  For the Child size I bought 4 skeins of With Love and 2 skeins of Red Heart Super Saver for the tail.  I possibly could have completed with one skein split in two for the childs tail fin, but I have left over yarn to make hats, etc with now ;)

Peepie modelling the adult sized blanket for an order

Red Heart With Love in Jadeite for the body and Parade for the tail fin

Red Heart With Love in Blue Hawaii for body and Red Heart Super Saver in Macaw for tail fin (child size)

Noo Noo fell in love with the afghan her mommy modeled... I HAD to hook another Mermaid Tail, look at that adorable face, you couldn't say "no" either.  She is posing like Ariel btw <3 

Finding something to watch on TV and lounging like a pretty Mermaid, her Synapse Hat almost looks like a sea creature!

Synapse Hat

It's here, and newly named... the Synapse Hat has been that crazy hat that I love and now it's pattern is available for everyone in my Etsy shop!  (Don't crochet?  I can make you one!)

My little Noo Noo modeling her Synapse Hat before and after washing. (Her's is a prototype- after the dendrites a different brim pattern is used in the final pattern)

Close up of brim pattern

New Hat design...Contest!

I made a hat for myself many years ago when my youngest daughter started high school...school colors... this proud Band Mom had to have an amazing hat to support my amazing daughter during the football games!

My sweet nephew Joey wearing my hat (BBB is Blazing Blue Band)

 

My sweet little kinders in their hats
Jayce a.k.a. Red Beard is wearing Black & Flame, Noo Noo is wearing light pink and a darker pink.
Although I used two colors for those hats, a variegated yarn alone looks very cool! (I prefer the single color method due to ease of making and I really like the fullness it creates!)

I've  made a few alterations and I am currently writing up the pattern in many sizes.  I will NEED pattern testers!

I also need a name for this hat!  Visit Mommy Made Crochet on Facebook for more info!

The name that gets the most votes will be the winner!  And the person who suggested the name will receive a free copy of the pattern or a completed hat (for those that don't crochet).

Some yarns need a run through the washer & dryer to give them more bounce, Red Heart Super Saver looks amazing after washing! So... no need for expensive yarns unless you want to use them!


Thank you!!

~Anna

Quick, Textured & Striped: the making of a Washcloth

A local soap maker asked me to make a lot of washcloths...I mean A LOT.  Mostly sport/college colored, so I couldn't have too feminine a look to these cloths. So I searched ravelry until my eyes could look no more.  I couldn't find exactly what I wanted, so here is my Quick, Textured & Striped Washcloth pattern :)

Materials

H hook

cotton ww yarn in colors of choice I used Peaches & Creme & Crafters Secret cotton

tapestry needle

scissors

Abbreviations

ch: chain

sc: single crochet

dc: double crochet

f.o.: finish off

sk: skip

blo: back loop only: crochet in the back loop of the stitch instead of both

mc: main color

cc: contrast color

Note:

Unless noted otherwise: ch 1 at end of each row does not count as stitch.  If pattern reads "sc, sc2tog, 2sc" it would be read as, " single crochet, single crochet 2 stitches together, 2 single crochet in the next stitch", directions are to be repeated to end of row/round unless otherwise noted.  

This is an original design by me, Anna Wilson, and I share it freely with all you crafty crocheters!  You may do whatever you like with your finished Washcloths/Dishcloths: sell them at farmer's markets, use them, gift them, fly to the moon with them or take over the world with them!! But I ask that you not reproduce/sell this pattern.

Directions:

with mc Ch 28 (or more if you desire, the beginning ch count can be any size you like)

1: sk 1st ch sp, sc in each ch space across (mine has 27) turn

2: BLO: ch 3 (counts as first st from this point forward), dc across: change to cc in last st turn

               

                  * Hide your tails as you work by crocheting over them-saves finishing work!

3: ch1,  BLO sc (27) (don't forget to sc in ch3!)

4: ch3 (counts as 1st st), BLO dc, change to mc in last st

5: ch1,  BLO sc (27)

6: ch3, BLO dc, change to cc in last st

7-14: repeat rounds 3-6 2x (or to desired length)

Finishing:

Weave in ends and enjoy!