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Stitch and Hound’s Half Moon Tote Bag

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First and foremost, I want to introduce everyone to Sarah Truesdell, the person behind Stitch and Hound. She has become such a good friend and a very big reason why I am where I am in the world of crochet. We met during a pattern testing for another designer and from there, I became a pattern tester for her patterns. Her patterns are all fantastic! She has inspired me and pushed me to try things I never thought I would ever be able to do. Each of her patterns are so easy to reproduce and with the tasks that I had never done before, she would always help me and encourage me to keep going. I cannot give enough thanks for her help. She’s even the one who encouraged me to start writing my own blog!

One pattern in particular that I wanted to share with everyone, is her Half Moon Tote bag made entirely out of grocery bags. Yes, you read that right. One hundred percent out of old grocery bags. A couple years ago, I had the idea to make something out of grocery bags but was never able to successfully transform the bags into something that I could easily crochet with. When Sarah first told me about this pattern, I knew I had to try it. I don’t know about you guys, but I had a box filled with grocery bags and also a cupboard filled with them too. They were eagerly anticipating a project just like this.

Since my wedding was quickly imploding on itself at that time because of COVID, I desperately needed a project to keep my mind busy and that did just the trick. I started chopping up all those plastic bags I had stashed away and starting making my plarn AKA plastic yarn. Sarah was able to show me in about two pictures what I had struggled with a few years prior. She even has a post explaining how to make it here: https://stitchandhound.com/how-to-make-plastic-yarn/.

That process was honestly the longest part of this pattern. It takes about seventy plastic grocery bags to make this bag. I ended up using two colors of grocery bags so once I finished cutting up all the bags, I rolled them into two different balls of plarn. I had a grey plarn ball and a blue plarn ball. (You can tell I frequent Giant Eagle and Wal*Mart.) This task becomes very mindless and is great to do while you are relaxing and watching TV. Once those were complete, I got out my hook and started bringing this plarn bag to life.

One of my favorite things about Sarah’s patterns is how easy they are to read, follow and complete. A few hours later I had the bag portion done. It consists of two half moon shaped panels. For my bag, I made these panels, the body portion of the bag, grey and I made the strap portion blue. The layout of the bag is to have the strap wrap around the whole bag; it essentially is the bag’s width. I loved using the two different colors for this reason. It gave it a very unique look and I loved having that option of using both colors!

Peep my Hook Nook interchangeable hook! I’m telling ya, they will become your favorite hooks! 🙂

After finishing the strap, the construction of it was very easy. You just lined up the panels with the strap portion and whip stitch them together. All while still using plarn to sew them together. As a finishing touch, I added a little tab made out of the blue plarn and sewed the bottom of it to the back panel. Then I used an old water bottle lid, had my (now) hubby poke a couple holes in the top, and sewed that onto the front panel of the bag. I have a terrible habit of my bags spilling out all over the place and I wanted to be able to close it somewhat for when I take this to the beach with me. It worked out better than I anticipated with the bottle cap!

And there you have it! The Half Moon Tote bag was so much fun to make! This has to be one of my favorite and most talked about patterns that I have ever tested. Just the fact it is made one hundred percent out of old products just lying around your house makes it unique and fun. Like always, Sarah knocked this pattern out of the park!

If you want to make one of these yourselves and make use of some of your old grocery bags, because let’s be honest, you can only use so many bags each week before you go back to the store and get a whole other shipment of them, I highly, highly suggest it! Like I’ve mentioned, Sarah’s pattern has so many informative pictures and helpful tips on creating this bag. Here’s the link to the free pattern on her blog: https://stitchandhound.com/plarn-half-moon-tote/. While you are there, check out all her other patterns on her website. Like my other personal favorite that I use everyday, the Wayfarer Woven Tote Bag: https://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/wayfarer-woven-tote-bag.

Talking about grocery bags, I am accumulating more and more of them like always. They are filling up my cupboard again. Until I make another Half Moon Tote bag, I crocheted a grocery bag holder to hold some of my excess grocery bags in. Remember those cloth bags with the cinched top and bottom that you pulled a grocery bag from the bottom when you needed one? Well I decided to create one of those using basic crochet stitches and yarn that is just lying around. I like to call it the Buoy Bag! Check back on my blog next week for a free pattern to help you get to peak grocery bag storage organization!

Until then, happy crocheting!

Switchin’ It Up Nintendo Switch Cover

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This is my first ever original design and written up crochet pattern. I never dreamed I would be to this point yet, but here we are!

I started thinking of this design when my husband gave me the Nintendo Switch game, Animal Crossing: New Horizons when we were on our week long, stay home honeymoon (thanks Corona.) For total transparency, I am pretty awful at video games. I cannot for the life of me figure out how to play a game where I have to move my head and the camera at the same time. Way too much going on there. So when some of my friends got Animal Crossing, Corey knew this would for sure be my speed of game. And boy was he right! I quickly got really into it. I even brought my (his) Nintendo Switch to work with me so I could check turnip prices and do some fishing on my lunch break.

This resulted in total destruction of the Switch screen (sorry honeys!) It became a victim of my bottomless purse filled with receipts, random nail polish bottles and the real culprit of the Switch’s downfall, a nail file. I randomly woke up one morning and thought, “I need to make myself a Switch cover!” I didn’t need a case; it’s not like I had intentions of throwing it on the floor. I just needed something thin and durable to put my Switch in before I throw it onto the battlefield inside my purse.

I did a quick Google search to see what it had to say about some of the sturdier crochet stitches. This is when I came across the lemon peel stitch. I now love this stitch and cannot wait to use it in so many more patterns. It gave such an awesome texture to the pattern and the fact that it is reversible makes it so much more mindless when it comes to finding the front and back side of your project. I’m discovering that I love finding new stitch patterns that use very basic stitches but in unique ways. Like this stitch for instance, just uses single and double crochet stitches. If you’re anything like me, double crochet was the first stitch I ever learned and single crochet I learned shortly after. It also works up quickly because of the height of the double crochet in each row.

What you will need to make this pattern:

  • 5.0 mm hook
  • About 140 yards of weight 4 cotton yarn
    • I used almost a full skein of Sugar n’ Cream cotton yarn
  • One 3/4 inch button
  • Yarn needle
  • Slightly smaller needle (to fit in the button holes)
  • Scissors

Some abbreviations you will see in this pattern:

  • Ch = Chain
  • Sc = Single Crochet
  • Dc = Double Crochet
  • Sk = Skip
  • St = Stitch
  • ** = repeat instructions inside the asterisks across the row until otherwise noted

Special stitches you will see in this beginner pattern:

  • Decrease by one for lemon peel stitch: Essentially you will be crocheting a sc and dc together. Insert hook into first stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over, insert hook into next stitch, yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over, pull through 2 loops on hook, yarn over, pull through remaining 3 loops on hook
  • Crochet 3 together for lemon peel stitch: Insert hook into first stitch, pull up a loop, insert hook into second stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over, insert hook into third stitch and pull up a loop. You should have 4 loops on your hook. Yarn over pull through 2 loops on hook, yarn over, pull through remaining 3 loops on your hook.

Gauge:

  • A 4″ x 4″ square should be 14 stitches long, alternating between dc and sc and about 13 rows tall.
  • For a better sizing method for this specific project, the final dimensions prior to sewing should be about 10.5 inches wide and 13.5 inches tall for the larger Nintendo Switch.

Notes:

  • First and foremost, this is NOT a Nintendo Switch case. This is strictly to try to prevent scratches on the screen. I am not liable if you drop your Switch in this case and it breaks. It is not the purpose of this pattern at all. 🙂
  • As previously mentioned in the gauge section, this pattern is written for the larger Nintendo Switch. It can easily be modified for the smaller version, but in this pattern, the dimensions are for the larger one.
    • To make a smaller version, ch an odd number to your desired length and change the amount of rows to your desired height.
    • My pattern testers made multiple of these for their Nintendo Switch Lites with little change to the pattern. For a snug fit, they used 30 stitches across which can vary with each crocheter’s gauge.
  • This pattern uses the lemon peel stitch. I tried to word this pattern to be beginner friendly, but if assistance is needed, Google had a lot of information on this stitch that I found very helpful.
  • Each row’s final stitch count will be in parenthesis at the end of the row’s instructions.

Alright, now that you have all that you need to know prior to starting this fun pattern, we are ready to get started!

Pattern:

Ch 35

Row 1: sk first chain from hook, *sc, dc* repeat across, ch 1, turn (34)

Row 2: *sc, dc* repeat across, ch 1, turn (34)

Row 3-26: repeat row 2 (34)

Row 27: decrease by one, *sc in next st, dc in next,* repeat across until there are two stitches left, decrease by one (32)

Row 28: decrease by one two times (in the first four stitches), *dc in next st, sc in next,* repeat across until four stitches are remaining, decrease by one two times (28)

Row 29-30: Repeat row 28

Row 31: decrease by one, *sc in next st, then dc in next,* repeat across until you have two stitches left, decrease by one (18)

Row 32: decrease by one, *sc in next st, then dc in next,* repeat across until you have two stitches left, decrease by one (16)

Row 33: decrease by one, *dc in next st, then sc in next st,* repeat across until you have two stitches left, decrease by one (14)

Row 34: decrease by one, *sc in next st, then dc in next st,* repeat across until you have two stitches left, decrease by one (12)

Row 35: decrease by one, *dc in next st, then sc in next,* repeat across until you have two stitches left, decrease by one (10)

Row 36: decrease by one, sc, dc, ch1 and sk st, dc, sc, dc, decrease by one (8 including ch space) *This is the button hole row*

Row 37: decrease by one, dc, sc, sk over ch space, dc, decrease by one (5)

Row 38: decrease by one, dc, decrease by one (3)

Row 39: crochet all three stitches together *see special stitches section of pattern*

Tie off and weave in all ends.

To assemble the cover:

  • Lay the bag out flat with the triangle shape at the top.
  • Fold the bottom half of the rectangle shape to the bottom of the triangle portion of the bag.
  • Sew up the straight edges of the sides of the pouch using a whip stitch and your yarn needle. *see photo below
Sew the cover where the black lines are drawn with a whip stitch. Sew in ends after securing the whip stitch.
  • Sew in all ends that you may have after sewing the sides of the bag up.
  • Place the button on the front of the pouch so that it will fit with the button hole that you made on row 36.
  • Sew the button securely on with the thinner needle.
Securely sew the button on in the middle of the cover so that the button hole is directly over the button when the flap is closed.

And there you have it! You now have a weapon of your own to protect your Nintendo Switch from all the chaos in your purse. Now you can play Animal Crossing where ever you want.

If you enjoyed this pattern, please share it with your friends! You can purchase this pattern on Etsy by clicking here. If you would like to make one one day, please pin it on your Pinterest board! Click here to open up the pin on Pinterest. If you make one, I would love for you to tag me in your creations on Instagram so I can see all the different ways you guys made them your own. Also, feel free to use the hashtag #SwitchinItUpNintendoSwitchCover when posting your pictures.

My awesome pattern testers did an incredible job with this pattern! Check out my Instagram page to see all of their Switchin’ It Up Nintendo Switch Covers. Also be on the lookout for new updates and new patterns on Instagram, along with more blog posts too! I have a couple more original patterns of mine in the works. If you have a question about this pattern, please feel free to message me on Instagram or email me at [email protected].

Happy crocheting!

Feel free to make as many of these as you would like and feel free to sell them. I just ask that you please acknowledge Madison’s Makings when you do. Please do not steal or copy this pattern and/or my pictures and credit them as your own work. Thank you!

Baby Galore!

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The last few months have been filled with lots of baby crochet projects! To sum it all up, my brother and sister-in-law are having a baby boy in September and my sister-in-law and her husband are having a baby girl in August and a friend of mine is having a baby boy in a couple weeks. These are the first babies in my family in a very long time, so to say I have had very little experience in the realm of baby projects is an understatement. I went on the search to make something as personalized to each baby as possible without losing all the wonderful soft and cozy features that I believe all baby items should obtain.

The first project I started working on was a cactus themed nursery blanket for my friend’s baby. We went on a Mission’s trip to Arizona last year which inspired her and her husband to have their nursery be a cactus/desert/Arizona theme and so I ran with that. I checked out Nella’s Cottage because I love how personalized her baby blankets are. I started with her granny square blanket and used Caron’s Simply Soft yarn. I love using this yarn for granny square blankets or blankets where there is going to be color change because there is such a huge selection of color options to choose from. Not to mention, this yarn is so soft and works perfectly for blankets. For this blanket specifically I used a combination of Taupe, Grey Heather and Off White for the main stripes portion. For the cactus applique, also from Nella’s Cottage, I used Pistachio and Dark Sage and added a few accent stripes in these green colors on the edge of the blanket. For the flowers on top of the cacti, I used some light blue scraps of yarn I had lying around in the never ending abyss of my yarn collection. (Don’t tell my hubby that I said it’s never ending, because then I won’t be allowed to go back to the yarn store.)

I had never sewn anything like the applique onto a blanket before. It was a little tricky at first, but once you started sewing it on, it became easier and more stable. The one thing to pay attention to is that you are placing your needle in a good “hiding spot.” A few times I would flip the blanket over and realize that I sewed in some of the back most parts of the stitches which exposed the sewing stitches. It’s a quick and easy fix, but just something to be mindful of while making it.

If you would like to try making this blanket, I highly suggest it! The pattern is easy, fun and mindless. Nella’s Cottage has soo many amazing applique patterns and different pictures and styles on her Instagram to inspire a blanket for any and all occasions. You can find all these at http://www.nellascottage.com.

The next project I worked on has been a long time in the making. As soon as I found out my brother and sister-in-law were having a little boy, I wanted to make him something special. My brother is a big Pittsburgh sports fan, especially of the Pittsburgh Penguins hockey team. (If I’m honest, most of my family is, myself included.) I had only made one baby outfit as a pattern tester and that was the extent of my baby clothing experience but I knew I really wanted to try to make him a little hockey outfit. A quick search on Etsy and I discovered Grandmabilt’s shop that is filled with adorable little baby outfits for every sport you could imagine.

Before the world shut down from COVID, I made a quick trip after work to Joann’s to search for black, gold and white yarn that could work for a baby outfit. This was my last outing before Ohio shut down nonessential stores. But I knew that things were going to be closing soon and I had to make this for them. Walking into Joann Fabric’s into the yarn section, I realized I had greatly underestimated how challenging it would be to find black, size three, baby yarn. I had just about given up hope when I turned to walk out the store and saw The Hook Nook’s new yarn line. I have been a fan of her products for awhile but hadn’t had any experience with her new yarn line yet. (I am totally obsessed with her interchangeable hooks!) She has a type of yarn called Small Stuff which miraculously had black, white, and yellow, size three yarn. I gathered up way more than I would ever need, but let’s be honest, COVID made us all hoarders. The official color names of the yarn are Tattoo Ink, Minimalist, and Warm Sunshine.

The pattern itself was so easy to follow and recreate. It worked up fast and came together so much better than I ever imagined. The part that took the longest was sewing in all the ends of the color changes, but that might have been just all in my head since that’s my least favorite part of crocheting. I made the little jersey first, then the pants and the skates last. When I first looked at the skate’s pattern I thought it was beyond my skill level when I got to the blade part. But as I’ve found out before, just start with the first row and keep tackling the pattern one step at a time and it always works out. That is now one of my favorite parts of the pattern because having the actual blade of the skate made out of yarn was a very nice and realistic touch on the designer’s part.

I couldn’t keep the secret anymore so gave it to my brother and sister-in-law for a Father’s Day/Belated Mother’s Day gift to them. My whole family loved it and now I can’t wait to see my little nephew in it when he arrives.

If you are looking for any type of outfit that is sport’s related, please check out http://www.grandmabilt.com. She has a huge selection of awesome patterns! This will not be my last experience with her patterns because there is just so many adorable ones to choose from. These would be perfect patterns to make for newborn pictures.

The third project I worked on was a blanket for my sister-in-law and her husband’s baby. I knew that I wanted to make my soon to be niece a warm and cozy blanket so I ventured into the wide selection of baby blankets that Daisy Farm Crafts has. I knew that their nursery was going to be a blush pink color along with other neutral colors. I came across the Crochet Hygge Powder Puff Blanket on their website and knew that was the one. I absolutely love Red Heart Hygge yarn. It has to be one of the coziest, softest, squishiest, most beautiful yarn I’ve worked with. While shopping for the yarn, I discovered that Red Heart has made a lot more colors in this type of yarn. When it first came out there was just a handful of colors to choose from, but now, there is about any color you could think of which is great!

The pattern was very easy to follow and turned out great! The Hygge yarn gave the blanket the perfect amount of weight and softness. It also helped the blanket work up quickly with the thicker yarn. The stitches were very easy and basic, making this a great project for beginners. The pattern itself intertwined a couple basic stitches which gave the finished product a very detailed look. I loved it! I plan on using this pattern a lot in the future.

If you are wanting to delve into this squishy, soft blanket, the pattern can be found at https://daisyfarmcrafts.com/crochet-hygge-powder-puff-blanket/. There is also a YouTube video that goes along with this pattern if you are a more visual learner.

Last but certainly not least, I made the Butterscotch Baby Onesie from megmadewithlove for my soon to be niece! When I first saw her post about the pattern getting released, I knew I needed to make it. It also really matched the style of clothing that my sister-in-law and I talked about making for her little one. I had some Baby Bee Sweet Delight yarn, in the color Naked, from Hobby Lobby lying around and decided to put it to use for this special project.

The pattern worked up fast and took form quickly. The instructions for not only the pattern but also the assembly were so easy to follow with helpful pictures to go along with it. I made the newborn size, but the pattern came with sizes all the way through to twelve months. I finished it with some wooden buttons which I thought complimented the off white yarn well. It turned out so much cuter than I expected from only my second baby onesie that I’ve ever made. Like the other projects, it used basic stitches but incorporated them in a way that gave the onesie a very beautiful and finished look.

If you would like to create this beautiful little outfit, check it out on her blog! The pattern can be found at https://megmadewithlove.com/blog-2/2020/3/11/the-butterscotch-onesie-free-crochet-pattern.

This has been enough baby projects to keep me busy for the past couple months, but there is definitely a couple more already on my hooks. I’ll be sharing them as they come on my Instagram for sure and maybe here too. Please check out all the designers that made these wonderful patterns that inspired this post. If you decide to make any of these, please share them with me (and them). I would love to see what all you create!

I hope this inspired you to want to start crocheting something new! Have fun and happy hooking!