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The Crocheted Moon, Riverton, UT

Unusual & Quirky Crochet Facts

1. In the late 1800s, men's and women's hairstyles required the use of oily pomade. Consequently, crochet became more popular as people put little sewn pieces on top of expensive furniture to protect them from the pomaded heads.

2. Crochet became increasingly popular in the 1920s when women stopped wearing corsets and began to crochet lacy underwear.

3. Artist Nathan Vincent crocheted and knitted an entire locker room. He has also knitted taxidermy busts, urinals, guns, and tools. His goal is to represent masculine objects in a new and softer medium.

4. Over 2,000 women from 14 countries met in India to create the world's largest crocheted blanket. The mega-blanket measured approximately 120,000 square feet, or about the size of one-and-a-half football fields.

5. While crochet has proven health benefits, injuries do occur. Health professionals even have a medical code to note when a crochet injury has occurred: CODE Y93D1...(I didn't know I was in such a dangerous profession! ;) )

And now for some Easter Fun!

I came across and adorable little Easter pattern I wanted to share with you. If you are just starting to decorate or you just need a little something extra to add to your decorations, try this cute bunny pattern. You can turn them into ornaments to hang from a tree, make a garland, or stack them up in a an Easter Basket. Either way, it's a quick and fun way to add whimsy to your holiday:

Simple Easter Bunny Pattern

You will need

• 100% acrylic, 100g/276m per skein. You can find the skeins at Hobby Lobby (my favorite place), Michaels, or Walmart. 
• Colors (or 4 of your choosing)
• Light Pink
• White
• Light Green
• Light Yellow
• 5mm (UK 6, US H/8) crochet hook. You can also find hooks at Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Walmart, or online at Amazon.
• Large Sewing Needle for stringing the bunnies
• Small pom pom for the tail
• Hot glue gun to glue on the tail

Abbreviations

Single Crochet = SC

Half Double Crochet = HDC

Double Crochet = DC

Chain = ch

Slip Stitch = sl st

Finished Size

Approx. 8cm or 3”

BODY

R1: choose the color of yarn and make a magic ring, ch1, SC 6 into the ring and close the ring tightly by pulling the loose end, sl st to 1st SC to join, ch 1                                                                                                                                                           (6)

R2: 2SC in each st around, sl st to the 1^st SC to join, ch 1                           (12)

R3: *SC in next st, 2SC in next st* repeat from ** to end of round, sl st to the 1^st SC to join, ch 1                                                                                                                                  (18)

R4: *SC in each of the next 2 sts, 2SC in next st* repeat from ** to end of round, sl st to the 1^st SC to join, ch 1 & do not fasten off                                     (24)

HEAD

R5: (HDC, DC) in the next st, 2DC in each of the next 2 sts, (DC, HDC) in the next st, sl st in the remaining sts to the other side of the head, do not fasten off                       (8)

EARS

R6: sl st  into the 1st HDC and the 1^st DC from Round 5, *ch5, HDC in 2nd ch from hook, DC in each of the next 3 chs, sl st in the 4^th st of Round 5.  Repeat the stitches between the ** for the second ear, sl st in the 2^nd to last st of Round 5, FO your yarn.

FINISHING

Using your needle weave in any loose yarn tails and trim the excess.  For the tail glue a white pom pom in the center of the body. 

If you would like to make a garland, choose a yarn color, and measure out the length you need.  Then, thread the yarn on our needle and string the yarn through the bunny’s section where the head and the body meet.  Or you can attach a single yarn loop on the backside of the bunny between the ears.

If you are not familiar with how to

make the crochet stitches used in

this pattern you can go to You Tube

and type in the type of stitch you

are wanting to learn.  They have

some good instructional videos that

are easy to follow.

How to "V" Stitch

The V-stitch (also called a rope stitch) is a simple and versatile stitch and what more could you want in a stitch. The V-stitch, is made by crocheting DC, ch 1, DC into the same stitch. It creates attractive zig zag pattern, crisp corners for square patterns, or amazing rows of columns or mesh work.

Double, Double, Your Enjoyment!

If you want a closer knit V-stitch pattern for things like blankets, sweaters, or washcloths you simply just add an extra Double Crochet stitch on both sides of the 'V'.

Just like this...

Double or single it's a fun stitch to use and play around with. Whether you're new to crochet or a long time crocheter and like to experiment with your own patterns, you can't lose!

#bloggingthemoonCM #stitchofthemonth #vstitches

Simple, but Splendid!

Throughout the year I have been highlighting different crochet stitches, but I have not talked

about the stitches that make all other stitches possible. It's a triple threat of the basic, but necessary. First comes the Single Crochet (SC), Second, the Half Double Crochet (HDC), and Third, the Double Crochet (DC). There are longer stitches besides the Double, like the Triple, however these are the 3 you use the most. As you can see in the very top picture each stitch increases in height and spacing which determines how solid your crochet piece turns out.

"So, what increases the stitches height?", you ask....the amount of loops on your hook and how many times you pull the yarn through those loops. Single will only have 2 loops on the hook and you'll pull the yarn through both loops only once. Half Double will have 3 loops on the hook and you'll pull the yarn through all 3 loops at once. Double will also have 3 loops on the hook, but you only pull yarn through the first 2 loops, (leaving 2 loops on the hook) and then you'll pull yarn through again on the last 2 loops. OK OK...enough technical, what kinds of things can you make with these 3 fabulous stitches?

You can make anything!

If I need something to be more sturdy and solid, say like for plush, I will use the SC stitch. If I want something to be more soft and pliable, like a blanket, than you can use the DC stitch, which will also save you time because you are crocheting with a bigger stitch. The Cheron Rose dress and Paw Print Scarf were both done with DC stitches, the Static Wave Beanie was done with all 3 stitches so I could get the wave pattern, and Baby Yoda, Lucky the Leprechaun, and the Baby High-tops were done with SC stitch because I need I more closed off pattern that acted more like fabric. Once you learn these stitches there will be no limit to what you can create!!

#bloggingthemoonCM #stitchofthemonth #CMtripthreat