Jack O'Lantern

My work is having a pumpkin decorating contest, and I thought I'd make a pumpkin out of yarn. Only when I started looking for patterns, I couldn't find anything that quite matched what I wanted the end result to be. I wanted the shape to be roundish, and for it to have cutouts for the mouth and eyes so a fake tea light or candle could be placed inside. Here's what I came up with.

It only took about 2 hours to complete. I bought a color changing light to use with it, and just watching it makes me laugh.  

Jack O’Lantern

Materials

Yarn weight: Bulky

Yardage: Color A: 212 yds

Color B : 25 yds

(sample used Lion Brand Wool-Ease Thick &

Quick in color Pumpkin & Grass)

Hook: G (4.5 mm)

Abbreviations

st - stitch

ch – chain

hdc – half double crochet

bpdc – back post double crochet

ss – slip stitch

hdc inc – 2 hdc in same stitch

dec dc - decrease double crochet - [(yo, insert hook in next st, yo, draw yarn through st, yo,

draw through 1st two loops) 2 times, yo, draw through all 3 loops]

dc3tog - double crochet 3 together decrease - [yo, insert hook in next st, yo, draw yarn through

st, yo, draw through 1st two loops) 3 times, yo draw through all 4 loops]

Pumpkin

Round 1: ch 3, 7 hdc into 3 rd ch from hook (first 2 ch count at first st). Join with a ss to top stitch of ch2.

(8)

Round 2: ch 2 (counts as first hdc throughout pattern), hdc in 1 st st, *hdc inc in next 7 sts, join with slst to

top of ch2 (16)

Round 3: ch 2, hdc in next 2 st, (hdc inc in next st, hdc in next st) 7 times, join with slst to top of ch2 (24)

Round 4: ch 2, hdc in next 3 st, (hdc inc in next st, hdc in next 2 st) 7 times, join with slst to top of ch2

(32)

Round 5: ch 2, hdc in next st, bpdc in next st, hdc in next 2 st, (hdc inc in next st, bpdc in next st, hdc in

next 2 st) 7 times, join with slst to top of ch2 (40)

Round 6: ch 2, hdc in next st, bpdc in next st, hdc in next 3 st, (hdc inc in next st, bpdc in next st, hdc in

next 3 st) 7 times, join with slst to top of ch2 (48)

Round 7-10: continue increasing in pattern, 8 st per round. (80)

Round 12-14: ch 2, (bpdc, hdc in next 10 st) 7 times, bpdc, hdc in next 9 st, join with slst to top of ch2

Round 15: ch 3, (bpdc, dc in next 10 st) 3 times, bpdc, dc, sc, slst next 17 st, sc, (dc, bpdc, dc in next 9 st)

3 times, join with slst to top of ch3

Round 16: ch 3, (bpdc, dc in next 10 st) 3 times, bpdc, dc, ch 19, (dc, bpdc, dc in next 9 st) 3 times, join

with slst to top of ch3

Round 17: ch 3, (bpdc, dc in next 10 st) 3 times, bpdc, dc, dc in next 19 ch, (dc, bpdc, dc in next 9 st) 3

times, join with slst to top of ch3 (80)

Round 18: ch 3, (bpdc, dc in next 11 st) 7 times, bpdc, dc in next 10 st, join with slst to top of ch3

Round 19: ch 3, (bpdc, dc in next 9 st, dec dc) 7 times, bpdc, dc in next 8 st, dec dc, join with sl st to top

of ch3 (72)

Round 20: ch 3, (bpdc, dc in next 10 st) 3 times, bdc, dc in next 3 st, ch 10, sk next 4 st, dc in next 2 st,

bpdc, dc in next 2 st, ch 10, sk next 4 st, dc in next 2 st, (dc, bpdc, dc in next 9 st) 3 times.

Round 21: ch 3, (bpdc, dc in next 10 st) 3 times, bdc, dc in next 3 st, sl st in 4 st from hook, slst in next ch,

sk next 3 ch, dc in next 2 st, bpdc, dc in next 2 st, sl st in 4 st from hook, slst in next ch, sk next 3 ch, dc in

next 2 st, (dc, bpdc, dc in next 9 st) 3 times

Round 22: ch 3, (bpdc, dc in next 8 st, dec dc) 7 times, bpdc, dc in next 7 st, dec dc, join with sl st to top

of ch 3 (64)

Round 23: ch 3, (bpdc, dc in next 7 st, dec dc) 7 times, bpdc, dc in next 6 st, dec dc, join with sl st to top

of ch 3 (56)

Round 24 - 29: cont decreasing in pattern (8 st), cut color A

Teeth 

With Color A: Use standing double crochet stitch attach new yarn to the mouth where the tooth will be placed, dc in next stitch, cut yarn, and weave in ends.

Stem:

Join color B with sl st to top of ch 3 in previous round, leaving a long tail in front.

Round 1: Ch 3, (dec dc) 2 times, dc3tog, join with sl st to top of ch 3 (4 st)

Round 2-3: Ch 3, hdc in next 3 st, join with sl st to top of ch 3, cut color B, leaving a long tail.

Pull tail down through center of stem and out to the front between the dc at bottom of the stem.

Leaf

Round 1: Using color B, ch 4, 7 hdc in 4 ch from hook. (8)

Round 2: 2 Hdc in ea st around. (16)

Round 3: sl st in next 2 st, *(Sc, hdc, dc) in next st, (dc in next st, ch 1, sl st in ch, ch 3, sl st in same st)*

two times; (sc,hdc) in next st, (2 dc, tr) in next st, ch 1, sl st in ch, (tr, 2 dc) in next st, (hdc, sc) in next st;

*(sl st in next st, ch 4, sl st in 1st ch from hook, dc in same st), (dc, hdc, sc) in next st* two times; sl st in

next 1 sts,

Leaf stem - worked back and forth

Row 1-7: ch 1, sc in next 2 st, cut yarn leaving a long tail.

Attach leaf to pumpkin by pull tail through stitches at the bottom of the stem, leaving the tail in front.

Vines

Using tail from Color B used in stem, make a sl st near base of stem, ch 10-15, pull yarn through and cut

close to end of chain, curl near base of stem. Repeat with other tails from stem and leaf.

A present for mom

A couple of years ago, I made both my mom and my sister new hats and matching scarves for Christmas. About a month ago, my sister asked me to make her a new one, as she had misplaced hers and it was her favorite hat.

There are few people in the world who could lose an item I made for them, ask for a replacement, and get it. But for my big sister? I said, of course.

Even though I was in the middle of recovering from a neck injury and going to physical therapy and not doing any knitting or crocheting, I looked in my stash and found that I still had enough of the yarn from the original hat/scarf set to make a new hat for my sister, so I got to work. A hat pattern that typically takes me 2 hours took me 3 days to complete, as I could only work on it sporadically before I was in too much pain.

Then, shortly after I finished the hat, I got a call from my mother. Asking for a new hat. Because the one she had was dark red, and she just got a new hat and scarf that were purple. I wasn't ready to start on it right away, but spent some time going through my stash, looking for yarn that might work. I didn't have any. (I know, surprising, right?)  I thought about buying some, and then I remembered I had some undyed worsted yarn in my stash. And I had recently done some other dyeing and was in the mood. 

Had fun mixing up the colors and I think it worked out pretty well.

And I was able to finish the new hat in my usual timeframe, which was great.  Now I can finally send out the last of my "Christmas" presents.

I'm making this up as I go along

I recently learned how to make a crocodile stitch. Then, because I hate to do anything the way that I've been taught, I adapted it to work in the round to make several pairs of mittens:

For my next project, I wanted to do a cowl, but I had in my head the idea of making the crocodile stitches taller, to resemble feathers. I had this yarn that I had bought with the intention of making a shawl, though what pattern I had in mind has escaped me.

I still liked how the colors looked together though, so I went back to the drawing board to figure out how to make the stitches look the way I pictures. After a few tries, I got the first two rows of my feather stitch completed. It was suggested at this point that maybe I was making a Kermit the Frog costume.

But I forged ahead anyway, confident that eventually it would start to look the way I envisioned.

This project took about 2 weeks (the feather/crocodile stitches take a long time and use a LOT of yarn), but it is finally finished. Yay!  

You want mittens? I got mittens.

I go through phases of making a lot of a specific item, so the last time I was in a fingerless mitten frenzy, I ended up making two or three (or a dozen or so) pairs.

Beachy - hand knit in self striping acrylic blend yarn

Cabled steel - crocheted, cabled mittens in acrylic yarn

Chain Mail - crocheted in wool/acrylic blend yarn

Dawn - crocheted in self-striping acrylic yarn

Evergreen - crocheted in wool yarn

Last Midnight - crocheted in wool/acrylic blend yarn with sequins.

Orchid - hand knit in wool yarn

Snow Fort - crocheted in wool/acrylic blend yarn with sparkles

Starlight - Crocheted in self striping wool/acrylic blend yarn with sparkles

Sunset - hand knit in a subtly self-striping acrylic yarn

Swamp Thing - crocheted in a bulky acrylic yarn

Syrah - Crocheted in self-striping, wool/acrylic blend yarn with subtle sparkles

Turquoise flowers - crocheted in a wool/silk blend yarn

Twilight - crocheted in a chunky acrylic yarn

Check out which ones are still for sale in my etsy shop: https://www.etsy.com/shop/inlerah?section_id=10575420

Baby hat extravaganza

One of my co-workers is having a baby girl. She's due on July 6th. I made her a few hats. Making baby things is addictive.

Took a few days off work last week. I really needed the "me" time and it was nice to get up to the studio and play. Since we are heading out of "scarf and hat" season, I thought it might be good to make up some other items. Made up some cute dishcloths and bath scrubbies.

As promised, here is a picture of the finished afghan: