DPN or Crochet Hook Needle Case - Needle Felted

DPN or Crochet Hook Case
Needle Felting pattern by Nadine Borovicka
http://nadinescrafts.blogspot.com/
http://Nadinespatterns.blogspot.com/
An easy project using the sheets of felt you can purchase from just about any craft store and even Wal-mart. I get to cheat now using my needle felting machine, but the first few I did were done by hand.

Materials:
At least 2 sheets of 8 ½ X 11 inch felt – you can use more sheets or some roving to add decoration to the front
Felting needles – either singles, puncher or machine
Scissors
A base to needle felt on if doing it by hand – foam or one of the brush bases you can buy

This step is optional. Take the sheet that will essentially be the cover. You can leave it plain or do as I have and add fun designs to it. Make cases that match your knitting or crocheting bags or get creative.


















Take the second sheet of felt and cut it in half long ways. Then trim the side edges so that you have about ¼ of an inch of the cover sheet overhanging the pocket to make the seam. Place the pocket so that there is also a ¼ of an inch overhang at the bottom.




Fold over this edge. This is the tricky part. In order not to mess up the design on the cover, you will actually need to turn this over and work from the other side. So you will turn it with the decorated side up and the pocket underneath (the opposite of what I am doing in the picture). Fold over the seam and use your needle to felt the edges to create a strong seam. If you don’t feel comfortable with this, you can sew the edge. You will have a ¼ inch seam on the entirety of both side edges and the bottom. On the top, you can fold over ½ to 1 inch of the top and lightly felt to create a flap to keep the needles from escaping out the top. Just make sure you don’t fold down too much so that your needles don’t fit.

Again working with the cover side up you will make the pockets for the needles. Felt lines running up the pocket as in the picture above. If you work from the pocket side, you will push through fibers that will ruin the design on the front so you have to be sure that you are working so the fibers only show on the pocket side.

You can sew or felt on buttons or ties to close. I just roll mine up and tie it with a piece of yarn or ribbon.

Copyright © Nadine Borovicka 2008 All Rights Reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or distributed without written consent from the author.

Checkerboard - Crochet

Checkerboard Set
Crochet pattern by Nadine Borovicka
http://nadinescrafts.blogspot.com/
http://Nadinespatterns.blogspot.com/
Perfect to rollup and stuff into a little crocheted bag for checkers on the go.

Download PDF Here

Materials:
Worsted Weight yarn (I used Red Heart in 3 colors I had laying around)
Size G Hook
Yarn Needle

Abbreviations:
Color A – player one color
Color B – player two color
Color C – the border color ( I used a variegated that combined colors A and B)
Ch – Chain
Sc – Single chain

Board (just using colors A and B):
With color A, chain 9, SC in 2nd chain from hook and across (8 stitches). (Ch 1, turn, sc across) 6 times.
*Change color. (ch 1, turn, sc across) 8 times. Repeat from * 6 times. End with 8 blocks of alternating colors. Four blocks of color A and four of color B, starting with A and ending with B. You can either carry the strands of color up along the side of the strip or you can cut and rejoin. Either way, seaming and adding the border should cover up the extra strands.

Make eight of these strips. Seam them together, laying them beside each other and alternating their directions.












Diagram on how to line up and seam together board strips.

After board is sewn together, attach border color to the beginning of an edge.
* Sc 64 stitches evenly across edge. Sc, Ch 2, Sc in corner. Repeat from * 3 more times. Join to 1st Sc with a slip stitch.
(Ch 1, *SC to corner space. Sc, ch 2, sc in corner ch 2 space. Repeat from * to complete round. Join to first Sc with a slip stitch) Repeat 2 more times to complete border. Fasten off.

Game Pieces:
With color A or B, magic ring cast on, 6 sc in circle. Working in the round, 2 sc in each sc around (12 stitches). Change to color C, 2 sc in each sc around (24 stitches). Slip stitch in next sc to join the round. Fasten off.
Make 16 pieces with color A and 16 with color B.

Play checkers

Copyright © Nadine Borovicka 2008 All Rights Reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or distributed without written consent from the author.

Handspun Hat - Knit

Handspun Hat
Knit pattern by Nadine Borovicka
http://nadinescrafts.blogspot.com/
http://Nadinespatterns.blogspot.com/
I had no idea what to make with my first handspun yarn. It was a bulky raspberry and cream 2-ply yarn. I was using Corridale, which was easy to spin but a bit too scratchy to wear next to my skin. I had just enough yardage for a hat.
As a note, after rows 1 and 2, the row number I give is no longer accurate. The cast on, decreases and increases can be your choice. They don’t add a particular design element so just use your favorite.

Download PDF Here

Materials:
Size 11 Needles
Bulky Yarn- I used handspun
Pom-pom maker-optional

Hat is knit flat them seamed up the back.

Cast on 52 stitches loosely. Method of cast on doesn’t really matter as long as it is stretchy enough to be the opening edge of the hat.

Row 1. Knit row
Row 2. Purl row
Repeat rows 1 and 2, 4 more times.

3. Knit row, decreasing 4 times evenly across the row (knit 2 together works just fine)
4. Purl row
Repeat 3 and 4 once more.

5. Knit row decreasing 4 times evenly across
6. Purl row decreasing 4 times evenly across
Repeat 5 and 6, 3 more times

Knit 3 together 4 times.
Bind off and gather top row of stitches, leaving a yarn tail long enough to sew up the seam.

On your starting edge, pick up 50 stitches.
1. Knit row
2. *Knit 2, increase *repeat across
3. *Knit 2, increase *repeat across
4. Knit row
Repeat row 4, 5 more times
Bind off very loosely. Sew up seam of hat. Add pom-pom to top of hat if you like.


Copyright © Nadine Borovicka 2008 All Rights Reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or distributed without written consent from the author.

Cunning Hat - Loom Knit

Cunning Hat
Loom Knit pattern by Nadine Borovicka
http://nadinescrafts.blogspot.com/
http://Nadinespatterns.blogspot.com/
Inspired by the Jayne Cobb hat on Firefly

Download PDF Here

Materials:
Yellow Knifty Knitter
Orange Yarn (Lionbrand Jiffy in Rust)
Yellow Yarn (Lionbrand Jiffy in Gold)
Red Yarn (Lionbrand Wool-ease chunky in Redwood)
Loom Knitting Tool
Pom-pom maker
Yarn Needles

Abbreviations:
Color A = Orange
Color B = Yellow
Color C = Red
K = Knit stitch
P = Purl Stitch

E-wrap Cast on all pegs with color A. [K1, P1] around loom for five(5) rows. E-wrap stitch on one more row of color A. Do NOT knit off and do not cut color A yarn.

Start ear flaps working with color C. Starting on peg 8, working clockwise, e-wrap cast on 9 pegs. Knit 5 rows of color C back and forth on those 9 pegs. Do NOT touch strands of color A. We will come back to it. Increase the 6th row at both ends (11 pegs) and knit 7 rows. Increase the 13th row at both ends (13 pegs) and knit 7 rows. Increase the 21st row at both ends (15 pegs) and knit 10 rows. You’ll end the earflap with 3 loops on each of those 15 pegs. Two of color A on the bottom and one of color C on top. Cut Color C and make second ear flap starting on peg 33.













Diagram of peg placement

After both earflaps are finished, beginning with peg 1, knit non-ear flap pegs off 1 over 1 (just loops of color A). Knit off earflap pegs 1 over 2 (Pull the bottom loop of color A over both the top color A and color C loops). E-wrap around loom with color A. Non-ear flap pegs, knit off 1 over 1 (just loops of color A). Earflap pegs, knit off 2 over 1 (bottom 2 loops, 1 color A and 1 color C, over top loop of color A).
E-wrap knit normally with color A for 8 rows. Switch to color B, E-wrap knit for 15 rows. Bind off using Provisional method. Make a pom-pom with all three yarn colors and attach to the top of the hat. Tie off all of your ends but do NOT weave in to maintain that “just made by Ma Cobb” look.


Copyright © Nadine Borovicka 2008 All Rights Reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or distributed without written consent from the author.

Skully Fingerless Mitts - Knit

Skully Fingerless Mitts
Knit pattern by Nadine Borovicka
http://nadinescrafts.blogspot.com/
http://Nadinespatterns.blogspot.com/
I needed a project for a teenager’s graduation party. I crossed my fingers and hoped that skulls were still in fashion and tried my first attempt at duplicate stitch.

Download PDF Here

Materials:
Size 4 DPNs
Caron Simply Soft or similar yarn of your choice in two colors

Abbreviations:
DPN- Double pointed needles
MC – Main color
AC- Accent/ Duplicate stitch color
K – Knit
P – Purl
M1 – Make 1 (increase method)

Cast on 40 stitches. Place marker for the beginning of round (slip this marker every time you come to it).
Join in the round and work around in K2, P2 ribbing for 4 inches (or longer if you like)
Knit around for 3 rows.
Beginning Thumb:
M1, K2, M1, place second marker, K around (42 stitches)
Knit around
Knit around
M1, K4, M1, slip second marker, K around (44)
Knit around
Knit around
M1, K6, M1, slip second marker, K around (46)
Knit around
Knit around
M1, K8, M1, slip second marker, K around (48)
Knit around
Knit around
M1, K10, M1, slip second marker, K around (50)
Knit around
Knit around
P2 (K2, P2) 3 times, slip marker, K around
- Repeat row 16, four times.
Bind off 14 stitches, drop second marker, K around
Cast on two stitches using Knit On method, continue working in the round by joining to the next stitches, K around.
Starting at the marker indicating beginning of round, start K2, P2 ribbing and continue for 6 rows.
Bind off in pattern
Duplicate stitch skull onto back of mitts. Make sure to try on the mitts and find the center for the design. Trust me. Just laying the mitt flat and putting it on will give you a way off center design. Also feel free to graph out whatever design you want and put it on the back.

Graph for duplicate stitch.

Copyright © Nadine Borovicka 2008 All Rights Reserved. No part of this document may be reproduced or distributed without written consent from the author.