Video: My Spooky Cute Halloween Makes! (PLUS plans for more!)

 

I've been making all the Halloween themed items lately, so I decided to show all my latest projects :) Head over to My YouTube Channel or click the link below to scope out all my spooky cute makes.

 

Video Tutorial: Crochet the PERFECT Pumpkin! with FREE Pattern

 

This new video is an ode to the ultimate easy home decor project: The Small Pumpkin :) These are seriously so quick and easy to make - I made 5! This video has a step by step tutorial, but I'm also writing out the pattern here for anyone who prefers to have it typed out (that would be me, lol). So watch the video below and then scroll down to find the complete pattern. Enjoy!

Little Pumpkin Pattern:

Supplies:

• Approximately 1/2 a skein of Hobbii Honey Bunny Candy Halloween Yarn  in Pumpkin colorway (2 skeins makes 5 pumpkins)
• 10 grams Vanna's Choice yarn in Toffee colorway
• US H crochet hook
• Darning Needle
• 18mm craft eyes
• Polyfill
• Scrap of black yarn

Directions:

Pumpkin:

1. C2, SC 6 times into 2nd c from hook (6 sts)
2. SC 2 in each stitch (12 sts)
3. *SC 2 in next st, SC in next 1 st* repeat 6 times (18 sts)
4. *SC 2 in next st, SC in next 2 sts* repeat 6 times (24 sts)
5. *SC 2 in next st, SC in next 3 sts* repeat 6 times (30 sts)
6. *SC 2 in next st, SC in next 4 sts* repeat 6 times (36 sts)
7. *SC 2 in next st, SC in next 5 sts* repeat 6 times (42 sts)
8. *SC 2 in next st, SC in next 6 sts* repeat 6 times (48 sts)
9. - 14. SC around for 5 rows (48 sts)

    15. *SC2TOG, SC in next 6 st* repeat 6 times (42 sts)

    16. *SC2TOG, SC in next 5 st* repeat 6 times (36 sts)

    17. *SC2TOG, SC in next 4 st* repeat 6 times (30 sts)

Stop to add eyes: Place eyes on Row 9 or 10 with 5 stitches between them. Stuff body.

    18. *SC2TOG, SC in next 3 st* repeat 6 times (24 sts)

    19. *SC2TOG, SC in next 2 st* repeat 6 times (18 sts)

    20. *SC2TOG, SC in next 1 st* repeat 6 times (12 sts)

    21. *SC2TOG* repeat 6 times (6 sts)

    22. SC2TOG stitch 1 and 4. Fasten off leaving 2 foot long tail.

Thread tail through top center of pumpkin down into the center of the bottom of the pumpkin and pull tight to cinch down. Thread tail back up through the center of the body 1 stitch over from where you came out and pull to cinch down. Keep tension on the initial cinched section while you thread the tail through the center of the body again and wrap the tail around the outside of the body on one side of the face, threading back through the center top of the pumpkin and pull to cinch. Wrap tail yarn through the center of the body and around to make 5 cinched sections. Fasten off snugly to maintain the cinched shape.

Stem: 

1. With brown yarn, make magic loop and SC 6 sts (6 sts)
2. *SC2 in next st, SC 1 in next st* repeat 3 times (9 sts)
3. SC in each st (9 sts)
4. *SC2TOG in next st, SC 1 in next st* repeat 3 times
5. Fasten off. Sew to top divot on pumpkin body.

Embroider Mouth 2 rows down from eyes in the center 2 stitches.

Enjoy your new pumpkin!

FO Friday: Another Pumpkin Hat

After my first pumpkin hat came out so cute, I knew my nephew needed on too :) I actually started this project back in August, but I set it aside to finish some more pressing projects ... and just realized that it would be obsolete in a week if I didn't buckle down and get it done. Whoops! So, I've been working on it in my spare minutes this week (including at the DMV, lol). So, here is my new, slightly larger pumpkin baby hat!

I used the exact same yarn from the first hat (in fact it is the leftover yarn), Wool-Ease in Pumpkin and Avocado. This hat did take more yarn since the first was the newborn size and this is the 1-2 year old size, but I still have about 1/4 of a skein left of the orange :) 

The only thing I changed about this version of the hat is the stem. The pattern has you alternate between a knit row and a purl row the whole way up - I found this very hard to keep tension with while making the first hat, so it was very cumbersome. So this time around I just knitted the whole way up - done and done :)

I'm really happy with how the hat came out. The only problem - Luke HATES it, lol. He immediately pulls it off if you put it on him and if he can't get it off, he cries. You're welcome, kid. I even brought my nice camera with me to hopefully get a good picture of him wearing the hat for this post and this was as close as I got (and I had to get it with my phone).

He had just gotten a whole packet of sauce from my sister's lunch all over him, so he is wearing her "Bite Me" shirt lol. All the following pictures are of him crying/ripping it off and throwing it on the floor, lol. He does, however, think it's awesome and hilarious when other people wear his hat:

So at least we all had fun with my creation :) Hopefully I can slip it on him in his sleep or something for a cute picture, lol. Oh well, at least it's finished and I can focus on other projects now. Maybe my future children will be better with wearing hats!

WIP Wednesday

So this week has been the week of gift making. I've been on a serious knitting roll lately, so I was more than happy to start on a few pieces I've been planning.

I've been seriously looking forward to making this hat ever since I first saw it in a book about a year ago, but none of my prego friends and family were having girls! Until now :) I sent my friend Heather pictures of all the baby hat patterns I had and I was thrilled she chose this one :) This is the Pleated Cloche Hat from 60 Quick Baby Knits, which I borrowed form my local library. I'm using Cascade 220 Superwash in Aran, Salmon and Strawberry Pink. This is the project that spurned my stash buying fun last week. I'm so excited to get this one finished!

I liked the other pumpkin baby hat so much that I decided my nephew needed one too :) I also happened to have pretty much just enough orange yarn left over from the last hat too - bonus! This is the Little Pumpkin pattern from Itty-Bitty Hats by Susan B. Anderson. He's gonna look so cute as a pumpkin!

I also just finished up my secret project last night and it will be delivered today, so hopefully I can post about it tomorrow.

That's all that's cooking around here this week. To see what others have going on, check out Tami's Amis' Blog!

Knitting Update: Punkin' Head Baby Hat

lol I have no idea what the phrase punkin' head comes from, but that's what I think of every time I see this hat. A friend of mine is having a baby in October, so she requested a pumpkin hat. Of course I was happy to oblige :)

This is the Little Pumpkin pattern from the book Itty Bitty Hats by Susan B. Anderson. This was a really simple hat to make since it's mostly stockinette stitch. This was yet another affirmation that my giraffe really sped up my knitting. I was able to make this in just 2 nights! I remember it taking me a week or more to make the last knitted baby hats I made last September - granted it has been almost a year since then so it's natural I would be quicker and better by now. At least one would hope lol.

I made this hat using Lion Brand Wool-Ease yarn in the Pumpkin (of course) and Avocado colorways. I love how the ribbing creates the little puffed out sections like a real pumpkin. I wish they were slightly poofier, but I think if they were it wouldn't fit nicely on the head, so I really do like it just as it is. This is my first time working with Wool-Ease and I really liked it. It's nice and soft, but since it has a percentage of real wool it's also nice and warm.

I love the little leaf on the top. The way the pattern is written it comes out a little asymmetrical which I think makes it look more realistic. That stem was a pain in the butt though, lol. I could not for the life of me keep tension on so few stitches since they alternate between knit and purl rows. There aren't any holes or anything, but it's not as tight as I usually like. At least it looks cute :)

This is the hat in its natural state. I put a ball of yarn inside it for the other photos since i no longer have a baby model with the correct size head now (my nephew is 9 months and has a head the size of a 1 year old lol).

So that's one more baby item done :) I love making baby stuff! It's quick and fun and always turns out cute. I can't wait to see this on its new owner in October!