Dada's Place

Crochet wonderland

Crochet Shawlmania!

by Filed Under: Scarves and shawls 19 Comments

This winter I didn’t catch the flu. Or a cold. Or any other disease, for that matter. But, I did catch a shawlmania! Yes, totally! The whole December I didn’t do anything else but crochet different kinds of shawls. One for myself, one for my sister, one for my mother in law, one for my friend… I even started making the fifth one, but I haven’t finished it yet. And I’m not sure if I will, because I started several new projects in the meantime, and I’m not quite happy with how the shawl is developing…

I absolutely love all 4 shawls I made, and enjoyed making every single one of them.

The first shawl I made this winter is The Winifred shawl, the lovely pattern by The Loopy Stitch. The pattern is beautiful, and I really enjoyed making it. I decided to use the yarn I already had in my stash, Bodrum from Alize, 48% linen, 52% polyester, 280m/100g. I love that yarn. And I love how the shawl turned out.

I made this shawl for myself, and I haven’t blocked it yet. I know. This is how I treat myself. I shouldn’t treat myself like that. I’ve just soaked the shawl in wool wash, and I’m going to block it!

The second shawl I made is Victoria shawl, the pattern by Sandra Cherry Heart. The best thing about this shawl is the pattern itself. Don’t get me wrong the shawl is gorgeous, but Sandra did such a great job with this pattern. It’s very well written and clear (there are written instructions as well as the crochet chart, and there is even the stitch counts chart), I just loved how easy the process of making it was.

I used Angora Gold Simli, from Alize, 75% acrylic, 20% wool, 5% metalized polyester, 500m/100g

I made it as a Christmas present for my mother in law, and she is thrilled!

The third shawl was a real joy to make, because it is a butterfly shawl, and because I made it for my sister. She’s one of my favorite people on the planet. She loves butterflies, always taking pictures of them; they often fly down on her hand. I’m a dog person myself. She’s a butterfly person.

So, what other shawl to make for a butterfly person but a butterfly shawl? The pattern is called Butterfly Stitch Prayer Shawl, by Debi Adams, and it is a free Ravelry download.

For this project I chose really lovely yarn from Alize, Cotton Gold Tweed, sprinkled with small colorful particles, which I thought butterflies would like. It is 57% cotton, 40% acrylic, 3% polyester, 330m/100g

So, I enjoyed crocheting this shawl for my sister. I made it as a birthday present, and she apparently loves it because I often see her wearing it.

And my last finished shawl this winter was Abrupt shawl by Rebecca Velasquez. I love that pattern. I love how geometrical and modern it looks. I loved it so much that I actually started on the second one, but I’m not quite in love with the colors I had chosen, so maybe I won’t finish it, but I would like to make at least one more with different colors and different yarn. Maybe something wooly, next time.

I now realized that this is the only shawl that I didn’t make with Alize yarn. That’s very strange, considering that I almost always use cotton yarn, like Tango, Golf, Tanja, or other yarn made by some domestic manufacturer. I don’t know what happened. Maybe I wanted to try some new yarn, to try something different. So, for this one I used my beloved Tanja 100% cotton yarn, 125m/50g (from Bimtex, Serbia) three different shades of blue. And I absolutely adore it.

I made it for my dear friend, who is also my English teacher, and besides my sister, my greatest cheerleader.

Shawlmania has passed me, but I’m afraid that I’ve just caught another bug, knitmania, to be precise. The signs of knitmania have been present for a while now. I’ve been watching knitting podcasts for months, even though I can’t knit, and this past weekend while I was watching some of Kristy Glass’ knit podcasts, I got a strong desire to try knitting. It was Saturday afternoon, all craft stores were closed and I didn’t have any knitting needles (because I’m not a knitter and I can’t knit). But I was so eager to start, you aren’t going to believe this, but I took some wooden kebab skewers and just had a go. It wasn’t so bad, actually. I managed to knit maybe 20 to 30 quite decent looking rows, especially taking into account that they were made with kebab skewers! I practiced casting on, and some basic stitches like the knit stitch, the purl stitch and the seed stitch. Now, writing this, I’m thinking about what shawl pattern I should try first, should I knit something easy, or should I try to make something more demanding, what yarn to buy, or maybe I already have some yarn I could use… my brain is very busy at the moment. So, knitmania, it is. If you are not a knitter don’t worry. Crochet is still my first love, and I will continue to crochet and make patterns, at least when knitmania passes me by.

Free Crochet Pattern: The Whisper of Joy Blanket

by Filed Under: Crochet baby blanket patterns, Crochet blankets, Free crochet patterns 21 Comments

I named this blanket “The Whisper Of Joy” because it reminds me of childhood, of that carefree time when joy was an important part of almost every long, seemingly endless day. So, I tried to bring you at least a little joy with this colorful and easy to make free blanket pattern.

Now, you might be wondering “why a free pattern?” The answer is: because I know that you love free stuff, and I appreciate you very much, my loyal followers, and I wanted to give you something! The free crochet pattern is the best gift for anyone who enjoys crocheting, especially making crochet blankets. (As I do.) So, here it is, my gift to you!

This blanket is made of 64 granny squares. Each square has only four rows. The squares are joined with single crochet. The border is very simple and has 5 rows.

This tutorial is written in US crochet terms.

Skill level: Advanced beginner – Intermediate

Yarn: Alize
● 2 skeins of Alize Cotton Gold Batik 3304 – color A (100g/330m 3.53Oz/361yds)
● 3 skeins of Alize Cotton Gold 62 – color B (100g/330m 3.53Oz/361yds)

Crochet hook: 4 mm (US – G / 6)

Size: 82 cm (32”) x 82 cm (32”)

Gauge: the square measures 10 cm (4”) x 10 cm (4”)

Stitch guide:

Chain stitch (ch): Yarn over, draw yarn through loop on hook.

Slip stitch (slip st): Insert the hook into stitch, yarn over and draw yarn through stitch and through loop on your hook.

Single crochet (sc): Insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, and draw yarn through both loops on hook.

Half double crochet (hdc): Yarn over, insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, and draw yarn through three loops on hook.

Double crochet (dc): Yarn over, insert hook into stitch, pull up a loop (three loops on hook), yarn over, draw yarn through two loops, yarn over, draw yarn through two remaining loops on hook.

Treble crochet (tr): Yarn over twice, insert hook into stitch, pull up a loop (four loops on hook), yo, draw yarn through two loops (three loops on hook), yo, draw yarn through two loops (two loops on hook), yo, draw yarn through two remaining loops on hook.

5 dc Popcorn stitch: ch-3, make 4 dc in same space, drop loop from hook, insert hook from front to back between ch-3 and first dc, grab dropped loop, yarn over, draw yarn through two loops on hook.

Standing single crochet: Make a slip knot on your hook. Insert hook into stitch, yarn over, pull up a loop, yarn over, and draw yarn through both loops on hook.

So, let’s get started!

With Color A: We will start with a magic ring. Make ch-5 in the ring. (counts as tr + ch-1) – Picture 1

Make * tr, ch-1 in the ring. – Picture 2

Repeat from * ten more times; you should have 12 tr, ch-1 between each tr. – Picture 3

Pull the yarn tail and close the ring. – Picture 4

Join with slip st to the fourth chain of the initial ch-5. – Picture 5

Make slip st in the next ch-1 space. – Picture 6

Make ch-3. Now, we’re going to make a beginning popcorn stitch. – Picture 7

Make 4 dc in the same space; – Picture 8

Drop the loop from your hook and insert it into the third chain of the initial ch-3. – Picture 9

Grab the dropped loop with your hook, yarn over, – Picture 10

and pull the yarn through both loops on the hook. The first popcorn is finished! – Picture 11

Make ch-3, – Picture 12

then 5 dc in the next ch-1 space; – Picture 13

Drop the loop from your hook and insert it under both loops of the first dc of the group of 5 dc; – Picture 14

Grab the dropped loop, yarn over, – Picture 15

and draw the yarn through both loops on your hook; make ch-3; – Picture 16

Make * 5 dc popcorn stitch in the next ch-1 space, ch-3; – Picture 17

Repeat from * nine more times; – Picture 18

Join with slip st to the top of the beginning popcorn. You should have 12 popcorns with ch-3 between each popcorn. – Picture 19

Insert Color B into any ch-3 space and make ch-3; – Picture 20

make dc in the same space; – Picture 21

make 4 dc in the next ch-3 space; – Picture 22

Continue making 4 dc into each ch-3 space, until you reach the beginning of the round; – Picture 23

make 2 dc in the first ch-3 space where you’ve already made ch-3 and dc; (48 dc) – Picture 24

Join with slip st to the top of the initial ch-3; – Picture 25

make ch-2 (counts as hdc), then hdc in the next dc; – Picture 26

make dc in the next 3 dc; – Picture 27

 make tr in the same stitch, where you’ve just made dc; – Picture 28

(tr, ch-2, tr) in the next dc; – Picture 29

make * (tr, dc) in the next stitch, dc in the next 2 dc, hdc in the next 5 dc, dc in the next 2 dc, (dc, tr) in the next dc, (tr, ch-2, tr) in the next dc; – Picture 30

repeat from * two more times; – Picture 31

make (tr, dc) in the next dc, dc in the next 2 dc, hdc in the next 3 dc; – Picture 32

Now, we’re going to make an invisible join. Cut the yarn and pull it through the stitch. – Picture 33

Thread the tapestry needle. Skip the initial ch-2 and insert your needle under both loops of the next hdc, from back to front and pull it through. – Picture 34

Insert your needle back to the last hdc you made, through the back loop only and pull it through. – Picture 35

Weave in the yarn end.

The finished square! – Picture 36

How to join the squares

● When you finish all 64 squares needed for the blanket, it’s time to join them together. We’re going to join our squares with single crochet.
● We will first join together all the horizontal rows, and then all the vertical rows.
● We’ll start from the top right-hand corner and we’ll join the squares together from right to left.
● I decided to join my squares with the same color I used for the background, but you can choose to use some contrast color, and make the blanket even more interesting and unique.
● For the best result block your squares before joining.

Lay out your squares in the way you want them to appear on the blanket. – Picture 37

I like to make a pile of squares for each row – so I don’t have to think about which square I should join next. – Picture 38

Now, we’re going to join our first two horizontal rows together, so, take the first two squares, one from the first pile and one from the second pile. – Picture 39

Put them together – facing wrong sides together. Line up your squares so the edges and stitches match. – Picture 40

Make a slip knot on your hook, because we’re going to make a standing single crochet. – Picture 41

Insert the hook from front to back through ch-2 space of both squares, and make standing sc (yo, pull up a loop, yo, and draw the yarn through both loops on your hook). Make sc in the same space. – Picture 42

Now, we’re going to make sc in the next stitch. Be sure to pull the hook through both squares, and both loops – front and back. – Picture 43

Work 1 sc in each stitch until you reach the left corner of the square. Make 1 sc in ch-2 space. – Picture 44

Take the next two squares facing wrong sides together and lean them against the first two squares. – Picture 45

Keeping them close together, make 1 sc in ch-2 space. – Picture 46

Keep working 1 sc in every stitch. When you’ve joined the second pair of squares, take another 2 and repeat the procedure until you join all 8 pairs of squares. – Picture 47

When you reach the corner of the last pair of squares, make 2 sc in ch-2 space. Fasten off. – Picture 48

These are our two first horizontal rows joined together. – Picture 49

Now, we will join the third row to the second one.

Take a square from your third pile and hold it against the first square of the second row, facing wrong sides together. – Picture 50

Make standing sc in ch-2 of the corner, then 1 sc in the same space. Continue joining the third row in the same way you joined the first two horizontal rows. Don’t forget to make 2 sc in the left corner of the last pair of squares. – Picture 51

Continue joining horizontal rows in the same way you’ve already joined your first three rows. To finish joining all 8 horizontal rows, you need to repeat this procedure five more times. – Picture 52

We will join the vertical rows in the same way we joined the horizontal rows. We’ll work from right to left. Start with the squares in the upper right hand corner.

Make standing sc in ch-2 space of the corner, sc in the same space, work 1 sc in each stitch, until you reach the join of two squares; – Picture 53

make 1 hdc in the last stitch before the join, ch-1, 1 hdc in the first stitch after the join. – Picture 54

Continue joining the squares until you join together all of your vertical rows. Don’t forget to make 2 sc in the left corner of the last pair of squares of each row. Weave in the yarn ends. – Picture 55

Now, we just have to make our simple border.

We will start the border in the fourth stitch to the right of the left corner. – Picture 56

Attach the yarn and make ch-2 (counts as hdc), make hdc in the next three stitches; – Picture 57

make (hdc, ch-3, hdc) in the next ch-2 space; – Picture 58

Continue making 1 hdc in each stitch. When you reach the join of two squares, make hdc in the last stitch before the join, and hdc in the first stitch after the join. – Picture 59

Make 1 hdc in each stitch around the blanket, in the corners make: (hdc, ch-3, hdc) in ch-2 space. – Picture 60

When you reach the beginning of the row, join with slip stitch to the top of the beginning ch-2; make slip stitch in the next hdc. – Picture 61

make ch-4 (counts as dc + ch-1), skip the next hdc, make dc in the next hdc; – Picture 62

ch-1, skip the next hdc, (dc, ch-3, dc) in the next ch-3 space; – Picture 63

* ch-1, skip the next hdc, dc in the next hdc; repeat from * around the blanket. In the corners make (dc, ch-3, dc) in ch-3 space. When you reach the beginning of the row, ch-1, join with slip st to the third chain of the initial ch-4; we’ve just completed the second row of the border. The third row is the same as the second, so make ch-4 (counts as dc + ch-1), skip the next ch-1 space, dc in the next dc; work ch-1, skip the next ch-1 space, dc in the next dc around the blanket. In the corners make: (dc, ch-3, dc) in ch-3 space. – Picture 64

When you reach the beginning of the row, join with slip st to the third chain of the initial ch-4, then repeat the third row. – Picture 65

Join with slip st to the third chain of the initial ch-4; – Picture 66

Now, we’re going to make a simple row of single crochet along the blanket.

make ch-1, sc in the same stitch; – Picture 67

* make sc in the next ch-1 space, sc in the next dc; repeat from * around the blanket; – Picture 68

in the corners make 3 hdc in ch-3 space; – Picture 69

We will finish the blanket with an invisible join, so cut the yarn and pull it through the stitch. Thread a tapestry needle. – Picture 70

skip ch-1 and insert your needle under both loops of the next sc, from back to front and pull it through; – Picture 71

insert your needle into the last sc you made, in back loop only, from front to back and pull it through. – Picture 72

This is how my invisible join looks. – Picture 73

Feel free to sell the finished products made from this pattern, but please link back to my site: dadasplace for credit. And, please don’t use my pictures to sell your work.

Although this pattern is free, it is copyright protected, so please don’t sell or publish this pattern anywhere, don’t translate it, or make YouTube videos without my permission. Thank you for respecting my work!

Hope you will like the pattern, and maybe will try it out! If so, I would love to see it! Please be free to share it to my Facebook page, or on Instagram, and use hash tag #whisperofjoyblanket. I’m looking forward to seeing your beautiful creations, and that will bring me a lot of joy!

My Crochet Drawstring Project Bag

by Filed Under: Crochet bags 10 Comments

I’ve just recently started to watch crochet and knitting podcasts, and watching them I discovered project bags. I’m not sure how is it even possible, but I really hadn’t known they existed! Can you imagine that?

I really liked the idea that when you finish working on your project for the day, you put it away into a beautiful project bag. Nice and neat. So I decided to make at least one for myself. Although all of the beautiful project bags I saw in those podcasts were sewn, and I have some experience in sewing, I didn’t want to sew my bag, I wanted to crochet it. And I did just that. I made myself colorful and happy crochet project bag! And I really like it!

I didn’t put too much thought into how to make it. I just grabbed my crochet hook, some colorful yarn from my stash, and started. Choosing the next color was my favorite part of the process, so I finished the bag quite quickly.

The bag isn’t too big, it’s approximately 26 cm (10″) wide and 33 cm (13″) long, and it’s ideal for smaller crochet projects like amigurimies, scarves, pillows or shawls.

It’s very simple and easy to do crochet project. I worked it in single crochet, made in back loops only.
I started with a long chain of 56 stitches, and then worked around it. After four rows, I stopped increasing and worked the next 82 rows 1 sc into each stitch. I joined the rows with slip stitch.

The yarn: I used 100% cotton yarn “Tango” and “Golf” from St. George, 125m/50g and 3.5 mm crochet hook.

And if you’re wondering who is that cute little sheep helping my photos look more interesting and appealing, it’s Anita, the sheep. I made her using the pattern from the “Amigurumi globetrotters” book by Ilaria Caliri. Nice book, by the way.

P.S. If you’re wondering which are my favorite crochet and knitting podcasts, I would say that my favorite crochet podcast is Potter and bloom, and my favorite knitting podcast is probably Yarngasm.