Breaking News

  The ladies of the Pacific Algona Community Center have now completed 200 handmade Purple Baby Hats to donate to hospitals as a way of educating new parents of shaken baby syndrome. More information for this project can be found in the crochet section of this blog as well as a really cute pattern.

Simple Baby Blanket

  I get these ideas…sometimes when I look at the simplest things.  These are baby blankets that sell at Walgreens for about a dollar.  They are are actually sold in three packs for three dollars a pack. When I looked at them I noticed they had a blanket stitch to finish them and a blanket stitch can be a great anchor for a simple crocheted border. so I bought a couple of packs eons ago. I added a border while watching TV. And like I said in an earlier post I turn all my small bits of yarn into roses and leaves that I can pull out and add to a project on a whim.

 

They come in lots of patterns in pinks blues and yellows. This is a very fast project, and can be completed using up scrap yarn. They make great baby shower gifts too.

  I didn’t want to post a border stitch pattern because I seldom use the same one and I make them up as I go. This particular one is a shell border and a second row of two chains and a picot in the top of each shell from the first row. I hope you enjoy this little project. Have a great week , with love from the Victorian Rabbit.

Crocheted Spa Style Wash Cloths

  This year for Christmas I have decided to make spa gift baskets.  They will include many things all hand make including these.  They are 100% cotton. hypoallergenic washcloths. They have hang tags so they can hang to dry right on your faucet. I have them currently in all rooms of my house. They are very good at exfoliating skin, yet they work well also for doing dishes as I have found.

  These are my citrus version…

  At Christmas time I think a basket of these in a guest bathroom with a tag suggesting your guests take one would be a sweet surprise. The smaller ones are facial scrubbers. They are made by cutting the original pattern in half. and making a two level rose instead of three. I want to attach pretty vellum bags. and soap that looks like peppermint bark from the Soap Queens Blog.

 

  These are some for our frog bathroom.  The colors are actually much brighter.

 

  These are set I made for my sister’s oh so French bathroom.  By the way Sherrie I finally got them done.

  I made a dozen of these that sit in a basket by my kitchen sink.

 

  One cone of sugar and cream cotton yarn makes about 11-12 of these so I have lots of purple too.

  How about one for your favorite child?

  These I use in my bathroom.

  When going to the gym they are perfect to slid around your wrist to not take a chance of dropping on the shower floor. (Maybe its me, but, after seeing the germ count of public showers. a dropped cloth would not be reused).

  I recently took a part time job working with brain injured people, and couldn’t help but think how useful these could be for them( with the wrist handle)

  So now you are probably asking how do you make a double sided round wash cloth?  Lets start with the basics….

  The original pattern is called a Tawashi and can be printed from this site http://www.craftstylish.com/item/43848/how-to-crochet-a-tawashi

  Once you have made the cloth and and are closing the final seam. cut an eleven inch piece of macramé cord. Tie the ends together with a slip knot. lay your knotted piece into seam at the point it will be at top of finished cloth and continue closing seam. You do not have to sew in knot, just closing the seam will hold cord in place.

  Next step add two crocheted leaves and a crocheted rose.http://www.ehow.com/how_6346265_instructions-crochet-rose-flower.html

  Before you sew on your rose you need to make two leaves.http://attic24.typepad.com/weblog/crochet-flowers-and-leaves.html

  This is a different leave than I usually use, I will continue to search for a pattern like mine.

  I have made well over a hundred of these, as I figure any that are not given as gifts for Christmas I can add to my Christmas Craft booth. I will be adding several more projects for spa gifts as all will be used for my spa baskets. Have a great week with love from The Victorian Rabbit.

   

Click Your Needles for Babies

 

May 17 2011……

Now that the donations have started pouring in it is time to really get this party started. Below are are just a few of the many purple hats that have been donated by the lovely ladies at the Rainer Vista Apartments in Pacific Washington. They are knitted on a round loom.

 

 Hey wait a minute where did this one come from? Apparently someone didn’t follow the instructions.  No wait a minute…he is starting to look a little familiar. Could it be ? Yes that is my little brown mouse hat ( made from the same pattern)…Hmmmm… I guess he snuck in to remind us all to just have fun with this project. Yeah that’s what he meant…unhuh.

 

  We even have our Mascot crocheting away for the cause…How about you?

May 7 2011…(This is where it all began)

  At work many of us crafters are working hard on a charity project. We are making purple Hats for babies to help educate new parents about the period of purple crying. It is a normal but frustrating time when babies tend to cry more in the first few weeks and months of life. The purple hats will be given to new parents at Seattle Children's Hospital (as well as nine other hospitals) in the month of November, as a reminder not to shake your baby to get them to stop crying. Frustration with crying is the number one reason a parent shakes and harms a baby. To learn more about this cause please visit www.clickforbabies.org-or Twitter@PurpleCrying 

  My friend Maggie has created a pattern and will be offering this pattern for the cause.  I have crocheted little hats and booties for preemies in the past. This project was right up my alley. I have created some not purple ones just to donate for the celebration of a new life.

This is my friend Maggie who created the pattern offered today.  As you can see she is so good she can make hats with her eyes closed. Thanks Maggie. The hats in front of her are all variations of her pattern.

  Notice the lovely purple Bracelet Maggie is wearing , these are being given to all who participate in this project.

New Born Hat Pattern

G hook and regular yarn

Step 1: Chain 2- then 6 sc in the second chain

Step 2: 2 sc in each stitch around

Step 3: 2 sc in the next stitch, 1sc in the next

Step 4: 2 sc in the next stitch, 1 sc in the next 2 stitches- repeat to finish row.

Step 5; 2 sc in the next stitch and 1 sc in the next 3- repeat to finish row.

Step 6: 2 sc in the next stitch and 1 sc in the next 4- repeat to finish row.

Step 7: 2 sc in the next stitch and 1 sc in the next 5- repeat to finish row.

Step 8; 1 sc in all stitches of this row-repeat the row 11 times

Step 9; sc in each stitch but only in the back of each stitch to complete row.

Step 10; sc crochet in every stitch to complete this row-repeat this row 4 times.

This completes the basic pattern. I have added a row of shells to mine. if you want to do this:

When you get to the last stitch do a slip stitch. then reverse the direction, do a sc in the last stitch of last row (you’ll be doing this in the direction your came from) skip a stitch in the next stitch do 2 double crochet, two chain stitches,2 double crochet, skip a stitch do a sc- repeat to finish the row and tie off.

I added a rose and leaf to each just to make more special.

When I was little I would watch my grandmother make small granny squares from her yarn when there wasn’t enough for another project (this was when yarn had dye lots) so she wouldn’t waste any. She would use the squares to make lap afghans for local nursing homes and gifts. I decided to take her lead. I use all my scrap yarn to make roses and add them to many projects. I always have a large bag of them. My scrap green yarn is made into leaves.  I hope you enjoy this project. Have a great week, with love from the Victorian Rabbit.