{Mug Sweater TUTORIAL}

Happy Thursday to you! I hope you have enjoyed Crochet Week so far! If you're stopping by for the first time today, be sure to scroll through the other posts!

Today I'm releasing my Mug Sweater pattern as a FREE tutorial woohoo!!

Click HERE to download the full pattern! Or you can reference the embedded portion below. Enjoy!

   Granny Square Mug Sweater Pattern

Don't forget that this week only you can take 10% off my One Skein Infinity Scarf Pattern with the code INFINITY10.

Happy Stitching!

{Crochet Roundup: Great projects for beginners}

I love to crochet during the fall and winter months. There's just something so cozy about curling up on the couch with a quilt and some brightly colored yarn that just makes me so happy!

Are you learning to crochet? Or at least wanting to learn? If you are, I've put together a fun round-up of projects that I think are great for newbies! These projects are all made with basic stitches and will build upon your new found skill. They all come together relatively quickly so you'll be patting yourself on the back in no time!

Here are links to all of these projects:

1. Wash Cloth

2. Bow

3. Granny Square

4. Infinity Scarf

5. Beanie

6. Afghan

The patterns are all really simple to follow and I've made each of them multiple times! Want to see my most recent accomplishments? Ok!

This was my very first crochet blanket and I just adore it! It's HUGE!!!! I made it way bigger than the original tutorial (which is a baby blanket). I ended up using 3 skeins of each color (9 total). I went with the Red Heart Super Saver yarn on this project. I got it on mega sale so the cost of the blanket was under $30. Way cheap! I decided to add a little granny stripe type border to the blanket just to give it a finished look. I love the way it turned out! Really nice Sunday naps have been happening.

My first granny square pillow!!! These were the very first grannies I ever made. I actually made them last summer and it's taken me this long to do something with them! The tutorial that I've linked you to shows you how to sew them together as well. In hindsight, it would have been better to border them all in the same color, but this was my first go and I'm pleased with it. I found a lot of inspiration on Pinterest for pretty pillows, but no great methods for constructing them so I came up with one on my own. Tutorial coming soon :) 

I hope you're inspired to learn to crochet! It's so fun I promise!

Have a happy day friends!

{Crochet Pattern: Granny Square Mug Sweater}

Hi friends! I hope your new year if off to a great start! Teaching yourself to crochet this year? Well, I have a super fun new pattern for you!

Mug Sweater Pattern

This darling "Mug Sweater" is perfect for keeping your hands cool and your drink warm! This takes a very small amount of yarn and only about an hour of time so it's a perfect way to use up all those scraps you have laying around. So fun to make and it's a really sweet gift when given with a mug and a favorite tea or coffee.

***In the pattern, I link to a GREAT video tutorial by my friend Melanie on how to make and join the granny squares so no worries if you don't know how to make them yet...they are easy and FUN!!!

Materials:
Worsted Weight Yarn
Size 4 mm hook (US G)
Yarn Needle
Button

Stitches/techniques needed:
Granny Square
Joining Squares
SC
DC
Chain stitch
Slip Stitch

Check out the pattern in the shop!

Happy Stitching!

{resolutions…learning a new skill}

Hi friends! Happy Wednesday to you! I am not great with resolutions, but I do love learning new things! Last year I re-taught myself to crochet. I learned the basics when I was about 10 years old, but never made anything until last year!

 

image via

Over the last few months, curling up on the couch with a quilt and a skein of yarn has been one of my very favorite things to do! I have successfully mastered two items that I am in LOVE with!!!

The Urban Turban {pattern here}

and the Brimmed Beanie {pattern here}

Do you want to learn to crochet or knit this year??? If so, then I HIGHLY recommend checking out Tricoast Online. They have an AMAZING selection of DVD’s, downloads, and kits that make learning the skills of crochet and knit easy and so much fun!!!

They sent me this kit to review that helps to teach kids to crochet and the best part…the teaching is done by a little boy! How cool is that! I will definitely be using it to teach my son! I think it would be great for him to use something other than the DS to keep his hands busy! 

Head on over to Tri-Coast now because they are offering special holiday pricing! 20% off the whole store including their brand new ebook download!

Have fun learning your new skill! I can’t wait to hear all about what you’re making! I off to get more yarn and park myself on the couch today!

Elizabeth

{a week in phone pics} InstaFriday!

We had a very exciting (mmmkay not so much) week! Here are some highlights from our everyday…

I crocheted a few coffee cuffs and stuck a fabric ruffle on them. Love.

My dining room table looked like this for about a week…it’s folded and put away now. Pinky promise.

Someone gets to be “Dark Vader” for Halloween and is VERY excited about it! Thank you Target for your very cost effective costumes :)

I finished this lovely cowl/circle scarf thingy. It was really fun to make. It’s GINORMOUS. I’m going to need some snow stat. Too bad I live in Orange County! You can find the tutorial HERE.

Our Trader Joes has an awesome drawing board and the little man got artsy with a stegosaurus! Lots of spikes…

This was a very tasty and healthy lite lunch (not a great pic…sorry!). I had it everyday this week! Here’s what I did…made 2 cups of brown rice in my rice cooker (to make it not so bland I added some olive oil, salt, garlic, and basil-the frozen kind from TJ’s), added the zest and juice of a lemon, about 8 chopped cherry tomatoes, 10 sliced kalamata olives, a can of tuna in oil (drained),  and a few tsps of capers. Makes about 4 1 cup servings. YUM. I plan on having it for lunch again next week too!

Saved the best for last. My kid is awesome. For reals. He got real quiet in his room the other night and when we went to check on him, he surprised us with this “Happy Mom & Dad Day” party! Complete with fake food and a twirly light show. Love him! October 17th is officially Mom & Dad day at our house!

What did you do this week? Hope you made some memories. Go link up with Jeanette!

Elizabeth

{learning a new skill}

Hi friends! I am in the process of re-teaching myself to crochet. I was taught the  basics when I was 10, but never actually made anything. I see all kinds of pretty crocheted things on Pinterest and have been wanting to really learn.

Check out some of theses pretties I pinned this week!

To practice my new skill, I have been making some Urban Turban Headbands. It’s a great pattern. They are really simple and have been a great way for me to practice. Here is my first one. My very first completed crochet project EVER!!! It’s definitely not perfect, but I did it all by myself! I love crocheted accessories. They are so cozy and fall-y…to bad it’s been 100 degrees all week! Global climate change…ugh. 

  It’s been a pretty rough week in our house. The little man is really struggling. Anyhow, having some downtime to sit and crochet has been very therapeutic for me. So far, I have finished 3. The mustard one is the best. I had an “aha moment” about halfway through that one and it turned out really good!

And since I can’t not sew for more than a few days {craft ADD} I made a super cute Crochet Hook Clutch following THIS TUTORIAL. Love it. Something cute to hold all my essentials!

It lives in my yarn tub with all my pretty yarn.

In case you want to learn this wonderful skill too…go get this booklet from Michael’s. I got it a few years ago, but they still have it. 

The lessons are really easy to follow and it really did only take a day while the little man was at school! Don’t worry, I won’t be making an afghan or doll dress anytime soon! I’ll stick to the cute accessories thankyouverymuch.

Happy Friday everyone!

Elizabeth

P.S...since the feedback on these was so great, I went ahead and listed them in THE SHOP. They are made to order so specify your color preference at checkout!