Kitty Stuff!

My new job is at a lovely little toy store in the north bay called A Child's Delight. It's a lot of fun and it has helped furnish my budding Re-ment collection (maybe you'll get some pictures soon?), and I really enjoy working with the public. This past sunday the mall that one of the stores is located in was having a trick-or-treat for the kids, with every store handing out candy. We were encouraged to come in costume so I busted out ye olde fox tail and cosplay ears, plus a set of really realistic fangs and I went to work. Only one other person dressed up, and she was only there for 3 hours! It was fun being the odball in costume; the kids and parents alike loved it, and it was extra funny because the fangs give me a lisp when I wear them. Though the tail is by far the best part of the costume. People see me coming and they smile at the ears, then when I say hello they say "Oh my," when they see my fangs, but the best part is after I passed them by I hear them exclaim behind me "Oh my God look at her tail!" Lol! It's a real fox tail I picked up at a ren faire some years ago and it swishes when I walk, almost like it was meant to be there. I swear I must have been a cat in a past life, lol. Anywho, feeling very catty I came home and crocheted a basket for Kyoto's toys to live in. They're always getting everywhere and were in desperate need of a home, and he likes digging around in them. It's made from scraps that ammounted to less than 2 balls of Sugar'n Cream cotton yarn in natural, though if you wanted to make one I bet one of the new large size balls they're selling would be the perfect ammount. I did a few rows in the middle from some leftover hemp, the same stuff I used in my first zakka bag. It's fairly large and I used an H hook so it's a tight weave so it'll be durable. Here's the pattern if you'd like to make one for your goodies that need a home.

Round 1: Start with an adjustable loop and crochet 6 single crochet (sc) into the loop and join with a slip stitch. (6sc)

Round 2: 2 sc in every sc. (12 sc)

Round 3: *1 sc in first sc, 2sc in next* Repeat from * around. Do not join any other rounds. (18 sc)

Round 4: *1 sc in next 2 sc, 2 sc in next* Repeat from * around. (24 sc)

Round 5: *1 sc in next 3 sc, 2 sc in next* Repeat from * around. (30 sc)

Round 6: *1 sc in next 4 sc, 2 sc in next* Repeat from * around. (36 sc)

Round 7: *1 sc in next 5 sc, 2 sc in next* Repeat from * around. (42 sc)

Round 8: *1 sc in next 6 sc, 2 sc in next* Repeat from * around. (48 sc)

Round 9: *1 sc in next 7 sc, 2 sc in next* Repeat from * around. (54 sc)

Round 10: *1 sc in next 8 sc, 2 sc in next* Repeat from * around. (60 sc)

Round 11: *1 sc in next 9 sc, 2 sc in next* Repeat from * around. (66 sc)

Round 12: *1 sc in next 10 sc, 2 sc in next* Repeat from * around. (72 sc)

Round 13: *1 sc in next 11 sc, 2 sc in next* Repeat from * around. (78 sc)

Round 14: *1 sc in next 12 sc, 2 sc in next* Repeat from * around. (84 sc)

Round 15: *1 sc in next 13 sc, 2 sc in next* Repeat from * around. (90 sc)

Round 16: *1 sc in next 14 sc, 2 sc in next* Repeat from * around. (96 sc)

Round 17: *1 sc in next 15 sc, 2 sc in next* Repeat from * around. (102 sc)

Round 18: *1 sc in next 16 sc, 2 sc in next* Repeat from * around. (108 sc)

Round 19: *1 sc in next 17 sc, 2 sc in next* Repeat from * around. (114 sc)

Round 20: *1 sc in next 18 sc, 2 sc in next* Repeat from * around. (120 sc)

Rounds 21-25: 1 sc in each sc around. (120 sc) Switch to hemp yarn at end of round 25.

Rounds 26-28: With hemp, 1 sc in each sc around. (120 sc) Switch back to cotton yarn at end of round 28.

(At this point if you're tired of crocheting you can do 3 to 5 more rows of cotton and bind off, but I did more mostly to use up yarn and because I wanted a rolled rim for the basket, inspired by this one from Little Miss Meshell, who is no longer blogging unfortunately.)

Rounds 29-41: sc in each sc around and bind off. (120 sc)

Roll the hem over and enjoy your basket!

Meow! =^. .^=

If you have found this or any of my other free patterns useful and would like to help me keep creating them I accept PayPal donations!

Sad news, but hey, you get a free pattern out of it!

So I recently found out that Artfibers is due to close its doors some time in January and I'm so sad! But I guess that means they won't be making a kit out of my pattern for the Manly Skull Scarf, so I decided to post it here for free, just in time for Halloween! It's a really simple scarf, worked entirely in half-double crochet (HDC).

To start, you'll need 1 skein each of white and black bernat super soft yarn and a size K crochet hook. There's some great tutorials out there for how to change colors of yarn as you work, my favorite is here. It also explains a bit about crocheting over the unused yarn. Oh, and you'll need this handy-dandy sketch I did:

Row 1: With black, chain (ch) 28.

Row 2: Skip the first 2 chains from the hook, HCD in 3rd ch from hook, HDC in each remaining ch.

Rows 3-5: Ch 2, turn. HDC in each remaining HDC.

Row 6: Ch 2, turn. HDC in next 8 sts, switch to white yarn at end of 8th st, and HDC with white in the next 10 sts, making sure to encase the black yarn so it stays with you as you work. Switch back to black and HDC in the last 8 sts.

Rows 7-22: Follow the gridded skull above, changing yarn colors accordingly. Be sure to encase the unused yarn and chain 2 before turning every row!

Rows 23-100: Ch 2, turn. HDC in black in each st.

Rows 101-117: Ch 2, turn. Work the same skull grid from the top of the skull down.

Rows 118-121: Ch 2, turn. HDC in black in each remaining st.

Bind off and enjoy!

If you have found this or any of my other free patterns useful and would like to help me keep creating them I accept PayPal donations!

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First Friday (a little late...)

I got to go to another art night in downtown and it was awesome, as usual. Dennis, Angela, Fred, Allison, and I did our usual rounds starting at Mamabuzz and going from there. I just wanted to mention one of my favorite galleries, Oakoppolis. It's a great gallery connected with the coolest little boutique called Moon. They're down a little alleyway near Gold's Gym off of Broadway. I love all the handmade artsy goodies they have there. This time they had some neat abstract knit dresses on display.

I want one! This time was also extra cool because there were a few interactive pieces of art, like a poster asking you to draw a two headed dancing snorphulblat. Lots of other first Friday goodness at my flickr, here.