Crochet

Journée Tote Bag

/ reginaalexisweiss / 2 Comments

For a couple of years after completing my college degree I had fallen out of the habit of reading just for fun, but lately I have gotten my old enthusiasm back in a big way! I remember having my head buried in a book whenever the slightest opportunity arose growing up, and that love for literature stuck with me into adulthood, although the opportunities became a little harder to come by 😉

Since renewing my reading habits I find myself haunting the local book shop and hunting through the bookshelves at thrift stores, much in need of a sturdy tote bag to stash my new finds. I imagined a cute striped number JUST big enough for a few fat books and some little extras as a companion to my bookstore-café days.

Get the written pattern for the Journée Tote bag exclusively in my pattern shops via Ravelry, Etsy, or Ko-Fi now – or keep reading for more details on the design and how to get this new pattern on sale!

The Journée Tote was named after the French word for day, as I imagined it holding my books and journals during my journeys through the bookstores and cafés du jour. This sturdy bag is densely stitched in simple single crochet, using sleek mercerized cotton yarn in rich colors to create a pretty and modern piece that steals the show from flat white canvas alternatives!

With customizable strap length and optional button fastening, this bag can go anywhere from the campus to the coast and keep your belongings safe at your side – the tight stitch structure means no fabric lining is needed to keep even small objects from falling through!

The written pattern includes detailed, step-by-step instructions with accompanying tutorial photos, all numbered and referenced. Follow the exact color instructions to make the bag pictured, or customize your own colored stripe scheme to match your wardrobe – also makes a good project for using up scraps of #4 weight cotton yarn.

Materials:
3.5 mm hook (or size needed to obtain gauge)
Lion Brand 24/7 cotton (#4 weight, 100% mercerized cotton, 3.5 oz / 186 yd)
– Café au lait: 2 skeins, Main Color
– Dragonfly: less than (<) half a skein, Color 1
– Purple: < half a skein, Color 2
– Magenta: < half a skein, Color 3
– Rose: < half a skein, Color 4
– Bay Leaf: < half a skein, Color 5
– Hay Bale: < half a skein, Color 6
– Amber: < half a skein, Color 7

Scissors, tapestry needle
4-6 Locking stitch markers
.5” – .75” button (optional) – be sure your tapestry needle can fit inside the hole/s in the button!

Yarn note: Some color amounts are very small and can be skipped/substituted if you want to reduce the number of skeins you have to buy! This pattern is good for using scraps, but make sure the yarns are #4 weight mercerized cotton to maintain the uniform look.

Finished Measurements:
Main Body Width – 12”
Main Body Length – 12”
Strap Length: ~ 20”- 25” – notes for altering the length of strap are included in the instructions

Language: English (Using US crochet terminology)

Because we all need more money for novels and hot beverages, I’m offering the Journée Bag pattern PDF at an introductory sale price of just $5 exclusively through my Ko-Fi shop until March 8! I also have a few RARE actual items still for sale in there including an original Pixie Pocket Belt 🙂 You can also get this pattern on a deal by using my multi-pattern discount codes on Ravelry or Etsy – just add the code at checkout, the more patterns you buy the better the sale!
Discount Codes:
15% off of 2: MF15OFF
20% off of 3-4: MF20OFF
25% off of 5-6: MF25OFF
30% off of 7+: MF30OFF

The winter months have been quiet and dreamy for me but the days are growing longer and I look forward to all the fresh new stitches I’ve got in store to share – be sure to show me what you’ve been hooking up on Instagram by tagging @moralefiber, I adore seeing all the variety of projects made from my patterns!

-MF


Quetzal Hood

/ reginaalexisweiss / 4 Comments

In the earlier days of my design ambitions I experimented with several kinds of aesthetics, from basic crochet garment staples like armwarmers and simple hats to the dippy-est of hippie drips 😉 I still draw inspiration from many places, but it’s fair to say my niche is in everything mythical and magical. Something just feels very right to me about making crochet garments that would belong in a fairy tale.

I think that’s because all my life I’ve struggled with mood disorders, and escaping into the realm of fantasy has always been my way of coping. Occasionally I’ll receive a message from someone with whom my designs strike that same chord, saying that they’ve found some peace or relief in my artwork. Each time this happens I am overjoyed and humbled – to lift someone’s spirits, to improve lives through creativity even in the smallest way – that is exactly the reason I dubbed this thing Morale Fiber 13 years ago. So without further sap, I am grateful to be able to release my latest fantastical pattern design today!

The Quetzal Hood full length PDF crochet pattern is available now in my Ravelry Store, Ko-Fi Shop, and Etsy Shop! Read on for more info about the new design or follow the links to buy the PDF – thank you in advance as paid pattern purchases are my primary source of income and allow me to keep creating! 🙂

The Quetzal Hood is a deep, dramatic, fully-scaled hood which comes to a tapered point at the back and drapes beautifully over the shoulders in the front. This stunner is perfect for festival wear and costuming and addictive to make in any number of gradient #4 weight yarn colorways!

The construction of the hood utilizes a few simple tweaks to a basic croc stitch triangle, making this a must-have accessory due to its unique and regal shape. I took a lot of time making adjustments so that this free-standing hood could be worn on its own or easily attached to another garment. The tapered pointed back and the partial rows on the front balance this hood for optimum wear.

This PDF pattern includes detailed, stitch-by-stitch written instructions with lots of tutorial photos, as well as a bonus PDF download Crocodile Stitch Primer tutorial that introduces this unique stitch and how to make it for those who have not worked with it before.

Materials Needed:

5.5 mm “I” Hook (or size needed to obtain gauge)
Lion Brand Landscapes (#4, 100 g / 147 yd, 100% Acrylic) 5 skeins*
* Yarn note: This project BARELY cracked 5 skeins, and so it’s possible to do it with 4 skeins if you skip a full row toward the end- this is discussed more in the pattern notes!
Scissors, Tapestry Needle
Optional: 8-9” tall hardback book for fringe making AND/OR 1.5” – 2” button for fastening.

Finished Measurements (One Size):
Depth: 15” from tip to front opening
Front Opening Height: 22” top of brim to tassel
Back Seam Height: ~12”

Language: English
Terminology: US crochet terminology
All of my designs come with permission for the artist to sell the finished product that they made from my pattern, as long as I am credited/linked.

Speaking of credits, in this photoshoot I am wearing one of my very favorite pieces from the Etsy shop Elven Forest!

I hope this new design is carried with you into the best of magical realms – I know I’ll need to make several more just for my own troop of mages 😉 I can’t wait to choose the next colorway!

If you love crocodile stitch as much as I do, check out these other designs available from Morale Fiber:

Sylphie Hat

Oak Sprite Hat

Mermaid Mitts & Sandals

Feather & Scale Halter

And as always, thank you thank you thank you for making art with me 🙂
-MF

Gnome Bonnet

/ reginaalexisweiss / 1 Comment

I’ve written many times over the years about my favorite winter hat design, the Gnome Toboggan, a pattern which is available for free here on my blog or as an ad-free, portable PDF download. I love this design so much that I even made a stitch-by-stitch video pattern for it! You see, just about every winter I end up making one of these quick, squishy babies to pop on while jogging or exploring… but this winter I had an idea for a variation. Making this simple textured winter hat into a fuzzy bonnet seemed like a great twist, and conveniently uses up small balls of spare faux fur yarn, something I have plenty of scraps of left over from making fuzzy ushankas, shawls, and swishy coats.

Luckily, creating this new variation turned out to be pretty simple! Here’s my quick tutorial for making your own Gnome Bonnet from the original Gnome Toboggan pattern 🙂

Materials:
For this project you’ll need everything in the original materials list in the pattern (1 skein Lion Brand Scarfie, 5.50 mm hook, scissors, tapestry needle) as well as < 10-15 yards of Lion Brand Go For Faux Thick & Quick and a 9.00 mm needle for that yarn. Faux Fur pompom is super cute, but not required!

Please check the original pattern for details on the yarn weight and yardage if needed, as well as for making your gauge 🙂

Finished Measurements (approximate):
Adult Large: 24″ brim, 11.5″ from tip to brim
Adult Small: 22″ brim, 11.5″ from tip to brim

Instructions:

Follow the original instructions for the Gnome Toboggan from Round 1 through Round 12 – you can work Rnd 2 or skip it for a more rounded top, as noted in pattern. For the Gnome Bonnets pictured, the green example skips Rnd 2 for a rounded top while the purple and pink examples have included Rnd 2 for a more pointed top.

After Rnd 12, you have the option to add one more round in which the stitch count increases. For an adult size bonnet I preferred to work the Round 13 increases to make the Large version of the hat, so that the sides of the finished hat would have plenty of room to hand down around the head for warmth. The green and purple versions of the bonnet pictured are made this way, while the pink version is made without the Rnd 13 increases – a size small in the original pattern.

Work rounds 14-16 as normal. Now that we have some length on the top of the hat, we are going to switch from working in joined rounds, to working in rows back and forth.

Rnd 17: Ch 2 (does not count as first stitch), turn. FPDC in the very first st. BPDC in the next st. (FPDC in the next st, BPDC in the next st) around until final stitch is worked. Do not join.

Pictured above: Chaining 2 to turn (1st image) then inserting hook through the very first stitch to make the first FPDC (2nd image)

Rnd 18: Ch 2, turn. FPDC in the very first st. BPDC in the next st. (FPDC in the next st, BPDC in the next st) across.

Pictured above: Working FPDC,BPDC repeats across (1st image), at the end insert the hook as for BPDC on the final stitch, with hook emerging behind the ch-2 turning chain (2nd image). Complete last BPDC (3rd image)

Rnds 19-23: Rpt Rnd 18.

You can add a few more extra rows here if you want to get more length – but there’s still the faux fur border which adds about 2″. Once you have the hat the length you like, cut the main yarn and tie off.

Border Row 1: With the 9.00 mm hook and the Go For Faux, join new yarn in the space after the first post stitch of the round below. Ch 2 – counts as beginning dc. (Skip 2 post dc, 1 dc in the next space between post stitches) repeat across.

Pictured above: Ch-2 to start (1st image), insert hook in the spaces BETWEEN stitches, skipping 2 post stitches every repeat (2nd & 3rd images)

If you want a stiffer brim and have enough extra faux fur yarn, I recommend making Border Row 2 – but it’s optional!

Border Row 2: Turn and slip stitch in each stitch, keeping tension even. Cut faux fur yarn and tie off.

Weave in all ends. If using a faux fur bobble, attach to the top of the hat in the first round (mine come with an elastic loop I use to tie on).

Finally I measure out 28-30 strands of the main yarn, about 32 inches in length. Separate into 2 bundles and double over each bundle.

Using the 9.00 mm hook, insert at the corner edge of the border rows from bottom to top. Hook the middle of the strand bundle through and pull so that the bundle has a loop coming out underneath the edge of the hat.

Tuck the loose strand end of the bundle through this loop and pull the bundle tight. Separate into 3 roughly equal sections of strands and braid. Repeat on the opposite side with 2nd bundle.

Once I braid my bundles, I use whichever strand at the end is longest to wrap around the braid-end and tie, tucking the strand back inside the bundle afterward. Voila! The CUTEST gnome bonnet you ever espied.

Sassafras Pixie Belt

/ reginaalexisweiss / 2 Comments

It seems like it’s been forever since I finished a Pixie Pocket Belt, and maybe it has been… two years? Something like that! Anyway this post is mostly just pretty pictures of my newest Pixie Belt including links to my Pixie Pocket Belt tutorial guide which is free on my blog!

This gorgeous Sassafras Pixie Belt just went up for SALE in my Ko-Fi shop! You can buy the actual belt featured in this post by clicking the link in the previous sentence. You can also support my art by buying the portable, ad-free PDF version of the Pixie Belt Tutorial mentioned in this post, which gathers all parts of the tutorial guide into one comprehensive file 🙂

The Sassafras Pixie Pocket Belt is a finished piece of wearable crochet art fit for faerie royalty! I created this belt from carefully selected yarn remnants in a lush autumnal color scheme to match the long, flowy golden silk fabric. The golden skirt portion is upcycled, 100% silk which is hemmed, then hand-sewn and crocheted onto the yarn belt, along with an overlapping sample of lightweight brown lace.

The main belt itself is sturdy acrylic reinforced with decorative handspun wool stitched along the length to prevent warping and to secure the uniquely designed, nature inspired pockets. They are designed to creatively reflect the aesthetics of nature in autumn and are all attached at two points to the belt itself. Each pocket features button-and-loop closure to keep your treasures safe. An additional mushroom shaped pouch is included which is removable and can be worn around the neck – the toadstool cap slides upward on the cord to reveal a hollow stem in which to store lighters, chapstick, crystals, etc!

The length of the belt is long, which can be worn around an inclusive range of waist sizes by overlapping or by using the smaller cord to cinch the belt like a drawstring. The middle back is pointed with extra skirt gathering for a slight bustle effect, accented by a golden disc that shines like the autumn sun.
Total belt length: 60″ – total length covered by the skirt portion – 30″
Materials – mixed fibers including acrylic, wool, and silk
Hand wash / spot clean only <3

I had that lovely silk piece in my upcycling stash for a long time, saved with just such a belt as the Sassafras in mind. It was a joy to put this one together! Here’s a rundown of which parts of the tutorial I used: The circle pocket is made in the style of my one-piece circle pocket, the pointed pouch is of course the pointed pouch tutorial, and the square pocket is one long rectangle, folded over and seamed at the sides.

When I first started making these pixie pocket belts based on other similar designs I’d seen around the internet, many people requested a pattern! But I didn’t want to make a pattern that would result in the exact same pixie belt every time, since I enjoyed making each one with its own unique look. So my tutorial is more of a recipe that illustrates how to create the shapes and put them together, while also leaving room for glorious experimentation! 🙂 I’ve seen some really inspiring and amazing pixie belts made from this tutorial over the years, and it’s so rewarding to see people enjoying them – so please do keep tagging me on Instagram with all your Morale Fiber projects <3 and thank you!

-MF

Rag Doll Elf Coat

/ reginaalexisweiss / 7 Comments

I can’t believe I’m FINALLY posting about this completed project! I’ve certainly done lots of projects featuring scrap yarn before, for many reasons – I have a lot of it, I adore color mixing and making color progressions, and it creates cool things from otherwise useless little bits of leftover fiber. But I’ve never attempted anything like this…

Meet Rag Doll, my latest Elf Coat! This XL sized coat is made with 100% leftover yarn balls, each stitched lovingly by me into a scrappy prismatic mantle that’s as warm as it is magical 🙂 You can get all the elements of the Elf Coat Tunisian Crochet pattern for FREE here on my blog – follow the links on the Elf Coat FAQ page.

Before I go on to talk about the project details – This coat is FOR SALE! Its very, very rare that I complete an original Elf Coat to sell, and you can get this one in my Ko-Fi shop now! Make sure you read the details in the description regarding the size and actual measurements and please let me know if you have questions about it. And oh yeah… FREE shipping within the U.S 😉

Oh, Rag Doll! You were my constant companion for 14 months. I spent 15+ hours just on weaving in the ends ALONE. Because though I’ve done lots of scrappy projects in the past, I’ve tried to create designs that incorporate those pesky ends as a fringe so that I don’t have to complete the hated work of weaving them in with the yarn needle. But that strategy was a no-go for this coat, it needed to be scrappy but I hated the idea of having a fringe at every seam – so weave the ends in I did!

I made a few modifications to the length of this coat – one of the major ones was shortening the wedges by skipping 8 non-increase rows out of the first part of every wedge piece. I’m glad I did that, since the coat came out long anyway! I also modified the hood to be extra tall and roomy at the neck by adding in a section of rows stitched directly onto the bottom of the hood before seaming.

This coat got two really plush inset pockets, nestled nicely above the waistband so you can barely tell they’re there – I considered doing the pointed pockets, but I didn’t want to cover ANY of those lovely scrappy color progressions I worked so hard on creating.

And of course, the corset back lacing using the very last of my favorite mesh ribbon yarn I got years and years ago (my favorite one to use for ties and laces in my crochet). I really wish that mesh yarn had come with a label so that I knew what it was called, although surely it’s out of production by now anyway.

The front closure is finished off with a row of 6 traditional round buttons, neatly mismatched to coordinate with the rest of the coat 🙂

My friend Rukus was my model for this photoshoot and she did a perfect job! Those platforms were NOT easy to twirl around in, haha! I asked her to wear heeled shoes and she really provided 😉 I wanted her in taller shoes because this coat would fit a taller-than-average person best – but check the full description + measurements in my Ko-Fi shop if you’re interested <3 Model is 5’4″ (not counting the 3″ platforms).

Whew!! It was so satisfying to put up the very last of the leftover little yarn balls back into their color-coded baskets after finishing this project. It must have been 4 years I’ve had that scrap yarn collected and ready to create this project – and having blasted through so many leftovers, I barely had anything to put back!

-MF

Ushanka & Trapper Pattern Pack

/ reginaalexisweiss / 2 Comments

Ok, so by now we’ve all witnessed the inexplicable return of the 90’s style bucket hat to the fashion scene – but have you yet encountered the FUR bucket hat trend? As soon as I saw it I knew I’d have to make one for myself.

You can get the Trapper’s Bucket Hat, the Ushanka Hat, and the Vintage Muff crochet pattern designs all in ONE single PDF now in my Ravelry Store, Etsy Shop, or Ko-Fi Shop. Get it on SALE exclusively at the Ko-Fi Shop for 5.99 ($2-3 dollars off the original price) until the end of October! Keep reading for more details about these designs or visit my Free Patterns Page to see everything I offer free of charge.

The Lion Brand Go For Faux Thick & Quick I had stockpiled in my yarn shelves was originally from making Ushanka Hats, a free pattern on the blog from a few years ago. Since then I’d picked up a few skeins here and there when they were on sale or when I found a neat new color. Well, wouldn’t leopard print just be perfect for a retro chapeau such as this? The colorway is actually called “Fawn” but I think it looks like cheetah fur 😉

This new spin on my faux fur hat design came at the perfect time, since I’d been wanting to convert the free version of my Ushanka & Muff set into a PDF pattern anyway. So now to celebrate the debut of the Trapper’s Bucket Hat, I’m gathering these designs all into one PDF! Read on for the details of what’s included & what you need to make ’em.

Ushanka Hat Pack

This super fuzzy and super fun hat design pack features a Jumbo weight faux fur yarn and a “P” size hook to make several designs which work up in a flash!

The Ushanka Hat is modeled after the traditional Siberian garment, a circular fur cap with earflaps that can hang down or tie up on top of the head. With this pattern you can create your own Ushanka with OR without earflaps as the first two design options.

Top off your traditional warm & fuzzy look with a vintage style muff, a super easy and quick accessory designed for keeping hands warm in freezing temps – the vintage muff design in this pattern pack uses can be made with just 1 skein of the recommended yarn.

Or create the funky, trendy fur bucket hat look for yourself in whatever color you please – the Trapper’s Bucket Hat just might be my favorite statement piece right now, with its 90’s throwback silhouette and opulent texture!

Materials:
11.5 mm “P” hook, or size needed to obtain
gauge
Lion Brand Go For Faux Thick & Quick (#7 Jumbo
weight, 120 g / 24 yd, 100% Polyester)

  • 1-2 skeins for Muff
  • 4 skeins for Ushanka w/ Earflaps
  • 3 skeins for Trapper Bucket Hat or
    earflap-less Ushanka
    3 lengths of 21-24” of ribbon or ribbon yarn
    (about 2 yards) – 2 lengths for Ushanka, 1
    doubled length for Muff OR 2 1-inch buttons
    Scissors, large-eyed yarn needle, 4 stitch
    markers

Finished Measurements (approximate):
Ushanka Hat: 24″ brim, 7″ tall from brim to
crown, 5″ long earflaps
Trapper Bucket Hat: 24” brim, 7” depth of
crown, 3” flared brim
Arm Muff: 7″ x 11″ for the finished tube

Pattern is written in US crochet terminology.
Language: English

That teapot purse was one of my best ever thrift store finds!

-MF

Batty Kitty Sweater Pattern

/ reginaalexisweiss / 4 Comments

Okay so KNOWING how serious I am about the business of coziness, cuteness, and loads of texture – is it surprising that I went back to one of my fuzziest projects drafted six years ago to bring it into my collection of full-pattern crochet designs? No it isn’t.

You can get this sweet, fun new crochet pattern in my pattern stores via Ravelry, Ko-Fi, or Etsy, or keep reading for more details about the project and materials.

Meet the Batty Kitty Sweater! Flash back to the winter of 2017, the original draft of this garment was made during a dreary January, when I was beset by coursework at college and the skies seemed infinitely gray every day. This project was designed for sweet and comforting Loafing Around vibes, and only a sweater big enough to completely disappear into would do!

I wanted to combine a very wide boxy silhouette so that the sleeves were almost a bat-wing style, and which would fit around my folded legs for extra warmth on the couch of my difficult-to-heat-apartment. The large bat or cat ears are formed from folded edges on the hood, inspired by the then-recent craze for pink crochet and knit pussyhats, worn in protest during post-election 2016.

Having already named this project the Batty Kitty Sweater, I didn’t bother this time around to come up with a name with more mystery or dignity. Nope. It’s batty. It’s kitty. It’s a Batty Kitty 😀 Read on for more details about the written crochet pattern and everything you need to make some fuzzy, whimsical winterwear…

Batty Kitty Sweater

This oversized, ultra-cozy crochet sweater is designed for the best of lounge vibes, whether you’re snowed-in and snuggly or taking your tail to your favorite cat cafe. The Batty Kitty a cross between a sweater, a poncho, and a blanket – curl up easily inside the extra-wide body of the garment and add the softly thick and deep hood to get truly nestled in.

Featuring big, plush triangle ears, a large hoodie pocket in the front, and post stitch ribbing around the hems and cuffs, the Batty Kitty Sweater is an instant favorite with everyone who tries it on! Using mostly basic stitches at an intermediate level, this project is quicker to work up than you might think – thanks to the 9.0 mm crochet hook combined with #5 bulky weight fuzzy yarn 🙂

The sweater is oversized fitting a size range of Small-2XL, composed of 3 pattern grades which cover 2 sizes each – Small/Medium, Large/XL, 2X/3X. Detailed written instructions are accompanied by lots of tutorial photography and as usual I am available to help with any inquiries about the pattern 🙂

Materials Needed:
9.00 mm “N” hook (or size needed to obtain gauge)
Yarn: Buttercream Luxe Craft Angel Hair (#5, 110 yd / 100 g, 49% acrylic 30% polyamide 21% wool) 9, 11, 13 skeins
Yarn Needle
Scissors

Finished Measurements:
Measurements are approximate and taken with the garment laid flat.
Small / Med – 18.5” shoulder to bottom, 11-12” arm, 34” body width, 16” hood height
Large / XL – 20” shoulder to bottom, 12.5” arm, 38” body width, 16” hood height
2X / 3X –  22.5” shoulder to bottom, 13” arm, 42” body width , 16” hood height

Language is English using US crochet terminology

As soon as I stitched up the pink version of the Batty Kitty design, I knew immediately who I wanted to model it for me – my friend Daft Pixie, cozy kawaii streamer queen! Her space was already perfect as a backdrop with decor that’s everything cute, comforting and pink. If you love that aesthetic I highly recommend checking out her Instagram @DaftPixie where she creates cute crochet and knits, kawaii outfits, and streams relaxing games =^_^=

I have been patiently sitting on this pattern all summer actually! I began writing the pattern in January, exactly six years after the initial model was made, because… January in Indiana… makes me want fuzzy pajamas I guess. It’s dang cold and nasty here! Least favorite month (February too). Anyway, by the time the pattern was all tested and polished, the weather was nice enough to make me avoid focusing on something so warm. So I waited until September to pounce! I hope you like the new design and I hope it keeps you cozy all winter!

– MF

Mandala Tam Re-release

/ reginaalexisweiss / 4 Comments

Or is it a re-re-release? Since I drafted the written pattern for this design in 2015 as a paid pattern, the Mandala Tam has been through several iterations and edits, but I’m so pleased with the latest version. Having offered it for free since 2017, it’s time this favorite design of mine returned to PDF availability!

You can grab the PDF crochet pattern for the Mandala Tam in my pattern stores via Ravelry, Etsy, or Ko-fi! There’s a special introductory price on my Ko-Fi platform exclusively, so head there to get $2 off the price until August 15. You can also get the same instructions for FREE by following this link to my original free pattern blog post. 🙂

[I’m pictured here wearing a pendant wire-wrapped by my good friend @paliquinn, check out his work on Instagram]

It’s the perfect time of year for it too, as I always return to this style of hat around late summer and early autumn – for good reason. Slouchy style hats are so perfect for tucking hair into to escape muggy, frizz-inducing heat or early morning chill on damp tresses, two primary features of the season. I also used to wear these kinds of hats often to classes when I was at college, since they were so practical and kept my hair out of the shoulder straps of my bags! Here’s the info on the latest update to this project:

The Mandala Tam pattern includes two different sizes of hat, a Small netted cap for those with less hair, and a Large mesh tam that can fit quite a lot of locks inside! This is an easy project with a quick finishing time that makes a really useful and pretty little accessory. The button & strap decoration is optional, if you leave it off you won’t need the 6.50 size hook listed in the materials.

Materials: 5.00 mm hook, 6.50 mm hook – (If not making the optional button & strap decoration at the brim, 6.5 mm hook is not needed)

Yarn: Any #4 weight yarn, around 200 yards –Recommended yarn is Red Heart Unforgettable (#4, 100 g / 270 yds, 100% acrylic). Lion Brand Landscapes is also an excellent choice!

Main Gauge: 3 ½” in diameter (edge to edge measured across the center) at the end of Rnd 3
Post Stitch Gauge: 6 sts = 2” in FPDC/BPDC pattern
Make sure to check your gauge and use hook size needed to obtain gauge listed.

Sizes & Finished Measurements:
This hat design has a Small size and a Large size! The brim size is the same, but the length of the back of the hat is different depending on how much hair you’d like to tuck in there
Small (Somewhat Slouchy): 22” brim, 8-9” depth, 8” diameter laid flat.
Large (Very slouchy): 22” brim, 11-12” depth, 10.5” diameter laid flat.

I have a number of other similar hat designs that are slouchy and generally tam or beret shaped – here’s a peek! First is the Leafy Tam, free or PDF <3

There’s the super-cute Mori Beret, paid PDF, with a bunch of foresty customization options <3

The Filigree Lace Cap is a really elegant mesh style cap with more delicate netting, featuring my popular Lotus Mandala for the center motif!

One of my most challenging themed hats, the Oak Sprite Acorn Cap, is available for FREE with full video instructions, or as a paid PDF!

If you’ve made it this far into my obligatory self-promotion, be rewarded with news of yet ANOTHER sale! If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you may have seen me feature my Yggdrasil Poncho recently – the PDF for this unique design is currently (through the end of August) also $2 off exclusively on my Ko-Fi Shop platform!

I’ve been offering more sales via Ko-Fi as an encouragement to purchase through this great website, which allows me to pay a small reasonable annual fee in order to make sales of my patterns without paying commission fees to the website for each individual sale. This results in a better profit for me, which is great because as an online artist, just about everyone gets a cut and all those little fees add up fast 🙂

This is a great time to say another big THANK YOU to all the amazing fiber artists out there who work my designs and share their beautiful skill with the world! Keep tagging me on Insta, I love love love seeing all your amazing work and tagging me in your projects definitely helps keep sales and views up! <3

-MF

Fuschia Set

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I’m all about the breathable cotton and cotton blend yarns, especially in my climate where humidity rules the thermostat for a solid 4 months of each year! This spring I started a cute cotton set inspired by this Instagram post. As soon as I saw it I wanted to recreate something similar, with my love for crochet halter tops and the now-insurgent popularity of the cropped mesh sleeve shrug, it inspired me so much! Even more perfectly was that I could use two of my already designed patterns to make my idea – the Acanthus Top and the Window Box Sweater.

I stitched up the halter top part in Lion Brand Pima Cotton, which is my new favorite 100% cotton #4 weight, soft as butter and so easy to work with – I have a brief review of this yarn here. The fuchsias seemed perfect to match with bright golden yellow, two colors I see so often together in the landscape of spring. For this part of the set I used my Acanthus Top pattern.

I made a size Medium, so the top is a little too large on me to fit snugly, as this top has plenty of ease.

For the sleeve shrug, I happened to have very similar colors in ICE Yarns Amigurumi Cotton, a sport weight cotton/acrylic blend yarn perfect for my Window Box Sweater, as that design requires a #2 weight yarn held double. I stitched up the collar and sleeve ends in contrasting gold, with bright fuchsia for the rest. Luckily the Window Box is absolutely perfect for making those mesh shruggie sleeves that are everywhere right now! All you have to do is stitch the first part of the design (collar down and in the round) until the point just after joining the sides and creating the armholes.

Then, skip the bottom part of the sweater instructions entirely and just make the sleeves. BAM! Shruggie city. I honestly didn’t expect this project to come together quite so perfectly – can you believe I had two completely different yarn types in such similar colors? I’m pretty darn happy with the result 🙂 I also made this part of the set a Medium, to match in size as well as color.

But that’s not all I’ve been up to. I love taking time off from writing my own designs to challenge myself from my collection of purchased patterns from other creators. It’s so rewarding to make and show off something from someone else’s brain, and I always end up learning so much. Here’s another cool cotton wearable I made recently using the same Pima cotton yarn, the Fleetwood Bralette from Small Town Coven!

This design was quick to make and easy to understand, I especially love the diagonal stripes you can create with the collar down, slanting stitch work (and those cups are comfy!!). The back is open with a criss cross on the back and a simple tie at the neck. These days I need more strap support than that, as a woman solidly in my 30’s, but I know this piece is going to find a good home with some future fae who vibes with violet 🙂

I still have some finished projects waiting to be revealed, but I must pace myself. I hope your spring season has been as fulfilling and productive as mine has been – with lots of summer lounging to look forward to 🙂

-MF

Crochet Refashions

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Oh, April! What a dreamy month. I love that the weather finally breaks and we get a beautiful background over which to celebrate Earth Day, or as many people are treating it now, Earth Month!

My art has always incorporated lots and lots of recycling – for so many reasons. I love to use scrap material because the random nature of it tends to prompt creative problem-solving based inspiration in me. It’s also eco-friendly because you’re using resources that have already been created and purchased, or resources that might otherwise get wasted. And of course, the same reason that our grandmothers did it – because it’s easier on the wallet.

I’ve dabbled in sewing as one of my more frequent non-crochet hobbies and I love to meld yarn-based mediums with sewing, especially when it’s refashioning upcycled/recycled pieces. These dresses were both completed and photographed last summer, but never got published anywhere until now because I was so busy working on pattern file updates and digital housekeeping all last year 🙂

I’ve got a couple tips and links to go along with these projects for the curious cro-seamstress and of course if you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask in the comments <3

Sage Dress

The bottom half of this dress was a very fine, lightweight cotton weave skirt dyed in earthy ombre greens. Unfortunately the cut of fabric around the waistband wasn’t too flattering, and it had a hole near the top as well. I removed the lining and cut most of the top tier of fabric and waistband off.

Using embroidery thread & needle, I sewed on a blanket stitch across the top edge after giving it a quick hemming on my sewing machine. I’ve used the embroidery blanket stitch before for melding crochet and sewing, because it leaves a little bar of thread across the top that you can use as a space to insert your hook to make crochet stitches.

For the crocheted bodice, I used my Basic Bikini Cup recipe formula, making the base chain extra long so the bodice had more coverage than a bikini. I stitched the two cups together using a basic decorative mesh of dc, ch-1 repeats, then added two long strips of crocheted fabric off the sides of the cups to make a back.

The two ties from the cups criss-cross in the back to tighten the back straps as well. I also added a croc stitch trim under the cups, and then finally connected the two pieces using chain space mesh 🙂 I think I’d do a tighter mesh on the belly area next time as it would match the rest of the stitching better, but it came out really nicely despite.

Caravan Dress

Dedicated readers of this blog may recognize the top part of this next easy refashion: it’s the chambray halter top I’m wearing in the Pixie Pocket Belt tutorial cover photos! I never wear it outside of costuming so I decided to give it some new life. The bottom of this dress is yet another skirt with some damage and fit issues, again a thrifted item with great potential. I just adore anything velvet…

The crochet portion of this project was very minimal. After adding the hem and the same blanket embroidery stitch as the Sage Dress to both the top and the bottom edges, I used a bit of hand-dyed jewel toned merino blend yarn in a fine weight to crochet a fagoting join between the two lines of stitches. Presto!

The embossed velvet portions of the skirt are see-through, so this piece will be cute for layering or on its own at some of the more carefree festival environments 🙂

Ellie Dress (2017)

This project is actually from 4-5 years ago, being one of my earlier attempts at garment refashioning using crochet elements. I had a lovely rayon peasant top that was a bit too short, and a dark floral rayon skirt that was a bit too long. I go in-depth about my process for making this dress in my original blog post about it here. I wanted to mention this dress because the original post has a better detail pictures of my blanket stitch that I use to base my crochet stitching on the fabric 🙂

I did hairpin lace as the connecting crochet stitching between the top and bottom portion of the dress, and even sewed on whole handmade doilies out of the same (upcycled) cotton thread. It was quite scrappy and experimental, but I wore it around in several memorable outfits including the Forest Witch Halloween outfit that featured my Mega Tail (tutorial here)!

Slow fashion is obviously a passion of mine! From frogging thrifted sweaters for yarn to melding closet rejects into something brand new, my style changes but I think slowing down and spending time on your clothes creates a real appreciation of what you have. And gratitude is good for the planet <3

-MF