Weekend Updates

June 21, 2017June 21, 2017 / reginaalexisweiss / Leave a comment

Just a few quick FYI-type announcements today!

I have just released a couple pattern updates which you can read about below! These are things I’ve adjusted based on feedback from customers that I am excited to have finally gotten done. If you have already purchased these patterns you should be able to download the new version by accessing your purchase history and finding the download link.

Also, I will be taking a couple days off starting Friday the 23rd because I’ll be busy with family activities 🙂 Hope you have a good one! I’ll be back to responding to questions and comments on Monday the 26th of June.

Pattern Updates:

The pattern for the Plus Size Sol Halter Top has gotten an extended photo tutorial section for working the motif join, edging, and straps! 20 new photos have been added to make navigating the finishing parts of this halter top easier 🙂

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And for the Lotus Mandala Vest, I have added STITCH COUNTS for every round! Hooray, finally! This should help clear up some of the more common questions that people have had when working this pattern. Also, did you know that I recently released a tutorial for adding cardigan sleeves to this vest?

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That’s all for now! ❤

-MF

Lotus Cardigan Sleeve Free Pattern

June 19, 2017 / reginaalexisweiss / 1 Comment

First off, I am having a PATTERN SALE through my Ravelry store from now until June 30, 2017! Buy one pattern, get one free with the coupon code SALESTICE. Hope you are having a lovely summer so far!

Secondly, as promised, here is the FREE pattern/tutorial on attaching a cardigan-style sleeve to the Lotus Mandala Vest! I can’t stop making these in every colorway of Lion Brand’s Shawl in a Ball 🙂

The sleeve pattern shown here is also now available as an adjunct PDF when you buy the PDF for the Lotus Vest (an option available for those who want a portable file rather than having to work from the free online version). If you already have bought the pattern, you should be able to access the new PDF through your purchases.

These instructions are for adding sleeves to the Lotus Mandala Circular Vest – the pattern is written for size small sleeves, but you can size up by skipping 1 dc in Rnd 2 instead of 2 dc and working fewer decreases throughout the pattern.

Materials:

5.5 mm hook

Lion Brand Shawl in a Ball – 3 skeins (2 for working the vest itself, 1 for adding the sleeves). Color show in Tutorial is “Prism,” color shown on model is “Peaceful Earth”

Scissors and tapestry needle for weaving in ends.

To Begin:

Work the Lotus Vest in its entirety – with or without the extra rounds before the armholes is fine (the tutorial instructions are pictured WITH the 2 extra rounds). However, if you modified the length of the armhole chain & spacing, remember that the stitch counts for adding the sleeves will not be the same.

Rnd 1: Join yarn in between the first 2 dc’s on the chain base of the upper part of the shoulder yoke. Ch-3.

(1 Dc in between the next 2 dc sts) 39 times.

2 dc under the side of the next dc.

If you worked extra rounds: 2 dc in the same chain space occupied by the dc just worked into. 2 dc in each of the next 11 ch spaces. 2 dc in the next ch space (also occupied by the dc of the armhole round). 2 dc under the side of the next dc. Join with a sl st to the 3^rd ch of beg ch-3. – 70 dc sts

If you didn’t work extra rounds: 1 dc in the same st occupied by the dc just worked into. 1 dc in ea of the next 24 sts. 1 dc in the next dc (also occupied by the dc of the armhole round). 2 dc under the side of the next dc. Join with a sl st to the 3^rd ch of beg ch-3. – 70 sts

Rnd 2: Ch 4 – counts as first dc + ch-1. Sk next 2 sts. (1 dc in the next st, ch 1, sk next 2 sts) 22 times. 1 Dc in the next st, join with a hdc to the 3^rd ch of beg ch-4. – 24 ch spaces

For a larger sleeve, skip only one st between dc stitches in Rnd 2.

Rnd 3: Ch 4 – counts as first dc + ch-1. (1 dc in the next space, ch 1) 22 times. 1 dc in the next space, join with a hdc in the 3^rd ch of beg ch-4. – 24 ch spaces

Rnds 4-7: Rpt Rnd 3.

Rnd 8: Ch 4 – counts as first dc + ch-1. (1 dc in the next ch space, ch 1) 11 times. Dc2tog over the next 2 ch spaces, ch 1. (1 dc in the next ch space, ch 1) 9 times. 1 dc in the next space, join with a hdc in the 3^rd ch of beg ch-3. – 23 spaces

Rnd 9: Ch 4 – counts as first dc + ch-1. (1 dc in the next ch space, ch 1) 11 times. Dc2tog over the next 2 ch spaces, ch 1. (1 dc in the next ch space, ch 1) 8 times. 1 dc in the next space, join with a hdc in the 3^rd ch of beg ch-3. – 22 spaces

Rnd 10: Ch 4 – counts as first dc + ch-1. (1 dc in the next ch space, ch 1) 20 times. 1 dc in the next space, join with a hdc in the 3^rd ch of beg ch-3. – 22 spaces.

Rnds 11-14: Rpt Rnd 10

Rnd 15: Ch 4 – counts as first dc + ch-1. (1 dc in the next ch space, ch 1) 10 times. Dc2tog over the next 2 ch spaces, ch 1. (1 dc in the next ch space, ch 1) 8 times. 1 dc in the next space, joing with a hdc in the 3^rd ch of beg ch-4. – 21 spaces. – 21 spaces

Rnd 16: Ch 4 – counts as first dc + ch-1. (1 dc in the next ch space, ch 1) 10 times. Dc2tog over the next 2 ch spaces, ch 1. (1 dc in the next ch space, ch 1) 7 times. 1 dc in the next space, joing with a hdc in the 3^rd ch of beg ch-4. – 21 spaces. – 20 spaces

Rnd 17: Ch 4 – counts as first dc + ch-1. (1 dc in the next ch space, ch 1) 18 times. 1 dc in the next space, join with a hdc to the 3^rd ch of the beg ch-4. – 20 spaces.

Rnds 18 – 34: Rpt Rnd 17.

Rnd 35: Ch 4 – counts as first dc + ch-1. (1 dc in the next ch space, ch 1) 19 times. Join with a sl st in the 3^rd ch of beg ch-4. 20 spaces.

Rnd 36: (Sk next ch-1 space. In the next dc work 1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 tr, 1 dc, 1 hdc. Sk next ch-1 space, sl st in the next dc.) 10 times. Cut yarn and tie off. Repeat on the other side.

Weave in all ends.

Rhea7

Next color up: Moonstone! They’re addictive 😉

-MF

Pattern-Versary

June 10, 2017 / reginaalexisweiss / 7 Comments

It’s been about a year since I published my two sister patterns, the Lotus Mandala Duster and the Lotus Circular Vest – crazy right? I mean I’m not sure if I can’t believe it’s already been a year, or if I can’t believe it’s only been a year, but either way. Y’know?

Anyway, those two freebies continue to be my most popular posts these days, so I’ve spent a lot of time making them as good as they can be and as widely available as possible – revising and updating the writing to make it clearer, answering questions, publishing the vest pattern in PDF form (which you can purchase on Ravelry or Etsy – although it’s still free on the blog) and of course making a bunch more of them because I love them! And, by the way, I have LOVED seeing all the versions that everyone has made of these designs – thank you all for creating art with me! ❤

So here’s some more updates on what I’ve been doing with them lately:

First – I’ve been promising a PDF version of the Duster for some time now, and it’s officially underway and will hopefully be ready to release in the fall. I’m determined to make it very much worth the wait! There’s a couple of aspects of the pattern that I thought needed reworking, and therefore re-testing. Fortunately I don’t mind making these over and over again 😉

This one is called “Joni” (I have taken to naming them all after female singer/songwriters) and it’s been done for a while but until recently I didn’t have a proper picture of it. It’s a size small, for sale in my Etsy shop.

Like the others, this duster is primarily handspun yarn and recycled cotton sweater yarn, lovingly yanked out of it’s original form and restitched by yours truly. I love how the dark blue makes it look a little witchier. I’m not gonna cackle here but I could – I’ve been taking lessons.

Second, I can’t stop making the Lotus Circular Vest with the gorgeous colorways of Shawl in a Ball. That yarn fits the design even better than the yarn I originally designed it with. Except, I like to add little variations when I’m repeating a design, so I experimented with adding sleeves to this version too.

I went for a practical, slender sleeve this time – and it worked out awesome! So guess what I’m working on now? Getting that written out, too 😛 Which actually shouldn’t take too long, so keep an eye out because the Lotus Cardigan Sleeve will be appearing on the blog and as an adjunct PDF file very soon!

AAAaaaand this is what happens when I get tired of making the same four faces when I’m modeling my stuff:

-MF

Blossom Vest Crochet Pattern

June 6, 2017 / reginaalexisweiss / 5 Comments

Blossom2

Yay! I love pattern-release days. Designing, creating, writing, modeling, and laying out a crochet pattern is definitely a labor of love – and that makes it so exciting to sit back and look at the final product when it’s all put together. So, I hope you enjoy this new one as much as I do! It’s the Blossom Vest, now available through Etsy and Ravelry for 5.50 USD 🙂

This retro-chic granny square vest is what your wardrobe needs for all of your summer adventurings! Whether you wear it over tanks and tees as a vest or lace it up for a sweet halter top, the Blossom Vest is ready to jam.

This pattern can create 4 different vest sizes using sleek and comfortable 100% cotton yarn in #4 weight – with tons of color possibilities, you’ll want to make one for every outfit!

From left to right: X-small, Small, Medium, Large

Sizes:
X-small: 3.50 hk, 5 Rnds – 30” bust, 16” length (measured from top of strap to lowest point on the square)
Small: 5.00 hk, 5 Rnds – 35” bust, 18” length
Medium: 3.50 hk, 6 Rnds – 37” bust, 19” length
Large: 5.00 hk, 6 Rnds – 44” bust, 23” length

Pattern includes tons of tutorial photos for the main pattern, plus bonus tutorials on working all of the less common stitches used in the pattern. A separate Printer-Friendly PDF is also included! Written in US crochet terminology.

Materials:
3.50 hook, 5.00 hook
4-5 skeins Lion Brand 24/7 Cotton
Scissors, Tapestry Needle, Fringe Maker (a book or stiff cardboard will do!)
Blocking board and pins (recommended)

Now it’s REALLY starting to feel like summer! ❤

-MF

Tattered Fairy Vest

May 17, 2017May 17, 2017 / reginaalexisweiss / Leave a comment

ForestFae3

I wind up making a lot of bright pieces because I love playing with color, but I have a personal bias for earthy tones and neutrals (like over half of the things I own are brown. I love brown). So when I was thinking about the color scheme for this Forest Fae Vest pattern I bought from the Etsy shop ForeverWanderingg, I decided to follow her example and go with pretty, soft, and earthy.

I’ve been trying to work from crochet patterns other than my own lately and I bought this one as soon as I saw it. I love the tattered aesthetic and the mandala- I never met a mandala I didn’t like. So here’s my version of the Forest Fae Vest 🙂

I made the main body using Premier Cotton Fair (using two strands held together) and it came out feeling soft and thick and perfect! I wanted to achieve the longer tattered bustle style of the last model picture on the Etsy listing, so I searched through my collection of magical garbage. Which you can see a little of in the background here 😉

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I came up with an old lacy scarf that had gotten accidentally dyed in the wash and a big piece of crochet lace I had salvaged from a dress I found at Goodwill. Time to dye those puppies to match!

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I used some Rit dye that I have had forever – can you believe I used dark brown and tan for this? Well, if you’ve dyed with Rit before you might, because it does tend to be a little bit of a crapshoot for color accuracy if you’re not careful. However, I prefer the lovely muted purple and am super glad that it didn’t come out dark brown. I even dyed that jersey cotton cowl to match!

Sewing it on took some psyching up, because taking something you’ve lovingly crocheted by hand and sticking it in a machine to punch a bunch of tiny thread into it is SCARY. But it went smooth as butter and before I knew it this sweet fairy vest was ready to rock!

Maybe you can tell I had a lot of fun making this? My favorite projects have always been based around upcycling – giving new life to old things, rediscovering their beauty. This project definitely fit that category.

-MF

Ivy Crown Free Crochet Pattern

May 12, 2017May 11, 2017 / reginaalexisweiss / 4 Comments

When I first worked out my little quirky leaf motif I knew I had to make a leafy crown out of it at some point – I just couldn’t find the right yarn at the hobby stores. I wanted it to be delicate and pretty, not bulky, but the yarns I tested didn’t fit the bill.

Ivy5

And then the very obvious solution hit me – use THREAD, not yarn, holding two strands together to make it bigger. Yay! So without further yammering, here’s the FREE crochet pattern for this fun leafy DIY floral crown.

Ivy Crown Crochet Pattern

Materials:
2.25 hook
#10 cotton crochet thread – You will need 2 cones of either the same or coordinating colors, because the pattern is worked with the 2 threads held together.

For a full photo tutorial on how to make the quirky crochet leaf, see this blog post.

Grab both strands of cotton thread and form a slipknot.
Ch 12.
In the 3rd ch from the hook, work 4 dc.
Work a ch-2 length picot in the top of the last dc.
3 hdc in the same st as the first 4 dc sts.
Rotate the leaf – work 2 hdc in the same stitch but on the other side of the beginning chain (This is the quirky part – see the photo tutorial for help)
Sl st in the 2nd ch of beg ch-2 on the leaf.
Sl st into the 2nd ch st from the motif on your original chain, anchoring the back of your leaf.
Repeat from Step 2 – you can vary the spacing of the leaves by adding or subtracting chain stitches in between, as long as you have a minimum of 5 ch sts. I like to randomize the chain length at anywhere between 8-12 stitches between leaves for a subtle organic look.

I repeated 44 times, for a total of 45 leaves or 55″ in length, and made three in different colors!

Ivy3

These leafy li’l guys have tons of potential:

twist or braid several together to create even fuller floral crowns (as seen pictured on my head)
add beads, charms, or little crocheted flowers
make shorter versions to create a choker necklace or double up the long version to make a lariat-style necklace. Like this!

I’ve got a respectable amount of crochet thread hanging around currently so I know I’ll be making more of these garlands!

-MF

Flower Child Pullover Pattern

February 19, 2017 / reginaalexisweiss / 18 Comments

Can I tell you about how stoked I am to finally have this design out?! I just barely squeaked it in, a month after I had planned on releasing it, while pre-warm-weather crafting is still going on: It’s the Flower Child Pullover! Cousin to my Mandala Top pattern, I think this may be my favorite pattern I’ve designed so far.

You can get it for 5.50 USD through my Etsy Shop or my Ravelry Pattern Store! More details below.

With a colorful openwork design and a flattering A-line shape, the Flower Child Pullover lets the good vibes flow! A great layering piece for any season and a guaranteed eye-catcher at the beach, festivals, markets, concerts, yoga, or anywhere you feel like letting your hippie flag fly.

This funkadelic mandala sweater dress is similar in construction to the sleeveless tunic-style Mandala Top, made with the same easy-care worsted weight acrylic yarn that lets you zen out to your favorite color combinations without breaking the bank.

I personally love the mesh crochet construction that lets the garment drape alluringly over all different types of beautiful curves! Pattern is written in 3 sizes (Small, Medium, and Large) with options for customizing size, 9-17 color changes written into the instructions, and over 75 bright, clear tutorial photos. I really went nuts with the tutorial photos for this one! To compensate, I also have included a separate text-only PDF pattern version that won’t break your printer.

Get colorful or bust some scraps with the detailed individually listed yardage requirements for each color included in the pattern.

Sizes:
Small: 24” Length, 16” upper arm circumference, 32” bust, 15” wide collar
Medium: 26” Length, 18” upper arm circumference, 38” bust, 15” wide collar
Large – 30” Length, 20” upper arm circumference, 42” bust, 16” wide collar

Materials:
Hobby Lobby I Love This Yarn! (#4 Medium Weight, 199 g / 355 yds per skein). 700-820 yds total, exact yardages for each color included.
5.00 mm hook
Stitch Markers
Scissors & Tapestry Needle

Written in US terminology