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!
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.
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:
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.
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!
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!
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
Hiya! This post is sort of a ramble about where I am and where I’m headed as I put the finishing touches on the work of 2022 with Morale Fiber 🙂
Shop Platforms
My year-long effort of file updating and uploading has finally reached the goal! All of my pattern PDF’s are nestled cozily in my new shop front via Ko-Fi, a lovely platform where I can sell my digital files AND my physical items without having to pay a fee to the website. Because I pay a yearly subscription instead of Ko-Fi taking commission on each sale, this platform is the most lucrative for me and if you like it as much as I do, please feel encouraged to buy from that shop for all my future pattern releases!
Ravelry is of course still a reliable workhorse for me, as they are set up to manage digital file sales in ways that Ko-Fi isn’t right now – and so I encourage purchases through Ravelry as well if you are so inclined! Ravelry takes a smallish percentage of my sales, and I’m happy to pay that to them for their continued excellence in pattern distribution tools.
As for Etsy… well… we don’t talk about Etsy -_-
Contacting Me
Part of the effort to update all my files was to switch over from my OLD contact e-mail to my new contact e-mail, regina@moralefiber.blog. My old e-mail will be closed as of the end of this year. I have also made a huge effort to streamline my business platforms, because having 10+ different social media accounts to manage and answer questions on was way too cumbersome and resulted in me feeling frantic AND missing people’s messages! So, my Facebook page closed it’s direct messages (the page is still active, just can’t message me there), I closed TikTok, Twitter, Patreon, and my Facebook group.
Do you know how that makes me feel? Hugely relieved.
I have been slowly realizing over the last couple of years how damaging constant social media engagement is for my mental health. And though I am still SO enthusiastic about making new patterns and sharing them with everyone, my goal is to focus much more in the future on centering my art around just a few carefully selected platforms. You can navigate all my currently active socials through my LinkTree!
Home, Home on the Blog
The primary platform I want to operate around in the future is… this one! My new contact e-mail centers on this site, and having finally updated the layout of this blog, I’m much happier with it’s navigation (ok, I still can’t figure out where the subscription button should be, but have patience). A few clumsy tries at integrating Instagram into the actual blog posts didn’t work out so great, but I can still cross-post using good ol’ copy-paste.
The next big integration I want to try out is… beta testing! Whereas before I was using a Facebook group for pattern testing, it would be hard to manage that while also trying to limit the time spent on social media 😉 My idea is to post patterns to be tested here on the blog, then either limit access to a group of volunteers before releasing the tested pattern, or releasing a Test-Only “beta version” that allows open-source testing of the pattern for anyone patient enough to try it out before it’s perfected 😀 That last method might be a bit of chaos, but I’m still thinking things over so we’ll see. Plus, I like chaos sometimes.
Seasons Change
To be honest, I can’t believe this year went by so fast. I do feel a little disappointed at that – I didn’t get nearly the amount of work done on new designs that I wanted to! Okay, I did release some designs I really love (like the Fortune Teller’s Shawl) as well as making some projects that I’m proud to put in my portfolio. Tutorials happened, videos were edited! Not to mention updating and uploading 54 pattern files across 3 different shop platforms (162 individual edits and uploads!!!) However, I recognize that life is about ebb and flow. This year did not see the publication of some of my most treasured future designs, but I did need the time to catch things up and make them copacetic.
I cleaned up my digital affairs, made sure my older work is up to snuff, and most importantly of all, worked on managing my mental health at the same time I am managing my passion.
Okay, so here are some things I definitely did in 2022! 🙂 Just for funsies, to remind myself it wasn’t all wrestling around to fix mis-converted PDF files.
So yeah. I made some stuff! Actually gathering all those projects together makes me feel pretty accomplished 🙂 I think I’ll take this motivation and get back to working on the next free pattern I plan to offer – it’s a chunky one so get those big hooks ready <3
Even though the original idea was a very straightforward and simple openwork shawl, I pulled in a lot of unconventional design elements to create my newest full length premium pattern! Inspired by a love song from one of my favorite albums, the Fortune Teller’s Shawl is a versatile crochet project that contains plenty of hidden surprises.
You can get this premium design in a portable, printable, ad-free PDF through my Ravelry Store, Ko-Fi Shop, or Etsy Shop now <3 Keep reading for the full details on this project!
[Above – Lyrics from Robert Plant & Alison Krauss’s “Fortune Teller” on the album Raising Sand]
Fortune Teller’s Shawl
The Fortune Teller’s Shawl is constructed in double crochet and chain mesh with a stitch structure that flows and drapes beautifully, especially in soft multi-strand cotton blend sport weight. This design contains something for every skill level with size options from cute triangle kerchief headband to full size dramatic evening shawl. Larger shawl projects have the option of including the gorgeous vintage rose graphic, a modified take on traditional filet crochet that creates a subtle vision of romance.
Crocheted bottom-up and with 4 different size options outlined in the instructions, this PDF pattern has all the photographs, charts, and detailed written instructions typical of my premium patterns. For those who have never tried filet crochet, the first 6 rows of the optional filet graph design are written out step-by-step so crocheters can easily learn to read the chart!
Materials: 3.25 mm hook (or size needed to obtain gauge) Hobbii Azalea ( #2 weight, 200 g / 7.0 oz, 874 yds, 52% cotton 48% acrylic): 1 skein for all smaller sizes, 2 skeins for the Full size with fringe or Simple size with fringe Locking stitch markers (at least 3) Scissors and Tapestry needle Width of cardboard for making fringe or tassels (optional)
Finished Measurements (approximate, from smallest to largest, pictured below in order) Bandana Size: 22 rows total or until length reaches 10” tall tip to flat top, 18” across top side. Triangle Bandana Scarf Size: 39 rows total or until length reaches 20” tall tip to flat top, 36” across top side. Mini Shawl Size: 60 rows total or until length reaches 30” tall tip to flat top, 52” across top side. Simple Shawl Size: 82 rows total or until length reaches 35” tall tip to flat top, 80” across top side. Full Shawl: 42” from point to top flat edge, 95” corner to corner across the top flat edge
Thanks a million to my beautiful model Daisey Denson (in the teal) – believe it or not this elegant lady produces a bunch of awesome Clown Girl content and Twitch streams video games in themed clowncore looks. She’s a talented artist too – she made that floral crown she’s wearing specially for this shoot and designs embroidery as well. Check her out at @DandyFlowerTrash on Instagram 🙂
The dress Daisey is wearing for this shoot is an original refashion design of mine – I dyed, cut, and resewed a bunch of different garments to create an original shabby romantic gown, and you can read more about that project on my blog post here.
Special thanks to the Etsy shop where I scored the amazing vintage Gunne Sax dresses in the pink themed & black themed shawl pictures, I highly recommend Sage Thyme Vintage!
Thank you so much as always for the incredible words of encouragement and the support of my art <3 I think I see another free blog pattern in the near future? Fear not… I have another design in the works already! Until morale improves, the crocheting will continue 😀
Ahhh, the Lotus Duster. In a lot of ways I consider this design my “breakthrough” – when it was first published for free on my blog it was what really got people noticing Morale Fiber, and it was also a huge lesson for me in how to write, grade, and lay out written patterns. 6 years, 150 tutorial photographs, a hood, 2 1/2 hours of video tutorial, and 750K+ page views later, I still love to make these as much as ever – and I hope you do too! 🌱
That’s why as I updated my new contact info to this design’s PDF I decided to also add ALL the tutorial photos contained within the file to the free blog version of the pattern. Originally, when the Lotus Duster got its first overhaul and purchasable PDF copy, I was worried about not having enough storage space for all the images. However, in the years since I’ve continued to blog and had to upgrade my image hosting anyway – so it was time to finally add those tutorial images to the free version! ✨
You can access this and tons of other free crochet patterns on my Free Patterns page here, or get the portable, printable, ad-free copy in my shops! Oh, and one more thing – this design just hit the shelves in my Ko-Fi Shop, and is on sale for only $5 until Aug 15! 🦋🌙
Most of my posts recently have been about updating the contact info in my PDF patterns, tweaking them, and giving them another home in my new Ko-Fi Shop – which is a huge job! I’m aiming to get all the PDFs updated to the new contact info (regina@moralefiber.blog) by the end of the year. But that doesn’t mean I haven’t got brand new exciting things happening hush-hush style at headquarters 😉 I’m slow but I’m steady, at least!
Today’s offering is a free crochet tutorial for a peek-a-boo top that stars a sleek triangular cutout in the middle of the bust, a perfect silhouette in which to place fun features like crochet shapes or dangling decorations – or just let your natural charms show! I used my favorite glow in the dark yarn to create a glowing alien head for this top.
The free Delta Top Tutorial will be available as a PDF exclusively in my Ko-Fi Shop, and I’m doing an introductory deal for this design – “Pay What You Want”! While the free version is exactly the same as the PDF copy, this design can be purchased as the portable, printable, ad-free PDF securely through my Ko-Fi Shop for whatever price you think is fair (starting at a $1 minimum) <3 Gratuity and gratitude! <3
P.S – I’m adding ALL my halter top/bikini/crop top patterns to my Ko-Fi shop along with the Delta Top!
Delta Top
Materials: 3.50 mm hook #4 100% cotton yarn, 1-2 skeins depending on size #4 accent color yarn (optional), or charm to feature in cutout (optional) Scissors, tapestry needle
Gauge: Can vary a bit, but you don’t want it too loose! I aim for about 4 stitches and 3 rows = 1″
Cutout Cups
This cup design uses skipped stitches at the end and beginning of the rows on one side only to create half of the triangle cutout shape featured in the middle of the bust. The basis of this cup is the same as for the teal cups made with the written pattern and video tutorial in my free Basic Bikini Cup Tutorial.These are the cups styled with the “HDC, Foundation 10 sts, +2 / (1 hdc, ch 1, 1 hdc) increases” shaping from that post, so if you need more help with the first 3 rows of the cup, refer to the first video of that post!
Foundation Row: Sk first 2 ch sts. 1 hdc in the 3rd ch from the hk and in ea of the next 9 ch sts. – 10 hdc.
Row 1: Ch 1 (does not count as first hdc), turn. 1 hdc in the same st. 1 hdc in ea of the next 9 sts. In the end of the foundation row, working into the side of the 2 chains left over from the foundation, work (2 hdc, ch 1, 2 hdc). Rotate the row so as to work down the opposite side, into the initial foundation chain (working the bottom loops). 1 hdc in ea of the next 10 sts. -24 hdc
Row 2: Ch 1 (does not count), turn. 1 hdc in the same st. 1 hdc in ea of the next 11 hdc. (2 hdc, ch 1, 2 hdc) in the next ch-1 space. 1 hdc in ea of the next 12 sts. – 28 hdc
Row 3: Ch 1, turn. 1 hdc in the same st. 1 hdc in ea of the next 13 sts. (2 hdc, ch 1, 2 hdc) in the next ch-1 space. 1 hdc in ea of the next 13 sts, leaving the last stitch unworked. – 31 hdc
Row 4: Ch 1, turn. Skip very first stitch. 1 hdc in the next st. 1 hdc in ea of the next 13 sts. (2 hdc, ch 1, 2 hdc) in the next ch-1 space. 1 hdc in ea of the next 16 sts. – 34 hdc
Row 5: Ch 1, turn. 1 hdc in the same st. 1 hdc in ea of the next 17 sts. (2 hdc, ch 1, 2 hdc) in the next ch-1 space. 1 hdc in ea of the next 15 sts, leaving the last stitch unworked. – 37 hdc
Row 6: Ch 1, turn. Skip first stitch. 1 hdc in the next st. 1 hdc in ea of the next 16 sts. (2 hdc, ch 1, 2 hdc) in the next ch-1 space. 1 hdc in ea of the next 20 sts. – 40 hdc
Continue adding rows in this manner until the cups are your preferred size. Cut yarn and tie off, repeat cup pattern for 2nd cup.
Bottom Band
Next, align the two cups and begin working across the bottom of the first cup, placing two hdc in the side of each row. Once you have reached the cutout (the shortened rows), you will make a chain length and skip both cutout parts entirely.
My general formula for how many to chain here is to take the number of rows skipped for the cutout on one cup (in this example it is 7 rows), then multiply times 2 (because hdc are the height of 1-2 stitches depending on gauge). This equals 14 in my example. So if each cup cutout is about 14 stitches long, the total skip length would be about 28 stitches. The length of the actual chain made here will depend on cup size – if you have a larger bust in relation to your underbust, you’ll want to chain fewer stitches, if you have a flatter bust in relation to your underbust, chain more. So since my total skipped number was 28, minus some difference to account for my bust size (B cup), I ended up chaining 22 stitches.
Once you have made your chain length, resume working hdc into the non-shortened row sides on the bottom of the next cup until reaching the end.
Row 2: Ch 2, turn and work a row of hdc across the hdc and the chain stitches worked on the last row. Work 1 stitch in each stitch.
Rows 3 – ??: Ch 2, turn and hdc in each hdc across.
Keep adding hdc rows until the band is as wide as you like.
Side Strap
Without cutting yarn, rotate your top to begin working on the side of the cup. Work your first side strap row going toward the tip of the bikini cup.
Row 1: Chain 2. 2 hdc in each row end, 1 hdc in each stitch, until you have worked about 1/3 of the length of the side. For my tops that’s about 13-16 hdc stitches usually! This is the base of your tapered side strap.
Row 2: Ch 1, turn, skip very first stitch. 1 hdc in the next st and in each stitch across. This ends the row on the bottom edge of the bikini top, which will stay flat and even.
Row 3: Ch 2, turn. 1 hdc in each stitch across until the last stitch. Skip this final stitch. This ends the row on the inner part of the side strap, which will taper by skipping the last stitch and the first stitch of the next row on this side only, as we did with the cups.
Row 4: Ch 1, turn, skip very first stitch. 1 hdc in every other stitch across.
Repeat these last two rows until you have only 2-3 stitches remaining. Cut yarn and tie off, then attach yarn at the other side and repeat for 2nd side strap. After 2nd side strap is complete, you can leave the yarn attached until you’ve decided how to compose your back & neck ties.
Ties and Trim
I’ve experimented with a pretty large variety of ways to tie crocheted halter and bikini tops, ever seeking to discover the most comfortable method so that my pieces are wearable! I’ve done criss-cross ties, lacing, racerback and T-shaped backs, wide straps and small. It seems that which ties work depends heavily on the age and body and preference of the individual – so I’ll keep coming up with more! 🙂
The Glow-Alien Delta Top featured on my friend Daisey combined tie straps in the torso with a t-shaped back closely modeled off of my Acanthus Top back design, but I didn’t have nearly enough pattern development to outline that style here in the tutorial so we’ll be doing something simpler – but I did want to include the different references in case you feel like freestyling.
The Alien Delta top in green (above) featured wider straps that meet and connect at the back, much like the Acanthus Top, with the side strap ties to thread through. The Acanthus Top (below) uses a longer, smaller criss-cross weave to connect the sides and straps.
My Valkyrie Halter features criss-cross ties at the shoulders that lace into loops on the sides, for a very adjustable fit that doesn’t put too much pressure on the back of the neck. The Kismet Halter Top, another totally free crochet pattern on my blog, features a thick side band with criss-cross lacing.
Yet another option, outlined in my Sol Halter Top customization tutorial, is to create several chain loops toward the end of the side strap, then weave the fastening cord back and forth (the Valkryie, above left, does this too). Instead of single crocheting across the entire side, I create a series of loops (about ch 15-20 sized) intermittently. I normally do 2-3 loops, about 3-4 single crochets apart.
However, despite all these options the instructions I’ll be using here are for the most simple ties. So since I am already at the end of my side strap I will proceed to chain 75-125 (depending on size), then slip stitch back down that chain length.
Once back at the beginning, sc on the row edges of the side strap working toward the tip of the cup. Since each hdc is approximately 2 stitches tall, work 2 stitches into each row side, then proceed to sc into the stitches of the cup itself, working toward the increase tip of the bikini at the top of the bust.
When reaching the ch-1 space at the tip of the cup, 1 sc into the ch-1 space. Ch 75 -100 (depending on size), slip stitch back down chain. Continue to sc on the other side of the cup, working toward the center of the bust. Once reaching the tapered edge of the cup where the cutout begins, move to the second cup and work a sc into the first stitch at the edge of the cutout at the other side. Continue working the sc edging into the cup, making a matching tie at the tip of the second cup as you did for the first.
(I actually don’t have my second side strap yet in this picture but you will so ignore that 😉 )
Work down the last side of the cup and the row sides of the tapered side strap, then work a final tie of 75-150 (depending on size) for the second side tie. Cut yarn and tie off, weave in all ends.
Alien Head
When I decided this top needed a nice celestial visitor made of my favorite glow-in-the-dark yarn, I tried to think of what sort of shape would be easiest to create for the right silhouette and size of the triangle cutout. Then it hit me – the easiest shape is the one that I already have written out and video recorded! 😉
I used my little Avocado Face Scrubby tutorial to create the alien head using the same sized hook and my glow-in-the-dark yarn held doubled up to make it more similar to worsted weight. I used the same color for all rows, then added one more round of single crochets after the tutorial ends (skipping the loop at the top, of course). Easy! Well, it saved ME a lot of work anyway 😉
After completing my alien (or pig snout?) I added little black slashes for eyes and sewed it into the triangular cutout of my Delta top using scrap yarn and yarn needle. Once I was finished, I weaved in all the ends and my top was ready for takeoff!It really does GLOW! Sadly, this yarn appears to have been discontinued.
Of course, I had to make a few more versions with different fun additions to the peek-a-boo cutout – my next variation is Legend of Zelda inspired, using triangles to create a Triforce (of sorts):
Next time I’ll vary my stitch height to take away some of the roundedness of those triangles, as they didn’t translate as Triforce-y as I wanted them to. Still pretty though!
Next I tried a dangling charm, having had this rad piratey looking medallion sitting in my findings pile and awaiting the perfect frame…
Of course, it’s really cute just as a cutout top that shows off your natural charms! In the plain Delta Top below, I used a slip stitch around the edge of the cutout triangle to give it a smoother, more finished edge once the top was complete.
I hope this tutorial inspired you to try some of my halter top and bikini tutorials – crochet bikinis and halters have been some of my favorite projects since I started learning to crochet my own clothing, and I’ve learned a lot through experimentation which is easy since these projects don’t take too much time! If you liked the Delta Top, be sure to check out my other crochet halter top tutorials and patterns 🙂 Thanks for visiting!
