What's sweeter than a box of chocolates for Valentine's Day? It's Chaircat Mao in a teddy bear hat, that's what.  



Happy Valentine's Day!

Whipped up a pair of sweet heart slippers just in time for Valentine's Day. They were a quick project, done in an afternoon.



The free pattern can be found here: Heart and Sole Slippers

I used Loops and Threads Joy DK and a 4.5mm/7 crochet hook.



Happy Valentine's Day!

Chaircat Mao needed a pussy hat for so many reasons, so today she got one. I believe her march sign would read exactly like one of the women's in the 2017 Women's March on Washington: Ninety, Nasty, and Not Giving Up!

It's a Christmas miracle- I've spotted the rare and very elusive tomte-cat and got a quick picture!

"Where's this tomte-cat you speak of?"



Chair, it's you. You're the tomte-cat!



"Speak to the beard, peasant."



It doesn't really look like it, but I promise Chaircat Mao wishes you happy holidays!

Without fail, our Elf on the Shelf, Alton, returns to our house on December 1st and immediately requests new duds. It's apparently a tradition. One year he asked for a t-shirt, then a snuggie another year; he's gotten a sweater, a Slytherin scarf, a tutu, and even pajamas like Ralphie! This year was no different. He informed me it was quite chilly on his flight from the North Pole, and asked if I'd crochet him a cape, hat, and muff so he'd stay warm. Hmmm, his requests for clothing have gotten more and more time consuming...



The outfit really is quite simple (but don't tell your elf that). Here's how to make to ensemble.

Materials:
Bulky Yarn (I used an unlabeled pink mohair from stash since it was mandatory the cape be pink and flurfy, as well as Caron brand Bliss in White for the trim and muff. Any fuzzy, bulky yarn would work)
size B/2.25 mm hook for cape
size H/5 mm hook for hat and muff


Cape:

Row 1: Leaving a long tail for neck tie, chain 14 loosely, sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, ch 3, turn. (13 sts) This is the neck edge.

Row 2: *Dc in next 2 sc, 3 dc in next sc, dc in next sc, 3 dc in next sc: repeat from * once more, ch 3 then turn, (21 sts)

Row 3: Dc in first 3 dc, * 3 dc in next dc, dc in next 3 dc, 3 dc in next dc, dc in next 4 dc; repeat from * once more, ch 3 then turn (29 sts)

Row 4:Dc in first 4 dc, 3 dc in next dc, dc in next 5 dc, 3 dc in next dc, dc in next 6 dc, (3 dc in next dc, dc in next 5 dc) twice, ch 3 then turn. (37 sts)

Row 5: Dc in first 5 dc, 3 dc in next dc, dc in next 7 dc, 3 dc in next dc, dc in next 8 dc, 3 dc in next dc, dc in next 7 dc, 3 dc in next dc, dc in last 6 dc, , ch 3 then turn, (45 sts)

You should end up with a less blurry version of this. I also added a length of yarn opposite the cast-on edge for the second tie:


To make fluffy edging: Attach white yarn wherever you want and sc around. Fasten off, weave ends. Done!

For Hat:

Round 1: Using size H hook, loosely chain 15, join to first ch to make a loop. This can vary depending on your elf's head. I feel Alton has a rather large noggin (due to his ego) but adjust accordingly. Sc in each ch around (14 sc)

Rds 2-6: Change to secondary color yarn and sc around. Continue for 5 rounds.

Rd 7: sc in next 4 sc, sc2tog, sc in next 3 sc, sc2 tog, sc in next 3 sc. (12 sts)

Rd 8: sc in next 3 sc, sc2tog, sc in next 3 sc, sc2tog, sc in next 2 sc. (10 sc)

Rnd 9: sc in next 2 sc, sc2tog, sc in next 2 sc, sc2tog, sc in next 2 sc. (8sc)

Fasten off and weave tail through top of remaining 8 stitches. Pull tight to cinch together, weave in end.

Muff:
With Bulky yarn and size H hook, ch 8. Join to first ch to make a loop. Sc in each ch around. Repeat to desired length. (I did 8 rounds)/ Fasten off, weave in ends.

Now you should have a happy, toasty elf. Hopefully.



Happy holidays!

I made Chaircat Mao a little googly-eyed bat hat for Hallowe'en, which I thought was kinda cute.

"ChairBAT Mao? Really? You know you're going to run out of lousy puns one day."



She was not impressed.



So then she got a spider hat:



And I realized...I had...no...pun...

Here's a fancy spider pincushion made for the wonderful cmarion3 in the Vintage Halloween Swap. Her body and head are made from wool felt and her legs are pipe cleaners wrapped with floral tape painted black. She has a crepe paper collar (how I love the crepe paper) and embroidered face.



She has a crocheted web shawl and sits on a weighted wool felt pumpkin which is, of course, where one should stick their pins!



I am thinking she is somewhere between 6-8" tall, but forgot to measure before she was sent off. Happy Hallowe'en!

For whatever reason, pincushions are one of my absolute favorite things to make. This one was made for the wonderful Mellius01 in the Box of Color Swap. She had several octopuses on her Pinterest, so I tweaked the idea a bit and crocheted a Kraken for the top of the pincushion.

Here is Chaircat Mao posing with a hat that wasn't made for her, but for a true "devil cat" named Satan. I thought about making a cape too, but figured if Satan was as naughty as I'd been told, it would be a miracle if the cat would even wear the hat!



Chair, however, was a real sport about it and got piles of treatsies for being an angel.

Here's an incredibly quick stash-busting project that happens to also be kinda cute.



Materials:

1 skein Lion Brand Heartland in Yosemite (or 250 yds of any other color worsted weight yarn)
1 (partial) skein Studio Classic by Nicole in White (or about 200 yds of any other worsted weight yarn in white)
Small amount of any worsted weight yarn in Black
Size J/6 mm hook
An afternoon with tea and most any Colin Firth movie or an evening with wine and most any Colin Firth movie.
Finished Size: 48" wingspan, 28" from center top to bottom peak.

This is a very vanilla pattern that is perfect for either a beginner crocheter or a seasoned hooker that might need a super quick gift. The entire shawl is worked in double crochet in back-and-forth rows, and the eyes are double crochet in the round. Easy peasy!

Ch 4, sl st in first ch to make a loop.

Row 1: Ch 3 (this will count as the first dc on this row and every additional row), (2 dc, ch-2, 3 dc) in loop. You will have 6 dc and 1 ch-2 space.

Row 2: Ch 3, turn, dc in same stitch as ch 3, dc in next 2 dc, (2 dc, ch-2, 2 dc) in ch-2 sp, dc in next 2 dc, 2 dc in top of ch 3. Now there's 12 dc and 1 ch-2 sp.

Rows 3-22: Ch 3, turn, dc in same st as ch 3, dc in each st across to ch-2 sp, (2 dc, ch-2, 2 dc) in ch-2 space, dc in each st across to end, 2 dc in top of ch 3. 132 dc and 1 ch-2 sp at end of row 22. This is where my 251 yds of orange yarn ran out, so I fastened off the orange, switched to white and continued on. If you'd like a larger shawl, this is where you can keep on crocheting and switch to the white yarn whenever you feel like it.

Row 23: Attach white yarn, ch 3, dc in same st as ch 3, dc in next 59 st. Change to black yarn and dc in next 6 st, (2 dc, ch-2, 2 dc) in ch-2 sp, dc in next 6 st. Attach white yarn again and dc in each dc to end, 2 dc in top of ch 3.

Row 24: Ch 3, turn, dc in same st as ch 3, dc in next 61 dc. Change to black yarn and dc in next 7 st, (2dc, ch-2, 2 dc) in ch-2 sp, dc in next 7 st. Attach white yarn and dc in each st to end, 2 dc in top of ch 3.

Row 25: Ch 3, dc in same st as ch 3, dc in next 64 st. Change to black yarn and dc in next 7 st, (2 dc, ch-2, 2 dc) in ch-2 sp, dc in next 7 st. Attach white yarn and dc in each st to end, 2 dc in top of ch 3.

Rows 26-30: Ch 3, dc in same st as ch 3, dc in each st across to ch-2 sp, (2dc, ch-2, 2 dc) in ch-2 sp, dc in each st across to end, 2 dc in top of ch 3.  Fasten off.

Eyes (make 2): With black yarn and size J hook, make a magic loop.
Round 1: 6 dc inside loop. Pull yarn tail to close. You will be working in a spiral so there's no seam.
Round 2: 2 dc in each st around. You will have 12 dc.
Round 3: [(2 dc), 1 dc] 6 times. 18 dc
Round 4: [(2 dc) 2 dc] 6 times. 24 dc
Round 5: Change to white yarn and sc in each st around. Fasten off.
Sew eyes onto scarf, weave in ends, and admire your work! Hopefully your daughter won't walk by and comment on "the weird Dorito" you've just finished like mine did. Happy hooking!