Freebie Friday - Basic Fingerless Mitts

When we learned about basic crochet stitches, we learned that to work an "increase" typically means working two stitches into the same place. 

This week's pattern will give us the opportunity to practice making increases in a way that will create a "gusset" or widening of the fabric.  We're going to use a gusset to allow room for thumbs in a pair of fingerless mitts.

The pattern is available on Ravelry, or you can download a .pdf copy here.  There are lots of photos making is suitable for adventurous beginners.  Of particular interest is the Appendix, which will help you resize it to fit anyone, and give you ideas on how you customize it by adding a little flair.

Let's go over how using increases can create that extra room.  Our gusset begins with a single crochet increase, a regular single crochet, and another single crochet increase for a total of 5 stitches.

I've placed markers on the outermost stitches, that is, stitch #1 and stitch #5.  We'll move our markers up as we go.

After working an increase row, work an even row (without increases).  This helps keep the fabric from puckering our bunching up too quickly.

The next increase row calls for an increase in the first stitch and the last stitch, which means my gusset is now 7 stitches wide.

Move markers up, and work an even row before the next increase row.

You see where we're headed, right? 

Alternating increase rows and even rows, we widen that section of fabric from 5-7-9-11 and finally 13 stitches in between markers.

The next step is where we turn the gusset into a thumb hole.

Crocheting right up to the first marker, skip 13 stitches and work into the 14th stitch.

Here's how that looks from the top...

... and how it creates a row of stitches we can work future rows into.

Here's how those gloves look when they're finished!

Here's some of the ways I've taken this "vanilla" pattern and spiced it up a bit!  How about changing up the yarn?  This pair is in JoAnn Sensations Rainbow Boucle... with that wonderful gradient color and texture.

A stretchy alternate color cuff?

My grandsons ask for "those things on the side so you can climb buildings" - making them instant Super Heroes. 

A photo tutorial on how to make the spikes is included in the pattern!

If you ever need extra mother-in-law points, add plastic scales from The Ring Lord and make Dragon Scale Gauntlets.

I can attest to the point earning power of Superawesomeglowinthedark Super Hero scale gloves.

Or simply jazz up the fabric by adding an  inch of a different stitch pattern after closing the gusset.  In this case, I added a row of broomstick lace.







Whether you like them plain or dressed up, gussets are a wonderful thing!

Til next time... keep warm out there.

Freebie Friday - Crochet Seafarer's Cap by Beth Hall

OK, I admit it, I did not design this weeks free pattern. 

But I've had several people ask me about this style of construction and it's a technique worth knowing.  It uses stitches of varied heights - including our stitch of the week half double crochet.  Single crochet and slip stitches are used to create shaping at the crown as well as a thick stretchy brim.

In fact, this free pattern is my most favorite for hats donated to charity, because they are very warm and the brim can be rolled down over the ears. 

Let’s take a closer look at the Crochet Seafarer's Cap by Beth Hall for the Seamen's Church Institute. Please refer to the pattern for specific instructions. All stitches are worked BLO.

Row 1 - Worked directly into the chain, I like to use the back ridge loops.

See how it looks different when you switch from slst to sc?

And again when you switch from sc to hdc? Place a marker in your first hdc as a reference point.

Place a second marker in your last hdc as a reference point. Move these markers up each row until you feel familiar with how the stitches look.

The slip stitch rows can be confusing if you can’t identify the proper loops. be sure to tilt the top edge toward you in order to see the entire last row, and most importantly that back loop.

Work 16 slst - up to your hdc marker, then ch1 and turn, working back toward the edge. These are the short rows that make the brim extra stretchy.

Turn that top edge toward you to see your working loops!

As you turn again at the edge, you’ll have a “step” at the end of the slst rows.

Just work right down into the first hdc. Again, tilt that top edge to find that back loop.

Work the rest of the row down, alternating rows of 6 slst and 3 slst at the crown. Repeat these rows to length.

After several rows, you can see how the stitch changes are going to shape the hat, wide stretchy brim, softer fabric in the middle, and narrowing at the crown so it will be nice and flat.

When you're ready to start seaming, bring the edge with your starting chain up in front of your working row, and slip stitch through both edges at the same time.  I like working under both remaining loops of my starting chain, and the back loop only of the working row.  I think it makes for a tighter, better looking seam.

You can see the difference between the way the seam looks on either side of the fabric.  Turn the hat so that the "right side" or outer side is the one you like best.

I hope you make as many of these fantastic caps as I have... and if you do... be sure to share some with your local homeless shelter or veterans resource center.  It will warm your heart to help them stay warm!

Tutorial - Half Double Crochet

There's an exception to every rule, right? 

That applies to crochet as well.  Just when you thought it was safe to assume that the (US) name of a stitch told you how many loops to have on your hook when you begin, and how many pairs of loops to remove... along come half stitches.

The most common half stitch is half-double crochet, so let's go over it step by step.

Like regular double crochet, half-double crochet (hdc) starts with two loops on the hook.  We create that second loop with a yarn over.

To work hdc, insert your hook under both loops of the stitch below - that teardrop/chain shape.

Yarn over and pull up a loop. 

Just like double crochet so far, right? But here's the twist.  Normally we'd begin to remove loops in pairs, but a half-double is only half... um... double.  ;o) 

So it starts out like a double crochet and ends like a single crochet.

Yarn over, and pull through *all* three loops on your hook.  Do not remove any in pairs.

I've worked a few stitches so you can see what they look like, front and back.

To work half-triples (or taller) then, you would work the stitch as named until you have three loops remaining on your hook.  (In the care of a triple, start with three loops, and remove in pairs until three loops remain.)  Yarn over, and remove those last three loops together.

One of the coolest features of half-double crochet is this extra loop on the back of the stitch.  Some patterns like to use that to special effect. 

So with a half-double stitch you not only have back loop only (BLO) and front loop only (FLO) but third loop only. 

This means you work your next row into that third loop... below the top two loops.

When you've worked a row this way, you can see how working the third loop pushes those unused top loops to one side, creating a nice surface chain as you go!


Just like all the other stitches, half double crochet can also be increased, decreased, posted... here let me show you.