How to Crochet the Snowball Stitch

All right, lets get started!

• To Pin this Tutorial to your Pinterest Boards, click HERE
• To get the PDF version of this pattern (+3 bonus stitch patterns!) click HERE
• To pre-order the ENTIRE library of stitches in the Stitch Along, click HERE
• To add this pattern to your Ravelry queue, click HERE

Notes:

• Stitch pattern is a multiple of 3+2
• Ch 1 at the beginning of rows does NOT count as st

Materials 

You can potentially use any yarn and hook for this stitch. However, here’s what I used:

• Red Heart Super Saver Yarn
• H/8 Crochet Hook

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Special Stitch

Bobble: YO, insert hook into indicated st. YO, pull up loop. (YO, insert hook into same st. YO, pull up a loop) twice. YO, pull through all 7 loops on hook.

Instructions:

Fsc a multiple of 3+2 (to start with a chain stitch, you will need a multiple of 3, and then a row of single crochet).

Row 1: Ch 1 (does not count as a st, here and throughout) sc in first 2 sts. *Bobble in next st, sc in next 2 sts. Rep from * across row.

Below you can see an up-close picture of the bobble row. 

Like this pattern so far? Want the printer-friendly version (plus 3 BONUS stitch patterns—see picture below!)

Click HERE for more information!

Row 2: Ch 1, sc in the BL of ea sc across (see picture below).

Row 3: Rep row 1.

Rep rows 2-3 for stitch pattern!

I did 21 rows in the swatch.

Don’t forget to share your stitches with the hashtag #desertblossomstitchalong and tag me on Instagram and Facebook! I’d love to see your projects! To view the master list of all the stitches in the Stitch Along, click HERE. 

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I would love to help!

SHARING IS CARING!

If you did enjoy this post, I would love if you shared it in the following places so many MORE people can see it!

• Pin to Pinterest – just hover over any of the photos in this post and click “save”
• Tag me in your Instagram posts
• Share photos in my Facebook Group

Happy Crocheting!

Happy Crocheting!

—Rachel

The post How to Crochet the Snowball Stitch appeared first on .

(Have you heard about this series of patterns yet? I’m doing a special group of themed patterns while my family is on the East Coast of the U.S. You can read my introduction to this series HERE. Or view the first three patterns in the series HERE.)

Believe it or not, we almost didn’t come to Niagara Falls. At first, it was decided it was too far away from our other stops in New York City, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania.

Want to see lots more patterns like this? My email list subscribers are the first to see new patterns!

However, it seemed too amazing of a sight to miss when we were so close (an 11 hour drive!)

It took some major changes of plans, and the loss of some money due to cancellations…but here we are! And it has been SO worth it! See one of my favorite views below:

Unfortunately you can’t get good views without a fence, unless you’re getting wet! We did do the Maid of the Mist boat tour, which was spectacular! We got right up close to the falls. However, we were wearing giant rain ponchos to keep from getting soaked, so definitely no pictures there.

The Yarn

So, the yarn I used for this cardigan is Creative Ewe Bamboodles. This is a bouncy, drapey summer yarn from Creative Ewe.

I loved working with this yarn. It’s extremely soft, and it has a certain sheen to it I’ve never seen before with plant-based fibers. It’s a bamboo-cotton mix, making it perfect for summer.

I used the colorway Blueberry, but there are tons of beautiful colors to choose from!

Get Bamboodles for yourself HERE!

Other Patterns in the Travel Series:

1. New York Sign / 2. Liberty Bell / 3. D.C. Roses       

All right, I bet you’re ready for the pattern! And I’m so ready to share it…so here it is!

Niagara Cardigan

By Desert Blossom Crafts

• To Pin this pattern to your Pinterest Boards, click HERE.
• To buy the inexpensive Ad-free version of this pattern, click HERE

• Materials:

• Creative Ewe Bamboodles, 4 skeins. Or approximately 800 yards of similar yarn (Bamboodles is a sport weight yarn, but I would say it is one the lighter side. You could also use a heavier fingering weight. Please note, however, that substituting yarn may change the drape and fit of the garment. I highly recommend Bamboodles!)
• G Hook (or size to obtain gauge)
• Yarn needle

Notes:

1. Cardigan is made out of 2 rectangles seamed together on the back and the sides.
2. Beginning Ch 3 always counts as a double crochet.

Abbreviations/Stitches Used:

Chain – ch

Foundation Single Crochet – fsc

Double crochet – dc

Repeat – rep

Skip – sk

Stitch(es) – st(s)

Sizing:

Small: to fit Bust size 30-33″

This cardigan is only available in a size small. I may put it in larger sizes in the future (if there is interest. If you would like to see it in larger sizes, please let me know! Your feedback is appreciated).

The cardigan is, however, very easy to adjust. Follow instructions below.

To make cardigan bigger:

Width: add to the foundation rows of the panels in multiples of 3.

Length: simply add more rows to each panel.

For reference, model is 5′ 3″ with a bust of 30″.

Measurements:

1 Panel, before blocking: 38″ long, 10″ wide

Panels will stretch at least a couple inches once blocked.

Gauge:

6 shells and 8 rows = 4″

Instructions:

Panel (make 2)

Fsc 48 (or a multiple of 3)

Row 1: Ch 3 (counts as a dc, here and throughout) dc in each fsc across.

Row 1: Ch 3, dc in next fsc. *Sk 2 fsc, 3 dc in next fsc. Rep from * until 4 sts left. Sk 2 fsc, dc in last two fsc. Turn.

Row 2: Ch 3, dc in next dc. Sk next dc, 3 dc in next dc. (Sk next 2 dc, 3 dc in next dc) until 3 sts left. Sk next dc, dc in last 2 dc. Turn

Rows 3-75: Repeat row 2.For a longer or shorter cardigan, simply add/subtract rows here. However, note that, once blocked, the cardigan will be slightly bigger.

Finishing:

Lay rectangles out next to each other and sew up halfway.

With Right Sides facing, Fold the rectangles in half and sew up the sides, leaving a 7-8″ space for the armholes.

Lastly, weave in ends and block your cardigan. To review the different blocking methods, click here. I used wet blocking for this piece.

That’s all there is to it! Throw your cardigan over your shoulders and go rock it at Niagara Falls!

I hope you have enjoyed this pattern. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I would love to help!

To view all of my free patterns, click HERE.

Happy crocheting!

— Rachel

© 2018 All rights reserved. You may print this pattern for private use only. You may not reproduce or distribute this pattern in any way for any public or commercial use. You may sell finished items made from this pattern, but please give credit to me and link back to my blog. For info about permission to share pictures/use this pattern in Roundups, please contact me. Thank you!

The post Niagara Cardigan—Free Crochet Pattern appeared first on .

(Have you heard about this series of patterns yet? I’m doing a special group of themed patterns while my family is on the East Coast of the U.S. You can view all the posts so far HERE. Or view the the previous pattern, from New York, HERE.)

Yesterday we left New York for good and went on our way to Philadelphia. We spent all of Monday touring the city, and then made our way to the place we’re staying (which is actually out of the city). It is absolutely beautiful here—so green and luscious. If you want to view even more pictures, make sure and follow me on Instagram! I post lots of fun pictures in my stories.

Anyway…so I crocheted a mini Liberty Bell, and here I am holding it in front of the REAL Liberty Bell. So exciting!

Besides going to the Liberty Bell, we also went on a tour of Independence Hall, where we got to see some neat History.  We saw the very room where America’s Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence, as well as the room where the first U.S. Congress met.

The Yarn

All right, before getting to the Bell pattern, let’s talk about the yarn. I used sport-weight yarn from Knit Picks— called Wool of the Andes Sport. I find this yarn to be perfect for little projects like this bell. It’s affordable, and comes in lots of amazing colors.

Click HERE to buy some for yourself!

By the way, pretty much any sport weight yarn would work for this pattern. You could also use a heavier yarn, but your bell would obviously turn out much bigger.

Crochet Liberty Bell

By Desert Blossom Crafts

• To Pin this pattern to your Pinterest boards, click HERE.
• The PDF version of this pattern will become available after I get home from the East Coast!

Materials:

• Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Sport (or any sport weight yarn)
• F/3.75mm Crochet Hook
• Yarn needle

Instructions

Bottom of the Bell

Ch 2.

Rnd 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook.

Rnd 2: 2 sc in ea sc around (12 sc)

Rnd 3: (Sc in next st, 2 sc in next st) around. (18 sc)

Rnd 4: sc in the back loop of each sc around. (18 sc)

Rnd 5-7: sc in each sc around. (18 sc)

Rnd 8-9: (2 sc in next sc, sc in next 2 sc) around (24 sc after Rnd 8. 32 sc after Rnd 9)

Rnd 10-11: sc in each st around. (32 sc) Sl st to first sc to join. Fasten off and weave in ends.

Turn the bell with the WRONG side facing out. It just looks more like the Liberty Bell this way!

Top of Bell

Ch 11.

Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook and each sc across. Turn. (10 sc)

Row 2: ch 1 (does NOT count as st), sc in each sc across. Turn.

Row 3: ch 1, sc in next 2 sc. TURN.

Row 4-5: repeat row 3. Fasten off.

Join yarn on the other end of Row 2. Then repeat rows 3-5.

You should have 6 sc left in the middle of Row 2. Join yarn in the 4th sc over. Then sc in the middle 2 sc. Fasten Off, leaving a long tail for sewing the top to the bottom. Weave in all other ends.

Here is what the top should look like!

Finishing:

1. Block the top piece. I promise, blocking is not scary. It’s very easy. To read about the 3 different methods, click here. Blocking the top of your bell will stop it from curling. It will make it firm so it’s not flopping around once you sew it on the bottom.

2. After blocking, simply sew the top onto the bottom. Attach the middle 2 sc of the top to the 1st round of the bottom.

I hope you enjoyed this pattern! I had so much fun designing it! To view more of my free patterns, click here. If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me. 

Happy crocheting!

— Rachel 

© 2018 All rights reserved. You may print this pattern for private use only. You may not reproduce or distribute this pattern in any way for any public or commercial use. Your finished items are yours to do with as you wish.

The post Mini Liberty Bell – Free Crochet Pattern appeared first on .