Camera Strap Cover: Free Crochet Pattern

Tired of your same old uncomfortable camera strap? If you have a DSLR, you know as well as I do, those things can get heavy. Why not make a durable, soft, cotton cover for it? It feels great around your neck and is perfect for any photo enthusiast!  

Camera Strap Cover Pattern

Materials:
Worsted weight Yarn (I used one ball of Lily Sugar n Cream 100% Cotton)
Size F Hook
Yarn Needle


Make a chain long enough to wrap snugly around the widest part of your camera strap. Slip stitch into the last chain on your hook, joining the two ends to make a ring.

Row 1: Chain 1, SC into each chain around. Slip stitch into your beginning chain to complete the round.
Repeat Row 1 two more times.
Row 4: Ch 3, make 2 DC in same space as ch. *Skip next two stitches, 3 DC in next st.* Repeat what's in ** to end of round.
Row 5: Make 3 slip stitches into the next space between your 3 DC's. Ch 3, then make 2 DC in same space. *DC 3 times in each sp.* Repeat ** to end of row.
Row 6-40 (or however long you want): Repeat previous row.
Row 41-43: Ch 1, SC in each stitch around. 
Row 44: Slip Stitch around. Finish off and weave in ends. 

Ta-Da! There you have it. You've just made your very own custom camera strap cover!

This thing is SO comfy, I never want to let go of my camera now! Whats even better is you can customize it any way you like. Add a crochet flower, a bunch of different colors, whatever you want! Have fun with it!

Coming Soon! Camera Strap Cover Pattern

Hello Hookers! I'm so excited about what I've been working on, I just couldn't wait until I finished the pattern to post. Being new to the blogging world, I've been getting to know my camera a lot better than before, and I've realized how uncomfortable the strap that I have for it is! I always meant to buy a new one, but why do that now when I could easily make it myself?

So, with my overflowing stash, I carefully selected a color and went to work. I made this one last night, without having the strap in front of me. It's a little short because I ran out of yarn, but that's OK, it's just for me, and I love it anyway!

So now I'm writing down the pattern so I can share it with anyone else who would like to make one! It's fairly simple, and can easily be modified to fit any camera strap. Using 100% Cotton was my favorite material for this project, but you can try out different fibers and see what you like. I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with! 

Stay tuned for the pattern! I should have it up within a few days (;

In the meantime why not check out my Etsy shop? Or head over to my Facebook page and Like me for updates on what I'm working on next!

Dish Towel and Multipurpose Cloth Free Pattern

Do you struggle to find the perfect colored dish towels and pot holders for your kitchen? Or is it just me that is that selective.. Either way, it seems like all the stores I see have them in 3 colors, white, burgundy, and country themes with chickens and checkerboards. I got sick of those fast, and so I have created a pattern so that you can design the perfect dish towels for your kitchen.

They make great gifts as well!

Because lets face it, when your dish towel is hanging on the handle of your stove, even though you use it to clean, you want it to look pretty. And having a matching set of multipurpose cloths (which can also double as pot holders!), is just an added bonus.

Dish Towel Pattern

Materials

H hook

2 Balls of Lily Sugar n Cream 100% Cotton (One main color and one contrast for the edge)

Using main color

Chain 30

Row 1: SC in second ch from hook and each ch down. Ch 1, turn.

Row 2: SC in same st as ch, *sk next st, 2 SC in next st* Repeat to end of row. End with 2 SC in last st. Ch 1, turn.

Row 3-38: Repeat row 2.

Row 39-42: Switch to accent color in last st of previous row. Repeat row 2 four times with accent color. 

At the end of the last row, don't chain 1. Sc evenly down the edge of the towel and all the way around. Fasten off when you get back to the beginning. 

Thats it! Now you have the perfect kitchen towel to handle all your messes. I have two, one for the kitchen and one for when that one gets dirty. 

I also have adapted the same pattern into a multipurpose cloth. Same idea, just smaller and it's about the size of your hand. Perfect for using as a washcloth, rag, wiping down the counters, dusting, you name it! 

Multipurpose Cloth Pattern

Materials

G Hook

2 balls Lily Sugar n Cream 100% Cotton (one main color and one accent color)

Using your main color

Chain 30

Row 1: SC in second chain from hook and each chain down. Ch 1, turn.

Row 2: SC in same st as ch, *sk next st, 2 SC in next st* Repeat to end of row. End with 2 SC in last st. Ch 1, turn.

Row 3-24: Repeat row 2.

Row 25: SC in each stitch across. Change to accent color in last stitch. Ch 1, turn.

Row 26: SC across, and around the entire square until you get to the beginning. Finish off and weave in ends.

There you have it! Two great patterns that will make your kitchen look great, both in style and cleanliness. I hope you all enjoy! 

Reduce, Reuse, Crochet!

One of the great positives to crocheting is that you can make things to help recycle items around your house! In this post I'll show you some projects I've been working on to help reduce, reuse, and recycle, and I'll be linking some free patterns along the way!

The first project I was really excited about was my "plarn" shopping bag. This is SUPER easy to make! And its practically free! Start saving your plastic bags when you go shopping. Any plastic bag will do as long as its clean! (Who wants to crochet with sticky plastic bags? Yuck! Cut em up, using this tutorial for instructions, and make a giant ball of plarn.

Then check out this tutorial on how to make the bag. You can use any pattern you like really. You could make market bags, a rug, coasters. The possibilities are endless!

Another great thing you can do to reduce waste is to use a water bottle instead of plastic bottled water. Don't feel like lugging around a water bottle every where you go? Then this pattern is for you. This water bottle cozy is made using cotton yarn, so it doesn't stretch and absorbs and moisture that might be accumulated from your cool drink. 

Dish cloths are a great easy option for beginners who want to replace their paper towels. Each ball of Lily Sugar n Cream yarn is $1.99 (although sometimes you can find them on sale/clearance for less!) and one of those will make 2 hand sized dish cloths. These are the ultimate multi purpose cloth!! Use them to wipe down your counters and hang to dry for next use. Use dry to do some dusting. Use as a pot holder or trivet! I even use them to wipe my sons face and hands/whole body off after he's done eating. They're THAT soft! (;

Super easy to make as well! Just chain however wide you'd like it to be. You can use many different stitches, but even simple ones like single and double crochets work great. Finish off with a round of single crochet around the edges, doing 3 crochets in each corner, and you're done! Double them up for a nice pot holder or trivet as well (;

Have any more ideas for some recyclable projects? Post your link below! 

 

Phone Case Free Pattern!

Naturally, when I had to buy a new phone this week, I needed to make some sort of cute crochet accessory to put it in! I decided to design a 'phone case', but beware, this case can hold much more than just your phone! What will you put in yours?

Droid Phone Case Pattern

Hook Size: H

Using any Worsted Weight Yarn. I used Lily Sugar 'n Cream cotton.

Special Terms

Ch - Chain
DC - Double Crochet

Ch 20. Join to first ch with a slip stitch. Careful not to twist the chain.

Row 1: Ch 3, DC in next ch and each ch around. Join to beginning with a slip stitch.

Row 2: Ch 3, DC in each dc around. Join to first DC with a slip stitch.

Repeat row 2 until you reach the desired height of your phone case/pouch.

Finishing Row: Slip stitch 10, Chain 8 (for the button loop, you may need to chain more or less depending on your buttons size), slip stitch in same space. Slip stitch remaining 10 stitches.

Fasten off and weave in ends. Now just attach a cute little button on the front center and you're done!

These work up so fast! And they make perfect gifts for friends. They stretch and you can make it in a variety of sizes to fit everyone's phones! I know I plan on making a ton more for family and friends. Enjoy!

Problem Solving: Never Skip a Stitch Again!

Hey everyone! Have you been working on a crochet project in rows or rounds and find that you keep adding a stitch or skipping a stitch on accident?! I do this ALL THE TIME. And I always forget to keep checking my work after every round to make sure that I don't do this. And then I end up with something like this..

Of course, who do I turn to but my trusty group of 'Yartists' on Facebook! They always have the answers to all of my questions, and there's always new pictures being posted of everyones projects! If you like to knit or crochet, or want to learn, you should definitely join!

Thanks to my friend Brian over at Crocheting It Up, he shared with me a video he had made about how to make a different kind of chain when moving to the next row, making your chaining stitch easier to see, and it eliminates the odd look of the chain.

This video is so easy to understand and Brian does a great job explaining everything clearly! My favorite part about youtube videos is you can watch them as many times as you want to make sure you are doing it right!

I hope this helped a few of you out there who were struggling with the same problem as I was! And don't forget to check out Brian's entire youtube series, perfect if you're just looking to learn how to crochet!

Works In Progress: Lamb Hat and Crocodile Clutch!

This week for me was all about trying new things. I purchased a pattern for an adorable baby lamb hat, and I absolutely LOVE how it turned out! I also gave a try at the intimidating yet surprisingly easy crocodile stitch in a cute clutch. And of course some various other projects in the works as well.

You can find a link to the pattern underneath its picture! I hope you find some inspiration in my work this week. I've been lacking it lately, but after a few days of building my inspiration I'm back on track!

Now for the pictures (:

 Baby Lamb Hat

This granny square is for Judes owl lovey that is in the works.

I used this youtube video for the start of it since it was my first time making a granny square!

This is my beloved crocodile stitch purse in the works! The handle is going to be that pink on the left. I'm thinking about doing the back in pink and grey striped single crochets, but thinking about weaving in all those ends is making me dizzy! (;

 

Here I am wearing a cowl I quickly made one afternoon. No pattern used, just chain however long you want it, join to make a ring, and half double crochet around until you get your desired width! Easy peasy!

A mug cozy! I seem to just keep making these whenever I have an extra 20 minutes. They really are SO easy!

Remember this bag? Well my amazing grandmother sewed me a lining for it! It's pinned in and ready to be sewed in by me, I just haven't had the time to start it yet.

And last but not least, dish cloths. Or wash cloths. Or dusting rags. Or spit up rags. Can you tell I use these a lot?

I also realized I forgot to take a picture of my scrap rug I've been working on, but that's okay because I plan on making a whole new post for that (: 

Keep an eye out for the Lamb Hat, Cowl, and Mug Cozy in my Etsy Shop. If you haven't yet, you should check it out! I add new listings weekly and love to work on custom orders!

I hope you guys enjoy all the free patterns. Don't forget to share what you've been working on too!