Monster Beanie

Mims and I went to a baby shower last night.  It was for Jake's cousin Ro.   She and her husband are expecting a boy in September.  So exciting!  So why did I make a baby girl onesie on Friday?! ::shaking my head in disbelief::    Anyhoo, I wanted to make something cute to take to the shower, so I whipped up an awesome Monster Beanie.

Mims had one when she was about two that she wore everywhere.  I loosely based this new one on the one I had created for Mims.  I think it turned out super cute.  I'm not sure that the pictures do it justice.  In fact, I can promise you, it's so stinkin' cute in person that you won't want to give it away... but you will, because the only thing cuter than this beanie, would be a baby wearing this beanie... or perhaps a Corgi... (That was for you, K!)

If you'd like to make one for the little monsters in your life, here's the pattern:

Monster Beanie
fits newborn - 3 mos
Supplies:
Main Color: 100% cotton worsted weight yarn (I used Peaches & Creme in Avocado)
Size G crochet hook
Eyeball Color: 100% cotton worsted weight yarn (I used Bernat Handicrafter in White)
Iris Color: black embroidery floss
Size D crochet hook
Mouth-line Color: 100% cotton worsted weight yarn (I used Bernat Handicrafter in Country Red, but doubled up embroidery floss would also work)
Yarn needle

Beanie:
Use Main Color yarn and size G hook
R1: In magic loop, make 8 sc, sl st to first sc to close ring.  Tighten loop. (8 st)
R2: ch 1, (2 sc in next st) 8 times, sl st to first sc to close round (16 st)
R3: ch 1, (2 sc in next st, sc) 8 times, sl st to first sc to close round (24 st)
R4: ch 1, (2 sc in next st, 2 sc) 8 times, sl st to first sc to close round (32 st)
R5-6: ch 1, sc in each st around, sl st to first sc to close round (32 st)
R7: ch 1, (2 sc in next st, 3 sc) 8 times, sl st to first sc to close round (40 st)
R8-23: ch 1, sc in each st around, sl st to first sc to close round (40 st)
Fasten off.  Weave in ends.

Stubby Horns
make 2
Use Main Color yarn and size G hook
R1: In magic loop, make 5 sc, sl st to first sc to close ring.  Tighten loop. (5 st)
R2-3: ch 1, sc in each st around, sl st to first sc to close round (5 st)
Fasten off.  Weave in ends.

Sew horns to hat approximately 2 inches down from the top-center of the hat (which was about R8).  I spaced my horns 2.5 inches apart.

Eyeball
make 2
Use Eyeball Color yarn and size G hook
R1: In magic loop, make 6 sc, sl st to first sc to close ring.  Tighten loop. (6 st)
R2: ch 1, (2 sc in next st) 6 times, sl st to first sc to close round (12 st)
Fasten off.  Weave in ends.

Iris
make 2
Use black embroidery floss and size D hook
R1: In magic loop, make 8 dc, sl st to first dc to close ring.  Tighten loop. (8 st)
Fasten off.  Weave in ends.

Sew iris to eyeball.  Using photo as guide, sew eyes to front of hat.

Using Mouth-line Color and the backstitch, add a mouth line.  Quirky smiles are always cute!

It would be easy to make this beanie for larger sizes, just make the hat bigger.  This site has a list of  measurements to help you out.

And as always, if you make one you can add your picture to the Dynamo Gallery!  Just send me a jpg in an email!  I'll even link it to your site, if you'd like!

When we got home from the shower it was still 85 degrees out, which meant that it was even hotter in the house.  What were two overheated girls to do??  Yeah, we made mint limeade.

Mims helped me squeeze the limes, and wash the mint.  I made a simple syrup and infused it with mint, chopping the remaining mint to add to the finished limeade.  We poured it over ice, adding extra water because it was STRONG.  That made it just perfect for a hot, sweaty night.  We went upstairs and Mims watched a Netflixed episode of Wizards of Waverly Place while I put up a new Google+ page for Crochet Dynamite.  So if you Google+ you can now add the blog to your circles!

What a great day...

xoxo

Simple Ruffle-Butt Onesie

When I was in high school I used to babysit for the cutest little girl.  Her parents dressed her in the most adorable dresses, and always with ruffled bloomers underneath.  One day my mom was admiring her outfit, and the dad rolled his eyes and sighed, saying "Yeah, no outfit is complete without those ruffle-butt panties."  My mom and I thought we were going to die of laughter, and ever since I can't see a little girl in a ruffled diaper cover without thinking "Heh, ruffle-butt."

I have several friends who are expecting little ones, and it's always a challenge to find something 'new' to make to bring to a shower.  Blankets are always appreciated, as are hats and booties, but I like to go for the wow factor.  Especially if it doesn't take too much time or effort (ie. faster and easier than a blanket or booties).

And the last part of this (I like to tell you all the weird thoughts that have to collide in my brain in order for my latest idea to develop, I know they all seem so random, but hang with me)  my friend E, who is new to crochet, but is a bad-ass knitter, is the queen of the knit picker.  Do you have one?  Am I the only one that didn't know about this amazing little latch-hook tool?!  Okay, so we've been getting together monthly and calling it Crochet Club, which is really just an excuse for me to play with her baby and to see each other's projects in person.  Well, she's been making these adorable purses and crocheting the lining in.  Crocheting the fabric lining in.  Yeah, I kinda flipped out, because it was all kinds of awesome, and she said that she did it using a knit picker.  I couldn't wait, I immediately ordered one online (although my Joann's and Michaels do carry them, but I got all excited and ordered mine from Amazon.).  I got the ergonomic version, because it was green, which is my favorite color.

The possibilities of crocheting across fabrics was enticing, but once I had it, I wasn't sure what to do with it.  It's taken me nearly a month to come up with a project for it, but now that I've actually used it, I adore it.  I will warn you that there's a technique to it, but the learning curve is steep and I picked it up pretty quickly.

So, if you're interested in making a Simple Ruffle-Butt Onesie for a little one in your life read on.  The pattern in crazy simple, but this is a very image heavy tute because if you're like me and this is a new idea lots of pictures equals a high success rate!  And I love high success rates!!!  ;D

Simple Ruffle-Butt Onesie
Supplies (in order of appearance):
Purchased Onesie (I used a size 3-6 months, but you can use any size, the 'pattern' is adjustable)
Ruler (a plastic or wooden one, not a soft tape measure)
Disappearing Ink Fabric Marking Pen (I used one that will disappear without water, but if you already have a water soluble one, just use it and rinse the marks off when you're done)
Dritz Knit Picker
Baby Yarn (I used Cuddle by Sensations in Cuddle - Pink)
Scissors
Yarn Needle
Size D Crochet Hook

Start by marking the back of your onesie. You're going to make 4 lines straight across the back of it.  For size 3-6 months, or larger, make your first line across the back about an inch above the leg opening (for newborn or size 0-3 months make your first line 1/2 inch above the leg opening).  Make the next line an inch above your first line (3/4 inch for the itty-bitty sizes).  Make 2 more lines (4 in total!) leaving an inch between lines (3/4 inch for the NB and 0-3 mo sizes).

Mark each of the lines at 1/4 inch increments.  Start at the side seam and mark the line all the way across to the other side seam.  It really doesn't matter how many marks are on each line as long as they're 1/4 inch apart.  This is going to be your stitch guide.

Get out your Knit Picker and let's get going! I did a practice row, so you can see what we're going to be doing next.

The Knit Picker has a tiny (sharp!) latch hook end.  For this first part, we're going to use it like a crochet hook, and wiggle it into the fabric at the first mark.  I found it was MUCH easier to use the sharp point of the hook to pierce the fabric, instead of trying to force the rounded head of the hook through.

Once you get it through the fabric, push it in far enough that the 'latch' part is through too.  We're going to need it for the next step.

To start the row of stitches, I just held the yarn as I looped it through the hook part.  When the yarn is inside the hook section, flip the latch up to secure it in place (it won't stay up, but we only need it to hold the yarn as it goes through the fabric).

Pull (gently, but firmly) the loop through the fabric.  The loop doesn't have to be very big, but make sure that it's not too small.  It's super important that these stitches be a little loose.  Now, do it again!  Put the hook part through the fabric at the next mark, add the yarn, flip the latch and...

Pull another loop through!  This time, pull it through the first stitch as well!  Yippee, we're making a chain!  Keep going!  Go to the end of the row!  Your first stitches will be awkward and you may get some splits and other unpleasantness, but by the end of the row you'll have gotten the hang of it.  (It's so cliched, but this really is a case of practice makes perfect).  If you really hate it, you can always pull it out and try again.

When you get to the end of the row, leave a big loop.

This time, instead of putting the Knit Picker through the fabric from the top going in, you're going to put it through the fabric from the inside coming out.  Ideally it would be just a few threads over from the last loop you made.  Put the latch around the loop and pull it to the inside of the onesie...

Okay, this picture makes my thumb look freakin' huge!  In reality, I have almost freakishly small hands, so this is a really good picture to show how tiny the tip of the Knit Picker is.  Now that you've got the loop pulled to the inside, you can fasten it off.

This is what the inside of your onesie will look like at this point.  Now weave in those ends before we go on to the next part.

This is what the outside of the onesie should look like at this point.

The ruffle is the easiest part! Attach the yarn to the first stitch of the row.  Using your size D crochet hook, chain 3, put 5 dc in the first stitch, 4 dc in each stitch across, 6 dc in the last stitch.  Fasten off, weave in ends.

Repeat on the other three rows.  Give yourself a pat on the back for trying something new!  Go get an ice-cream cone to celebrate how awesome it turned out! Wrap it up in fancy-shmancy packaging and steal the limelight at your friend's baby shower... Uh, did I just say that part out loud?...

(My kid was half booty when she was a baby, thus the spacing on the ruffles.  If your kid is more back than booty, you could add another row that starts at the top of the leg openings, and take the top row off. Custom Ruffle-Butts for everyone!!)

xoxo

Easy Crochet Bib Clips

I made some bib clips for my little friend S, who is coming to visit today.

I used to use these all the time when Mims was a baby/toddler.  In my opinion, there is nothing as gross as trying to figure out where to put a dirty bib.  I know, some of you will say that cloth diapers are worse, and I will not disagree with you. What I will say, though, is that if you make the wonderful decision to use cloth diapers, you have a contingency plan in place on how you're going to carry the soiled item home with you if you change your little one in public.  When Mims was tiny I never was organized enough to plan that far ahead.  

Which means that I ended up hauling a lot of really gross stuff around in my diaper bag.  I probably went through three dozen cloth diapers, which I used as all-purpose baby grossness cleaning cloths, and two dozen bibs a week when I first started feeding Mims baby food.  She and I were never very coordinated when it came to feeding time, but we sure had fun.  Which was great at home, where I could dunk her in a bath and change her clothes without much effort, but it made eating out (or at her grandma's house) really, really suck.

Until I discovered the joy that is the bib clip.  These little miracles saved my sanity.  They are super simple to use.  All you have to do is attach the clip to a handy bib-like stand-in and you're good to go!  Best part is, if that item is something disposable, like a napkin or paper towel, you can just throw it away after you're done, and you don't have to bring something covered in mushy peas home to wash.  

You can use other bib-like items with it too.  I used to use tea towels, cloth diapers, and washcloths (you know, the kind you can pick up a dozen at Target for $3). Those were also more convenient than a regular bib, since you can pretty much cover a 10 month-old with a tea towel.  Suddenly, I found myself with so much more free time, since my day didn't involve having to give Mims five baths a day!  And I won't even go into how much laundry the clips saved me.

So, when I found out that my friend E was going to bring my little friend S over for a visit, I knew that I needed to make them some clips.  They were a fun and fast project.  I made them in slip-stitch, which I've been fascinated with lately, so they are nice and dense, but so soft and flexible.  I clipped it to a folded-over washcloth, so you could get an idea of how to use them.

If you would like the pattern, it's at my pattern store on Craftsy.

Ooh! I almost forgot, you can now follow me on Pinterest!
And, I just set up a new Ravelry account, but I don't have links ready for it yet... Let's see if this works!

Have a great day, Dynamos!

xoxo

I'm an Auntie!!!

My nephew was born yesterday.  I am now a very proud Auntie Jaime!  I had forgotten how tiny new babies are.  Mims is in the 95th percentile for height, I'm used to 44" tall five-year-olds.  I also got a chance to swaddle him, which was a bummer because it's been 5 years, and I'm so rusty that he was able to pop the blanket apart in ten seconds...

His initials are DC, and his daddy (and uncle!) are huge comic book fans, so of course I had to make him a DC logo hat.  I know, it's an old version of the logo, but it's iconic, and the new logo doesn't evoke the same nostalgia.  Also, I wasn't sure I could actually crochet the new logo... lol!

You might notice that I crocheted a baby head to model the hat.  If it helps, I felt like a nut when I did it, but I expect that my nephew is going to inspire a lot of creations, and I needed an 'at home' model. Mims tossed it around for a while like a ball, but quickly lost interest in it, so I think I'm actually going to be able to use it for it's intended purpose...

Anyway, I just wanted to brag that I have a new baby to love!  Congratulations to S and B, and welcome to our family DC!!!
xoxo

Bacon Baby Blanket 2.0

I have finally finished my new and improved extra-lumpy bacon baby blanket.  Yippee! I am really pleased with how it turned out.  The bacon looks right, and I think the mom of the baby-to-be is going to be thrilled.  It's a great size too, not too big, heavy enough that it won't fall off and get caught in the wheels of a stroller, and super washable when the inevitable spills and crumbs and general grossness require a washing.

Bacon Baby Blanket 2.0

Finished Size: approx. 29" x 28"

Supplies Needed:

Lion Brand Yarn Vanna's Choice

MC A - 180 Cranberry - 1 skein

MC B - 133 Brick - 2 skeins

CC A - 123 Beige - 2 skeins

CC B - 126 Chocolate - 2 skeins

4.25mm/G crochet hook

Yarn Needle

MAIN BLANKET:

With MC A chain 101.

R1: sc in second ch from hook, sc across all ch, change to MC B, ch 2, turn. (100 st)

R2: hdc across all st, change to CC A, ch 2, turn. (100 st)

R3: (4 sc, 3 hdc in next st) 20 times, change to MC A, ch 2, turn. (140 st)

R4: (sc 3 st tog, 4 hdc) 20 times, change to CC A,  ch 2, turn. (100 st)

R5: sc across all st, change to MC B, ch 2, turn. (100 st)

R6: (2 sc, 2 dc in next st, 2 dc in next st, 6 sc) 10 times, ch 1, turn. (120 st)

R7: (6 hdc, sc 2 st tog, sc 2 st tog, 2 hdc) 10 times, change to CC B, ch 2, turn. (100 st)

R8-11: sc across all st,  ch 1, turn. (100 st)

R12: sc across all st, change to MC A, ch 2, turn. (100 st)

R13: (4 sc, 3 dc in next st) 20 times, change to CC A, ch 2, turn. (140 st)

R14: (sc 3 st tog, 3 sc, 3 dc in next st) 20 times, change to MC B, ch 2, turn. (140 st)

R15: (sc 3 st tog, 4 hdc) 20 times, ch 1, turn. (100 st)

R16: hdc across all st, change  to CC A, ch 2, turn. (100 st)

R17: (3 sc, 3 dc in next st, sc) 20 times, change to MC A,ch 2, turn. (140 st)

R18: (sc, sc 3 st tog, 2 sc, 2 dc in next st) 20 times, change to CC B, ch 2, turn. (120 st)

R19: (sc 2 st tog, 4 sc) 20 times, ch 1, turn. (100 st)

R20-22: sc across all st, ch 1, turn. (100 st)

R23: sc across all st, change to MC A, ch 2, turn. (100 st)

R24: sc across all st, change to MC B, ch 2, turn.(100 st)

R25-90: repeat rows 2-24 three times.

R91: hdc across all st, change to CC A, ch 2, turn. (100 st)

R92: (4 sc, 3 hdc in next st) 20 times, change to MC A, ch 2, turn. (140 st)

R93: (sc 3 st tog, 4 hdc) 20 times, change to CC A, ch 2, turn. (100 st)

R94: sc across all st, change to MC B, ch 2, turn. (100 st)

R95: (2 sc, 2 dc in next st, 2 dc in next st, 6 sc) 10 times, ch 1, turn. (120 st)

R96: (6 hdc, sc 2 st tog, sc 2 st tog, 2 hdc) 10 times, fasten off. (100 st)

Weave in the 120 (or so) loose ends.

BORDER:

Pick which side is going to be the front (both sides are going to look amazing, so just choose the one you like best.)

R1: Starting in the top corner, attach CC A and ch 2, 2 sc in same st, 98 sc across top edge, 3 sc in next corner, 98 sc across side, 3 sc in corner, 98 sc across bottom, 3 sc in corner, 98 sc across side, sl st to 2nd ch in first corner cluster.

R2: Ch 2, 2 sc in same st, 100 sc across top, 3 sc in corner st, 100 sc across side, 3 sc in corner st, 100 sc across bottom, 3 sc in corner st, 100 sc across side, sl st to 2nd ch in first corner cluster. Fasten off.

Weave in the loose ends and celebrate the fact that you're done!

Abbreviations used:

ch - chain

sc - single crochet

hdc - half double crochet

dc - double crochet

xoxo

Edit. 6/9/12: Hello Dynamos!  It was brought to my attention that there I had made a mis-type in the numbering of the pattern.  I've corrected it now in Google Docs to read correctly (I also added an abbreviations key and adjusted my website name to reflect my new dot-com-y-ness).  I am grateful to the kind soul that pointed out my mistake, and encourage anyone that has any questions to please feel free to email me at CrochetDynamite@gmail.com  
xo Jaime

Edit 5/7/14: Hello Dynamos!  This was my first pattern, and it was back when I thought I needed to put the instructions in some sort of printable file (before I knew you could just copy and paste any patterns you want into a word document and print them out for your crochet binders!).  I've moved the full pattern to this page now, so you don't have to mess with Google Docs anymore.  Love to you all!!!
xo! J

Bacon Blanket 1.0

Hi! I'm Jaime. This is my blog.  I've gotten back into crochet after spending a long time away, so I'm going to use this as a space to share what I'm working on and what I'm interested in.  I hope it develops into something special.

Right now I'm working on The Bacon Blanket.  It was going to be a present for a baby boy about to be born, but the bacon was tricky.  You can see the progression from flat to funky. I really like the funky, lumpy part.  Which means, this will become a lap blanket for my husband, and an all lumpy bacon blanket will need to be made for future baby.  Because you can't give a baby flat bacon.
xoxo