Skully Necklace

I love October!  I love Halloween!  I love scary movies, carving pumpkins and homemade costumes!  I love fun decorations and I love dressing up all month long in not-quite-costumes that I can pretend are my normal clothes...

My Skully Necklace is inspired by Mexican sugar skulls, since Dia de los Muertos kinda jumbles in and becomes a part of the Halloween festivities in my neck of the woods.  I like the message behind the holiday, since having a family memorial day gives us a chance to talk to Mims about our family members who have passed on.  And, I just really dig the Mexican Folk Art style...

The supplies are really simple, just some embroidery floss, a hook, a needle and a plain chain.  You could probably whip out 3 or more of these in an evening!  Hmm, sounds like a grown-up Halloween treat...

Skully Necklace
Finished Pendant: 3/4" across at widest point, 1" from the top of the head to the teeth
Supplies:
Embroidery floss (White for skull, bright colors that make you happy for the embroidered decoration)
Size D hook
Sharp tapestry needle
Plain chain necklace (I used an 18" chain, you can use whatever length chain is most flattering to you)
Scissors
Tiny amount of fiberfil (optional!)

Tiny Skull Pattern
(make 2)
R1: Using white embroidery floss (6 strands), make 8 hdc in a magic loop, pull loop tight and sl st to first hdc to close round (8 st)
R2: ch 1, 2 hdc in each st around, sl st to first hdc to close round (16 st)
R3: ch 1, 3 hdc (3 st)
Fasten off.  Weave in ends (or don't and just tuck them inside the pendant later, if you want...)

Grab one of your tiny sculls and your brightly colored embroidery floss!

I like to layer the colors as I embroider the faces.  I started with red (TOO SCARY on its own!), and then added the other colors over the top.  **It might be helpful to add that I only used 3 strands of floss when I embroidered the faces, to keep the lines from being too thick.  Feel free to experiment with floss thickness to change the look of the pendant.**
Since this a folk art style project, realism is unnecessary.  An abstract 'skull-feeling' is what we're going for, and once you get all the colors on, it will become more defined and it will look amazing.  Besides, this is a really tiny piece of art, you can't get too realistic with it.

Here is what I did, if you want a guide to get you started:

It wouldn't be a Halloween project if it didn't include a little gore... :P

It wasn't fatal.  Moving on.

Grab the 2nd skull piece (which will now be called 'the back') and your white embroidery floss.

Stitch the 2 skull pieces together, wrong sides facing to the center.  Start about half way down the head part of the skull and whipstitch down the side, across the bottom, and back up the other side. Use the picture below as a guideline for where to start and stop your stitches...

Open the top part up a little, so that you can slide your chain inside it!

Just lay the chain across the open top of the skull, it should appear to be entering and leaving the skull at pretty much the same place on each side of the skull head.  Make sure that the long sides of the chain are centered before you go on to the next step (you know, 'cause it will make your necklace off centered and wonky if you don't...).

It's time to whipstitch the top of the skull together. The chain will now be sticking out of either side of the head, and the skull will be slightly puffed.  If you would like a more pronounced puffiness to your skull, add some fiberfill before you stitch the top of the skull closed.  I didn't add any extra fiberfill in mine because I wanted the back to lie flat against my skin...

You can use other color combinations!  You can wear them all month!  They go with every outfit you own, because it's October and spooky fun is the height of fashion!  Have I mentioned how much I love October??!!!

xoxo

Now, a quick word from today's free-pattern SPONSOR:

Hi Dynamos!  I've put out an ebook of 6 of my fanciest-schmanciest (wearable) patterns from this site!  It's in the Kindle store right now!  It's called Crochet Dynamite: Fancy-Schmancy.  If you have an e-reader, iPad, Smart Phone or other tech-y awesomeness (including Kindle on your laptop/PC) please click HERE to go and check it out.

 

Endless Summer

When my dad was a teenager he lived in Oceanside, near the beach, and was part of the surf community down there.  He and his friends used to go to watch Bruce Brown's movies, back when that meant that Bruce himself would narrate the film footage from the back of the room with a microphone.  If you haven't seen The Endless Summer you should check it out.  It's a peek into the surf culture of the '60s.  And I particularly enjoy it because it's funny to think that my parents were ever that impossibly young...

Myself?  I was never part of that beachy lifestyle.  I loved the beach, still do in fact, but I am too fair to be able to enjoy it without 70 spf sunblock, a hat, and an umbrella.  Some of us were just not made for sun worship... I think that I've joked on here before that I'm part vampire, since my skin seems to catch aflame with the tiniest bit of sun exposure.  I'm still rockin' a painful (and bright red) sunburn from our 3 hours at the craft fair last weekend.  And I was wearing sunblock! LOL!!!

Still, I love the laid-back beachy vibe.  Even though we live about 10 miles inland, in the heart of Disney, the beach and surf cultures still seem to permeate much of the fashion and music in this area.  I don't get dressed up to go out, I wear flip flops year-round, and Mims listens to Jack Johnson for bedtime music.  And I love, love, love beachy bohemian jewelry.

So, inspired by the beach, I've created some jewelry that every surfer girl needs (even if the only thing she surfs is the internet).  If you want to make some too, this is how you do it:

Surfer Girl Necklace/Bracelet

approx 23" long

Supplies:
Beads (I used some potato-shaped freshwater pearls that I picked up on sale.  You're going to need at least 20 for this project)
Hemp Cord, about 3 yards (The back of the package said that it was 10# cord, which seems to be about the same weight as size 10 crochet thread.  It's stiffer than cotton crochet thread.  You could also use Super-Lon #18 nylon thread for micro-macrame, which would make the necklace/bracelet virtually indestructible.)
Size D crochet hook (I used a Boye hook after I discovered that my Susan Bates hook what noticeably larger than the Boye.  If all you have are Susan Bates hooks, use a size C hook.)
Ruler (Pardon the scribbling and general crappiness of my little wooden ruler.  Mims got ahold of it a couple of years ago and decorated it for me.)
Scissors (Not shown in picture.  Because, come on, it's a pair of scissors...)
Tapestry needle (Kinda sharp would be helpful.  Kinda small is also good, as long as the end of the cord goes through the eye...)

Thread all of your beads onto the hemp cord.  I wouldn't cut the cord off the ball of hemp (or card, as it is in my case), even if you were planning on making several necklaces.  Just thread all of the beads on at once.  It's easy enough to keep sliding them down, it a pain in the butt to keep worrying if they're going to slide off the end of your cord.  **Tip!  I snipped the hemp cord at an angle, to give the end a sharp point, versus the blunt end you would get with a straight-across cut.  That way I didn't need a needle to thread my beads onto the cord, and if the end got too 'dull' I just re-snipped it a half inch lower and it became pointy again.**

Once all of your beads are on, make a slip knot in the front end of your cord (the end you were just using as you put the beads on).

Slide the first bead snugly against the knot.  Using your crochet hook, yarn over (from the other side of the bead) and pull a loop though the slip knot to make the first chain (this bead will become the first half of the fastener for the necklace).  Chain 4 more times.

Slide the next bead up snugly to the chain.  Yarn over from the other side of the bead to pull the loop through and attach the bead.

I used a pattern of 5 chains between beads, which was almost an inch, so that my necklace would be about 23 inches long.  If you would like a longer or shorter necklace, you can adjust the number of chain stitches between your beads.

This is what mine looked like once I got all of my pearls added to the chain.

To make the closure, I made 8 chain stitches from the last bead.

I slip stitched the last chain to the 7th chain from the hook to form a ring.

I made 2 single crochet stitches around the remaining stitch in front of the bead, and then I fastened off the cord.

I used my tapestry needle to weave in the ends.  They were pretty easy to hide along the chain.  Snip off any extra cord once the ends are sufficiently woven in.

This is my finished necklace.  It's a good length for my wardrobe.  It also wraps around my wrist 3 times for a stacked bracelet look, which is a trend right now.  A 16 inch necklace would wrap twice around most wrists, and a 34 inch necklace would wrap five times as a bracelet.  A 34 inch necklace would also make a cool doubled-up 17 inch necklace, which makes it super convertible and a perfect choice if you were going to make this as a gift... in my opinion...

I made this one out of glass beads and glass pearls, with some dyed jasper (although turquoise would have been nice too).  I only used 2-3 chains between beads.  The end pearl is 10 mm.  I love it.  It's so beachy and fun.  I made one for Mims, who wore it swimming and declared it to be perfect mermaid jewelry.  I made one for my sister, who declared that she was absolutely not going to wear it swimming, despite my assurances that it was completely water safe/waterproof.  But I found out later that it was just because she wanted it to stay beautiful and perfect to bring her good luck at an appointment she was going to the next day.

If you make some surfer girl jewelry, I'd love to see it!  Send a quick picture to CrochetDynamite@gmail.com and I'll add it to the Dynamo Gallery!  Mahalo!

xoxo

Oh, and Karen, Nancy, Charlotte, Leah and Laura were the winners of my giveaway.  I had my  91-year-old grandma pull the names out of a bag. Thank you all for playing!

Star Spangled Everything!

Happy Memorial Day!

It took me a while to figure out a cool star pattern for my Wonder Woman Running Tiara pattern, and it seemed like such a waste to only use it once, so I've been busy crocheting stars like crazy trying to come up with something (else) awesome to do with them.

I know it was only yesterday, but I'm going to repeat the pattern here now, just for the sake of keeping all the starry stuff in one place.  I promise, you will thank me later when you don't have to bounce between posts to make your cute stars...

Star Pattern:

Use size 3 crochet thread and a size D hook thread for a larger star
Use size 10 crochet thread and a size 8 steel hook for a smaller star
(make 2)
R1: 10 sc in magic loop, sl st to first sc to close round (10 st) 
R2: ch 1, (2sc in next st, sc) 5 times, sl st to first sc to close round (15 st)
R3: sl st,[(hdc, dc, trc, dc, hdc) in next st, 2 sl st] 4 times, (hdc, dc, trc, dc, hdc) in next st, sl st.

Fasten off. Leave a long tail to sew star together.

I discovered that, while a single flatty piece, they have cute rounded points, but if you sew two of them together the points become sharp and pokey and they look really good.  Just like a star should look!  It made me feel patriotic!  I wanted to star spangle my world!!!

Of course I had to do a red-white-and-blue garland.  I used size 3 crochet thread and a size d hook for the larger stars, and size 10 crochet thread and a size 8 steel hook for the yellow stars.  I stuffed them lightly to give them a little more shape.  I think these would make a super cute decoration for your year-round tree, or if you really went crazy you could decorate for 4th of July with a garland around your patio... You still have enough time if you start right now!

I sewed some stars together, leaving the bottom open, so that I could use them as pencil toppers.  I am thinking about cute stuff for Mims when she starts kindergarten in the fall, and I think these would be a hit.  I have been informed by my mom, who is a public school teacher, that perhaps these would be better 'at home' pencils, since the toppers can be removed and played with.  I will defer to her great wisdom, and plan a birthday party that needs princess and/or fairy wands for Mims next year... Ooh! If you cover the pencils with a fancy scrapbook paper, I think they would look extra cool (and less school-y).  These would also be cool for an end-of-the-year magic test-taking pencil... I hear that they only know how to write correct answers...

I used some size 10 crochet thread (made of bamboo fibers, yo!) and a size 8 steel crochet hook to make the star for this necklace.  I sewed it right onto the ball chain, stuffing it lightly to make it a little puffy and cute.  It doesn't slide easily, so if you try this, make sure you center it!  The bamboo thread is so soft, and the star weighs practically nothing, so I forget that I'm even wearing it.  I adore it.  Mims has requested several, so that she can have them in all her favorite colors.

I attached some bobby pins through the stars to decorate Mims's bun today.  It looked so festive and fun, I'm a little jealous of her long hair...

What I would not recommend is doing more than 2 colors per star.  This tri-colored experiment was a disaster.  I was sure you wouldn't believe that it was possible for me to make anything that was this awful, so I am posting a picture as proof that I screw up all the time... But seriously, if you want to do a two colored star, it think it could look cool, but the way the increases on the 2nd row go, it just doesn't look good with a third color.  Heed my cautionary tale... Don't do it! LOL!!!

The stars themselves are really appealing, just on their own.  When I was a kid I used to make origami wishing stars, and I think that a collection of these little crochet stars would be just as beautiful in a jar to tell someone how much you love them.  I could also see making these as keepsakes for a special occasion, you could even put a loop on them to use as a Christmas ornament.  I might even hang one in the car for Jake, to remind him that Mims and I love him.  Aww, so sappy today.  But, the stars are really cute, and once you start making them, your rational brain will justify making more and more to give away.

Fill your world with stars today, Dynamos, and share them with the people you love!

xoxo

Crocheting a Necklace

I wear glasses.  I wear reading glasses and I wear sunglasses.  I lose my glasses a lot.  There seems to be an direct correlation between how much money I spend and the likelihood of me losing the glasses. The really expensive ones sometimes get lost on the way out of the mall... Sigh...

But, seriously, I misplace my glasses a lot.  But I don't really care for the long lanyard with a loop glasses holders that are out there, so that wasn't really an option for me.  What I really wanted was something that was so pretty, no one would ever suspect that (in the privacy of my own home) I sometimes loop my glasses through it for safekeeping.

I had picked up some plastic cabone rings the last time that I was at the craft store, and I was excited to experiment with them. The 3/4" size seemed a perfect fit for my project.

On my first try, I experimented with a crochet/macrame combo using the cabone rings and some hemp cord. It looked exactly like I had wanted, but it was a little scratchy, and I didn't like the sliding closure I put in the back.

So, I got out my trusty size 3 crochet cotton and re-made it.  This time I just crocheted long ties, so I could adjust the length each time I wear it with a simple knot.

I really like how it turned out.  I was showing them to my mom, and she insisted that I sit down and make one for her immediately. If you need one right away, I will give you my (very simple, very minimal) instructions.

The (Glasses Holding, shhh!) Necklace

approx. 25" long

Supplies:

Size 3 Crochet Cotton in the color of your choice, or a fine hemp cord if that's more your style

Size D crochet hook

One 3/4" plastic cabone ring

Four 1/2" plastic cabone rings

Sharp yarn needle

Okay, so there's not an exact way to do this.  Grab the big cabone ring.  It's going to be your center.  Sc over the plastic.  It will take between 25 and 30 sc stitches to go around.  When you can't squeeze any more stitches on, sc the last st to the first st.  Cut the yarn at this point and weave the end in.

Sc the same way around all four of the smaller cabone rings.  They will take about 15 sc stitches.  After you sc the ring of stiches together, leave a longish tail for attaching them together.  Use the picture for reference.  Use two of the rings to make a Mickey-Mouse-ish shape, then attach the others on the outside so that no one else notices that you're wearing a Disney icon. Weave in all those ends, please!

Now that you have your center piece complete, attach the yarn on one side (it doesn't matter which, you'll do the other side as soon as this side is done) and chain 71.  

R1: starting in 2nd ch from the hook, sl st across all 70 ch spaces.

Fasten off.  Leave a tail and weave it into the ring to secure the side piece.

Repeat on the other side.

If my instructions have scared you, I want to reassure you that once you get going, it is the simplest project in the world.  The hardest part is weaving the ends in, and that's just basic sewing.  If you're on the fence, I say go for it!

Okay, so me and my glasses are off for the day! I hope you have a good day too, dear Dynamos!

xoxo