Darn Good Apple Cozy

I can't even tell you how much I love this yarn. I got a skein in a grab bag from Darn Good Yarn and balled it up and just pet it and stroked it until I had a plan for it. It's made from banana fibers! So yes, I wrapped my apple in bananas.

Darn Good Yarn Banana Fiber - they also have a gorgeous multicolor version- Kaleidoscope Banana Fiber

It's soft, fluffy, absolutely touchable. One ball will make an apple cozy with some leftover for making a bracelet or other accessory, 2 balls will make 3 apple cozies. The cozies fit the "school boy" sized small apples, but it would be easy to adjust the pattern for one of those huge apples if you're really apple crazy.

You will need:
Banana fiber yarn
Size K crochet hook
scissors
smaller hook to weave in ends OR a ribbon threaded through a tapestry needle to make a loop works too. The yarn does not go through needles easily.

Time- very short. These are quick, easy and make great gifts.
American terminology
Stitches:
chain=ch
sc= single crochet
dc= double crochet
sl st= slip stitch
st or sts=stitch or stitches
dec sc= insert hook in first st, yarn over, pull loop through, insert hook in next st, yarn over, pull loop through, yarn over, pull through all three loops on the hook.
Repeat ** means repeat the instructions between the asterisks.

Ch 2 or magic ring
Round 1: 6 sc in first ch or magic ring. Sl st to join (6 sts)
Round 2: ch 1 (does not count as first st) 2 sc in each st around, sl st to join (12 sts)
Round 3:  ch 1 (does not count as first st) sc in first st, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next st, 2 sc in next st*, repeat ** around, sl st to join. (18 sts)
Round 4: ch 1 (does not count as first st) sc in each st, sl st to join (18 sts)
Round 5: ch 1 (does not count as first st) sc in each st, sl st to join (18 sts)

Now we switch to back and forth rows.

Row 1: ch 1 (does not count as first st), sc in same st, sc in next 15 sts (16 sc)
Row 2: ch 1 (does not count as first st) dec sc over first two sts, sc in next 12 sts, dec sc in last 2 sts. (14 sc)
Row 3: ch 1 (does not count as first st) dec sc over first two sts, sc in next 10 sts, dec sc in last 2 sts. (12 sc)
Row 4: ch 1 (does not count as first st) sc in each st (12 sts)
Row 5: chain 15 at end of row 4. Sc in second chain from hook, dc in next 7 sts, sc in next st, sl st in next 5 ch, sc in next 12 sts, ch 15, turn, Sc in second chain from hook, dc in next 7 sts, sc in next st, sl st in next 5 ch, sl st to join. Break off and weave in ends.

Yay! Apple cozy done! In 5 rounds and 5 rows. Put in apple, tie the ties once.

Coming as soon! A pattern for my sunshine shawl.

Spork Sweater tutorial

Because of all the plastic spoons that restaurants, fro-yo places etc have, and how much I don't want to be using them- my family considered various solutions for a while before settling on SPORKS! So now we all have our sporks. TG and her dad carry small stainless steel multi-tool ones on their key rings, William and I have Snow Peak Titanium Sporks. They got a great reviews because they have deep tines that are polished smooth and nice deep bowls.

But even with polished tines it needed protection so it wouldn't snag things in my purse. The other thing that I needed for a spork holder in my purse was no buttons or ties to snag on other things. So I designed this spork sweater! It's worked from the bottom of the spork up, then has a flap like an old fashioned sandwich bag that flips over to close.

Because sporks come in different sizes, and because I use Boye steel hooks which are sized differently from the other major hook brands- this is a tutorial instead of a pattern. Because it's a tutorial rather than a step by step pattern, just use whatever hook size works for you and the thread you choose.

I used size 5 thread- Bernat Handicrafter Crochet Thread in Iris, it's a very soft, easy care acrylic fashion thread.

sc= single crochet
sl st= slip stitch
st or sts= stitch or stitchs
ch= chain

Start by chaining a length as long as the width of the handle of your spork. Chain 1 extra to turn, and slip stitch down the length to reinforce the chain.

Rnd 1:Ch 1 tightly to turn, and single crochet in each stitch on one side of the slip stitched chain, at the end, 3 sc in that stitch, sc in the other side of each stitch, 2 sc in last st, slip stitch to join.

Rnd 2: Ch 1, sc in each st around, sl st to join to first sc.

Repeat Rnd 2 until it's long enough for the handle of your spork.

The next part is a little trickier, you'll be widening the cosy to fit the bowl of your spork.

Single crochet until you reach the stitch that's on one side of your round, 3 sc in that stitch, put a piece of a contrasting color thread or a small stitch marker in second stitch of the 3 sc, go down the other side, and do the same on the other side. slip stitch to join.

Ch 1, single crochet in each stitch. Slip stitch to join.

Now it's all up to your judgement, for my spork, I did another plain row, then increased on the next row. Each increase will be 3 stitches centered in the side stitches, so marking the middle stitch makes it easy to find where the next increase goes. Mine was mostly 2 or 3 plain rows, then an increase until each side was 12 stitches, with the 1 stitch on each side for 26 stitches around total.

When it's wide enough for the bowl of your spoon, keep crocheting plain rounds until it's long enough to cover the bowl, and one extra round past that.

Break off thread.

Join in thread in the edge stitch on one side, leaving a long tail to sew down the flap. Single crochet to the edge stitch on the other side,
Chain 1 to turn, and single crochet across. I used reverse single crochet every other row to keep it from developing the ridges in single crochet, but single crochet works too.

You want to do 8 or 10 rows of single crochet. Break off thread, leaving a long tail for sewing.

Fold the flap over the top of the cosy, and sew down the flap along the sides using the tails of the thread, Knot off securely and weave in ends.

Cozy Jelly Jars Crochet Pattern

So lately I'm crocheting cozies for jelly jars- because they look so cute all dressed up. It would also be a nice way to share a spice mix, you could use it with a Cuppow for a small drinking jar.

These patterns are sized for the half pint quilted jelly jars with the regular mouth by Ball Canning.

Both jars use a size G hook and worsted weight yarn- I like Lily Sugar 'n Cream very much for these sorts of projects and you can see how the Batik color way created a spiral effect on the jar in back.
Gauge for both is 2.25 inches for the first 4 rounds

The Blue Jar-

This cozy has a simple front post stitch design that makes a diamond grid in textured stitches around the jar. If you haven't tried front post crochet- it's done by inserting the hook around the post of the stitch instead of in the top of the stitch. Front post means it's done on the front or outside of the piece.

Stitches used:
Single crochet= sc
Double crochet= dc
Front post double crochet= fpdc
Front post triple crochet= fptc
slip stitch= sl st
stitch or stitches= st or sts
Repeat ** means to repeat what is between the asterisks

Base-
Ch 2 or make magic ring
Round 1: sc 7 times in ring or first stitch, sl st to join.
Round 2:  Ch 1 (does not count as first stitch),2 sc in each stitch around, sl st to join (14 sts)
Round 3: Ch 1 (does not count as first stitch), sc in first stitch, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next st, 2 sc in next st*, repeat ** around, sl st to join (21 sts)
Round 4: Ch 1 (does not count as first stitch), sc in first st, sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next st, sc in next st, 2 sc in next st*, repeat ** around, sl st to join (28 sts)
Round 5: ch 2 (counts as first stitch), dc in next st, dc in each stitch around. Sl st in 2nd st of starting chain to join.
Round 6: Ch 1 (does not count as first stitch), sc in same st, fpdc in next dc, *sc in next st, fpdc in next dc*, repeat ** around, sl st to join (14 fpdc stitches)
This is where it gets tricksy. You'll be working backwards and forwards to create the Xs.
Round 7: Ch 1 (does not count as first stitch), sc in same stitch, skip next stitch, fptc in next dc, sc in st after skipped stitch, fptc in skipped dc (X formed),*sc in next st, skip next stitch, fptc in next dc, sc in st after skipped stitch, fptc in skipped dc (X formed),* around, sl st to join (7 crossings)
Round 8: Ch 1 (does not count as first stitch) sc in same stitch, fpdc in next st, *sc in next st, fpdc in next st*, repeat ** around (14 fpdc)
Round 9: Ch 1 (does not count as first stitch), sc in same st, fptc in last dc of previous round, skip stitch, sc in next st, skip stitch, fptc in next dc, *sc in next st, skip stitch, fptc in skipped dc, sc in next stitch,  skip stitch, fptc in next dc*, repeat ** around- the last fptc will be going into the first skipped dc. sl st to join.
Round 10: Repeat round 8.
Round 11: Repeat round 7
Round 11: Repeat round 8
Round 12: Repeat round 9
Round 13: Repeat round 8.
Round 14: Ch 1 ( does not count as first stitch), sc in each stitch around, sl st to join, break off yarn and weave in ends.

Spiral Colored Cozy:
Ch 2 or make magic ring
Round 1: sc 7 times in ring or first stitch, sl st to join.
Round 2:  Ch 1 (does not count as first stitch),2 sc in each stitch around, sl st to join (14 sts)
Round 3: Ch 1 (does not count as first stitch), sc in first stitch, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next st, 2 sc in next st*, repeat ** around, sl st to join (21 sts)
Round 4: Ch 1 (does not count as first stitch), sc in first st, sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, *sc in next st, sc in next st, 2 sc in next st*, repeat ** around, sl st to join (28 sts)
Round 5-16: Ch 1 (does not count as first stitch), sc in first stitch, sc in each st around, sl st to join.
Round 17: Ch 1 (does not count as first stitch), sc in same stitch, sc in next stitch, ch 1, skip stitch, sc in next st, *sc in next st, sc in next st, ch 1, skip stitch, sc in next st*, repeat ** around, sl st to join (7 ch 1 spaces)
Round 18: Ch 1 (does not count as first stitch), sc in same stitch, skip stitch, 5 dc in chain 1 sp, *sc in next st,skip stitch, 5 dc in chain 1 sp,* repeat ** around, sl st to join. (7 shells)- break off yarn and weave in ends.

Hope you enjoy dressing your jelly jars!