Crochet Towel Topper - FREE Pattern!

I've done this pattern many times, without need for an actual pattern. But here it is, free to you, out of the goodness of my heart. Do you feel warm and fuzzy yet? Because you should. :D


Towel Topper
By Audrey D. Custer-Coleman

Materials (makes 2):
H crochet hook
Cotton or acrylic worsted weight yarn
Yarn needle
1 kitchen towel, cut in half width-wise
Large button ( ¾” to 1”)
Scissors

Optional:
Leather punch
Iron-on hem (to hem towel w/o sewing)
Sewing supplies (to sew hem, if needed)

Preparation:
Cut kitchen towel in half width-wise. Hem by sewing, or with iron-on hem if needed. If you don’t know whether to hem it or not, just go ahead and do it – it’s better to be safe than sorry! (I know this from experience – the towel pulling apart when you’re trying to crochet along the edge is NOT fun or convenient!)
With leather punch or scissors, punch an odd number of holes across the width of the towel about ¼” from edge (on a hemmed edge is most stable and much less likely for fabric to unravel.)

Instructions:
Row 1: SC foundation through holes in towel. Ch3, Turn.
Rows 2-4: DC in ea st to end. Ch 3, turn.
Row 5: DC in first st. *1DC, SK1, 1DC*. Repeat from *to* until end is reached. Ch3, Turn.
Row 6: DC in ea DC to end. Ch3, Turn.
Rows 7-10: Repeat rows 5-6 twice more.
Rows 11-16: (strap) DC in ea DC to end. Ch 5, Turn.
For button hole: sl st in turning ch3 to make a loop. Turn. Sc5 over ch 5 loop. Fasten off and weave in ends with a yarn needle.
Add button: sew button to the base of strap, in the middle of Row 9. Secure button. Weave in yarn ends.
Enjoy your towel topper, or give as a gift!

Crochet Towel Topper

Crochet Towel Topper by ~audreydc1983 on deviantART

I reverse engineered this towel topper from one that my grandma gave me...she wisely thought that when I had the ability to break down a project into stitches just by looking at it, then I would make one.

Boy, was she right! This is one of two that I made for two friends who recently got married, and are moving into their new apartment.

If you would like the pattern, I took it down while I was crocheting, and I should have it up here within a few days.

Hyperbolic Ball

Hey! Check this out:


I got the pattern for this spacey ball from this terrific book:
Kooky Crochet
by Linda Kopp
It is a fun, simple pattern that you start to see results with quickly. If you're interested, grab the book at your local library or buy it at your bookstore for continued crochet wackiness at your fingertips!
If you can't see the picture, click on the name of the post inside the green window above, and that will take you to the DeviantArt site to view the picture. For some reason, this one is having loading issues; I'm working on it.
UPDATE: Photobucket works for me! Woohoo!

Flower Pot Cover

Here is a wonderful project that I just plain FORGOT to post!


Flower Pot Cover by ~audreydc1983 on deviantART

Flowers are IN at this time of year, so if you're looking for a cool project to show off your crochet skills, try this pattern on for size! I got the pattern for this groovy flower pot cover from the Talking Crochet Newsletter by Crochet! Magazine:
Dig-It Flowerpot Cover

I made this with Lily Sugar and Cream 100% cotton. Beautiful!

Crochet Plastic Bag Dispenser

I made a plastic bag holder to match my large kitchen trivet!


Plastic Bag Holder by ~audreydc1983 on deviantART

I did the same stripe pattern:
2 rows red, 1 tan, 1 red, 1 tan, then 18 rows of red.
I did this in a rectangle, then sewed it up the seam long-ways.

In retrospect, I'm sure I used a larger hook for these projects...most likely a K hook. I then wove a 16" length of plastic twine through the top and the bottom DC's, for a homey, country feel, and to cinch up the top and bottom so that the bags don't fall out.
I also crocheted a strap from a length of SC fabric (only 2 rows) and attached it to the back.

I was getting sick of my plastic bags just being stuffed inside another plastic bag - it was about time for a change!

Large Kitchen Trivet

I made a large kitchen trivet to put underneath my toaster oven:


Large Kitchen Trivet by ~audreydc1983 on deviantART

It turned out great!
Here is a picture of it in action:


Awesome, huh?! made this just going in rounds: 5 in red, then 1 tan, 1 red, 1 tan, then 2 red. I'm pretty sure that I crocheted this one with a J or K hook.

Cross Bookmark

Not much to say about this one...except that I was quite frustrated with the pattern itself. Although, frustration has happened to me before concerning crochet items, so this doesn't make this pattern very special.
I crocheted this for my maternal grandmother - both of my grandmas like things handmade by their grandchildren, and I hope she loves this... I may do an update on this post later, just to let you guys know her reaction to receiving it in the mail!


Cross Bookmark by ~audreydc1983 on deviantART

I got the pattern courtesy of Crochet N' More.

Stuffed Animal Net!

I've made a net for stuffed animals! My stuffed frogs are starting to take over the bedroom, so I decided to make them their own special place to perch:


Stuffed Animal Net by ~audreydc1983 on deviantART

It's crocheted with a G hook and worsted weight acrylic yarn. I used the pattern posted on eHow, How To Make a Net to Hang Stuffed Animals.

It came out really good! It's held up by three cup hooks, the one in the corner slightly above the others. Cool, huh?!

A Creative Lag...

Sorry to all who enjoy my work - despite a glut of ideas, I have been plagued by a creative lag lately. Could it be my lack of ambition? Could it be that I just want to enjoy the weather while it's nice, and hibernate when it's crappy? Could it be that I'm just lazy and have no motivation for art right now?
It could be all of those things.
Also factoring into the mix : my mom is coming to visit from June 21st-24th. So - I'm probably gonna be cleaning a LOT.. for a whole week. The only thing that's worse than living in a cluttered place is being nagged at...for living in a cluttered place! So I'm going to try my best to put everything to rights before my mom ( aka Ms. Clean) gets here. I know that it won't be good enough...but it really doesn't stop me from trying.
Another reason might be that hubby is working all the time, and I'm usually idle when he's not around a lot - I figure...why should I do anything when there's no one around to appreciate it? And even if I actually DO something, I have to point it out when he gets home...and even then, he's really not interested. He's not an artistic type anyway. He usually just gives me a cursory "Looks good!" and goes back to whatever he was doing. FRUSTRATING!
As if I needed another reason, we might - I stress MIGHT - be moving to Texas. We don't know yet...hubby isn't too sure about the way that they've been running the new Distribution Center so far. So, it may be a false alarm, and we'll end up living in this putrid, chilly mud hole until he croaks and I have nothing to keep me here anymore. I'd much prefer the warm weather of TX to this crap in WA state. It's not fun anymore (as if it was EVER fun for me).
We're also planning on buying a house in the next six months. Hopefully it will be in Texas - maybe or maybe not - a lot of it hinges on hubby's decision. It turns out that they are sending drivers down there in "start-up teams" that will be there for two weeks at a time. This will give him plenty enough time to decide whether he wants to take a gamble on this new DC...or whether he wants to bet on a sure thing.
Also to be considered is physical pain. I've had knee problems for the past 8 years, and hoped that with surgery, they would go away. I have also had back pain for the past 4 years or so, because limping created a muscle imbalance in my back - surprise! Back Spasms!!! Anyway, since surgery, I've had more knee pain (unrelated to the previous problem), more back spasms (on BOTH sides now, instead of just the left), itching and stinging at the incision sites, and my right leg gets tired easily - from being under-worked those 8 years, and now being worked much more. The doctor said that it would be 6 months to a year for me to feel in tip-top shape after my surgery...and at first, I was driven to prove him wrong. Right now, all I want is relief from the pain....I'm seriously getting tired of it. I've dealt with chronic pain for over 8 years now...and the ending seems to be in sight! I guess I'm just impatient, and I want my body to heal faster than humanly possible. BACK TO THE POINT...pain can be distracting. It's hard to work at a drawing or painting when you know that you won't be able to sit there without pain for too much longer. I swear, anticipation of pain is the worst.

So, there you have it. My excuses for not being artsy-fartsy as of late. I'll make it up to you guys...I promise!