Waffle Stitch Scarf - First pattern of 2016

Namaste friends. January has flown by so fast. I am not really on the dot with my goals for 2016, but there are eleven months to go and I am sure I will bring things up to date by the year end. :)

January saw a visit by my sister-in-law with her husband, for ten days. We had a very good time with sightseeing, karaoke singing and eating out. One of the places we visited was the Auto World Vintage Car Museum at Kathwada, Ahmedabad. It boasts an awesome collection of more than 100 cars such as Bentleys, Chryslers, Daimlers, Rolls Royce, Mercedes, Cadillacs, Buicks and many more. I will share the pics in my next post.

Now on to my first project of 2016 - the Waffle Stitch Scarf with Ribbed Border. The waffle stitch is one of my favourite crochet stitches and I just love the texture it produces. This scarf pattern was a custom request and I am quite happy with the finished product.

The texture makes it an ideal unisex pattern. The ribbed border looks lovely, don't you think so?

The pattern for this scarf is available on ETSY and CRAFTSY. 

A few more pics:

The scarf is made with DK wt yarn and a 4 mm crochet hook. The scarf measure 60 inches by 6.5 inches and I have included instructions to change the length and the width of the scarf. 

I think I will make one more scarf with this pattern and attach a fringe at the shorter ends for a different look.

Which is your first project for 2016? I am eager to know.

See you soon in the next post. Happy Crafting.

Rolls-Rocyces, Bentleys, Daimlers, Langondas, Mercedeces, Maybach, Packards, Cadillacs, Buicks, Auburns, Cord, Lancias, Lincolns, Chryslers - See more at: http://www.vccci.com/vintage-car-museum#sthash.u3p55xba.dpuf

Rolls-Rocyces - See more at: http://www.vccci.com/vintage-car-museum#sthash.u3p55xba.dpuf

Hello 2016!

Namaste friends. I hope 2016 has begun in a wonderful way for you. Time seems to be flying and I cannot believe we are already on to the sixth day of the new year!

I am going to open Blog 2016 on a beautiful note, or maybe I should say floral note :)

On Sunday hubby and I visited the Ahmedabad Flower Show which is an annual event. In spite of the fact that we have been in this city for five years this is the first time we went to the flower show. It was a wonderful experience and we are going to make it a point to attend it in future.

Please note this post is heavily laden with photos and may take a while to open. On the bright side, I let the pictures do the talking which means very little jibber jabber from me...haha. (Okay, okay...I heard that sigh of relief.)

The highlight of the show - a Beetle decorated with exotic orchids, carnations and chrysanthemums.

The Beetle turned out to be the favourite of the kids participating in an on the spot painting competition :)

Pots and vases for sale.

Succulents and cactii.

Black Petunia - now that seems to be rare. First time for me.

Red chilli plants for sale.

Bonsai and miniature gardens.

I hope you enjoyed these pictures. Hoping to be back soon with some crochet goodies. Until then...Bye and keep crafting.  :)

*~*~* HAPPY NEW YEAR 2016 *~*~*

Wishing each and every one of You a Wonderful and Happy New Year 2016.

May your new year be blessed and bring you good health, prosperity, 

loads of happiness, and tons of creativity.

 

Crochet Honeycomb Washcloth

Last project of 2015

Namaste friends. The year 2015 is coming to an end. And like any other year it came with its ups and downs. The downs this year were pretty drastic, like losing a favourite aunt to cancer, and being hospitalised, alongwith hubby, due to a horrible bout of dengue fever. On the other hand the ups were quite good with the year beginning with moving in and decorating our new home, my very first trip overseas (phoren tour!), and sonny boy passing his IELTS test with a great score. Overall, a year I am not sad to see it go. And I am hoping 2016 is going to be a fantastic year where I am more successful working on my goals for my blog, my Etsy shop and my weight loss! :)

Now for the last project of 2015 - a crochet honeycomb washcloth. With winter setting in and the dry climate of Ahmedabad, it was time to get the shower cremes out. But shower cremes work best with washcloths or poufs. Did not want to use a plastic pouf therefore the cotton wash cloth :)

I wanted to try out this honeycomb pattern and the 3D texture seemed ideal for a wash cloth. I assumed it would provide the light exfoliation needed without being too rough or plasticky. I used thick knitting cotton yarn and a 4mm crochet hook.

Here's a look at the texture:

After working the square in the honeycomb pattern I worked a row of DCs around it. Adding 3 DCs in each corner gave it a nice, neat rounded finish.

A loop to hang it up to dry after use.

Sometimes textured stitches produce a really uneven surface on the wrong side but this stitch gives a neat, smooth look on the back.

Let me know in the comments, if you would like a pattern for this wash cloth. I am working my rough notes into a written pattern. This stitch would also work wonderfully for a clutch or cowl. I wouldn't recommend this stitch for a hotpad or coaster as the texture might cause the mug/bowl to tumble.

Well, that's it for the last project for 2015.  

Wishing you a very Happy New Year. I hope 2016 is a fantastic year for all of us and that success crowns all our endeavours and that we are able to achieve our goals - personal, professional or crafty. :) See you next year. 

~~ HAPPY HOLIDAYS ~~

Free Crochet Pattern - Slant n Stripe Scarf

This post contains affiliate links

Namaste, girls. I am sure all of you are busy getting ready for the holidays ahead. Some of you may be scrambling around for last minute gifts. Today I have something that is just right for you. An easy scarf pattern and it is Free too!!

Slant n' Stripe Scarf Pattern 

The pattern is very easy and requires knowledge of single crochet and double crochet only. The pattern is a one row repeat, yup that's right it is a one row pattern which can be easily memorized and worked up in a jiffy. Just right for those last minute gifts. :)

 The fabric produced is soft and flexible and has a lovely drape. 

Here is a close up of the pattern:

And another pic in a different colour:

The borders on the two sides are made by the pattern itself so there is no need of an edging.

I used a DK weight yarn (yarn brand: Shining Star) and a  4mm crochet hook.

The scarf measures 6.5 inches wide and is 60 inches in length.

The pattern is in PDF form consisting of 3 pages. The actual pattern is on one page with no pictures or colours so you can just print that one page and take it with you, if like me you crochet wherever you go. :D

You can download the pattern HERE

The geometric design should work out well even for a men's scarf in the right colours, don't you think so?

You can also get your free pattern in my CRAFTSY store. If you are not already a member of Craftsy, you will have to register yourself, which is very simple and Free. Once registered you will have access not only to my pattern but also tons of other free patterns and dozens of free videos for all kinds of crafts like knitting, crochet, painting, sewing, baking...you name it.

Please let me know if you face problems or are unable to download the pattern.

I hope you enjoy making this scarf. If you have any questions or find any mistake let me know at crochetkari@gmail.com.

Happy Holidays!