Free Pattern Green Dragon / Dinosaur Crochet Hat

To start, crochet a beanie hat to the desired size that you want with the light green yarn.  Once you have crocheted the components as described, assemble the hat according to the picture and sew the pieces together

Eyes

Row 1: Chain 12, turn and sc into the second sc on chain from hook.

Row 2:  Sc one into the next 4 stitches, skip a sc and then 1 sc into the next four sc. 

Row 3: Chain 2 and sc into first sc on other side of chain. Sc into next nine stitches. Then put 2 sc into the next 2 stitches.   

Row 4: Sc next 4 stitches, skip a stitch and 1 sc in next 3 stitches, then put 2 sc in next 2 st,

Row 5:  sc in next 9 and then join with sl st in next stitch. The end shape should resemble a bean or a heart without a point. 

For the pupil make a magic ring with six dc. For me this is a very hard technique to describe how to do. There are many you tube videos available that will show you step by step instructions that are much easier in my opinion to follow than written instructions could ever be. 

Ears

Do this for both the dark and light color green yarn

Chain 4, then sc into 2 cs from hook and sc into the next 2 stitches, chain 2 and sc into first chain stitch and sc into next 3 stitches, sl st to next stitch. 

When it comes time construct the ear, put both a lighter color and darker color piece together and slip stitch them together using the lighter green yarn.  Finish off and leave enough yarn that you can sew the ear to the finished hat. 

Horns

Chain 5, turn and dc into the first cs from hook and then dc next 3 stitches. Ch 1 and slip stitch into first on other side.  Do two of these for each horn and then sl st the two pieces together to form one horn.  Again leave enough yarn after finishing sewing the horn onto the finished hat.

Snout

Row 1: Chain 8, turn and dc into the second cs from hook.

Row 2: One dc in the next seven stitches, cs 1 and dc into the first stitch on opposite side.  Continue to put one dc into each stitch for five more loops to make a rounded cone shape.

With a light pink thread cs 15 and sew onto bottom half of snout the make the mouth.  When stitching the snout onto the beaning, don’t forget to stuff it before you finish it off.  The amount of stuffing that you use is determined by how big and full you wish the snout to be. 

Braided Pigtails 

To make ear flap, first choose where you want the ear flap to be. For me I like to put them more towards the back but some people like to put them exactly in the middle. It is really up to you and where you wish to have them. It is your hat after all.

Row 1: SC into 11 stitches

Row 2: Turn Ch 1, and sc into the next 10 stitches

Row 3: Turn Ch 1, and sc into the next 9 stitches

Row 4: Turn Ch 1, and sc into the next 8 stitches

Repeat this process till you are at 1 sc and have a nice triangle ear flap.

If choosing to do the ear flap with braided pigtails as shown, make ear flaps.  Cut (6) 1 yard length pieces of the light green, dark green and the blue. On each ear flap, latch hook at the bottom 3 pieces of each color and braid to desired length. I chose to separate the colors for braiding but it would also be cute to just have the colors mixed up.  

Harvest Wreath

Fall is here what better way to get into the season than gather a few girlfriends, some wine and craft material. I had the pleasure of an evening spent in the company of some very talented ladies.  I should also mention that is was also a child free evening which is a rarity for me. We spent the evening designing our very own fall inspired door wreath.  This is the beautiful wreath that I spent the evening designing. 

I decided early on that I wanted to do a burlap wreath and this orange was a beautiful fall harvest color.  Instead of the rolls of burlap, I ended up purchasing two yards of burlap and then cut it into 8 in wide stripes.  It was much more economical for me than the expensive precut rolls.  I then looped the burlap through the wire wreath which was much easier than I thought it would be. The biggest concern is making sure that you keep the loops even and consistent as you go so that your wreath does not become lump sided. Once the burlap was finished, I started to place my decorative items with the leaf stems on the bottom and then laid down the bow with the sunflower on top and randomly placed the green and purple flowers where I saw fit. 

All and all I am very pleased with my new door wreath. A wreath is an important decoration. It is often times one of the first thing someone sees when they come to visit.  I am very proud to have this wreath welcome my guest during the season that is geared towards having people over and enjoying the company of the people you love the most.

Refurbished TV Trays

When my husband and I got married in 2007, we got a set of four tv trays.  6 years later, these trays are no longer in good shape. They are in fact quite dinged up.  I am embarrassed by the shape that they are in, but me being me I don't just want to get rid of them so what do I do, I give them a face lift. Now I don't have to embarrassed by them and I also have one of a kind tv trays that my husband, daughter and I can use.  I wish that I would have taken a picture of what they looked like before I sanded them and took some paint to them but I'm new at this whole blogging thing.  The process consisted of sanding, putting down a basic midnight blue paint and then a lighter ocean blue stencil job.  I then of course had to do some simple touch up job.  I eventually had to walk away from the touch up job. I feel like I could have always found something wrong with it as long as I kept looking. I have to eventually tell the perfectionist in me just to be happy so I can go on to my next project, especially with Christmas coming up. The final end result is picture below and I am qutie happy with it even though my daughter photo bombed the picture.

War Eagle Chair

I haven't been a very good blogger of recent. I have had a lot on my plate with a move and just life.  With the move we upgraded to once again being in a house and this time with a garage.  That gives me a lot more space to work and the freedom to try new projects.  We recently visited my husbands aunt and they gave us their granddaughter's old adirondack chair. It was a very well used chair that spent it's time outside at their lake house and was in need of a little TLC.  I sanded, reinforced it with a few new nails and then went about painting it the way that I wanted it.  Looking back now I wish I had taken a few before shots but what can I do now.  This is what I ended up with.  A chair that pays homage to the university that I love and the tree that I may have rolled once or twice before.  All in all, I was pretty impressed with my end result. I am by no means a talented painter so the fact that it is even presentable is amazing in of itself.

Guitar Pick Sorter

Father's Day

Finally a day that I get to show my husband just how much I love him and what a wonderful father he is.  I thought I would do something special that has to do with one of his passions.  My husband is avid guitar player and  I thought how nice it would be to make him something that would keep handy all the little things one needs when playing guitars. I don't know about anyone else with this hobby, but we tend to have little  guitar picks laying around everywhere.  This is where this project was born.

I first took wooden fleur de lis bought at hobby lobby and painted it first with black paint and then went over it with a coat of gold.  I then attached old baby food jars with hose clamps bought at the local hardware store.  The final product was something my husband could use to keep guitar picks, screw drivers, pens, etc handy at all times and in a place where he could always find it.  

Just in case he didn't like this though, I did purchase him tickets to go see the Braves in Atlanta. 

Spice Jars

Just in case there is any body out there reading this and wanting the pattern I used for the spice jars, here it is.

Miscellaneous Projects

I guess you could look at this post as a collection of projects that I have done recently.  They don't really fit into a type of craft that I do frequently so I thought I would just collect them here in this one post. To start things off, I am going to share my new spice rack with you. I took a bunch of baby food jars I had collected and put them to good use.  While I could not find an specific cross stitch designs I liked and that were also small enough, I decided I had to go about designing my own.  With the use of PCstitch software, this is what I came up with.

 Another recent project of mine involved my cousin and her pregnancy. I was asked to make a wreathe that would go up on the hospital door. This is what I came up with.  Just for her I even added a little bit of a houndstoothe pattern to it since unfortunately she is an Alabama fan (insert War Eagle here).

I do not have much experience making clothes. In fact I have made a total of 1 1/2 articles of clothing.  The half is a jacket that I am currently making for my daughter but have yet to finish. We will go into that in a later post once it is finished.  The one that I did make I am very proud of. I made my daughter a beautiful christening gown.  I was so nervous to take on this project but I wanted her to having something very special on such a glorious day.  It did ease my mind to know that I had my husband's christening gown to fall back on had my ability to make one fallen short. I am glad to announce that it turned out beautifully and without further ado, here it is.

It's hard to notice but even added some hand beading to the lace just to make it all the more special.

I guess I will end this section with a little montage of various other projects I have made over the years. This next category with consist of various kinds of blankets with other projects mixed in.  I know this post has been all over the place in the crafting world but I do not believe we can not understand where we are now without first exploring what got us here in the first place. I think that holds true in every facet of our being, including the crafting world.

1st birthday present for my beautiful goddaughter. It brings me much joy to know that this blanket (which she calls colors) is that one thing that she always has to have to go to sleep at night.  It brings much joy to know that something you worked that hard on is being appreciated so highly. I would also like to add that her father is currently trying to talk me into making a turtle one for him. We shall see.

This blanket I crocheted  for my handsome nephew Callen.  Though it doesn't look like it in the picture, the blanket colors were a lovely orange and blue. I finally had an opportunity to use those beautiful colors together.  Everyone else having children around me were either Georgia or Alabama fans. I'm not sure which is worse. You be the judge. At least there are no Old Miss fans in the mix.  

Next up we have a beautiful gown bow holder that I made my daughter. It seems most things I make end up being for her but I guess that is what it means to be a mother.  In making this, I used up the scrap material from her Christening gown, making it even more special.  

I can't believer her hands and feet were ever that small. She's only 15 months old now and I'm already feeling the time slip away.

A bowl of fruit, is it real, is it fake....

Owl blanket for my daughter much like the lady bug listed above.

Finally we have one of the first quilts I have ever made. Found on this quilt are various old t shirts that have sentimental value to them. This blanket can currently be found in my home as a futon cover.  This is it for now. I hope that you have enjoyed the voyage into my past.  Thank you for your time and company.

The beginning of the crochet hat obsession

As I start out on my blogging journey, I would like to pay homage to a few of my past projects.  I first started getting comfortable in my crocheting ability when the birth of my daughter. It created a need and a want for those cute animal beanie hats. Instead of spending a fortune buying all the different ones, I made them instead for a fraction of the cost and the ability to customize as I saw fit. Here is where it all started.

 but was quickly followed by a few more...

and then of course came gifts to friends for their kids

and there started my crochet hat addiction.

Before I leave this subject for now, I would like to share the one that I am also the most proud of. I did it by myself with no pattern to guide me.  I crafted a crochet beanie to match my little girl's best friend in the whole world, Green Dragon.  It must be true what they say, the more time you spend with someone, the more you begin to look like them.