A Crochet Lace Modesty Panel You'll Want to Try

I have several v-neck shirts with necklines that plunge a little too much for my taste. They've been sent away to the darkness that is the back of the closet, never to be seen or heard from again. 

Since I'm trying to be thrifty - and overall wise about my purchases - I've decided to give those shirts another chance. I knew that a modesty panel could be made of fabric. There are even many cheap kinds available on ebay that attach to the bra straps, which seem fairly easy to use. However, those also don't look very attractive. They're usually really plain (and I fear, will probably fall apart quickly).

 Of course, My personal go-to for this project was crochet. This particular panel is for stitching permanently into the shirt. I specifically designed it with a more solid design. I wanted it to look pretty, of course, but I also wanted it to cover up well. The result was a panel I could make quickly, easily, and that would look good in all my my different shirts and blouses.

Making the Panel

Measurements: Panel measures 6 inches across, with a 5 inch drop.

Here's what you'll need...

1. Size 10 thread (I used Aunt Lydia's)

2. Size 7  (1.65 mm) crochet hook

3. Scissors

4. Embroidery needle (or a smaller hook for weaving in the ends)

...Below is the diagram of the panel, followed by the written instructions.

Instructions:

Begin: Ch 11.

Row 1: Skip 4 ch. All into the 5th ch, make Dc1, Ch1, Dc1 (this is called a v-stitch).

             Skip 2 ch. V-stitch in next. Again, skip 2 ch. All into the last, make v-stitch, Ch1, Dc1. Turn.

Row 2: Ch 4 and Dc into the 1st ch-1 opening. V-stitch in every remaining ch-1 opening, and also into the ch-4 opening at the end - total 5 v-stitches. Turn.

Row 3: Ch 4 and V-stitch into the 1st ch-1 opening. V-stitch in every remaining ch-1 opening. All into the ch-4 opening at the end, make a v-stitch, Ch1, Dc1. Turn.

Row 4: Repeat Row 2 - total 7 v-stitches

Row 5: Repeat Row 3.

Row 6: Repeat Row 2 - total 9 v-stitches

Row 7: Repeat Row 3.

Row 8: Repeat Row 2 - total 11 v-stitches

Row 9: Repeat Row 3.

Row 10: Repeat Row 2 - total 13 v-stitches

Row 11: Repeat Row 3.

Row 12: Repeat Row 2 - total 15 v-stitches

Row 13: Repeat Row 3.

Row 14: Repeat Row 2 - total 17 v-stitches

Row 15: Ch 3. All into the first ch-1 opening, make Dc2, Ch1, Dc2 (this is called a shell).

     [ [ Ch1, and skip the 1st ch-1 opening. Into the 2nd ch-1 opening, make a Shell ] ]

     Repeat instructions in brackets til end - total 9 shells. At end make Dc where the last shell was 

     made. Turn

Row 16: Ch 3. All into the first ch-1 opening, make a shell.

     [ [ Ch1, and make a shell on top of the next Shell. ] ]

     Repeat instructions in brackets til end - total 9 shells. At end make Dc where the last shell was 

     made. Turn.

Row 17: Ch 3. All into the first ch-1 opening, make Dc2, picot, Dc2 .

     [ [ Ch1, and make Dc2, picot, Dc2 on top of the next Shell ] ]

     Repeat instructions in brackets til end - total 9 shells. At end make Dc where the last shell was 

     made. Turn. 

Finishing: Weave in the ends using the embroidery needle, or a smaller crochet hook.

So there you have it, that's how you make these little modesty panels. I hope you'll have as much fun making these as I did. 

Cozy fingerless Gloves: an adventure in crochet

. . . Or are they called arm warmers?

This week's post is all about finger-less gloves. As usual, I searched through Pinterest looking for a pattern I liked, but didn't really find what I wanted. A lot of patterns were done entirely in single crochet, which doesn't create a very enticing texture, while other patterns were done in larger stitches that led to too many holes in the fabric.

I really didn't like that in the single-crochet patterns you could see where the crocheter had switched from working in rounds to working in rows to create the opening for the thumb. I like uniformity in my pieces, so I decided to try a simple stitch that I found in an old magazine.

The stitch is made by alternating Sc stitches and Dc stitches, creating a tiny rippled effect. I hoped that the texture would be able to hide the bad look of the turned rows, and it worked pretty nicely. I definitely like the way the stitch turned out in this project.

Materials:

Yarn: I used Michael's brand Loops&Threads Impeccable yarn. A similar yarn that can be found in most stores is Vanna's Choice yarn. 

Hook: size G or H.

Of course: You'll need scissors and a yarn needle.

Sizing: Size Regular fits small and medium hands, for larger hands use size L.

Flower: The pattern for the flower will not be included in this post. That will be available later, sorry  =-(

Pattern

Begin: Using a hook one size larger, make a ch-24 (this chain needs to be fairly loose, or it wont stretch. Sl st the two ends together to form a loop.

    -->For larger size, Start this as a ch-26. The rest of the instructions are the same.

Round 1: (Return to your regular hook) Ch-1, this counts as a Sc stitch. Dc in the next ch, and Sc in the next. Continue alternating this way til the end. Make sure to end in a Dc - you will have a total of 24 stitches. Sl st to the ch-1 to join. [Do not turn]

Round 2: Ch 2, this counts as a Dc stitch. Sc on top of the Dc below, and Dc on top of the Sc. Continue alternating this way til the end. Make sure to end in a Sc - total 24 stitches. Sl st to the ch-2 to join. [Do not turn]

Round 3: Ch 1, this will count as a Sc. Dc onto the Sc, and Sc onto the Dc. Continue alternating all the way around, ending in a Dc. Slip stitch to the ch-2 to join.

... Row 1: Ch 2, this counts as a Dc stitch. Sc on top of the Dc below, and Dc on top of the Sc. Continue alternating this way til the end. Make the last Sc on top of the Ch-2 - total 24 stitches. Turn.

... Rows 2 and 3: Repeat the instructions from Row 1. 

... Row 4: Again repeat the instructions from Row 1. After the last Sc, make a ch 5. Sl st to the Ch-2 to join. Turn. 

Round 4: Ch 1. On the ch-5, Sc on the first ch, then Sc 2 together. Again, Sc 2 together, Make a Dc onto the Sc below, and make a Dc onto the Sc. Continue alternating this way all the way around, ending in a Dc. Sl st to the ch-1 to join.

Round 5: Ch 1. Sc 2 together. The, Sc onto the Dc, and Dc onto the Sc. Continue alternating all the way around, ending in a Dc. Sl st to the Ch-1 to join.

Round 6: Sl st over to the next stitch. Ch 2, and Sc onto the Dc. Then, Dc onto the Sc. Continue alternating all the way around, after the last Dc, Sc 2 together. Sl st onto the ch-2 to join.

Round 7: Ch-1, this counts as a Sc stitch. Dc onto the Sc, and Sc onto the Dc. Continue alternating this way til the end. Make sure to end in a Dc - you will have a total of 24 stitches. Sl st to the ch-1 to join. 

Round 8: Ch 2, this counts as a Dc. Sc on top of the Dc below, and Dc on top of the Sc. Continue alternating this way til the end. Make the last Sc on top of the Ch-2 - total 24 stitches. Turn.

Round 9: Repeat instructions for Round 7.

Round 10: Repeat instructions for Round 8.

Round 11: Repeat instructions for Round 7.

Round 12: Repeat instructions for Round 8. Tie off, and weave in all ends.

Decorative Edging: I used a textured yarn to add an edging in a simple Sc stitch. This can be done to both edges. The decorative flower can be omitted if desired.  

This is a close-up of the flower I used. As I mentioned, I will be providing the pattern for this little flower in a later post, along with tips on making different variations of the flower. 

Will you be making these cozy arm warmers? Feel free to leave a comment or ask questions about the pattern. 

Happy Crocheting! I'll be back soon with more fun projects...

DIY Easy Little Crochet Leaves

A friend of mine wanted to make a garland to decorate her banister this holiday season, so she asked me to help her make some crochet leaves for the garland. After searching through all the usual sites, I came across a few designs that looked promising, but none of them really matched what I had envisioned, so I decided to make the pattern from scratch.

I know that not all folks read crochet "code", so I'm going to present this tutorial with minimal coding. In other words, I will explain in good old-fashioned words. For those of you who do enjoy those crazy industry-standard crochet patterns, you can scroll down to the bottom to find the quickie pattern.

Stitches to know: You will need to already be familiar with the following stitches...

a. Chain

b. Slip stitch

c. Single crochet

d. Half-double crochet

e. Double crochet 

f. Picot 

**You can go this site if you need help with any of the stitches listed: 

Annie's Catalog

Materials:

You can use any yarn you have along with any matching size hook. In other words, if you have thin yarn, use a size c or so, whereas if you have regular red heart yarn, use an H or I hook, etc. Feel free to use the suggested hook size that was printed on the label of your yarn.

Here we go...

Making the Foundation: 

Make a chain-4, then slip stitch the two ends together to form a loop. If you have a tendency to make tight chains, feel free to make a chain-5 instead (either is fine).

Row 1: 

Make a chain-1. Then, make 7 single-crochet stitches ... All into the center of the loop you created for your foundation. Now make a chain-3, and turn your work.

Row 2:

(This entire row will be worked in double-crochet)

Make a double-crochet stitch onto the first stitch below ( see the pic if youre not sure where this is) , then make 2 double-crochet stitches into each of the remaining six stitches below. When you reach the end, you must have a total of 14 stitches (the chain-3 counts as a stitch). Afterward, make a chain-1 and turn your work.

Row 3:

Onto the 2nd stitch below, make a single-crochet, a picot *, and another single-crochet... All onto the same stitch below. Now make a slip stitch onto the next stitch below. This creates the 1st of 5 peaks.

*The picot is formed by making a chain-3 and then forming a single-crochet onto the top of the same stitch that the chain-3 was formed on. 

Now, all onto the next stitch below, make a single-crochet, a half-double-crochet, a double-crochet, and a picot. Onto the following stitch, make a double-crochet, a half-double-crochet, and a single-crochet. Then, onto the next stitch you will make a slip stitch.[[ Now, repeat the instructions in this paragraph two more times. When you're done will have one tiny peak, and three larger peaks]].

Lastly we form the fifth peak by making the following all into the next stitch: a single-crochet, a picot, and a single-crochet. You will close up the last edge by slip stitching along the chain-3, down toward the foundation loop. I usually form one last slip stitch into the center of the foundation, and then make a chain-8 for the stem.

Official Pattern:

Begin: ch 4. Sl st to join.

R1: ch 1. Sc 7. Turn.

R2: ch 3. Dc in same. Dc 2 nxt 6 st - tot 14 st.

R3: ch 1. In nxt, sc 1, picot, sc 1. Sl st in nxt. **In nxt, sc 1, hdc 1, dc 1, picot. In nxt, dc 1, hdc 1, sc 1. Sl st in nxt. Rep from ** 2 more times. In nxt, sc 1, picot, sc 1. Sl st 5 down to foundation. Ch 8. Tie off. Weave in ends.

Here's a garland I made with all my little leaves. I gifted it to one of my lovely co-workers at the College. 

.

I hope you all enjoy these. They were very easy, and very fun to make. 

Raspberry Crochet Shawl / Wrap

The last couple of years I've been working on lace-work more than anything, so this little wrap was a way for me to get away from the complicated lace patterns and to make something a little more down to earth.

This project was also way faster, which made it that much more fun. Some of the lace blouses and cover-ups I make can take weeks, but this wrap only took me a few evenings in my spare time. 

Here's the pattern I used for the main body of the wrap:

As you can see, it isn't a terribly complicated pattern. It's just shell stitches seperated by a dc stitch. I actually really like to use this pattern for all sorts of scarves (and I'm helping a friend make a cardigan in this basic pattern).

 In this project, I started with a five-shell pattern, just like in the diagram. Then I added rows until the piece was long enough to wrap around me comfortably. At this point I had a long reactangle, kind of like a scarf.

After that, I made a lacy border across one of the long sides...

This is the pattern I made for the edging. I kind of made it up as I went but it turned out pretty nice. [Note: The number of rows I used for the main body needed to be in quantities of 4 plus 1- this allowed this edging to line up nicely]

This is the pattern I used. Sorry if it looks messy; I like to draw my diagrams by hand.

After that, I could have just tied off and woven in the ends before moving on to the top long edge, but I decided to instead work up the side in a row of sc.

This made it so that I could move up to the top edge without cutting the yarn so many times. 

After that, I worked three rows of double-crochet on the top edge. (Note: I didn't count these stitches. I just made sure they bunched up a little on purpose. I hate counting - blech )

Okay, so this diagram is definitely messy, but I'm sure you get the gist of what I mean. Finally, I worked along the remaining short edge in sc stitches to match the other short edge. 

Last, but not least I wove in all my ends. Please please always weave in your ends. I'm not very nit picky about much in crochet, but I do believe strongly in the power of weaving-in-the-ends. Seriously, weave in the ends, or else.

I hope you like this little wrap. I found it to be very cozy - perfect for autumn. I'm probably going to make several more for friends and family before the season is over. 

If you would like any clarification, feel free to leave a comment. I love crochet talk! Dont forget to visit often to check out my endless crochet projects ;)