Christmas & Crochet

I am just going to admit it, my tree is up. Before you go on and judge me, let me just say that for one, my tree makes me happy. And right now I am extremely stressed out, so shouldn't that be enough of a reason to put it up? And if I do need any more reason than that, my house currently looks like Santa's workshop with orders EVERYWHERE. I have crocheted more in the past two weeks than I have all year! It has been a ton of work, but I love the fact that one of my favorite pass times can make us a little extra money, which is always nice, especially around this time of the year. Here is a peek into what my life currently looks like. P.S. It is our second Christmas together, which is perfectly symbolized by our two red cups on the tree!

Christmas in June

The beginning of summer is here and of course that means bikinis, late nights, and beaches...but for me, it also means beginning my Christmas stock pile. Yup, that's right, I said it...Christmas. Last year, I only did personal projects and I barely finished on time. This year, I have decided to take on smaller projects because I have custom orders, personal gifts, and I want to have stock on hand to sell. Crazy? Yes. But I've been told I am crazy plenty of times before. I am all about handmade gifts, and I thought these ornaments would be the perfect little gift for anyone. More styles are coming, but I am loving the way the desserts are turning out! If you would like to purchase your own, feel free to email me at emilydilldenton@gmail.com! The large doughnut is $7.49 and the small pastry is $4.99 or get both for just $11.99! All ornaments come wrapped with a bow!

Basket Weave

I am only a little obsessed with the basket weave stitch right now. No pattern, but it is super easy...just basket weave the size of the pillow you want and stitch it up!

Granny Square Pillow

Does anyone else ever have a problem finishing a project? I was going to make this into a blanket but got bored so I quickly stitched it up into a pillow! No pattern, but it is a pretty basic granny!

Basket Weave Crochet Basket Pattern

I am just going to be honest and say that I am a horrible pattern writer. I created this pattern today on my day off and I totally wanted to share it. I apologize for how horribly it is written, so if you have any questions, feel free to email me and I will gladly help you out! I also included some awesome videos to make it a little easier. Hope it doesn’t get too tricky!

Basket Weave Crochet Basket Pattern

I used two strands of Red Heart Super Saver yarn to create a thicker basket that would stay up on it's own and a 5.5 mm hook. 

Create a magic ring

Reminder, do not join!

Round 1: sc 6 into ring. (6)

Round 2: 2 sc in ea sc around. (12 sc) 

Round 3: sc in next sc, inc in next sc, continue around. (18 sc) 

Round 4-16: continue to increase, you should end up with a circle 96 stitches around.

Now this is where it gets a little tricky. The basket weave stitch is already pretty tough, so doing it in the round gets pretty complicated…which is why I don’t do it completely in the round!

Round 17: ch 2 (this  does not count as your first dc stitch) dc into each sc around, when you reach the last sc complete your dc and add a hdc in the same sc, ch 2, turn. (You are not working in the round, the seam will be stitched up at the end!)

HERE is a greatvideo on how to complete the basket weave stitch.

Round 18-20: In the first 4 dc, dc on the front post. Next, dc 4 on the back post. Continue this to the end of the row. When you reach the end, don’t forget you hdc, ch 2, and turn.

Round 21-24: Continue the pattern of rows 18-24 but reversed. (Switch the front post to the back post/back post to the front post…it may be easier to just watch the video!)

Round 25-29: Change your dc direction again.

Round 30: sc in each dc, fasten off, leave a long end for sewing.

Stitch up seam.

Bonus: If you would like to create the trim at the top, sc a few extra rows and fold over!