Five-Star Motif ~ a Free Crochet Pattern with Chart

To all the crafters busy making last-minute gifts, here's a last-minute pattern for you: a super-quick, super-fun motif I call "Five-Star".

In fact it's five free patterns in one! Five-Star's 5 rounds offer something for every mood. Tiny or large? Simple or lacy? You can stop after any round for the size and style you like best.

Five rounds, five styles

Use these adorable crochet twinklers as gift tags, ornaments, starry bunting, coasters, or combine them to make a doily or wind-catcher:

Some suggested arrangements

Oddball Crochet Techniques featured in this pattern:
Sc Magic Ring (see instructions below)
Slipped Slip Join (see pattern for instructions)
Invisible Join (click here for tutorial)

Size: You decide! This pattern works with any weight yarn.

Suggested Yarns: For ornaments to be stiffened, 100% cotton is recommended. For tabletop decoration, any yarn that suits your fancy.

Yarns I Used:
Red Heart Fashion Crochet Thread, Size 3 (white)
Planet Penny Cotton Club Colours, DK weight (mauve)
Lion Brand Homespun (red)

How Did the Yarns Behave? Very well. They've obviously been properly brought up.

Hook Size:
D-3/3.25mm (white stars)
F-5/3.75mm (mauve star)
I-9/5.5mm (red star)

Notions: Scissors, small hook for making invisible joins. For stiffening: rust-proof pins, piece of cardboard covered with plastic or foil, small bowl, water, white glue OR Epsom salts, small paintbrush (if using glue), glitter (optional).

All crochet terminology is American.

Dk on the left, worsted weight on the right

Five-Star Chart

Five-Star Pattern (with a few helpful photos)

Notes:

• Stars are worked RS facing at all times.
• Sc Magic Ring makes a very tiny "ring" - you may need to grasp it with your fingernails while working the first few star points. You can also work a regular magic ring if you like.
• After working 2 or 3 star points in Round 1, catch the tail of the Sc magic ring and work over it for extra security.
• Pay careful attention to round join instructions; most joins are made in the stitch just above or after first stitch of round.

Special Terms Used:

Edc: Extended double crochet

Picot: Chain 3; without turning work, insert hook front to back through top of stitch below ch-3, make slip stitch.

Sc Magic Ring: With tip of yarn pointing towards tip of hook, loosely yarn under 3 times; bring yarn end down and in front of working yarn (3 loops now on hook); grasping first 2 loops, yo and draw through 2 loops (magic ring made); yo and draw through both lps on hook (sc made).

To start: Make Sc Magic Ring (see instructions above) OR [make a regular magic ring, ch 1, sc].

Round 1 (RS):
*Ch 3, insert hook from front to back through back bump of 3rd ch from hook, pull up a loop,
insert hook into ring, pull up a loop (3 loops now on hook),
yo and draw through all loops on hook. (This is a form of linked hdc.)
Repeat from * 3 times - your star should now have 4 points.
If continuing past Round 1: Ch 3, insert hook from front to back through back bump of 3rd ch from hook, pull up a loop, yo and draw through all loops on hook.
Drop loop from hook, insert hook WS to RS through first chain above sc, place loop back on hook, pull loop through (this is called a Slipped Slip join, by the way);
ch 1, drop loop again, insert hook RS to WS through ch-3 sp, pick up loop and pull it to the front.
If stopping at Round 1: Ch 3, slip stitch in back bump of 3rd ch from hook, invisible join to first chain above sc.

Round 1

Round 2:
*Ch 6, sl st in next ch-3 space (at tip of next point). Note: The ch-3 space is tight - be careful to insert your hook in the right space.
Repeat from * 3 times;
If continuing past Round 2: Ch 3, dc in first ch of first ch-6.
If stopping at Round 2: Ch 5, invisible join to first sl st.

Round 3:
Ch 2, dc in same space, hdc in same space;
[hdc, 2 dc, chain 5, 2 dc, hdc] in each of next 3 chain spaces;
[hdc, 2 dc] in next chain space.
If continuing past Round 3: Chain 4, sc in first dc of round.
If stopping at Round 3: Chain 5, invisible join to first dc of round.

Round 4:
Sc in same chain space;
*chain 3, sc in space between hdcs,
chain 3, sc in next chain space,
[chain 3, sc, chain 5, sc, chain 3, sc in same chain space].
Repeat from * 4 times, stopping after final (chain-5, sc).
If continuing past Round 4: Dc in sc (counts as final chain-3).
If stopping at Round 4: Chain 3, invisible join to first chain past sc.

Round 5:
Ch 2, 2 dc in same space;
*chain 1, dc2tog in next 2 ch-3 spaces, chain 1,
[3 dc in next ch-3 space, chain 3, edc in ch-5 space, make picot, chain 3, 3 dc in next ch-3 space].
Repeat from * 4 times, stopping after final picot;
chain 3, invisible join to first dc.

Stiffening Your Stars:

Here are the best instructions I've seen, courtesy of my buddy Snowcatcher, aka the Queen of Crochet Snowflakes (hi, Deb!). Words in brackets have been added by [me]:

"Tape wax paper or plastic wrap [or foil] to top of empty pizza box [you can also use foamboard, a shoebox or box lid, or a piece of corrugated cardboard]. Pin [star] to box on top of wax paper or plastic wrap. Mix a few drops of water with a teaspoon of glue in small washable container. Paint snowflake with glue mixture or desired stiffener. Sprinkle lightly with glitter. Wash paintbrush and container thoroughly. Allow snowflake to dry at least 24 hours. Remove pins. Gently peel snowflake from wax paper or plastic wrap."

I stiffened my white stars (above) by immersing them in an Epsom salts solution (1/4 cup boiling water and 1/4 cup Epsom salts made more than enough solution for 5 stars), wringing them out, and pinning or shaping by hand. Epsom salts solution dries very quickly, which is a plus for last-minute crafters like me. :)

I've also had good luck in the past with watered-down white glue and a paintbrush.

For more stiffening options, see this very helpful site:
http://www.crochetmemories.com/crochet8.php

For an in-depth review of several stiffening methods, see this invaluable post by Snowcatcher:
http://www.snowcatcher.net/2012/01/snowflake-monday_09.html

~ ~ ~

You may do whatever you like with the items you make from this pattern, but you may not sell the pattern or reproduce the text without permission. (Links are always welcome.) If you make these for sale, please credit the designer.

If you have any questions about this pattern, or find any mistakes (it happens all the time), don't be shy: ask or tell in the comment box below, or contact me in Ravelry (where I'm MrsMicawber).

Thanks for viewing, and happy crocheting!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Christmas Socks (a Tale of Woe), Part 1: False Starts and Yanky Ribbing

Some day I will have an organised Christmas. I will plan and make (or buy) all gifts well in advance. I will pre-bake batches of cookies to be stored in the freezer and pulled out on the big day. I will choose and sign Christmas cards - and address and stamp the envelopes - in November.

Some day my house will be company-clean all the time. I will brush cobwebs out of crevices all year long, and wash down the miles of woodwork on a monthly basis, instead of waiting until the weekend before Christmas, when pride (or shame) compels me to remove the dust of centuries months.

Some day I will sail serenely through December, secure in the knowledge that I am cool, calm, and ready for the hordes of loved ones that descend each year upon Micawber Towers to celebrate with us the birth of our Saviour.

Some day....

~ ~ ~

The above is a very False Start indeed. Let us now return to the Real World, where I -- even I, who have never yet completed a Second Sock -- am knitting away furiously at the first of a Pair of gift socks.

In the front of my mind I'm counting stitches (3 gray, 1 blue, 1 gray, 4 blue). At the back of my mind are various uneasy thoughts, all clamouring for attention: You need to post that free ornament pattern! You should have finished that Binding Off with a Hook series weeks ago! What about the 2015 wildflower list? Have you ordered gifts for the two great-nieces? Isn't it time to make the next batch of caramelcorn? Have you edited the Aged P's Christmas letter? Don't forget he needs help with his Christmas shopping. What about the latest call for magazine submissions? When are you going to finish those samples? Aack! A dpn has fallen out again. That clock can't be right - is it really that late?

The last-minute scramble to make Christmas gifts is an almost annual event at Micawber Towers. Usually it's my own fault: I suffer from a boundless optimism about time (how much I can get done in it, or how much is needed for a particular task); I also have delusions about working best under pressure.

But sometimes the pressure is caused by outward forces: the family name-drawing doesn't happen in a timely fashion, difficult gift requests are made, the gift theme (this year it's Made in the USA) is awkward or time-consuming to fulfil.

Which brings us to The Socks. My giftee requested "something knitted, Fair Isle, in pale grey - either big socks to wear around the house, or mittens." Not too tall an order for a Time Optimist. I can knit stranded colourwork. I've completed a sock in my lifetime. This gift request is not beyond my skillset. And good, reasonably-priced, quick-to-ship American-made yarn can't be that hard to find.

Cue the sinister music....

I will spare you the agonising details of time spent floundering in the Swamp of Indecision (located somewhere between the Valley of Decision and the Pit of Despair), of my struggles with a) finding yarn (thanks again, Amy, for pointing me to that sale); b) choosing motifs; c) deciding on the number of cast-on stitches; d) fitting the motifs attractively into the number of stitches available. (A reasonable person might have simply chosen an existing pattern to follow. I suffer from Designer's Itch and am therefore not reasonable.)

Let us turn from these scenes of laborious research, and jump ahead to the happy time when our heroine takes her needles and newly-acquired, luscious all-American yarn in hand. A rainy Sunday, Christmas music playing, lights shining softly from the tree by her side - what could be more pleasant?

The ribbing alone nearly made me give up. *K2, P2. Repeat from *. It should be simple, but for a beginner-to-intermediate, less-than-perfect-tension knitter like me, it's a recipe for wobbly columns and loopy frustration. This problem is not solely my own; from the wealth of tips available online, it would appear to be almost universal. Solutions range from the simple (knit more tightly) to the extremely creative (see this post by Techknitter for some examples).

First I tried knitting more tightly. It gave me a nice tidy ribbing, and I galloped happily on to the motif rounds. Then I noticed that the cuff edge was rather small - so small, I was afraid it would cut off the giftee's circulation. I also ran up against the stumbling block of Motifs Not Matching Up at Round Starts (seen on the right edge in photo below):

Version 1 - designed to cut off circulation at the ankle.

There followed much research and experimentation with tricks to overcome the motif problem, another lengthy flounder through the Swamp of Indecision, and at last a determination to redesign the motifs, allowing for a line of plain stitches down each side of the sock to minimise the offset at round ends.

So much for Version 1.

Then I had the bright idea of adding 8 stitches to the total count, as well as a rolled edge for comfort (an excellent idea culled from the pages of Techknitter's blog). I will call this Version 2.1. (No photos were taken; the human spirit can only stand so much.) Stitch tension was so relaxed on 2.1 that my dentist mistook it for a sleeve when he walked into the exam room and found me knitting away in the dental chair. (We've reached Tuesday, by the way. This is an Epic Sock.) Rip went Version 2.1.

Then came Version 2.2 - 4 stitches smaller, and back to the tighter-than-tight gauge on the ribbing. At first it wasn't so bad - the cuff now looked comfortably human-ankle-sized - but the sock body ballooned out into unreasonable proportions, and the new stitch pattern wasn't working out as well as I'd hoped. Several froggings later, snip went the scissors and Version 2.2 was thrown onto the Pile of Humiliation. Back to the Swamp of Indecision for Mrs. M.

Version 2.2 - leg nearly large enough for an elephant.

After strenuous thought (and a few desperate prayers), our intrepid knitter made the bold decision to reduce the stitch count to its original number, and to try to work the ribbing at a reasonable tension, using a compromise fix of her own devising. (She calls it Yanky Ribbing.)

"I may not be able to knit/purl with perfect tension, but by golly I'm going to show that yarn who's in charge - if not during the stitch, then after," she said to herself.

(Dear me - I seem to have strayed into the third person. What the heck - it's my blog. I can do what I want. "Within reason," whispers the soft yet relentless Voice of Syntactic Conscience....)

Every technique needs a good mantra, and here's the mantra for Yanky Ribbing: "Knit, knit, yank, purl-with-a-yank, purl." (If you pause for a beat after "yank" and "purl", it pairs rather nicely with the rhythm of "The Little Drummer Boy.")

"Knit, knit, yank" explains itself - knit one stitch, knit the next, then give the working yarn a tug. "Purl-with-a-yank", though mysterious-sounding at first, is equally simple: purl the first purl, but before you slip it off the needle, tug the working yarn again. Then work the second purl. Keep a moderately firm tension throughout, paying careful attention to the places where you switch needles.

Inelegant, you say? Bad knitting practice? Perhaps. But it seems to work. Here is Version 3 at the time of this writing:

Hope dawns....

You will notice that not only has our knitter produced a decent-looking cuff of reasonable size, she has also made significant progress into the charted portion of her project (after frogging and re-working a few inches when she found that some of her floats were improperly woven).

She now feels cautiously optimistic, and is not without hope that this Tale of Woe may yet turn into a quiet song of Triumph....

~ ~ ~

We now return to the first person.

I've been tempted to name this sock "The Doctor", for it's had about as many transformations as that fabled character. (And, as with him, some versions have been more appealing than others.)

My watchwords now are Patience and Perseverance. All I have to do is finish the Fair Isle-style ankle portion, decide what heel turn to use, figure out how to strengthen the sole for around-the-house wear, determine the proper length for someone who wears a size 8.5 shoe, and finish the sock. Then make another one. And block them both.

I can do that by next Friday, right?

~ ~ ~

Looking for Colour in a Grey World

The world has been grey for so many days, we've forgotten what the sun looks like. All our lovely bits of snow have melted off; the weather is now just warm enough not to snow, and to turn what moisture there is into fog and damp.

A good time to get out the Christmas mini-quilts and begin the annual decorating. Though I haven't quilted anything in years, I love to decorate with these:

Most of them are quilted by machine, but this one is almost entirely hand-quilted:

(Back in my quilting days, quilt backs were mostly plain. But still fun to look at if you're a quilter.)

My only bargello project (can you tell I was a big fan of meandering quilting?):

Detail of a tiny paper-pieced block:

Looking at the all the fabric trees made me want to find a real one, so on Sunday I headed out to the local tree farm. Dampness filled the air, diffusing the light and making all my photos just a little misty.

The car bumped over the trail as I headed for the farthest possible corner of the farm.

I've written before about this tree farm; it's an unconventional one where baby trees mingle with reverend old pine and spruce, nothing is ever dyed or sprayed, and trees are trimmed casually if at all. A very far cry from the manicured rows of matching, near-perfect trees at a traditional tree farm - but I like it just the way it is.

Stumps are everywhere, as are tiny new trees just starting out in life:

This stump was covered with lovely pale-green fungi, like tiny jade-coloured horns:

Some of the trees come pre-decorated; I was sorely tempted to take this one:

In fact I'd already found what would become our tree, almost the moment I set foot out of the car. But I still walked the entire farm - partly to see if there were a better tree somewhere else, and partly for the joy of traipsing through woods and fields on a misty December day, admiring the golden stubble, the pale champagne grass, the blue-green spruce, and the rusty-red-needle-carpeted ground.

I didn't find a better tree, but I did find plenty of colour under those grey skies. Then back to the car for the saw and the chosen tree, then home in the deepening twilight.

Here's our tree, lit but not yet decorated:

Judging by the photo above, I seem to have brought some of that mistiness indoors with me. (Actually my little camera couldn't get a clear shot in the dark room, so the photo was pixellated for the fun of it).

Ooh - pixellated photo = quilted tree! :)

How's your world right now? Grey, white, brown, or colourful?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Florealis Neckwarmer ~ a Free Crochet Pattern

December is a wonderful time to break out the yarn and work up a bit of delicious warmth for the neck of someone we love (or for ourselves).

The Florealis Neckwarmer combines some of my favourite crochet techniques into a soft and snuggly, quick-growing project. An easy cluster foundation row replaces the starting chain; extended-in-the-middle stitches make the most of the yarn while adding lovely visual texture, and twisted stitch (a slip-stitch variation) accent rows break up the vertical lines.

Slight decreases are built into each end of the neckwarmer to give a neck-friendly shape. The spiral rose “buttons” are worked in one with the rows, and their shape is secured after finishing by sewing a couple of stitches into each. "Buttonholes" are provided by the space between the two tall stitches at the other end of the row.

For a shoulder-hugging fit, leave one or two roses unbuttoned:

Florealis Neckwarmer

Special thanks to Marty Miller for her generously detailed answers (way back in 2014!) to my questions on the terminology of extended stitches.

Size: 21" long at top edge, 24" long at bottom edge, 6" wide

Yarn Requirements: 150-160 yards of heavy worsted or light bulky yarn; lofty or roving yarns with long colour changes work especially well.

Yarn I Used: Elegant Yarns Kaleidoscope, 100% wool, 174 yds/100 grams, color 39 Purple Iris

How Did the Yarn Behave? Perfectly for this project! Soft, warm, and surprisingly froggable for a wool roving yarn, with beautiful shade changes.

Hook Size: US K10½/6.5mm, US J10/6mm, or size that gives desired stitch quality

Notions: Yarn needle, optional marker or scrap of yarn

All crochet terminology is American.

~ ~ ~

Florealis Pattern

Notes:

• Keep relaxed tension and careful stitch count.
• When working the Front Loop Only Twisted Stitch, remember that it's a slip stitch variation - don't pull up an extra loop when completing the stitch!
• All single crochets at beginning and end of twisted stitch rows should be worked through both top strands of the stitch below.
• When working the Extended in the Middle Treble, remember to draw through 1 loop only in the lower middle of the stitch.
• For the Special Stitch instructions, I've written each step as a separate line of text. This takes up more page space, but it's also easier to read and understand.
• To increase or decrease the length of the project, or to match my project measurements with yarn of a different gauge, simply work more or fewer base row clusters to get the length you want. (Remember that stitch counts will be different if you change the number of base clusters.)
• Be sure that Row 8 ends with an even number of stitches - if necessary work one more or one less stitch to attain an even number.

Terms/Abbreviations/Special Stitches Used:

RS: Right Side
WS: Wrong Side
Chain
Slip Stitch
Sk: skip
Sc: single crochet
Hdc: half double crochet
Dc: double crochet
Tr: treble crochet
Front Loop Only
Back Loop Only

DcCl (double crochet cluster):
[Yarn over, insert hook in indicated stitch, pull up a loop, draw through 2 loops on hook] twice,
yarn over and draw through all loops on hook.

FloTwSt (front loop only twisted stitch):
Insert hook in front loop of same stitch,
yarn over and pull up a loop,
insert hook in front loop of next stitch (do not pull up a loop),
yarn over and immediately draw through all loops on hook.

EMtr (extended in the middle treble):
Yarn over twice,
insert hook in indicated stitch, pull up a loop,
yarn over, draw through 2 loops on hook,
yarn over, draw through 1 loop on hook,
[yarn over, draw through 2 loops on hook] twice.

Florealis Pattern

Base Row (RS): With larger hook, *chain 3, work DcCl in back bump of 3rd chain from hook (base row cluster made). Repeat from * 33 times = 34 base row clusters. Chain 1, rotate work to right (or to left if you crochet left-handed).
Row 1: Working loosely, *slip stitch in back loop of next dc row end, slip stitch in next back bar "hole". Repeat from * across, ending in back bar hole before last shell; skipping final dc row end, slip stitch in back bar hole of first cluster made = 67 stitches. Chain 1, turn.
Row 2 (WS): Single crochet in first stitch; starting in same st, FloTw St 65 across; single crochet (inserting hook in both top strands) in last stitch = 67 stitches. Chain 8, turn.
Row 3 (RS): Make rose: working in back loop only, (sc, 2 hdc) in second chain from hook, 3 hdc in each of next 4 chains, 3 dc in next ch, 3 tr in next ch (rose made). Inserting hook into both top strands, EMtr in each of next 65 sts, tr in next st (skip sc at end of row) = 66 sts (not counting rose). Chain 1, turn.
Row 4 (WS): Single crochet in first stitch; starting in same st, FloTw St 62 across, sc (inserting hook in both top strands) in next stitch, sk last 2 EMtr at end of row = 64 stitches. Chain 8, turn.
Row 5 (RS): Repeat Row 3, ending w/tr in last Tw St of row (skip sc at end of row) = 63 sts (not counting rose). Chain 1, turn.
Row 6 (WS): Repeat Row 4, ending w/sc in 3rd EMtr from end, sk last 2 EMtr = 61 sts. Ch 8, turn.
Row 7 (RS): Repeat Row 3, ending w/tr in last Tw St of row = 60 sts (not counting rose). Chain 1, turn.
Row 8(WS): Repeat Row 4, ending w/sc in last EMtr before rose = 60 sts. Chain 3, turn.
Top edging (RS): With smaller hook, make first cluster: yarn over, insert hook in back bump of 3rd chain from hook, pull up a loop, yarn over and draw through 2 loops on hook (partial dc made); yarn over, insert hook in sc at base of ch-3, pull up a loop, yarn over and draw through 2 loops on hook (partial dc made, 3 loops left on hook); insert hook in next stitch, yarn over and immediately draw through all loops on hook - first cluster made. *Chain 3, yarn over, insert hook in back bump of 3rd chain from hook, pull up a loop, yarn over and draw through 2 loops on hook; yarn over, insert hook in next stitch, pull up a loop, yarn over and draw through 2 loops on hook (3 loops left on hook), insert hook in next stitch, yarn over and immediately draw through all loops on hook. Repeat from * across, ending in starting sc of row.
Finishing: Form rose "buttons" into desired shape, then secure each with a few stitches on WS using yarn and yarn needle. Weave in all ends. Run to the mirror and try on your neckwarmer. :)

Florealis Pattern in Mostly Plain English with Photos

See "Terms/Abbreviations/Special Stitches" above if needed.

Base Row (Right Side facing):
Using the larger hook,
chain 3,
work Double Crochet Cluster in back bump of 3rd chain from hook (base row cluster made).
Repeat this 33 times - you should now have a long string of 34 base row clusters.
Chain 1, and rotate work to right (or to left if you crochet left-handed).

Making the Base Row Clusters

Now it's time to make a row of slip stitches along the edge of the clusters.
To make the slip stitches, you'll be working into 2 places of the base row cluster: the back loop of the dc cluster row end, and the "holes" between each cluster.
(What is a "row end"? It's the side edge of a stitch. If you tip your foundation clusters up, as in the right-hand photo below, you can see the side edges of the double crochets. You'll need to stitch into the back loop - the one that's farthest away from you - at the base of each dc. Then you'll stitch into each "hole" right next to it.)

Where to insert hook for slip stitch row (Row 1)

Row 1:
Working loosely, *slip stitch in back loop of dc row end, slip stitch in back bar "hole".
Repeat from * across, ending in back bar hole before last shell.
Skip the last last dc row end,
make final slip stitch in back bar "hole" at the very end of the clusters.
You should have 67 slip stitches.
Chain 1, turn.

End of Row 1 and beginning of Row 2

Row 2 (Wrong Side Facing):
Single crochet in first stitch (inserting your hook under both strands of stitch below).
Starting in same stitch, insert your hook through the front loop only, pull up a loop,
insert your hook into the next stitch (do not pull up a loop),
yarn over and immediately draw through all loops on hook.
This is your first Twisted Stitch.

Tip: Remember that every Twisted Stitch starts in the stitch you just made and ends in the next stitch. Be careful not to pull up a loop when you're finishing a Twisted Stitch!

To finish Row 2, make 64 more Front Loop Only Twisted Stitches across;
single crochet (inserting hook in both top strands) in last stitch.
You should have 67 stitches.
Chain 8, turn.

Now it's time to make the first rose "button".

Row 3 (RS):
Inserting your hook into the back loop only of each chain,
make [1 sc and 2 hdc] in second chain from hook,
make 3 hdc in each of the next 4 chains,
make 3 dc in the next chain,
make 3 tr in the next chain (rose complete).
Your "rose" will want to curl up - that's okay. If you like, place a marker or scrap of yarn through the top of the last treble to mark the end of the rose (this will help with stitch counting later).

Making the rose "button"

The rest of the row will be worked normally (inserting hook into both top strands).
Make an Extended-in-the-Middle Treble in each of the next 65 stitches (see Stitches/Terms above),
treble crochet in next stitch (skip the sc at the end of the row).
You should have 66 stitches, not counting the rose.
Chain 1, turn.

Row 4 (WS):
This is just like Row 2, except you'll be stopping short of the end of the row (doing this helps give the neckwarmer a trapezoid shape for a better fit around the neck).
Single crochet 1,
Front Loop Only Twisted Stitch 62 across (remember to start your first Twisted Stitch in the same stitch where you made the sc),
single crochet in next stitch (skipping the last 2 Extended-in-the-M-Trebles).
You should have 64 stitches in your row.
Chain 8, turn.

Row 5 (RS):
Repeat Row 3, starting with a rose, and ending with a treble crochet in last Twisted Stitch of row (do not work into the sc at the end of the row).
You should have 63 stitches (not counting rose).
Chain 1, turn.

Row 6 (WS): Repeat Row 4, making it a little shorter again:
Single crochet 1,
Front Loop Only Twisted Stitch 59 across (remember to start your first Twisted Stitch in the same stitch where you made the sc),
single crochet in next stitch (skipping the last 2 Extended-in-the-M-Trebles).
You should have 61 stitches in your row.
Chain 8, turn.

Row 7 (RS): Repeat Row 5, starting with a rose, and ending with a treble crochet in last Twisted Stitch of row (do not work into the sc at the end of the row).
You should have 60 stitches (not counting rose).
Chain 1, turn.

Row 8 (WS): Repeat Row 4, but go all the way to the end of the row, ending with a single crochet in last Extended Treble before the rose.
You should have 60 stitches.
Chain 3, turn. Time to start the edging!

The edging is really just a row of Dc Clusters worked sideways and "anchored" into every other stitch of the previous row. Each edging cluster takes up 2 stitches; follow the directions carefully so your stitch count doesn't go awry.

Top edging (RS):
Using the smaller hook,
yarn over, insert hook in back bump of 3rd chain from hook, pull up a loop,
yarn over and draw through 2 loops on hook (partial dc made),
yarn over, insert hook in sc at base of chain, pull up a loop,
yarn over and draw through 2 loops on hook
(2nd partial dc made; you should now 3 loops left on your hook);
insert hook in next stitch, yarn over and immediately draw through all loops on hook to "anchor" the cluster.
First cluster made!

Making the first Edging Cluster

Let's finish this baby:
*Chain 3,
yarn over, insert hook in back bump of 3rd chain from hook (see Photo 6 above), pull up a loop,
yarn over and draw through 2 loops on hook (partial dc made),
yarn over, insert hook in next stitch, pull up a loop,
yarn over and draw through 2 loops on hook,
(2nd partial dc made; you should now 3 loops left on your hook);
insert hook in next stitch, yarn over and immediately draw through all loops on hook to "anchor" the cluster.

Repeat from * across, ending in starting sc of row. Woo hoo! Almost done.

Final cluster should end in the sc at beginning of row
(sc indicated by arrow)

To finish your neckwarmer:
Cut a short length of yarn (about 8") and thread it onto a yarn needle. Form one of your rose "buttons" into the desired shape, then secure it with a few stitches on WS, making sure the center of the rose will not pop loose. Repeat with the other two roses.
Weave in all ends. Admire your gorgeous Florealis Neckwarmer and decide whether you want to give it away or keep it for yourself.

~ ~ ~

You may do whatever you like with the items you make from this pattern, but you may not sell the pattern or reproduce the text without permission. (Links to this post are welcome.) If you make these for sale, please credit the designer.

If you have any questions about this pattern, or find any mistakes (it happens all the time), don't be shy: ask or tell in the comment box below, or contact me in Ravelry (where I'm MrsMicawber).

Thanks for viewing, and happy crocheting!

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First of December

Bare branches against an

iron-grey sky

Skim of ice on the

shivering lake

Lights in the park and

snow on my cheeks

Winter, putting out feelers

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Seeing Stars and Walking with the Moon

I've been seeing a lot of stars lately. Neither celestial stars nor cinematic, but ****s - the kind found in crochet patterns.

When you design for crochet magazines, mailing off the completed projects is not the end of the process; it's only the beginning of the end.  Next comes pattern-writing (blogger emits hollow groan). Even after years of practice, with copious note-taking during project construction, it's sometimes a struggle for me to write a clear, concise pattern. I've often wondered why; language is, after all, my strong suit, and crochet patternese is just another language, right?

Wrong. After this last round of pattern-writing, I've reached the conclusion that crochet patterns are more akin to math than to grammar. Think about it: you've got numbers, brackets, addition and multiplication, sequential actions, parentheses, and mind-numbing strings of abbreviations, all combining into a mystical formula that you hope will yield the desired result (but so often doesn't). As with math, there's an order of operations to be followed, in both the writing and the stitching - and if you miss a step you get the wrong answer.

Brackets and stars in particular are my downfall. You know the sort of thing: *dc, shell, sc in next v-st. Rep from * to end of row. Or should it be [dc, shell, sc in next v-st] across to end? Or *[dc, shell, sc] in next v-st. Rep from * to end? Brackets are to crochet what commas are to grammar; misplace them and disaster can result.

After hours of pattern-typing and -proofing, staring at parentheses and semi-colons and repeating from * to **, my brain goes numb. I begin putting brackets around everything in sight, scattering asterisks with abandon in a futile-seeming effort to make sure the reader understands that something, somewhere, must be repeated until she reaches the next something, somewhere. Crystal-clear though the pattern may be in my brain, it somehow gets muddied on its way to the page - and polishing it up to make it fit for use is a laborious process.

Thank God for tech editors, say I. And for charts!

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I haven't posted any outdoor photos for weeks; not because I haven't been outdoors, but because I've had neither time nor energy to spare from yarny projects and yarny writing. But now that the woolly tide has ebbed, some pictures are in order.

November has, however temporarily, turned its face from fall to winter. At first it was red and gold, and still quite green underfoot, with surprisingly warm days fooling the trees into budding out. Poor trees! victims of a false spring, only to have their hopes frozen in the bud - for last week the mercury plummeted, and on Friday came an iron-cold snow. Saturday we woke to an icy white world that made summer seem distant and exceedingly unreal.

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On Sunday I take a walk through this snowy world, with the moon for my companion. Here she is, shining silver-bright in a pale blue sky:

A marsh has frozen into satin stillness:

A Favourite Tree near the start of the trail is dusted with white along the bough:

Ahead is the moon, now scarfed with cloud:

Gone are the flowers of summer; in their places stand elegant brown ghosts:

Meanwhile the moon floats higher, over a horizon faintly tinged with rose...

...and over delicate grass seeds on the restored prairie:

The wind is bitter; it's time to head for home and warmth. The freshly-iced marshy lake reflects the pink of the sky as I pass:

Today (Monday), the temps are slowly rising. By Thursday the snow will probably be gone, but we've had our first taste of winter.

How's your weather? Is it cold where you are?

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Best wishes for a happy Thanksgiving to my American readers, and a happy week to all.

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