Wyatt and Crochet Thread

This is Wyatt. He's wanting something as usual.

When he was a puppy he could take an unopened ball of crochet thread, open it and have it all off the cardboard insert in 5 minutes!

Now he just stares until I put down my hook and pay attention to him.

JOY Free Crochet Pattern

JOY Free Crochet Pattern

MATERIALS:

Size 10 crochet thread in Green and White of Red and White, size 7 crochet hook or hook needed to obtain gauge, 4 chenille stems for ea JOY, 1\4” wide ribbon for hanger (optional), invisible (clear) sewing thread and sewing needle.

FINISHED SIZE: 4” wide X 3-1\4” (Y) tall.

Gauge: 3 hdc sts = 1\2”, 3 rows hdc = 1\2”

BASIC INSTRUCTIONS:

Work drop thread behind sts as you work.

With Green (or Red) and 7 hook ch-3, sl st to form a ring.

RND 1: Ch-1, work 3 hdc in ring, drop Green, join White, hdc twice in ring, pick up Green, drop White, hdc 3 time in ring, drop Green, pick up White, hdc in ring, do not turn.

CONTINUING: Hdc White in top of next st (should be a Green st),* drop White, pick up Green, hdc next 3 sts, drop Green, pick up White, hdc next 2 sts, * rep bet ** until piece is as long as you need (see instructions for ea letter) Then fasten off White, pick up Green hdc next 2 sts, sl st next st, fasten off Green.

J:
J is worked in two sections. Make one crochet pieces 3-1\4” long then fasten off. Make second piece 2” long and fasten off.

Cut a 6-1\2” length of chenille stem and a 4” length. Fold in half and twist to hold. Insert ea stem in appropriate crochet piece. With needle and thread sew ea open end closed. Sew 3-1\4” piece in the center of the 2” piece and then bend into a J.

O:

Make a 5” crochet piece and fasten off. Cut a 10” length of Chenille stem. Fold in half and twist to hold. Insert stem into the 5” crochet piece. Bend into an O shape and sew ends tog. Sew O to J at the top 2” and center of 3-1\4”.

Y:

Y is worked in two sections. Make one crochet pieces 3” long then fasten off. Make second piece 1-1\4” long and fasten off.

Cut a 6” length of chenille stem and a 2-1\2” length. Fold in half and twist to hold. Insert ea stem in appropriate crochet piece. With needle and thread sew ea open end closed. Sew 1-1\4” piece at about 1-1\4” down on longer piece and then bend into a Y. Sew Y to O at sides.

To make it into an ornament cut a 6” length of 1\4” wide ribbon. Loop ribbon around O and knot ends.


JOY can be used as an ornament for your Christmas tree, something extra on a package or scrape booking page or even as a pin.


http://www.donnascrochetdesigns.com/

http://www.freepatternsdonnascrochetdesigns.com/

Why Use DMC Pearl Cotton Instead of Crochet Thread?

Why use size 5 DMC Pearl Cotton thread inside of size 10 crochet thread?
Both are close in gauge when crocheting.
Some of the newer versions of crochet thread are as soft as the DMC, though not all.
The answer is simple: color variety.
With crochet thread you can find one maybe two colors of blue, pink, green and yellow, but rarely at the same store. They usually have white, black, red, green, pink, purple and maybe yellow or recently I found orange.
DMC almost always have five or so skeins in varying hues of the same color. Si if you want to make a necklace to match a favorite dress or shirt you're more likely to find it using the DMC Pearl Cotton than in the crochet thread.
DMC is found in the needlework-cross stitch-embroidery isles in most craft stores. The hanging ones are ususally the size 5 thread with size 8 and 12 in balls underneath. They are the twisted skeins usually hanging on a peg board. You will need to untwist the thread and roll it into a ball so it doesn't tangle when you try to use it, but each 27 yard skein makes a ball about the size of a quarter and is fairly quick to untwist and roll.
That brings me to the other reason I like the DMC thread: the 27 yard skeins.
Crochet thread is usually found in a 250-350 yard range, which is great if you are making something large but over kill if you're just making a necklace.
Sure crochet thread will work, but there are more color variety with DMC Pearl Cotton.


P.S. If any one is wondering why I no longer put the color numbers I use for my designs samples it is because I want to encourage you to go out and look at all the colors out there and then pick the one that you like best.


www.donnascrochetdesigns.com