This post was most recently updated on April 24th, 2018
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For the past few weeks I’ve been recovering from surgery. I haven’t been able to do anything remotely strenuous, and there’s only so many makeup tutorials you can watch on YouTube without getting bored, right? So to keep myself occupied, I have been working on some easy crochet projects I’ve been wanting to make but hadn’t had time. These projects are simple enough, that even a beginner can complete them in a weekend. And as a huge bonus, they are cute and practical!
Crocheted Little Boys’ House Shoes
This first project was one I’ve been wanting to try forever. My little boy is forever stubbing his toes on some thing or another, but we don’t wear shoes in the house. So I thought a pair of house slippers all his own would be just perfect.
I used Red Heart Super Saver yarn in Camouflage that I had leftover from another project because I wanted to use up my yarn stash. Before I started crocheting, I measured my boy’s feet so I could adjust the size of the shoe sole appropriately. After that, these little slippers were so quick and fun to work.
Naturally, when I was ready to take a picture of the finished project, Sir had ‘misplaced’ one slipper, so I only had one to photograph. But you get the idea. I used this pattern to make them.
Now, my son wears a size 10 Toddler, so I used a size F crochet hook, slightly smaller than the original pattern recommends. But otherwise, I followed the pattern closely.
Crocheted Ladies Cloche
After I finished the loafers, I started working on a hat for myself. I don’t wear hats often, but I think they look so fun and cozy. My mom had recently cleaned out her yarn stash and had given me a partial skein of this gorgeous persimmon yarn. Unfortunately, the wrapper was long gone, so I can’t say what brand or color the yarn is. But I knew it would work up beautifully for this pattern.
I was pleased at how quickly the hat came together – I was able to complete it in an afternoon. The stitches look complicated but are actually very simple, so don’t be intimidated by the finished look of the project.
If you look closely, you can see just a bit of shimmer in this yarn – it is so pretty! And I love that the open weave of the stitches makes it lightweight enough for me to wear when it’s not super cold. I think it’s going to be great for fall football games and on through next winter, too!
Last Minute Christmas Gift: Ladies Beanie & Fingerless Mitts
I was finishing up working on my hat when my oldest daughter told me she wanted to make hats and fingerless mitts for her friends’ Christmas gifts. She is definitely at the beginner crochet level and she has little to no patience. I felt this pretty pattern was more than simple enough for her to manage.
Unfortunately, her focus on the television while she was working proved to be detrimental to the completion of the project. So I made it myself, partly because I was still bored, but mostly because of the gorgeous yarn she picked. It was just luscious and sooo soft – I was excited to work with it! She chose Lion® brand ‘Vanna’s Choice’ yarn in the colors Peacock (beanie) and Charcoal Gray for the beanie trim and fingerless gloves from this pattern .
I added a sweet flower accent to the beanie, just to make it a little more feminine and stylish. I seriously ♥ ♥ ♥ the way this project turned out! And her friend was thrilled with the gift, too.
Last Minute Christmas Gift: Braided Ear Warmer & Fingerless Mitts
Darling daughter also wanted to make something special for another friend. After an extensive search through patterns, she settled on this braided earwarmer and these fingerless mitts.
This set was so unique and very easy to crochet. The recipient loves pink and is as sweet as a berry herself so the ‘Vanna’s Choice’ yarn from Lion® in the color ‘Strawberry’ was a perfect choice. The earwarmer pattern offered several sizing options so it was easy to adjust whether you’re making for a younger girl or a woman. And, I have to say, I really love the Vanna’s Choice line of yarn. It’s really soft and beautiful, as well as affordable.
I also wanted to mention that the earwarmer pattern includes a video on ‘braiding’ the finished project. And it is very easy to follow, so don’t worry that you’ll mess it up. It only looks complicated in the picture – it’s super simple to do!
I had used this same fingerless mitts pattern before, for my girls. It was actually part of a set – the mitts, and a set of boot cuffs, that I made them for Christmas last year. They were very easy to make and took me one evening to complete each pair.
Finn saw the fingerless gloves and wanted his own, so I used the camo yarn and used the same pattern as above to make him some. This particular fingerless mitt patter is very easy to adjust the sizing. I measured his wrists and used that as my guideline for the length of the glove wristband. Then, I simply left out some of the rows in the ‘glove’ portion, counting them out so I would get the thumb holes in the right position. It’s a pretty forgiving pattern.
He likes to wear them with his Batsuit, or out to work in the yard. You’ll be seeing that in a minute.
Crocheted Scalloped Earwarmer
I had just a little bit of this silky taupe yarn leftover from the girls’ boot cuffs and fingerless mitts. So I decided to use it up by making this scalloped earwarmer. I’ll admit, this one was just a little confusing for me. So if you are a beginner, I still think you could make it, but you might want to allow for more time – and have a more experienced crocheter on standby in case you get stuck.
In the end it turned out really pretty and is pretty comfortable. I wish I’d adjusted the size down just a bit, tough. I have a really small head and this is a little loose on me. So make sure you measure yourself – or whomever the recipient is – to make sure the sizing is accurate.
And, I’m so sorry – I can’t remember the color of this yarn. The wrapper disappeared a long time ago. I know it was from Lion® brand, though, because I remember thinking their yarn was soooo soft. This particular yarn had a light shimmer to it, as well.
The Crocheted Batman™ Hat
I wanted to make this project the minute I saw the pattern! Just like his older brother, Finn is a huge fan of Batman™ and I definitely want to encourage that! I got him these Batman™ pajamas for his birthday, but he likes to wear them as regular clothing. Or put them on his stuffed dog Ruff.
As you can see, he managed to find the other house slipper … and though his hands are behind his back, he’s wearing his ‘crime fighting gloves’.
So, the pattern … it’s very simple to follow. Obviously, you’ll want to use black yarn, as I did because – Batman™. But here is a word of caution: Be sure you are paying attention to the ear portion or your child will end up looking more like Dobby from Harry Potter™ than Batman™. It’s easy to adjust your stitches while you are still crocheting. Don’t try to go back after you’ve cut the yarn, though, or you will have a much harder time making changes.
Little Boys’ Crocheted Beanie with Stripes
Last fall, I found Finn a name brand winter coat on the local buy/sell/trade page for just a few dollars. It was in amazing shape, except that the hood was missing, so I knew he would need a matching hat to wear with it. I’d also scored a down-filled vest that was the same color as the coat, so I chose a dark brown yarn from my stash for the hat. Then I used some of the persimmon orange as the striped accent. He looks really cute in orange and brown. This hat is so darn cute, and it is one of the simplest patterns ever.
It worked up so fast that I made it in the morning and he wore it that afternoon! Plus, the pattern provided LOTS of different sizes, from tiny babies to adult men! 🙂 I love patterns like that because you can make fast gifts for a variety of people, just by changing your yarn colors. That is bomb!
Large Crochet Market Bag
When I was finally finished making projects for everyone else, I decided to work on something just for me. In my stash, there were several partial skeins of yarn, so I decided to work them into this incredibly simple and very cute market bag. This pattern includes two different sizes – I made the large.
As you can see, I used yarn from several of the other projects I’ve shown in this post to do the market bag. I was surprised to find how pretty they looked when used together. Also, I was happy to use up so many little amounts of yarn in my bag, because they just tend to get tangled and messy.
In full disclosure, I have no idea how I’m going to use this bag. lol Nevertheless, I just adore it and I am so glad I made it! It was VERY easy, too. However, it is worked in rounds, rather than rows, so make sure you have a safety pin or other type of marker so you don’t get lost in the spiral!
Panda Stuffy
Earlier in the fall, my girls were invited to their friend’s birthday party. It was specified that no gifts were necessary, but I never like to show up empty-handed. Usually, we take something small, handmade – basically a token of friendship, gratitude, or celebration.
While my oldest daughter had made a bracelet in her friend’s favorite colors, she said her little sister couldn’t share the gift. (You can bet a conversation about that followed.)
Since I didn’t have time to get to the craft store for some of the more elaborate ideas Bear came up with for a last minute gift, I turned to my crochet bag once again. I found I had just enough black and white yarn to make this darling stuffed panda.
We chose the panda because it’s a symbol of friendship … and because, well, who doesn’t love pandas? Mine is not as perfect as the pattern photo, but I was in a pretty big rush to get this done. The pattern was pretty easy to follow and I think there is room for personalization without losing any of the sweetness.
Did you see anything that sparks your creativity?
I hope you have seen a project that inspires you to crochet something fun. And did you notice that all the patterns I used are available for FREE?! I try really hard to find the patterns I want to make for no cost. It’s certainly not the case that I think the patterns are not worth anything. But if you can find a pattern and legally share it for free, why wouldn’t you? Frugal is as frugal does …
Do you have a huge pile of completed projects and nowhere to go with them?
I have a few suggestions on what you can do.
- Donate to a local hospital
- Give to residents in a nursing home
- Take them to your local women’s shelter
- Donate to a thrift shop (such as Disabled American Veteran’s)
- Open an Etsy® Shop
- Sell them on your local buy/sell/trade Facebook page
So many people would love to have a handmade item like those in this post. I love to crochet, but there are only so many hats my own family can wear! After all, they each only have the one head. So donating or selling your extra items makes perfect sense.
I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to see your finished projects so please share! Also, follow That Farm Mama on Facebook and Instagram, and tag me with your crochet projects there, too. Use #farmmamacrochets so I’m sure to see it!
In the meantime, keep crocheting and keep creating!
Love & Blessings,
Sharon
