The Perfect Dice Bag

 When I moved to Michigan to live with my partner and his kids, he thought it would be a great idea for all of us to form a D&D (Dungeons & Dragons) campaign as a way to bond.  His kids are aged 5 & 7 (a boy and a girl respectively), and chose to be a Grung Rogue and a Tiefling Ranger.  I play as a Water Genasi Druid, and my partner is both a Firbolg Cleric and the DM (Dungeon Master).  He bought a large assortment of dice for all of us to split and we each got two sets.  My sets are sky blue & white, and true blue & purple.  He picked them out for me especially since my character uses the water element.  His daughter’s sets are pink & orange, and his son’s sets are green & grey.  I crocheted a pink dice bag for his daughter and a green dice bag for his son.  The blue one you see pictured is mine.  (My partner has a massive collection of dice from his high school days of playing TTRPGs, so I crocheted him a big bag that looks like a potion bottle.  I modified the potion pattern by Yarn Punk/Knot Bad, which you can find on their social media.)

This dice bag pattern as written can hold ten sets of standard sized dice (70 die)!  You can make it shorter for fewer dice, or add a round to the circle for 50 stitches for a bigger, wider bag.  It is very versatile.  Any player knows you can never have too much dice.  And because this pattern is so quick and easy to make (you can even work on it while playing!), you can make one for each character’s sets of dice.  I prefer to keep all the dice for my Water Genasi in just my blue bag.  I have a Tabaxi Monk I’m working on creating, and need to think of just the right yarn color for their dice…

This is also the same pattern I used for my set of resin runes, except I stopped at 15 rounds instead of 18.  Instructions for creating a bag sized for runes are included below in bold.

 Materials:

·       Worsted weight acrylic yarn

·       US 8 / H crochet hook

·       Stitch marker

·       Yarn needle

 You’ll need to know:

·       How to magic circle

·       How to crochet a circle

·       How to crochet in the round

 Abbreviations (in US terms):

ch: chain

sc: single crochet

hdc: half double crochet

sl st: slip stitch

 Instructions:

·       Magic circle 10 hdc sts, sl st to join, pull circle tight to close (10 sts)

·       2 hdc in every st all the way around (20 sts)

·       [2 hdc in first st, 1 hdc in next st]* rep all the way around (30 sts)

·       [2 hdc in first st, 2 hdc in next 2 sts]* rep all the way around (40 sts)

o   From here you will always have 40 sts, including the last round

o   If you want a bigger bag, crochet an extra round for 50 sts.  Every round adds 10 sts.  You can make the base as big as you want and the size of the base will not affect the rest of the pattern’s instructions.

·       Hdc all the way around until you have 18 total rounds (counting from Magic Circle round)

o   You can make the bag shorter, say 15 rounds if you only have a few sets of dice.  This is also the ideal size if you have a set of runes.

·       [1 sc in the next 2 sts, ch 2]* all the way around

·       Sc all the way around (2 sts in sc from previous round, 2 sc in ch 2 space)

·       Sl st to join, weave in ends

·       For the drawstring, ch 100 sts, cut yarn, and thread through the eyelets created by the ch 2 spaces.  Then tie an overhand knot on each end of the drawstring. 

 

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Captain America aka The Basic Beanie

A coworker who has proved he is yarn-worthy with his friendly, helpful, and ever positive demeanor, is also obsessed with Captain America - figurines adorn his desk, a downloaded wallpaper adorns his desktop, and he even comes to work everyday with a backpack that looks like Steve Rogers' shield.  When our office became quarantined and we were all sent home to work, our team converted our daily meetings to virtual format and, in the comfort of our own homes, we are therefore allowed to wear whatever we want and this has taken to seeing a new side of my coworkers.  For instance, this coworker loves to wear hats, especially beanies.  So how could I not make him a beanie that looks like his hero's iconic shield?

This formula (minus the star) also makes for the perfect-sized adult beanie.  I have a large head for a cisgendered female (22" circumference) and it sits perfectly, not obscuring my eyebrows but still covering the tips of my ears.  It is approximately 8" from crown to brim.  It can expand to accommodate the average cisgendered male head by using a larger hook as detailed below under Materials, but my boyfriend recommended adding a row of hdc to the brim if a little bit more length is needed (as was on his non-Captain America hat - not pictured).  This hat is worked from the top-down and has 14 rounds total, so keep that in mind if you decide to create your own stripe sequence and plan accordingly for when you change colors. 

This pattern is for adults only; however, this may work for teens too depending on their size, and I will attempt to include a child-size version that has NOT been tested but could work well.  With that said, let's begin with the adult instructions.

THERE IS NO GAUGE FOR THIS PATTERN

Materials:

• Worsted weight yarn in White, Blue, and Red - I used Red Heart Super Saver Solids in White, Royal Blue, and Cherry Red
• Hook size 8/H for adult female or size 9/I for adult male
• Scissors
• Yarn needle

You will need to know how to chain (ch), magic circle, crochet in-the-round, slip stitch (sl st), single-crochet (sc), half-double crochet (hdc), double-crochet (dc), and treble-crochet (tc).  I am using the American version of these terms.  This hat is crocheted using the dc st, and ch 3 at the beg of every round (rnd) counts as the first stitch (st).  It's best practice if you already have experience crocheting a flat dc circle.

First, let's start with the star applique - if you are just using this pattern for a basic beanie, you can skip to the next step below starting with blue yarn.  For the star, we will begin with the white yarn. 
Magic circle, ch 3 (counts as the first st), dc 14 for a total of 15 sts.  Sl into the first st to join.  * Ch 6.  First ch counts as turn.  Skip that first ch and sl st into the 2nd ch, then sc, then hdc, then dc, then tc.  You should now be back at the circle; skip and sl st into the 3rd st from the chain. *  You've just created one of five points.  Rep from * until you have gone all the way around ending with five points and sl st into the beg to join.  Break yarn leaving 15" to sew onto the hat later.

Let's begin the hat.  If you are just crocheting a basic beanie and not the Captain America version with the star applique, you'll start your instructions here.  Basically, we are crocheting a 10-st circle until we have 60 sts (6 rnds) before we stop increasing.  The first five of those rnds will be in blue for this hat.  Starting with the blue yarn, magic circle, ch 3 (counts as the first st), dc 9 for a total of 10 sts.  Sl st to join into the starting ch, ch 3 and dc 2x into every st for a total of 20 sts.  Sl st to join, ch 3, and dc 2x into every other st for a total of 30 sts.  Sl st to join, ch 3, and dc 2x into every two sts for a total of 40 sts.  Sl st to join, ch 3, and dc 2x into every 3 sts for a total of 50 sts.  Break yarn leaving a 6" tail and pull through after joining the last st to complete the circle.  Pause here to sew the star applique to the center of the blue circle (it's easier to do this now rather than later when you have the brim in the way).  Then join the red yarn to the beg of the circle, ch 3, and dc 2x into every 4 sts for a total of 60 sts.

At this point your circle is wide enough for the average adult head and we will continue crocheting all the way around without increasing.  It might look small but trust me, as I discovered through trial and error, it makes for just the right size!  As I mentioned above, I will try to include child-size instructions after the adult-size instructions are finished, so stay with me.  Crochet two more rounds in red for a total of three red rounds.  Break yarn leaving a 6" tail and join the white yarn.  Crochet three rounds in white.  Break yarn leaving a 6" tail, join the red yarn, and crochet three rounds in red.  Break yarn leaving a 6" tail and weave in your ends!  Finished!

 

 

Now for a child-size version - keep in mind this has NOT been tested!  Follow the instructions as written up until finishing the blue circle.  The star applique (if you're crocheting the Captain America version) and the blue circle can be completed exactly as written; however, when you join the red yarn, do NOT do another round increases - keep the hat to 50 sts.  Then only crochet 2 rnds total in red, 2 rnds in white, and the final 2 rnds in red.  Weave in your ends. 

 

I hope all of that makes sense!  If you have any questions, I am more responsive on Ravelry, so please DM me there or comment on the pattern page.  I will try to clarify anything I can.  This pattern is free - please do not sell my pattern, and if you sell any projects you make, please give me credit by linking my name (Emily Ingrid), Ravelry, and/or Instagram @clementineknitsandcrochets.

 

I'd be remiss if I didn't give credit to my best friend Miranda for teaching me how to crochet in the first place.  The pattern for this "basic beanie" was inspired by her.  She used to work as a stage manager for the theatre and would crochet hat after hat after hat backstage to help her focus and kill time between cues.  She would take any yarn - either gifted to her or leftover scraps - and put together amazing color combos, and then at the end of a production she'd have a hefty bag full of hats that she'd dump on stage and let everyone in the production pick out which hat they wanted.  I can't wait to see what kinds of color combos and stripe sequences you all post on Ravelry!



Pete for President

As a daughter of South Bend, I watched with tears of joy and hope in my eyes as my Mayor Pete announced his official candidacy for president.  I watched via live-steam as I currently reside in St. Louis, but I've witnessed from a distance how Pete has turned around my hometown for the better, and I believe he can and will do the same for the whole country.

While watching the stream, I was inspired by his newly unveiled logo to create a graphed chart for a knit-version of it (or perhaps crocheted, cross-stitched, perler beads, etc.).  I love that it incorporates one of the iconic old bridges in South Bend - bridges are so symbolic.  Pete's team made available a variety of logos free for public use and the campaign colors were inspired by South Bend and Pete's life (including his dogs).

My favorite craft store acrylic yarn is Vanna's Choice by Lion Brand Yarn, and I think the colorways offered by her line most closely match the campaign colors on the website.  Here are my colorway recommendations:

Campaign color - Vanna's Choice colorway

Strato Blue - Navy

Claeys Cream - Fisherman (although Linen came close, I think Fisherman is a better contrast; sadly I did not have a bag of Claeys Candy around to compare)

River Blue - Colonial Blue

Heartland Yellow - Mustard

Calm Blue - Pale Grey (even though it's grey, it most closely resembles this light shade of blue)

Blue Sky - Dusty Blue (Vanna makes a colorway called Sky Blue, but the campaign color is more muted, hence why I went with Dusty Blue)

Rust Belt - Terra Cotta (Vanna makes a colorway called Rust, but Terra Cotta is as vivid as the campaign color in my opinion)

Buddy Gold - Honey

Truman Brown - Chocolate

Now, let's get on to the chart!  If you choose to knit this chart, I'd recommend using the intarsia method and use bobbins or butterflies.  His official logo has his name PETE and the background in Strato Blue or River Blue with the bridge in Claeys Cream and the 2020 in Heartland Yellow, but on the design portion of his website, PeteForAmerica.com, the artists encourage everyone to play with color and mix & match out of the variety.  (I think I might need to make one with Truman and Buddy's colors!)

I hand-graphed the chart, so it isn't a polished excel spreadsheet, and therefore I apologize for the crudeness.  I also left it devoid of color so you can fill in your own color combinations.  I did add row & column numbers so you know where you are in the chart.  There's no official pattern - you can plug this chart into a beanie, a tote bag, even a sweater!  Or knit a sweater for your dog - I'm sure Truman and Buddy Buttigieg would love that!

This chart - like the logo that inspired it - is FREE to use, but please give credit where credit is due and tag my name on Ravelry/other social media platforms - Clementine Knits and Crochets by Emily Ingrid.  Thanks!  I appreciate it, and I hope you enjoy the chart!  Pete for Pres!

Every woman is Wonder Woman

I’m so excited to see the new Wonder Woman movie!  While waiting to see it, I knit this hat to wear when I do!  It’s so hot here where I live, since the movie premiered in June, but hopefully the cinema where I see it will be super air-conditioned.  I improvised my design and did not take any pictures of it in progress (as I was too excited to see how it would turn out!), but here is my pattern for my hat:

Skills required:
knowledge of common knitting abbreviations
knit & purl stitches
knitting in-the-round
decreasing
picking up stitches

Materials:
stitch markers (one in a contrast color)
US 8 16" circular needle and DPNs
Red Heart Super Saver solids in Royal Blue, Bright Yellow, and Cherry Red
scissors
yarn needle
one opaque red star-shaped button and seven opaque white star-shaped buttons

Directions:
With the blue yarn, CO 84 sts using the long-tail method.  Join, being careful not to twist.  Knit 2x2 rib for 8 rnds.  Then knit one rnd.  Break yarn leaving a 6” tail.

With yellow yarn, leave a 6" tail and knit one round and then purl one round.  Rep these two rnds for 5 garter ridges ending on a purl round.  Break yarn leaving a 6” tail.  At this point, use split-ring stitch markers to mark the center 21 sts.  This is where you will pick up and knit the triangle part of the tiara later. 

With red yarn, leave a 6" tail and knit in St st until the hat is 5” from the CO edge.  Keep the stitch markers denoting the center 21 sts in place and add two more stitch markers in between every 21 sts for a total of five stitch markers.  Use a contrast color for the end-of-rnd stitch marker to differentiate it from the dec markers.

The crown is essentially the same crown as Jared Flood’s “Turn A Square” hat.  I used this crown for this hat because it shows off the triangle of the tiara quite nicely.  On the first rnd of the crown dec, knit to two sts before marker, ssk, slip marker, k2tog; rep to end of rnd.  Then knit one rnd all the way around.  Rep these two rnds (switching to DPNs when necessary) until 12 sts rem (3 sts on each of the four DPNs).  Break yarn leaving a 6” tail and thread through rem sts.

At this point, you will be adding the triangle to complete the tiara.  Using the yellow yarn (leave a 12” tail to sew with later) with the blue brim facing you, pick up the center 21 sts that were marked earlier.  On the next row, sl the first st pw and knit all the way across.  You will be slipping every first st of every row pw.  This creates a smooth edge to sew later (and it looks better).  On the rows with the brim facing you, sl the first st pw, ssk, k to 3 rem sts, k2tog, k1.  Then knit the next row all the way across (make sure to sl the first st pw).  Rep these two rows until 3 sts rem.  Then do a s2kp dec, break yarn (leave another 12” tail), and thread through the last st.  At this point, sew on a red star-shaped button (I found one at JoAnn, along with matching white star-shaped buttons) onto the middle of the triangle with a scrap piece of yellow yarn (or use red yarn, if you prefer to blend in with the star).  Use the yellow tails to sew down the triangle to the red body of the hat.  Then sew the white star buttons onto the blue brim as you like with either blue yarn or scrap white yarn if you have any.  I sewed a white star button onto the middle of every other k rib section.

Weave in ends and wear with pride!

Team PSL

Recently, I got an email from Starbucks advertising Pumpkin Spice Latte season, and with it, a new travel mug that has a "knit" sleeve built onto the tumbler.  The sleeve is part of the ceramic, but the design is made to look "knit."  I loved it as soon as I saw it and wanted to actually knit my own sleeve.  After doing some internet research, I discovered that this is actually based off of a promotional marketing campaign last year!  @TheRealPSL was/is a Twitter handle that sent out "Orange Sleeve Society" membership cards and REAL knit "TEAM PSL" sleeves!  As obsessed with Starbucks and Pumpkin Spice Lattes and reusable knit coffee sleeves as I am, I wonder why I didn't know about this until now - nearly a year later! 

Fortunately for me, I am a knitter, and figured out how to knit my own!  I haven't seen one in person, but I found plenty of pictures on Google Image and Instagram of these sleeves, and counted the stitches and rows.  I determined that this is double-knit for extra thick protection, and knit in fingering weight yarn.  I am inept at double-knitting, so this pattern is simply for the color scheme, row and stitch count, and chart.  If you know how to double-knit, I highly recommend you use this method when making this sleeve!

I got Knit Picks Stroll Sock Yarn in Pumpkin (natch), White, and Aurora Heather.  The latter was a hard color to decide on, as it is a hunter/forest/ivy green.  I decided Ivy was closest to a pumpkin vine green, but Ivy wasn't an available option. 

Here is the pattern, and I also uploaded a picture of the chart I made below.  I did not upload any pictures of the actual sleeve, as all images belong to someone other than a corporation, but I will upload pictures of my finished sleeve.

Materials:
Fingering weight yarn in orange, white, and dark green
Size US 1.5 DPNS
Stitch markers if desired
Scissors
Yarn needle to weave in ends

Gauge:
I do not have a gauge for this pattern, but it should be knit at a tight gauge to keep the stitches crisp

Directions:
With orange yarn, cast-on 65 stitches
Knit two rounds in orange
Knit two rounds in dark green
Knit six rounds in orange
For the next ten rounds, follow the TEAM PSL chart with orange and white yarn: letters are in white and the space between is orange - start with the "pumpkin" and working all the way across the round to the "T" and knit one stitch in orange in between every letter and the pumpkin, ending each round with an orange stitch;
Knit six rounds in orange
Knit two rounds in dark green
Knit two rounds in orange
Bind off as established pattern
Weave in ends and block

I apologize that the chart is a picture of a hand-drawn chart, but I do not have the computer software (or savvy) to make a nicer chart, nor a scanner on hand.  Please let me know if you have any questions!


Note: this pattern has NOT been tested yet!

Copy.Cat C.C (Colorado Chick) Beanie

Copy.Cat C.C (Colorado Chick) slouchie beanie

I wrote a copycat pattern for the super popular "C.C Beanie" by Colorado Chick.  While in Chicago on a trip, I saw three different people wearing the same style hat in different colors.  I noticed the first one because I stare at anything knit, whether machine-made or handmade.  When I saw the second one, I assumed it must be a coincidence.  But after I saw the third one, I turned to my husband and exclaimed, “I must knit that hat!”  Then when I went home for a visit and hung out with a hometown friend, she was wearing the same hat I saw in Chicago, and I nearly tore it off her head in excitement.  I obsessively analyzed it, counting stitches and rounds so I could faithfully replicate it.

The simple structure of the hat's design would allow it to look good in any color, including tonal, gradient, metallic, and tweed (though I doubt variegated or self-striping yarn would look good, as it would disrupt the stripe sequence.)  If you do want to add stripes, just switch yarn colors on the 2nd rnd of the knit/St st rnds.

Without further ado, I present to you the Copy.Cat C.C Beanie!

Materials:
200 yards of worsted weight (4) acrylic yarn
US 7 (4.5mm) 16" circular needle and DPNS
scrap yarn for crocheted provisional CO
5.0mm (H) crochet hook
scissors
yarn needle
pom-pom maker (optional)

Directions:
CO 86 sts using the provisional CO
PM; join in-the-round, being careful not to twist

Knit one round 1x1 ribbing

Knit 1x1 twisted ribbing for 3.5”
Fold brim under and connect CO edge to live stitches; unzip the provisional CO one stitch at a time, knitting the CO stitch and live stitch together.  Do this all the way around until brim is completely folded and joined.  Be sure to tuck the CO tail within the folded brim – no need to weave it in!
Knit another round all the way around

Repeat the following sequence for a total of three times:
6 rnds purl
2 rnds St st
4 rnds 1x1 rib (NOT twisted)
2 rnds St st

Begin crown decreasing and switch to dpns when necessary:

Knit 3 more rnds St st (5 rnds total after the last 2 St st rnds)
k2tog all the way around
Knit 3 rnds St st
k2tog all the way around

Cut yarn and thread remaining stitches together w/ yarn needle. Pull through, tighten, and weave in end. Wear with pride!

EDIT: If you want to convert this hat into a Messy Bun Beanie, cut a hair elastic in half and thread it through the remaining live stitches after the second decrease round (approx. 21 sts rem), and then tie the elastic in an overhand knot.  Please keep in mind that this hat is meant to be slightly slouchy, whereas Messy Bun Beanies are usually more form-fitting.  Therefore, you may want to eliminate 1-2 rounds of purling in order to decrease the height of the hat so that it is less slouchy!

Alternatively, consider purling the crown instead of knitting it so the crown matches the purl rounds - this won’t look like the original, of course, but looks cool!  Feel free to top it off with a pom-pom if you have lots of leftover yarn, or a faux fur pom-pom like the original! (It also looks good inside out, as I found out while finishing it!)

Christine at iKnits graciously filmed a FREE YouTube video tutorial to go along with this pattern!  Be sure to subscribe to her station!  (She's the one who came up with the brilliant idea to convert this or any beanie into a messy bun beanie!)  Thanks, Christine!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVP2zXBYmgg&feature=youtu.be

Happy knitting!