The Fisherman's Scarf

The sea is my one true love. There is nothing more beautiful than the smell of salt sea air and crisp October days or the coarse hands of an experienced fisherman. When you miss the sea, you feel it in your bones, and that longing inspired this fish-net scarf. The workings of this scarf are similar to that of an infinity scarf, but it can also be worn more closely to the neck like a cowl. This pattern uses a variation of chain stitches and slip stitches and is pretty easy to follow. You can find the pattern in my Ravelry store here: buy now

Enjoy! :)

~Tennyemaye

Any questions or thoughts? Please comment!

Made this pattern and loved it? Send me pictures here!

Contact me with any further questions or concerns at tennyemaye@gmail.com

Look! A Knook!

So, tonight I was just doing some normal grocery shopping at Walmart, and I couldn't resist checking out the yarn aisle. And then I found this.

And I was like... whaaaaat?

What IS this? I don't get it. It looks like a cheap imitation of tunision crochet (which I'm still trying to fully master), but not really. The instrument in the package has a crochet hook on one end and a knitting needle on the other. The pictures make it look like some crazy combination of knitting and crocheting. And there is even yarn specifically made for knooking! And "knook" patterns! Say whaaaaat...

So yeah. I grabbed it. Couldn't resist.

I cant wait to figure it out. What planet have I been living on that I haven't seen this before? I don't know, but should be fun. If I like it, you may see some cool knook creations (and someday patterns!) that I share here.

What do you know about knooking? Are you a fan or is it just a rip off? Share your wisdom with me. Leave some love, and a comment. :)

Cheers!

~Tennyemaye

Easiest EVER Infinity Scarf

 

 

So, I have an unhealthy obsession with infinity scarves. Ever seen one? It’s the scarf that literally never ends. If you live anywhere near a college campus like I do, you know they are all the rage for autumn fashion. I started to count all the infinity scarves I have in my closet, and… well… let’s just say I have more than any sane person should have. They're classy and stylish, and they conveniently dress up anything you are wearing; especially a t-shirt and jeans.  I decided it’s time for me to make my own! This scarf takes no time at all to make. It really is the easiest pattern ever.  

Use medium worsted weight yarn (I used two colors: beige and speckled black) and a size J crochet hook.

Row 1-  ch 201. Sl st into the beginning ch. Without turning, dc 200, continuing in the same direction. Sl st into original dc. Ch 2.

Row 2 *DO NOT TURN. Continue in the same direction, dc 200. Sl st into previous sl st, ch 2.

Row 3-5: Repeat from * all the way around.

Row 6: Continue in the same direction, dc 200.

Row 7: To change colors, cut color A, leaving about an inch long strand. When you are finished, you can hide this by tucking it into your stitches with a yarn needle. Bring in color B with a sl st into the previous sl st, ch 2.

Row 8-9: Repeat from * all the way around.

Row 10: Continuing in the same direction, dc 200. Finish with a sl st into the previous sl st. Cut off and weave in loose ends. 

For ideas on how to wear your infinity scarf, check out this cool video: 14 Ways to Wear an Infinity Scarf

Any questions? Please comment!

Made it and loved it? Send a picture to tennyemaye@gmail.com

Help me out and like it on facebook! https://www.facebook.com/fatcatcrochetcorner

Please remember that this is my pattern. Do not sell this pattern or reproduce it in any way, shape, or form. This is a free pattern. If you would like to share it, please do not copy and paste the pattern, but instead share the link to this page. All items made from this pattern are not to be sold under any circumstances, and are for personal use or charity only.

Thank you!

The Great Return of Tennyemaye (and other news)

Guess what. I'm back.

Well, well, Tennyemaye... that's what you're thinking. Where have you been for oh so long?
And it really has been that long.

Last time you saw me, I was a wide-eyed high-school senior, ready to face the world with nothing more than a fat cat and a crochet hook. Well, times have changed. I am about to enter my junior year of college (Early Childhood Education, with a minor in Spanish, in case anyone cared to know...) I am older and wiser, but Vivi the cat is still here and still very much in love with yarn. Unfortunately, so am I. The gears are turning, and my fingers are itching for a crochet hook.  I am back, my friends. And this time, it's for good.

Thank you for all the love this site has received on a daily basis, even when I was gone, off being studious. It cannot and will not continue without your inspiration, your ideas, your support, and your love for crochet.

FIRST THINGS FIRST: I have ideas and I need testers. If you have yarn and time to spare, shoot me an email at tennyemaye@gmail,com and be a tester for me. If you emailed me before, just do it again, please, for the sake of my dusty brain.

IN OTHER NEWS: What would you like to see here? What types of patterns/tips can I make for you? Leave a comment and tell me what you are thinking and dreaming about. This is a group effort, people. :)

Thanks for your love! You will be seeing much more of me in the days to come.

As always,

Tennyemaye

Crocodile Clutch

Hunting for the perfect last-minute Mother's Day gift? Or maybe just looking for something pretty to make over the weekend? Look no further! The Crocodile Clutch is designed to be both a bit of a challenge and a fun gift! (For those of you who sew, this bag looks great lined and with a zipper!) This pattern makes use of the crocodile stitch, but if you are not familiar with it, no worries! This pattern works you through it step by step. It also includes a chart for the front design and pattern for removable strap.



Big hugs and lots of thanks to my testers, Sandra, Brook, and Deanna, and to my model, Rachel! ;-)

Spring Cleaning Maxi-Absorbent Rag

The ultimate dish rag of all dish rags! This great, multi-purpose rag, crocheted with double strands for maximum absorbency, is perfect for your spring cleaning needs. Save the earth (and your wallet!) by keeping a couple of these rags in your kitchen or with your cleaning supplies. You'll never use paper towels again! This is a fun and easy beginner project, using the half-double crochet stitch.

Medium Weight (cotton) yarn
crochet hook size G (4.25 MM)
Row 1: Using two strands from both ends of your skein, ch 24. Hdc in 2nd ch from hook and in each across.
Row 2: Turn, ch 1. Hdc in each hdc across.
Row 3-14: Repeat Row 2
Row 15: Turn, ch 1. Hdc in each hdc across. Without turning, sc down around the perimeter of the entire square for an even, finished look.

Finish with sl st and cut off. Weave in loose ends.


Natural Earth-Friendly Cleaning Supplies

Common household cleaning products are expensive, and they are full of chemicals that are bad for the earth as well as your family. Make your own earth friendly cleaners for a healthier, happier, cheaper life-style.

Vinegar is an excellent deodorizer and disinfectant. Mix an equal amount vinegar with water, pour into plastic spray cans, and you can use it for just about anything! Counters, cabinets, windows (yes, its streak free!) and floors. And don't worry about the smell...it disappears as soon as the vinegar dries!

To get rid of stubborn grime in nooks and crannys, add baking soda to your vinegar mixture. Try adding baking soda to your next load of laundry to help naturally deodorize your clothes! It also works as a great deodorizer to soak up odors if you sprinkle a little on your carpet just before you vacuum.

Any questions? Please comment!

Beloved Readers,

For three months now, I've been held by ball and chain to my desk, huddled over textbooks and paperwork, half-buried under mounds of laundry. My green box of crochet hooks lies dusty on a distant shelf, pushed aside for brighter days. Crisp new skeins of yarn lay untouched in drawers. Scribbled patterns that once littered my desk top and my bulletin board have been shoved into pattern books on the shelf, soon to be forgotten. My knitted artistic fancy has been clouded, and ravelry must have assumed I had been wiped from the face of the earth. I've been absent for so long, you must have thought so too. But never fear, I was only achieving greater things. Yes, readers, I was graduating highschool.

Anyone who has ever gone through senior year can sympathize. The last three months are nothing but last minute college applications, college visits, college essays, college scholarships, collegecollegecollege. But at last, as my classes come to an end one by one, I'm starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Spring is in the air, the end is in sight, and my fingers are twitching for a crochet hook. My mind is churning, brimming with new ideas, impatient to birth new patterns for you to enjoy once again.

I am excited to begin posting again! Thank you for your patience, and please check back for new patterns!

And now, I have a question which I would ask you to please comment on so I can get some feedback to get me going: what kind of patterns would you like to see for the end-of-spring/summer?

Looking forward to your comments!

Lots of Love,

~Tennyemaye

Advice Needed! How to Finish This Scarf...

For Valentines Day, my sister made me a beautiful, knitted scarf (in my favorite shade of pink!) and told me to finish it off however I'd like. It did have tassles on it, but I took them off and have been fumbling for a more lacy look to add both looks and length to the scarf. I've been playing around with shell stitches and a  simple fishnet look, but I'm not sure I'm happy with any of them.

I need suggestions! What are your thoughts? Please comment!

Sweet-Heart Appliques

For a fast, sweet little touch to Valentines Day, make these super easy, cute heart appliques! Tie them to gifts, or let them lay out as a decoration. They are beautiful and easy to make. This is a pattern I LOVE.

You can find the pattern here at Geeky Crochet.

Happy Valentines Day!!! <3

Appreciating Crochet in the Closet

The other day, I noticed I have lots of things in my closet that I wear without even thinking about how beautifully crocheted they are! Here are some things I found in my closet that are crocheted that I just LOVE.

This one is so beautiful and detailed!

This has a dainty, web-like nature to it. The body is crochet, but the base and sleeves are cabled and knitted.

I wear this all the time, and never stopped to appreciate the fancy shell patterns at the base!

So fine and detailed, I can barely see the stitches.

Found this in the under-bed storage. My mom made this when she was a little girl. Its a beautiful variation of the brick stitch, and has a lot of hard work and pride attached to it. ;-)

Whats crocheted in your closet? Please comment!

Beginner's Best Friend: How To Make A Double Crochet

Double crochet stitch (dc) is a vital stitch for all new crocheters to learn, because almost all beginner crochet patterns use it. Double crochet is very similar to single crochet. To learn how to make a double crochet stitch, view the short tutorial below.

Any questions? Please comment!

Beginner's Best Friend: How To Make A Chain Stitch and Single Crochet

As you begin to explore the world of crochet, you will often see the terms chain stitch (ch) and single crochet (sc) used in patterns. These are the basic stitches. This short tutorial will show you how to make a chain stitch and a single crochet stitch.

 
Any questions? Please comment!



Beginner's Best Friend: How To Hold A Crochet Hook

Is one of your new year's resolutions to learn to crochet? Maybe you've always admired you're grandmother's gorgeous afghans, or maybe you have a friend who's inspired you by crocheting some cute hats. Whether you're looking for something to do with your hands or you just want to pick up a new skill, this you've come to the right place! I'm starting a new series for new beginning crocheters called "Beginner's Best Friend", with both photo and video tutorials (because I know personally that sometimes the best way to learn something is to watch someone else doing it).  So, with that in mind...lets get started!

How To Hold A Crochet Hook

For those just learning to crochet, the hardest part is getting used to holding the crochet hook and the yarn. The crochet hook is held like a pencil, between your forefinger, your middle finger, and your thumb, as shown.


The yarn is held in your left hand. As shown below, the tail of the yarn is held between your thumb and middle finger, and the tension of the yarn is held with your forefinger.

Although the above is the correct way to hold your yarn, I learned to crochet by instead using my middle finger to hold the tension. Even though this is technically not correct, you can also crochet this way, though I encourage newbies to try it the correct way. However, in my tutorial videos, you may frequently notice that I hold my work as shown below.

For those of you who are left- handed, its debatable as to whether you should crochet left handed. As you become more advanced, you will stumble upon patterns that may trip you up if you crochet left handed. It wouldn't be a bad idea to go ahead and learn to crochet right handed, since this will make life easier for you in the long run. However, my younger sister is left handed and hasn't had much trouble, so its completely up to you!

Any questions? Please comment!

Happy Anniversary!

Today is Fat Cat Crochet's 1 year anniversary! To celebrate, I am officially going to start posting again! Haha, its been a crazy holiday season, for me especially. But I haven't forgotten you, my friends! And now I really am back for good. I am so thankful for all my wonderful readers who have enjoyed my patterns, shared with me your own work, and left a bazillion wonderful comments! You all mean so much to me. So whaddya say? Lets get this New Year crackin'!

Happy 2011! And Happy Anniversary to Fat Cat Crochet!

Another Project Completed!

Just wanted to post a picture of this lovely dress from Paula, one of our readers, following the Autumn Celebration Dress pattern for dolls. She gave it an elegant touch by adding a row of shell stitch on the bottom of the dress. Thank you for sharing this picture, Paula!

If you have made anything from my patterns, feel free to share pictures with us here.

And...we're back!

Hey everyone! I'm back! I've been taking a bit of a break to finish my show in Lancaster and recuperate, but now I am back for good, with loads of ideas to share. Look here for new patterns and tips in the next couple of days.

Until then, Happy Holidays from me and Violet!

Love,
~ Tennyemaye ~

Would You Crochet This?

Would you crochet this mad-scientist cerebrum hat, or even wear it? Whats your opinion...creepy or cool? Please comment!

Check out the link here: http://crochettoday.com/crochet-patterns/brainy-maniac

Center-Pull Skein Part 2 of 2: Easy Storage

Now that you know how to make your own center-pull skeins, learn how to stash them in these handy, easy-to-make containers. These containers separate your skeins of yarn, preventing them from becoming battered or tangled while on the road. Your yarn can always stay nicely in these containers. No taking them in and out; just pull your yarn from a hole in the top!

Want to see what I mean? Follow these easy steps to making your own storage container.

You will need:

-scissors
-a plastic container that will fit your ball of yarn (I like to use old yogurt containers)

1. Start with a clean plastic container of your choice that will fit your skein of yarn. I find that old yogurt containers work very well for this.

2. Remove the lid. With your scissors, cut out a circle (with about 1/2 inch in diameter) in the center of the lid.

3. Place your center-pull skein in the container, with the center pull facing up.



4. Draw the yarn through the hole in the center of the lid, and secure the lid shut.

5. Make one for all your center-pull skeins, and you have your own, user-friendly yarn separators in which to store your yarn. These are especially great for traveling with a project that requires lots of color changes.

This is super easy to do! And now that you know how, you'll be wanting to make one for all of your center-pull skeins.

Any questions? Please comment!



Center-Pull Skein Part 1 of 2: Make Your Own

You love to crochet. And you love your yarn! But face it, yarn can be downright FRUSTRATING. Most yarn in the stores are sold in long cylinder-shaped skeins that are bulky and get tangled at the end. This may lead you to wind your yarn into balls before use, which is equally annoying when they roll all over the place.

This is where the SUPER MAN of a crocheter's heart comes to save the day: and its in the form of the center-pull skein. Learn the easy way to wrap your yarn into a tidy little ball that wont roll everywhere because it pulls from the center, not the outside. Just follow these simple steps below.

1. Start by wrapping the yarn in a figure eight around your thumb and forefinger. Make sure you hold on to the beginning peice with the rest of your fingers, as shown.

2. Continue wrapping until the bulk of the yarn reaches to about the midsection of your forefinger.

3. Slide the yarn down your fingers and hold the two sections together. Make sure you are still keeping track of your strand of yarn and that you have your thumb in the hole where it is coming from.

4. Holding the strand, with your thumb still in the hole, begin to wrap your yarn around in a ball.

5. Eventually, as you ball gets bigger, it can get tiresome keeping your thumb in the hole and holding on to your strand. You can solve this by sticking a pen or a highlighter in it and tucking the strand into the clip.

 6.  When you are finished winding all the yarn, congratulations! You now have a nice center-pull skein of yarn!

Any questions? Please comment!

Want more fun tips on how to keep your center-pull skeins organized and travel-friendly? Be sure to check back for Center- Pull Skeins part 2.

Gobble-Gobble Turkey Applique

Where has the year gone? It feels like just yesterday I was at the beach in flip flops enjoying the summer breeze, but now the colorful leaves on the tree are falling, and its time to think about Thanksgiving! Heres a great pattern for a this cute turkey applique to get you in the mood!

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