Click on the link to see the pattern I used or simply crochet a beanie and add round ears and a bow

Over the weekend I hooked up this basic beanie and added embellishments.  The pattern used is free and Ravelry and she has great videos to help with sewing on the ears so they don’t flop over.

The reminded me of basketball shoes so I put the pretend laces up the front and omitted the rollover cuff.

The pattern takes less than 30 yards of worsted weight and a 5 mm crochet hook.   Each bootie took me 15 minutes.

You can get this pattern by visiting Bev’s Country Cottage at:  http://www.bevscountrycottage.com/bevs-quick-bootie.html

Toddler Puppy Dog Hat in crochet – free pattern

Lg child thru adult Kitty Cat Hat in knit – free pattern

Puppy Dog Hat Crochet Pattern - Toddler size

Kitty face knit hat pattern - lg child thru adult

]]> http://www.allyssite.com/2012/02/two-new-animal-hats/feed/ 0 http://www.allyssite.com/2012/02/animal-hat-enthusiasts-join-here/ http://www.allyssite.com/2012/02/animal-hat-enthusiasts-join-here/#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:35:51 +0000 CC http://www.allyssite.com/?p=878

If you enjoy knitting or crocheting animal hats or if you are getting ready to make your first one, join this Ravelry group!

Do you enjoy making, or do you want to learn to make animal hats?  There is a new group on Ravelry called “Animal Hats”. Stop in for a visit!

I’m a member of bev’s country cottage friends at Ravelry.  Recently a fellow member, Familydiva put out a call to anyone interested in making newborn baby booties for charity.  Her group is hoping to have 300+ by the end of March. Bev provided links to many of her free patterns and I started crocheting and knitting.

This was the first time I had ever made newborn booties.  They are so tiny and cute that it just helps make them a fun little project.  And talk about stash busting!

Below are pics of the booties I have made so far using just free patterns from Bev’s website:

Want to volunteer some of your creative time too?  The request is here:  http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/bevs-country-cottage-friends/1994721

The website is here: http://cyberseams.com/article/105710/all_things_knitting/how_to_make_your_own_sock_blockers.html

For gift giving I used their template and cut the shapes out of cardboard [that otherwise would have gone in the trash] and put the handmade socks on slippers on the foot shapes.

The pattern is free from Lion Brand at:  http://www.lionbrand.com/patterns/80112AD.html

By using Caron One Pound I was able to crochet the entire thing and still have some leftovers

Seaming Crochet

Well I finished Wil’s socks.  Now if you remember (last week was it?) I swore up and down I was going to get those toes grafted but it has been sooooo cold and these socks are so warm that I already know what will happen….they will end up on my feet and will no longer be giftable.

That’s not all though, it will mess up half a dozen Christmas gifts.

You see I know my family.

All three boys and my husband will see them. Wil will say he wants a pair.  The other two boys will make a comment that since they live down in their ‘man cave’ and the floors are so cold down there they could use a pair.  The oldest will ask if they are wool and will mention he would wear his to sleep in too.   Then dad who’s office is the hub of the said Man Cave will mention that he could wear those too since the floors are cold down there 9 mos our of the year and when he was a kid they always had wool socks and when he lived in Montana…..  (there was the original 1 pair plus  3 more pair =4)

Then Vee will pipe in and say if all the guys are getting a pair she wants on but could I make them prettier? (we are up to pair number 5 now if you weren’t counting) At that point she will say I should make Grandma some because she always buys everyone slippers and because these thick socks look like something old people might like.  (We are up to pair #6 now)

TJ will say ‘nut uh, those are warm socks, Vee’  At that point Vee will correct herself a bit (CYA is more like it!) and say “I just meant the colors look like old people stuff mom.  If you did them in cool colors they’d be fire”.

……and then……

The first time Ally comes over.  Since her and Vee decide to snoop thru my room while I am down doing laundry, in the kitchen working or out in the garden, Vee shows her the socks.   Ally feels them and although she could probably smell they were wool from 5 miles away has to make a loud gasping ‘Ewwww!  They are soooooo scratchy.  Why would she use wool?  OMG Vee, don’t let her make you a pair like that, they will make you itch so bad.  OMG those are atrocious. ”

In the midst of all this TJ has heard voices coming thru the vent work as he is down in his partition of the Man Cave.  He recognizes the voices as his sisters,  he knows that vent is connected to my room and my room only,  and because he notes he has not heard my voice in the mix heads upstairs to investigate.   Correction, he heads upstairs to join in but not without reminding both Ally and Vee that if they rat him out he will take them down with him.

Ally shoves the worn sock into TJ’s hands and he says “I know mom made those. They’re pretty warm, huh?”

“They are hideous!” Ally snarls and does a strange little head shake thing that causes her glasses to slide down her nose a bit.  She repositions her glasses, and never taking her drilling, ‘I am older and more superior than you, Rat Boy Little Brother’ gaze off  TJ says “Feel how rough that yarn is.  Now would you want that against your skin? Do you like things making YOUR legs itch? Huh? Why don’t you guys ever tell her this stuff? I told her in the car that day that this yarn was gross, it was rough and itchy! It’s 2011, not 1811, she doesn’t have to use wool when there is soft yarn in the stores.”

TJ flips the sock over in his hand.  Although he stands several inches taller than her and has muscles, when his older sister has that bossy look on her face and is nearly tip toed to press her nose up against his, he just doesn’t look like that big, strong young man anymore….

Vee starts to say something but TJ cuts her short just into her second syllable. “Wow” he mutters and proceeds to rub the single sock against his cheek. Vee tells him Ally picked that out of my dirty cloths hamper but he doesn’t hear her.  His mind is on influence overload at the moment.  Throwing the sock across the room (where it will stay until I find it) he decides his exit. “Ah, you’re pregnant” (she’s not)

“You’re an ***hole” She retorts and pushes him toward the door (even though he was nearly to it anyway) and in the background Vee giggles but doesn’t pay much attention because she has already fired up my laptop and is signing into Facebook.

At dinner, Ally is gone, TJ states he doesn’t want me to make him any socks like mine.  Vee agrees, Wil asks why and TJ says with a full mouth something that sounds like ‘itchy’.

Wil says “you don’t have to make me any mom”.

Grandma says “You were going to make everyone socks?  Well don’t worry about me, they are cheaper to buy anyway”

Hubby says “You know I should check at the Farm Supply and see if they still carry those hunting socks I wore in Montana, Caledonia, the mountains, Korea…..”

Vee mentions there is a sale at Old Navy and Abercrombie and says she wants to go to the mall.

So then I have a drawer full of socks that no one wants.

BUT I have a plan. Since I know them, they are easy.  I do not wear the socks.  If I do make myself a pair they do not show up until Christmas day.  From Thanksgiving thru Christmas Eve I fuss so at least each person hears me once mention how cold the floors are, how I wished I had some of those hunting socks like my dad had, how I should check and see what kind of wool I can buy and how I need to learn how to knit socks.

LOL, a plan such as this will ensure that each and every member of my household will be wanting what I am making them for their Holiday Gift