Slip Stitch Pinstripe Scarf- Crochet pattern

Scarf modeled by the Amazing Turnip Girl.

Slip stitch crochet fabric, also called Bosnian crochet creates a very fluid fabric when worked in only one loop that has a lot of stretch. A lot of crocheters avoid it because slip stitch crochet works up so slowly. This scarf works up really quickly showing off the thinner stripes of color you get with slip stitch because it's done in a super bulky yarn with a size Q hook.

You can find Q hooks at most craft stores. Look for Boye's Crochet Dude line for a set that includes 3 bigger hooks. The Q will be the big plastic one in the middle.

The yarn I picked is Michaels Loops and Threads Cozy Wool yarn. It's a 50/50 wool/acrylic blend. This will work with any bulky yarn. I chose the Cozy Wool because it's not as heavy as pure wool, but still has enough wool to be very warm for Alaskan winters!

Slip Stitch Pinstripe Scarf 
For the scarf as shown:

• 2 balls Fleece Cozy Wool (cream)
• 1 ball Thunder Cozy Wool (blue)
• 1 ball Sweet Grass (green)
• 1 ball Velvet (purple)
• Size Q plastic hook
• smaller hook for adding fringe

It took just a bit more than one ball of the Fleece, so there was leftovers in all the colors. My daughter loves the yarn and will be working with the leftovers and some balls she picked up for herself and will probably knit a horizontally striped scarf with them.

You could absolutely do this using worsted weight yarn and a smaller hook. It will take a lot longer, and you'll need to add more rows.

Make a slip knot with a loop to start, leave an end longer than you want the fringe to be.

With Fleece (cream)- chain 100 stitches loosely. If you want a longer scarf, chain 120 stitches. On the first stitch, place a stitch marker to mark that end of the scarf. I just used a scrap of yarn and tied it into a open loop to cut out later.

All Fleece colored rows start on this end. The colored rows start on the other end.

Break off, trim leaving an end as long as you want the fringe. (no ends to work in for this scarf! They will all end up being part of the fringe!)

Row 1: Make a slip knot loop with the Thunder (blue) leaving a tail for fringe and put loop on hook. Slip stitch in each stitch working in front loops only. Break off yarn leaving enough yarn for fringe.

Row 2: Fleece row, slip knot loop with an end for fringe, put loop on hook, slip stitch in front loops only, break off leaving end for fringe.

Row 3: Sweet Grass (green) row- Work as for Row 1.

Row 4: Fleece- Repeat Row 2.

Row 5: Thunder- Work as for Row 1.

Row 6: Fleece- Repeat Row 2.

Row 7: Velvet (purple)- Work as for Row 1

Row 8: Fleece- Repeat Row 2.

Row 9: Thunder- Work as for Row 1.

Row 10: Fleece- Repeat Row 2.

Row 11: Sweet Grass- Work as for Row 1.

Row 12: Fleece- Repeat Row 2.

Row 13: Thunder- Work as for Row 1.

Row 14: Fleece- Repeat Row 2.

Row 15: Velvet - Work as for Row 1

Row 16: Fleece- Repeat Row 2.

Row 17: Thunder- Work as for Row 1.

Row 18: Fleece- Repeat Row 2.

Cut yarn for fringe, 20 pieces of cream double the length of the fringe you want plus 3 inches for knotting. 4 pieces each of purple and green, and 10 pieces of blue. Pull each strand of yarn through the beginning and ending stitches to match the rows. Tie the ends of the yarn from the crocheting and the fringe pieces in overhand knots with 3 strands each close to the ending and beginning of the rows.

The stripes can be arranged in other ways. I chose a analogous color scheme with Fleece as a neutral stripe between each color stripe that looked like this.

But you could also do less stripes for a good scarf for a fairly conventional man working in a neutral and a color or even two neutrals. For my husband, it would be grey and green. Green is his favorite color and he prefers grey to black.

Or even rainbow stripes!!

Father's Day Mandala- Shirts and Ties

I hope you enjoy this mandala inspired by the very traditional shirt and tie Father's Day designs. It will print out at 8x8 inches, leaving room for a personalized note.

Click on the images for larger versions.
Small JPG version:

Large transparent PNG version:

New template! Fancy Pinstripes 5 colors

I made a new template! However, the photo leaves something to be desired. Still getting used to my new camera.
For it's debut, I decided to make matches for the 2x2x2 Fancy Pinstripes set. 5 colors, the base is 2 inches, the top is 3 inches and it's an inch deep with overlapping semi-circles to close. The photo above shows it with 2 mini cupcake wrappers set in the diagonal and candies in those (recipe to follow)
Click on the images for bigger versions. Cut, score, fold, glue!

Cream cheese mints are really popular, but TG is pretty convinced chocolate improves almost any dessert. Here's the recipe:
Chocolate cream cheese mints

• 8oz cream cheese softened
• 1 Tbs butter softened
• 1 tsp. mint extract
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 lb bag of powdered sugar

Prepare 3 cookie sheets by covering them with waxed paper or parchment paper- this is a no-cook recipe so either will work.
With an electric beater, cream together the cream cheese, butter, extracts and cocoa powder, then start adding the powdered sugar a cup at a time for 6 cups. After that, a half cup at a time. You'll need nearly the whole bag or if it's a humid there as it is here, the whole bag. After you can't use the beater anymore, knead in the rest by hand.

Make small balls and flatten them on the waxed paper, they can be close as long as they don't touch. After you get done with a sheet, cross hatch the candies with the tines of a fork.
Let air dry for 8 hours, flipping them over every 2 hours.

These *can* be frozen after they've dried then thawed as needed. I took a small part of the dough and kneaded in some sea salt and topped with Cypress flake salt. Those are my favorites. I think if we skipped the mint and used almond instead with the salt, chocolate and vanilla, it would be amazing.