When I was a teenager, I used to keep my place in paperbacks with rubber bands. When I was reading, I'd loop them around my wrist then slide them over the pages and around the spine of the book when I wasn't. These are a bit prettier than that, but they work the same way. The little crocheted motif goes into the loop to close it around your wrist while you're reading, then you can just slide it into your book when you're done. It's a good stashbuster thread project, easily adaptable to any really small motif. They are small and quick enough that they might make good sellers for craft shows and bazaars as well.
You will need:
A small amount of size 10 crochet cotton
size 6 steel hook (1.8 mm, I used Boye brand)
scissors
needle to weave in ends
ch= chain
sl st = slip stitch
sc= single crochet
dc= double crochet
tr cr= triple crochet
American stitch terms used
I never ch 1 and count the first ch as a stitch, I don't like how it looks. So I ch 1 tightly, then work a sc, so that's how the pattern is written. If you prefer ch 1 count as first stitch, do it that way.
The diamond shaped one:
Ch 6, sl st in ring
Round 1: Ch 1, sc in ring 8 times, sl st into first sc to join
Round 2: Ch 1, sc in same stitch, ch 3, skip stitch, sc in next st, ch 5, skip stitch,sc in next stitch, ch 3, sk stitch, sc in next st, ch 3, dc in first sc of round 2 to join. (puts your hook right at the top of the loop)
Round 3: ch 1, 3 sc in loop, sc in next stitch, 5 sc in ch 3 loop, sc in next stitch, 7 sc in ch 5 loop, sc in next stitch, 5 sc in ch 3 loop, sc in next stitch, 3 sc in first loop, ch 80, sl st into the 21 ch from hook (loop formed), sl st back down the chain, sl st to first sc to join. Break off and weave in ends.
The round one:
Ch 2 or magic loop
Round 1: 6 sc in first ch or in magic loop- sl st to join.
Round 2: ch 8 (counts as first tr cr and ch 4),tr cr in next st,*ch 4, tr cr in next stitch,* repeat ** round, on last loop ch 2, dc in 4th ch of the ch 8.
Round 3: ch 1, sc in loop 2 times, sk stitch, 5 sc in next loop, sk stitch, 5 sc in next loop, sk stitch, 5 sc in next loop,sk stitch, 5 sc in next loop,sk stitch, 5 sc in next loop,sk stitch, 2 sc in loop, ch 80, sl st into the 21 ch from hook (loop formed), sl st back down the chain, sl st to first sc to join. Break off and weave in ends.
I hope you enjoy this pattern as much as I did. I made a half dozen of them during the Super Bowl. I think as a teenage bookworm I'd have really preferred these to the rubber bands.
