Matching Ties

I made matching ties for Father's Day this year, but there are so many reasons to make these ties.  Plus, they were pretty easy (no joke)!

 

If your man prefers skinnier ties, I would suggest using the pattern found here

http://www.purlbee.com/fathers-day-ties/

 

If your boy is a little older, I would use this pattern (since they are old enough to have REAL ties)

http://purlbee.squarespace.com/little-boys-tie/

 

I, however, found the men's tie above a little too skinny for the hub's taste.  He prefers wide ties, and the pattern I used ended up being about 3 1/2 inches wide. http://pukingpastilles.com/?p=855

 

The little boy's velcro tie I made was SO easy and the velcro strap makes it easier to put on and safer for him.

http://veryhomemade.blogspot.com/2010/02/okay-so-heres-tutorial-on-how-to-make.html

My boy is about 15 months so I used the newborn pattern, but added a few inches to it.  The nice part about this pattern is that you can adjust the tie as they get older.

 

Another thing I did differently was I did not add lining through the whole thing.  To save on fabric, I only added lining where it could be seen and slip stitched it in there.  You can find a good explanation of how to do this herehttp://www.purlbee.com/fathers-day-ties/.

On the men's tie, I added heavy interfacing in addition to the lightweight interfacing to make it a thicker tie.  Near the end, I felt adventurous and added a keeper on the men's tie.

I love how they turned out and I'm keeping my eye out for some more fun fabric for the next time I do this!

Crochet Pattern Tutorial -- Baby Flapper-Girl Hat

This pattern assumes that you have a basic understanding of crochet.  If you need instructions or a refresher on crochet, I recommend these links:

Images:
http://www.bernat.com/learntocrochet.php (beginning loop, chain, single crochet, double crochet)

http://crochet.about.com/od/learncrochet/u/learncrochet.htm#s1 (beginning loop, chain, single crochet)

Videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqca00LdmAc&feature=related (very beginner! beginning loop, chain, single crochet, turning work, fixing mistakes, tying off, weaving in loose end.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yB-E6GS84pk (double crochet)

Videos and Images:

http://learntocrochet.lionbrand.com/ (chain, single crochet, other info)

Abbreviations and Terms:

lp	Loop
ch	Chain
st	stitch
sc	Single crochet
dc	Double crochet
Rnd	Round
sl st	Slip stitch
sk	skip

Baby Flapper-Girl Hat *Pattern*

Here is a blog-post version of my baby hat pattern.  You may print a copy of this post.  Click on a photo to enlarge. The pattern is also a free PDF via my Website or at Ravelry.  You will need the latest version of Adobe to open the PDF.   Please do not sell or redistribute as your own.  Since I sell these hats, please do not make them for personal profit.

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If you have questions about this pattern or need help with a particular problem, let me know! I'm happy to answer any questions.  You can leave a comment here, email me at annavirginiafashion@gmail.com, orsend a message via mywebsite contact page. 

Hooks: Newborn hat, (~ 14” circumference), use G, but omit Rnds 5, and 10.

0-3 mos, (~16” circumference) hat, use G.

3-6 mos, (~17” circumference) hat, use H.

6-12 mos, (~19” circumference) hat, use I.

Yarn:  Peaches & Crème OR Sugar ‘n Cream 4-ply Worsted cotton yarn.

Skeins: One 2.5 oz skein.

*Note: Ch 3 does NOT count as a dc.  Begin first st instructions in the same st as the chs.  Also, numbers in parentheses are the st count at the end of the round.

CAP

Rnd 1: Ch 4. 

           10 dc in first ch.  Sl st to top of first dc, forming a circle. (10)

Rnd 2: Ch 3

           2 dc in each st.  Sl st to top of first dc. (20)

Rnd 3: Ch 3

           2 dc, then 1 dc in next st.  Repeat to end of rnd. Sl st to top of first dc.  (30)

Rnd 4: Ch 3

           2 dc, then 1 dc in next two sts.  Repeat to end of rnd. Sl st to top of first dc.  (40)

Rnd 5: Ch 3

           2 dc, then 1 dc in next three sts.  Repeat to end of rnd. Sl st to top of first dc.  (50)

Rnds 6-10:

           Ch 3

           1 dc in each st to end of rnd. Sl st to top of first dc.  (50)

BRIM

Rnd 11: Shell st as follows: Sc in st, Sk 1 st, (dc 5 times) in next st, sk 1 st. 

           Repeat shell st to end of round.  In last 4 sts: make shell, sk 2 sts, sc in last st and sl st to first sc.

Fasten off, weave in loose end.

Weave ribbon as desired (fastest way is by threading ribbon through a yarn needle) in Round 9, tie a bow.

EMBELLISH

Add contrasting color border to lower part of cap, stripes, or add flowers, buttons and/or embroidery.

Done!

Copyright © 2010 AnnaVirginia Fashioneering

This pattern is licensed for personal use only. 

No item made using this pattern may be sold.

All Rights Reserved.

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http://www.annavirginia.moonfruit.comhttp://www.shopannavirginia.etsy.comhttp://www.facebook.com/annavirginiahttp://annavirginiafashion.blogspot.com 

annavirginiafashion@gmail.com

Online Shopping

I love to do whatever shopping I can online because with a toddler and a preschooler shopping is just no fun! I also love getting free shipping, no tax and cash back on most of the things I buy! How do I do this? First I signed up with Ebates which gets me cash back (and/or coupons) with most of the online retailers that I would use, anywhere from 1-5.5% and there are no forms to fill out; every three months a check shows up in my mailbox. Second, I do most of my "baby" and "household" shopping at diaper.com and soap.com where I get no tax and free shipping (have to spend $40--or $50 if only getting stuff from diapers.com). Diapers.com has everything for baby: diapers, clothes, toys, furniture..... and Soap.com has: soap, paper products, feminine hygiene products, detergents, shampoo, vitamins, makeup, batteries..... They have sales, ecoupons and you can use manufacturers coupons; they just started a program where you get $5 off every box of diapers you buy. It is a great deal and so convenient!

(must go to ebates first and use there link to get the cash back!)

http://www.ebates.com/

http://www.soap.com/

http://www.diapers.com

-Toni K.

Blockbuster

Blockbuster is having  "customer appreciation" month for the entire month of June. All movie rentals are completely free! :) You can rent as many movies as you want. The only catch is that you have to return it the next day and you can only have one out at a time. It's a great way to save money on date nights, family nights or just renting some cute movies for your kids. Take advantage of it while you can! If you don't have a blockbuster card, they can sign you up there at the store for no cost. The nearest blockbuster is in Orem, by the public library.