I am entirely obsessed with camel stitch. Just, like, totally doing everything with camel stitch. It’s got that faux-knit-rib thing going for it, and it’s soft and stretchy and oh so fun and easy to crochet. I am making a nice camel stitch TV blanket to cuddle in on cold nights, but that will take a while so I must-must-must share this cute camel stitch cactus.

These make excellent last minute gifts, since they only take about an hour to make, and they are right on trend lately. If you skip crocheting the pot and buy a cute planter at the dollar store (or IKEA) they will take even less time and won’t be any less appreciated, I’m sure.

First things first, we must learn to how to camel stitch. It’s really quite easy.

How to: Camel Stitch

Basically, you start with a row of hdc (half double crochet). Chain 2, turn. Now, normally you would continue crocheting into the top of the stitch which is made of two loops (front and back loops). However, facing you there is a third loop which you’ve probably never noticed before, created by the hdc, just below the front loop (see picture). That’s where we’re going to insert our hook. This causes the top of the hdc to be pushed forward, and that’s what gives us the faux-knit-rib I mentioned before.

For my friend at Muffashionista. Happy birthday!

The flower was made using this tutorial over at LollyChops.

The head band was made as follows:

With worsted weight yarn and a 5 mm crochet hook, ch 12. hdc in 2nd ch from hook. hdc across (9 times), ch 2, turn. [10 hdc, ch 2, turn] until the band reaches the desired length. For a nice finish, ch 1, and sc evenly along the long side of the band. When you reach the end of the first side, bring both edges of the band together and slip stitch across through both layers to join. Continue sc evenly around the second side.

Keep your ears nice and warm stylishly during the winter!

We got out all of my older son’s winter clothes from when he was two-ish, filtered out anything that had a truck on it, and were left with plenty of winter clothes for my daughter.

When we got out the winter coat I thought that we could pull it off, all we needed was to make the light blue coat just a bit more girly. So what I did was make a very simple crochet flower using this pattern.

I hand sewed the flower over the monkey-robot-something applique, and now I hope I won’t get too many “Aww, what a cute boy” remarks…

Just in case, I’m putting the money we saved aside for a psychologist when she grows up (all I ever wore were hand-me-downs from my brother!)…