Crochet Heart Buttons

For the last two or three months I've been working on the playful hooded cardi from Redheart.com (http://www.redheart.com/free-patterns/hooded-playful-cardi is the URL if the listed link at the bottom doesn't work). After improvising to make up for my mistakes, running out of pink yarn, and having small stitches in general, I realized I didn't have buttons or money to buy buttons for it... so I made some.

I used an F sized hook with worsted weight yarn.

Make a magic circle (I'm not sure how well it works with the chain 2 method, but it may).

For a heart shape:

Work 4 SC, 1 HDC, 4 SC in ring. Finish off, but do not join. Pull the first end from tightening the magic circle to the bottom of the heart, right through the middle of the HDC. Pull the finishing end through the exposed loop of the magic circle (you may need to pull the first and last SC apart a little to see it).

That's it! Round buttons are as easy as working an even number of SC or HDC into a magic ring and joining before finishing off. I've also used DC and linked DC as well for a more interesting look.

When crocheting buttons, consider the size buttonhole you are working with. If your buttonhole is only one chain wide, or is very small, making your own buttons may not be a viable option for you, but different sized buttons can be achieved with different hooks and even by pulling apart 4 ply yarn to make 1 or 2 ply yarn.

Happy hooking, and be safe during the holidays!

Hooded Playful Cardi from Redheart

Introduction and Rules

I've created this blog with the intention of sharing the few original crochet designs I've come up with. Most of my work can easily be copied by anyone with a decent amount of crochet knowledge without a pattern, so these will be very easy beginner type projects. If you do make use of my patterns, you may of course sell your product. If you feel like mentioning me, that's super awesome. If you repost my pattern elsewhere, please give me credit and link to this blog. I don't think that's too much to ask.

I have difficulty with some delicate work due to my poor vision as well as a detached ligament in my left hand and damaged tendons in both forearms. This also means that it can take me a long time to complete a project or a pattern because I have to take breaks to rest my hands, so in advance I ask for patience and decency. 

In return I will avoid treating this blog as a LiveJournal or other social media used to whine about life problems. We're here for crafty fun stuff, not "omg my life is so hard". I will only go so far as to say that I crochet, craft, and garden for therapeutic reasons. I will also limit it to free patterns, both my own and those I've found and enjoy. I will not post pictures of cats unless they refuse to get off my work. I will not post gardening advice or pictures here, I intend to make a separate blog for that and mostly to help myself keep a record of the garden.

And yes, I'm aware that most of these rules are for myself.