Year of No Yarn Update....and overall update.

No, I have not fallen into a pile of yarn and cannot get up. I'm here! Alive! Busy as a bee, but alive!

I'm doing very well on my no buying yarn diet. We took a summer trip to Nashville, Tn and I did find one beautiful yarn store and bought two beautiful skeins of yarn....that turned out to be VERY tangly and horrid to work with. So now they're pretty decorations to remind me to stick to things!

I did cave and purchase some Knit Pick Felici because they released it again. I bought just enough to have someone knit me some socks (because I hate knitting socks!).She did and they're beautiful! 

The beautiful Crochetnanigans knit them for me!! :) I love them! Totally worth breaking the fast!

Other than a skein here or there for a custom order request, I haven't bought any else. The really scary part.....

It didn't even make a dent in my yarn stash. Now life has been busy and I've not been creating daily like I used to, but still, I have SO MUCH YARN. I could go ANOTHER year without yarn and be fine! (But I won't. I'm not insane.)

So what else is new? Well we are still homeschooling! I'm woefully behind blogging updates for myself and a couple of other bloggers, I'm sorry ladies!! One of these days!

The kids are doing great and we are having fun. There are plenty of days where I wish to curl up and hide, but doesn't every mom? (They do, and if they say they don't they're lying to themselves and you should probably buy them a box of chocolate or wine, hug them and affirm its okay!)

So here's a smidge of what's been up lately!



We enjoyed Star Wars day back in May at the Audubon Aquarium. Divers donned costumes and had a light saber battle in the tunnel! Albeit a slow motion battle, but it was fun!!

We visited Nashville, TN after a quick trip to Huntsville, AL to meet up with a the great Steph of The Eli Monster! We've been online buds for years and our two Eli's finally got to meet :) 

We enjoyed a day in downtown Nashville checking out the awesome globe you can push with your hands, The Parthenon and much more!

We also fostered three kittens over the summer and ended up adopting one, this ol guy, Thor. His siblings Loki and Natasha got adopted shortly after we returned them from fostering but he hung around. Guess he needed us as his FurEver home! :)

I've crocheted and knitted a good big as well, this big project was for Eli. Yes, I made the giant shark blanket. No, I will not make it again. Word of advice...be careful with shaping of the top fin....and placement. Trust me.

So we're fully into Autumn according to the calendar, though the temps say different in good ol' Louisiana. But I'm falling it up anyway. I love fall, it's my favorite season. We've actually been able to open windows and get outside! I made this playdough sensory art area for the boys (okay, and me...). We've even done some schoolwork laying on a blanket outside that I took a super adorable pic of, but Eli doesn't want me to share it. Sigh....my babies are growing up.

Will I blog again before the end of the year? Hopefully! I come off my Yarn diet on Black Friday! WATCH OUT WORLD!

Until then loves, may your yarn not tangle, your coffee be strong and your pants be loose!
~~Amy

Year of No Yarn and What I've Made-February 2015 Update

So I'm late updating but so far, SO good! I have not bought ANY yarn alllllll year so far! Can you believe? Now, I have been GIVEN yarn by a lovely friend, but I didn't BUY it!

I have however made several things to use up my current stash!

I've made a chunky crochet basket that I used to carry all the amigurumi animals I made for our homeschool co-op Hogwarts class.

I also FINALLY finished the Knit Picks Chroma Worsted blanket I started over a year ago. That's how bad my yarn addiction had gotten....I bought the yarn used for it in 2012. 2012 people....

I've worked up some pretty little things in March that are bright and fun!

I didn't think I could stall this long on buying yarn, but I've made it! Reorganizing and tidying it helped as well!

I wound a bunch of random skeins and made it all pretty :)

This isn't even all of it....

See why I don't need to buy any for a year?

~~Amy

Year of No Yarn-January 2015 Update

I made it through January without buying any yarn!! Can you believe it? I actually didn't even have many urges! I briefly contemplated buying some rainbow yarn to make a temperature scarf with, but I was strong, and said no! I have been working my way through my current stash and rocking out some various projects which I'll share in another post.

So I made it through another month! Phew! It's actually getting easier to walk through stores and not buy yarn!

Just a few shakes now and then...

Year of No Yarn--December Update

So I did pretty good in my December Year of No Yarn plan! My self imposed yarn diet started on December 1, 2014 and goes until Black Friday 2015, on which day I can break my diet!

I did purchase one skein in December for a Harry Potty scarf for a gift because I ran out of the color needed to finish it.

Also in December I found the fun challenge on Instragram of #getyouryarnwishesgranted which was  a cool idea for Instagrammers to post both their yarn wishes to be granted by other IG'ers and to grant the wishes of others. I have four packages of yarn I hadn't used in forever to go out next week!! I had one of my wishes granted by the awesome IGer crochetnanigans so I will get a fun yarny surprise in the mail :)

So I didn't do perfect in my first month but much improved from previous yarn shopping habit!!

Can I keep it up? NO Skeins in January!?

~~Amy

#yearofnoyarn

Year of No Yarn--November Update

So there isn't much to report this month for my Year of No Yarn because I haven't started my "diet" yet. I've been able to buy some yarn for custom projects but I have NOT bought any yarn just for me this month! I even put down some pretty yarns I picked up and fondled.

Of course this week brings Black Friday which at Knit Picks is usually pretty awesome.

So I've been a good girl...remains to be see how I do on Black Friday....

A Year of No Yarn?

Shhh, calm down. It's okay, stop shaking. I know that title is scary. A year of no yarn?? But how? How would one breathe? If you are addicted to yarn and crafts like I am, how could I possibly function for a year with no yarn!?

Don't worry, it's not a year of no TOUCHING yarn, it's a year of not BUYING any new yarn!

On my last yarn purchase, I realized it was incredibly difficult to find any place to put any more yarn. It's in a storage bench, boxes, and shelves. I am out of space. I'm considered putting it in an unused suitcase, but we do go out of town every year....it'd be a pain to unpack the yarn just to pack for the trip.

I also thought, "I wonder how long my current stash would last me? A year? Two? More??" I don't knit or crochet every day but just about. Sometimes life gets in the way and I can't pick up a WIP for a week or more. But I always have at least 4-5 current WIP's (works in progress). I have PLENTY of yarn to get me through personal projects and gifts. One of my current WIP's is a blanket made from Knit Picks Chroma worsted yarn that I bought on Black Friday 2012. Or it may have been 2011? Seriously, I hoarded it for over a year before deciding to make it all into a blanket. I'm STILL sewing the squares together. It's November 2014 for crying out loud.

Oh, I know, you long time yarn hoaders, you probably have yarn older than me. You probably have vintage yarn! But I must stop this madness!! Why did I buy it if not to turn it into a pretty and useful creation!??

So, in an effort to calm my addiction, and hopefully make room for NEW yearn when my sabbatical on yarn buying is over, I shall purchase no new yarn for me for one year! What's the fine print, you ask? Of COURSE there is fine print!

1. I may not purchase any new yarn. By new, I mean new from manufacturer OR destashed from another yarn addict.
2. I may be given yarn if someone so chooses to do so. I mean, come on, it's just rude to turn down a gift of yarn!
3. I may purchase yarn for a specific project if someone has requested I make them something AND they paid for the yarn! I must first assure I do not have the yarn they need in my stash.
4. I may not purchase any more yarn unless stipulated by rule 3. I repeat, stop.buying.yarn.

So, can I do it? Could you do it? Will I make a bunch of awesome new stuff or will I cave?

I will start December 1, 2014. You'll note that is after Black Friday where Knit Picks usually has a really good sale. I may have an addiction I need to curb, but I'm not stupid.

I shall report back!! I expect to have the shakes, pangs of jealousy, and nauseated longing to visit the yarn store.
Someone hold my hand.....

~~Amy
#yearofnoyarn

Crochet Mood Blanket 2014...Are you in??

I was scrolling through Instagram a few days ago, as I often do. (I could easily give up facebook but never Instagram. I'm a visual addict.) When I happened upon several hooker friends who said they were doing a Crochet Mood Blanket 2014. Ever nosy, I had to investigate. Turns out a lovely Instagrammer http://instagram.com/mummy_stacey# was inspired to start a mood blanket. What is this trippy idea you ask? Well, apparently you choose colors and assign moods to them. Decide to do 52 or 365 squares and do one square per week/day that corresponds to your mood!! Easy as pie! Many people are doing the join as you go method from Attic 24 as her blanket was the inspiration for this project I believe.

There is now a facebook group and ravelry group for this project! I'm very excited about this as I have finally pared down my WIP box to just a few projects! I can easily knock out a square a day or a couple a day if  lose track. I'll be keeping a journal with a calendar to write down mood so I don't lose track should I not be able to join them every day.

I am looking forward to seeing how my moods play out through out the year and I hope you'll join me!





Happy Hooking!!!

~~Amy

Free Crochet Pattern: Ribbed Coffee Sleeve

Coffee Sleeve
Amy Dutsch


Materials:
G Hook
Worsted Weight Wool (or preferred yarn. I prefer wool for its ability to hold in heat.)

Terms:
Ch: chain
DC: double crochet
SS: slip stitch
ST: stitch
FPDC: front post double crochet
BPDC: back post double crochet


Round One: Chain 34
DC in 3rd ch from hook
DC across
Join with SS to form a circle. This connects the "top" of your double crochet stitches. To connect the "bottom" to make your first row sturdier, use the tail to connect the chain stitches and weave in ends.) **See Alternate Method of starting at bottom of pattern**
Round Two: Ch 2 (does NOT count as st here or throughout)
*FPDC in next 2 sts. BPDC in next 2 sts.*
Repeat from * around, making a pattern of fpdc, fpdc, bpdc, bpdc around. SS with starting ch.
Repeat Round Two until sleeve is 10 rows or so, or desired length.
Finish and weave in ends.


**ALTERNATE STARTING INSTRUCTIONS**
Ch 34
Join with ss to form a circle.
DC in the round all the way around. Proceed with Round Two of the pattern.

**TIPS AND TRICKS**
You may need to adjust your chain count based on cup sizes, how tightly you crochet, or size of the yarn. Just use an even number for your chain count.

For information on how to do the FPDC and BPDC please visit:
http://www.crochetcabana.com/html/technique_fpbp.html

Learning to Knit!!

I've been crocheting (hooking) for a couple of years now, and I originally wanted to learn to knit. My lovely friend Merry, did help me knit one hat over a year ago and I just never picked it back up to practice. I decided I wanted to conquer my fear and learn to knit!

It's going slowly but it's going! I've done several knit hats and it got a lot easier once I figured out continental style. It was MUCH easier for me as a hooker to hold the yarn in the left hand! Phew!

I've made the boys hats, and am working on more now. My purl has a long way to go but I'm loving this simple rolled brim hat.

Long live yarn!
~~amy

Free Crochet Pattern--Tetris Blanket

So this isn't so much a pattern, as a color guide. I got side tracked and haven't finished my Tetris blanket--HEY A BIRD!--but I thought I'd share this simple lay out. You can totally redesign your own on some fun apps and programs like StitchSketch.

If you are not sure how to make a granny square, search YouTube, some of the best tutorials are on there, such as anything by "Crochet with Mikey/The Crochet Crowd"

I suggest making the squares of 2 simple rounds each, roughly 4 inches. Go bigger if you want a large afghan, smaller if you want a baby blanket or smaller throw.

Enjoy!
~~Amy

Free Pattern--Looks Knit Crochet Kindle Cover

Full disclosure...I fell in love with Mamachee's Can't Knit Cowl pattern. It was just beautiful and genius way to use crochet to appear knit. Please go check out her Ravelry store, linked above, she's a very talented pattern writer! Her pattern is the inspiration for this pattern.

This pattern has NOT been tested, if you find any errors, have suggestions, or what not please leave a comment or drop me a line over at Ravelry.

Materials:
Acrylic worsted weight yarn. I used Vanna's choice.
G Hook

Gauge:
I don't do gauge. I know, cardinal sin. I'm just too lazy. This cover is based on a Kindle Touch. Finished cover measures 5 1/4 inches x 7 1/4 inches. Adjust for your kindle. Go up a hook size for a less tight stitch, use a lighter weight yarn for a looser stitch. Experiment as how you see fit!

Stitches:
hdc: half double crochet
slst: slipstitch


Notes:
After Round 2, you work in a spiral, in one continuous round. Majority of this pattern is written in 3rd LOOP of the hdc stitch. Please see photos below.

Round 1: Ch 23, hdc in 3rd chain from hook. hdc across, slst in beginning chain and slst in next chain (the base of starting slipknot.

Round 2: Ch 2, hdc in same st, and working on opposite side of the foundation row, hdc across and slst in last chain. In other words, you are crocheting on the opposite side of the starting chain. This makes the base for your cover.

Round 3-27: DO NOT join, hdc in 3rd loop of next stitch. (SEE PHOTO)

Continue on in this fashion, around and round. The first few rounded curves can be a little tricky. Continue on, even if it looks a little wonky, it will start to look like a tube. You don't have to keep strict count, you can easily count your rows by counting the "knit" rows. If you choose to change colors, continue on for however many rows of one color you want. I used six rounds of gray before switching to blue.

I did 6 rows of gray, 6 of blue, 6 of gray, 6 of blue. Try to change colors in the same spot, on the "back" of the cover, so the color change isn't too noticeable.

When you reach the 26th row (or whatever row is as tall as you want for your kindle), you'll be attaching the elastic for the closure. An elastic hair band works great!

Row 26: hdc until you are about in the middle of the BACK of the cover. Crochet OVER the elastic ponytail for 3-4 stitches. (see photo)

Continue around for one last row of hdc in the 3rd loop until you reach the 'start' point on the back. Slst into the last stitch.

Sew on a button on the FRONT of the kindle cover to hook the elastic on. Where you put your button will vary. I put mine in the 2nd row of the top blue section. I didn't want the elastic to pull too tight, as my son is very rough on things and this one is for him.

Alternative closures:
Instead of an elastic hairband, chain a long chain, attach where the elastic was, and use it to wrap around and around the button.

Add a flap of regular hdc, leaving space for a button hole.

Add a snap.

Add two lengths of chained yarn, no button and make a tie.
~~~~~~
That's it! You're done! I love the look of the 3rd loop stitch and it's soft, squishy and very protective for your electronic devices.

This pattern can be adapted for many other things! It would make a super comfy hot water bottle holder, an ice pack holder, a bag to be felted, etc. This stitch is very versatile and super easy.

Please let me know if you have any questions, comments, suggestions, corrections!!

Enjoy!!
~~Amy

Planning Projects?

Wait, people make plans before they start crocheting? They read patterns, check for correct yardage and yarn type? They purposely sit down and have a vision before they start chaining?

NO. WAY.

Okay, so I'm not a big planner of projects....I pin a ton of projects, save them on ravelry, and buy insane amounts of yarn...but generally when people ask at the checkout, "what are you going to make with that yarn?" My reply is, "You're supposed to have a plan? It's pretty..that's my plan."

I've gotten slightly better...saving color combo boards on Pinterest, experimenting with different patterns...(and I still don't gauge swatch. Sorry, I just don't.) I've been pinning color combo ideas for a year now. One of my favorite blankets is the Sunburst Granny Square I did along with InnerHooker for one of her Crochet A Longs. Well, it made it in the beginning of my hooker career (oh so long ago...in 2011....) and it was before I had learned how to secure ends, particularly the CENTERS of squares, properly. So my beloved blanket is coming undone in the centers and I feel like I want to do a new one..with better yarn.

 My beloved beginner blanket....now falling apart in some centers.

The good thing is Knit Picks has a yarn called Palette, that is, you guessed it, nearly every color you can imagine. I drool over it every time I get the catalog. I'm currently working on a Tunisian crochet blanket, but I want to think long term. (I'm also ignoring the two granny stripe blankets and one granny mandala blanket in progress in the blanket basket...all in good time, dear yarn...all in good time. I burned myself out on the Queen Size granny stripe blanket on my bed.) So I'm plotting...what colors...this is the funnest part I think..the color choosing.

So I've created a Pinterest board of course...just for this afghan color choosing. Yes I'm THAT serious. (and I'm also very happy this is my most pressing current decision. I am blessed.)

You can see the contenders here: http://pinterest.com/mamaslilmonkeys/sunburst-granny-afghan-color-ideas/ but here are a few...I'm sure I'll be adding more.

Please feel free to hop on the board and "like" your favorites, as I am curious on what color combo's others find appealing.

Again....I am blessed. Those of you with the yarn and fabric addiction like me know how this feels though and can appreciate the indecision. Plus aren't the colors just FUN!?

~~Create On~~
Amy

Multi-tasking?? I Stink at it.

Hi, my name is Amy and I'm the friendly owner of this little blog. You might not remember me because all that has been on this blog for awhile is crickets. I have determined, I cannot multi task. I started a temporary job in early August that has sucked my brain, heart and life dry. It's a good job, I'm good at it, and I LOVE the people I work with. It's a job I believe in, support and could do darn well if I was in a different stage of my life.

But at this point...my brain hurts.

The job was supposed to be six weeks, but as you know, life happens and I will be staying until early January...a date that I said I just cannot stay past, because I needed an end date, a date to reclaim my sanity. I have learned something.

Working Moms do NOT GET ENOUGH CREDIT. Seriously. I am trying to work, just 30 hours a week (yet getting 40 hours worth of work done in it!), take care of the kids, homework, housework, cleaning, cooking, groceries, AND running my handmade business. (I refused to stop my business as I have worked my behind off to build it and it's currently doing well. No way, was I giving that up.) I AM TIRED.

So this is why I've not blogged much, because there isn't a ton to blog about. Very little time to create, zero time to cook other than what I am legally obligated to provide to the small people for them to survive. No time for household management tricks or funny jokes.

I miss that. I miss my happy little handmade home life. And I'll get it back. But in the meantime, I wanted to say hello, I miss you dear readers, whether there is only one of you or a few, or a ton. I love that ANYONE takes their time to read what mindless drivel I have to say and love when someone can use a tutorial or pattern I made for themselves.

So watch out in January...I hope to have a TON of fun stuff to show you!

In the meantime, catch up with me on Flickr and Instagram (I'm "mamaslittlemonkeys") to see the little shots I have been managing to take of life and the things I've created!

I'll leave you with some gratuitous photography shots. :)

Bought myself some roses...

Ferris wheel at Orange Beach, AL.

Hats I've been crocheting, awesome pattern from UnravelMe Designs

My gorgeous great nephew.

Hope y'all have a fabulous fall and I'll try to check back in!!
~~Amy

Getting Excited for Fall

Oh I can feel it....I can sense the change in the air...fall is coming. Today we had a cool front and it was a little taste of fall heading our way. Usually we get a few 'teases' of fall, so we could be in the upper 90's again next week, but I'm going to enjoy this weather while I can! We let the windows down, air out the house, and get outside!! We can suddenly enjoy a bike ride, swinging, playing outside, without feeling like we'll die of heat exhaustion. The heat down here truly is an entity of itself, an angry demon you don't mess with. You avoid it with air conditioning and wait it out.

Fall means Saints football is back, and although that makes me a football widow because my husband watches EVERY SINGLE GAME he can, I enjoy a good game. Fall means a chance to wear and use the crochet things I make! Fall means leaves changing, apples, pumpkins, Thanksgiving is soon! I LOVE FALL!!

So, I've got my windows down, yarn out and enjoying it!

Even my guinea pigs love the cool weather!

Enjoy it!!
~~Amy

Letting Go.....of the yarn

I suspect I'm not alone in this. You know who you are....my friends. The crafters. The hobbyists. The handmade artisans. Whatever you want to call yourself. You can often be found with yarn/fabric scraps/glitter/hotglue/paint or any other medium stuck to various body parts. The people at Michael's, Hobby Lobby, Hancocks, Joanns, AC Moore all know your name. You chat about life. You go to their children's bar mitvahs. 

You are a craft addict. You love it. You can not STOP it. You have told your family to go eat cereal for dinner so you can finish the scarf. You have occasionally lost track of the baby only to find her under a table on the fabric piles. Your children refer to the UPS truck as the fabric truck. You bribe your children with the promise of toys if they'll just be good while you look for yarn. (These are purely imaginative ideas, not reflections of my own home. Ahem. Right.)

You invest in your projects. You love them. Sometimes you mourn them being sold or given away. You are willing to buy cheaper food and give up wine if it means you can buy designer fabric. Okay, maybe not wine, but brand name products, hair cuts or sodas are all up for budget cuts if it means more supplies.

We love our supplies, our projects, our crafty friends, the websites that allow us to pretend we are being productive (Pinterest I'm talking to you.). 

But sometimes....sometimes...there are projects you just fall out of love with. Sometimes there are reasons why, sometimes there aren't. 

My current 'faded' project is a Mario Bros. Granny Square blanket. It's awesome, obviously because A) it's yarn and B) its Mario. However, it keeps getting bumped down the to-do list. Why?

1.) My child is no longer obsessed with Mario. He's on a Star Wars kick. As this makes his father incredibly happy, we're cultivating it.

2.) I'm easily distractable and need to have 4-5 projects at once. I just keep finding ones I want to do more.

3.) I don't like the yarn I'm using. This is probably the most pressing issue. Because it's a blanket for my child, I was using Red Heart yarn, the herpes of yarns. (Sorry if you love Red Heart..other than Red Heart Soft I find it all to be too hard, sticky, and not smooth to work with.) I started it before I learned more about yarn. My general "budget" yarn of choice is "I Love This Yarn" from Hobby Lobby. It's soft, workable, doesn't split and is reasonably priced for those 'going to beat the hell out of it' projects. 

So now that I've already done over 100 4 inch red granny squares and over 50 4 inch brown granny squares for Mario out of Red Heart yarn, I'm invested. I can't suddenly switch to ILTY, because then the blanket will feel weird. I've got to finish it out in RH yarn. But because I don't like the feel of the yarn in my fingers....I keep putting it off.

I suspect I'm not alone, as I said. I bet many of you start projects with grandiose visions and for whatever reason, cannot finish it. Or don't want to finish it. This makes me feel better, that I'm not alone.

I will probably finish Mario one day. My best friend's sons love Mario. My dilemma then is, two boys..one blanket..they're going to want another one....shudder.

So what do you have half done, frogged, put aside that you cannot seem to complete? And why??

You're not alone...it's okay...we're all craft addicts here, we can talk about it... share.

~~Amy

What I Made...

Despite my little one being sick and being a few days behind my normal schedule, I did manage to get a little bit done this week.

I finished up a baby blanket that's been in progress for months. I reshot some product images and have worked on some more items. I'm currently working on a Moosey hat for Eli, his 4th birthday is Monday (I can NOT believe it..)

What's new with you?

 The Audrey, Granny Square Baby Blanket

 lacey stitch washcloth

 V Stitch baby Blanket

 Heart Wash Cloth for my CAL over on Ravelry!

I took some gratutious yarn shots also... 

Crochet Kindle Cover--Free Tutorial

Hey all! This is my FIRST EVER crochet pattern! So, please, be kind! And PLEASE, PLEASE feel free to leave any comments, suggestions, corrections, etc! I will be doing this again with a different yarn to make sure it doesn't make a tremendous difference. Keep in mind, I've only been hooking since the summer.. :)

Basically the stitch is from Coats and Clark pattern found HERE. If you can do this stitch, you can alter this anyway you need for your E-Reader, Tablet, etc.

I chose to line this with some scrap felt because even though it was a gift for a friend who rarely takes her Kindle away from home, this stitch does leave little 'holes' in it, and I thought the felt would be an extra touch of protection. The stitch itself is quite fluffy so that helps a lot. Again, the lining is optional.

This is intended for the original keyboard style Kindle, I do not know the dimensions of the other kindles, nooks, etc. But you can easily adjust the pattern for your item.

This pattern is free, and please feel free to share (and correct if it's wrong.) And by golly if you can make some money selling these bad boys are a derivative there of, go for it. A link back would be nice yarn karma for you though :)

Let's Get Hookin!!

Yarn: Vanna's Choice from Lion Brand. Any Worsted Weight should do fine.
Hook: US Size H
Gauge: I admit, I never look at, read, or care about gauge. I'm crazy like that. My Kindle was my gauge. According to the original pattern I based this on:
GAUGE: In pattern, 5 puff sts = 5”; 9 rows = 4”. CHECK YOUR
GAUGE. Use any size hook to obtain the gauge.

*Special Stitch Notes:
Puff Stitch: Puff: Work (sc, 2 dc) in same st.

Chain 17. (this is based on MY original Kindle. If you have a larger or smaller device, you should do a few rows and hold it up to your device to check gauge.)

ROW ONE: 2dc in the 2nd ch from hook.
*skip next 2 ch, puff stitch in next ch;* repeat from *across to the last 3 ch, sk 2 ch, sc in last ch, turn.

ROW TWO: ch 1, 2 dc in 1st st. *skip 2 dc, puff st in next sc.* Repeat from * across, skip last 2 dc, sc in turning ch, turn.

Repeat row two until you reach Row 36 OR your desired height.

You are making one solid piece of 'fabric' that you will fold up and 'around' the kindle, allowing for a flap. For my Kindle, yarn, hook, and crochet style, I did a total of 36 ROWS. Please check this against your kindle, you may need to add or take away a few rows.

Fasten off and weave in ends.

At this point you can decide if you want your side seams showing, or on the inside. I wanted mine in the inside.

Lay your piece flat down and make a 'pocket' for the Kindle by folding the bottom up to about Row 14 or 15. You can adjust this for your preference, you are merely deciding how far down you want your flap to go. By "folding" on Row 15 or so, that leaves you about 6 rows as your "flap".

SS or SC the side to close your pocket on one side, about 30 rows. I did the SC. Fasten off and weave in.
Repeat on the other side to make a pocket for your kindle to slide into. (do not fasten off yet)

I wanted my SC seams to be on the inside, so I then turned it all rightside out. (this stitch looks pretty from both sides).

Since you didn't fasten off, you can now SC along the edge of the flap (OPTIONAL). If not, you can fasten off and weave in here.

OPTIONAL LINING:

I chose to insert a felt lining because this was for a friend, and this puff stitch is beautiful, but does leave little gaps. Should she spill something on the kindle, I wanted that little extra protection. I used felt because A) it was easily available in my home B) it doesn't fray much C) I could hand sew it all and didn't have to drag myself off the sofa.

Cut a piece of felt or similar fabric to fit inside your new crochet cover.

I folded mine and hand sewed a blanket stitch along the long side and bottom. Use any hand stitch you feel comfortable with.

Insert the felt lining directly into your crochet cover. Using a blanket stitch or similar hand stitch, hand sew the lining in the crochet cover. You can sew all the way down the sides and bottom, I did not, I only sewed the 'top' portion around the flap.

Secure the ends of your thread, and you're almost done!

Decide the placement of your button the OUTSIDE of the cover. Thanks to the stretchiness of this yarn and the looseness of this stitch, you have buttonholes inherently in your yarn! Find a good place for the button and hand sew it on! (Tip, when hand sewing shankless buttons, place a pin in between the two holes as you sew the button on. Remove the pin when you're finished sewing the button and you now have a little more 'room' for the button to move, without making it unsecure.)

Weave in any yarn, insert your kindle and go!! :)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PLEASE feel free to leave any corrections, comments, oopsys, "you're totally wrong" comments!! If I did something wrong in the pattern, I really do want to fix it. Like I said above, it is based solely on the scarf pattern by Coats and Clark. I merely adjusted it to fit a kindle. This is a beautiful stitch pattern and can be used in a variety of ways!

Find me on Ravelry!

Happy Hooking!! :)
~~Amy