These crochet hair bows are so simple to make and absolutely adorable! The finished bow is about 2.25" high by 4 inches wide. When the center was completed I wrapped in a scunci hair band! So simple!

Stitches used

• Chain (c)
• Single Crochet (sc)
• Half Double Crochet (hdc)
• Double Crochet (dc)
• Slip Stitch (ss)

Supplies:

• 4 ply cotton yarn
• 4.5 mm crochet hook
• Scissors
• Yarn needle
• Large 4mm scunci's

Directions:

• Chain 9, connect with slip stitch in 1st chain. Chain 8 and connect with slip stitch into the same original first chain so you have two loops.
• Row 1: All of the following go into the loop: *sc 4, hdc 2, dc 1, hdc 1, slip stitch, hdc 1, dc 1, hdc 2, sc 4, *Repeat same into second loop.
• Row 2: *sc 4, hdc 1, hdc 2 in next stitch, dc 2 in next stitch, hdc 2 in next stitch, ss to center of loop, hdc 2 in next stitch, dc 2 in next stitch, hdc 2 in next stitch, hdc 1, sc 4, *Repeat same around other side.
• Row 3 finishing: slip stitch in each stitch (22 times), ss to center, ss 22 times, ss 11 times, ss to center. Knot off, but leave the tail approximately 2.5' long.
• Finishing: place the scunci hair band at the back of the bow and wrap the yarn around and around leaving approximately 8".  When you have about 8" left, put the needle on the end and weave it around the opposite way on the back only. Knot off, weave in the ends, and knot off again to make it sturdy. Weave in any remaining ends.

Alterations:
Make it larger or smaller by using a different size crochet hook and thicker or thinner yarn. Have fun!

Thank you to Rebel Skein for the original pattern! I did make some changes on the second row so the hearts would be more 'full" but you can find the basic pattern I started from here: Crochet Hearts Hair Bow.
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Check out our Free plush hearts crochet pattern: 
Just click on the picture for the link below!

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Sincerely,

Simple, light duty, rope trivet....so simple it literally took me about 10 minutes to make and it fits my sauce pot perfectly :-) 

Supplies:
6 mm hook
1 pkg. of 1/8" x 45', 20 lb cotton/poly rope.

Directions:
Crochet 5 chains and connect for center loop
Row 1: Single crochet 8 times into center and mark the last stitch
Row 2: Single crochet twice in each of 8 stitches around (total 16)
Row 3: Single crochet in next two stitches, then do two sc in next, then one, then two - repeat around
Row 4: Single crochet in next there, then two sc in next, repeating around until near the end of the rope. Finish off by doing a loop stitch and knotting off.

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Sincerely,

First of all, Happy New Year! I wish everyone a safe, healthy, simple, and genuinely wonderful year :-)

If you are in need of a simple calendar to start the year off with, then have I got the answer for you!  I know, I know.  You just program all your important dates to remember into your smart phone.  I'm just not there yet. I really enjoy sitting down and writing all my important dates by hand and then color coding and highlighting them all. I hang it inside my kitchen cabinet and can simply open the door and see the entire month at a glance. Oh, and it is large enough to read too!

Recently when I was up in the Adirondacks helping take care of my mom after her Christmas Day injury (Read that post here.) I saw this great calendar the local Black Bear Restaurant gave out (see below). It's so simple I wasn't sure if they made it themselves or had it printed professionally, but I loved it!  It was printed on 8.5" x 11" paper and stapled to a piece of thick black construction paper that was a little longer than the paper itself.  Every page had the same 'picture' at the top, but was a different month. They didn't even use color printing, but the black and white on black construction paper was so simple, yet so perfect!

Well, that got me to thinking, "How hard can it be to make your own calendar?"  I began an online search right away and it wasn't long before I foundthe site: Homemade Gifts Made Easy.

They had a very simple 2017 downloadable calendar template that could be personalized with one or more photos and a choice of calendar size (letter or A4). It is a microsoft word file so it was super simple to download and use! The directions are available on the site and are very easy to read and follow. Not only that, there is also a great video to watch and see it done if you prefer!

​I made two calendars: one for personal use with a different picture for each month and a business caledar that could be given out as an advertisement similar to the Black Bears Calendar above. 

If you like the calendar above and want to print a copy for your personal use, feel free! You can download a pdf of it by clicking the button above :-)

The website provides very simple directions for inserting your photos.  I also chose to add a separate text box with my website on top of each picture.  I love the way it came out!  All the pictures I chose were shared on our Instagram account over the last year (Follow us!).

For the business calendar above, I used the same "picture" for every month. I printed them with two months to a page so that the entire calendar would be smaller (4.25" x 5.5"), and I also printed regular 8.5" x 11" calendars as well.  All of them were, of course, stapled to construction paper and looked great when finished! In my opinion anyway....

If you want to create your own "business photo" like mine above, you can download the microsoft word template I created, with instructions to make it your own, by clicking on the button below.

And lastly, here is the link to the awesome 2017 Calendar download I used to make both calendars that was created by Hommade Gifts Made Easy.  And yes, I think you could make it into a great gift for someone too! Oooh, my parents anniversary is coming.....what a great idea!

So our Christmas went a little differently than planned for this year.  Unfortunately my mom fell leaving my house to go to my sister's on Christmas Day.  As she lay on the ground we weren't sure how bad it was or what to do.  It didn't take long however to realize that it was worse than we thought.  As we waited for the ambulance to arrive we slipped a mat under mom, covered her with blankets and put pillows under her head and leg.  I have to say that she maintained a great attitude the entire time!  Look, she is even smiling!

NOTE: Feel free to skip the post and scroll to the bottom for the FREE pattern!

After five (yes, 5) hours in the emergency room, several x-rays, and even a cast, mom returned home to share the news that she had broken her ankle and her lower leg...not the big bone in the lower leg, the smaller one (we found out later that she actually has three breaks!). But still, it's her leg! She was told surgery would be required within about a week.  And still, she continued to maintain a positive attitude! This is also where she shared that she wanted to go home for the surgery.  

Now, after just watching my mom struggle into my house on crutches I just knew this wasn't going to work.  She had also twisted her other ankle and could not put all her weight on it.  I just couldn't picure her using the crutches up in the Adirondacks on ice and snow!  But where on earth could I locate a wheelchair at 8:00 PM Christmas Day night?

I sent out a personal 'Wheelchair Needed' post on facebook and so many friends responded with ideas and even offers for wheelchairs.  See how social media can be beneficial? Anyway, the big problem was that mom and dad were leaving at 7 AM the next morning.  Mom, with her amazing positive attitude, was still following through with her original plans to visit my sister and her fiance in Riverhead, then take the Orient Ferry to New London and visit my Aunt Terri in New Hampshire! A broken leg and ankle was not going to stop my mom - go mom! But I needed to get her a wheelchair because the crutches were not happening.

Well, here's a FREE shoutout to the 24 hour CVS in West Islip and the young lady who answered the phone.  Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!  She was extremely patient with my distress and after putting me on hold several times, she finaly located a portable wheelchair that could be purchased.  My husband and I immediately drove there and it was absolutely perfect!

This small, foldable, portable wheelchair was a Godsend.  It's easy to fold and unfold, fits in any car, and simple to push around on any terrain. There were only a few small problems that, with my mom's independance and positive attitude, needed to be resolved.  

The first was the brakes.  They were difficult for mom to reach so my cousin Billy in New Hampshire cut a small PVC tube she uses to reach back, slip over the lever, and put the brakes on. We call this apparatus the "Billy Club" in honor of my cousin Billy who invented it (with my dad's help!). Once she had the Billy Club, now it needed to be transported around with her so I just 'crocheted' a small base and holder strap that allows it to be hung on the front of the chair. Easy access for mom to put it in and take it out. So simple!

The only other big problem was the 3 steps into my parents' house in the Adirondacks.  A ramp that folds sideways solved it. It's actually two pieces of a snowmobile ramp that my parents already had. We just affixed it to the porch and fold it open to get the wheelchair down or up it. Since it is for snowmobiles it has a slip 'proof' surface.  Perfect! All problems solved!

After all of that my mom jokingly said that she had seen a lot of wheelchairs where the women have little holders for their phones and things and I immediately said, "I can do that!" It took less than an hour to crochet up a perfect little tablet holder and sew it onto the arm of the chair. Of course it is permanent, but I was in a rush.  Feel free to alter this simple creation in any way!

Materials:

• 4.5 mm crochet hook
• 1.5  skeins of Sugar n' Cream 4 ply 100% cotton yarn
• Large needle
• Scissors

Instructions:

• Chain 28  (last 3 count as first stitch) - this will fit an 8" tablet on it's side perfectly. Adjust as needed for larger or smaller tablets.
• Row 1:  Double crochet in 4th stitch from hook and in each stitch accross
• Rows 2 - 17: Turn, chain three, dc in each stitch accross, repeat 16 more times (adjust as needed for thickness of wheelchair arm)
• Rows 18 & 19: Turn, chain 1, single crochet accross, repeat one more time
• Rows 19, 21, 23: Turn, chain 3, dc accross
• Row 20, 22, 24: Turn, chain 3, dc in next st, chain 1, skip 1 stitch, dc in next and repeat pattern accross (repeat rows 19 and 20 two more times each)
• Rows 25 & 26: Turn, chain 3, dc in each stitch accross, repeat one more time
• Border: Turn, chain 1, single crocet accross, do three stitches in corner and turn and single crochet down the side. At this point you can either finish off, or you can weave the yarn through the bottom to get to the other side.  Either way, you need to single crochet up the other side and end with an additional two stitches in the upper corner. 
• I then used the needle with some yarn and sewed the two sides together with an overhand stitch.  This creates the pocket that the tablet fits into sideways.
• Lastly, using the needle and thread, the top of the pocket was folded over the arm of the wheelchair and sewn to the back of the pocket in place. Wala! 

Thank you so much for visiting.
Check out our other FREE Crochet Patterns :-)
I wish everyone a safe, happy, and healthy New Year in 2017!
​Sincerely,