Stanwood Needlecraft Yarn Ball Winder – Review

I received a Stanwood Needlecraft yarn ball winder for my birthday about a month ago and absolutely love it. It took about 30 seconds to set up right out of the box and I was off, winding all the yarn I had just purchased for my Sunday Shawl. I hold the yarn while winding it to keep it tight and incase there is a knot on my line the ball wont unravel on the winder while I try to fix the knot. It takes me aproximately 3 minutes and 49 seconds to wind 2.6 oz of yarn into an awesome center pull ball. Yes, I timed myself with my trusty flip phone. This specific model can wind up to 4 oz of yarn and can be used alone or in conjunction with the Stanwood Needlecraft Wooden Umbrella Swift Yarn Winder. I love that it is small enough that I can leave it attached to the counter all the time and it is not in the way. That is a big plus for me because I would be way too lazy to get it out and put it away everytime I wanted to use it. I am too busy crocheting awesome things to be messing with all that back and forth.(The background picture is a project my husband did for a client. Please ignore if it offends you.)

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Happy Hookin’

~Cassi

Scrubby Yarn Review / Face Scrubby – Free Crochet Pattern

I had been searching for the Red Heart scrubby yarn everywhere and couldn’t find it until, of course, I stopped searching for it. I ended up finding it at Walmart during one of my regular weekend grocery shopping trips. Yes, I was supposed to be grocery shopping, but I always have to check out the yarn section. There is a limited selection of colors available in this yarn. Their website lists 10 different colors for $4.49 each. Walmart only had 4 different colors and I believe I snagged them for around $3.50 each. This yarn is 100% polyester which holds up really well when using on dishes. (Will post my dish scrubbers once I photograph them.) The yarn looks like it would be very rough and itchy but it is actually soft and feel nice against the skin but at the same time is exfoliating. It will dry out over night so there is no need to worry about mold or it still being wet the next time you shower. They can also be machine washed and dried. The down side is that this yarn is very difficult to crochet with. It splits constantly and gets knotted quickly. The plus is that when you mess up you cant even tell. I found that if you crochet looser than normal it is easier to use. I definitely recommend this yarn, even though it is difficult to crochet with, because I love the end product.

I made face scrubbers to give as gifts. I pair a couple scrubbers with a Biore charcoal bar for a cute little gift set.

I made two back scrubbers using the pattern on redheart.com. I love this pattern because it makes it so easy to crochet with this difficult yarn and the scrubber feels very plush when it’s completed.

The pattern for the face scrubber with loop is at the bottom of this post.

The pattern for the back scrubber is on the Red Heart website.

Materials I Used:

Red Heart Scrubby Yarn

Crochet Hook 5.5mm

Susan Bates Plastic Yarn Needle

Face Scrubby Pattern

Crocheted in the round

Rnd 1: CH4, SL ST in first CH.

Rnd 2: CH 3 (counts as DC here and throughout), DC 11 into middle, SL ST in top of CH 3 (12)

Rnd 3: CH 3, 1 DC in same ST, 2 DC in top of each DC around, SL ST in top of  CH 3 (24)

Rnd 4: CH 3, 1 DC in same ST, *1 DC in next ST, 2 DC in next ST*, Repeat from * to * around, SL ST in top of CH 3 (35)

Optional Loop: Chain 6, SL ST in top of CH 3 from Row 4.

Fasten off, weave in ends.

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Happy Hookin’

~Cassi

Pokeball Beanie – Free Crochet Pattern

For all the Pokemon fans out there. I have finally finished the Pokeball beanie to match the Pokeball scarf. I know that the band is supposed to be black and the bottom should be white, but I was running out of black and stuck on the ship so I improvised. I used the preschool sized Basic Striped Beanie by Nicole Bencker at ColliesCrochet.com and added my Pokeball applique to it. Her pattern is extremely easy to follow and works up fast. I can’t wait to make more beanies in all different colors. Materials I Used:

Red Heart Soft

Crochet Hook 5mm

Susan Bates Plastic Yarn Needle

Pokeball Basic Beanie

You can get the full free pattern on Nicole Bencker’s Ravelry.

I listed below the color changes I used to resemble the Pokeball.

Rounds 1-14 – Red

Rounds 15-17 – White

Rounds 18-20 – Red

For a true Pokeball look you would do the following color changes:

Rounds 1-14 – Red

Rounds 15-17 – Black

Rounds 18-20 – White

Pokeball Applique This will be worked in the round.

Using black yarn.

Row 1: CH4, SL ST in 1^st CH

Row 2: CH 3, 9 DC in the middle, SL ST in the top of the CH 3 (10)

Row 3: CH3, DC in the same ST, 2 DC in the top of each DC around, SL ST in the top of CH 3 (20).

Fasten off.

Using white yarn.

Row 1: CH4, SL ST in 1^st CH

Row 2: CH 3, 9 DC in the middle, SL ST in the top of the CH 3 (10)

Fasten off. Sew the white on top of the black and then sew the appliqué onto the beanie.

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Happy Hookin’

~Cassi

Hand Wind a Center Pull Ball of Yarn – Tutorial

What do you do with your scrap yarn? Is it in a knotted mess sitting in a pile somewhere collecting dust? Well, I am going to show you how to make a center pull ball out of your scraps. Leave me a comment letting me know what you think about this tutorial!

Step 1: Collect your supplies. Scrap yarn and a yarn label.

Step 2: Fold the label up small and stick the end of the yarn through the center of the label and start wrapping the yarn around the label.

Step 3: Once you have finished wrapping you will need to tuck the end under a few layers of yarn so it will not come undone. Now you will gently remove the label.

Step 4: You are all finished!! You are now able to organize all your scrap yarn into pretty little center pull balls.

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Happy Hookin’

~Cassi

Birthday Wishlist

It’s my birthday month! I am not only thankful that this year I will be on land for my birthday but I will also be back home with my family. Since joining the Navy I have not been home for my birthday in 3 years. It is going to be a great time and I only have a couple more days to pack before my oldest son and I fly home. Anyways…Of course my family asked what I wanted for my birthday and all I could think of was the very limited space I have on the ship. All I asked for was an Amazon gift card so I could load up my Kindle with movies before I deploy. But if I had the space and could have anything I wanted these would be my top wishlist items.

Sock Loom 2

I have been dreaming about getting a sock loom for a long time. I could make fun socks for the whole family or as gifts. I love browsing the beautiful sock yarn at the yarn store but it is one of those items I just cannot justify spending my money on when I really don’t need it.

Red Heart, Heart & Sole Yarn

Here is some of that amazing sock yarn I was telling you about. This just sounds so soft and luxurious. This yarn is infused with aloe vera and comes in 12 different shades. If I could pick any skein it would be Tequila Sunrise or basic Ivory.

Red Heart, Scrubby Yarn

Red Heart just launched their new scrubby yarn! I have searched for it in the stores but so far no one carries it. But oh the things I could do with it! This back scrubber pattern would be great for my husband and this turtle bath scrubber would be so fun for my boys.

Crochet the Perfect Gift Book

I only own a few basic crochet books, mostly because I am addicted to Ravelry.com where I can get thousands of free patterns. Or I try to make up a pattern myself since I am too frugal to purchase patterns. But this book has so many beautiful pictures of things I want to create, I need this book! Like those baskets on the front cover, I want to make those. And that adorable baby sweater. I need to make that!

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Happy Hookin’

~Cassi