The Matilda knit cloche hat pattern is available in the July/August 2008 issue of Frankie magazine!
Australian readers, I do have some kits for sale in my Etsy shop, and the kit includes the Tillie brim option and the Rosie crochet flower pattern.
I have not gotten my copy of the magazine yet, so I'm not sure if it mentions that the cloche hat in the photo has two rows of trim covering the seam, not just one as the pattern calls for.
Blueberry Lemonade
5 cups water
3/4 cup turbinado sugar
1/2 cup light agave nectar
2 1/2 cups lemon/lime/calamansi juice (I'm working with a heap of assorted citrus)
what was supposed to be 1/2 pint fresh blueberries, but I ate some
(bought them at the co-op - expensive! But sweet and flavorful)
Half the water in a small pot with the sugar and blueberries, brought
to boil and then simmered until the blueberries started to pop. Mashed
the blueberries and then added the zest from one lemon to the mix and
let it cool, then strained out the blueberries. Mixed all together and served over ice, garnished with a few more blueberries. It's a really pretty bright pinky-purple, and I can taste
blueberry, but not as strongly as I'd like to. Next time I think I'll use frozen blueberries and blend them up with the immersible blender and leave them in the lemonade. I might also use about 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup agave nectar and leave out the sugar (agave nectar is sweeter than cane sugar). I was a little concerned about the taste of the agave, but the light version is very mild.
Yes, yes, I could try making mango lemonade... :P
I used this metric conversion table to figure out the metric version of the recipe, but I did guess a bit at the weights:
1.25 liters water
170 grams turbinado sugar (I don't know if this goes by another
name overseas - I also see it called raw sugar, although it's been
processed and isn't truly raw).
125 ml light agave nectar
560 ml lemon or other tart/sour citrus juice
224 ml blueberries
Over the weekend, I crocheted a basic reusable cloth to use with a certain trademarked floor sweeper meant to be used with name-brand disposable cloths. I improvised, but there are free crochet patterns for that (Tonya Hume's Swiffer Cover, Tiff Crochets Swiffer Cardi, and Gherkin's Bucket Crochet Biffer Shrug, for starters). I used the basic cloth, and it worked fine, but I found myself wanting a loopy, dust mop type of cloth to do things like clean the ceiling fan blades, so after a couple of pointlessly difficult tries at making one out of loop st squares, I finished this one - made flat in one piece, with pockets at the side to slip over the head of the sweeper.
UPDATE 3 July 2008: Turns out I have an older, smaller model, and many people have the newer, larger model. Larger size is now included in the recipe.
Yarn: 1 ball Lily Sugar n' Cream kitchen cotton (70.9g/120 yds 100% cotton) [AUS/NZ: 10-ply cotton]
Yarn Substitutes: Pisgah Peaches & Creme kitchen cotton, Lion Brand Lion Cotton, Kitchen Cotton, Cotton-Ease, Nature's Choice Organic Cotton, Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton, Dyed Cotton, Pakucho Organic Cotton, or any other worsted weight cotton or cotton-blend yarn of your choice. You could also use wool - it attract dust nicely!
Crochet hook: I/9/5.5mm or size to get gauge
Knitting needle: US13/9mm/UK00 dpn [OPTIONAL] - to make loops over (can use finger, pen, dowel, etc.)
Crochet Me loop stitch tutorial by Chloe Nightingale
Measurements: SMALLER (older models) 3"/7.5cm wide, 9.5"/19cm long, LARGER (newer models) 4.5"/11.5cm wide, 10"/25.5cm long. Will fit on a Swiffer (tm) sweeper - but the sizes can vary, so check the measurements of the sweeper you are using and adjust pattern as needed to fit.
Gauge/Tension: in sc, 16 sts/16 rows = 4"/10cm. In loop stitch, 16 sts/10 rows = 4"/10cm
The hook size will seem large for the yarn, but the loop stitch can get very tight, making it harder to crochet and resulting in a firmer fabric than necessary. Crocheted flat in one piece, with single crochet flaps sewn down along the sides so that the dust mop can be slipped on and off the sweeper head.
This pattern may be used by individuals to make and sell finished items (for example, at craft fairs, on Etsy, as charity fundraiser items). Please give credit where credit is due.
Abbreviations:
ch = chain
sc = single crochet [AUS/NZ/UK: replace with dc = double crochet]
st = stitch
lp st = loop stitch
Instructions for sizes given as SMALLER(LARGER)
To make evenly sized loops, I worked the loops over a double-pointed knitting needle. I work the entire row and then slide the knitting needle out of the loops.
Begin with first flap:
ch 13 (20)
1) sc 12 (19)
2) ch 1, sc 12 (19)
repeat row 2 until piece measures 2"/5cm long (7 rows)
[for LARGER size, you may want to make the flaps a little longer]
turning row:
sc 12 (19) in front loops only
looped surface:
1) lp st 12 (19)
2) sc 12 (19)
repeat rows 1 and 2 until loop st section measures 9.5"/19cm(10"/25.5cm) long.
turning row:
sc 12 (19) in front loops only
second flap:
1) ch 1, sc 12 (19)
repeat until second flap measures 2"/5cm long. Fasten off.
[for LARGER size, you may want to make the flaps a little longer]
Assemble: Fold flaps to back (smooth side) and sew the sides down, leaving top of flap open. Weave in all ends. I don't think this needs blocking, but if that would make you happy, wash with mild soap and wet-block to size.
I had been working on a crochet pattern for a hat using a pinwheel motif - one that I'd made several of some years back - and then I saw two or three other very similar patterns and reorganized my priority list. This week, I had some handspun cotton left over from another project and a gift package to put together. I thought a nice summery headband would do the trick, so I went through my stitch dictionaries.
This is the first version: misshawklet handspun organic cotton (turmeric), size C/2.75mm hook, sized to fit a medium (22"/56cm) head. I like the fit, although I think the ties are a little too short, and I'm not completely happy with the motif. I think the flowers look too thin and spindly. It was a little difficult to work with the hook size (the yarn is unevenly spun, mostly about sportweight), and I'd chosen the hook size in an attempt to get a certain tightness to the overall look.
Second version: misshawklet handspun organic cotton (silver gray), size E/3.5mm hook. This is sized to fit a small (19" - 20"/48cm-50cm) head, but it's shown on my medium-sized head, so it looks a little short. I'm happier with this version - changed the stitches used and the stitch count a bit, and now I think the flowers have a fuller look, which I like. It's only slightly narrower than the first version. I'm also thinking that I could do a version with a covered elastic strap, eliminating the ties. I've still got some of the handspun in pumpkin...
For Jules, the last part of the Sides section should read:
Canada/US
NO EYELETS: hdc ea st for 6 (8, 10, 12, 14) rnds or until 3/4” – 1” / 2mm – 2.5mm shorter than desired finished length.
Australia/UK
NO EYELETS: htr ea st for 6 (8, 10, 12, 14) rnds or until 3/4” – 1” / 2mm – 2.5mm shorter than desired finished length.
For Julia, the last part of the Sides section should read:
Canada/US
NO EYELETS: hdc ea st for 6 (8, 10, 12, 14) rnds or until sides come to within 0.5 – 1” / 1.25 – 2.5cm top of ear or desired length (wearer’s preference may include not having the ear touched by the brim).
Australia/UK
NO EYELETS: htr ea st for 6 (8, 10, 12, 14) rnds or until sides come
to within 0.5 – 1” / 1.25 – 2.5cm top of ear or desired length
(wearer’s preference may include not having the ear touched by the
brim).