This is a pattern for a gingko leaf that I made when I was just learning to crochet. I have been using it for my avatar on Ravelry.com and I have gotten some inquiries about it, so I decided to write it up for you all.

Any yarn and hook will do. I did mine in cotton craft thread (the exact size was not indicated on the package, but it is a medium thread maybe about size 10) with a B hook, and it came out close to life size.

your choice

not an issue

slst = slip stitch
dc = double chain

When the pattern says ch 3 and turn, the ch 3 counts as your first dc.

The last dc of each row is worked into the top ch of the ch 3.

In parenthesis ( ) at the end of each row in the pattern, is written the total number of stitches for that row.

ch 23

1. 5dc in the 3rd ch from hook (6dc) ch3, turn
2. 2dc in each dc (12dc) ch 3, turn
3. 2dc in the next 6dc- leave the remaining stitches unworked (12dc) ch3, turn
4. 2dc in the next dc, dc in the next 10dc, 2dc in the last dc (14dc) ch3, turn
5. 2dc in the next dc, dc in the next 12dc, 2dc in the last dc (16dc) fasten off.

attach yarn with a slst in first of the remaining stitches you previously left unworked in row 3

6. Ch 3, 2dc in each dc (12dc) ch3, turn
7. 2dc in each dc (24dc) ch3, turn
8. dc in each dc (24dc) fasten off and weave in ends.

A week or so ago my lovely kitten Rogetts reminded me that every once in a while kitties need a new toy. Or they might riffle through your purse, steal you headphones out and pull the insulation off while leaving a big mess in at least 3 rooms of your house. Oh well I reward the little brat with a new set of toys made that day before she could find anything else to destroy.

I had been thinking about making toys for a while now and had been doing some research on the way the cats see and interact with the world. Cats do not see colors the same as people. Contrast and pattern are more important so I picked colors that contrasted with each other. I read that acrylic yarn taste bad to cats from some website of unknown credentials. But the idea stuck in my head and I have noticed that the cats only run off with wool and cotton. So they get cotton toys because it is so durable. Oh and the cats love to move there toys around so I topped it all off some monk cords on each end. The cats seem to love them. I am sure that catnip stuffing has something to do with it too.

• Small amount of two colors of cotton sport weight yarn (the photos is show with saucy sport yarn and sinfonia)
• size c crochet hook, or the smallest size hook you can use with your yarn (you want the stitches to be very tight so the cat nip does not fall out)
• yarn needle
• cotton balls
• catnip

1 inch

Gauge is not very important, just make sure that your stitches are tight enough to keep the catnip from falling out.

This lacy summer skirt was inspired by a gorgeous vintage bedspread pattern. I would never have the patience to crochet hundreds of tiny little squares out of thread to make an entire bedspread, so I designed this skirt as a way to capture the beauty of those patterns in a less painful project. Granted, this is still not a project most could do in a weekend, say, but as you complete each square you get a little thrill of accomplishment to string you along. With a slip or hand-sewn liner, you can wear this beautiful skirt anywhere, or pull it on over your bathing suit for a sexy cover up. Either way, you'll look gorgeous on those hot summer nights.

• Approximately 6 (7, 8, 9) 123yds (112m) / 50g balls sport weight cotton. I used Paton's Bumblebee 100% cotton, Apple Blossom.
• 3.75mm (US F-5) crochet hook
• Yarn needle
• Pre-made slip, or ½ yd (46cm) white cotton fabric and 1 yd (91cm) elastic for lining

small (med, large, x-large)

Hips: 38” (40”, 42”, 44”) [96.5cm (1.02m, 1.07m, 1.12m)]

Length: top of zig zag - 19” (20”, 21”, 22”) [48.3cm (50.8cm, 53.3cm, 55.9cm)], bottom of zig zag - 24” (25”, 26”, 27”) [61.0cm (63.5cm, 66.0cm, 68.6cm)]

Ed. note: See comments at the bottom of this page for tips on how to adjust the pattern for smaller sizes.

Daisy Square: 12 st = 4” (10cm)

Stretchy Square: 7 patterns and 12 rows = 4” (10cm)

Edging patterns present us with the opportunity to transform a garment into something unique and extraordinary. The crocheter is free to decide how edgings will be placed when they are completed. It's fun to piece the elements together and watch them slowly grow into a lacy texture, like stars appearing in an evening sky.
    
I’ve always loved fancy lace edgings. I have updated the classic white cotton T-shirt by adding a lacy collar and bottom trim. The circle motifs recreate this shirt as more delicate, hip and beautiful. I named this the Galaxy Top because its crocheted motifs remind me of a cluster of stars.  

Crochet thread is a great material to work with. It’s inexpensive. It’s small and easy to stuff into your travel bag. It will sometimes even get you a “wow” from someone observing how tiny your project is. Keep in mind that delicate crochet is also incredibly time consuming and will require some patience.

• Mercerized cotton crochet thread, size 10. I used 1 ball in white made by Coats & Clark (325 yds / 297 meters).
• 3.25mm (size D-3) hook
• Fabric scissors
• Sewing needle that fits your cotton crochet thread
• Cotton T-shirt. It should be 100% cotton in order for it to have the same washing properties as your cotton crochet thread. Make sure it’s a T-shirt you like and that it's in good enough condition to justify spending a lot of time making pretty.  
• Straight pins
• Pencil
• Ruler
• Dress form for shaping.  (This is not absolutely necessary, but definitely helpful. I am thankful that I bought mine last summer at a yard sale!)
• Iron (optional)

I used a Medium T-shirt (size 10 from H&M).

Motif measurements are:

Small:  1 ½” (approx. 38mm)
Medium: 1 ¾” (approx. 44mm)
Large:  2” (approx. 51mm)

Gauge is not critical for this pattern. Sizing will vary with the size of your T-shirt. You will use the top half of your shirt as a template for your motifs. For smaller and larger T-shirts just adjust the amount of space between motifs.

A note of caution for beginners: This shirt is made by connecting circle motifs to the body of an existing shirt. There is a freeform aspect to connecting the motifs.

Washing instructions: This garment should be hand washed and dried flat.

Special Stitch:

Overcast stitch: Working over the edge of your shirt, insert threaded sewing needle into fabric and bring back through to the front. Keep the height of your stitches consistent and the tension even as you work your way around the shirt.

Circle Motifs

The top part of the shirt requires 40 rings: 23 small, 11 medium, and 6 large. The bottom trim of the shirt requires 20 rings: 13 small, 5 medium, and 2 large.

Every year since I learned to crochet, I've made at least one of these bags, and although I'm always promising myself it will be the last one I make, I end up giving it to one of my friends (usually my sister, who must have a huge collection by now) and crocheting another one the next time I'm about to go traveling.

There are two bags in this pattern, the shoulder sling and the passport bag. The shoulder sling is one of those toss-everything-in-and-rummage-for-it-later bags, while the passport bag is designed to hold, well, a passport, travel documents, postcards, writing utensils, and maybe something small, like a tube of lipstick or your keys.

For Shoulder Bag

• 420 m/460 yds of Patons 100% Cotton DK, or a similar yarn, such as Tivoli Cruise DK
• 3.75mm (US size F/5) hook
• 3.25mm (US D/3) hook for edging
• 12" x 24" material (to line the shoulder bag)
• Sewing needle
• Sewing thread

For Passport Bag

• DMC Cebelia Crochet Cotton, size 20 (370 m/405 yds per 50 g), 1 skein, black.  I know black isn't very summery, but I wanted to make a bag that would match my traveling clothes and since my traveling clothes consist of whatever I shoved into my bag at the last minute, black is a safe bet for me.  Feel free to use whatever colour is the safest bet for you. Any size 20 thread can be substituted.
• 1.50 mm (US size 8) steel hook or size needed to obtain gauge
• 280 – 450 seed beads (see Passport Bag instructions, below, for options)
• 5" x 14" material (to line the bag)
• cord for strap (optional)
• Sewing needle
• Sewing thread

Passport bag is 5" x 6.5"; shoulder bag is approximately 11" x 11" (will stretch if unlined). Strap length can be easily adjusted.

Shoulder Bag: 18 sts x 19 rows of sc = 4" x 4" (10cm x 10cm)

Passport Bag: 46 sts x 25 rows of dc = 4" x 4" (10cm x 10cm)

Shoulder Bag

This is a really simple pattern and can easily be adjusted to a different size, a different yarn, even a different stitch pattern. As long as you get the gist of how the bag works up, you should have no trouble making adjustments. For example, I made the bag in Debbie Bliss Cotton Denim Aran yarn and ended up with a 12" x 14" bag. The only bit of the pattern I had to adjust was the bottom - I decreased [sc2tog, sc 1] by 3 on each side instead of 5. I suggested cotton yarn for this bag because it does not stretch (the stitches themselves will give the bag a bit of stretch, however). If you do not want to make this bag using cotton, I would suggest lining the bag in a sturdy material and crocheting the finishing section in a cotton yarn. (I learned this the hard way a few years ago - the first shoulder bag I made was in a cotton/acrylic blend.  It stretched down to my knees and I was stuck carrying it around Seattle all afternoon!)

Body

Foundation Row:  Ch 100. Taking care not to twist chain, sl st in first ch to form ring.

Sc in the round, in a spiral, for a total of 50 rows or until work measures about 10". 

Bottom

[Instead of folding it in half and seaming it like a tote (and like the passport bag), this gives the bag a rounded oval-shaped bottom.]

Round 1.  *Sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in next st,* rep from * to * 2 more times, sc in each of next 35 sts, rep from * to * 5 times, sc in each of next 35 sts, rep from * to * 2 times. (90 sts)

Round 2.  *Sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in next st,* rep from * to * 2 more times, sc in each of next 30 sts, rep from * to * 5 times, sc in each of next 30 sts, rep from * to * 2 times. (80 sts)

Round 3.  *Sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in next st,* rep from * to * 2 more times, sc in each of next 25 sts, rep from * to * 5 times, sc in each of next 25 sts, rep from * to * 2 times. (70 sts)

Round 4.  *Sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in next st,* rep from * to * 2 more times, sc in each of next 20 sts, rep from * to * 5 times, sc in each of next 20 sts, rep from * to * 2 times. (60 sts)

Round 5.  *Sc2tog over next 2 sts, sc in next st,* rep from * to * 2 more times, sc in each of next 15 sts, rep from * to * 5 times, sc in each of next 15 sts, rep from * to * 2 times. (50 sts)

Seam: Turn inside out, seam bottom edges tog with sl st. I like the look of the blo sl st (where you sl st the inner loops tog), but use whatever you please. Fasten off, weave in ends. Turn right side out.

Strap

The strap is worked on the top of the bag, using the other side of the foundation chain.

Row 1. Lay bag flat to roughly gauge the “side edge”. Count 7 sts back from the left edge, attach yarn, ch 1, sc in same st as join and in each of the next 14 sts, ch 1, turn. (15 sts)

Row 2. Sc in each st across to last two sts, sc2tog over last 2 sts, ch 1, turn. (14 sts)

Rows 3-10: Repeat Row 2, ending Row 10 with 6 sts.

Row 11. Sc in each st across, ch 1, turn. (6 sts)

Repeat Row 11 112 more times (or more, if you prefer a longer strap). (Note: this strap will stretch a bit -- my finished strap measured 33" after wearing the bag around a few times.)

Row 12. Sc in each st across to last st, 2 sc in last stitch, ch 1, turn. (7 sts)

Rows 13-20. Repeat Row 12, ending Row 20 with 15 sts.

On opposite side of where the strap began, sl st edge to foundation chain leaving 35 foundation ch spaces between straps on both sides.

Note: there is no need to fasten off; begin finishing at this point.

Finishing

Sc into each of the 35 foundation ch sts between the strap ends. Using a smaller hook (this helps counter strap stretching), sc along edge of strap (working one sc for each row), sl st in 1st sc, fasten off, weave in ends.  Repeat for other side.

Passport Bag

This bag kills two birds with one stone as it's a good introduction to both thread crochet and crocheting with beads. If you've never done it before, crocheting with thread takes a little getting used to. My first attempts were a little wonky, but I got used to it with a little practice. This bag is done entirely in dc and believe me, after crocheting all 96 rows, you will have your tension and gauge down!

Bead crochet is easy -- to work the dcb stitch, start as you would a regular dc: yo, insert hook into stitch, yo, pull through, as you do the next yo, slip a bead onto the bit of thread that you're yarning-over (see Figure 1), and finish the stitch as you normally would (pull through 2 loops, yo, pull through 2 loops).

Figure 1

There are two ways to do make this bag, the hardcore bead way, where the entire bag is beaded, and the easy bead way, where only the front of the bag is beaded.  

Preparation: String 450 seed beads onto the thread for hardcore way or 280 beads for the easy way.

Body

Foundation: Ch 61, turn.

Row 1. Dc in fourth ch from hook, dc in each st across, turn. (59 sts)

Row 2. Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc), dc in each of next 4 sts, *dcb in next st, dc in each of next 5 sts,* repeat from * to * 8 more times, turn.

Row 3. Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc), dc in each st across, turn.

Row 4. Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc), dc in next st, *dcb in next st, dc in each of next 5 sts,* repeat from * to * 8 more times, dcb, dc in each of next 2 sts, turn.

Row 5. Repeat Row 3.

For hardcore:  Repeat rows (2-5) 24 times (for a total of 96 rows).

For easy: Repeat rows (2-5) 10 times, ending last repeat on Row 4 (for a total of 40 rows), repeat Row 3 for 45 rows, and repeat Rows (2-5) 3 times, ending last repeat on Row 4 (for a total of 12 rows).

Seaming

Fold at 42nd row from foundation chain, sc sides together, working 2 sc in each dc row, for 42 rows. The remaining material is the front flap. To finish the flap, sc along the sides, working 2 sc in each dc row. Fasten off. Weave in ends.

Strap

The easiest way to put a strap on the bag is to sew a cord to the top corners of the bag. A more time-consuming way, however, is to crochet the strap:

Ch 5, turn.

Row 1. Sk 3 ch (counts as 1st dc), dc in each of next 2 sts, turn. (3 dc).

Row 2. Ch 3 (counts as 1st dc), dc in each of next 2 sts, turn.

Repeat Row 2 until strap is desired length. Note: unlike the shoulder bag, this strap should not stretch too much, as this is a much smaller bag and will not be carrying as heavy a load.)

Attach straps to top corners of the bag (wherever you like, I prefer to attach them on the foundation chain) with sc. Weave in ends.

Lining the bags

Lining the bags is easy if you know how to sew and easier still if you are armed with a sewing machine and know how to use it. Simply fold the lining material in half, sew up the sides, slip the lining into your bag, and sew the top of the lining to the top of the bag!

This is a light scarf for spring that can also be used as a belt, tied at the hip. It is made up of triangular, rather unusal motifs. The beaded fringe adds a little glamour – and it looks great with jeans!

• Yarn: Phildar Licorne (100% cotton, 120 m/131 yards per 50 g/1.75 oz ball), 2 balls colour Jacinthe
• Hook: 3.5 mm / US E-4
• Tapestry needle
• Beads for fringe. When purchasing beads, bring a needle threaded with the yarn to check that the hole in the bead is large enough.

Approximately 12 x 157 cm / 4 ¾ x 62 inches, excluding fringe. The scarf pictured is composed of 16 motifs.

The side of a triangle measures 10 cm / 4 inches. Please note that gauge is not critical for this project.

Ch – chain
Sc – single crochet
Sl st – slip stitch
Dc – double crochet
St(s) – stitch(es)

Triangle motif

Start with a magic adjustable ring.