Brenda K.B. Anderson - Crochet Ever After

This book is dedicated to Aaron, the charming-est of princes.

Once upon a time there was a woman who loved yarn. I mean she really, really loved yarn. Each night she would spend hours turning her yarn into the object she desired with a magic hook. Sometimes it was a gift for the queen or a fairy princess, sometimes it was a toy for the children in the town, but usually it was something special just for herself. The townspeople learned about this magic hook and became jealous, so they hired a troll to steal it from her. The troll gave the hook to the townspeople (in exchange for a top-of the-line brand-new club). They all stared at it. Cmon! Make some stuff! the townspeople cried. But nothing happened. The woman heard the commotion and came over to see what was going on. She saw that they had stolen her hook and she laughed and shook her head, knowing there were plenty more hooks at the local yarn store down the street. One of the townspeople asked her why she was laughing, and she replied:

All yarn has a story to tell,

so grab a hook and cast a spell.

Meet me in the woods tonight,

bring some yarn and I just might,

show you how to work that hook

and share with you my crochet book!

The thing I love most about the heroines of fairy tales is that even though all sorts of horrible things happen to them, they still believe in the possibility of a happy ending. While the wicked witches and evil queens become jaded, the heroines somehow just never give up. Hope is an important thing if you want to live happily ever aftereven more important than money, power, or perfect hair.

When youre traveling through the woods with a basket of goodies in your hands, you dont want to fuss with a long scarf (which will certainly slip off your shoulder and get caught in the thicket) or hat (which could be snatched away on the wind). The attached infinity scarf keeps this enchanting hood in place. You can even wear the hood down if you get overheated while being chased around the forest by wolves.

One size fits most. Hood measures about 1512" (39.5 cm) tall and 11" (28 cm) deep, including the cabled bands. The infinity scarf section of the hood measures about 5412" (138 cm) around.

Fingering weight (#1 Super Fine)

Shown here: Plymouth Alpaca Prima (100% superfine alpaca; 363 yd [332 m]/312 oz [100 g]): #620, 6 skeins. Note that yarn is held doubled for Moss Stitch section of hood.

Size C/2 (2.75 mm) and G/6 (4 mm). Adjust hook size if necessary to obtain correct gauge.

Stitch markers.

Yarn needle.

With larger hook and 2 strands held together as one, 18 sts and 24 rows in Moss Stitch = 4" (10 cm). With smaller hook and one strand of yarn, 18 rnds of cable pattern = a tube that measures 312" (9 cm) tall and about 212" (6.5 cm); 18 rnds of Double Cable pattern = a tube that measures 312" (9 cm) tall and 412" (11.5) wide.

Cable sections are worked in the round to form a tube. Double Cable Section has 4 repeats of the cable pattern, whereas the Single Cables sections have only 2 repeats of the cable pattern. Double Cable Section is worked first and then divided to work each Single Cable section separately. To work the Moss Stitch section of the hood, you will begin by working the first row into the side edge of the Longer Single Cable section. After Moss Stitch section is complete, you will attach the bottom edge of this section to the side edge of the Shorter Single Cable section. The beg round of the Double Cable is then stitched to the last round of each of the Single Cable sections.

Stitch Guide

ModHdc2tog (Modified half double crochet 2 together): Yo, insert hook in from front to back in next st, insert hook from front to back in next st, yo and draw yarn through both sts to front of work (now there are 3 loops on hook), yo and pull through all 3 loops on hook.

SlSt2tog (slip stitch 2 together): If you crochet tightly, you might find this stitch difficult to do. If this is the case, substitute with a standard sc2tog. Work as follows: Insert hook from front to back in next st, insert hook from front to back in next st, yo and draw yarn through both sts and through lp on hook.

Moss Stitch

In this pattern, you will work [sl st in next st, hdc in next st] across each moss st patt row. In this pattern, you will always begin a Moss St Row with a sl st and end with a hdc.

With smaller hook and one strand of yarn, ch 73.

Set-up row: Working in bottom bump of ch sts, esc (see ) in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, do not join77 esc. Work in a spiral marking beg of rnd and moving marker up as work progresses. The first st of next rnd will be made into the first esc of this row.

Rnd 1: *FPdc (see ) in each of next 2 sts, esc in next st, FPdc in each of next 2 sts, esc in each of next 2 sts, FPdc in each of next 4 sts, esc in each of next 2 sts, FPdc in each of next 2 sts, esc in next st, FPdc in each of next 2 sts, rep from * around72 sts.

Rnd 2: *FPdc in each of next 2 sts, esc in next st, FPdc in each of next 2 sts, esc in each of next 2 sts, sk next 2 sts, FPtr (see ) in each of next 2 sts, working in front of most recent 2 sts, FPtr in first skipped st, FPtr in next skipped st, esc in each of next 2 sts, FPdc in each of next 2 sts, esc in next st, FPdc in each of next 2 sts, rep from * around72 sts.