Don't worry...I won't quit my day job!

Well, I'm finally making money on my crocheting! Albeit very little...well, um, hardly any at all...but its something!? I've had a few requests for the Mini-handled Purse from co-workers who don't crochet. I've altered the pattern a little, by request, to make it bigger, by starting with 30 sc's over the handle edge. But I've also eliminated the rows of cross-double crochets and just done twenty even rows of dc. It makes for an easier pattern, and a slightly roomier purse. So I got another request on Thursday and finished it on Sunday. I had just enough Paton's Brilliant in Black Dazzle to make a short version of the Total Torque Biker Scarf at Interweave Press. Its a very 'holey' scarf, so the short version can be worn as a keyhole scarf.

Flower

I originally planned to make a poncho with flower motifs, inspired partly by this one by Drops Design/Garn Studio, but the motifs of that one were a little 'pointy' for me. So I decided to design a flower myself. Then once I made a few, the idea of the poncho kind of became, shall I say, less desirable. But the flower is cute enough to be used in other patterns or added to other designs (as we shall soon see).

You can find the pattern here.

Toddler Sundress

So the flower motif found a home, but only by accident. I had been trying to find a sundress to crochet like the knitted Victoria Sundress at Berroco. I'd tried at Crochetville, Crochet Pattern Central, and Google, all to no avail. So I figured, @$%& it, I'll design one myself. And so I did. I took measurements from a dress in Sears and came home to figure out the increases. The dress is made out of breathable cotton, but is heavy enough to stay down on windy days. And the straps are buttoned in place, so they can be crossed or straight, as well they can be raised and lowered to fit. I apologize profusely for the state of the photograph. Crappy cameras yeild crappy photos!

Materials
Lily Sugar N' Cream Cotton - 70.9 gm (2.5 oz) - 4ply, worsted weight cotton - 4 balls, Hot Pink (or preferred colour)
Size 5mm crochet hook
Yarn needle
2, 1/2" buttons

Gauge - 11 rows (in pattern) X 14 stitiches = 10cm (4")
Finished Measurements - Chest 24" (size 4), Shoulder to hem 23"

Front
Row 1 - Ch 65, sc in 2nd ch from hook and each ch across. Turn.
Row 2 (RS) - Ch 3, dc in each sc across. Turn.
Row 3 - Ch 1, sc2tog, sc in next dc and each dc across to last 2 dc, sc2tog. Turn.
Row 4 - Ch 3, dc in each sc across. Turn.
Row 5 - Ch 1, sc in each dc across. Turn.
Row 6 - Ch 3, dc in each sc across. Turn.
Repeat rows 3-6, 9 times, until piece measures approximately 15". Fasten off.

Armhole Shaping
Row 1 - Skipping 6 stitches, join yarn with slst to 7th dc, ch1, sc in same stitch and each stitch across, leaving last 6 stitches unworked. Turn.
Row 2 - Ch 1, sc in each dc across. Turn.
Row 3 - Ch3, dc in each sc across. Turn.
Row 4-10 - Repeat rows 2-3, decreasing 1 stitch at beginning and end of each sc row.
Row 11 - Reverse sc across to end of row. Fasten off.

Back
Work as for front, until piece measures 15". Fasten off.

With wrong sides together, sew side seams.
Join yarn at top left corner of bib. Ch 50. Dc back along chain, single crochet down left side of bib, along back edge, up right side of bib, ch 50, dc back along ch, join with slst. Fasten off.

Attach buttons approximately 3.5" from side seams at back.
Attach optional flower motif (instructions below).