The Crafter In Me

I go on crafting binges.  There.  I've admitted it.  I
will craft my little heart out, forgetting just about everything else until the urge to craft has passed...the problem is that it never really passes for long. The crafting ranges from sewing, wreath making, quilting, embroidering, crocheting...the list keeps getting bigger.  This time crochet hit full force.

Jayne: (wearing ugly homemade hat) "How's it sit?
Pretty cunning, don'tchya think?"

Kaylee: "I think it's the sweetest hat ever."

Book: "Makes a statement."
Jayne: "Yeah, yeah!" 
Wash: "A man walks down the street in that hat,
people know he's not afraid of anything." 
Jayne: "Damn straight."

This holiday season it started with a simple discussion about a Jayne hat.  For those of you not familiar with the Jayne hat, I'm sorry, you've missed one of the best (and tragically short-lived) shows ever that had a character, "The man named Jayne."  A new friend to my son brought around new friends for us, Fro-Boy's mom and soon-to-be-step-dad. (And before you get offended, the kid is seriously proud of his fro and even has an Xbox live name that uses fro in the title! LOL)  They, like us, love the series Firefly and the movie that was based on it, Serenity...The Calm One even has a hat that a friend made for her that looks exactly like Jayne Cobb's cunning hat his mother lovingly knit for him.  She'd love to have hats for the 3 boys in her house, Appalachian Man, Fro-Boy and the Little Fusser...me being the crocheting kind, I told her I bet I could make her a couple or teach her how.

And that's all it took.  Out came the left over yarn, crochet hooks lovingly packed in their case and my favorite little purple scissors.  Before I knew it I was making a beautiful scarf and hat for my adorable niece, baby headbands with flowers on them, wrist warmers...anything my mind jumped to.

A beautiful hat and scarf for my beautiful niece.

All of this led me to wondering if I could make something with a cabled braid on something. I could've looked up a pattern, sure, but that would've been too easy...and I've never been about the easy way in life! So off I started working out which way to work the stitches so that it would look the way I wanted to. At the end of it all I was able to look at one slightly bulky, but very warm, wrist warmer.  After all of that there was no way I was going to forget how I got to this point, so I typed it all up and figured what better way to make sure I never lose it than to post it?!

These instructions aren't going to be great because this is the very first time I have EVER written up one of my crazy designs, but hopefully you'll get the idea.

Not sure of the weight of the yarn because it was a leftover from an old project and I didn't have the cover anymore; but it's extremely thick strands...so the end result is rather bulky, but SUPER warm.  I'm fairly certain that this can be increased in size by adding one of the small braided sections and I'll be trying this with a finer, nicer yarn as soon as I get a chance.

Size F hook (this size was perfect to go around my knuckles and leave room for movement, but I have a VERY small hand...size 5.5-6 rings).

Terms Used:

SC=Single Chain

CH=Chain

CH SP=Chain Space

DC=Double Chain

ST=Stitch(es)

SL ST=Slip Stitch

BPDC=Back Post Double Chain

FPDC=Front Post Double Chain

FPTC=Front Post Triple Chain

2 BPDC= BPDC around the posts of the next 2 stitches from the previous row. 3 FPDC=FPDC around the posts of the next 3 stitches from the previous row. (etc)

BPDC2TOG=Back post double chain two together-used to decrease stitches-Insert hook as if you're going to do a BP stitch, YO and pull through (2 loops on hook). Insert hook as if you're going to do a BP stitch around the NEXT post after the one you were just working with, YO and pull through two loops, YO pull through both loops on hook. BPDC2TOG completed.

This is worked by looking at the back of the project working from the join area around to the left...therefore when I say BPDC, it may look like a FPDC to me, but as it pertains to the project, it is a BPDC. (I hope that makes sense.)

FOR THE RIGHT HAND:

ROW 1: Ch 35 join to first ST to form a ring. CH 3

ROW 2: DC in each CH SP around (35 ST) Join with SL ST to top of CH 3. CH 2

ROW 3: FPDC, BPDC around (35 ST). Join to top of CH 2. CH 2

ROW 4: BPDC around each stitch (35 ST). Join to top of CH 2. CH 2

ROW 5: FPDC around each ST (35 ST). Join to top of CH 2. CH 2

(This is where it gets interesting.)

ROW 6: BPDC, FPDC, CH 2 – skip next 2 ST (this is the thumb space), 3 FPD, 2 BPDC, FPDC, 2 BPDC, 6 FPDC, BPDC, FPDC, 2 BPDC, 3 FPDC, 2 BPDC, FPDC, 2 BPDC, 3 FPDC. Join with SL ST to CH 2.

ROW 7: BPDC, FPDC, 2 DC in chain 2 SP, *FPTC in 3^rd FPDC SP, FPDC in 1^st FPDC SP by going BEHIND the FPTC you just made, FPDC in 2^nd FPDC SP making sure you go in front of both previous stitches you just made*, 2 BPDC, FPDC, 2 BPDC, FPTC in 3^rd and 4^th FPDC SP, FPTC in 1^st and 2^nd FPDC SP, FPDC in 5^th and 6^th FPDC SP, 2 BPDC, FPDC, 2 BPDC, repeat from * to *, 2 BPDC, FPDC, 2 BPDC, repeat from * to *. Join to top of CH 2. CH 2.

ROW 8: BPDC, *FPDC, 2 BPDC, 3 FPDC, 2 BPDC*, FPDC, 2 BPDC, 2 FPDC in 1^st and 2^nd FPDC of previous row, FPTC around 5^th and 6^th FPDC of previous row, FPTC (BEHIND the 2 FPTC you just made) around 3^rd and 4^th FPTC from previous row, 2 BPDC, repeat from * to * ONCE, 3 FPDC. Join to top of CH 2. CH 2.

ROW 9 (You'll be decreasing on this row so it starts differently.): FPDC, *2 BPDC, FPTC in 3^rd FPDC SP, FPDC in 1^st FPDC SP by going BEHIND the FPTC you just made, FPDC in 2^nd FPDC SP making sure you go in front of both previous stitches you just made to the middle post of the set, 2 BPDC, FPDC*, 2 BPDC, 6 FPDC, 2 BPDC, FPDC, repeat from * to *, BPDC2TOG, FPTC in 3^rd FPDC SP, FPDC in 1^st FPDC SP by going BEHIND the FPTC you just made, FPDC in 2^nd FPDC SP making sure you go in front of both previous stitches you just made to the middle post of the set. Join with SL ST to CH 2. CH 2. (33 ST)

ROW 10: FPDC, BPDC2TOG, 3 FPDC, 2 BPDC, FPDC, 2 BPDC, FPTC in 3^rd and 4^th FPDC SP, FPTC in 2^nd and 1^st FPDC SP, FPDC in 5^th and 6^th FPDC SP, 2 BPDC, FPDC, 2 BPDC, 3 FPDC, BPDC2TOG, FPDC, BPDC, 3 FPDC. Join with SL ST to CH 2. CH 2. (31 ST)

ROW 11: FPDC, BPDC, *FPTC in 3^rd FPDC SP, FPDC in 1^st FPDC SP by going BEHIND the FPTC you just made, FPDC in 2^nd FPDC SP making sure you go in front of both previous stitches you just made to the middle post of the set*, 2 BPDC, FPDC, 2 BPDC, 6 FPDC, 2 BPDC, 2 FPDC, 2 BPDC, repeat from * to *, BPDC, FPDC, BPDC, repeat from * to *. Join to top of CH 2. CH 2.

ROW 12: FPDC, BPDC, 3 FPDC, BPDC2TOG, FPDC, 2 BPDC, FPDC in 1^st and 2^nd, FPTC in 5^th and 6^th, FPTC (BEHIND the 2 FPTC you just made) around 3^rd and 4^th FPTC from previous row, 2 BPDC, FPDC, BPDC2TOG, 3 FPDC, BPDC, FPDC, BPDC, 3 FPDC. Join with SL ST to CH2. CH 2.

ROW 13: *FPDC, BPDC, FPTC in 3^rd FPDC SP, FPDC in 1^st FPDC SP by going BEHIND the FPTC you just made, FPDC in 2^nd FPDC SP making sure you go in front of both previous stitches you just made to the middle post of the set*, BPDC, FPDC, 2 BPDC, 6 FPDC, 2 BPDC, repeat from * to *, BPDC, repeat from * to *. Join with SL ST to CH 2. CH 2.

ROW 14: FPDC, BPDC, 3 FPDC, BPDC, FPDC, BPDC2TOG, FPTC in 3^rd and 4^th FPDC SP, FPTC in 2^nd and 1^st FPDC SP, FPDC in 5^th and 6^th FPDC SP, BPDC2TOG, FPDC, BPDC, 3 FPDC, BPDC, FPDC, 3 BPDC. JOIN. CH 2. (29 ST)

ROW 15: *FPDC, BPDC, FPTC in 3^rd FPDC SP, FPDC in 1^st FPDC SP by going BEHIND the FPTC you just made, FPDC in 2^nd FPDC SP making sure you go in front of both previous stitches you just made to the middle post of the set*, BPDC, FPDC, BPDC, 6 FPDC, BPDC, repeat from * to *, BPDC, repeat from * to *. Join with SL ST to CH 2. CH 2.

ROW 16: FPDC, BPDC, 3 FPDC, BPDC, FPDC, BPDC, FPDC in 1^st and 2^nd, FPTC in 5^th and 6^th, FPTC (BEHIND the 2 FPTC you just made) around 3^rd and 4^th FPTC from previous row, BPDC, FPDC, BPDC, 3 FPDC, BPDC, FPDC, 3 BPDC. JOIN. CH 2.

ROW 17: *FPDC, BPDC, FPTC in 3^rd FPDC SP, FPDC in 1^st FPDC SP by going BEHIND the FPTC you just made, FPDC in 2^nd FPDC SP making sure you go in front of both previous stitches you just made to the middle post of the set*, BPDC, FPDC, BPDC, 6 FPDC, BPDC, repeat from * to *, BPDC, repeat from * to *. Join with SL ST to CH 2. CH 2.

ROW 18: FPDC, BPDC, 3 FPDC, BPDC, FPDC, BPDC, FPTC in 3^rd and 4^th FPDC SP, FPTC in 2^nd and 1^st FPDC SP, FPDC in 5^th and 6^th FPDC SP, BPDC, FPDC, BPDC, 3 FPDC, BPDC, FPDC, 3 BPDC. JOIN. CH 2.

ROW 19: FPDC around each ST (29 ST). Join to top of CH 2. CH 2

ROW 20: FPDC around each ST (29 ST). Join to top of CH 2. CH 2

ROW 21: BPDC around each stitch (29 ST). Join to top of CH 2. CH 2

ROW 22: FPDC, BPDC around (29 ST). Join to top of CH 2. **END**

LEFT HAND:

ROW 1- 5 are worked the same as for the right hand.

ROW 6: BPDC, FPDC, 2 BPDC, 3 FPD, 2 BPDC, FPDC, 2 BPDC, 6 FPDC, BPDC, FPDC, 2 BPDC, 3 FPDC, CH 2 – skip next 2 ST (this is the thumb space), FPDC, 2 BPDC, 3 FPDC. Join with SL ST to CH 2.

ROW 7: BPDC, FPDC, 2 BPDC, *FPTC in 3^rd FPDC SP, FPDC in 1^st FPDC SP by going BEHIND the FPTC you just made, FPDC in 2^nd FPDC SP making sure you go in front of both previous stitches you just made*, 2 BPDC, FPDC, 2 BPDC, FPTC in 3^rd and 4^th FPDC SP, FPTC in 1^st and 2^nd FPDC SP, FPDC in 5^th and 6^th FPDC SP, 2 BPDC, FPDC, 2 BPDC, repeat from * to *, 2 DC in chain 2 SP, FPDC, 2 BPDC, repeat from * to *. Join to top of CH 2. CH 2.

ROWS 8-22 are worked the same as for the right hand.

For The Thumb Spaces:

Join yarn to any place and SC around the opening for your thumb.  When you get to the first ST join with SL ST and CH 1. SC in each CH SP around, increasing ST if necessary join last to first, CH 1.  Continue SC rows until half of the thumb is covered.

So there you go! My first ever pattern...it's not perfect, but I still put it out there because it ain't half bad, either.