Tea Cake Scarf Free Crochet Pattern

GET THE CARON TEA CAKE SCARF FREE PDF DOWNLOAD CROCHET PATTERN BELOW.

PLUS FIND THE VIDEO TUTORIAL BELOW

I've been completely smitten by the new line of Caron Cakes that have been released a few weeks ago. If you follow me on Instagram, you know it's all I've been raving about. The colors are all very earthy and gorgeous, the texture is on point, and the fact that they now come in a bulky weighted yarn just puts the icing on the cake. ;)

It was so hard to chose what color I wanted to snatch up first. I ultimately decided on the Caron Tea Cake in the colorway "Oolong".  It has pretty blue tones with a heathered look, and it went along with my dark complexion. What to make with it? A scarf, of course.

I leafed through my crochet stitch dictionary and found a very pretty texture. Do you use a crochet stitch dictionary? I recently got mine, and I love it! The one I have has a very nice layout, well organized, and it's very easy to find what kind of stitch you're looking for. I'll link the one I have down below ;)

The final question - infinity or traditional? I've made so many infinities in the past (and I do love wearing them and making them!) so I wanted to go a different route and go for a long traditional scarf.

It took most of two cakes before I reached the length I needed. It's soft, squishy, has tons of texture, and most importantly it's so warm! Let me tell you guys, this scarf will be sure to keep you nice in cozy in the colder months to come.  I know this will be my go to scarf for cold fall nights and bone chilling days during the winter.

Another thing I love about this scarf is that it's long enough that I can wear it two ways (and probably many other ways). In the first picture I folded it in half, then looped it through - this is my favorite way to wear scarves under my winter jackets. In the later picture, I just wrapped it around my neck once and it's more breathable for not as cold days. 

Have you tried the new caron cakes out yet? What do you think?
If you make a scarf, I'd love to see what colorway you chose! Tag me on social media @mariasbluecrayon

DOWNLOAD THE FREE PDF CROCHET PATTERN HERE.

PIN IT TO YOUR CROCHET BOARD ON PINTEREST.

I've also included a video tutorial so you can easily learn the stitch! SEE IT BELOW!

WANT MORE FREE PDF DOWNLOADS?
CLICK HERE

Christmas Granny Afghan CAL Materials List

Who wants to join in on a crochet along to make a festive Christmas Granny Afghan?!

I'm so happy and proud that I was able to complete this blanket in a short amount of time to put together my first ever crochet along for you all! I'm looking forward to bringing together the crochet community to work on something fun and to encourage and support each other along the way! Join the Facebook group to be with other yarn lovers like yourselves ;)

I know many of you have been waiting on the complete materials list and I finally have it for you! It's been a rough few days with having to get my wisdom teeth removed, but I pushed on to get the afghan completed so you all have some time to get all the materials needed.

I have posted some details previously in this post if you want to check it out.  Click here when you are ready to start the afghan!

Below is everything I used to make the Christmas Granny Afghan.  It is not required that you use the exact materials I did, but if you do plan on using different yarn - worsted weighted yarn would be preferable and watch your yardage as different brands have different sized skeins.

All the yarn I used is Lion Brand Vanna's Choice worsted weighted yarn that has 170 yards per skein. (Keep that in mind if choosing a different brand).

8 skeins Linen (pale gray/dusty off-white)
2 skeins Fern (slightly lighter shade of green pictured above)
2 skeins Kelly Green (shade of green pictured above)
3 skeins Cranberry (dark red)
2 skeins Scarlet (red)
2 skeins White
(less than 1 skein) Black
(less than 1 skein) Taupe (brown)
(less than 1 skein) Beige
(less than 1 skein) Colonial Blue (blue)
(less than 1 skein) Mustard (darker shade of yellow)
(less than 1 skein) Terracotta (orange)
I hook (5.25mm)
G hook (4.0mm)
E hook (3.50mm)
Tapestry needle
Scissors
8 small buttons in different colors & thread and needle for attachment (for gingerbread man appliques)
40 (6mm) safety eyes (can be substituted with sewing eyes on with black yarn if preferred)

*I bought my safety eyes off Amazon 100 pieces for about $6, best deal I have found so far. Never had problems with them - I've boughten 2 sets already. You can buy them here: Darice SBE20 100-Piece Solid Black Eyes, 6mm


Notes: If you are using different brands and would like to use similar colors, I described some of the color names of the skeins I used in parenthesis above as some of the names aren't obvious as to what color can be substituted for.

The colors used for the granny squares are linen, kelly green, fern, cranberry, and scarlet. If you choose to make your squares different colors you will still need the kelly green, fern, cranberry, and scarlet for the appliques.

The official start of the crochet along will be September 3rd! The CAL will run until the last week of October. Each week we will be making 8 squares plus a design and the very last week we will join and do the border.

Grab your materials and get ready to begin :) When you are ready to start, you can find the main page of the CAL here.

You can find the main page of the CAL here

Sign up for the mailing list on the side bar if you don't want to miss anything!
You can also stay up to date by following any of my social media pages:
Instagram
Facebook

I've also made a Facebook group for everyone to share their works and for support/encouragement! See you there!

Christmas Crochet Along Announcement

Who's interested in a crochet along for a Christmas Granny Square Afghan?!


 What will the project be?

The project will be a throw sized Christmas themed afghan. It will be similar to my past granny square projects (Ocean Afghan & Woodland Afghan). For this particular afghan, I will have 8 different Christmas themed designs that will be repeated throughout the afghan.

 This won't be a mystery CAL, you will know exactly what the project will look like before you get started. I am shooting for the middle of August to get this project finished so you can all see if you would like to participate in making this afghan.

Also, I will have the supplies/materials list available to you at this time as well so you have about 2 weeks to purchase/gather your supplies.

**UPDATE** I have finished the afghan and have the materials list here.
When you are ready to start the CAL - click here for the main page of the CAL

How big will the afghan be?

The finished size for this afghan is roughly 58" x 58"

 What is the time frame for this CAL?

September 3rd - November 4th. I will release one design every Sunday for 9 weeks along with the 'assignment' for the week. The last week will be bringing this afghan all together by joining and making a border. You will have this Christmas Afghan ready in time for Christmas :)

 Can beginners do this project?

Yes! I plan on having video tutorials along with each written pattern so this CAL can be for all skill levels!

 Is it free?

Yasss!! This CAL will be absolutely free on my blog. However, there will be a PDF available to purchase as most of my other patterns are. This PDF will be a downloadable/printable and ad-free for you to have on hand that will include the entire schedule of the CAL along with what needs to be done each week, all materials needed, all design patterns - basically everything you need to make this afghan whether you would like to participate in the CAL or go at your own pace.

The PDF would also be convenient to print out so you can crochet where you would like without needing access to internet and/or device.

But like I said.. Yes, absolutely free on my blog for anyone.

Can I get a reminder for this?

Yes! You can sign up for my mailing list on the side bar or you can join my Facebook group that I've created to bring yarn crafters together! I hope this Facebook group will allow everyone participating in the CAL to share, ask questions, and to find support and encouragement throughout the project!
You find the group at this link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1991216357832159/
or by searching "Maria's Blue Crayon Yarn Friends" on Facebook.

 Have any other questions? Feel free to comment below!

So much yarn to play with 😊😊 If you saw my last post, you know I'm planning a Crochet Along. I dropped some of the details in my story if you're curious 🙃 . . . . #yarn #yarnlove #yarnaholic #yarnaddict #lionbrandyarn #lionbrand #bhooked #madewithmichaels #crochetlife #xmasinjuly #crochetallday #momboss #yarnpreneur #makeology #fiberartist #yayforcrochet #crochetgirlgang #crochetwip #allthingsyarn #crochetlover #crochetersofinsta #crochetersofig #crochetersofinstagram #sfmgsswoon

A post shared by Crochet Life ➰ Maria 🌮📚🙃 (@mariasbluecrayon) on Jul 24, 2017 at 6:34am PDT

I have been posting on my Instagram about the CAL - if you'd like to see some snippets before it's completed and for other projects I am working on, you can follow me there! www.instagram.com/mariasbluecrayon

Outdoor Picnic Blanket Crochet Pattern

I've been working this blanket up since May! It's finally done and I'm thrilled! The weather has been beautiful and perfect for picnics at the park. We love bringing blankets to the park and laying it down in the shade to enjoy the outdoors! We don't always go to a park either - backyard hangs are just as good. :)

As long as there is a big ol' tree for us to sit under, we are content. Something about sitting under a tree with the light trickling through the branches is just so relaxing to me. Add a blanket, some books and food? You can find us under that tree all day.

We are very big on impromptu picnics this summer, so it's nice to have this blanket in my car that I can pull out whenever and where ever.  That also means we tend to stop at the nearest store to grab lunch - what's easier than lunchables? As you can see from my son's face, he approves.

Throughout the process, I've had many people ask me about the pattern and it's so easy you won't even believe it. Ready to hear it? Single Crochet! That's it. If all you know how to do is chain and single crochet, this blanket is for you. And if you're way far advanced? Well, this will be a very relaxing and mindless project for you! I'm not going to lie - it's a lot of work because single crochets are so tiny, but every stitch was worth it because it came out beautifully.

This picnic blanket that I came up with is so simple and the stripes are what really make it!  I wanted something not too hole-y and sturdy enough to keep from the grass sticking through and something easy to shake off. Oh, and the fringe! Patting myself on the back for that one because it really adds a nice touch. ;) Since it is all made up of single crochet, it's all nice and tight and somewhat rigid. I wouldn't say this is a blanket for cuddly use unless you perhaps use a different yarn and a larger hook size to get more flow and drape.

I've even thought after picnic days are over, this would make a wonderful rug for my son's room during the colder months when we aren't using it outdoors. So it really has two uses, which is fantastic! I already have a hard time looking for space to store all of my crochet things. If I can leave it out year long, that's a bonus. ;)

If you want the short version/tutorial of the pattern summed up:

136 single crochets across, 24 rows of each stripe (I started with white and ended with white for a total of 9 stripes, and add fringe! I have everything written out in a formal pattern below if you would like to follow that.

Materials:
2 skeins Caron One Pound in White and 1 skein Cape Cod Blue
J hook
Tapestry needle and Scissors

Amazon Picks (affiliate links):


Notes:
This blanket measures approximately

You can easily make this blanket larger/smaller my increasing/decreasing the beginning chain for width and adding/decreasing rows for length.

Starting with white
Row 1: Chain 137, Sc into second chain from hook and across, turn
Row 2-24: Chain 1, SC across, turn
Change to Cape Cod Blue
Row 25 - 48: Chain 1, Sc across, turn
Change to white
Row 49 - 72: Chain 1, Sc across, turn
Change to Cape Cod Blue
Row 73 - 96: Chain 1, Sc across, turn
Change to White
Row 97 - 120: Chain 1, Sc across, turn
Change to Cape Cod Blue
Row 121 - 144: Chain 1, Sc across, turn
Change to White
Row 145 - 168: Chain 1, Sc across, turn
Change to Cape Cod Blue
Row 169 - 192: Chain 1, Sc across, turn
Change to White
Row 193 - 216: Chain 1, Sc across, fasten off

To add fringe: Cut 10 inch pieces of white yarn. Holding two strands of 10 inch pieces of yarn, fold in half, use a hook to pull folded yarn through stitch and pull the ends through the loop created.
Add to every other stitch on both ends of the blanket using two 10 inch pieces of yarn for each stitch.