Crochet Pattern, Travel Tic Tac Toe

Here is a picture of my first completed travel Tic Tac Toe. Since this is from my head, I am going to test the pattern as written in the next few days and take pictures as I go for instructional purposes. Check back soon! It's a fun project for kids, beginning crocheters, as well as yarn junkies with oodles of gauge swatches lying around.

SKILL LEVEL - easy
FINISHED SIZE - 5" x 5"
YARN - Lily Sugar and Cream, as many colors as you want.
HOOK - K/10.5
NOTIONS - yarn needle
Gauge - not important for this project. You can use any yarn and any hook - more experienced crocheters who choose a different yarn, can adjust the number of stitches and rows, a multiple of three works best, to obtain the correct size of about 4" by 4". Also, instead of making the game pieces out of yarn, you could use buttons, coins, etc.


Game Board- Front/Back (make 2)
Chain 13
Row 1: sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc across, ch 1, turn. (12 sc)
Row 2-11: sc across, ch 1, turn.
Row 12: sc across, fasten off.

Place the two squares back to back, lining up row 12 at the top edge. Join a contrasting color yarn (insert hook through both squares, draw up a loop, chain 1, hold yarn tail in place and stitch over it to hide.) Begin sc through both pieces evenly down one side (may be more than 12 stitches), across the bottom (should be about 12 stitches across) and up the third side. At the corners, add in one extra sc to round out the corner. At the top edge, sc across, through only one side, finishing back where you started, fasten off and weave in ends. This makes a pocket to hold games pieces with contrasting border. Use contrasting color yarn and yarn needle to backstitch a tic tac toe grid across the front. Use the stitches and rows to guide you along in a straight line.

Game Pieces - (make 5 each)
"O"
Make adjustable ring (wrap the end of your yarn around your first two fingers two times, so that the end of the yarn is closest to the end of your fingers. Slide the crochet hook under the first loop, grab the second loop with the hook and draw it through the first loop.)
Ch 1, sc 6 inside.
Pull tail to close loop.
Sc2 in each sc around (12 stitches), sl st to close, fasten off. Pull tail through middle to the back and tie off with the beginning tail in two overhand knots, snip ends to 1/2 inch or so.

"X"
*Ch 3.
Sc in 2nd ch from hook.
Sl st in next ch sp.*
rep from * to* three more times.
Sl st to join back in 1st ch sp.
Fasten off.
Pull tail through middle to the back and tie off with the beginning tail in two overhand knots, snip ends to 1/2 inch or so.

sidenote:
I have looked at so many crochet pattern websites in the last six months, but to to my knowledge, this is my original idea. I have searched them over again, to be sure, and found only one other game with a completely different concept and construction.

another pocket kitty...

New friend's daughter is having a birthday on Wednesday. It's supposed to be a cat, but I think it looks like a mouse. (I'll starch the ears into a point, that might help.) But we'll see what she thinks and which she wants it to be.

pocket kitty...

It occurred to me that maybe I should post links to the patterns I have been using... Mostly I trawl crochetpatterncentral. That's where I found the Easter rattle, turtle, and poc kitty. I finished Mia's honeycomb sunhat (pattern from bythehook) last week in the same strawberry pink ombre as the kitty, but it was too big. I passed it on to a friend before I could get a picture.
I am still working on Mia's sundress, the skirt is fifteen inches from the bottom of the bodice. The stitching got monotonous after the first four inches, which is why I have been sneaking in these other little projects. I am about half way down the skirt now, then a little trim work around the bodice. Won't be too long. She doesn't believe that I am making her a dress because it isn't pink (I chose a light green with white stripes.)

Oh and I had my sewing machine tuned up for the first time since I received it as a gift almost 12 years ago. I had to stop mid-project because it was not stitching evenly and would periodically spit out gobs of bobbin thread. So when I finish topstitching my placemats, I'll post a picture of them too. They were made entirely of remnant fabric for a total cost of about $10 for all eight of them, that includes the cost of a can of stain resistor spray starch. That's $1.25 each, you can't find placemats that cheap, even at Walmart.

diversions...

Tim has blogged on his site about our field trip to the Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Mason Monuments. This picture was taken outside the Jefferson, Tim has more pictures on his site. We had a great time and the kids were real troopers as usual. I think we are going back today to see a few more while their interest is high. It is interesting to note that there were not many children out yesterday, several senior citizen groups, and a few families with older teens.

I haven't been blogging much, I have succumbed to the yarn bug and my crochet habit is growing (some would say) out of control. I am working on a dress for Mia, but enjoying small projects that I can pick up at night and usually finish in one sitting. I did a few rattles for my nephew, see picture. This one is a bunny with a few plastic pebbles sealed inside a plastic egg and stitched into the body section. I also made a carrot with the same concept - plastic egg inside. I also just finished a turtle for a friend's little boy. Up next is a sun hat for Mia and maybe a matching pocket kitty cat. The boys have expressed interest in stuffed dinosaurs and dragons. I am searching for those patterns.