Gracie's Stitch & Scissor Keeper

My gorgeous friend Gracie, her husband Mick, Mr YMC and I often go on road trips and adventures together.  We have a fantastic time, laugh a lot, eat & drink a bit (or a lot depending on your perspective and never while driving), have fabulous experiences and just enjoy each other's company.  Gracie and I will generally sit in the back seat together so we can partake in a little bit of 'Carchet' (crocheting in the car) and chat!  

I don't think we have ever been on a road trip where Gracie hasn't either forgotten or lost her stitch markers!  I always bring plenty so it is never an issue but I was thinking about how I could help Gracie keep her stitch markers safe and easy to find.  As often happens I then totally forgot about it!!!

That was until I was packing an order recently of this gorgeous 100% cotton from Premier Yarns and started thinking about what I could make with some (in between a little envy). 

 

 

It just so happened that we were also planning to go away on another road trip with Gracie and Mick and I remembered that I had wanted to come up with a solution for Gracie and her stitch markers!

So I quickly got to creating something that is a little bit cute and a lot bit useful and that is how Gracie's Stitch and Scissor keeper came to be!  Of course once I finished creating I thought of all the wonderful humans in my Yarniverse and set about writing up the pattern to share with you all!  

I have written the pattern in both UK & US terms below!

 

 

Materials:

• Premier Yarns Hipster Cotton (or other 8 ply cotton), I used colour way Summer Splash
• 3.50mm crochet hook (I used a Tulip Etimo Red)
• Small amount of filling for tassel (I used yarn scraps to minimise waste!)
• Needle for weaving in ends
• Scissors
• Credit card or other card approximately 7cm long for making tassel (or tassel maker) 
• Stitch markers

 

 

 

Tassel

Make this first as you will be attaching it to your work as you go!

Wrap your yarn lengthwise approximately 60 times around your credit card.  This makes a lovely 'full' tassel.  Cut yarn so it is even with the rest of the 'wraps'.

 

 

Cut an additional 20cm length of yarn and thread this through your needle. Slide your needle under all your 'wraps' at the end of your card and pull through.  Repeat this so you have loop of yarn around all of your 'wraps' and an end of yarn on each side of your card.  Remove you needle and pull all of your 'wraps' tightly together using your two ends and tie a tight double knot ensuring your knot stays at the top of your card.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cut all of the loops at the opposite end of your card.  Cut another length of yarn, approximately 30cm long and thread onto your needle.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wrap the yarn twice around your tassel approximately 2cm from the top.  Using your needle pass the yarn through the top the of the tassel around 10 times securing the wrapped yarn at the same time.  Tie the end of your yarn off and trim your tassel so all the ends are nice and neat!

 

 

Hints & Tips:

I use the dc2tog technique where you only use the front loops of the stitches.  I find this gives a better finish and makes the decrease almost invisible.

You will be working in the round - do not join at the end of each row continue to the next row.

I used 'yarn under' instead of 'yarn over' to get a tighter finish on my stitches.

 

 

Stitch & Scissor Keeper

UK Terms. 

Stitches used:

ch - chain

dc - double crochet

bldc - back loop only double crochet

fldc - front loop only double crochet

dc2tog - double crochet two stitches together to decrease. 

 

Create a magic ring. 

Round 1: 8 dc in to the ring (8)

Round 2: 2 dc into each stitch (16)

Round 3: 1 bldc into each stitch (this creates a nice flat base) (16)

Round 4: 1 dc into each stitch (16)

Round 5: 1 dc into each stitch (16)

Round 6: 1 dc into each stitch (16)

 

 

Now we will attach our tassel!  

Thread both of the ends at the top of your tassel onto your needle.  Pass the needle through the magic circle at the bottom of your Stitch and Scissor keeper, and attach your tassel to the starting length of yarn by tying together and securely tightly.  This not only attaches you tassel but also secures your magic ring and stops it from opening up!  Tuck all of the ends inside your work - they will become part of the filling.

 

  

 

Round 7: (working in the front loop only) 1 fldc, ch 5, skip 2 stitches, 1 fldc, repeat 3 times.  You should have 4 x ch 5 loops and 8 fldc (16)

Round 8: (working into the back loop only of round 6) 1 bldc into each stitch - if you pull all of your loops down it makes it much easier to find the back loops! (16)

Round 9: 1 dc into each stitch (16)

Round 10: (working in the front loop only) 1 fldc, ch 5, skip 2 stitches, 1 fldc, repeat 3 times.  You should have 4 x ch 5 loops and 8 fldc (16)

Round 11: (working into the back loop only of round 9) 1 bldc into each stitch (16)

Round 12: 1 dc into each stitch (16)

Round 13: (working in the front loop only) 1 fldc, ch 5, skip 2 stitches, 1 fldc, repeat 3 times.  You should have 4 x ch 5 loops and 8 fldc (16)

Round 14: (working into the back loop only of round 12) 1 bldc into each stitch (16)

Round 15: 1 dc into each stitch (16)

 

Loosely fill with filling of your choice (I used yarn scraps!).

 

Round 16: dc2tog, 1 dc, 5 times.  1 dc. (11)

Round 17: dc2tog 5 times. 1 dc.  (6)

 

Finish off leaving a long tail.  Add more filling if necessary and close hole by threading tail onto a needle and sewing through the front loops only of the remaining 6 stitches - pull tightly to close.

Using tail create a loop to attach to your scissors by sewing the tail back through the closure leaving a loop approximately 5-10cm long (depending on your preference).  Secure by knotting at the base of the loop.

 

US Terms. 

Stitches used:

ch - chain

sc - single crochet

blsc - back loop only single crochet

flsc - front loop only single crochet

sc2tog - single crochet two stitches together to decrease. 

 

Create a magic ring.

Round 1: 8 sc in to the ring (8)

Round 2: 2 sc into each stitch (16)

Round 3: 1 blsc into each stitch (this creates a nice flat base) (16)

Round 4: 1 sc into each stitch (16)

Round 5: 1 sc into each stitch (16)

Round 6: 1 sc into each stitch (16)

 

 

Now we will attach our tassel! 

Thread both of the ends at the top of your tassel onto your needle.  Pass the needle through the magic circle at the bottom of your Stitch and Scissor keeper, and attach your tassel to the starting length of yarn by tying together and securely tightly.  This not only attaches you tassel but also secures your magic ring and stops it from opening up!  Tuck all of the ends inside your work - they will become part of the filling.

 

 

Round 7: (working in the front loop only) 1 flsc, ch 5, skip 2 stitches, 1 flsc, repeat 3 times.  You should have 4 x ch 5 loops and 8 flsc (16)

Round 8: (working into the back loop only of round 6) 1blsc into each stitch - if you pull all of your loops down it makes it much easier to find the back loops! (16)

Round 9: 1 sc into each stitch (16)

Round 10: (working in the front loop only) 1 flsc, ch 5, skip 2 stitches, 1 flsc, repeat 3 times.  You should have 4 x ch5 loops and 8 flsc (16)

Round 11: (working into the back loop only of round 9) 1blsc into each stitch (16)

Round 12: 1 sc into each stitch (16)

Round 13: (working in the front loop only) 1 flsc, ch 5, skip 2 stitches, 1 flsc, repeat 3 times.  You should have 4 x ch5 loops and 8 flsc (16)

Round 14: (working into the back loop only of round 12) 1 blsc into each stitch (16)

Round 15: 1 sc into each stitch (16)

 

Loosely fill with filling of your choice (I used yarn scraps!).

 

Round 16: sc2tog, 1 sc, 5 times.  1 sc. (11)

Round 17: sc2tog 5 times. 1 sc.  (6)

 

Finish off leaving a long tail.  Add more filling if necessary and close hole by threading tail onto a needle and sewing through the front loops only of the remaining 6 stitches - pull tightly to close.

Using tail create a loop to attach to your scissors by sewing the tail back through the closure leaving a loop approximately 5-10cm long (depending on your preference).  Secure by knotting at the base of the loop.

 

I made 3 of Gracie's Stitch and Scissor Keepers while I was testing and retesting, writing up the pattern and taking photos.   I still had 70 grams left from my 100 gram ball when I was finished!

 

 

You are welcome to share the pattern, however please acknowledge that the design belongs to Yarn Me Calm respecting my rights as a designer, thank you!  I would also love it if you tag me if you make any of my designs!

I do my best to make sure that there aren't any errors but hey, I'm human!  If you do find any bugs in the pattern please don't hesitate to contact me via email so I can iron them out!

I am not perfect so I definitely make mistakes!

If you have questions about this pattern, please contact me at

andrea@yarnmecalm.com.au

 

I hope you enjoy the pattern!

Andrea x