A jute extravaganza...

Last week, I got talked into getting my daughter a hamster.  She's obviously lost interest already but I wouldn't have given in and got it if I didn't quite like the idea of a furry little friend.

Anyway, obviously my first thoughts were....Yay! I'll crochet him a lovely bed.  First attempt was a rather exotic cotton affair that I suspended from the top of the cage...he never even chewed it. Bah.

Then I recalled some jute string that was lurking in the shed and knocked out a little HDC number while my hair dye was doing it's thing.  In my enthusiasm for my new project I forgot to set a timer.  It appears that I can safely leave dye on my hair for 40 mins or so with no ill effects....maybe even better grey coverage perhaps...and the bed is complete. 

He doesn't seem overly impressed.  In fact, he's relocated his nest behind it. Poo.  In hindsight, I think it needs to be bigger, I'd probably better not be dyeing my hair for the next attempt, I may end up bald.

I also made another heart in the string.  I'm sure I should come up with some clever pun here...something about heart strings.  Regardless, I see much jute in my future...

A cute little heart pattern

I guess it's that time of year to be getting a little romantic so I thought I'd add my own little heart pattern to the crochet community.

This one has the optional 4th Row done in the same colour

This one has the optional 4th Row done in a different colour

And this one is the smaller heart hung over the larger heart

And here's the pattern.  I've even done a printable version here ( I hope.... I followed some instructions from here which seemed simple enough...)

Larger Crochet Heart Shape

Note	Instructions in () to be done in the same stitch
Row 1	8sc in adjustable loop and sl.st to first
Row 2	In sc after sl.st (sc, hdc), (dc, dc), (sc, hdc), dc, (hdc, sc), (dc, dc), (hdc, sc) sl.st
Row 3	(hdc, dc), (dc, dc) (hdc, sc) (sc, sc), sc, sc, (sc, tr, sc don’t worry that tr gets pushed to the back – that’s the pointy bit), sc, sc, (sc, sc) (sc, hdc), (dc, dc), (dc, hdc), sl.st. finish here with long end to make into a loop if required or:
Row 4 (Optional)	Sl.st round front post of each stitch except the tr chain at the bottom and finish with sl.st in row below at top centre of heart.  This looks nice when done in a different colour. Or you could just thread up a needle and chain stitch round the posts.  Leave a long end to pull through to the back and make into a loop if required. J

Little Crochet Heart Shape

Row 1	8sc in adjustable loop and sl.st to first
Row 2	In sc after sl.st (sc, hdc, dc), (dc,dc), (sc, sc), (sc, tr, sc), (sc, sc), (dc, dc), (dc, hdc, sc), sl.st.  Pull long end through to make a loop or just finish off neatly J

Happy Valentines day