Crochet Beard Pattern

Inspired by all the crochet beards online, I desperately wanted to make one myself. Mostly because I don't have a spare $50 to drop on one, and secondly because the level of awesome exponentially increases with the effort put into a project like this. For me at least.

I couldn't really find a crochet pattern that fit what I was looking for, I tried a few and knitted a few and got a basic idea for the shape/lengths to use and then figured out what stitches I liked and came up with my own pattern for a crochet beard.

I have yet to finish the beanie that I will attach the beard too, though, and I haven't photographed it because I'm super busy with school and things, and I can't find my crochet hook right now to finish the beanie. And quite frankly I'm too lazy to go find another of the same size. Though I know I have one. Somewhere.

Ahem. Back to the point of the matter: the pattern.

I used worsted weight yarn and my missing crochet hook is an H or a K. I forget, and since it's missing.....

Ch42 for the base.  Or…Make it the length you want, plus two. (This length is the bottom of the beard…all the way across between fastenings on the hat)

Ch2, turn.

DC in third stitch from hook.

3DC (total of 4 on this row so far)

Popcorn stitch in next stitch: Popcorn = 4DC in same stitch, release loop and insert hook front to back through opening before PC, re-hook end of popcorn and pull through opening)

[DC, PC] repeat across until end: then 3DC last 

*Ch2, turn.

 3DC, [PC,DC] across (this popcorn is done reversed: 4DC in same stitch, release loop and insert hook back to front through opening before PC, re-hook end of popcorn and pull through opening—this pops the stitches towards you, keeping them the same as the previous row) until last 3 stitches: 3DC last.

Ch2, turn.

3DC, [PC, DC] across until last three, 3DC last. *

Repeat from * to * until beard meets the length you’re looking for: just under the bottom lip. Mine is 6 rows, but it covers most of the under side of my chin.

Next we’ll make the mouth opening.

Ch2, turn.

3DC, [PC, DC] 8times.

…if you made yours a different length, you can fold it in half and count 2.5 popcorns in (this will be the mouth opening—mine is about 5 popcorns wide) from that you can count how many remaining popcorns +DC  you need to crochet to get to that opening point. The chain you make has to be equal to the number of stitches you are skipping, one for each DC and one for each PC.

Ch 9 (or the amount required from the math above)

Skip 9 stitches and DC in the 10th stitch. [PC, DC] across to last 3 as before, 3DC in last.

Ch 2, turn. Repeat the popcorn, DC pattern across as before. 

I only needed one more row of popcorn/DC to make it a good size, so from there I finished by doing slip stitch around the perimeter. I added an extra chain or two around the corners to keep it square, but this is all up to you, get the feel for what works with your stitching and yarn weight. 

Once the perimeter was even with a round of slip stitches, I cut the yarn and tied off, weaving in the ends. 

My particular beard covers most of my neck here, which is nice in the cold of winter, but aesthetically you may be looking for something else, adjust your number of rows of popcorn/DC as necessary.

When I have a finished beanie and attached the beard I'll post a photo, in the mean time if any of the above doesn't make sense, just ask! I have only made one and haven't followed the pattern as written (I wrote as I went) so there may be some errors. 

Jeep Clean-Up

My Jeep has not started in....months. It hasn't run in....years. It makes me very sad.

It sits. And rusts.

And sits.

The problem is electrical. Though I don't know exactly what is going on with it, I suspect there is a bad ground somewhere. (And right now, no battery...see below)

Something that is only going to be found with careful, patient searching.

The engine compartment is filthy. Mud, dirt, dust, leaking fluids, rust, etc.

So I'm thinking the best way to start this is to go through piece by piece and clean this thing up.

It's turning into restoration-level cleaning. Everything is dirty, so everything is going to be cleaned.

And it makes me happy. The potential.

There is some hope for my car.

As filthy as it may be now.

We had a warm enough day here to get some cleaning done on it. Now, it's been too cold to think about doing this...

 Some steel wool was a good start on this....

It was quite filthy. Rusty. Dirty.











You couldn't even read the warnings on it! Oh no! (Don't get your brake fluid dirty, is basically what it says)

Unless you want to clog the line and no longer have breaks.

But I'd have to have a moving car to worry too much about that, wouldn't I?

Progress.

You can see here (above) the corner I've started working from. The plan is to work from the front driver's side corner back and over.

The passenger side is a good example of how filthy the whole thing was to begin with.

Even the radiator needs cleaned, look at those deposits. Good sign.

I have a lot of work left to do.

But it's a start, and at this point that's all I can ask for.

And that I follow through with it.

Valentine's Candy

Valentine's Day is coming!

I'm very excited.

But also distraught because of how busy I am.

I'd like to do some paper crafting/card making soon.

But I'm not sure when I'll get to it.

I indulged in some candy hearts at the grocery store yesterday.

I have a young kid.

And I'm crazy, madly, hopelessly in love.

These two factors are important in rationalizing my purchase of kiddie candy.

That and, I just like them.

I also like Ball jars.

So I got out the camera, and took some shots.

Maybe I overdid it a bit.

But that's ok. It's digital. And it makes me happy.

Slot Car Racer

It's been a long week!

Classes started again at OWU, and after a week full of classes I needed to make a trip to Target.

Needed for a few things, wanted for some retail therapy, to be completely honest.

At Target, I found something unexpected for Aidan.

A Slot-Car Race Track.

He's two.

He doesn't need a slot-car race track.

But. It was on clearance.

For $12.

Ok, $11.98.

And it's from Cars 2. My child is obsessed with "Lightin' Queen".

I couldn't pass it up.

I was going to save it, but he saw me put it in the cart, and all bets were off.

Even Arlo likes chasing the cars.

This is definitely a toy to be used on a table, under adult supervision. But, he loves it, it was cheap, so why not?

Back to homework for now, I'll try to keep posting in between memorizing chemical equations and cloud types.

Watching. Waiting.

Arlo likes to sit at the end of the back deck.

Watching.

Waiting.

Sometimes, he lays down. Most of the time, he sits. Even in the snow.

He's so adorably regal as he watches over his yard.

Until next time!