Mini Pocket Sized Prayer Cloth... FREE Crochet Pattern

photo by Donna Bishop

This pattern is from the following website... http://southernbellecrochet.com/free-pattern-mini-prayer-cloth/

Here is my adaptation of the original prayer cloth pattern. Please feel free to use it to make mini prayer cloths to donate and/or gift them. It is a free pattern, so feel free to share it with others as well. I’ve also made it into a PDF file you can save to your computer for times you don’t have internet access. You’ll find that at the end of the pattern here.

photo by Iris Dongo

Mini Prayer Cloth

Crochet terms (US):

• ch: chain
• sc: single crochet
• dc : double crochet
• sl st: slip stitch
• pc: popcorn stitch

Materials Needed:

• Worsted Weight yarn
• H hook (5.00 mm)
• Tapestry needle

Special Instructions:

• Rows: I indicate rows by using the letter R and the row number. Example: R1 would be row one. After each row, you will ch 1 and turn.
• Popcorn Stitch: make 3 dc in the same stitch. Take hook out of last dc and leave loop hang. Insert hook into first dc (front to back, as normal) and grab the loop from last dc. Pull through first dc and ch 1. This ch 1 will not count as a stitch in the row – you will skip it when you sc in the next row. Push popcorn stitch forward to make it stick out if needed.

Instructions:

Remember: at the end of each row, ch 1 and turn.

R1: ch 10. sc in 2nd ch from hook and in the next 8 ch (9 sc)

R2: sc across (9 sc)

R3: sc in next 4 sts, pc in next st, sc in next 4 sts (8 sc, 1 popcorn)

R4: sc across (9 sc)

R5: sc in next 4 sts, pc in next st, sc in next 4 sts (8 sc, 1 popcorn)

R6: sc across (9 sc)

R7: sc in next 2 sts, pc in next st, sc in next st, pc in next st, sc in next st, pc in next st, sc in next 2 sts (6 sc, 3 popcorn)

R8: sc across (9 sc)

R9: sc in next 4 sts, pc in next st, sc in next 4 sts (8 sc, 1 popcorn)

R10: sc across (9 sc)

R11: sc across. ch 1, but DO NOT turn. (9 sc)

Finishing: 2 sc in last st of R11, then sc evenly around the prayer cloth, making 3 sc in each corner except the first corner. Once you get back to the first corner, make 1 sc in that st (it will already have 2sc in it). Fasten off and weave in ends.

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Download/save the PDF file by clicking HERE.

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Copyright information: This pattern is ©2014 Southern Belle Crochet (Iris Dongo). The pattern and related photographs contained in it are property of Southern Belle Crochet. The original pattern belongs to the Sadie Sunshine Chapter of Crochet for Cancer. This is my adaptation to make a smaller, pocket sized cloth.

Please feel free to use this to make mini prayer cloths for charity or gifts. If you are looking for an organization to donate to, I highly suggest donating to any chapter of Crochet for Cancer. You can find a list of their chapters on their website (http://crochetforcancer.org) as well as other free patterns to make chemo caps.

If you have any questions regarding this pattern and/or the ways you are allowed to use it, please contact me.

Original pattern can be found at: http://hendersonmemories.blogspot.com/2013/10/prayer-shawl-ministry-pocket-prayer.html . I encourage you to visit her blog and learn about her story.

Fleece, Fleece, and More Fleece... Black Friday Deals Make it Possible to Give More

Shopping online and in the stores on Black Friday.  That's what Holy Needles does annually.  We wait for the reduced prices on Black Friday, to make best use of the monies we are given, from our generous donors.  The prices are the best possible, about 25% of the retail price!

This large volume of fleece will create hundreds of blankets, bringing smiles to many children and their families in the Tucson, AZ region.  

Elaine shopped for Holy Needles on Black Friday... several carts overflowed with yards and yards of cut fleece!! 

Crochet Newborn Baby Infant Beanie Hats

Examples of what can be created with a simple beanie pattern, like http://holyneedles.blogspot.com/2010/09/holy-needles-beanie-crochet-pattern.html
using the general idea, allowing your creativity to flow. Use a variety of crochet stitches and see what cute beanies you can create.

Perfect for charitable giving!

Pumpkin time! Pumpkin Beanie Hat

Happy Halloween!

Cute little pumpkin beanie hat for baby, newborn, infant.  Crocheted about 24 hdc stitches in blo (back loop only) for about 25 rows, slip stitch seam. Then attached green yarn to top, sc around, about 25 stitches, then do decrease sc until 5 stitches remain. Make top stem in the round, about 1.5" long.  Create leaf and curly vine.  Pretty easy, and so appropriate for autumn infants! 


#freecrochetpattern  #crochet

Get a little something from Lion Brand & AllFreeCrochet.com

Holy Needles members use hundreds, and thousands of dollars worth of yarn annually, to create items for charitable giving, to help people in need in the Tucson AZ area.  Yarn donations are always accepted and appreciated.

Holy Needles is always sharing and seeking crochet and knit patterns for items for charitable giving, as well as items for sale to members of the community, to raise funds to purchase more yarn and fleece.  

AllFreeCrochet.com and their blog, StitchandUnwind.com have many useful patterns and tidbits of knowledge to help crafters create.

Here's just one example of free patterns they have to share...

Download your copy of Lion Brand's New Fall Collection: 15 Free Crochet Scarf Patterns, Afghan Patterns, and More today!

 With your copy of Lion Brand's New Fall Collection: 15 Free Crochet Scarf Patterns, Afghan Patterns, and More, you can also subscribe to our Hooked on Crochet newsletter to become part of a fabulous and friendly crochet community. In subscribing to the newsletter you will receive:

• New FREE patterns made available to you throughout the year.
• Access to our free pattern library full of 1000’s more free crochet patterns.
• The opportunity to share ideas and help others in the crochet community.
• Six weekly emails with free crochet patterns, tips, collection pages, videos and more.
• Chances to win crochet books and products from our weekly giveaways and contests.

Welcoming a new season is always exciting, especially autumn. Whether you enjoy watching the weather change from hot, sunny skies to crisp, fall days, or simply appreciate the fall fashion (think scarves, shawls, and boots), there's no doubt that fall is a fun time of the year. It marks the beginning of the unofficial holiday season because as soon as Halloween is over, it's full speed ahead towards Thanksgiving and Christmas. There are so many fun ways to celebrate the season. Get a jump start on the fall festivities this year by crocheting any one of Lion Brand's new crochet patterns.

Inside our latest eBook, Lion Brand's New Fall Collection: 15 Free Crochet Scarf Patterns, Afghan Patterns, and More, you’ll find a variety of insanely gorgeous crochet patterns to make for fall. Inside, you'll find the perfect patterns to crochet for your home, your kids, and even yourself. From easy home decor items to stylish accessories and crocheted shawls, you’re sure to find a pattern you love in this free eBook. Each and every one of these free crochet pattern were hand-picked by the Lion Brand experts as must-make pieces for the season.

Once you subscribe to receive our newsletter, Hooked on Crochet, you will really see how neat it is to be part of the crochet community. If you’ve searched for crochet advice on how to organize your yarn, use up leftover yarn, or how to change color, or even what kind of yarn to buy, let AllFreeCrochet.com be your one-stop shop. Our yarn blog, StitchandUnwind.com, is also a great resource for all your yarn needs. Our newsletter, blog, and free crochet patterns are absolutely free to the consumer and will blow your mind. Expand your crochet library collection and download this eBook for free today.

Find our Beanie Pattern at AllFREECrochet.com

Be sure to find our baby beanie crochet pattern at All FREE Crochet, http://www.allfreecrochet.com/Baby-Hats/Itty-Bitty-Baby-Beanie/ct/1

 

 

#freecrochetpattern  #crochet

 

Holy Needles Teen Chemo Blanket Recipient Goes to Prom

  

May 05, 2013 12:00 am  •  Kimberly Matas Arizona Daily Star

At this time last year, Destiny Hessel had just finished what she hoped would be her last round of chemotherapy for bone cancer.

She had wanted to attend the annual Dream Night Prom for children with cancer, "but she was feeling rough," her mother, Sandy Hessel, said.

One year later, with her cancer in remission, Destiny, 14, is going to the prom - and this year, in addition to attending, she helped to plan it.

"When I went to the first meeting, we were trying to figure out a theme for the prom, and I gave the idea for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory," Destiny said. "In previous years they had secret agents and Alice in Wonderland, so I was trying to think of some stuff you could do for it - Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory decorations and stuff."

Saturday afternoon, Destiny went to a salon to have her hair done. Then she donned a gauzy, floor-length, navy blue gown and headed for the Amethyst Room at the Pima Community College Downtown Campus for the prom, put on by the Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Southern Arizona.

This is the eighth year the Candlelighters have organized the event for teens diagnosed with cancer. It is especially meaningful to teens and their families because a cancer diagnosis can cause challenges that make a normal social life difficult. Treatments can cause hair loss, weight changes and other physical challenges. Long hospital stays can disrupt usual social activities, and important milestones are often missed.

Last year was tough for Destiny and her family, but this year they were ready for some fun. They made the prom a family affair - Sandy and Brian Hessel volunteered at the event while their daughter dined and danced.

The first Dream Night Prom, in 2006, was the creation of teenager Carina Groves, who envisioned the event as a high school senior project. The 50 teens who attended found the prom to be both fun and healing, and encouraged the Candlelighters to make it an annual event.

Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Southern Arizona is a nonprofit, family-run support network that supports, serves and advocates for children with cancer, their families, longtime survivors, bereaved families, and the professionals who care for them. Candlelighters programs are always free to the families it serves, which now numbers 350.

The group gets its name from the Chinese proverb, "It is better to light one candle than to curse the darkness." Candlelighters was founded in Washington, D.C., in 1970, and the Tucson chapter started in 1985.

Cancer remains the No. 1 disease killer of America's children. More than 12,400 kids in the U.S. are diagnosed with cancer each year, including about 60 in Southern Arizona.

"When I went to the first meeting, we were trying to figure out a theme for the prom, and I gave the idea for Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory."

Destiny Hessel, 14, cancer in remission - going to her prom

For more information about Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Foundation of Southern AZ, visit www.candlelightersaz.org.

Contact reporter Kimberly Matas at kmatas@azstarnet.com or 573-4191.

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/teens-with-cancer-get-their-own-special-tucson-prom/article_305f833e-0094-5fed-b988-f3e54cf30840.html#.UYrE-nweAyg.facebook

AZstarnet.com Article

http://azstarnet.com/news/local/northwest/group-gives-comfort-to-ill-needy/article_c4b2f44a-a959-54dd-b494-0294681a09d8.html

Group gives comfort to ill, needy

John Kuells For The Arizona Daily Star Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Thursday, April 5, 2012 12:00 am
Through the efforts of a local volunteer group, infants born into needy families as well as chemo patients and the homeless are getting covered.
Members of the organization, called Holy Needles, crochet and knit beanies, blankets and booties for impoverished newborns. They also supply snuggly stuff to ailing kids and adults who have no place to live.
And we're not talking just a few items. A few weeks ago Holy Needles distributed 1,294 items to Northwest Medical Center, Crisis Pregnancy Center, and to the nursery and pediatrics oncology department at University of Arizona Medical Center. That represents Holy Needles' largest single donation ever for its quarterly distribution.
"There seems to be an increase in the volume of people who are active - they seem to be desiring to do more," Donna Bishop, the group's founder and coordinator, said of volunteers.
Founded in March 2009, Holy Needles has donated more than 8,700 homemade items, mostly to newborns, in the Tucson area.
Bishop, who says she puts in around 60 hours a month volunteering for the group, began Holy Needles after she picked up crocheting.
"It really started eating at me that I needed to start a group to find out what to make for the community … there was an enormous need to make baby items and it just made sense that this group was going to focus on newborns," she said.
Bishop, 56, used her network from Casas Church on North La Cholla Boulevard to get more people to join her ranks and get startup money and supplies such as yarn and fleece.
The group has grown from eight original members to around 50 current members, said group member Pam Halbert. She attributes a lot of the group's success to its bimonthly meetings at Casas Church.
"The meetings are just busy. People bring in items and supplies and they sit and work," Halbert said. "It's a fun time to share ideas and all are crafty ladies with a lot of chatter and high energy."
The large amount of items Holy Needles makes requires lots of supplies. The group receives materials through donations, often after posting ads on Craigslist or after people visit the Holy Needles Facebook page.
"We're always looking for donations with supplies such as yarn. Our ladies are very busy and we have very limited supplies," Halbert said.
In early 2010, Holy Needles received a donation of 750 yards of high-quality black fleece from Polartec. So the group expanded its efforts to making blankets for the homeless as well as for chemo patients in oncology centers.
"When we get something like that, it just opens up the need to give our items to someone else," Bishop said.
Going forward, Holy Needles will continue to make items for newborns. Bishop is anticipating the possibility of moving away this summer, which will likely leave the group under the leadership of a committee with divided responsibilities. Bishop's absence will be felt across the organization.
"She's the primary leader and it wouldn't have been started without her. She's put in countless hours," said Holy Needles member Pat Thompson.
Despite Bishop's impending departure, her leadership has helped the group grow in size and diversity, with volunteers ranging from women in their early 20s to women in their 80s.
"We are just thrilled to be able to make a little something for these families so that they get a little bit of comfort," Bishop said.
For Thompson, getting recognition from the families makes her efforts worth it.
"Those notes from the little girls at the hospital make me cry," she said of thank-you notes she receives from children in the oncology ward or parents of newborns. "It's great to feel their gratefulness and surprise."
Find out more
Holy Needles meets from 1 to 4 p.m. the third Monday of each month and 9 a.m. to noon the last Saturday of each month in the Ocotillo building at Casas Church, 10801 N. La Cholla Blvd. Go to holyneedles.blogspot.com for more information.
John Kuells is a University of Arizona student who is an apprentice at the Star. Contact him at starapprentice@azstarnet.com or 573-4117.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SANDY HESSEL

Destiny Hessel, 13, stays warm with her Holy Needles blanket. Destiny has cancer. On March 29, mom Sandy Hessel said, "Tomorrow could possibly be her very last round of chemo."
Read more: http://azstarnet.com/news/local/northwest/group-gives-comfort-to-ill-needy/article_c4b2f44a-a959-54dd-b494-0294681a09d8.html#ixzz1rDVRmctQ

Holy Needles' Beanie Crochet Pattern

Newborn Infant Baby Beanie Hat

This baby beanie pattern was created specifically for charitable giving.  It is quick, easy, and can be made simply, or you can make some changes and adjustments and add decor to create a different look.  You can even take this pattern and expand upon it to size it for children and adults. Find head size chart info on this website, and a variety of embellishments and edgings.  Be creative!

***Newborn size = 6” width, 6” height***
MATERIALS:

3 or 4 ply soft acrylic yarn
I, J or K crochet hook (depends on size desired, thickness of yarn, and tension)

DIRECTIONS:


ch 4 or 5; sl st to form ring. Wrap yarn tail around circle so it can be pulled later (to close hole), or make magic ring.


ROUND 1: ch 2; 15 dc in ring. Join with sl st into the top of the first dc (to complete the round) (15 total)


ROUND 2: ch 2; 1 dc in same space as ch 2; 2 dc in each st around. Join with sl st into the top of the first dc (to complete the round) (31 total)


ROUND 3: ch 2; *1 dc in next 4 st, 2 dc in 5th st. Repeat from *. Join with sl st into the top of the first dc (to complete the round) (37 total)


ROUNDS 4 – 9 (or more… until 6” length/width. Or add 2 more inches to length for brim): ch 2; 1 dc in same space as ch 2; 1 dc in each st around, joining each round with a sl st into the first dc.


Fasten off; securely weave in ends. Do NOT knot your work… weave back & forth inconspicuously instead.

(about crocheting in rounds: each round begins with chains that equal the height of the row (1 ch = sc and hdc; 2 ch = dc), and ends by joining the last stitch with a sl st into the top of the first dc, to create a round)

Use your discretion when creating this beanie. Adjust your stitches accordingly, to create a beanie that fits a newborn… (laid flat) 6 inches wide by 6 inches high (to fit 12-14” head). Everyone’s tension is different, and hook size and yarn type all make a difference. When in doubt, rip it out!

trio of twisties (décor for top of beanie)


Leaving a 10” tail, chain 10 (not too tight). Work 3 sc or dc in 2nd chain from hook. Work 4 sc or dc in each of the next 7 chains. Slip stitch in last chain (do not finish off).


Continue to *Chain 10. Work 3 sc or dc in 2nd chain from hook. Work 4 sc or dc in each of the next 7 chains. Slip stitch in the last chain. Repeat from *1 or more time.


Finish off, leaving a 10” tail.
To attach: Take the 3 twistie tails, and attach to your hat using a yarn needle. Thread 1 tail through top of hat, then thread the other tail through the top of the hat close to the other but not through the same hole. From inside the hat, tie in a square knot twice and weave in ends.

© Copyright 2009-2013, Donna Bishop. All Rights Reserved. Created for Holy Needles, Tucson AZ

Breast Cancer Awareness Ribbon... directions to crochet...

Here is a very fast and easy ribbon you can crochet. You can use it as a pin or sew it to clothing or blankets or whatever you desire.

Finished Size: 4″ (10 cm) tall


Materials:
Medium Weight #4 Yarn 
Crochet Hook size I (5.50 mm)


Directions:


ch 37; hdc in the back ridge only in third ch from hook and in each ch across, finish off.  Sew or pin the ribbon together.


Here's another version to crochet...

ch32; sc in 2nd ch from hook and in each ch across, = 31 sc


ch1, turn; sc in next 22 sc; ch 3, skip 3 sts, sc in remaining sts.

Finish off and slip one end of the ribbon through the keyhole.







You can crochet smaller versions of these ribbons by using smaller hooks, thinner yarn, and/or less stitches.


 Here's a chart of all the different meanings of different colors of ribbons... (click on picture to enlarge)

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_awareness_ribbons

for more options.

#crochet #freeCrochetPattern  #cancerawareness