You, Me and the ABCs : Crochet ABC Toys : Q is for Quilt

If you are a crocheter and have a baby or toddler, play room or nursery, and love organization and helping your child learn – this post is for you!  I am posting new patterns for each letter many times per week so keep checking back.

Want a fun way to use your scraps? Want to make a lot of little projects/toys that are great for little ones? Want to custom a special piece for a wee one? – and then end with one big finale? This project is for you! (And you can skip the big finale if it’s not for you and still have all the little toys and ABCs.)

I have compiled the first letters of this event in a convenient downloadable PDF if you prefer to print them out and have them all in one place.  And my printable paid patterns contain a lot more photo tutorials to help you if you need.

You can find the toys for the letters A-F HERE ON MY ETSY.

And now, in Part 2, you can find the letters G-M also on my Etsy at this link right HERE

And MOST ALL of my PAID patterns contain way more photos and tutorials than what I can add to my blog post. I try to keep my fees very low.

This project was in my head as I was designing all of these letters and I’m so excited to get this started! Won’t you join me? Here is the latest new pattern to go with the others already linked.  If you prefer to shop on Ravelry for your patterns I also have the entire alphabet PDF over there.

You can begin by deciding what colors you want to use for your letters – I’ll be using them all! – and make up the alphabet  or save this post and wait for the end and make it all at once.

I’m gonna give you some options at the end to make the final part right for you/your space.  Here are some of the previous toys so make sure to check out THE ORIGINAL POST to link hop to them all.

Here are some of the latest patterns that are all free here on my blog. I will be keeping THIS ORIGINAL POST updated with all the links for all of the toys. 

I will using some of the patterns that I’ve already made for this ABC project and you will see those linked below at the end of this post.  You can go ahead and get started today! I can’t wait to share this with you. I’m planning on at least a weekly update, but I’m going to shoot for two per week. I’m gonna try.

So, join me. Save this post. Let’s get started!

This post does contain affiliate links.  I will get a small percentage from any purchase made through my page here, but your price remains the same.  I appreciate any purchase made through my page as I can continue to offer free patterns here on my blog.

UPDATE: Q is for Quilt: June 11, 2020

I want to say thank you for all who stop by to support my patterns and my blog.  I have chosen to NOT do ads on my blog (with the exception of my affiliate links) and offer FREE patterns, but please – if you love my patterns and want to say a little thank you- or just have some good small business karma support points- a purchase now and then or a visit to any of my affiliate links really helps.  It keeps this blog going so I can continue to offer free patterns for all to enjoy.  I also purchase a pattern now and then or visit an affiliate link from my favorite blogs and designers.  Thank you

This pattern is intended for personal use only. This pattern -and all my patterns- are offered for free or a small fee to help support my family so please do not redistribute, sell, copy or use them in any way not in accordance with fairness.

You may sell products made from this pattern, but please give me credit as the designer. Please do not use my photos as your own work, but you may use my photos to reference back to my blog, Etsy, Pinterest, IG or FB, but please link back to me.

If you find any problems with this pattern please let me know and if you have any problems with any of it feel free to message me and ask for support.

Kristi Bergin-Smith and The Burgundy Basket, 2020. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to me, Kristi Bergin-Smith and The Burgundy Basket with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Stitches Glossary:

Chain: Ch

Single Crochet: SC

Inc Sc: make two single crochet stitches in the same stitch as indicated

Invisible Decrease: inv. dec. – this is an invisible single crochet decrease

Sc2tog – decrease 2 sc stitches together

HDC: half-double crochet

HDC Inc: increase in HDC

DC Inc: increase in DC

DC: double crochet

Tr: treble crochet

Picot: chain 3 and slip stitch into the first chain space (the one farthest from the hook) *US Terms apply

 

This part of my series is a YouTube video tutorial.  This is a great beginner scrap yarn project.  The full pattern and all the details are located here in my video.

 

UPDATE:

I was asked if I could do a photo tutorial/pattern because some are not able to watch videos,; therefore, I have put together a brief photo tutorial.  It is more difficult to do this type of project in a written pattern because it is free form and not specific, but I hope this helps.

Use whatever materials you have on hand, but stick to the same weight throughout.  You don’t want to mix yarn weights in this type project.  I have used all 4-ply worsted weight yarns like RHSS and my size H/5mm hook.  **In my new photo tutorial, I started a new blanket that will evolve over time and be larger so I have upped my hook size to I/5.5mm.  Some of these photos will be different so that I could make a new tutorial.

Please feel free to adjust your hook to the size that gives you a nice blanket.  For the baby lovie, I wanted tighter fabric, but on the new afghan for this tutorial, I wanted a softer drape.

When I am working this type of project from scrap yarns, I organize my scrap balls into smallest first and then largest – in this way you can move to larger scrap balls as your blanket gets bigger.

Start with any size small square or rectangle.  This is the free form part.  There are no specifics – you can make a square or a rectangle and do the size that you want to do.  As you work, each section gets larger – so, the bigger your starting section the bigger your overall project will be.

You can also work any type stitches that you want.  For this specific project, I worked in only sc and hdc, but this is a great Stitch Sampler project to have fun and try new stitches. In the above photo, my starting square is ready for a new color – so, pull through your second color on the last part of your last stitch.  Tie the two tails together and weave them in as you go.

You can flip in any direction and work in any way.  After my starting square (purple), I attached the blue and worked down the raw edge.  You want to keep track of how many rows you have so that when you work the raw edges you keep the stitch count such that it matches your rows.  (Just like when you border a blanket) Ideally, if you are working sc and hdc rows you want to have 1 stitch in each row end when you are working a raw edge.  In the above picture, I finished my blue and carried it down the raw edge and across the top of the purple square and then I added my third color (red).

In red, I worked across the width of both smaller squares.  I am using only sc and hdc in these squares. I joined the green when I finished my red and worked down the raw edge of the red and then the purple.

In this next photo you can see that after I finished my green, I joined some beige and worked down all 3 sides of the green, purple, and blue and then joined the next color.

Keep working in this way.  Keep adding colors as you run out or want to switch and work the length/width of each side keeping the stitches even and uniform. You will likely have to block your work.  Just like in granny squares, things will get a bit wonky.  Here in this next photo you can see the difference that blocking will make when you are done. See the difference in the purple?

Work, work, work.  You can decide which direction to turn and go.  You can plan sizes for sections and the size of the finished project (TIP: if making a large piece like this use graph paper to plan your sizes)  *I will finish this slowly using scraps as I have then and hopefully remember to come back and update my post with a new photo of a larger afghan.

Weave in those ends neatly and carefully as you go if you are not backing this like a true quilt. These next photos come from my YouTube Video Tutorial – last note: have fun with this type of scrappy project.  Make it fun <3

In my baby lovie quilt, I used the border color to weave in and out between the sections to mimic quilting lines.  I think this adds a whimsical touch.

Add a border around in one color to “bring it all together”

If you are going to quilt your piece:

I’m afraid I can’t help much with the sewing part.  I have used a simple needle and thread and quilted between the colors by hand.

 

Pin this post and come back for all of the A-Z toys!   You can find a link to the original post below to start from the beginning!!

 

I realized after I started this project that I would never be able to update every new post with every new link – once I got down to the end of the alphabet, I would have to update about 20 post with all the links to all the new patters – So, I will be keeping THIS ORIGINAL POST updated with all the new links for all of the new toys.  <3

In addition to the alphabet patterns, below you will find a list of toys that will be linked right here starting now. *these are not set in stone and I may decide to switch them as I work if I am inspired in a different direction. So, pin or save this post and come back and follow along with me or subscribe to my blog and get email updates when I make a new post.

Ball – for the ball toys in this project, I refer you to this post to make one – or many – crochet balls using your scrap yarns.  The more textures the better.  You can also add rattle boxes, squeakers, stress balls as filler and more.

Bunny – I have made a few bunnies in the past and  I will be making another version of my Clover the Baby Bunny Pattern

Dinosaur – here on my blog you will find an entire Dinosaur Family.  For this ABC event, I will be making a different version of Scrappy.  He’s the perfect size and uses up some assorted scrap yarns.  If you want a different option, Baby Pea is also a nice small size and also Pinky the Dezzy Inspired DRAGON is a good choice for D is for Dragon.

Eye – I will be using the eyeball pattern from my Halloween Bag of Balls for this project, but if you find it too weird or spooky for a baby let me know and I’m sure I can whip up a different one.  This one would be super cute with some crinkle paper inside.  *Also, when you visit this post there is a Zombie ball that would make a cute Z word  and I will most likely be altering the colors on this Zombie ball and making a few additions to do a Ninja toy for N.

Goat – here on my blog you will find Ginger the Goat in my Farm Series.  She is a bit large for this project so she will get a few modifications to be a bit smaller.  Feel free to make her if you want a larger goat.

Lamb– another make from my Farm Series is Lonny the Lamb.  Lonny is a  nice, small size so I will be using this pattern here for the  Lamb, but will switch up the colors I’m sure. Maybe bright? Maybe a girl?

Octopus – in my opinion this octopus squeeze ball is the perfect baby toy when made from cotton so this is the pattern that I will be using right here.  I like to use 100% cotton and the stress/squeeze balls on the inside of the head and it makes these the perfect baby toy with teether capabilities.  And they are so quick to make you can make a handful.

 

Will you be joining in the fun? I’d love for you to make all of this with me, but if not pick a few and make it with me.

I’d love to see all your work or catch up with your progress so connect with me over on IG @theburgundybasket

#youandmeabccrochet

 

XOXO,

Kristi