This chart can be useful for crocheting with color changes or for cross-stitch on a crocheted background.

A useful project for making an item that will be a Valentine's Day gift but also great for any time of year, I designed this heart theme chart to symbolize the heartfelt love that connects individuals and families.

• Free Chart - Connected Hearts

More Free Patterns:

• Other Heart Theme Free Patterns

• Free Crochet Patterns List A-Z Links

Beginner Help:

• Learn Basic Crochet Stitches

• Beginner Hints and Links

Image of heart design copyright (c) 2007 by Sandi Marshall, licensed to About.com, Inc. Per copyright law, do not reprint on another web page, blog page or elsewhere. Instead, you may link to the pattern page.

If you haven't made the diagonal shell stitch before, when you look at the photo on the right, do you wonder how the stitches could be made to lean sideways like that, with the bottom part of each stitch a bit longer and thicker than regular double crochet?

If it seems like a mystery, my clue-by-clue photo tutorial can help solve the case, showing how this mysterious leaning stitch is made.

• Diagonal Shell Stitch Free Photo Tutorial

• Learn More Stitches

• Free Patterns Index A-Z List

Photo of crochet stitch copyright (c) 1998 by Sandi Marshall, licensed to About.com, Inc. Per copyright law, do not reprint on another web page, blog page or elsewhere. Instead, you may link to the pattern page.

These scarves are good projects for beginners (who have learned how to do the double crochet stitch). I have included extra how-to photos (and links to even more close-up photos) to help with parts of the pattern that a beginning crocheter might have questions about.

• Easy Lacy Shells Scarf - Free Pattern

After crocheting the Easy Lacy Shells Scarf, with the help of the extra photos and the help links, a beginner may be ready to make the Easy Double Shells Scarf, which is a wider version, with the same type of stitches and crochet techniques used.

• Double Shells Scarf - Free Pattern

Other Free Crochet Patterns:

• More Free Patterns for Crocheted Scarves

• Free Crochet Patterns A-Z

• Crochet Help and Free Patterns For Beginners

More About Crocheting:

• What is a Shell?

• Free Crochet Tutorials Index

Photo of crocheted scarf copyright (c) 2006 by Sandi Marshall, licensed to About.com, Inc. Per copyright law, do not reprint on another web page, blog page or elsewhere. Instead, you may link to the pattern page.

This six-sided motif is accented with puff stitch diamond shapes. When you're trying to visualize how motifs in this shape can be arranged for joining, my photo of a basic joining layout can help: How Six-Sided Shapes Fit Together

• Puff Diamond Hexagon Motif - Free pattern.

Methods of Joining Motifs

• Join-As-You-Go Photo How-To
  
• Sew or Slip Stitch Together
  
• Join-As-You-Go Scarf Example

Crochet Resources

• Free Patterns List A-Z Links

• Crochet Help and Free Patterns For Beginners

Photo of crocheted motif copyright (c) 2007 by Sandi Marshall, licensed to About.com, Inc. Per copyright law, do not reprint on another web page, blog page or elsewhere. Instead, you may link to the pattern page.

On the center portion of this long shawl, openwork and solid sections form the crochet design. An optional contrasting color design can be added in surface stitches along the center rows. A scalloped lace edging completes the design.

• Split Circles Shawl - There is a link to the printing page for the free pattern.

• Free Patterns List A-Z Links

• Crochet Help and Free Patterns For Beginners

Photo of shawl is copyright (c) 2007 by Sandi Marshall, licensed to About.com, Inc. Per copyright law, do not reprint on another web page, blog page or elsewhere. Instead, you may link to the pattern pages.

The Ceylon Rose Butterfly shown on the right is an example of a filet crochet chart used to do a cross-stitch in a solid color for a silhouette style design. This example is in cross-stitch on a single crochet background.

• Ceylon Rose Butterfly Free Chart

• How To Cross-Stitch On Single Crochet

Resources for Learning How to Filet Crochet

• Basics of Filet Crochet
  
• How to Filet Crochet in a 3-dc Mesh
  
• How to Determine a Starting Chain for Filet Crochet
  
• Filet Crochet Photos Compared to Chart and compared to written instructions.
  
• Small Chart with Full Written Instructions

Other Free Charts - Butterflies Charted For Filet Crochet:

• Butterfly Chart from Year 1921
  
• Manto Butterfly
  
• Mexican Silverspot Butterfly
  
• Necyria Manco Butterfly
  
• Purple Azure Butterfly
  
• Zebra Swallowtail Butterfly

• Index of Free Crochet Patterns, A-Z List

Photo of butterfly pattern is copyright (c) 2001 by Sandi Marshall, licensed to About.com, Inc. Per copyright law, do not reprint on another web page, blog page or elsewhere. Instead, you may link to the pattern page.

In 2005, I designed these wrist bands that begin by crocheting a granny square, with stretch rows added to make them into comfortable bands that are both decorative and can warm the wrist. As soon as I finished designing the patterns, I had the idea of weaving crocheted chains through holes in the bands, to make the wrist bands more interesting. It also provided a way to add another color while only having to work with one color at a time.

Just for fun, I've listed the free patterns below by the flavors that the colors suggest:

• Lime and Strawberry Wrist Band
  
• Orange Vanilla Wrist Band

More Free Patterns:

• Textured Fingerless Gloves Free Pattern
  
• More Wrist Warmers and Fingerless Gloves
  
• Free Wrist Band Patterns

A-Z Master List Of Links To Free Crochet Patterns

These granny square wristband pattern designs and photos are copyright (c) 2005 by Sandi Marshall, licensed to About.com, Inc. Per copyright law, do not reprint on another web page, blog page or elsewhere. Instead, you may link to the pattern pages.

After the Christmas presents are opened and toys have been played with, there's often an assortment of small playthings that could use some sort of organizing and storing. This medium size mesh bag can sometimes provide a kid-friendly answer for a storage container. The contents can be seen through the holes in the mesh, it's easy for a kid to open by pulling at the top (when the ties are left unknotted) and easy for a kid to close by pulling the drawstring closure.

This oval mesh bag can be handy as a storage bag for anything that's just large enough to not fall through the mesh holes. Small blocks, an assortment of accessories that go along with a larger game or that collection of popular small plastic toys that come with the fast food kid's menu, for a few examples. This bag can be a means of keeping like things together and ready for the next playtime.

It could also be handy for a carry-along bag containing a few things ready to take along in the car.

These are just a few examples. There would be many other uses.

• Quick Easy Mesh Bag - Free Pattern

Other Free Crochet Patterns:

• Links To Free Handbag and Tote Patterns

• Free Crochet Patterns A - Z List

• Crochet Help and Free Patterns For Beginners

Photo copyright (c) 2003 by Sandi Marshall, licensed to About.com, Inc.

When crocheting this quick, easy scarf, a length for fringe is left at the beginning and end of the rows, so there is no weaving in of ends in this pattern!

Worked lengthwise, there are only 6 rows to complete the pattern. It is a narrow scarf, only about two inches wide, when made with a worsted weight yarn. The finished look will depend largely on the type of yarn that you choose to use. It could be fun to try a novelty yarn with this pattern.

Free pattern:

• Crocheted Skinny Scarf - Easy Pattern

Tutorials and Crochet Resources:

• Very Beginners First Step - Starting Chain
  
• More Beginner Tutorials

• Other Free Patterns For Scarves
  
• Free Crochet Patterns A - Z Links List

Photo copyright (c) 2005 by Sandi Marshall, licensed to About.com, Inc.

Pastel colored snowflakes? Sure, why not. Crocheted with worsted weight yarn, this snowflake design coaster is large enough to be used with a big mug of hot chocolate. I crocheted examples in pastel colors but you might have other favorite colors in mind to use (or white, if you want your snowflakes to look more like the real ones).

• Snowflake Coaster - Free Pattern

• Other Snowflake Patterns

I created a photo how-to for crocheting the group of three picots that I used in the last few rounds of the snowflake pattern:

• 3-Picot Group How-To

Other Crochet Resources:

• Basics For Beginners
  
• Learning More Crochet Stitches
  
• Free Crochet Patterns A-Z

Photos of crocheted snowflakes copyright (c) 2007 by Sandi Marshall, licensed to About.com, Inc. Per copyright law, do not use my pattern photos on another web site, blog page or elsewhere. You may link to the pattern page instead.