The SC & more n°274: Sun, strawberry and crochet

A very good morning to you all! I hope you are enjoying a lovely weekend. Here it is super sunny and rather warm despite the wind. The children are out in their grandparents' garden at 8h30 already and stay out pretty much all day, coming in only for their afternoon nap and dinner. Yesterday we had lunch outside, our first meal in the garden this year. It was great. Plus we had delicious food from The Spicery (check it out, they send out spiceboxes with recipes).

Yesterday, Friday, was also the day of the release of the new weekly challenge theme: Strawberry. Yummy ^^. My children having been begging me for new toy-food for ages, I decided to work for them a little rather than for their cousins, their aunts, or my shop. And for the occasion I made up my very own pattern which I am going to now share with you.

Strawberry ice-cream/cupcake with whipped cream

 

Note: call it ice-cream or cupcake, as you wish. I told my children it was ice-cream before my sisters and mother told me it looked more like cupcake...

The pattern is written in UK terms.
Abbreviations: dc - double crochet, MR - Magic Ring, dec - decrease, 2dc - 2double crochet in one st, aka increase, BL - Back Loop, FL - Front Loop, *-* - repeat all around.

Needed: 3mm crochet, yarn in brown, red and white (I used the Catania cotton), a stitch marker and row counter (I am lazy I suppose), scissors, tapestry needle, batting and a piece of plastic about 5cm diameter.

The whole pattern in crocheted in continuous spiral. For the decreases I use the FL only, they are therefore less bulky and visible.

The Cup

1- In brown, 6dc in a MR (6)

2- 2dc in each st (12)

3- *2dc - 1sc* (18)

4- *2dc - 1sc* (27)

5- *2dc - 1dc - 1dc* 2dc - 1dc (35)

6- *1dc* (35)

7- *1dc in BL only* (35)

8 to 10- *1dc* (35)

11- *2dc - 1dc - 1dc - 1dc - 1dc - 1dc* (40)

12- *1dc* (40)

13- *1dc in FL only* (40)

 

The Ice-cream/Cake

14- In red *1dc in BL from previous row* (40)

15- *1dec - 5x 1dc* (35)

16- *1dc* (35) Note: Do not forget to place the pastic piece at the bottom!

17- *1dec - 4x 1dc* 1 dec - 3 x 1dc (29)

18- *1dc* (29)

19- *1dec - 3x 1dc* 1 dec - 2 x 1dc (23)

20-*1dec - 2 x 1dc* 1dec - 1dc (17) Note: Do not forget to fill with batting!

21- *1dec - 1 dc* (10)

22- *1dc* (10)

23-  1dec - 5x 1dc - 1dec (5)

24- *1dec*, finish off

The Whipped Cream

In white, Chain 50, in the 2nd chain from the hook: 2 dc, then alternate 2sc, 1sc at random/will in each chain stitch. This way you will get a wavy length of cord. Once you reach the end, finish off, keep a string to attach it to the ice-cream/cake in the position you wish.

 

Variation

On the colour part, stop at after row 20

21- Swap to white and crochet one round of 1dc (17)

22- in each FL of the previour row: 4dc (it gets tight and wavy), you can also change the number of dc in each st as you wish.

23- in the BL of round 21, decrease all around.

24- At random in various stitches: 4dc (or less).

There you go! A pattern with two variations. Which one do you like best? Will you try my pattern and let me know how you did with it? I am still fairly new at writing patterns, so please be nice and tell me if there is anything to correct or clarify.

Square picture for the Museum

It was a lovely crafty day. I've payed a high-ish price: stayed too long in the sun and got sunburnt. I forgot the suncream, silly me! Still I enjoyed myself and I am proud to be presenting you with this first pattern. I have a couple more, but I still haven't got round to writing them down on the computer. Will try soon ;)

Have a great weekend and keep coming back!

PS: don't forget to check out the other participations for the challenge!