I’ve always been a very home-oriented person. The day I started working from home, in 1993 I think, was a great day. December 19, 2013 was another wonderful day—we moved into our earthen home, much of it built by me with the help of friends and family. Would you be surprised to learn that “Cozy Home” is one of my favorite designs in Cute Crochet World?
Luckily “Cozy Home” won’t take you as long to build as our earthen house did. To help you along, here’s a step-by-step photo-tutorial for “Cozy Home.” Written instructions are on pages 133-136 of Cute Crochet World.
This is the beginning of the Walls, Row 3. Remember that the ch-2 turning chain at the beginning of a row counts as a stitch. It is the stitch that corresponds to the “first stitch” in the photo. The pattern asks you to hdc in the next 3 sts, so you will place your first of the three hdc sts in the “next stitch” indicated in the photo.
The yellow dots show where to place the stitches of Row 4.
On Row 5, you chain to make the other side of the door opening. The chain includes enough stitches to turn and begin Row 6.
A Front Post hdc (FPhdc) of Row 8 in progress here. Look for the yo for the hdc (this is the second loop from the right on the hook). The hook is inserted from the front of the work around the post of the next stitch and is coming out the front of the work again. Finally, there’s a yo which will be drawn up.
That final yo from the last photo is drawn up here and we have 3 loops on the hook. To finish the hdc, yo and draw through all loops on hook.
This is the very beginning of Row 9. On this side you can see how the FPhdcs of Row 8 formed the “corner” of the house.
The window rows are created with dc sts and ch-spaces. This shows the hook at the very beginning of Row 11.
After Row 15, you’ll work an outline of sl sts around the other three sides of the house. Along the bottom edge of the house, sl st 12 to the “corner” formed by Row 8, then sl st 3 to the door opening, chain 4 to go across the door opening, and sl st 3 to the next corner.
The hook is positioned to sl st up the side of the house, into the free loops of the foundation chain.
Now I’m ready to sl st across the top of the house (top left of page 135). The instructions call for a marker at this corner. I forgot to use a marker, but it will definitely help you find the stitch later when you add the gable and the roof edge.
The walls are finished! Now it’s time for the gable end (the triangular piece between the roof and top of the house wall).
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For the picot gable end, turn to page 136. Counting the base of each picot and the ch-sts between the picots, you have 11 stitches, which is exactly how many sl sts you have along the top of the section above the door.
To join the picot trim to the top of the wall, insert hook into the base of the picot and into the BL of the first sl st along the top of the house. Finish the stitch as instructed. For the next stitch, insert the hook into the next ch of the picot trim and the next sl st along the top of the house, and finish stitch as instructed.
The roof begins with a chain, which is attached by inserting hook into the chain and into the next sl st along the top of the roof.
Here’s the first row of the roof, finished. You will be increasing and decreasing on each row to shape the roof.
The finished roof looks like this.
The Roof Edge (instructions lower right on page 135), finishes the other side of the gable and joins to the tip of the roof. Use the yarn ends to sew the roof and gable edges together.
Remember the long chain you made in Row 5? You have already crocheted into this chain to make the house walls. To make the door, sc into the free loops of this chain, as directed on page 136, “Door.” Begin the row with an sc, which means to place a slip-knot or loop onto your hook, draw up a loop in the appropriate stitch, as shown in the photo. To finish the sc, yo and draw through both loops on hook.
Here’s Door Row 1, almost finished. In the next post, we’ll do some features to make the house a home.
