Infant Turtle Shell "Blanket"

Pentagon Motif Pattern Materials Needed: Hook sizes G and E Two colors of 4 ply worsted weight yarn (one will be MAIN and one will be CONTRAST) Tapestry needle

Stitches used:

sl st (slip stitch) ch (chain) dc (double crochet) fpdc (front post double crochet: complete the stitch around the post of the next indicated stitch by inserting the hook from front to back to front around the post) v-st (v-stitch: [dc, ch 1, dc] in same space)

Pentagon Motif: Using main color, Ch 3, sl st to 1st ch to form a ring. Round 1: Ch 3 (counts as dc), v-st 4 times in ring, dc in ring, ch 1, sl st to top of ch 3. (10 dc) Round 2: Ch 3 (counts as dc), fpdc around ch 3 from round 1, fpdc around next dc, *vst in next ch 1 sp, fpdc around next dc, fpdc around next dc, rep from * around to 1 st ch 1 space, dc in 1st ch 1 sp, ch 1, sl st to top of ch 3. (10 fpdc, 10 dc)

Round 3: Ch 3 (counts as dc), fpdc around ch 3 from round 2, fpdc around next dc, fpdc around next dc, fpdc around next dc, *v-st in next ch 1 sp, fpdc around next dc, fpdc around next dc, fpdc around next dc, fpdc around next dc, rep from * around to 1 st ch 1 space, dc in 1st ch 1 sp, ch 1, sl st to top of ch 3. Finish off. (20 fpdc, 10 dc) Using accent color, join in any ch 1 space with a sl st, ch 3, fpdc around ch 3 from round 3, fpdc around next 5 dc, *v-st in next ch 1 sp, fpdc around next 6 dc, rep from * around to 1st ch 1 space, dc in 1st ch 1 sp, ch 1, sl st to top of ch 3. Finish off and weave in all tails. (30 fpdc, 10 dc) Hexagon Motif Blanket Shell Pattern Materials Needed: Hook sizes G and E, tapestry needle, Two colors of 4 ply worsted weight yarn (one will be MAIN and one will be CONTRAST) Note: Hook sizes can be very tricky because everyone crochets with a different tension. If you tend to crochet tightly, your finished motif may be too small. If you crochet too loosely, your finished motif may be too large. For this project, the completed motif should measure 4 inches across (from point to point.) To make this prop larger, you would need to size your hook up. For each hook size up, you can add an approximate half to three quarters of an inch to the finished project. Stitches used:

sl st (slip stitch) ch (chain) dc (double crochet) fpdc (front post double crochet: complete the stitch around the post of the next indicated stitch by inserting the hook from front to back to front around the post) v-st (v-stitch: [dc, ch 1, dc] in same space)

Hexagon Motif: Make 7 Using main color, Ch 3, sl st to 1st ch to form a ring. Round 1: Ch 3 (counts as dc), v-st 5 times in ring, dc in ring, ch 1, sl st to top of ch 3. (12 dc) Round 2: Ch 3 (counts as dc), fpdc around ch 3 from round 1, fpdc around next dc, *vst in next ch 1 sp, fpdc around next dc, fpdc around next dc, rep from * around to 1 st ch 1 space, dc in 1st ch 1 sp, ch 1, sl st to top of ch 3. (12 fpdc, 12 dc) Round 3: Ch 3 (counts as dc), fpdc around ch 3 from round 2, fpdc around next dc, fpdc around next dc, fpdc around next dc, *v-st in next ch 1 sp, fpdc around next dc, fpdc

around next dc, fpdc around next dc, fpdc around next dc, rep from * around to 1 st ch 1 space, dc in 1st ch 1 sp, ch 1, sl st to top of ch 3. Finish off. (24 fpdc, 12 dc) Using accent color, join in any ch 1 space with a sl st, ch 3, fpdc around ch 3 from round 3, fpdc around next 5 dc, *v-st in next ch 1 sp, fpdc around next 6 dc, rep from * around to 1st ch 1 space, dc in 1st ch 1 sp, ch 1, sl st to top of ch 3. Finish off. (36 fpdc, 12 dc) Weave in all tails before moving on to next motif. When you are finished with all 7 motifs, arrange them in a shell--placing 6 motifs around the center 7th motif and prepare to assemble. You will be working the assembly with only your center motif. All flanking motifs will be joined by one side to the center first, (we will join the rest later). Take your center motif and any flanking motif and place them wrong sides together. Using an E hook and your accent color, sl st into the ch 1 space, working back loops only, (Please keep in mind that your motifs will be sandwiched wrong sides together, so the back loops will be the two strands that are next to each other as in the pic below)

*sl st across to next ch 1 sp., sl st in ch 1 space and arrange your next flanking motif wrong sides together, with the center motif. Sl st in ch 1 space of new motif and center motif. Continue from * until all flanking motifs are joined by one side to center motif.

The next thing we will need to do is to sew up the rest of the seams between each flanking motif. There are two ways you can do this. Remember: when you join your motifs you want to make sure you are holding them wrong sides together. The hard way: Since your yarn is already attached to your hook, simply sl st that first seam between the flanking pentagons closed--taking care to hold the motifs wrong sides together, finish off. Insert your hook into both ch 1 spaces at the base (close to the center pentagon) of the next two flanking pentagons. Attach your contrasting yarn with a sl st, sl st in the back loops only to the end of the pentagons and finish off. Continue around until all seams have been slip stitched closed. Weave in all those loose ends.

The easy way: The other way you could do it would involve a tapestry needle. Since your yarn is already attached to your hook, sl st that first seam between the flanking pentagons closed, finish off. Thread your tapestry needle with a long length of contrasting yarn and simply whip stitch the rest of your seams shut--taking care to whip-stitch in the back loops only and making sure that all of your motifs are being held wrong sides together. In order to move your needle, simply thread it under your project, hiding the extra yarn in the undersides of your stitches. When you've finished sewing all the seams, your project should look like this:

If you've joined your motifs the hard way, now would be a good time to weave in all those loose tails in the center. Don't worry about the loose tails that are to the outside of the shell because we'll crochet right over them when we do the border. Now we're on the home stretch! The only thing left to do is the outlining and detail work (like the tail and the neck.) In order to outline our motifs, you need to join your main color with a sl st in the first dc past any inside ch 1 space, ch 1 sc in the same stitch as join, *sc all the way across to the next ch 1 space (8 sc), 1 sc in the ch 1 space, sc all the way across to the next ch 1 space (8 sc), 1 sc in the ch 1 space, sc all the way across to the next ch 1 space (8 sc), sc2tog (you will be decreasing in both ch 1 spaces on each valley of your motif joins), continue from * around to the middle of next hill portion of the motif and add in your tail.

The tail actually looks adorable--but it's really not necessary to add in...No one will notice it if you leave it off. BUT, if you wanted to add one in, now is the time. If you are leaving it off, skip this part and just continue your border from where you left off. If you are adding the tail, follow the border pattern until you get to the center of the hill portion of a hexagon--any hexagon will do. To get to the center of a hill portion, 1 sc in the ch 1 sp, sc in the next 4 sts. Ch 8, (you can make this a little longer if you'd like. What you are going for here is sort of a one sided leaf shape.) In the second ch from hook, sl st, sc in next st, hdc in next st, dc in next 2 sts, hdc in next st, sc in next st, sc in the next stitch on the motif, sc in the next 3 sts and continue your border around as in the pattern above. For the last stitch, join in the ch 1 and finish off. Remember, you will want to put 1 sc in each ch 1 space in the hill portion of the motif and sc2tog in every valley potion of the motif. The neck portion is also not necessary to do but it looks cute and I'm thinking you could sew a small button on to attach the hat when you want to store this. To complete the neck portion, find the motif at the top of your project (this should be fairly simple

because the three motifs line up on on top of the other). Finding the top of the hill of the hexagon: Row 1: Sl st in the ch 1 space, ch 3, dc in the next 8 sts, ch 3 and turn. Row 2: dc in the next 7 sts, ch 3 and turn. Row 3: dc in the next 7 sts, ch 3, finish off. Note: If you'd rather have two separate pieces, leave the neck portion off. All that's left is to make a hat--and after all we've just been through, that's going to be a snap! Using a size H hook, Ch 4, join with sl st to first ch to form a ring. Row 1: Ch 3 (counts as first dc throughout), dc 11 in the ring, sl st in top of beginning ch 3. (12 dc) Row 2: Ch 3, dc in same st, 2 dc in each st around, sl st in top of beginning ch 3. (24 dc) Row 3: Ch 3, dc in next st, 2 dc in next st, *dc in next 2 sts, 2dc in next st; repeat from * to end of round, sl st in top of beginning ch 3. (32 dc) Rows 49: Ch 3, dc in next st and in each st around. Fasten off and weave in ends. Now that you're all done, your completed project should look like this: