My first Pattern (and blog post!)

Hey 'everyone'. (No one so far).  My name is Sally and I very much enjoy knitting and crochet!  My grandmother attempted to teach me knitting when I was about 11, and not only was I not very good, I didn't have enough interest.  Many, Many years later, I picked up the same piece and used Youtube to relearn.  It looked horrible.  When I was young, it was worked so tight you could barely work the stitches or move them across the needle.  The new work done on the same piece was much wider due to me loosening my stitches.  By an inch or two at least.
It took a couple more years before I really got into it still, and another year later I learned crochet through youtube as well!

So here I am, still an amateur, and now I've come up with my own pattern that I would like to share.  This is the sole reason this blog is being created.  This whole pattern on ravelry thing isn't working well right now, so this is the easiest way for me to get the pattern up!  (Here's the ravelry link anyway! Opens in a new window.  [It just links back here].  -Ravelry Page- )

I created a hat for my daughter to go with her new doctors kit.  I ended up wanting to do a doctors face mask as well.  I found a knit pattern online, but really preferred to crochet it instead.  But, no crochet pattern that I could find.  So I free-handed it!  It has been a while since I made it and I finally wrote the pattern down while making a second one, for pictures.
I hope at least one person can find this useful!  And I hope it's as clear and easy as I intended it to be.  If you find any mistakes or have any suggestions for this pattern, please do not hesitate to comment or contact me in some way!

H/8 – 5.00mm Hook
(Younger than 5, I suggest a smaller hook for a better fit)
Red Heart Super Saver is what I used in the pictures (white), but I recommend Cotton yarn for comfort and breathability (used this for the blue one).
This is very easy to make. The stitches used.
Chain, SC, Slip Stitch.

To shape the mask, I tried using short rows – usually seen in knitting, and it worked out quite well!

 


*Optional: I did this in my pictures.  Ch the stitches for your strap in addition to the 20 the pattern starts with. (See end of pattern) You will have chain stitches unworked, and at the end of the pattern you can slip stitch into the first chain stitch. One of your straps will be done and attached, and you just have to attach a chain to the opposite side for the second strap.

I chained 40.  Ear strap (ch20) + pattern ch20.

(Working bottom upward.) 
Pattern:
chain 20 

1) In second ch from hook, SC. SC across. (19sts) 
2) Ch1, turn. SC 17.

3) Ch1, turn. SC 15.

4) Ch1, turn. SC 13.
5) Ch1, turn. SC 11.
 












 


6) Ch1, turn. SC 15, crocheting into stitches including those left unworked in previous rows.
Keep these stitches fairly tight!
 

7) Ch1, turn. SC 19, as previous row, using unworked stitches.

Row 6, working into stitch #12.

 

After row 10

8-10) Ch1, turn. SC 19. 
11) Ch1, turn. SC 15. 
12) Ch1, turn. SC11. 
13) Ch1, turn. SC 7.
14) Ch1, turn. SC 3.

After row 14, and from 15 - ch1 turn.

15) Ch1, turn. SC 11. As previous rows, using unworked stitches. 
16) Ch1, turn. SC 19. As previous rows, using unworked stitches. 
17) Ch 1 turn. SC 19.

(Scroll on for more pictures of the work in progress)

Row 15, stitch #8

Chain 15-20 and attach at top and bottom sides of mask. These are your straps for behind your ears, so how many chains you need depends on the size you need. A child will probably need about 15 where an adult will need 20.
On my original (blue in pictures), I did 17 chains. This was a little tight on me (adult female) but just a little bit loose on my 5 year old. Still fit both of us decently enough! On my sample for this pattern (white one) I did 20 ch and it was more comfortable but still snug. With use it will stretch and loosen just a hair.
Size is fairly universal otherwise.

Both of these masks were made the same size, except for the length of the ear straps. 

Row 16, sts #12

Row 17 completed, slip stitch to first chain.

Attaching a slip knot for ear strap #2

Chain 20

Slip stitch to top corner

Completed! (Just weave in these ends!)

This mask has ch 17 straps

This mask is ch 20 straps!