A Mabon Crocheted White Oak Leaf (Pattern)

A mini-alter for Mabon.

It's Fall! Autumn! The time of the second harvest, when the Earth has born her leafy children of summer and they have set fruit, nut and gourd, and now the last of that harvest is gleaned from the ground. Those who walk upon her have fatted up, living well and easy in the heat. Now is when we begin to nest up for the coming cold, to store up a few supplies, drag out the heavy clothes and get ready to stay warm and well when the snow begins to fly.

While not one of the 'big' pagan holidays, and coming soon after Lughnasadh (the first harvest) it is a nice way to mark the equinox and the true change of seasons.

This is the time of the Dark Mother, the Crone, and when we begin to see the earth dieing into a deep sleep, when the plants go brown and dormant..or dead... and the wild animals find snug dens for the coming hardship. The Harvest Moon has come and gone and now it is truly autumn and the nights grow chill as we contemplate what comes afterward.

But it isn't that cold yet. First comes the turning and falling of the leaves! And so I made some leaves for my alter! (and my hair too!) Please note that these are made to not lie flat. True, real fallen oak leaves are not flat things and neither did I feel that my Mabon decor should be flat things.

And why white oak in particular instead of generic 'leaf'?

My grandparents yard has two huge white oaks. There used to be 4 huge old oaks but the two nearest the house worried them... and so now there are 2. I like these tress. Big, messy with acorns and twigs and leaves.. but I like them. They are friendly trees. They also have oddly shaped, randomly pointed leaves.. so does my pattern!

Big White Oak Leaf.
Needed:

Roughly 60 yards of WW in an earthy/leafy color and a crochet hook that is properly sized. I used Peaches and Cream in 'Good Earth' and a 4.5 mm hook.

Beads, if you want to randomly bead your leaves. (This is done much like beading a knit project with a tiny crochet hook and drawing the bead over the stitch.) Size 2/0 in Ruby mix is what I have used here.

hdc - half double crochet
dc - double crochet
sc- single crochet
dr - decrease
in - increase
st - stitch
sls - slip stitch, generally worked straight into lower row to begin a chain

(All are American crochet terms!)

1. Chain 28+2, work hdc into third loop from hook.

2. 17 dc, leaving a 'stem' chain. Slip st into 18th st. Chain 20.

3. Work hdc into third loop from hook, hdc 2x. DC 29, slip st into 30th loop. Chain 5.

4. hdc into third loop from hook. hdc 2x. dc 10, dr 1, dc 10, dr 1, dc 7, sls and chain 5.

5. Work hdc into third loop from hook, hdc 1, dc 4, dr 1, dc 3, dr 1, dc 7, dr 1, dc 7, sls and chain 4.

6. Work hdc into third loop from hook, hdc 1, sc 5, dr 1, sc 1, hdc 1, dc 6, dr 1, dc 5, sls and chain 4.

7. Work hdc into third loop from hook, hdc 1, sc 7, hdc 1, dc 5, hdc 1, chain 9.

8. Work hdc into third loop from hook, hdc 1, in 1 (use dc), dc 3. Skip next loop and stitch into next loop, pulling yarn tight (creates a 'tuck' in the fabric). Dc 7, hdc 1, ch 12.

9. Work hdc into third loop from hook, hdc 1, dc 3, in 1, dc 4. Skip next loop and stitch into next loop, pulling yarn tight. dc 12, hdc 1, ch 3

10. Work hdc into third loop from hook, dc 12, dr 1, dc 4 hdc 1, sc 1, chain 5.

11. Work hdc into third loop from hook, dc 2, sls into second dc after chain, pulling the yarn tight (creates a little weird angle), hdc 3, dc 9, hdc 6, sc 1, ch 1.

12. Sc into second loop from hook, sc 1, hdc 2, dc 10, hdc 2, sc 2, chain 4.

13. Work sc into 2nd loop from hook, sc 1, hdc 2, sc 2, chain 4

14. Work hdc into third loop from hook, hdc 1, dc 3, hdc 1, dc 9, chain 8.

15. Work hdc into third loop from hook, dc 12, hdc 1 chain 7

16. Work hdc into third loop from hook, hdc 2, dc 12, hdc 2, sc 1, chain 4

17. Work hdc into third loop from hook, dc 3, dr 1, dc 4, dr 1, sc 1, hdc 1, sc 2, ch 5.

18. Work hdc into third loop from hook, hdc 1, dc 11, hdc 1, sc 1, chain 3.

19. Work hdc into third loop from hook, dc 2, dr 1 dc 5, dr 1, hdc 1, ch 1

20. Sc into second loop from hook, hdc 1, dc 5, hdc 1, sc 1, chain 1

21. sls 2, hdc 1, dc 1, hdc 1, sc1 ch 1.

22. sls 1, hdc 1, dc 1.

Finishing!

SC around edges till you reach the 'stem'. HDC down stem front, sc up back of stem. SC back to top of leaf.

My three beasties surround my Mabon alter.

A loop may be placed somewhere to hang this leaf. I just laid it somewhere harvest-y (my table alter) as a cloth.

I'm working on a headband version for Samhain. I'll be sure to add that as well when it is done.

I Need more Fuchsia in my Life.

You read right. More fuchsia. More of that bright and annoying color that takes it's name from a rather fussy and hard to keep alive flowering plant. I used to have one. Darn thing dropped dead flowers everywhere, demanded a cool but sunny spot and threw fits if I forgot to water it regularly.

But, the flowers. Each was a little reminded that all in life is not dull, death and loss. They were so bright that I was asked from time to time if the plant was fake. I loved that little plant. I unfortunately lost it when my basement warmed up a bit too much and the little guy came out of hibernation and died from lack of light and water before I realized what had happened. Now have several years pass, and now you have today. I had forgotten my little plant of happy, fussy flowers.

Then I went thrifting. I was kind of looking for a new summer dress or two; it's been hot here (very hot!!) and when It's hot I favor loose, flowy cotton/silk/good rayon dresses simply because a single item of clothing is just more comfy and more cool.

Dress of color!

And this dress is all of that. Bright, cheerful, and cool and comfy. The colors made me very happy. But, can't wear it outside of the warmest part of the year.

So I made this:

Wee little dice bag of Fuchsia!!

There really is no pattern to speak of, if you wish a bright bag of your own. It's just half double crocheting into a chain to create a little pocket (like my simple nook sack) and then working your way up. And I really didn't take any notes... it is that easy.

The recipe for A Fuchsia Bright Bag.

Three basic stitches. (American)
Double Crochet
Half-Double Crochet
3 stitch Picot Crochet Edge
Supplies
Plymoth Yarn Sockotta in plum, about 100 yards.

The hook was an E.
One bead with a big enough hole for a few strands of the yarn. 


I did an even number of stitches around, I believe it was 24.
I did do one row of crochet into back loop for two stitches, crochet into front loop for two stitches, work two rows plain hdc. Do a second row of back/front fun. It gives a bit of texture to a very plain stitched bag.
The cord row is worked as: double crochet one, next stitch worked as a chain one, repeat.
The cord is real crochet I-cord. This is the easiest way to make the stuff.I used 3 stitch, as in video.
Work a row or two more of hdc. Get to a corner of the bag (I prefer the slightly lower edge) and begin to work 3 st picot.
Run your icord through the holes in such a way as the tails end up both on the outside.
I rammed the ends of the cord into a camel bone bead and knotted it.
Fill with dice or other little fun thingies.

You can see the detail the front/back post rows add to the little bag. In a quieter yarn they'd be nice worked all through the body.

I decided I needed still more fuchsia fun in my life... so I picked up some fuchsia (and yellow for the base) nail polish. That may be too much fuchsia for sane people though. It may be too much for me... but I won't decide that till February when everything is dead and grey and covered in ice.