When I started the Dude Collection I knew I wanted to include a blanket. The Dude Blanket is simple, durable, and not too frilly,  just like most guys like things. I used Hobby Lobby’s I Love This Yarn, but any soft worsted weight yarn will be great for this project! This is one of those projects that is mindless and easy to work on when watching TV or chatting with friends. You and the special “dude” in your life will love it!

The Dude Blanket can be made in any color combination you like or make it solid! You can also change the size of the blanket by working in multiples of 2+1.

Grab the ad-free pdf copy HERE.

Materials

• 4,130-4,500 yards worsted weight yarn
• I (5.5mm) crochet hook or hook to obtain gauge
• Scissors
• Measuring tape
• Tapestry needle

Difficulty

• Easy

Gauge

• 15 sts within the pattern x 11 rows = 4”

Sizing

• 55” x 65”

Pattern Notes

Starting chain does not count as first stitch, unless stated otherwise within the pattern.

Color changes in sample are: 10 rows with first color, 5 rows with second color, 10 rows with third color, 5 rows with second color, and repeat.

Change the size of the blanket by working your starting chain in a multiple of 2+1.

Stitches Needed & Abbreviations

ch(s)- chain(s)

st(s)- stitch(es)

hdc- half double crochet

blo- back loop only

*- repeat from

Pattern

Ch 209

Row 1: hdc in 2^nd ch from hook and across. (208)

Row 2: Ch 1, turn, 1 hdc in blo of first st, 1 hdc in both loops of next st, *1 hdc in blo of next st, 1 hdc in both loops of next st*, repeat from * across. (208)

Rows 3- 180: repeat row 2.

Fasten off. Weave in ends.

This pattern is a copyright of Two Brothers Blankets. Please do not copy, share, sell, or alter in any way. You may use the pattern to sell finished items but please link back to this post for pattern credit.

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How do you balance it all?! I feel like this is a question women get asked a lot. We are wives, moms, doers of the laundry. We are also women who want to make a difference, build that business, and create that product. We want to contribute and we want to do what makes us happy. We want it all! But can we have it all? No. At least not all at once.

I’ve been in the crochet pattern designing business for 5 years now. I’ve been married for almost 10 years. I’ve been a mom for 9 years. In those 10 years I have come to the realization that true balance is a myth. It’s not real. It’s not possible. Even before Two Brothers Blankets, when I was a stay-at-home mom, balance didn’t happen. Some days the babies needed more attention from me so the laundry and the dishes and the projects had to wait. Other days, they took 3 hour naps and I was able to accomplish all of the things! But I never once had a day where I was able to get every bit of housekeeping done AND spend hours and hours with the kids.

Now, as a business owner, balance is even more of a myth, and that’s OK! My boys are both in school now so I am able to work more of a full time schedule than I ever have before, but when you run a business online, the “work” never truly ends. I believe that since true balance is not possible, planning, priorities, and flexibility are what make a busy life not only easier, but enjoyable too!

Priorities

When raising a family, and running a business, it’s super important to have priorities set in place right from the beginning. For me, the family comes before all else. My husband and kids come first. When they need me, work has to wait. This includes things like sickness, or special events, but also just when they need me to be present in that moment. My next priority is other relationships. I try to carve out space for friends as much as I can. I give myself one day during the work week and only work half a day. This day is for meeting with my women’s bible study and spending time with friends. Being a business owner who works from home all day long can get quite lonely, so working on those relationships outside of the home is a big priority for me.

Then comes work. My business is like my third baby. I love everything about it. Even the hard stuff or the not so enjoyable stuff. So sometimes I try to give this the priority above the others and that can usually cause issues. Please understand, though, sometimes work will have to come ahead of family or friend time. That’s why balance is not truly possible. Just like when family needs me, sometimes the business needs me to work a few extra hours that day or put in some work on a Saturday. That’s where good planning comes in!

Planning

Without planning our life would be true chaos. My husband and I both run separate businesses, so life can become very hectic, very fast. We plan as much as we possibly can, from school pick-ups to what we are eating for dinner each night. Every Sunday night we sit down and plan out our week on the calendar. We sync our schedules and figure out who is doing what so that we each have optimal time to run our business, without it getting in the way of family time or time for each other.

So for us, I typically take the boys to school and Brian picks them up. This gives Brian more time to work in the morning when it’s cooler (he works outdoors). Brian also usually takes the boys to their extracurricular activities in the evenings, while I’m the one to plan, shop for, and cook our meals each day. On days that he can’t pick them up or has to work late, I fill in. Some days I need to work late so he cooks dinner for us. We work as a team and plan as a team so that there’s usually nothing too unexpected in our day, which makes it feel so much less chaotic.

Outsourcing

As my business and my husband’s business grows, one of my main goals is to be able to have a housekeeper come once a month and clean my house!  I would also love to have a part time nanny by next summer to keep my kids cared for and occupied while I work so they aren’t sitting in front of the TV the whole time I’m working! These are true goals of mine and I have no shame in them! One thing I’m learning as a business owner is that I cannot do it all! So I’m going to stick to what I can do and delegate the rest to others when possible! It’s OK to ask for help! It’s OK to get help! I promise!

Flexibility

Lastly, no matter what life situation you are in, flexibility is a must. No matter how much you plan, sometimes things just don’t go they way you planned them to.  The best thing you can do for your own sanity is learn to roll with the changes when things don’t work out how you planned them.  Also, it really helps to get back to your plan as soon as you can.  It gives you better motivation and a feeling of control when you get back on track as soon as possible.

I hope these tips help you to let go of the idea that your life needs to be perfectly balance to be a good parent, spouse, or person. You can visit my youtube channel to see my Instagram live segment on this very topic. Lastly, let me know in the comments how you keep your life as close to balanced as you can!

I have officially started the Fall 2018 collection and the Brimstone Beanie is the first of many fun designs I have planned! The Brimstone Beanie comes with instructions for how to make toddler sizes through adult sizes. This pattern is an easy to follow, bottom-up design that you will never get bored with because the stitch combo changes each round! The Brimstone Beanie crochet pattern is currently on sale for 50% off through Sunday, August 26, 2018! No code is needed. The discount has already been applied. Grab your pattern HERE. 

I used the new Jeans yarn from Lion Brand Yarns to make this hat. One day while walking through the yarn isle of Michael’s this yarn jumped out at me and screamed “HAT!”. I promise that’s exactly how it happened! 😉 Of course I bought it to see what I could come up with. Once I got it home I started playing with it right away! The Brimstone Beanie is what came to be created from this yarn!

I really like the Lion Brand Jeans yarn. So much so that I have plans to design another pattern with it, this time a garment! This yarn is very soft and squishy, which is almost always a great thing for yarn. It is on the light side of worsted weight, so be sure to check your gauge accordingly when using it. It comes with 246 yards a skein so I was able to make 1.5 children’s sized hats with just one skein of it. The colors are amazing and every single one has that cool denim feel to it! I think the colors really are what make this yarn stand out! The stitch definition shows up so nicely in these colors! I plan to grab some more  to make even more Brimstone Beanies!

Overall, I am a fan of the Jeans yarn from Lion Brand Yarns! I will recommend this yarn to anyone!

I am so excited to share with you my favorite coffee mug today! I’ve only had it for about a month, but it has surpassed all of the others and become the favorite! It is from the lovely ladies of 3amgracedesigns! You may know them as crochet pattern designers but they also have gorgeous, sturdy coffee mugs in their shop as well!

If you visit 3amgracedesigns website you will see that designers, Donna and Michaelene, wear many hats! They are both wives and mothers. Donna runs a preschool! Michaelene also works full-time and volunteers often! Then on top of all that they blog, run crochet-a-longs, design, and create!

I was so excited to have the opportunity to try out one of their Crochet/Maker mugs! There are so many amazing sayings on the mugs and it was so hard to choose just one mug! Some of my favorite sayings include “Created to Create”, “Boss girl”, and “Crochet is Cheaper than Therapy”. I finally decided on “Maker Mama” because it suited me perfectly. I take my role as a mama and a maker, both, very seriously.

The mugs that 3amgracedesigns offer are 15oz and both microwave and top shelf dishwasher safe! I absolutely love that because I hate to wash dishes! If something I like can’t go in the dishwasher, I rarely buy it! The mug has held up wonderfully too! I use the mug at least once a week, sometimes more, and it hasn’t peeled or chipped or stained at all!

I am left-handed, so sometimes I run into a mug with the design printed on only one side, and of course it’s the side for those holding it with their right hand. Not mugs from 3amgracedesigns! They print the design on both sides so right and left handed people can see the design as they hold it!  Each mug is made to order and you can even make special requests! The wonderful ladies at 3amgracedesigns also update their inventory often with fresh new designs!

The next mug I plan to get is for my husband. It says “World’s Best Instagram Husband”. He is definitely that! The photos you see on my Instagram grid are usually taken by him so I know that he will love this mug!

I highly recommend the 3amgracedesigns maker mugs if you are a maker, business owner, crocheter, knitter, or all of the above! These mugs also make great gifts for fellow crafty friends or family!

I am so happy to be able to share a coupon code with you, so you can purchase your own maker mug! If you use code ‘TwoBrothers’ at checkout you will get 20% off any mug in the collection! Shop HERE!

The Cecilia Shawl is light and airy and fun! It’s perfect to cover up with on a cool night or even use as a cute triangle scarf! Lion Brand Ombre Life yarn is used in the photos below to make a gorgeous gradient shawl!

The Cecilia Shawl is a beginner level crochet pattern. The repetitive stitch pattern makes it quick and fun to work up! Use sport weight yarn for a wonderful drape, or use DKfor a warmer shawl!

You can purchase the ad free pdf pattern HERE.

Materials

600 yards sport weight yarn
H hook
Scissors
Measuring tape
Yarn needle to weave in ends

Difficulty
beginner

Gauge
not needed

Sizing

50” across the top or desired width

Pattern Notes

Pattern is worked from the bottom up.
Sport weight yarn is used in the example but any light yarn will
work for this. Sizing and yarn amount may vary.

Stitches Needed &
Abbreviations
ch- chain
dc- double crochet
v-st (dc, ch1, dc)
st- stitch
shell- 5dc in 1 stitch
**- repeat what is in the symbols

Triangle
Ch 5
Row 1: dc in 5th ch from hook (creates v-st) (1 v-st)
Row 2: Ch 1, turn, sc in 1st st, 5 dc in ch space, sc in last st. (1 shell, 2 sc)
Row 3: Ch 3, turn, 4 dc in 1st st, skip 2, v-st in 3rd dc of shell, skip 2, 5 dc in last st. (2 shells, 1 v-st)
Row 4: Ch 3, turn, v-st in 3rd dc of shell, 5 dc in next ch-1 space, v-st in 3rd dc of next shell, dc in top of
ch 3. (2 v-st, 1 shell)
Row 5: Ch 4, turn, dc in same st (creates v-st), 5 dc in next ch-1 space, v-st in 3rd dc of next shell, 5 dc in
next ch-1 space, v-st in top of ch 3. (3 v-st, 2 shells)
Row 6: Ch 3, turn, 5 dc in ch-1 space, *v-st in 3rd dc of next shell, 5 dc in next ch-1 space*, repeat across,
dc in top of ch 3. (3 shells, 2 v-st)
Row 7: Ch 3, turn, v-st in 3rd dc of next shell, *5 dc in next ch-1 space, v-st in 3rd dc of next shell*, repeat
across, dc in top of ch 3. (3 v-st, 2 shells)
Row 8: Ch 4, turn, dc in same st (creates v-st), 5 dc in next ch-1 space, *v-st in 3rd dc of next shell, 5 dc in
next ch-1 space*, repeat across, v-st in top of ch 3. (4 v-st, 3 shells)
Repeat rows 6-8, ending with a repeat of row 6, until triangle measure approximately 50” across the top
or until desired length and width.
Optional Trim
Round 1: Evenly sc around the entire triangle working 2 sc in each corner, join to 1st st.
Round 2: Ch 1, sc in 1st st, ch 2, sc in same st, *skip 1, sc in next, ch 2, sc in same st*, repeat around, join
to 1st st.
Finish off. Weave in ends.

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