Face Mask Attachment

Hello all, hope you are all staying home and staying safe. Feels like we have been in lockdown for a long time now. Days definitely seem to be flying by – never a dull moment in our house!
So I thought I would make these little face mask attachments to help our NHS Heroes. I know they are all struggling with sore ears when they are wearing face masks for so many hours a day.

Now I’ve have seen that people have been making them, so thought we need a few rainbow ones in the mix. Thought it would help them know how much we are thinking of them & appreciate how hard they are working! So here is my pattern for a rainbow and a plain coloured face mask attachment, if you want a simpler one to make up. Hope you like the pattern. Once you have made a few, you just need to deliver them to someone you know that works in the NHS and they can distribute them accordingly. Even if you only make a couple, it will help someone. You just need to remember to use cotton yarn so that they can be washed at high temperatures with their uniform and make sure the buttons are attached securely.
Any problems just give me a shout.

Level – Easy

Supplies –

So these little mask attachments only use about 5g of yarn. I have used a 4mm crochet hook and some Double Knit Cotton yarn. (It must be cotton so that the attacher can be washed with their uniform at a high temperature.) You will also need some scissors, blunt ended needle and 2 buttons with thread to sew the buttons on.

Stitches –

Slip Stitch (ss) – This is where there is no height to the stitch. It’s usually used to join rounds. So insert the hook into the front of the stitch you are joining to. This is usually the first stitch you made in that round/row. So yarn over hook and pull through that first stitch then also through the loop on your hook.

Chain stitch (ch) – To make a chain, place the yarn over the hook then pull it through the loop on your hook.

Slip Knot – Fold over the yarn to make the loop. Insert your hook through the loop and grab the working yarn (long piece) and pull through the loop. Hold the tail and the working yarn and pull so that the knot tightens, but you still have a loop. Then insert your hook and pull the tail tight to create a slip knot.

Double Crochet (dc) – Insert the hook through the stitch, front to back, then yarn over hook and pull back through stitch. You will have two loops on your hook. Then yarn over your hook and pull through both loops.

PipsTips –

Changing colour. When you need to change a colour, you work your new yarn into the last stitch of the last round. So here I am changing colour from green to blue. I have worked the second to last stitch in the green round and also I have worked the first part of the last stitch. So I am basically working the blue yarn through the last yarn over and pull through two loops in the double crochet stitch. You can see I have looped the blue yarn over the hook and then you need to pull both the green and blue yarn through the last 2 loops. 

Ok, so now that you have finished the green yarn round, you can now fasten that off and just use the blue yarn.

Ok so here goes…

Rainbow Face Mask Attachment –

Using your green start by making a slip knot then chaining 17.

1 – Then miss a chain and work 2dc in the next chain.

Work 1dc in the next 14 chains up the one side, followed by 2dc in the next chain. In the last 1dc, change your colour to blue. Now with your blue yarn turn your work, miss the first chain and work 2dc in the next chain. Then 1dc in the next 14 chains finishing the round with 2dc in the last chain. In the last dc stitch change to yellow yarn. (36) 

2 – Pop a yarn stitch maker over the stitch so that you can count your rounds.

With your yellow yarn work 2dc in the next 2 stitches. Then 14dc stitches, followed by 2dc in the next 2 stitches. In the last 1dc change colour to blue again. Then with your blue yarn work 2dc in the next 2 stitches. Finally 14dc stitches and finish off with 2dc in the next 2 stitches. In the last dc stitch change to orange yarn. (44) 

3 – With your orange yarn work 2dc in the next 2 stitches. Then 18dc stitches, followed by 2dc in the next 2 stitches. In the last 1dc change colour to purple. Then with your purple yarn work 2dc in the next 2 stitches. Finally 18dc stitches and finish off with 2dc in the next 2 stitches. In the last stitch change to red yarn. (52) 

4 – With your red yarn, work 2dc in the next 2 stitches. Then 22dc stitches, followed by 2dc in the next 2 stitches. In the last 1dc change colour to pink. Then work 2dc in the next 2 stitches. Finally work 22dc stitches and finishing off with 2dc in the next 2 stitches. Finally slip stitch into the next stitch and fasten off your yarn. (60) 

Now all you need to do is sew your ends using your blunt ended tapestry needle.

Finally block your work so that it keeps its shape. To do this all you need to do is wet your work and then smooth with your hands and pin it in place on a foam mat over night. This will give a much neater end product and ensure all those little ends stay firmly in place.

Finally sew on 2 buttons securely at either end of the mask attacher.

And there you have it. Here is the pattern for the plain coloured face mask attachment. It’s definitely a simpler pattern to follow and as you can imagine, they are definitely a little quicker to crochet up. Don’t forget you can play around with your own colours, one option is to change the colour in the last round.

Plain Coloured Mask Attacher –

1 – Start by chaining 17. Then miss a chain and work 2dc in the next chain. Work 1dc in the next 14 chains up the one side, followed by 2dc in the next chain. Now miss the first chain and work 2dc in the next chain. Then 1dc in the next 14 chains finishing the round with 2dc in the last chain. (36) 

2 – Pop a yarn stitch maker over the stitch and work 2dc in the next 2 stitches. Then 14dc stitches, followed by 2dc in the next 4 stitches. Finally work 14dc stitches and finishing off with 2dc in the next 2 stitches. (44) 

3 – Work 2dc in the next 2 stitches. Then 18dc stitches, followed by 2dc in the next 4 stitches. Finally work 18dc stitches and finishing off with 2dc in the next 2 stitches. (52) 

4 – Work 2dc in the next 2 stitches. Then 22dc stitches, followed by 2dc in the next 4 stitches. Finally work 22dc stitches and finishing off with 2dc in the next 2 stitches. Finally slip stitch into the next stitch and fasten off your yarn. (60) 

Now all you need to do is sew your 2 ends in and block it so that it keeps its shape. Finally sew on 2 buttons securely at either end of your attacher. 

And there you have it. Two different mask attachers.

Don’t forget to use cotton, as these will need to be washed at a high temperature with their uniforms.

As always, if there are any problems or queries just give me a shout.

Stay Home.

Stay Safe.

Happy Hooking guys!!
🌈Xx

(Free pattern designed and brought to you by PipsRainbow. Thank you for not copying or recreating it. ☺️Xx)

If you are quite new to crocheting, here’s a few links to some of my videos that you may find useful.

How to work a Double Crochet.
How to Crochet – Lesson 1.
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One week down… I wonder how many to go?

The birds are still flying in the sky. Trees are blowing in the wind. The sun is out. Lambs are being born in the fields. And there’s sunny little yellow daffodils beaming at the world around them. And yet there is a distinct lack of people out and about. And the noise of our surroundings, is a little bit odd and some what eerie!! The roads are quiet, no kids are in the park and there’s a very strange queue outside most supermarkets! Scary and sad times.

Oh my, what a difference a month can make or even a week for that matter. This time last month, we had just come back from an amazing ski holiday. We had a few days back at school and I think if I can remember correctly, I was struggling to get all the housework done. Wow! Definitely not worrying about the housework now. Can’t quite believe how quick our lives have changed! How my head is filled with so many different thoughts now!

How are you all coping? I just wanted to check in with you and see how you are doing. I’m sorry I haven’t been on here or even social media much lately. This last week or so has been such an emotional time for everyone. Feeling decidedly overwhelmed by it all. My children have now been at home with me for a week now. Which in one sense I love, but on the other, I fear for their social interaction with their peers & emotional needs. The end of school/nursery seemed to happen so quickly for us. One minute they were going in and the next we were being sent home with PE bags and a lot of books to read. The kids didn’t seem to get what was going on at all. It was so sad. My eldest seems a lot calmer now that we have been at home for a few days. I think the fear of it all and being at school was getting a bit much. Children are so adaptable aren’t they. Much better than us. Our life changes & we all go to pot, where as the kids just seem to accept it and off they go. Bless them.

Today was the end of our first full week as our little unit. We managed the Joe Wicks PE routine every day. Which was rather hilarious!

I’m pleased no-one was watching. My daughter was doing rather well, but my son on the other hand is a little too young & keeps trying to tackle us & give us big hugs! Always slightly scary when you are attempting some manoeuvres that your body isn’t usually used to, in your living room, in your slippers with 2 children laughing at you and then one suddenly running at you for a hug. So yeah… It’s been fun! Lots of cuppas needed at times like this me thinks.

We’ve started getting lots of jobs done in the house. Amazing when your whole world seems to be existing in 4 walls, you have a sense of sort city!! I seem to be zooming through the house like some kind of steam train. It was my daughter’s room yesterday and the playroom today! I’m amazed how it all gets into such a muddle so quickly!! I’ve challenged my daughter to sort all of the playmobil toys back into their own little groups! Could take a while. (Good job I kept all the instructions!)

I think with us all being in the house so much, it’s even more important than ever that we keep it a bit more ship shape. (Easier said that done.) I think it’s a sense of not being able to work with the kids and set up activities when it’s a mess. Well that’s the plan anyway. It seems to be brushing off on my husband too. Last seen 8pm on Thursday night, painting skirting boards in the hall! Love him!!

I do worry about our little minds after all this time in isolation! I reckon I am definitely showing signs of hobbitness!! It’s worrying! Now for those of you who know me, I always joke about how I am becoming a hobbit, because we live in The Shire and literally only seem to leave once in a blue moon. On a usual (not lockdown) day to day basis, in the week I only tend to leave my home town for one thing. And that’s only 10 minutes away in the car. Everything else, bar swimming & the gym, is pretty much in walking distance! I spend most of my time on foot and will always bump into someone that I know! So now that we are all in lockdown, the likelihood of hobbitness has increased by 10 fold!! Haha. Oh and it’s gonna get a whole lot worse isn’t it.

Now, in my little Hobbit world, I would always visit Bore Street Bakery, twice a week for our weekly bread.

Now due to Coronavirus and the government rulings, they have made the sad decision to shut their doors until the foreseeable future. Properly gutted for them, but I know when they reopen, we will be there with bells on!!

But as a result of this, I find myself in situation where I need to make our own bread. Now this isn’t a problem, as I have made sourdough before. My mother-in-law very kindly made me and a few other family members a starter for our sourdough. Attempt one was made on Friday, but I think my poor little starter hadn’t worked properly and it needed some TLC. Since then, I seem to have been trying to nurse it back to life and have been seen carrying it around the house, trying to find the perfect spot for it to sit and get better.

I keep researching how to help it & trying new ways! Honestly, you would think it’s a little baby, the way I have been nursing it back to health. Oh dear! Maybe the hobbitness has kicked in already!! Fingers crossed the next loaf will be more of a success than this one!!!

And we are definitely missing our yummy coffees from the wonderful Debs at Melbourne Cafe. I think there are quite a few dogs missing their regular trips to her coffee shop. I follow her on instagram and the amount of little dogs that are sitting on Melbourne’s door step waiting to go in. So sad that they are shut too. Missing all our usual places to go. My purple flask hasn’t been used for ages!!

My daughter is definitely coping better now, than last week. She seems to be bimbling around the house quite happy. I found her the other day writing in her diary about the lock down. We had asked her to write a little a day, but knew it might be a big ask. But she has been siting every morning and filling it in. Definitely think it will help her with all the emotions she is feeling. Must be so scary for her.

On Thursday evening, the whole of Britain came out of their doors, windows & balconies to clap and show appreciation for the NHS. It’s was so emotional. I got my daughter out of bed. She was really taken with it. I think someone was even hitting a saucepan with a wooden spoon near us and there was some definite fireworks being let off. To all who work in the NHS, for your role, however big or small, we salute you! From the bottom of our hearts!

As it is early days, we haven’t quite got a routine on the go as to what we will do. I know some of my friends have devised timetables and home schooling routines, but for me it is a time for readjustment at first. A time to get used to being in the house so much for a start. As my loved ones all know, my dear husband has always got itchy feet, so we would always be out that door on Saturday morning, off on a bike ride or adventure somewhere. So to be told to stay in the house & not go & explore, has been a bit of a game changer.

So I’ve devised this system for our activities. All you need are 2 jars, some coloured paper, a pen and some scissors.

And all I did was cut up strips of coloured paper and popped a challenge or an activity on each. So we have a challenge jar and a fun activity jar. So the challenge one, is basically all the work that her school has set for her broken down individually & a few more from me & her tutor. I thought it was the best way to do it, rather than me just telling her what to do & when.

She was sooooo excited when I gave her the jars. It definitely had the desired effect! Yey!! Much better than nagging. So each challenge achieved, she gets a gold star on a chart. It’s definitely growing, so we’re winning on the school work front. And the best part is, she doesn’t really realise she’s doing it! The other jar has lots of fun activities that they both can do. I tried to think of all the activities that we can do in the house like craft activities, or things in the garden. There’s even Lego challenges in there. Can’t beat a spot of legoing! Think for us the old school way of teaching through learning and activities is best for us. Can’t beat a spot of maths, whilst making a cake!!

And a little bit of quilt making AKA Design Technology Lesson!

Heyho. It’s all go isn’t it. I can safely say that crocheting and knitting is so important right now. I think one of the main benefits to crocheting is the ability to loose ones self in it & be distracted by it. With everything that is going on & the worry that people are having to endure, it’s good to have a distraction plan in place. And especially one that you can enjoy the snuggly yarny products after too!!

Well, I‘m hoping to be on here as much as I can. I know my little ones are going to take up quite a lot of my time, but hoping to find little moments for my crocheting. I have plans for more video tutorials & simple patterns for you to follow. So watch this space. It’s so important to have a little escapism with all this fear and worry in the world and crocheting (and a spot of running.) is definitely mine.

Stay Home. Stay Safe!!

Happy hooking my lovely ones.
🌈Xx

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