Volleyball Girl!

Mims starts volleyball practice next month.  This is her first time playing team sports, up until now she's only done solo sports like ballet and gymnastics.  We are all super excited about it!

Since she doesn't have much experience with volleyball yet (an unfortunate game of 'bruise ball' with my cousins when she was 5 kinda tainted her viewpoint), I have been looking for anything that might make practice seem more fun, and less ouchy to begin with.  I found a bounce board on Amazon that I thought might do the trick, until I found the awesomeness that is "passing sleeves"!

Maybe they had passing sleeves when I was a kid, but I certainly didn't have them.  They're arm covers to protect you from the sting of passing the ball when you're first learning.  Brilliant!  They were only about $20 on Amazon, but waiting the two days for the Prime shipping just seemed like agony to me, especially since I had a wrist warmer pattern that I could modify to make some for Mims myself.

Now, my color choices might not be your cup of tea, but Little Miss Mims is in a mismatching phase.  She has gone to school the last two days with purposefully mismatched socks.  So when I asked her what color she wanted for her sleeves, she picked out this combo.  I dig it, it reminds me of Punky Brewster.

**Quick reminder: ***
ch - chain
sl st - slip stitch
hdc - half double crochet
fpdc - front post double crochet
bpdc - back post double crochet

VOLLEYBALL PASSING SLEEVES
to fit most 7-12 year olds

Supplies:
Worsted weight yarn - approximately 200 yards for the pair (I used 100% cotton yarn in turquoise, pink and purple)
Size G crochet hook
Yarn needle

(Make 2)
ch 22, being careful not to twist your stitches sl st to first ch to join round
R1: ch 1, hdc in each ch around, sl st to first hdc to join round (22 st)
R2: ch 1, hdc in each st around, sl st to first hdc to join round (22 st)
R3-4: ch 1, ch 1, hdc in each st around, do not join round, turn (22 st)
R5-18:  ch 1, hdc in each st around, sl st to first hdc to join round (22 st)
R19: ch 2, dc in each st around, sl st to first dc to join round (22 st)
R20-21: ch 2, (fpdc, bpdc) 11 times, sl st to first fpdc to join round (22 st)
Fasten off.  Weave in ends.

I changed color every two rows for the striped sleeve, ending with the same color for the dc rows 19-21.

Rrrrr!  She's got her game face on!!!

One more thing, Beautiful Dynamos!  I'm in a blogging design competition over at FaveCrafts right now.  If you love free patterns, and you want to support more free patterns on CrochetDynamite.com, please go over and VOTE for my project right now. It doesn't cost you anything, and it only takes 30 seconds.  My project is called the Quirky Crochet Handbag.   And if you wanted to convince your friends and family to vote for me too, it certainly wouldn't hurt my feelings!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

xoxo