Seeking easy crochet patterns!

[Maria]

So here's the deal. My mom's cancer has obliterated my parents' finances, and not been so kind not the rest of us either. I just last night found out how not-kind it's been, and let me just say, eek. So my family is all over doing holiday gifts on the cheap. The Husband and I crochet, and I have an obscenely huge yarn stash. What I don't have, because of school, is time to make terribly complicated stuff, nor time to hunt down free patterns which are at least marginally quick and/or easy.

And that's where you folks come in. Can you share your favourite easy crochet patterns, that make decent gifts? I'm especially looking for small blankets that have some sort of interesting thing to them... not quite sure what, but just not "100 rows of the same stitch"! And I'm also open to other project suggestions. Sooo... any thoughts?

Also, just because it rocks, if anyone is looking for a crocheted children's gift that is neither quick nor easy, but IS rather cheap... this is the pattern I used for my five-year-old cousin: http://www.caron.com/projects/ss/ss_sheep_toy.html Is that adorable or what?

[Lyse]

Ravelry has some awesome patterns at all levels of difficulty.

[Bardmaiden]

I'll second Ravelry I've found dozens of patterns I want to try on there and all free ones too.

[defaultbynature84]

Lion Brand has some pretty neat patterns and quite a few arigumi ones for free too made a penguin and snowman off of those

[Food Lady]

I don't have a pattern, but if you are making a scarf, you can work an interesting rib pattern like this: do 1 row of half-doubles. Turn. Do 2 front-post doubles in the first 2 stitches and a back-post double in the third. Repeat across. Turn. Do the opposite on the back side: do 2 back-post doubles in the first 2 stitches and a front-post double in the third and repeat across.

[evilfarmer]

They arent always the easiest but http://freevintagecrochet.com/ has lots of niffty old patterns. The other place I go is http://www.crochetpatterncentral.com/directory.php which is huge!

[dawnfire]

I second lion brand. 98% of the patterns I use come from there.

[smileyeagle1021]

Every skein of Red Heart (my favorite brand )that I've ever bought has had patterns on it. Not that I can use them, apparently us knitters are a minority because all patterns are now for crotchet.
But I will say Maria, at least you don't Knook