Variegated Plastic Bag Holder

Well, three of these plastic bag holders in almost as many days, I don’t plan on doing too many more of these any time soon!

I made this one for my friend after she saw the photos of my other bag holders on Facebook. We went to coffee and Lincraft yesterday and she picked some yarn she liked. Its a nice variegated acrylic with flecks of green, purple, orange and pink. For this one I used my 4.5mm hook because I started it at the library and didn’t have my 5mm with me, I don’t have a 5.5mm and the 6mm was too large. It still didn’t take me too long to make it up, especially because my husband made dinner so I could finish it!

I’ll probably make more of these, especially if the ‘product testing’ (!) goes well, just not too soon because I have lots and lots of other projects I want to make within the next 2 months. There are so many birthdays coming up, I’m not sure how I’m going to get it all finished!

Pale Green Plastic Bag Holder

I made this second plastic bag holder on Monday, snatching moments here and there while baby slept or played to finish it.

This plastic bag holder is the same as my dark blue one, only a bit longer. This time I used a pale green acrylic my mum gave me, I figured it would be a nice colour for the nursery, and the blue one can go in the kitchen. Again I used a 5mm hook so this would make up quickly.

I already have an order to make one of these for a friend, we just need to find some yarn in a colour she likes. I wonder if anyone else would like me to make them one?

Dark Blue Plastic Bag Holder

I just made this plastic bag holder up in a couple of hours, and it was put straight to work!

This took me just over two hours to complete, I used some dark blue acrylic yarn my mother gave me, and a large 5mm hook to make quick work of it. It is 9 inches wide, to start I just made a chain that was 18 inches long and sl st it to form a loop. The next round was a dc (US crochet) into every ch. The 2nd round was 3 ch, (sk 1 dc, 1 dc) repeated to end, sl st in 2nd ch. The 3rd round is sl st into next sp, 3 ch (dc into next sp, 1 ch) repeat to end, sl st into 2nd ch. Repeat 3rd round until the tube is 18 inches high. The last round is 2 ch (dc into next sp, dc into next dc) repeat to end, sl st into 2nd ch. Then finish with a chain that is 18 inches long. Thread this ch in and out of the last round of dc then sl st into 1st ch to form a drawstring, fasten off. Lastly, make another drawstring for the other end by starting an 18 inch ch anywhere at the end, then thread this ch in and out of the 1st round of dc, then sl st into 1st ch to form a loop. Pull the ch to tighten the loop.

Because I live in a townhouse, I need to make another one of these for downstairs! I wonder what colour I should make the next one?

Small camel stitch purse with a fluffy edge

I just finished this small purse today, completing the purple fluffy edge. I had made this to give to a friend as a gift, but I’ve decided to make her something else instead! I don’t know who I’ll give this one to.

The other week while on youtube, I stumbled upon some videos of a stitch I didn’t know. It was called the ‘camel stitch‘. It was interesting because it’s supposed to resemble knitting, so I decided to give it a try. I made a rectangle that measures 18cm x 8cm of the camel stitch. Then I went around it with a border of 2 rounds of sc. I used the last of my berry pink yarn from Lincraft, and a 4mm hook. Then I folded it to make the purse and stitched the sides and the lip in sc, leaving a 5 ch loop for the button, using the fluffy purple yarn. I ended by stitching a large purple button on the front. Hey presto! A small purse!

The finished product measures 11cm x 9cm, I wonder if anyone would like it.

A little pink bag with a fluffy top

I made this little bag today (last Saturday), I’m thinking this might be a gift for a one year old girl and inside I will hide a small toy or book!

Like almost all of my little bags, I started this one with a row of dc, then 2 extra dc in the end then continue around the other side of the ch dc in the bottom of ea dc, then 2 more dc in the other end, sl st to make a round. The second row is another round of dc. Then I put a part section of the same shell stitch as in the caps I made in this same soft silky acrylic yarn. I did that for 10 rounds, then 2 more rounds of just dc. I then do a round of 2 ch, (sk 1, sc, 1 ch) repeated to end, sl st in 2nd ch. Then the lip is finished with 2 rounds of dc. I then made a long ch to form the drawstring, which is threaded through the 1 ch, 1 sc round. Lastly I added a ch handle, then a second row of dc into that handle. I embellished with some fun fluffy yarn at the lip to add some extra colour and texture.

For this bag I used a 3mm hook to make it more firmer than the hats, when I used a 4mm hook so they come out light and airy. I hope this will make a nice little gift!

Small striped bag with flower & Handmade 1st Birthday Card

Today is the second 1st birthday in our mother’s group so we have a party to go to, it’s very exciting! I made this small striped bag with a flower as a gift, I hope she likes it!

I used 5 colours from my batch of cotton blend, it’s a thick yarn so I used my 4mm hook. It’s a simple bag, changing colours every row of sc using orange, yellow, green, purple and white. I didn’t follow a pattern for the flower either, just did a couple of rounds in yellow ending up with 16 sc, then changed to orange and did 8 petals. Each petals started as 3 ch in every 2nd sc, then the second row is 5 sc into the sp with a sl st to start a new petal. I used fine cotton and needle to do a simple running stitch to attach the flower to the front. For the bag, a sc ch lip for a ch handle to be threaded through, and a larger ch handle with a second row of sc in orange. The one thing I’m unhappy with is this cotton is too thick to thread through my needle so I couldn’t finish off the ends very neatly. Instead I have to weave them in with my crochet hook which means the ends can poke through easily. Eventually there will be some loose ends visible in this bag which will make it look a little rough. Hopefully that will add to the home made character of it!

To go with this gift my mum made a special home made birthday card, which is very nice! I’ll also include a small Fisher-Price little people car inside the bag, and of course a book which I always love to give children! Children can never have too many books!

Simple Gifts – girl’s handbag, soap savers, dishcloths

I made these things to give as gifts this Christmas, finishing the dishcloths today.

<<< My sister told me her daughter would like a grey and pink bag like the one I gave her last year, but this time with a zig zag or polkadot pattern. So this is what I came up with! It’s my own pattern and required a second attempt, the first one was just to work it out, then it got unravelled! The pattern is basically a sl st, sc, hdc, 3 dc, hdc, sc, sl st repeated, every second row does the same pattern but inverted with the sl st falling on the middle dc, if you know what I mean! Two rows one colour then the next two rows the other colour result in these wavy stripes. Otherwise, it’s a pretty straight forward bag, with a row of dc in the handle. I think I used a 4mm hook, I really like the pink I used its a vibrant colour, and some dark grey wool.

>>>My favourite soap is the pink Dove soap, its a pink ribbon fund raiser and is very nice, soft and creamy. I decided to use some pretty pink cotton I have left over from the sun hat I made for my niece last year, to make some pretty soap savers! Again, I had to have a second attempt, the first go I worked out the pattern then had to unravel it and start again properly. I started at the bottom with 9 ch, then a dc in every ch, 3 extra at each end, then another 9 on the other side of the ch to make a round. After that there are 7 rows of lace, the pattern is 2 dc 1 ch 2 dc, sk 2, 1 dc 3 ch 1 dc, sk 2, then alternated into the sp, if you know what I mean! Then the top is 1 dc 1 ch, and a ch threaded through and sl st onto itself to make a closed tie handle. I used a 3.5mm hook and a 50/50 cotton and acrylic blend. I hope the recipents like these, I think they’re really nice anyway!

<<< Today I finished these pentagon dishcloths using up the last of the pretty 50/50 cotton acrylic blend. It’s so sad to see the last of it go! Again I used the 3.5mm hook, and my own pattern. This is like other pentagon dishcloths I’ve made, but slightly bigger as my husband has said they need to be! If I didn’t run out of cotton they would be even bigger! I’ve made these for people who mentioned they’d like home-made dishcloths, I hope they like these!

Merry Christmas!!!

❤

Three Small Things – apple sweater, dishcloth, square motif

>>> I first saw an apple sweater at Crochetspot and thought it was a fabulous idea. An apple is a great snack, but doesn’t go very well in my handbag and always ends up getting bruised, but the sweater would protect it from that. More images of apple sweaters on google show different styles. I turned one of my baby beanies into an apple sweater by simply crochet a chain to go around the edge and sl st to join. This second one I made as an apple sweater from the start. It’s my own pattern, it’s like a baby beanie but with a chain threaded through the lip and sl st to join a ring. I used a 5mm hook and some more of the pink and blue mohair I had used for the hot water bottle cover. It now lives in our fruit bowl, waiting to be used!

<<< This aqua coloured flower dishcloth is a pattern I made up, turning over after every row to work in a ridge. The 5th round is some 5 treble flower petals. I ran out of cotton just at the end, so the last petal is 5 ch to form a handy hanging hook. For this one I used a 4mm hook and the last of the aqua cotton my mum gave me.

>>> I saw a lacey crochet square motif on a crochet blog, and I really liked it so I tried copying it. I didn’t follow a pattern, I just tried to replicate the image. I used my 1.75mm hook and some fine lilac cotton mum gave me. When I was finished this tiny square I wet it and blocked it as it wasn’t quite flat. I’m not sure where this square will live, perhaps it can be a dolly’s blanket.

Pink and Blue Hot Water Bottle Cover

A hot water bottle is just what I needed for these aches and pains, the rice hot packs don’t hold their heat for as long. But then I needed to make a cover for the water bottle, didn’t I?

I still have an inflammed liver from the pre-eclampsia, or more specifically the H.E.L.L.P. syndrome which is very rare, so my liver aches but the doctors said that means it’s getting better. For this cover I used a 5mm hook and a blend of 70% mohair and 30% PAC (whatever that is). I got this yarn from Lincraft when they had 50% off wool, this one was labelled  “Mohair Linate Classic” so I got 5 balls of it at a reasonable price. The washing instructions are cool wash, dry flat in shade, do not hang or tumble dry, cool iron. This is a very simple pattern I made up to fit the bottle and I completed it over a day.

My Hot Water Bottle Cover Pattern
using 5mm hook and thick yarn
1. ch as many as needed to width of bottle, ch 2, treble (US dc) in 3rd ch from hook, treble in ea ch to end, treble into bottom of ea ch to end, sl st to join
2. ch 2, treble into each treble around, sl st to join
3. repeat round 2 until you reach shoulder height of the bottle
4. ch 2, treble into same, {sk 4 treble, (2 treble, 1 ch, 2 treble) into next treble} to end, 2 treble into same space as 1st treble, ch 1, sl st into 1st ch 2
5. ch 2, trbl into same, {(2 treble, 1 ch, 2 treble) into next ch 1 space} to end, 2 treble into 1st ch space, ch 1, sl st
6. repeat round 5 to top of water bottle (about 5 rounds in total for neck)
7. thread ribbon through middle round of neck stitch, insert hot water bottle, tie bow in ribbon

Three Small Things – soap saver, dishcloth, square motif

<<< I don’t really understand why I woke one morning thinking I needed to make a soap saver for the laundry soap, but I did! I don’t usually use these things, but the soap I have in the laundry at the moment was a gift and really needed one as it was making a mess. I didn’t follow a pattern as it’s a pretty basic shape, but I did look at crochetspot and google for some inspiration, and used my thick cotton and a 4mm hook. I got the idea of continuing the first round all the way round the bottom of the first row from the free pattern at crochetspot, there are also pictures and patterns of other soap savers there. I’ve tested it out, so far so good. The plan is, when you get the little shards of soap left over at the end you keep them in the bag so you don’t waste them. Very thrifty, I like it!

>>> I have been working on a spiral dishcloth using the same aqua cotton as my first cotton dishcloth, but I’m not happy with it so it’s currently in my pile of unfinished projects. I bought some ‘amalfi’ yarn from Lincraft for $4, which is 100% cotton. I think the choice of colours look ‘dishclothy’, if there is such a thing, so chose the aqua greenish one. This time I made a bigger version of the basketweave dishcloth, as David asked for a bigger one. This used most of the 50g ball, there isn’t enough left to make another one this size. Consolation is that this cloth can be washed and reused for quite a while, so I can get my money and effort’s worth out of it. This didn’t take long to do, I used a new bamboo 3.5mm I thought to try for fun. I found working with the bamboo hook that it stuck a little, and is not as smooth as using a metal one. The final product measures 22cm x 18cm.

<<< I tried this square motif, I’m thinking of using it to make some baby play cubes. This coaster pattern is at crochetspot.