More Bags! (2004-2011)

 

This maroon bag was an attempt to use up the rest of the maroon yarn I had... unfortunately I only had enough to make the bag plus one handle... so I took the one maroon handle off and finished in black.  I started at the top and worked my way down, and it's all double crocheted except for the last 6 or so rows which are shell stitched (that's why it looks bigger at the bottom).  

Really all you need to make a bag is yarn and a crochet hook that works with that yarn.  If you want to add some flavor to your bag you can use different colors and/or switch up your stitches.  For a flat bag (working from top to bottom), the firs step is to chain stitches until you have twice the length you want for one side plus about 5 stitches and and connect them with slip stitch.  From there you can use single crochet, double crochet, and triple crochet.  If you're adventurous, you can use the shell stitch, bubble stitch, and other stitches to give the bag a different look or break in the mundane.  Each row (or round) should have the same number of stitches as the previous row and then be connected back to the beginning with a slip stitch to make a loop.  Each subsequent row should begin with a chain stitch (as your first stitch).  For single crochets, chain 2; for double crochets, chain 3; and for triple crochets, chain 4.  At the end you can tie your bag shut at the bottom with slip stitches or single crochet stitches.  Don't forget the handles!  Those are easily made... usually about 5 or 6 stitches wide about 2 to 3 inches from the side (depending on the size of the bag), crochet using the same stitches you used for the body (or just single stitches if you want something basic) back and forth like your basic blanket until you have a length you want.  Do the same for the second handle!  And weave in the ends!

I made this bag several years ago and I really like the way this it came out!  Honestly, though I never really used it much.  Once again, I used up some extra yarn I had laying around, somehow, though, it seems to work better that way!

This multi-colored, flat bag was made from bottom to top.  I chained for how wide I wanted the bag to be, plus about 5 stitches.  Next, I single crocheted along one side of the chain, added two extra stitches in the end, then single crocheted around to the bottom what I previously crocheted (working on the bottom of the chain stitch) and kept single crocheting along until I got to the other end, added two more single crochets in the end stitch and connected the first row with a slip stitch.  From there, chain 2 and single crochet all the way around for each subsequent row (or round) until it is a bag that is tall enough.  For the handles, measure about 2 inches or so from the side and crochet 5 or 6 single crochets and continue crocheting back and forth until the handle is long enough.  Repeat with the same number of stitches and rows for the second handle!  Weave in the ends!

This beach bag was another "use it up" project for my thicker yarn.  I really didn't have a plan when I started, but it ended well!  And the best part about this bag is that after I ran out of yarn I found two more balls of similar weight yarn in with some other yarn where it wasn't supposed to be!  God knew I was going to make this project and put the extra yarn in the right place for me to find when I needed it!!  And isn't it great that the handles tie back into the bottom of the bag?  This bag was made like the second one from this post, from the bottom up!

Another little experiment with extra yarn.  I wanted to see what I could do with the shell stitch and single crochet in the middle of double crochets for a bag.  I think it works out well, even if it is a small bag.  Working from the bottom to the top, I used a brighter blue for the bottom, a darker blue for the body, and a steel blue for the handles.  This little blue bag was made from the bottom up like the previous two from this post.  

To note: the first three bags of this post are currently being used as grocery bags.  I can't wait until I get a few more made!  Some will probably be crocheted, but others will definitely be sewn!  I am excited about using the French seam my good friend taught me before I had to leave South Carolina!

Enjoy!  God Bless!!

The Pattern Was Cute - Baby Blankets (2010)

Completely useless to me for now (hopefully soon), these baby blankets were inspired by the book I mentioned earlier, Knitting Made Easy by Red Heart.  On page 31 of this inspirational book, there is a picture of the most adorable baby pose ever!  And this adorable little baby is strategically positioned with a cute purple/pink baby blanket.  The first blanket was an attempt to understand the pattern, so I used two different colors of yarn and alternated them.  The second blanket was an attempt to make the blanket better.  Overall, they turned out all right... though I wish I could have made both blankets a little more square.

Since I wanted to get back into knitting and do something more than just a scarf, I started here!  Believe it or not, this was *before* the scarves in the scarves post, but not by much.

~Pattern:
-4 skeins of medium weight yarn in your desired color and size 11 (8 mm) knitting needles.
-Increase (inc) - Knit in the front loop of the next stitch as usual but leave it on the left needle, then knit into the back loop of the same stitch and slip off the left needle - two stitches made from one.
-S2KP - Slip the next 2 stitches from the eft needle purlwise.  Knit the next stitch, then pass the 2 slipped stitches over the knit stitch - one stitch made from 3.

Blanket's First Half

*Cast on 3 stitches.
*Next row: knit.
*Row 1 (right side): increase in first stitch, knit to last 2 stitches, increase in next stitch, knit 1 (2 stitches increased)
*Row 2: Purl.
*Row 3: (right side): increase in first stitch, knit to last 2 stitches, increase in next stitch, knit 1 (2 stitches increased)
*Row 4: Knit.

Repeat Rows 1-4 for pattern until there are 131 stitches, end by working Row 4.  Each "leg" of the triangle should measure 37".

Blanket's Second Half

*Row 1: slip 1, knit 1, pass slip stitch over, knit to last 2 stitches, knit 2 stitches together (2 stitches decreased)
*Row 2: Purl.
*Row 3: slip 1, knit 1, pass slip stitch over, knit to last 2 stitches, knit 2 stitches together (2 stitches decreased).
*Row 4: Knit.

Repeat Rows 1-4 for pattern until 3 stitches remain.

*Next Row: Purl.
*Last Row: S2KP - 1 stitch remains.  Fasten off.  Weave in ends.




Hope you enjoyed!

And Then There Were Scarves... (2009-2010)

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All right!  Scarves!!  These are great for cold winters!  Fortunately Someone was thinking in advance when I made them... and obviously it wasn't me.  Scarves are easy to make and completely impractical in West Texas, a desert.  Even in the winter it rarely gets cold enough to worry about scarves.  Hats, maybe, and medium-weight coats sure, but scarves, nahhh... most do without and are perfectly content!

1.  For the first scarf, it was made from the same type of yarn as the beanie-toboggans, only in a different color.  Very thick, kind of wavy yarn.  Though I have since lost the original skein papers, I have found similar yarn since.  A good yarn to use now would be Lion Brand Yarn, Homespun, 98% acrylic, 2% polyester, net weight of 6 ounces, 185 yards / 169 meters, bulky, recommend size K - 10.5 crochet hook or 10 (6mm) knitting needles.

The pattern is very simple.  Single crochet to your hearts content!  About 22 to 25 stitches across for about 150 rows should make a nice sized scarf.  Like I said, very simple.

2-4. I don't know what kind of yarn I used because it doesn't have any paper labeling and I've never used anything quite like it before.  Plus, it came on a spool.  It's a little lighter than medium weight and works well with size H (8 - 5mm) crochet hook or size 8 (5mm) knitting needles when using a single yarn.  There are notes for doubling the yarn below.

2. The second scarf was knit from a knitting book that I found.  *Knitting Made Easy* by Red Heart yarn company has beginner basics, illustrated stitches, and updated techniques.  With 9 patterns in this book, this pattern, a beginner level, is on page 19 and is called "On the Double Scarf."  Since I do not see a copyright, I'll go ahead and include the pattern here.

Pattern: recommends 2 colors of medium weight yarns knit together, I only used one yarn so my project is very small compared to what they recommend.
*Cast on 20 stitches.  Knit 8 rows.  Work in pattern as follows:
*Row 1 (right side): knit.
*Row 2 and 3: Knit 4, purl 12, knit 4.
*Row 4: knit.
*Repeat rows 1-4 for the pattern until the scarf is about 52 inches from beginning, then end by working Row 4.  Finish the pattern by knitting 8 rows.  Bind off.  Weave in ends.

3. Completely double crocheted.  That's right, nothing fancy, about 20 stitches per row and long enough to make a scarf!  It was nice to do something so easy after concentrating so hard on the knitting!

4. This scarf was made by crochet starting in the middle and working my way out.  It would work well with a size N (9mm) crochet hook with two strands of yarn from two skeins or balls.  The first step is 92 double crochet stitches.  Then, once those 92 stitches are on, use the end stitches as a base to double crochet 3 stitches thus making the ends.  The 3 double crochet stitches are the first rows of each end.  Now, in rounds, double crochet one-for-one until you get to a corner.  Each corner will had 2 double crochet stitches and 2 chain stitches to make the scarf flat.  There should be a total of 5 countable rounds to make the scarf.

So... the pattern might look something like this (note: the initial "chain 3" counts as the first double stitch of the round):
*Chain 92.
*Row A: double crochet 92 stitches.
*Round 1: chain 3, double crochet 2, chain 2 double crochet 90, chain 2, double crochet 3, chain 2, double crochet 90, chain 2, connect with slip stitch.
*Round 2: chain 3, double crochet 4, chain 2, double crochet 92, chain 2, double crochet 5, chain 2, double crochet 92, chain 2, connect with slip stitch.
*Round 3: chain 3, double crochet 6, chain 2, double crochet 94, chain 2, double crochet 7, chain 2, double crochet 94, chain 2, connect with slip stitch.
*Round 4: chain 3, double crochet 8, chain 2, double crochet 96, chain 2, double crochet 9, chain 2, double crochet 96, chain 2, connect with slip stitch.
*Round 5: chain 3, double crochet 10, chain 2, double crochet 98, chain 2, double crochet 11, chain 2, double crochet 98, chain 2, connect with slip stitch.
*Work ends into scarf.

I guess that's it for these guys.  I'll catch you on the next post!  Hope you enjoyed!

Useful Things - Beanies or Toboggans (around 2005)

I made these while I was in Junior College and at the University back home in Texas.  Somewhere, I don't remember where, I found some thick yarn on clearance or sale or something, so I grabbed several skeins and made a few things with them.  Mostly it was beanies (or toboggans) but I also managed a basic scarf or two.  I gave away several of the hats and all the scarves I made.  It was nice to have my work appreciated.  These two here I kept for Justin and me, since I was finishing them up around the time we met, and now we need them!  Or at least we will once winter hits!

Useful Things - A Grannie Square Bag (2010-2011)

A Grannie Square Bag.  I do not remember when I started this bag for sure but I finished it a few months ago. Inside is lined with a teal cloth that was sewn together in pillow-case fashion and stitched with yarn around the top to hold it in place.  Additionally, it holds quite a bit of yarn and, while it has not been used for groceries, it is still incredibly useful for yarn working on road trips.  That's right, I used this bag to hold all the yarn I could fit into it so I could crochet while Justin drove when we moved across the country.  Some of the things I made from this bag while traveling include a "leftover yarn" pot holder of yellow, orange, green, blue, and maroon; a very small, red dishcloth; and quite a few Japanese flowers, some to finish up a project, others were simply because I had the yarn.

Useful Things - A Bag (2007-2008)

Yes, bags are very useful!  I actually made this one with nothing in particular in mind when I started, but by the time I finished I had a purpose for it.  It is the perfect size for a music book, shoulder strap, rag, pencil, and other viola related things.  Of course, the viola and bow went in the case.

Since its original use I have stored it for traveling (more than once) and now use it for grocery shopping. It's about the right size for about 2 to 3 cartons of milk and milk substitutes (almond milk and coconut milk) without being too heavy!  Since I haven't had a chance to make any grocery bags that were originally made for groceries, I think this works for now.  Someday I'll have this particular bag back with my music again!

My First Big Project - A Blanket

This was my first big crochet project... and our cat decided she wanted it!  I had to have been between 6 and 8 years old when I made this.  I remember my great-grandparents both being alive and my great-grandmother, GeeGee, actually helping me some.  I started at the end with the blue and green that are about the same height (at the top of the picture) and somehow managed to find all that yarn somewhere... who knows!  This blanket is kind of misshapen and multi-textured, but that's okay because it is mine.

I must say I have come a long way in my crocheting experiences, but I will always cherish the memories of the beginnings.

Humble Beginnings

In the beginning there was crochet.  Later knitting and sewing were added.  Little do I know about tatting, but that is not in my "bag of tricks," so to speak.  Now I would like to share with you my adventures in crocheting, knitting, and sewing.  I'll start with the beginning and hope I remember most of it.

My origins in yarn work started with my mom and my great-grandmother teaching me the basics when I was old enough to hold a crochet hook... maybe 6 years old.  My first crocheted project was a multi-colored blanket that was completely uneven on the sides.  I don't remember much else about the early years, except for the fact that my tension was inconsistent and I had two teachers.

Knitting came when my mom tried to learn to knit herself.  She bought a beginners book, a set of knitting needles, and some yarn.  After some time (a couple of weeks) and she still couldn't get it she expressed her frustration and threatened to throw the stuff out!  I asked if I could try and she said yes, gave me the book, needles, and yarn, then told me to go away.  30 minutes later, I came out of my room with a little knitted square.  Needless to say, Mom was not happy, not that she wasn't impressed, she just wasn't happy that she couldn't get it and I could.

Sewing was a different adventure.  I learned how to use a sewing machine's "go" pedal and "back-up" button.... and that was about it.  Sewing on a button was natural and required little to no explanation, so that is all I remember.  My first sewing "projects" were "handkerchiefs."  I don't know that they actually came out very good at all... but we all have to start somewhere!

Now, to begin my search for the beginning projects I still have and upload pictures!!

Blessings,
Tabi