Crocheted Bags,Plastic Bag Crafts Recycled Plastic Messenger Book Bag I crocheted this messenger book bag from recycled plastic Safeway bags. People ask me all the time how many bags it takes to crochet different projects of mine. I did a calculation on this project as I crocheted it. I found that I used about 3 bags for two full rounds on the crocheted body of the bag. Therefore I used about 39 bags to crochet the main body of this book bag. Overall I recycled about 60 plastic bags to crochet the messenger book bag.

I cut my plarn about 1 inch wide using the looping method to create my plastic bag yarn. I crocheted 26 rows in half double crochet (HDC) before starting the flap. For the flap, I crocheted 12 rows in HDC before starting the decreases for the tapered flap. I crocheted a total of 25 rows and then added a edging of single crochet stitching around the edges of the flap. By adding the single crochet stitches, it helps even out the edges and makes for a smooth finish to the flap. I crocheted my strap even on 6 stitches wide for a 35 inch long strap. The original crochet pattern for the messenger bag is found here. It’s a free plarn crochet pattern and I just tweaked it a bit to make this smaller book bag of 14″ wide by 11.5″ long. The original crochet pattern makes a Continue Reading

Yarn Projects More Crocheted Hats I have been busy crocheting more hats. In my last post I wrote about a new all front post brimmed hat I tried. I really liked how it came out and crocheted this one for my grandson.

The hat was worked seamless after row 2 which makes it nice looking without the normal joining showing on the hat. Photo below shows how it looks without joining except for FPDC rows. Continue Reading

Yarn Projects Front Post Hat Band I want to share a new twist on an old hat pattern of mine. My original ribbed hat pattern features a hat band that alternates between front post double crochet (FPDC) and back post double crochet (BPDC).

For this new hat band, basically you want to follow my original crochet pattern for the ribbed hat but stop at about 7 inches in length while working the half double crochet (HDC) rounds. Depending on the yarn, I find that I crochet about 18-19 rounds of HDC to reach 7 inches. Then it’s time to work all FPDC for 5 rounds. The final length of this crocheted FPDC beanie is about 8 inches. Here is a closeup of the FPDC hat band. It does tighten up the hat and makes a nice finished brim. One last comment about the brown hat. I tried a new idea so I didn’t have to do a Ch-2 and join with a slip stitch at the end of each round. You don’t have to use this method but it does help the hat look as it doesn’t have the noticeable joining seam on each round. Here is what I did.

At round 3, I worked a SC into the next HDC stitch to start the round. Then I just crocheted using HDC stitches to round 18 all without joining or the Ch-2 which leaves a seam. On round 18, I did a sc and slip stitch to join the last rounds together. Then Ch-2 and worked FPDC for 5 rounds for the hat brim with the typical joining. Here is one other hat style idea to share. Continue Reading

Great Sites & Causes,Holiday Christmas in July Stockings Part 2 I just had to follow-up on my Christmas in July stocking making. I crocheted 17 mini stockings in July for the Warmth for Warriors. We are having a stocking-along event for them over at Ravelry at the Good Things Together group. We are having so much fun and accomplishing so many stockings that we have decided to extend the event until August 8. So it’s not too late to join in on the fun of crafting mini stockings for the troops. Plus there is even a prize that you have a chance to win should you participate. You just simply need at least one stocking to be entered for the prize drawing of a free pattern. Click here Continue Reading

Great Sites & Causes,Holiday Christmas in July Stocking Making It’s time again for another Christmas in July stocking drive for Warmth for Warriors. We are once again making mini Christmas stockings for the troops and sending them in to be filled with little items for Christmas gifts for our soldiers through Warmth for Warriors (W4W). Each year the miniature stockings are filled at W4W Headquarters with soaps, toiletries, and candies for our troops for Christmas. The little stockings filled with treats are a wonderful way to say thank you to our troops and give them a little Christmas cheer during the holidays. We also need donations of the little hotel sized soaps, shampoos, chapsticks and other small items for stuffing the stockings. Good Things Together over at Ravelry is hosting the special Christmas in July event. More details including how you can participate and win a prize can be found here. You can crochet, knit, sew, weave, or loom any Christmas stocking for our troops. We try and aim for the Christmas stockings to be about 6 inches in length. But a little bigger or smaller is fine too. Here is a link to some free patterns should you need some project ideas for making stockings. Be aware that our deadline this year for arrival at W4W headquarters is Continue Reading

Yarn Projects Latest Round Ripple Blanket Here is my latest round ripple blanket that I have been working on. I was lucky enough to get a few more brown skeins of yarn donated to me so I could finish it up. There are no stores anymore in my immediate area that sell yarn. The local senior center that donates yarn to me was shut down for months so I wasn’t able to get any yarn from them either. Last week they opened back up and I was so excited to go in and obtain yarn from them to finish this blanket. Finished size is 52 inch wide. This blanket will be donated back to the senior center for their Veterans Outreach Program. Hopefully some Vet will enjoy the blanket and find comfort in using this blanket crocheted with lots of love. Continue Reading

Great Sites & Causes,Yarn Projects Ridged Hat Pattern These last few weeks, I have been busy crocheting more hats for the Warmth for Warriors annual hat drive. These hats were crocheted using the free Red Heart Ridged Hat Pattern. I first saw this hat on a Red Heart yarn wrapper and really liked the look of the crocheted cables on the hat. I have crocheted this pattern using a I hook and also a J hook. Both times the hat is too short without having to add some additional rows to get the desired length I need for a men’s hat size.

I have found that if I add 3 extra rows in the middle I am at about 7.25” long in length. Then I crochet rows 14-17 (4 rows) for the trim rows. Length is about 8.5” long and fits nicely. Here is one more hat I crocheted using the pattern and added some camo type yarn for stripes. Continue Reading

Crocheted Bags,Plastic Bag Crafts Recycled Seahawks Tote Bag I have had lots of time on my hands lately to crochet with all the stay-at-home orders. I thought it was time to break into my huge stash of plastic bags and crochet a new recycled plastic tote bag. This bag was crocheted using mainly white plastic retail bags made into plarn and I added blue and green yarn to give it a Seattle Seahawks color theme. This tote bag was crocheted using my free ultimate recycled bag pattern. I added stripes using regular yarn by doing 3 blue HDC (half double crochet stitch) rows, 3 green HDC and then 3 more blue HDC rows along with plastic bag yarn to crochet this bag. Finished size is 12″ wide by 13″ long with 7″ handles. I think it would make a nice book bag so I may donate it to the next library fundraiser. So in honor of my beloved Seahawks, Continue Reading