Soap Sacks and DRTY Soap products: a pattern and a review.

I havent kept my end of the bargin, I havent posted each week. but, I have been moving and working, so you should give me some slack.

In a plea of bloggy forgiveness, I present you a pattern... does that work for you?

I have a friend, her name is Mindy, and she owns her own Soap Company. I have a lot of friends who own soap companies, but lately, I have been LOVING Mindy's DRTY SOAP. She has a great selection, and great prices, and her soap is SO nice. Hubby wants me to get a whole loaf for his deployment kit if he ends up going National Guard.

Here is a look at some of her soaps:

This is my favorite!

MMM Pumpkin Vanilla!

These soaps hold up such WONDERFUL scents and lather so well. I had to make a soap sack just so I could use this soap instead of a body wash and a loofah in the shower.. I love this!

Are you getting my direction?

Here is the soap sack pattern I created. Really simple, SUPER quick, and a great gift... 

I'll post up some photos when I get home, posting now from campus. 

Starting with your favorite cotton in worsted weight and a size J hook

Foundation row: chain 11, sc in 2nd chain from hook, *skip 1 chain, dbl and sc in the next chain* to end, do not turn, round end of chain, and continue in same pattern between the ** up the other side. you do not have to mark the beginning of the round, just move straight to the top chain of the first sc, *dbl, and sc in the next ch, skip 1* and repeat continue this until you have a sack that will fit your soap. Put this aside.

Now, with another color, or the other end of your skein, chain about 30-35 stitches, connect the ends with whatever method you'd like, tie it, or slip stitch it, whatever you feel comfortable with and cut it off. You should have loop of chain stitch that is large enough to act as a drawstring on your soap sack.

Now, here is the tricky part, pick up the sack part and get ready to crochet, continuing the dbl, sc skip pattern, lay the loop of chains on top of the stitches you are working into, caging the yarn loop into the stitch. finish 1 round and ties off, weave in ends, there should be a loop of yarn that was too long for the sack itself, this is your hang space. You are finished, slide in your DRTY SOAP or other favorite brand and enjoy, when you run out of soap, toss this in the washing machine to wash out the scent, and refill it with a new scent!

So, new years resolutions already a bust...

One of my resolutions has already been slashed.. nope, make that 2.. but it is for a good reason!

I have gotten so much business in my baby shower boutique with custom orders, I have not had the chance to post a blog update, or to knit/crochet any charity hats.

Remember this?

I am making 2 of these sets for boys this week, is that a good reason to have NOT kept my end of the blogger resolutions?

Guess I'll need to do a few extras this week... or maybe next week, because.... drum-roll...............................



I am moving!

Again...

This time it is for the better, though I had to find homes for my feline friends and one of my super fluffy adorable puppies..... but it is for the best, and when I move again to a larger house, I can get them back, a very good friend from high school is fostering them until hubby gets into National Guard, and/or gets hired soon by ANY Oregon police department.

As for the crafty side... I love being able to multi-task.

Tonight, our Criminal Justice Club hosted a "Cop Movie Night" where we watched The Expendables.

Not as bad as I expected, in fact, much better than I expected. But seeing as I had budgeted for that time to be spent making a hat to match a blanket I have already finished, I still chose to crochet through the movie... while watching it most of the time. It is rather difficult to rip out a project with boucle yarn in the dark and pick back up to finish it......

That is a rant for another time though. Here is what I got finished at the movie:

Okay, so the blanket I finished while waiting for a yarn store to open up so I could get some yarn for a charity hat drive they were hosting... do those hats count toward my charity work?

Now, these are Sensations Boucle, and don't really follow ANY sort of official pattern. The blanket is crocheted with a J hook, in a basic granny square, the tonal yarn self stripes, and the hat closest to the blanket is made the same way, it is a 3 round granny square, then I started doing the rounds without the increases at the corners. So rather than "3dbl, ch 1, 3 dbl in corner space", it is just a "3 dbl in corner space."

The second hat, which is still a work in progress, is just a plain circle, worked in dbl then once I got to 4 rounds, I stopped increasing. This is a basic bucket hat but because of the drape of the hat, it will form better to the baby head.

Tomorrow I am doing feather hair extensions at the local Indoor Market, and then the rest of the weekend and into the week I am packing for the big move. While we may need to commute 4 days a week, the money we are saving in rent and laundry will MORE than pay for cost of gas.

I am also working through my scraps to get a decent stock of baby goods to toss up on my Etsy.. I have neglected it so much... whoops.

Do you ever get so bogged down that you have to prioritize your obligations?

The Great Garter Head Hugger Knitting Recipe

I told you I'd post it, and so here it is:

This is knit using size 13 straight needles, but you could use circulars. I chose Lion Brand Hometown USA in Sante Fe Tweed, any super bulky yarn would work.

Cast on 6 stitches


Row 1-2: knit across

Row 3: knit 3, yo, knit to end, (this row has created your button hole)

Row 4-5: knit to end

Row 6-7: knit 2, m1 (use your preferred method of increase), knit to end

Row 8-12: knit to end

Row 13-14: repeat row 6

Row 15-18: knit across

Row 19-20: repeat row 6

Row 21-31: knit across

Row 32-33: knit 2, k2tog, knit to end

row 34-38: knit across

Row 39-40: knit 2, k2tog, knit across

Row 41-44: knit across

Row 45-46: Knit 2, K2tog, knit across

Row 47-49: knit across

Row 50: Cast off

Finishing: Attach a button to the headband at the cast-off end to use for securing the ends together.

Embellish with whatever, buttons, flowers, pins, leaves, or leave it plain...whatever!

Ravel it here!

I wanna see pictures, so please let me know where I can see your progress!

Finishes, and Baby Showers

I have an endless list of holiday knitting, but woke up this morning from a dream about knitting designs...

But that is for a later moment. For now, I need to update you on some finishes, some gifts I have been waiting to blog about until they were given, and some decent weather to photograph some of my finishes from last month.

So, here is all is!

We will start off with Fynn and his baby shower gifts. My friend Taylor is expecting her first child. She and her fiancee are a very non-orthodox couple. They requested that nothing be "typical baby". The nursery theme is pirates, and the baby shower was themed Jungle.

That got me thinking, every new parent I know has a blanket that they really like to put on their baby's crib or to wrap them up in when they are running about town with their little one. I wanted the blanket I made for them to be a representation of their personality as much as a gift for the baby.

Here you have it:

Yep, that is right, those are pirate skulls on a hand embroidered baby quilt...I wish I could have gotten better pics of that, but the pic I got of the skulls up close were a bit too blurry to save.

I also gave with this set, a handmade card (should have gotten pics of that too), as well as a granny square blanket crocheted out of Joann Sensations Rainbow Boucle in Blue (self striping) and a matching hat, as well as a couple of outfits, and I will be taking washcloths and burp cloths to her in the hospital when she has baby Fynn, I didn't finish making them before the shower.

Next, I have been trying to get some photos of some of the finishes I have done, the main one being the climbing shells scarf that I did over a month ago.

With school and the weather being so annoying, I couldn't get anything decent.

This was my first attempt:

Not so great, right?

How about this one?

I decided to try something, I decided to go into the bathroom, turned on the light, used the mirror to see my digital screen and used the auto setting on my camera... That way, your camera isnt fighting the light facing you, it is only using that light.

 Next thing I wanted to show... I have seen those adorable ear warmer headbands that have fun buttons or cute flowers offset to one side or the other, they wrap under your hair and cover your ears for those cold mornings, and frosty nights walking the dogs or heading to school.


Here is my rendition:  The Head-hugger!

Really simple garter stitch with big needles and super bulky yarn... I will post a recipe for this design in my next separate post...


You will also be able to find it on Ravlery. It is SUPER warm, and I got so many compliments today at school.

I am about half way through my diagonal garter baby blanket with eyelet border, but didn't get photos yet, and I think I might do another version of the Back-2-School with Flair scarf in Lion Brand Homespun, also, I may have found an adequate yarn replacement for the suggested, but discontinued Moda Dea Dream I used on the original for this pattern...

Ocean Guardian Market Bag Pattern

In March, Phat Fiber did a box for the Elements.

I contributed stitch markers, and a crochet pattern for a simple market bag, that reminded me of the ocean.



I have had several requests for the pattern, but I can not get my PDF writer to work, so as a special for those who have asked, and those that didn't even know about it, here is the pattern.

This tote is crocheted with a large hook, and soft durable cotton. Gauge is not important.

Supplies

· 1 ball of your favorite cotton (Lily: Sugars and Cream used in sample)

· Size J hook

· Large button

· Wooden beads for drawstring (optional)

Note:

You will be working in the round, make sure not to twist work as you crochet.

Stitches used:

Chain (ch), Single Crochet (sc), Half Double Crochet (hdc), Double Crochet (dc), Slip Stitch (sl), Treble Stitch (tbc)

Skill level: Easy

Ch 4, sl in 4^th ch from hook to create loop. Ch 2 (counts as first dc, now and throughout)

Row 1: dc 11 time in loop, sl in top chain of first ch 2

Row 2: ch 2, 2 dc in each stitch around, sl in top stitch of first ch 2

Row 3: ch 2, *2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in next* repeat from *, sl in top stitch of previous ch 2

Row 4: ch 2, *2 dc in next stitch, 1 dc in each of the next 2 dc* repeat from *, sl in top stitch of previous ch 2

Row 5: ch 2, *2 dc in next dc, 1 dc in each of the next 3 dc* repeat from *, sl in top stitch of previous ch 2

Row 6: *Ch 4, sc in 3^rd dc from hook* repeat from * around, at end of round, chain 4 and connect with sc in loop formed by first ch 4.

Row 7-15: *ch 4, sc in next loop*

Row 16: *4 hdc in each loop of ch 4* repeat from * around, sl in first dc of this round, bind off hook and weave in ends

For handle/drawstring:

Ch 4, sl in 4^th ch from hook to form ring.

Row 1: 10 sc in ring, sl in 1^st sc

Row 2: *Ch 3, sc in 2^nd sc* repeat from to end of round

Row 3: (1 sc, 1 hdc, 1 dc, 1 tbc, 1 ch, 1 tcl, 1 dbl, 1 hdc, 1 sc) in each loop formed by ch 3, sl in 1^st sc

Drawstring: Ch 50, tie off, feed through holes created between sections in the dc of round 16, weaving back and forth.

Feed this end through middle of flower formed by rows 1-3 of drawstring instructions.

String on button, you can leave it like this or tie on several wooden beads (you can make several short 15 stitch chains and tie them to the end tied to the button with beads on them) (Make sure button is large enough to not slip through flower center.)

Note: This is not a HUGE bag, it is shown holding 2 balls of wool and a ball of vanity yarn, a good travel project bag. Great for taking a knitting project to the beach.

To make larger, add more rounds in the base and in the mesh. (you will need an extra ball of yarn)

Please note,

Written by Echo Mayernik of In-skein Designs (copyright 2010)

Please do not use the pattern for sale items, or represent it as your own.

WIP Wednesday..a day late

I am working on getting over a cold. So I have had a lot of time to work on my crafting.

I have worked up a design for a simple crocheted round purse using 2 metal dream catcher rings, I will post a pattern for the finished project tomorrow, before the inspirations post.



I am also working on some handspun, it is koolaid dyed and I call it my Cherry Limeade. This picture is 1 of the single I spun, it will be plied with a thick and thin single in the same colors for a finky pastel art yarn.


I spun Cherry Lime-Aid on my new Pioneer spinning wheel named "Kaylee"



I blogged about Kaylee here

Another big thing to add to my stash of cool gadgets, is my new Bond Brand Ultimate Sweater Machine. While I get so frustrated with it sometimes, when it actually works as it should it is wonderful!


This is Combat Baby, she is partially finished...I need to add a scalloped edge to it, and then "kill" the acrylic yarn so it lays flatter. (Tutorial on Killing Acrylic is available over at Sarah's blog, here.)


I may be starting a Tam for myself, but I haven't decided on a pattern, I might pick and choose what I like from several different patterns. And accommodate them to fit what yarn and needles I have on hand.

New house, and new projects.

We finally got into our new house, and I have 1/2 of an entire room to myself for my crafts!

In other news, we went out to dinner with my in-laws the other day and discovered that the manager of our favorite Vietnamese Restaurant is expecting. Her name is Vicki, and she is not going to find out the sex of the baby, but I asked if she would mind if I made her a blanket.

I went shopping with my hubby the next day, and found some Bernat Baby Coordinates in gender neutral colors of green and purple. I have created it as a large ever expanding Granny Square. I started with a green center, and change to and from the purple every 5 rows. I will be adding a picot or shell boarder at the end, I have not decided yet.



Also, created a new blanket using Rainbow Boucle in pink. It is crocheted in a Granny Square, much like Vicki's blanket. Bust as the Rainbow Boucle has a natural color change, I will just crochet until it is large enough. I am binding the edges of that one with satin bias tape. This, I hope, will extend the usefulness of the blanket for many years, and maybe even many cildren. I still have my bias bound blanket from my childhood. It is still in good enough condition to wrap my kids up in (when I have them).

Photos and patterns will come soon, I promise.

Reversible Beenies!

Reversible hats are often loved by people of all ages, because it allows them to have one hat that can match two outfits. In my case, I made hats to match my airsoft gear... reversible dead-rag beanies.






The pattern is as follows:


Two colored hat:


Using yellow round loom for large, green round loom for medium, or red round loom for small/child's, start with two strands of color A, e-wrap loom twice, and knit one over 1.


For Large hat: Knit 35 rows, and change to color B, knit 35 rows of color B.

For Medium hat: Knit 28 rows of color A and 28 rows of color B.

For Small hat: Knit 20 rows of color A and 20 rows of color B.


Pull end up as if making brim on regular hat, knit brim as usual and take off by gathered method. You can choose to embellish with button, flower, pom-poms, or whatever else your heart can fathom. Or you could leave it plain.




Three colored hat (main color A with brim of C outside, Main color B with brim of C inside):


Using yellow round loom for large, green round loom for medium, or red round loom for small/child's, start with two strands of color A, e-wrap loom twice, and knit one over 1.




Large hat: Knit 24 rows of color A, 20 rows of color C, and 24 rows of B.

Medium hat: Knit 20 rows of color A, 16 rows of color C, and 20 rows of Color B

Small (child's) hat: 15 rows of color A, 11 rows of Color C and 15 rows of color B


Pull end up as if making brim on regular hat, knit brim as usual and take off by gathered method. You can choose to embellish with button,flower, pom-poms, or whatever else your heart can fathom. Or you could leave it plain.