Market Bag

This is a small size market bag that I made to use up some leftover WW cotton yarn. Laying flat, mine measures about 14 inches wide, by 15 inches long, excluding the handles. it is quite stretchy, so it will hold a fair amount.

Materials:
WW cotton yarn:
I used approx 6 - 7 oz variegated (it was the last of one of those 14 oz skeins of peaches and cream) and 2 oz. or so of a co-ordinating plain color
G and H hooks
4 stitch markers
yarn needle

Stitches used:
ch - chain
sc - single crochet
dc - double crochet

Starting with variegated yarn and H hook:
ch 40.
Row 1: Sc in second ch from hook and in each ch across. (39 sc) Ch 1, turn.
row 2-10: SC in each ch across. (39 sc in each row) Ch 1 turn.

You will now begin working in rounds.
Row 11 and Round 1: Sc in each st across. When you reach the end of the row, turn work so that you can sc across the ends of the 11 sc rows. Do not ch 1. Do one sc in the end of each row. (11 sc) when you get to the other side, sc in the loose loops of the beginning chain. (39 sc) Make a sc in the other ends of the 11 sc rows. Join to the first sc of the round.
Round 12 - 15: Ch 1, Sc in each stitch around, join the stitches of each round to the beginning sc of that round. You should have 100 sc.
(Don't worry if you don't. As long as you have an even number of stitches when you get to the mesh part, the pattern will work. Actually, for that matter, you can always fudge a little in the first row to make it work, its only a market bag after all!)

If you want a larger solid bottom, just do more sc rounds, until the solid part is a high as you want it. I would probably have done more if I wasn't worried about running out of yarn.

Start mesh pattern, continue to work in rounds:
Round 16: Ch 4, (counts as first dc plus ch 1), skip a stitch, *DC in next st, ch 1. Skip a stitch * repeat from * to * around, join in third st of the beginning ch 4, slip stitch into the space created by the ch 4. (I don't know quite how to write that, it would be like slip stitching into the ch 1 space)

round 17-32: Ch 4, DC into next ch 1 space, ch 1, *DC into next ch 1 space, ch 1*, repeat from * to * around, join into 3rd ch of beginning ch 4, slip stitch into space created by the ch 4.

Again, you can add more rounds here to make the bag taller.

round 33-35:
Ch 1, sc in each stitch around, join to beginning st
Fasten off.


Start handles:
Lay your bag down flat and mark the stitch on each side. Count out 12 stitches on either side of this stitch and place a marker in each of them. This should give you 25 stitches front and back between the markers.

Join contrasting yarn at a marker.

round 1: Sc from that marker around the side of the bag to the next marker. Ch 30. Skip the 25 stitches on the flat side of the bag, (it will be either the front or back depending on where you joined your yarn.) Sc into the next marked stitch and continue to the next marker. Ch 30 to make the other handles and join to the beginning sc with a slip stitch.

Round 2 - 6- Ch 1, sc in joining stitch and in each st and chain around (110 sc) Again it doesn't really matter if you have a different number of stitches.

At the end of round 6 fasten off.
Still using the H hook, do a round of SC around the inside (circle part) of the handles.

Using a G hook, do a round of sc around the inside of the handles and around the top of the bag. I found that using a smaller hook for this made a slightly less stretchy handle.

Fasten off, weave in ends.

Once you have made one of these bags, you will find it very easy to make a larger bag using the same general idea.


Pattern is untested, except by myself. Please let me know if something is unclear, or you find a mistake.
You may sell one or two items made from this pattern, but you may not sell the pattern or publish it anywhere else. Please link to the pattern if you post a picture elsewhere.

Baby Blanket

Last summer I was gifted 2 skeins of variegated Red Heart soft yarn. I started out making it into a baby sweater, but it just didn't seem to look right. Since it was a gift to me, I wanted to turn it into something special. This is what I came up with. This blanket has been donated to the local pregnancy resource center.

The pattern is simply made up of 12 granny squares. I did 5 rounds of variegated, 3 rounds of white and 1 round of pink. After I sewed the squares together, I did a row of sc in pink around the entire thing, and finished it with a round of reverse HDC.
I like reverse HDC for edging blankets because it looks good, and is way easier than reverse sc.
If you have never used it, give it a try.
I do HDC, ch 1, skip a stitch, HDC in next st, ch 1, skip a stitch,etc. It is worked right to left, rather than the usual left to right.

This is the square pattern I used.

Check this out!! A give-away!/sorry, it's now over

Stephanie, over at this blog is giving away this cute apron that she made herself. Go check out her blog.

Ashlea Scarf

This is a very easy scarf pattern. Although the lacy stitch pattern looks a little complicated, it uses only chains, and single and double crochet stitches. Once you establish the pattern, it is only a simple one row repeat, which is easy to memorize. It is simple to make this design wider or narrower, and I think it would make a pretty shawl also.



Notes:

I used WW weight yarn and a K hook. The stitch pattern is quite dense in places, so it drapes better if you use a hook that seems a little large for the yarn. I crochet loosely.

This pattern uses a stitch multiple of 4 plus 1. Then you add 3 more to your beginning chain for the turning chain. (which in this case means that your beginning chain has to be a multiple of 4.) This means that you could make a narrower scarf by subtracting 4 stitches or make a wider scarf or a shawl, by adding stitches in multiples of 4.

My scarf turned out to be 7 inches wide. If I made it again, I might make it a little narrower, but this scarf is going to a "warm the homeless project" that was organized by one of my co-workers so the width will be welcome for warmth.

Stitches used:
ch: chain
dc: double crochet
sc: single crochet

Special stitches:
cluster: 1 dc and 1 sc both in same chain or stitch
v stitch: 1 dc, ch1, 1 dc all done in the same chain or stitch

V stitch in v stitch means that you make a v stitch in the chain 1 space of the v stitch in the previous row.

The chain 3 that starts each row is there to give the scalloped effect along the edge of the scarf and is not used as a working stitch. Just ignore it when you get to the end of the row. The last cluster is worked into the last actual stitch of the row, not the turning chain.

The Pattern:

Chain 20. Remember to use a hook that is a couple of sizes larger than the yarn calls for, so that your scarf will drape nicely.

Row 1: Make cluster into the 4th ch from the hook), **skip a ch, v stitch in the next ch, skip a chain, cluster into the next ch**, repeat from ** to **. You should end with a cluster in the last chain. Ch 3, turn

Row 2: Skip the first sc, make a cluster in the next st, (which is the dc of the cluster below),
**v stitch into the v stitch below, cluster into the DC of the cluster below**, repeat from ** to **, ending with a cluster in the last DC of the last cluster. Do not stitch into the ch 3 turning chain.
ch 3, turn.

Repeat row 2 until your scarf is as long as you want it to be.

The pattern consists of clusters worked in the DC of the clusters in the row beneath alternating with v stitches worked in the chain 1 space of the v stitch in the previous row.

If you don't want the scalloped edge, using a ch 2 as a turning chain will make the edge straighter. If you choose this option, you would need to subtract one chain from the beginning chain.

Pattern is untested, except by myself. Please let me know if something is unclear, or you find a mistake.
You may sell one or two items made from this pattern, but you may not sell the pattern or publish it anywhere else. Please link to the pattern if you post a picture elsewhere.

It's winter!

Up until yesterday we had been enjoying unseasonably warm weather for this time of year. In fact our grass was still green and we've only had a few frosty mornings.
This morning we awoke to around 10 inches of snow on the ground, and it has been snowing most of the day. No wonder my snowman looks so happy. He's sitting on the front porch on a bench that my dad made me a few years ago.
I'm not overly fond of snow, but it is very pretty. It's a perfect day to sit by the fire and read a good book. (which is exactly what I'm going to do after this!)

Christmas Coasters

I call these Christmas coasters because I used variegated yarn in red, white and green, but they don't have to be festive.

This could also be used as a decoration for a purse, or a hat.

Mine turned out to be just slightly over 4 inches from point to point.



Materials:
WW yarn (I used cotton)
size I hook
Yarn needle

Stitches used:
ss- slip stitch
ch- chain
sc- single crochet
Hdc- half double crochet
dc- double crochet
trc- triple crochet

Pattern:
Ch 3 and join with SS to form ring.

Round 1: Ch 3, (counts as a DC) and make 11 more DC in ring, join with ss to top of beginning ch 3. (12 dc)

Round 2: Ch 1, sc in same stitch as join. ch 1, sc in next st, ch 4, *sc in next st, ch 1, sc in next st, ch 4*. repeat from * to * around ending with ch 4. ss into top of first sc. You should have 6 ch 1 spaces and 6 ch 3 spaces.

Round 3: Ss into the first ch 1 space, *into the next ch 3 space work sc, hdc, dc, trc, dc, hdc, sc, ss into next ch 1 space*. repeat from * to * around, end with ss in top of first ss.

Fasten off and work in ends.

Pattern is untested, except by myself. Please let me know if something is unclear, or you find a mistake.
You may sell one or two items made from this pattern, but you may not sell the pattern or publish it anywhere else. Please link to the pattern if you post a picture elsewhere.

A November Sunset

Our weather has been exceptionally nice the past few days. It's hard to believe it's November. Last night the sunset was really beautiful.