Shoulder Bag: Finished

Yay! I finally got enough bags to finish one of those plarn shoulder bags. I have yarn to start 3 other projects. That was going to be a difficult decision. Then, a friend asked how much I'd charge for a shoulder bag. So of course, I started a shoulder bag.
Then, my daughter brought over 2 baby blankets which the children of a friend of hers had started to unravel. So I have to try to save them. I like to think of hand made items as "future heirlooms". I doubt these will be, after the rough treatment they're receiving. They'll never be as pretty as before, but hopefully they won't continue to unravel.
I want to finish my slitted pineapple wrap before it gets too warm to use. It's not going as fast as a " mile a minute " pattern, but I am seeing progress, so I have hopes to finish it before Spring gets too warm...

Post Vacation Recovery

I had a productive vacation, visiting my son. I finished an afghan...

A beach bag...

A rectangular rug...
A pair of fingerless gloves...
And several scrubbies.
Since I got home, what have I finished?
Well, first I had to recover from my travels. I hate flying!
I have several wip's here. Sadly, none are close to finished.
I have a wrapper pattern project...

 I'm using white yarn, and I prefer this pineapple afghan as the pattern for the body.

It won't take as long as the afghan did, but about 80 inches long still takes quite some time!
My Sunday School friends have given me lots of plastic bags for plarn, so I'm able to work on a couple of shoulder bags again.

I just want to finish something, ANYthing before I start another project. Unfortunately, I bought the yarn for something that's too cute for words. This will be a real test of my willpower.....

Ergonomic aluminum crochet handle

What does one need to crochet? Until recently, I would have said yarn, a hook, a pattern, and scissors. Then my daughter in law gave me an "ergonomic aluminum crochet handle". It came with 8 little rubbery discs, color coded for ease in putting each on the proper size hook. It kind of looks like a two toned egg. It twists apart to put a hook in. Made by Boye, the company which makes crochet hooks. She found it at Michael's (the craft store).
I thought it looked weird, but I went ahead and tried it. I was amazed at how comfortable it was to hold.
Normally, I don't crochet very long with plarn at any one time. The small hooks press uncomfortably into my fingers. This handle stopped that. I was able to crochet with plarn for hours.
Now, my list of crocheting essentials includes my handle.

Rectangle Rug: Finished

I don't usually crochet with plarn for hours and days. My thumb joints are aching! I am so happy to have finished that rug! Sore thumbs are a small price to pay. 79 rows of dc. About 180 bags. I changed colors to have stripes of varying widths. Final measurements are 26 x 34.

 This is one of Mom's oval rugs made using sc, worked in rounds. I got an even rectangle working in rows.

This is plarn worked in dc. Slightly different texture. It will allow dirt and sand to fall down through. It is also amazingly soft and springy to step on.
Years ago, someone gave mom a plarn rug. When it got dirty, mom washed it in the washing machine and allowed it to air dry. Mom said it lasted for 15 years.
So, by changing dimensions to fit your space and by using the plarn color(s) available to you, you can have another item which is uniquely yours. Go for it! Express your own personal creativity!

Beach Bag: Finally Finished

Another project I started last year and hadn't finished is a plarn beach bag. Basically, a beach bag is just a bigger version of a grocery bag.
Start with a the bottom rectangle, 7 x 15 or 8 x 16.

Work rounds up the sides to desired height.

 For a grocery bag, 12 inches is good, for this beach bag, I went 15 inches, to keep it proportional with the bigger bottom.

 Add handles. For grocery bags, I usually make them 23 inches long before fastening. For this beach bag, I made them 25 inches.

By changing colors several times while working up the sides, you can add stripes for a festive touch.
When finished, you'll notice lots of little holes between the stitches. If you shake the bag well when leaving the beach, you can leave most of the sand there and not track it into your car or house.