Plarn Rug

 It's fun to get bags from my friends. They shop at different stores than I do, so there are lots of different bag colors! Also, I don't shop enough and get enough bags to keep myself supplied with plarn. There still aren't always enough bags of one color to make something - anything!!

 I suppose I could make stripes on my bags, the way Mom does, but that seems like a lot of effort for a grocery bag.

 I could make a rug. Mom made this oval rug with different bags. I don't like to keep laying my project on the floor to make sure I'm increasing the correct number to make the rug lie flat.

So, I'm going to make a "woven" rug. Remember making woven placemats of construction paper strips? That's the idea here. Plarn strips, woven into a rug. I have 6 of these bags. Let's see how far I get. I want 2 inch wide strips. Using a size H hook, that took 7 dc stitches.
Ch 9, dc in 4th ch from hook and in remaining ch stitches. Counting the 3 skipped ch stitches as 1 dc, I have 7 stitches. Ch 3, turn. Sk 1st dc (ch 3 counts as 1st dc) work dc in each st across. Repeat.

Just over 18 inches.

 Now, using bags with a different color lettering, work 7 dc across one edge. (Working in the sides of the rows.)

 I want these edges to be well fastened, so for this turning chain, I'm going to ch 1, sl st in the stitch of strip below, ch 1, turn, 6 dc.

 I'll do that again.

 And again. These strips will be solid! Then, work in rows as you did for the first strip.

Using bags with a different color of printing, starting in the next row after the strip just made, work 7 dc. Fold it over the other side of the first strip and fasten as you did the 2nd strip made.

 4th strip: started on side of 2nd strip in the same way the 3rd strip was started on the 1st strip.

 Working parallel to the first strip, bring 4th strip over 3rd strip and fasten to at least one stitch. As I got into the middle of my rug, I didn't fasten the strips as often to the strips they were crossing over or under.

View of one side.

View of the other side.

I didn't finish off the strips, as I'm still not sure exactly how big I want it. I worked the plarn until the lengths left on other strips wouldn't twist with the plarn of the strip I was currently working.

The corner which is already double thickness is soft. I'm going to enjoy standing on it to wash dishes! When it gets dirty, I'll throw it in the washer and then let it air dry.
Now, I just need to cut lots of bags and crochet! This will take some time.....
2 days later, I'm finally starting the 10th long strip. This is 19 inches across. I don't want to carpet my kitchen, just have a rug in front of my sink!

I made the "base" short strip just big enough for this last long strip.

 Fold it over, opposite side from previous long strip.

 Make sure the fold is right on the attachment line. Slip stitch the edges together, using the plarn from the short strip.

 One sl st for each st of last row of short strip.

Finish off and work in the end.

With the rest of the short strips, work until they are even with the edge of the last strip. Make sure they are correctly woven. Then slip stitch the edges together, using the plarn from the short strip. Finish off and work in the end.
This will take some time....
When I get it long enough, I will finish off the long strips on the last short strip. Then finish it off on the last long strip.
I doubt I'll take it to my daughter's to work on it again. Her cat seemed to think it was some multi-legged monster!

Farmer's Market Bag (another Pinterest project)

Years ago I had a string bag which I used until it wore out. I think it was macrame. I was very happy to find these directions on Pinterest. The directions say to use acrylic or cotton yarn, worsted weight. The bottom of the bag is a flat circle.

Ch 4. In 4th ch from hook, work 11 dc.

Working in rounds (no joining or turning), work 2 dc in each st around.

Work 1 dc in next st, work 2 dc in next st. Repeat around.

Work 1 dc in next 2 stitches, work 2 dc in next st. Repeat around.

Repeat last round until the base is big enough for you. I worked 5 and a half rounds. Hdc in next st. Sc in next st. *Ch 5. Sk next 2 st, sc in next st. Repeat from * around.

I left a slightly longer than usual tail on the beginning chain to be able to pull it through the first stitch to mark the beginning of the round.

I can leave it like that because it doesn't show on the outside.

 Since my last sc of the first round is in the hdc of the previous round, I can continue to work in rounds of ch 5, sc in ch 5 loop of previous round. I'll continue until it's deep enough for me.

Deep enough is a personal decision. This bag will stretch.

 For the top band, work 2 hdc in the ch 5 loop, 1 hdc in sc around.

I made another bag with 4 hdc in each ch 5 loop, just because I wanted a large opening.

It does flare out at the top, which is why I'm trying for a different effect with the blue bag. Again, the size of the top opening can be easily changed to suit your personal taste. (Patterns are suggestions.)

I worked 2 rounds of hdc, then 1 round of sc. The pattern called for handles of 2 sc rows. I think that would be fine for drawstrings, but I like wider handles, if I'm going to be holding the bag by the handles. So, 5 sc, ch 1, turn. Repeat until the handle is desired length. For me, that's 14 inches.
Then I counted how many unused stitches were in the top round. 64 This number would be bigger if I had made the bottom bigger or if I had put more hdc stitches in each ch 5 loop. I'll need 15 stitches for the ends of the handles. That leaves 49 stitches. Divide by 4. 12 (13 in one place) so the handle ends will be evenly spaced.
Imagine that! Those hated word problems from math class really do come in handy!

Be careful to not twist the handle. Skip next 12 stitches. sl st handle to bag. Fasten off and work in ends.
Sk next 12 stitches. Fasten yarn in next stitch with s sc. Sc in next 4 stitches. Work 5 sc rows until handle is same length as other handle. (57 rows this time). Sk next 12 stitches. Fasten handle same as first handle.

Yay! One less w i p. One more finished project!

Works in Progress

I like that phrase better than unfinished projects!

I was already using zip lock bags for my w i p, before I saw it on Pinterest. I like the 2.5 gallon bags. Pattern (books) fit in easily. I don't have to worry that a loose hook will fall out and get lost. I like having something ready to go. I generally carry something with me, just in case I'll find a chance to crochet. Especially if I'm going to be waiting for an appointment. That is often a big block of time which would otherwise be wasted. I'll never finish these projects if I waste so much time!

A "tote"

 Plarn cushion. I'm waiting on more grey bags.

 Shoulder bag of hobby lobby bags. I'm waiting on more bags.

Shoulder bag of dollar general bags. I'm waiting on more bags.

 Another baby blanket.

 My 12th doily, not sure which month I'll use this one.

 My afghan for March.

Star afghan.

At least my capelet is finished!

I also finished a plarn grocery bag for my daughter.

She was very happy to start using it!

Eventually, I'll finish the tote and the turquoise farmer's market bag and be able to show them here.

Capelet

Let's talk about that capelet that I've been working on forever! I bought 2 balls of size 10 crochet thread, color: natural. I knew this was going to take HOURS to make and I wanted to be able to wear it with different outfits.

The afghan pattern I used for this idea called for 7 bottom points. That was with worsted weight yarn and a size I hook. This is size 10 thread and a 00 hook. I knew I'd need more. I made 17.

Then I knew I wanted it to be at least 22 inches long. Eventually, it was 9 pineapples long. 9 times through the pattern.

For the neck shaping, I substituted chain stitches for every other pineapple across. 1 in the first row, 2 in the second row...5 in the 5th row, 4 in the sixth row. That was the row which closed the pineapples.
For the neck band, I worked 4 dc across the 4ch spaces. Across the pineapple top shells, I worked: 1 dc in each of the first 2 dc, 1 dc in ch 2 sp, 1 dc in next st, sk next 2 stitches, 1 dc in next st, 1 dc in ch 2 sp, 1 dc in each of last 2 st. This was enough decrease so the neck band would lay flat.
It needed one more row of dc to be wide enough. Dc across, decreasing in the 2 dc at the middle of the shells.

The edges looked jagged and unfinished to me. One row of dc fixed that. Working in the sides of the rows, 1 dc in the 3 rows at narrowest part of pineapple. 2 dc in next 3 rows, 3 dc in next row, 5 dc in next row, 3 dc in next row, 2 dc in next 3 rows, which is back to narrow place and 1 dc in next 3 rows. Repeat down one side, across bottom and up the other side.

I really like my finished capelet!

This is the afghan which inspired this capelet. (Patterns are just suggestions.) Have I said lately how much I like pineapples?

Multiple Yarn Over Stitches: Double Triple, Treble Triple....

These are speciality stitches, not used in many projects. I had rarely seen or used them and didn't really like the way they usually looked, too loose.

Then, I found these flute playing angels. My orchestra friends loved them.

DTR (double treble crochet) ch 5 to begin a row. To make the stitch, yo (yarn over) 3 times, insert hook in st indicated, yarn over, pull up loop, (yo, pull through 2 loops on hook) 4 times.

Tr tr (triple treble crochet) yo 4 times, insert hook in st indicated, yo, pull up loop, (yo, pull through 2 loops on hook) 5 times.

These directions are usually found in each pattern's stitch guide because they're so rarely used. I was quite surprised to read the stitch guide for these angels and see: quadruple treble crochet, yo 6, yo 7, yo 9 and yo 10!!

 10 yo on hook.

 Starting to be loose.

Well!! I really wanted to make these angels, so I wondered if there were some way to make these stitches tighter. I seems that as a loop is pulled through 2 loops on hook, the thread is thinner than the hook had been, so each loop had more extra thread.

I found that if, after the 10 yarn overs, I laid the piece down on a table, and keeping the thread tight, I rolled the piece down to the base of the next stitch, some of the slack was taken up.

It looks tighter, better.

I want some of these angels for myself, but I have to finish that capelet!

Cloche hat and wrist warmers

This is another Pinterest inspired project.

 I used my hat pattern, only with more rows and increased more in the last few rows because I wanted the brim to flip up.

 The "ribbon" and the wrist warmers are done in v-stitch. To make the thumb space, I chained 6 in the v-stitch instead of ch 2. (Dc, ch 6, dc. Instead of dc, ch 2, dc, for the v-stitch where I wanted my thumb space.)

 I worked a row of sc around the hat for the foundation of the ribbon.

 One row of v-stitch under the sc.

Then, I worked another row above.

Then, another row above. I liked the width of the ribbon with 3 rows, so I stopped there.

 The flowers are from this afghan pattern.

The hardest part of this rose pattern is rolling them tightly enough.
Now I feel elegant and warm. Time is getting short to the wedding. I really must finish that capelet!