Week 10: Chunky Crocheted Basket

I just looked at the calendar and realized that I managed to lose two weeks somewhere.  I SHOULD be on week 12.  Hrm.

Anyway, I have a thing for baskets.  I think it’s because although I tend to create clutter as I craft, deep down (and I mean WAY down), I aspire to be one of those highly organized minimalists.  Yeah.  Right.

Here’s a quick and easy (and free!) pattern for a chunky crocheted basket.

MATERIALS

•                 Lion Brand Thick and Quick yarn (I used less than a full skein)
•                 Size N (9.00mm) crochet hook

 DIMENSIONS

                My basket ended up being 8.5” across and 5.75” deep using this pattern.

 PATTERN NOTES

                Basket is worked in joined rounds.  The rounds are joined with a slip stitch to the first stitch unless otherwise noted.  Gauge is not crucial in this project.  Pattern is written in American crochet terms.

 PATTERN

 Ch 4.  Join with sl st to first ch to form a ring.

 Row 1:  Ch 2 (counts as first hdc now and throughout), 11 hdc in ring.  Join.  (12 hdc)

 Row 2:  Ch 2, hdc in same st, 2 hdc in each st around.  Join.  (24 hdc)

 Row 3:  Ch 2, *2 hdc in next st, hdc in next st*, repeat from * to * around.  Join.  (36 hdc)

 Row 4:  Ch 2, hdc in next st, *2 hdc in next st, hdc in next two stitches*, repeat from * to * around.  Join.  (48 hdc)

 Row 5:  Ch 2.  Working in FRONT LOOPS ONLY, hdc in each st around.  Join.

 Row 6.  Ch 2.  TURN.  Working through BOTH loops, hdc in each st around.  Join.

 Row 7:  Ch 2, hdc in each st around.  Join.

 Row 8-9:  Repeat row 7.

 Row 10:  Ch 2, hdc in next 5 sts, ch 6, skip next 6 sts, hdc in next 18 sts, ch 6, sk next 6 sts, hdc in next 12 sts.  Join.

 Row 11: Ch 2, work hdc in each st and 6 hdc in each ch 6 space of previous round.  Join, cut yarn and weave in end.

I changed colors a few times along the way for my basket.  For a larger basket, continue increasing the bottom before working in the front loops (row 5) that form the side.  To do this, you’ll increase 12 stitches per row (hdc in next three sts, 2 hdc in next), and so on.

These baskets would also look great felted if you use 100% wool.  Quick and Thick is part wool and part synthetic, so I don’t think it would felt very well.  Just remember when you’re making the basket to felt it that it WILL shrink, so crochet it larger than you’d like the finished basket to be.  Once you crochet it, toss it into the washer with a few pairs of jeans (make sure there’s nothing with velcro in there or it will stick to your project), and wash as usual on the hot cycle.  Check your basket every few minutes and take it out once the felting is to your liking.  I allow my felted projects to air dry so that I can shape them as they dry.

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Week 4: Granny Square Purse

Another week, another project.  Actually, two projects!  I was really excited about this one.  A few weeks ago, I picked up the purse handles on one of my trips to Joann Fabric.  (Yes, it’s an addiction.  No, you’re not allowed to judge.)  A friend of mine also posted a link on my facebook about making your own fabric garment labels.  I’ve never used labels for my hats because aside from being expensive, attaching them seems like a pain, and I suspect that most parents would probably cut the scratchy thing out before it even made it onto their kid’s head.  Anyway, I figured I’d give it a try for this particular project so that I could “brand” the purse.

First things first – the labels.  I whipped up a little graphic in Photoshop, then copied it to a new document and spaced out each label.  I chose to use color just to see how it would turn out.  Next, I took some plain white cotton fabric that I’d prewashed and ironed, and I cut it to 8 1/2″ x 11″ to match a sheet of paper.  I used a glue stick to stick it to the paper (a little dab’ll do ya), then I loaded it into the printer and said a prayer.  The fabric and paper did slip a bit going in, but all the labels printed onto the fabric.  I used a hot iron to set the ink and cut the labels to size, leaving a little room around the edges for stitching.  I’ve heard this method will only work with natural fibers because the ink will bounce right off synthetics.  I think it was beginner’s luck.  I fully expected my printer to jam.

The purse – Granny squares come in about a billion different varieties.  I strayed from the traditional square in favor of a floral motif.  I’m hung up on pink and green lately, so I incorporated the colors into the flower.  I used a size F crochet hook because I wanted the squares to be a bit more compact and dense without a lot of large holes.  I used the join-as-you-go method to join the squares together to form the body of the purse.  That was the easy part.

I wanted to line the bag and add a little pocket.  Have I mentioned my lack of sewing experience?  I learn as I go.  Sometimes it works, sometimes…not so much.  I used the bag as a template to cut the fabric to size.  I had a nice chunk of striped fabric leftover from the puff quilt project, so I used that.  Once it was cut to size, I folded the edges in about a 1/2″, pressed them and then sewed them.  For the pocket, I sewed two pieces of the fabric, right sides together, turned it inside out, pressed it, added my label with a zigzag stitch, then sewed twice around the edges with different seam allowance to attach it to the lining. 

I’ve never tried to sew fabric to a crocheted piece.  I couldn’t find my black thread and decided to use the pink that was already in my machine.  Not a great idea.  I had a few places where the bobbin thread kind of looped out on the front and it just looked…ugly.  I ripped it out and just hand-stitched (rather sloppily), the liner into the bag with black emroidery floss.  I added the handles last, but to be honest, they’re too big for the bag.  I think if I make another, I might try some kind of yarn handles instead.

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Week 1: Simple Chunky Beanie with Felt flower

Okay.  So I couldn’t wait until January to start my challenge.  Like everything else, once I get an idea in my head, I can’t let it go.  There are no shortage of ideas clanging around in this head…just a shortage of time.

Crochet is my first love.  Not long after I learned, I jokingly told my husband that I wished I could make a living from crochet.  Thanks to etsy, that dream became a reality.  It’s the perfect job – I work from home around my kids’ schedules and my couch is my office.

I make a LOT of hats.  I’m also a big fan of ease and immediate satisfaction.  I like being able to make something QUICK without too much fuss.  This little chunky beanie is the perfect project for that.  The hat can be made in about 15 minutes and is a great blank slate for embellishment.  I decided to try a felt flower this time because I love the crisp lines in contrast to the softness of the crochet stitches. 

Enough chatter.  Let’s get down to business.  I’m splitting this into two parts – the hat and the flower.

SIMPLE CHUNKY BEANIE

MATERIALS

• Bulky weight acrylic yarn (I used Deborah Norville Premier Serenity in Pristine)
• Size P crochet hook
• Yarn Needle

 SIZES

            0-3 months (3-6 months, 6-12 months)

 NOTES

            Pattern is worked in joined rounds. 

 The first ch3 at the beginning of each round counts as the first dc.

 PATTERN

 Ch 4.

 1:  Make 9 (10, 11) dc in fourth chain from hook. Join with sl st to top of first dc.

 2:  Ch 3, dc in same space.  2dc in each st around.  Join with sl st to top of first dc.  20 (22, 24) sts

 3:  Ch 3, dc in next st and in each st around.  Join. 

 4:  Repeat previous row 2 (3, 4) more times.

 Finish off and weave in loose ends.

Pretty easy, right?

And now for the flower.

FELT FLOWER TUTORIAL

MATERIALS

• Craft Felt
• Embroidery floss
• Embroidery needle
• Scissors
• Button

First, I cut the felt into three circles of increasing size.  The circles, once cut into petals, will nest inside one another.

Next, I cut petals into each circle.  I just freehanded this part, but you can use a template it that’s easier.

I also cut out some leaf shapes and then I stacked the petal layers on top of one another. 

I sewed on the button using embroidery floss and I also added some veins to the leaves, and then I sewed the leaves to the flower.

And finally, I sewed the flower to the hat.

That’s all there is to it.  Enjoy! 🙂

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The Challenge: 52 Projects in 52 Weeks

I may be crazy (okay, I KNOW I’m crazy), but I have convinced myself that despite having five kids and a home business, I somehow have the time, energy, stamina, determination and skill to do this.  I blame Pinterest.  So many projects, so little time.  The only way I’m going to do this is to make it into a JOB.  I MUST do this. 

I have a serious craft addiction.  My main art is crochet, but I’ve dabbled in knitting, scrapbooking, jewelry making, sewing, embroidery, needle felting, painting, beading, and a few others.  It’s a problem.  Every time I go into a craft store, another hobby follows me home.  I can’t help myself.  It’s a compulsion.  I see something cool and I HAVE to try it!  NOW!  The idea gnaws at me until I finally give in and do it. 

So…starting in January, one project every week.  My goal is to provide some tutorials here, or tips how I did something.  I like to take patterns and change them up, make them my own, and then share.

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