Knitting Handspun: Crochet Accessory Bags

Sunday, October 23, 2022

What does one do with mixed thickness, beginner handspun yarn? You crochet it into spinning accessory bags and then felt it, of course!

The brown is BFL and the white is Corriedale (a little scratchy). They weren't the prettiest yarns to begin with, so these bags aren't the prettiest final products. But they function!
And it makes use of some otherwise gnarly yarn that's not good for much else!

Knitting Needle Storage and Upgrades

Sunday, February 13, 2022

As part of the most recent obsession with knitting, I've decided to actually organize my knitting needles and crochet hooks. Originally, they were just thrown in a basket in their original packaging, which meant I had to did through everything to find what I was looking for. Nowadays, there's a bunch of pretty good knitting needle cases available, particularly for the interchangeable knitting needles. Shown above is the KnitPicks Interchangeable Embossed Needle Case in Caspian and the ChiaoGoo Case for 5" Interchangeables.

The KnitPicks case works well for the nickel-plated KnitPicks Options needles I've picked up over time. The set is filled out by a KnittersPride Karbonz Interchangeable in US2.5, KnittersPride Nova Platina Interchangeable in US3, and KnittersPride Mindful Collection Lace Stainless Steel Interchangeable in US5. I bought a couple recently to fill out the holes in the collection, to give some added variety in the needle shape, and to grab some of the smaller sizes that I use most (KnitPicks doesn't have interchangeable US2.5 or US3!).

Flip the interchangeable knitting needle page over, and there's another for a second set of interchangeables or...for your grab bag crochet hook collection.

The case also has two genersouly-sizes pockets to hold the spare cables, notions, etc. Pretty handy!

With all the baby-sized knitting I've been doing recently, I realized that (1) I use smaller knitting needle sizes a lot, (2) my gauge is super loose, so I'm always using smaller needles than recommended with the yarn, and (3) nickel-plated needles are slippery! So this is how I ended up first acquiring the ChiaoGoo Twist 5 inch Mini Interchangeable Knitting Set with sizes US000 - US1.5. With this set, I have some teensy tinsy interchangeable knitting needles now. And then I absolutely fell in love with the memory-less red-coated steel cables on this set. So then I went and upgraded my larger set with the ChiaoGoo Spin 5" Bamboo Interchangeable Knitting Set - Small with sizes US2 - US8. Bamboo is considerably grabbier than nickel. While the spin set comes with Swivel cables, I also bought a couple of the red-coated steel cables for this bamboo set, and adapters to convert the teensy Mini cables to the somewhat larger "Small" needles. Overall, I'm really enjoying these new sets, and the case to hold them all. I removed the seam between the US13 and US15 labeled pockets in the case that came with the bamboo set, and I was able to slide the teensy Mini set right in there. So, all the ChiaoGoo pieces are now in the same kit!

How To: Drawstring Project Bag from Existing Tote Bag

Sunday, January 30, 2022

It's winter, so I'm getting back into knitting, which happens from time to time. As part of this current cycle, I've been really inspired by drawstring project bags, like this one from WhiteneySews, a similar one from SewingTimes, and this colorful one from LorrieNuneMakerCreative. Except...I had a perfectly cute little tapestry tote bag I'd been using forever to haul my knitting tools and projects around. However, this tote bag was simple - it was unlined and lacked pockets. And therein lies the inspiration!

So, I began doodling my ideas, going through the Whitney Sews Tutorial, figuring out how all the pieces went together. And then I decided what I wanted: a drawstring bag inside of my totebag, which is now lined. The drawstring bag should be attached to the tote on one side, but should have a lining serving as an external pocket between the drawstring bag and the tote bag on the other side. I wanted this pocket so I could drop my phone or tablet right into the bag without fiddling with the drawstring. This "loose" drawstring bag side needs to be reinforced with interfacing so it doesn't flop everywhere. The drawstring keeps the items inside, deters naughty cats, and slightly expands the height of the little tote bag. Inside the drawstring bag, there should be a few dividers or pockets for some simple organization. The drawstring bag needs to be of a lighter color so that I can actually see into the bag.

With a half yard of red mattress ticking, a half yard of osnaburg, 1 yard of cotton cord, and a small amount of two-sided fusible quilt fleece, I was ready to get going! Here are my instructions, as recorded in my notebook, although they might resemble the musings of a mad woman:

1. Cut pieces as specified in notebook. In the illustrations I gave 3/4"to the sides and 1/4" to the bottom seams. I tried to use fabric folded where I could (but still needed to incorporate 1/4" seam on either side of that fold). Tops generally got 1/4" as well. The LINING POCKETS, I made the same height, shorter than the lining itself. These sag a bit, although the osnaburg gives them some structure - definitely recommend using a heavier weight fabric for the lining pockets!
2. Fold and irong MAIN LINING in half, right sides together.
3. Iron the two LINING POCKET TOPPERS in half. Then iron both long raw edges 1/4" inside (the wrong sides). Sew TOPPER to the lower with 1/8" inseam.
4. Measure and sew 2 seams (4.5" from either side) of LINING POCKET 2 to OUTER MAIN LINING. Wrong side of pocket facing inward toward right side of outer main lining.
5. Double (1/4" x2) fold and iron one edge of the OUTER POCKET, toward the wrong side.
6. Fold OUTER POCKET and iron so that the non-double folded side is 10.5" long (the height of the main lining).
7. Align the bottom fold of this piece with the bottom fold of the MAIN LINING - wrong sides of inner linings facing each other. Place FUSIBLE FLEECE between these, centered. Iron to fuse.
8. Place LINING POCKET 1 piece into MAIN LINING, right sides facing LINING POCKET 2.
9. Make BOTTOM REINFORCEMENT PIECE(fleece sewn into rectangle of fabric, shape of the bottom of bag).
10. Make DRAWSTRING COVER according to Whitney Sews Tutorial. Then, fold under and iron into the wrong sides, 1" of all the raw edges.
11. With MAIN LINING, OUTER POCKET LINING, LINING POCKET 1, and LINING POCKET 2, all pinned along the sides and bottom, the lining should be in its final layout to go into the OUTER BAG. Sew 3/4" side seams and 1/4" bottom seams around.
12. BOXED CORNERS: Hand-press each bottom corner to a point (with topp and bottom seams in opposite directions), draw a line where the point is 2.5" across. Sew along line. Trim 1/4" inseam at corner. Repeat for other bottom corner. (Whitney Sews Tutorial shows this, but using a 4" boxed corner instead of 2.5").
13. Attach BOTTOM REINFORCEMENT piece to bottom of lining by sewing over the Boxed Corner seams.
14. Pin the DRAWSTRING COVER inside folded edge to the inside of the OUTER MAIN LINING and REINFORCED LINING SIDE with 1" overlap. Sew into place with 1/4" inseam.
15. Place Lining into OUTERBAG. Fold and pin OUTER POCKET LINING to be just short of the OUTER BAG edge (fold against wrong side of outer bag). Top-stitch into place.
16. Pin OUTER MAIN LINING (now stitched to one side of Drawstring Cover) and top-stitch into place.
17. Attach safety pin to one end of COTTON CORD and feed through the top of DRAWSTRING COVER opening. Knot ends together. Repeat in opposite direction for the SECOND CORD.

Color-coded to match my fever dream notebook drawings! HA!

When the yarn bowl is removed, you can see there's lots of space in the drawstring bag for notions, spare needles, etc. Without the bowl, you can also place rigid items like a book or tablet in the external pocket. A folded paper pattern will pretty much always fit into that external pocket.

I'm pretty pleased with how this adapted-on-the-fly project bag came out! It's perfect for my needs now!

Aqua Wedding Doily

Wednesday, October 20, 2021

Another wedding, another doily. This one is the 29-45 doily from Pierrot Yarns. The pattern would be in Japanese, but it's actually done via a chart! I've never read a doily pattern from a chart before, but I've made plenty of doilies, so it wasn't too tricky to figure out. It was, at times, difficult to read on my print-out, so I'd just go to the PDF and zoom-in to see what's what.

I rather like doilies in fun colors. Makes them feel a little less stuffy or something. This pattern has a little less negative space than most I prefer, which menas it took a bit longer. I also usually prefer a little more pineapple pattern to it, but this one is alright. It's a little different from my usual and I like it. Who knows if the recepients will!

More Weddings, More Doilies

Sunday, April 1, 2018

When this green pinwheel doily is combined with the Triangle Christmas Tree Skirt Quilt and another Wedding Invitation Ornament, we have quite the old-time holiday gift for a new couple. When selectively safety-pinned into the center of the tree skirt, it can also help the tree skirt double as a table runner/centerpiece.

I'm a big fan of doilies in bold colors. 'Makes me think they're a little less old-fashioned, but that's probably just me.

Another Wedding, Another Doily

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

Another friends' wedding, another doily. This one's the Parisian Pineapple Doily from American School of Needlework, one of my favorites to make and/or look at. It's not circular like most doilies and I'm absolutely in love with crochet pineapples. So it has that, too. And it even complements the houseplants perfectly ;)

This one was made out of thread I purchased at an estate sale, so the color isn't 100% consistent, but it works alright if you're into off-white doilies.

Wedding Doily

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Another wedding, another doily! I picked a design from the lamely-named Leisure Arts "Tea Time Doilies" and crocheted up this 'Morning Tea' doily by Ocie Jordan which Ravelry tells me I've made once before, but no matter; a good lookin' doily is a good lookin' doily, either way.

Why are doily book names so darn lame?!

My Crochet Bucket Basket

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Pinterest has finally sucked me in. It was impossible to resist. I'm decorating an apartment and have craftiness seeping out my pores. It was inevitable.

The first was this crochet basket from Crochet In Color. And then, after seeing this other lovely crochet basket from Huhuu 4home, I was also inspired to put an edging on the top instead of handles. The final product came out shaped like a bucket, so now it's a girly crochet bucket basket.

I'm in need of storage solutions to the point that I've purchased 4 giant baskets off of craigslist, and 2 plastic storage bins from Goodwill. This crochet basket fits nicely in our Expedit bookcase, and holds my current work-in-progress (the hexagon quilt), hiding all the bits and bobs from guests.

The actual modification to the pattern is something to the effect of: when your basket is the height you desire, at the beginning of the next row, *ch3, skip 3sts, sc in the next st and repeat from the * around, joining with a sl st. For the last row, *6dc in the middle ch (the second of the three), ch1, 1sc in the middle of the next ch, ch1, and repeat from the * around, joining with a sl st and finish off. Your number of stitches might vary slightly, so some additional adjustment may be necessary. Fake it 'til you make it ;)

Who Knows Whose Baby Afghan

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Having just inherited a bunch of scraps of acrylic baby yarn from the 80s, I did the only thing one can do: I made a ripple afghan (well, that, and yarn pom-poms for my yeti hat, naturally). Of course, I used smaller yarn than the pattern called for, as well as a larger hook. But everything came out a-okay anyways. It always does.


I think I really prefer baby blankets in bright, bold colors, but such is life.

A Wedding Doily

Sunday, August 21, 2011

I like to put a little bit of thoughtfulness into wedding presents for friends. Because, honestly, buying a $50 butter dish off a registry (or as in my case, a gift card) does not really require any real focused thought on my part. So, I pair my presents with a doily. That's right, I celebrate weddings by spending 20+ hours concentrating on every stitch of an outdated decor item. But it makes me happy, just as seeing my friends happy makes me happy. This is how it is.

This latest one, a pattern from Ocie Jordan involves both pinwheel and pineapple motifs. Doily pineapples may not actually look like pineapples, but they're pretty much my favorite things to make. Mmmm, pineapples.


My prime lens' shallow DoF, making its presence known, obnoxiously.

On Making n' Stuff

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

When I'm putting off something I dread, I make things. I make Dark Chocolate and Orange Buttermilk Scones from Joy the Baker. And I make tiny clothing. Completely unrelated.


...And I wrap them all up and send them to a friend in Washington DC who probably appreciates them more than I do. Who doesn't like a surprise every now and then?


CAN YOU SEE THE ORANGE ZEST?! So tasty. Butter+jelly totally optional. Totally.

Instant Gratification

Saturday, November 6, 2010

I've been making doll hats as a form of instant gratification as I slowly work on a much larger, time-consuming craft project.

Patience is only necessary for some projects, and I can be impatient (which is why I've never knitted a sweater and I rarely make afghans). Thankfully, doll hats, 1/6 scale sweaters, and tiny dresses take less than 6 hours each. SCORE.


Photos of the longterm project will come when I have something more substantial to share :) In the meantime, here's a bunny hat:

Old-Fashioned

Friday, October 1, 2010

I know doilies are old fashioned, but I enjoy making them. Being primarily a lace knitter/crocheter, it goes with the territory. This is the 'High Tea' Doily by Ocie Jordan from Leisure Arts #3104, Tea Time Doilies.

The trick is to figure out how to make the doily more modern, and less antiquated. I like using bright color thread, or making a doily tablerunner. This rather large doily is destined to be a gift, so it's up to her what she does with it, haha.

I call this photo "Dry Wedding."

A New Granny Square

Friday, November 13, 2009

I saw a garland of cute granny squares somewhere on the Internet, and whipped up this pattern to put it together. There's basically three stages: the octagon motif, the square frame, and the thicker frame. You can stop at any of these stages, as needed, but for the garland I recommend all three. (Maybe for an afghan you wouldn't need the thicker frame)

Please do not redistribute this pattern without author permission.

[Crochet] Octagonal Granny Square

(Pattern also available as a .TXT file, here.)
(See this pattern on Ravelry, here.)

Difficulty: Easy
Yarn: Red Heart Super Saver Worsted/Medium
Yardage: 17.5yds/16m total (12.5yds for the octagon motif, 5 yards for the thick frame)
Hook: G /4.25mm
Gauge: I recommend using this hook+yarn, but if the motif is too "ruffle-y" then go up a size hook and if it's too "bubble-y" go down a size hook.

Pattern:
R1. ch4 and join into a loop.
R2. 3ch, 15dc in ch4 sp, join in 3rd chain. {16dc}
R3. ch6, 1dc in same sp. *skip next dc. 1dc in next dc. ch3. 1dc in same sp* repeat between * until end. Join in 3rd ch.
R4. sl st into ch3 sp. *1sc, 1dc in same sp. ch3. 1dc, 1sc in same sp. skip next 2dc* repeat between * until end. Join in first sc.
The Square "Frame":
R5. sl st in next dc, sl st in next ch3 sp. ch 3. 1 dc in same sp, ch4, 2dc in same sp, ch4. *2sc in next ch3, ch4, 2dc in next ch3 sp, ch4, 2dc in same sp, ch4* repeat between * until end. Join in top of ch3.
Optional "Thick Frame":
R6. sc in next dc. 5sc in next ch4 sp. 1sc in next dc. 1sc in next dc. 4sc in next ch4 sp. *1sc in next sc. 1 sc in next sc. 4sc in next ch4 sp. 1sc in next dc. 1sc in next dc. 5sc iSn next ch4 sp* repeat between * until end. Join in next sc and bind off.

Key: I use the common crochet abbreviations here.
ch: chain the given number of chains
dc: double-crochet the given number
sp: space
sl st: slip stitch
sc: single-crochet
Enjoy!