Denim Stripe Fat Bottom Bag, Lined With Work Shirt

(Quick note:
 Assuming you're a chick (female) and on that assumption another follows:  that you love to shop.  With that in mind, the links on this page all take you to either Amazon.com or Joann's where you can price check or compare a purchase for that particular bold face item.  I don't get credit, royalties, a kick down, annuities, a percentage, or anything else except the joy that I helped you find these wonderful things online to make your shopping experience easy and your crocheting much more fun.  grinning now)
 ------ end of "QUICK" note.  heh, heh.  Oh how I can babble on.)

Working with Red Heart's Stripes yarn was a lovely experience, truly.  The yarn did not tangle, it is twisted (is that the correct word?) nicely so my hook went through and came back out of loops smoothly as I worked along.  This colorway, denim stripe,  made a perfectly "denim" looking pattern for this bag.

I lined the bag with an old but rarely (if ever) used ladies work shirt.  It has cute metal flower buttons down the front and I wanted to keep them in the lining so I sewed closed the placard (button strip) with my machine. 

Secondly, I sewed closed the bottom of the shirt to where there was room enough for the pockets to fit inside the bag, giving me two inside pockets that were ready made.  (Yea, I AM lazy.  Yeppers!)


Thirdly, the shirt wasn't quite wide enough to reach across the bottom part of the bag (before adding handle flaps) so I just eased it in and made adjustments wherever necessary.  It came out a bit bunchy in the bottom but it worked out fine in the end.  (get it?  Fat Bottom Bag?  in the end?  Yea, right.  Get a day job, I know.  heh, heh.  )


The handles look great with this bag, I got them at the only place I know to get purse handles in my area (Michael's stopped carrying them, the dirty rats!), at Joann's.  They were the $4.99 variety which is fine and dandy but if you watch the ads for the store, you can get them up to 40% off and stock up on handles and other purse supplies there. (If you make Fat Bottom Bags - or any bag at all, you just have to go to a purse and bag supply sale at Joann's the first day the sale starts or there will be nothing left by the time you get there, a day later!)

The flower does not compliment the bag the way  I want it to but it'll do for now.  It gives me an excuse to go back to Joann's - to find an embellishment that better suits this bag.

Making this one with my mother's stand in caregiver  in mind, (the one who relieves me of my duties for six hours a day twice a week!), I can't wait to present it to her, finished and ready to use.  She said she had her eye on this when it was still a WIP and has no idea how it turned out so the surprise for her will be much more fun for me.  (Happy, happy, joy joy!  .... Tail's all wagging, lol)

On to the next FFB (That's Fat Bottom Bag for us seasoned FFB hookers, BTW), TTYL, TGIS, TTFN!

Crochet News: Another Great Crochet Caddy Idea

The Home Depot is one of my favorite places to browse around, get inspired, find cool stuff, and spend money, all for the good of our home, and me of course.

While wandering around the huge hardware store (if you can really call it that) I saw a tool bag that looked like it might be something I could use.  I'm always attracted to things that make my life easier, keep things neater, and maybe even help me stay organized. 

This tool bag has many pockets inside and out and nestles inside a five gallon paint bucket (empty of course!), giving it a sturdy handle and good, strong form.  Check it out.  It happened to be on sale so I really had no reason to pass on this purchase.  Naturally I had to buy a brand new clean five gallon bucket to use with the tool bag.  Here's the result:

In this caddy I have plenty of room for my crochet hooks, scissors, (several pairs), tatting shuttles, pencils and pens, etc.  Inside I can store the project AND all the yarn required for it, the pattern book, and anything else that can't find a pocket on the outside.
The other side of the tool bag has pockets that are a bit wider, useful for many things such as project index cards, a packet of yarn needles, and so on.

I did not spray this one with Scotchgard Fabric Protector yet but plan to.  (Yea, I've got a horny boy dog who loves to mark his territory.  Until it gets sprayed by Scotchgard I have to keep it up off the floor so it doesn't get sprayed by my little chihuahua boy.)

I don't remember the exact price of the tool bag, it was on sale for approximately $7 and the bucket was regular price at $5

If you have any questions or ideas please comment below, thank you.

Signing off to find that can of Scotchgard I absentmindedly plopped somewhere in the house.  or garage. or yard. or car. oh crap.  It's here somewhere.

Note: Yarn in the bucket is Red Heart Super Saver worsted weight, color Real Teal

Face Scrubbie #3 Free Easy Crochet Pattern

For ease in printing this pattern or others I've posted,  or elsewhere on the web, here's a comment Viola left on one of my patterns that may help you:

"...As for the printing, if you do a "print preview" first, you can select only the pattern pages. I just tried it and the print is small, but nothing in the pattern was cut off. Thanks for sharing."
(signed)
Viola's Hook

Thank you Viola!

Okay, so they're posted out of numerical order.  What can I say?  I was born blonde.  Ha.  (really.  And no offense implied to blondes in the world, it's just something I use for an excuse when I goof up.  It sounds a lot sexier than "I had a senior moment", right?)


All that aside, here's the pattern for face scrubbie #3, one of my favorites.

Face Scrubbie #3
by anitalite copyright 2010

With a "G" crochet hook and a small amount of cotton yarn (size 4 or worsted weight)
starting with purple (main color)
chain 2 loosely.
Round 1: 6 sc in 2nd ch from hook; join to first sc with sl st
Round 2: 2 dc in each sc around, 1 dc in same stitch as beg ch 2 of this round.  Fasten off, weave in ends.
Round 3: Attach contrast (yellow) in any dc of r 2; ch 2, skip 1 st, sl st in next, FPDC in same dc you just made the sl st in, (ch 1, skip 1 st, sl st in next, FPDC in same stitch as last sl st) around - total 7 FPDC.  Join with sl st, fasten off, weave in ends.
Round 4: Attach main color (purple) in any ch 1 space to the right of a FPDC.  2 sc in same space, ch 2, skip FPDC, 3 sc in next space,

Easy Crochet Slippers

This pair of slippers were easy and quick to make.  I made a few alterations to the original pattern for Easy One Piece Slippers designed by Terri Kroupa but only for decorative purposes.  The pattern is well written and simple to follow.  It filled me with joy to see how happy Mom was when I put them on her feet!

I added back post stitches in the second to last row - only three, centered, every other stitch, and in the last row every three stitches and every other stitch (in the previous row bpdc) in the center.

These are easy for Mom to get on her feet (she has Parkinson's Disease)

I added a pretty but simple flower to the heel so she'd have a little extra to grab, to pull the slipper onto her foot.


Results?  She's thrilled with them.  The only disappointment is having to wait for the Plasti-Dip to dry on the soles so these aren't slippery for Mom.  I purchased the Plasti-Dip at The Home Depot for a little over $6.00 and the only option I saw was the product in black.  I just visited the web site and read that it is also available as a spray on application and also comes in other colours, as well as CLEAR!  YAY!  This is great news for us crocheters!  I'm thinking it could be used on the underside of crocheted area rugs, especially now that I know it comes in a clear solution so the product won't show through the little holes in things we crochet.  YAY! 

Crochet News: Snowflake Success!

If you've read anything previous I've written about my crochet projects or checked out any of the patterns I've posted, you know I have never blocked or starched any of my work and I've crocheted plenty of projects in the last twelve months.  Why?  I'm guessing that by the time I finish a crochet project I'm so happy it's done I want it to be DONE and give it away before I make it look neat and perfect with blocking and/or starching it.   Lazy.  That's what my problem is, I get lazy and bored with the thought of ironing or waiting for starch to dry, or the horrid idea of wetting a doily for fear I would screw up all that hard work somehow. 


This snowflake didn't take very long to make, not like a doily does for me to finish, of course.  I decided I am not making these snowflakes to lay in a plastic storage box somewhere.  They are going to hang on our Christmas tree - and not ten years from now, I'm determined to cover our tree in December with many snowflakes, all having their own personality and style.  That means I have to starch and block them.  Yikes! 


Well, I did starch and block this snowflake, scared for some reason I would botch it up and would end up with trashing my snowflake and forget the whole idea of a snowflake covered tree.   Fearfully, I submersed the snowflake in starch and even squeezed it and rolled it.  It still looked like a snowflake after all that, so I blocked it and let the darn thing dry.

Today I sprayed it with Scotchgard fabric protector (which, so far, did not discolor the bright white crochet thread that I used to crochet the snowflake).  After adding fishing line I hung the snowflake on an ornament hanger (see below) I picked up on sale at our local hospital gift shop.  (Weird where you can find things for crafts and arts!)


Here's the final outcome of my fear and procrastination and the nervous wait for the snowflake to dry:  (Sorry - again - about the horrible photography!  I'm still trying to figure out this digital camera.)

FYI (in case you missed the previous post about this project)
This is Snowflake 41 from the Big Book Of Thread Ornaments by Leisure Arts book # 4795
(the link will take you to Amazon.com list of that book for sale)

Crochet News: I'm Actually Blocking My Project!

Can you believe this?  I am actually blocking and starching (is that being redundant?) my snowflakes.  Well, one snowflake anyway:

I just finished crocheting Snowflake 41 from the Big Book Of Thread Ornaments

I strung tiny red beads onto my crochet thread before I started the snowflake and added them as I went along wherever I felt like.  Midway into crocheting and beading I had the thought that the beads could possibly weight down the ornament, making it droop when hung on the tree.  (I have no experience with this so bear with me).
I added many beads to the middle and less as I went along and actually like how it turned out.

Following the instructions I've read on many a crochet blog or craft web site, I:

• soaked my snowflake in fabric starch (100% strength for maximum stiffness)
• squeezed out the excess starch
• laid the snowflake flat on some paper towels and rolled it up to get a bit more of the extra starch out
• placed waxed paper on top of a sturdy cardboard box lid
• used nickel plated pins to shape and hold the snowflake
• waited
• and waited 
• and waited for the dang thing to dry!  
• ate dinner
• went to bed
• woke up in the morning
• waited for the starch to dry
• decided the old saying "watched water doesn't boil" is TOO true
• started working on a completely different project knowing that if I forgot about this one completely it would magically and suddenly dry when I wasn't looking
• realized I was right about the last bullet-ed step above
• forgot what I was doing and started pattern browsing

When I remember what I was blogging about in this post I'll let you know how it turned out.
Signing off to pattern browse some more and try to remember what the heck I forgot about and to practice being a serious grown-up, a discipline I never mastered, thank goodness.

UPDATE:
Here's the finished, almost dry product of all that waiting and wondering and worrying...

This last photo was taken before the snowflake was dry after starching.  For a follow up on my first block and starch project, see next newer post....

Crochet Pattern - Sunny Snowflake

For ease in printing this pattern or others I've posted,  or elsewhere on the web, here's a comment Viola left on one of my patterns that may help you:

"...As for the printing, if you do a "print preview" first, you can select only the pattern pages. I just tried it and the print is small, but nothing in the pattern was cut off...."
(signed),
Viola's Hook
----
Thank you Viola!
-----


Sunny Snowflake Ornament


Small amount size 10 crochet thread (Aunt Lydia's or other)
Size 10 steel crochet hook,
Size 7 steel crochet hook
Small beads, optional


I already had some beads on my thread and used what I had (6 beads) for this project, kind of by accident.  Beads are optional, you can place them anywhere you like while working along to give your sunny snowflake some shine.




String desired number of beads before beginning work.


With size 10 hook, ch 2


Round 1:  (sc, ch1) inside second chain from hook 6 times.  Join with sl st to first sc.  (total 6 sc, 6 ch1)

Round 2:  ch 4, dc in first st, *ch 1, dc in next st; repeat from * around, ending round with ch 1, sl st into third ch of beg ch 4 (top of ch dc)

Round 3:  ch 6. * tr in next ch 1 space, ch 3, repeat from * around, ending with tr in last ch 1 space, ch 3, sl st into third ch of beg ch 6 to join

Round 4: ch 1, * sc, hdc, sc in first ch 3 space and in each ch 3 space around, join with sl st to first sc this round.

Round 5: Use size 7 hook for this round! sl st to first hdc;  *sc in hdc, ch 3,   tr in next st, ch 3, skip 1 st,  sc in next, ch 3; repeat from * around and join with sl st to first sc and fasten off.

Weave in ends, block and starch as desired, attach red or white ribbon and hang!
In case you didn't click the previous link "starch as desired", it is a link that will take you to Crafters Love Crafts site page that tells several different ways to stiffen your crochet projects including instructions for using liquid starch or fabric glue (recommended), spray starch, sugar (low recommend), salt, etc.

Crochet Snow Flower Ornament Pattern

For ease in printing this pattern or others I've posted,  or elsewhere on the web, here's a comment Viola left on one of my patterns that may help you:

"...As for the printing, if you do a "print preview" first, you can select only the pattern pages. I just tried it and the print is small, but nothing in the pattern was cut off...."
(signed),
Viola's Hook
----
Thank you Viola!
----


Crochet Snow Flower Pattern by anitalite
copyright 2010 Cynthia Luciene
For personal use only.  You may sell your work but not this pattern.


Size 10 crochet thread
Size 11 steel crochet hook


chain 6, join with sl st to form ring


Round 1:  14 sc inside ring, join to first sc with sl st


Round 2: ch 4 (counts as 1 dc, 1 ch) ;  *dc in next st, ch 1; Repeat from * around, join to third ch made in beg of this round with sl st (14 dc, 14 ch 1 spaces)


Round 3:   *ch 3, sc in next ch 1 space ; Repeat from * around until last sc made then ch 3, join with sl st to beg ch of this round.



Round 4: sl st to first ch 3 space, * (ch 4, 2 tr, ch 4, sl st into same ch 3 sp) all in first ch 3 space; ch 1, sl st into next ch 3 space, triple picot (ch 3, sl st into first ch made), sl st into same ch 3 space, ch 1, sl st into next ch 3 space; Repeat from * around, join to first sl st made with sl st,


Round 5: sl st into middle of next picot, * ch 7, tr between next 2 tr, picot, sl st into top of tr just made, ch 7, sc into top of next picot, ch 7, tr between next 3 tr, picot, sl st into top of tr just made, ch 7 ; Repeat from * around, joining to first sl st in picot made this round.
Fasten off, weave in ends.
Block and starch as desired.  Go to Crafters Love Crafts site to learn how to stiffen your crochet snowflakes.


Attach hanger to use as ornaments or hang on suction cups to use for window decorations.