Tee Baskets

For a while I've wanted to try to make a basket out of tee shirt yarn.  One of my crochet friends did also - so we got together last week to give it a try.

I asked her to pick a pattern that she liked and we'd both follow the same pattern and make a basket.  We cut our tee shirts into balls of yarn.  I use these instructions.  I make my yarn strips about 1" wide and then tug on them which stretches them from a flat piece of tee shirt into a curled piece of tee shirt yarn.

Once we had our shirts done, we got straight to work.  We used this pattern.  We both failed miserably.  I think one of the reasons it didn't work is that we didn't understand when we were crocheting from the outside of the basket towards the inside and when we were going the other way - this made some of the instructions completely backwards... tho. I think it was our mistake and the pattern is probably fine.  Our resulting basket didn't have nice straight sides, it was slumped and mis-shapen.  I don't know what we did wrong.  I'm quite an advanced crocheter but what a mess.  I knew I would never use the basket I had made the way it looked - I wish I had taken a photo of it.

Since the basket was pretty easy to UNmake, I did just that.  Then, using what I had learned from the failed basket, I made up my own pattern.  Now there are a ton of tee shirt basket crochet patterns floating around.  I've been collecting them.  I have a whole pinterest board called Crochet Baskets which you might want to check out - there are oodles of designs and patterns, most of them are free.  If you make one of the patterns from my pin board, please let me know - I'd love to keep track of what patterns are good.

The first basket I made that was successful was a bit smaller than what I would have wanted.  I made it small in case I had to pull it all out again.  So, both to test my new method of making and also to have a bigger basket, I made a second basket.  It worked well twice so I consider my pattern to be somewhat successful.  The little basket has handles, the bigger one does not - just to try it differently, I left it without handles but I could still go back and add to it to make handles.  I didn't write the directions for handles - so take a look at another pattern with handles if you decide to add them.

Also - please note a few things about tee baskets.  First, making one is not relaxing!  The big fat yarn, tight stitches and hook combo made my hands very tired.  I'd make more, but this type of crochet it like battling with the yarn to get it to the shape you want, not like smooth, happy and carefree stitching.  Second, it takes a lot of tee shirts and tee shirt yarn to make a basket.  The tee shirt yarn making process requires a lot of cutting fabric, and I have THESE FISKARS scissors to make it easier and still my hands were tired after cutting and creating all the tee shirt yarn.

Sizes... my bigger basket (the one in the photo tutorial) is about 8 inches in diameter across the bottom and 8 inches high about and it took me 7 large tee shirts to have enough yarn for this size.

Step 1: Create a flat round circle.  If you don't know how to do this, use this method.  I started with 8 stitches in the first round.  I also started with a magic ring.  It doesn't matter how you do it - just make a flat circle.  Remember in the example I refer to above about the flat circle, she is using UK crochet terms so her htr is a US hdc.  Make the circle as big as you want the bottom of your basket.  Because I was using such a small hook (size M - 9mm) for this size yarn I found I had to increase more than I normally would on my last round in order to keep the circle flat.  You can probably use a size N (10mm) hook and it wouldn't be as much as a struggle.  I made my circle with all hdcs (half double crochets - American terms).  OH... throughout the pattern, you make a round and then join with a slip stitch before starting the next round.  If your next round is going to be sc, chain one at the beginning of the round.  If your next round is going to be hdc, chain two at the beginning of each new round.

Step 2:  Once your circle is the size you want, make one final round on the circle doing a flsc all the way around and don't increase.  When you are making this front loop single crochet, remember that it is the front loop if you are working from the inside of the circle going out... I'm not sure if this makes sense, but it does matter if you are working from the inside of the circle out - or the outside of the circle in.  I am working at this point from the inside of the circle outwards.

see how my hook is only going under the front loop of the VEE at the top of the stitch.

if you are doing the flsc correctly, you will see a ridge or line form on the outside of your basket

if you correctly completed your flsc row, your bowl will look a bit like a dish with an edge

this is my little basket (the first one I made using my own pattern) sitting inside the bigger second basket bottom

Step 3:  Now, here's where I did something different from the other basket pattern I tried.  I worked the rest of the basket working my stitches from the outside of the basket inwards.  In other words, I poked my crochet hook into the stitches from the outside of the basket.

For this first side row, I worked all hdc stitches around the basket, working from the outside in.  Work the hdc stitches by going under both loops on the VEE as with any normal stitch.  I switched to green yarn because I had run out of grey.  You can change colors or change yarns as you need to throughout the pattern.

here's how it looks after adding a few hdc stitches and working from outside in.

Step 4: The next round I made using blsc.  I used blsc because it makes a little line around the outside of the basket and I liked that textural detail.  I'm sure the basket would be fine making all the rounds hdc or alternating between stitches however you prefer the look.

Continue adding rows and changing colors or yarns as needed until your basket is as tall as you like.  You can see the little line around the outside which is the where the blsc shows up.

I finished my last round as sc.  I thought it finished off the basket nicely.

And - if nothing else, your little crochet baskets will at least be a place you can hold the rest of your tee shirt yarn!

Enjoy - Sher

Sweet and Special Soapies

Today a little lesson about how to make a "soapie" - my own invented word.

To me, a soapie is a little cotton crochet holder for a small bar of soap.  It can be used in the shower as a soapy scrubber or alternatively as a drawer sachet.  The holder is made from 100% cotton yarn so even if it's used in the shower, it should hold up decently well and can probably be popped in the wash if need be.

This soapie is made so that the soap can be replaced either when it's been all used up in the shower or it's lost its scent in the drawer.  Don't toss the soap that's lost its scent as the unscented soap may no longer work in the sachet, but can still get you clean in the shower.

I made the holders to fit a box of small square soaps that I purchased at Trader Joe's before the holidays.  The soaps came in three neutral colors and were all scented Lemon Verbena.  The small giveaway soaps that you find in hotel rooms or B&Bs would also fit in these little holders, maybe not EXACTLY but certainly a good enough fit.

Three out of the four holders have buttons.  I left one without a button in case its owner opted do use it in the shower and didn't like the idea of having a button on their body scrubber.

Here's how I made them: (I used Knit Picks Dishie yarn and a size H (5mm) hook)

Step 1: Find a pattern for a small crochet square.  I chose THIS PATTERN.  You may want to have a wander through my pinterest board "Crochet Granny and Squares."  I selected a pattern that would result in the approximate size square to fit my soaps.  The pattern I selected had three rounds and in all cases, I did the first two rounds of my square in the same color and then changed to another color to complete the third round and do the joining.

Step 2: Make TWO squares from your pattern.  They can of course be identical or a mix-matched colors but they should be the exact same size.

Step 3: Hold the two wrong sides together.  Then starting on the upper left side of your sandwiched squares, single crochet around 3 sides.  Go through both loops of crochet and through both squares (that's going through a total of 4 loops) Do not cut the yarn.  It doesn't matter which corner you start in to join the squares, as long as you go in the direction of the arrows and don't finish off your yarn when you've joined the third side.

When I joined, I made two sc in the first corner where I started.  Then, I made one sc in each side stitch of the final round of my square.  When I got to the bottom corners, I made 3sc in each corner.  You may need to modify how many stitches you use in your joining based on the pattern you choose for your square.

Step 4: With the remaining 4th side open, sc across the top of the front square only.

In the photo above you can see that the soap is inserted into the open 4th side of the squares - the one that's not joined.  The arrows indicate where I single crocheted just across that top open edge of the front square.

Step 5: Continue single crocheting around the corner and then across the top open edge of the back square.  If you don't want to add a button loop, just continue around to the corner of the front square.  Finish off and weave in all ends of your joining yarn.  If you didn't weave in the ends of your squares at an earlier time, you can flip your entire soapie inside out and complete that task.

Step 6:  Optional.  If you intend to add one or two button loops to your soapie, you'll want to complete step 5 just a tad differently.

You can see the buttons that hold closed the top of the soapie in the photo above.

To create a button loop (or loops) see the diagram below.

My diagram is not accurate in terms of the number of stitches I show and in the fact that my front square has a bunch more stitches than the back square - the two squares will have the same number of stitches.  I just wanted to show how to skip a stitch and instead make 3 chain stitches to form a button loop.  Obviously if you need to make more than one button loop, you will need to space out where to make them along your square and then skip a stitch for each loop and add 3 chains above the skipped stitch.  Hopefully that is not too confusing.  I didn't photograph my process while I made the little soapie so I had to resort to the diagram instead.

I'm sure you could also insert a round soap into this little pouch.  Or, you could make a larger rectangle shape and join two of those together to cover a full sized bar of soap.

Last Christmas I made a bunch of little draw string soap holders for a standard sized bar of soap - you can see my post about those by clicking here.

Enjoy - Sher!

PS.  Next up - the Rainbow Trellis blanket (a photo tutorial of a blanket pattern I created - free of course as all the fly the coop crafts blog patterns are!)

Triangle Bunting Tutorial

I know, I haven't caught you up yet with lots of things I promised to relate.  But, I thought you might like a new little photo tutorial first.

Even though there are many things I should have been doing instead, the urge to create something entirely new, an original triangle for a new bunting, I simply had to make this happy little bunting instead.  Of COURSE I had to share it with you - so enjoy.

Oh - and I made two - so if  you are more of a bluesy person rather than a multi-color person, maybe this inspires you.

For this project, I reached up to my stash of Sugar&Cream and Peaches & Cream worsted weight cotton and whatever balls or yarn fell down on my head are the ones I used - no lie.

This project used a size 7 - 4.5mm crochet hook.

So that's it.  I don't write patterns well.  So, I use a lot of photos to show and explain.  One day, I will learn to write a diagram.  I think this would be an easy pattern for trying a diagram.  I try to make the photos close up so that you can see the stitches.

This pattern uses American crochet terms.

So now go and make yourself a little bunting.  How happy you feel.

Enjoy!  Sher

Chocolate Heart House Bunting

Did you see my Happy Heart House Bunting?  Well, here's another take on that.  It was inspired by Valentine's Day chocolate.

and also inspired by a little Gingerbread crochet house that I found when I was looking for a way to add snow to the roof of my happy heart house bunting.  In the gingerbread inspiration house, Ursula makes an ornament.  It's single thickness and doesn't have the final edging of single crochets around the outside that mine does.  She also uses a different pattern to make the little red heart on the front of hers.  But, nonetheless great minds think alike, right? I've made my chocolate bunting the same size as hers as we both came up with basically the same house pattern and I liked the size of her gingerbread version.

I'm calling mine:  Chocolate Heart House Bunting and it's a baby version of the "Happy" one.  I've made a photo tutorial and also have typed up the pattern so you can follow it exactly as I made mine if you so choose.  Here goes:

This pattern uses American Crochet Terms
Yarn used: Knit Picks Dishie 100% cotton yarn (light worsted/~dk); size G/6 - 4.25mm hook
also white carpet warp and a size C crochet hook

Row 1: To begin, make a slip knot and chain 9, turn.

Row 2: sc in each stitch (8 stitches), ch 1, turn.

Row 3 - 8; Repeat Row 2.

Row 9: sc2tog, 4sc, sc2tog, ch1, turn.

Row 10: sc2tog, 2sc, sc2tog, ch1, turn.

Row 11: sc2tog twice, ch 1, turn.

The basic house is now constructed.  Next, single crochet around the outside edge.

Starting at the top of the roof and continuing down the left slope of the roof, make 1 sc in each stitch.  Make 2sc into the same stitch at the place where the roof meets the house and 3sc into the same stitch at each bottom corner of the house.

Make 2sc into the roof tip and finish off at the top of the house.

GREAT!  Now make a second house the same way.  Each bunting house requires two of these.

My bunting has 5 houses, so 10 house sides are needed.

Now, onto the heart.  I made all of my hearts in light pink.  I used this pattern here:

For my bunting I needed 5 hearts.  Stitch the heart to the right side of 5 house parts.  The back doesn't need to look neat because it won't show.

Once the houses and hearts are complete and the hearts are sewn on, it's time to join the two house parts.  Put two house parts wrong sides together and tuck in any yarn tails.  They fit nicely right inside, no need to even clip them.

Single crochet the two house sides together.  Again, put 2sc into the stitch where the roof meets the house, 3sc into the stitch at the bottom corners of the house and make a (sc, ch3, sc) into the very tip of the house so that there is a bit of a loop at the top of the house - the loop is what you will use when you connect the houses to form a bunting.

Let's add the snow (tho. today, where I live, this would definitely be a layer of ICE on the roof - oh my the weather we are having here!  take a look at THIS POST to see photos).

To add the "ice" to the roof, I switched to a C sized hook and a very thin white cotton.  Poke the hook into the stitch just below the final edging and pull a loop of white thread thru.  Yarn over and pull through to attach the white.  Now, single crochet, ch 1, single crochet up one side of the roof top and down the other.  It did the stitching by starting on the right side of the roof just below where it meets the house, the right side is facing me.

When you get the to top of the house, stitch the white ice in front of the loop as you see in the photo below.

Next, weave in any remaining tails and get ready to join the houses.

I used the same pink yarn as the hearts to connect the bunting.

Make a slip knot and chain 15.  Slip stitch into the first chain to form a hanging loop.  Chain another 15, put the hook through the top loop of the first house.  Make 3sc into the roof top loop.  Chain 15 between each house and the next house.  Make 3sc into the top loop of each house.  After all the houses are attached, chain 30 and then slip stitch into the 15th chain from the hook to form the final hanging loop.  Weave in the ends of the bunting connector and TA DAH - find a lovely place to hang it up and enjoy it for Valentine's Day.

Remember, this is way more low calorie than the actual chocolate candy!

Happy Heart House Bunting TA DAH!

A bit before Christmas, I had the idea for a holiday house bunting (hopefully it is an idea that will remain in my brain and be created for another Christmas).  HOWEVER, this year it never came to be.  The idea was still in my head when the holidays were over, and the designs I had played around with a few months ago were still pushing themselves at me and begging for creation with a hook and yarn.

So, I devised a heart house bunting for Valentine's Day.

I had first created a cute little house for my bunting a few months back.  I was happy with my pattern and so, that part of the bunting I kept.  Because it's typically cold and sometimes snowy here in the northeast USA around Valentine's Day, I searched around the internet for inspiration to add a snowy rooftop to my little house.  (More about that find - later)

I also wanted LOVE to join in with my house bunting.  A house full of love for Valentine's Day?  A little snowy house full of love with a fire going inside?  A yarny love house with a warm fire and snuggly blankets inside...yes, yes and yes.  These are the inspirations that my Valentine's bunting would portray.

So I got to work, trial and error, and what happened is my Happy Heart House Bunting!

I'm super pleased with it.  And of course, I must share the pattern with you so that you can make one too! Here goes the photo tutorial (American Crochet Terms):

Supplies:

I used Knit Picks Dishie yarn (one of my faves).  It's 100% cotton and a light worsted weight.  It comes in a decent variety of colors.  I order it online and use it often.  For this project, I chose a size G - 4.25mm hook, tho. this size is less common than the size G - 4.00mm hook (either will work fine).

The first items to create are the houses themselves.  You will make two houses from each color.  My bunting has 5 houses (it could easily have more or fewer).  I'll start with the orange house.

Foundation Row: Chain 13, turn. (12 ch plus 1 turning ch)

Row 1: sc in each stitch across, ch 1 turn (12 stitches)

Row 2 thru 10:  Repeat row 1.

At this point you have 10 rows of 12 sc each

I photographed this over a few very cloudy days - photo colors vary, sorry.

Now for the roof.  You will begin and end each row with a decrease until you reach the roof point.

Row 11:  sc2tog, 8sc, sc2tog, ch1, turn
Row 12:  sc2tog, 6sc, sc2tog, ch1, turn
Row 13:  sc2tog, 4sc, sc2tog, ch1, turn
Row 14:  sc2tog, 2sc, sc2tog, ch1, turn
Row 15:  sc2tog twice, ch1, turn

You have now built one house side, but you will put a sc border on it to smooth it off.

Starting with the last stitch you made, and continuing down the left side of the roof (front side is facing), sc in each stitch around.

When you get to the stitch where the roof joins the house, make 2sc in that stitch

When you get to the bottom corner of the house along the bottom, make 3sc in each corner.

When you get back up to the top of the roof, make 2 additional sc right there at the roof peak (where you made your first border stitch).

slip stitch into the next stitch and finish off.

Now, using the same color yarn, make a second house just like the first.  GREAT!

Continue on, making two houses from each color until you have as many houses as you plan to add to your bunting.

As you can see in the photo above, I have only one more orange house to create!

Once you have completed your house, it's time to make a heart for each house.  I made 5 red hearts - one for each house.  You could of course make any color heart or make lots of different color hearts depending on the look you want for your bunting.

I used a heart pattern from Maggie's Crochet Blog I got permission from Maggie to link to her heart pattern here. (the pattern may appear to be unavailable but it's not, just scroll down for the directions).  I have an entire pinterest board of crochet heart patterns.  Maggie's is on that board as well.  I like the Maggie's heart pattern because it was very simple and made in two rounds.  I used a magic ring when I started my heart, Maggie's pattern calls for a ch4 with a sl st join to begin.  Either method works fine.

Remember to leave 1 or 2 long tails on your heart.  You will use the tails to sew the heart onto your house.

While I was rummaging around for a pair of scissors in one of my drawers, I came across a little package of heart buttons.  I ended up stitching a button onto the front of each heart as well.  You can add a heart button embellishment or skip that step - up to you!  If you add the button, stitch it on BEFORE you go on to the next step of joining the two sides of the house.

No need to make it look pretty on the back, this will all be hidden.

Once you stitch on the heart, the button would go next.

Once the heart (and button) are attached, you will join the two houses.

Line up the houses with their wrong sides together.  Then, starting with the heart house facing you, join the two houses together using a single crochet.  I started just to the right of the heart on the right hand side of the house.

Make 2sc in the same stitch where the house joins the roof.

At the roof peak, sc in the topmost stitch, then, ch3, then sc in the same stitch again.

Continue down the left slope of the roof, make 2sc in the same stitch where the house joins the roof.

Continue down towards the bottom of the house and make 2sc in the same stitch at each bottom corner.

Continue around to the place where you started joining and slip stitch into the first stitch made, finish off, weave in ends.

Repeat the same steps to join the two sides of each house.

Next - let's add some snow to the roofline!

Using the same hook and some white yarn, push the crochet hook into the house into the stitch just below the joining row you made (see photo).  Do this about 1 or 2 stitches below the point where the house joins the roof.

Pull a loop through.

Make a single crochet that goes over the entire join row you made.

You want about 11 sc stitches from your starting spot to the peak of the house (count back down from the house peak towards the house side to see where to begin - if you prefer to make 12 stitches on each side, that can work as well).

Note that where the arrow is shown in the photo above, I crocheted the white sc in front of the 3ch loop at the top of the house.

This first row of white is what will hold our little piles of snow onto the top of the house.

Ch1, turn.  Peform the following stitches going up the left side of the house towards the peak and back down the right side (the opposite direction of how you just put the first white row on).  Yes, the back of the house will be facing you while you make the snow piles.

In the diagram above, you will see the back of the house.  The little white ovals represent the sc stitches you made with the white yarn.  The black text along the slopes indicates what stitches are to be made in each of the sc you made in the previous row.

The starting point is indicated.  The starting point is where you ended the first white row and did a ch1, turn.  You are ready to begin the stitches listed in black.  I hope you can understand the diagram.  I am a very visual learner and I felt the written explanation would be too lengthy and confusing.  If you have any questions about this part, contact me.

Here is the blue house with the snow piles on the roof.  Keep in mind that it was just after I made this house that I decided to add the heart buttons to the bunting so I had to sew the button on this house after it was already joined.  You should not sew on the button after joining.  The rest of the photos show the button sewn on at the correct time.

Now that you've finished adding snow to your first house, you will want to continue adding snow to all of your houses.  Here are some photos of adding snow to the yellow house to assist you if the photos above don't do the trick.

Keep working (get a nice cup of coffee or tea to get you through) until you have added snow to every house.

Now - get up and do a little happy dance!  You are nearly finished with the bunting except for the joining together so this deserves a bit of celebration.  Here you see the snow on the houses from the back sides.

Most assuredly, you will want to arrange your houses in lots of little configurations and take loads of photos just to please yourself - and you would be right by doing so!

Lovely - happy - fabulous!

Okay, now before you get too over the top with your accomplishments, you need to attach the houses together to form a little bunting.  This process is very easy and painless and it really takes very little time.

First - decide the order your houses will go in.  Then, note that with the house fronts facing you, you will join the houses right to left.  So if this were to be my final order, I would first join the orange house.  This is not the case with my bunting - in fact, this little configuration is exactly backwards from how my final bunting will look - no worries, I rearranged it before joining as you will see in the remaining photos.

Here goes the joining.

Using your joining yarn and the same size hook (I am using red) ch20.  Slip stitch in the first chain from the hook.  You have just formed a loop - this will be your hanging loop.

ch 30.  Now you will join your first house.

Pick up the first house (the house that will be all the way to the right side of your bunting).  With the house facing you (heart in front), make 3sc into the loop at the very top of the house (the loop was formed when joining the two houses).  See photos below.

A: ch 25.

B:  Make 3sc in top loop of next house.

Repeat A and B for each house that will be in your bunting.

When the last house is joined, chain 50.  Then, sl st in the 20th chain from hook to form the second hanging loop.  Weave in ends.  DONE!

Okay - another happy dance is in order, or a glass of something that will make you tipsy if you'd prefer.

Your Happy Heart House Bunting is complete and ready to hang it up in honor of Valentine's Day!  YIPPE.

Hope you enjoyed my bunting tutorial.  Let me know how you like it.  And, if you make one, feel free to share your photos on my ravelry page or in my facebook group.

Next up - in my search for rooftop snow, I uncovered the cutest little tiny version of my little house created by another crocheter.  So, I made a mini chocolate candy version of my heart house.  As soon as I get permission to link to her pattern, I will certainly add a photo tutorial for that adorable and yummy little Valentine's Day bunting as well - stay tuned! Cheers, Sher.

NOTE:  I made a similar bunting with a photo tutorial.  I'm calling it Chocolate Heart House Bunting and you can find the TUTORIAL HERE.