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Christmas Greetings From My Recycled Bags

Ana Sweater Shell

I present my crocheted toddler sweater vest shell. I have named this project the Ana Sweater Shell in honor of my sweet Granddaughter who this sweater was created for. The sweater is worked from the sides rather than from top to bottom as is with most crochet patterns. Because it worked with the stitching running up and down, it provides a unique and easy to finish crochet project.

I first saw this idea from a sweater shell that Guro crocheted over at her blog but she did not have a pattern written up. Well after checking with Guro, she said to just go ahead and feel free to be inspired by her project so this is my results. I worked my vest shell in half-double crochet stitching while hers was done in single crochet.

I really love this sweater as it is so versatile. It can be worn as a vest over a t-shirt or blouse and it can also be worn as a shell alone in warmer temperatures.

Click to Super-Size

My vest shell is about a children’s size 3 and should fit a toddler who is around 2 years old. It has a longer body so it’s a nice length for a toddler. The vest fits my Granddaughter who is 15 months old. The pattern has been written up and while I have not tested it, I believe it’s pretty solid but please email me if you have any questions or find any errors in my free crochet pattern below.

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Crocheted Toddler Vest or Shell Sweater Pattern

Finished toddler vest measures: 12 inches wide by 14 inches long
Size: Children size 2-3

Hook: Metal G (4-4.25 mm) US sized crochet hook

Materials:
6 ozs Caron Simply Soft Yarn in Lt. Country Peach
(315 yards/288 meters of 4-ply worst weight yarn)

1 inch Button for front closure

Row 1 (Back piece)
Ch 57

Plarn Checkbook Wallet Organizer

I just finished participating in a crochet along (CAL) over at my Trash to Treasures group at Ravelry. Several of the members of the group crocheted this checkbook wallet organizer from recycled plastic bags. We each crocheted the plarn pattern that Crochooley shared in what she called a crochet – plarn along (C-PAL) that she hosted at Ravelry. Crochooley is a fellow plastic bag crafter whose blog is found here.

Here is an inside picture of my checkbook wallet which is complete with a pen holder and an ID slot. The checkbook wallet has a strap band closure and features a big flower decoration that uses a pop tab for the flower center.

Click on any of the photos to super-size them.

Here is a picture of the flap edging I did. I found working the reverse single crochet (SC) around the flap just didn’t work for me. With the outside facing out, I started at the right corner of the flap and worked regular SC stitching around the flap edge as shown and then down around the front of the wallet and back up the flap back to the beginning.

I enjoyed making this checkbook wallet and found the pattern fairly easy to follow. Crochooley was very helpful when I had questions concerning this recycled bag pattern. So if you are looking for a cool and basically free craft project, I recommend checking out this cute checkbook wallet organizer.

Mini Recycled Wreaths

I crafted these Christmas wreaths by using recycled rings from milk, juice, and other bottles for my wreath’s base. The crochet wreath pattern I used can be found over at Ravelry that a blog friend Kristy posted. The ruffled wreath was created by just working more double crochet stitches around. Just add stitches to get the desired ruffling for your wreath.

By using rings that you recycle from bottles and jugs, you can save yourself money on crafting supplies as you have no need to purchase plastic rings for your wreaths. Not only can these rings be used for wreaths, they also be used on potholders and other crafting projects that call for round plastic rings.

Here is my green plarn wreath. I crocheted this using plastic recycled from packing pillows cut into plarn. I did just a single round of double crochet stitch around an apple jug ring for this little wreath with a J crochet hook. A small piece of red cotton yarn was used to add a bow to the wreaths. That’s all it takes to make these cute and quick little recycled wreaths. Enjoy!