After 5 years my old cast iron skillet’s handle cover was worn out. The top edge was scorched and the stitching was frayed. So it was time for a new handle cover. I got a ball of t-shirt yarn and crocheted this new handle cover.
I crochet my cast iron handle covers using this free crochet pattern and t-shirt yarn. I cut my t-shirts in thin long continuous strips and then pull on it to make what I call curled t-shirt yarn or tarn. Here is a picture tutorial showing how I make yarn from t-shirts.
I just finished up a RWB (red, white & blue) wavy ripple lapghan for this year’s Warmth for Warriors blanket drive. In case you are not aware of the organization, Warmth for Warriors collects blankets, lapghans, hats, and mini Christmas stockings each year for our troops and Veterans. If you love to knit or crochet and would like to support our soldiers, come check out our group on Ravelry.
Here is my wavy ripple that I crocheted in a lapghan sized blanket. I used this wavy ripple blanket pattern and chained 107 stitches to start. I used an I (5.5 mm) crochet hook along with skeins of red, white, and blue Red Heart jumbo yarn. I probably only used about half the jumbo skeins for this project as I still had at least half a skein leftover in each color when I finished.
I did 10 rows of ripples in each color before changing
We are just wrapping up our Christmas in July stocking along over at Ravelry. I crocheted about 20 different mini Christmas stockings over the 2 week event. Here are a few of my completed stockings which are for the 2018 Warmth for Warriors stocking drive.
These were crocheted using the BLO (back loop only) mini stocking pattern. Working in BLO has become one of my favorite methods these days. It is easier on my hands and fingers and the projects do seem to work up more quickly.
Here are two BLO stockings that I crocheted in stripes. You just work 2 rows in each color and carry the yarn on the inside after you change colors. This allow you not to have a bunch of ends to weave under later and makes for a cute little Christmas stocking.
Here are a few mini cuffed stockings which were crocheted using the free mini
I received a wonderful box of yarn from an on-line friend filled with Red Heart Stripes yarn. There are about 6 different varieties of the Stripes yarn in the box. I started out using the Fruity Stripe colorway to crochet this first Mother Bear.
I use the Mother Bear Project seamless crochet pattern and crocheted all in the BLO for each of these bears. I also played around with the skein to avoid using the yellows and golds which I saved for the next bear.
Next came Anna Mother Bear using the yellow and golds in the skein. Anna bear is sporting a pretty fuchsia shell skirt. Here is the free Mother Bear skirt pattern I used for her skirt.
Here is the final bear crocheted using the leftover Fruity Stripe yarn from the skein for the body of the bear.
I have a new mini Christmas stocking pattern to share here at My Recycled Bags. This stocking is crocheted all in the back loop only or BLO as the commonly known abbreviation in the crocheting world.
The pattern can be worked in worst weight yarns for a 6 inch long stocking from top to toe. Or if you use an Aran or light weight yarn, the stockings measure about 5.5 inches long using a G (4 mm) crochet hook. I have shared a few photos here of the basic pattern, but feel free to crochet this pattern in stripes, work the first few rounds of the toe in a different color or even make a scrap yarn stocking by crocheting a mash of colors.
As always, here is the free BLO mini Christmas stocking pattern for your crocheting pleasure.
BLO Mini Christmas Stocking Pattern
6 inch long stocking with Red Heart WW yarn
5.5 inch long stocking with Aran yarn
G (4 mm) crochet hook
Pattern uses less than 1 ounce of total yarn
This stocking should be crocheted in the back loop only (BLO) unless otherwise directed.
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Chain 4 and join to form a circle.
Here is a patriotic lapghan blanket I just finished up for the Warmth for Warriors. Each year we have a blanket drive where people crochet, knit or sew blankets and lapghans for the troops and veterans. This is my patriotic blanket in honor of the 4th of July.
I took the original light & lacy baby blanket pattern and changed colors every 5 rows. I started with Red Heart yarn in red, then white and finally with blue. I crocheted 4 sets of 5 rows in each color ending with one last set of 5 rows in red yarn to finish off the blanket before adding the border. I then used the blue yarn to work the border.
Here is a closeup of the beginning of the pattern to show the detail of the stitch pattern.
Here is a new recycled plastic bag yarn project. This pattern is called a Japanese Knot bag as it features 2 handles. One long and one shorter, which closes by sliding the longer handle through the shorter one as shown. The Japanese-styled bags are often times made smaller and worn over the wrist.
This tote bag is crocheted using recycled plastic bags made into yarn known as plarn. It can be worn over the wrist or also draped over your shoulder.
Here is the free Japanese Knot Bag pattern written using plarn but it also can be crocheted using bulky yarn or 2 strands of worst weight yarns held together.
The finished size of this recycled tote bag is
With the 4th of July just around the corner, I thought it would be a good opportunity to share some patriotic Christmas stockings that I crocheted for the Warmth for Warriors.
Each year we handcraft mini Christmas stockings for the troops and fill them with little items such as soaps, shampoos, chapsticks, candies and other little goodies. The mini stockings are then given out to the troops as little Christmas gifts during the holidays. These little stockings might not seem like much, but we are told they are well received. The mini stockings filled with goodies are a wonderful way to say thank you to our troops and give them a little Christmas cheer during the holidays.
I played around with a few mini Christmas stocking patterns to come up with these patriotic themed socks. The stocking on the left is a cuffed Christmas stocking of mine and the other is a variation of this crochet pattern.
Below is one more cuffed mini stocking I crocheted in red, white, and blue yarns.
I have been working hard to use up some of my old stash yarn. As many of us have, I have bags of small balls of yarn and partial skeins of leftover yarn. Some of the yarn doesn’t match up well together but I have really been trying to use it up while doing charity crafting.
Here is the first I completed which is a round ripple lapghan. The lapghan is 35 inches wide and will be going to out the Warmth for Warriors blanket drive.
Next are two different baby blankets I crocheted for Kathryn over at Crochetville. These are going to this year’s NICU blanket drive that she heads up each year.
I used several bits of old Lullaby variegated yarn and mint green yarn in both baby blankets. I did finally run out and finished with some white Red Heart SS to finish off the scalloped blanket.
I crocheted this baby blanket for 15 rounds in the Aggie May’s round ripple pattern. Then I did a new edging for the final 16th round. Here are the details on how I crocheted my scalloped edging.
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