Here is my latest recycled bag project. It’s a smaller version of Japanese knot bag wine tote that I crocheted a few years ago. For this plarn wine tote, I crocheted it a few stitches less around and only went up to a standing height of 9.5 inches.
The full written free Japanese Knot Plarn Tote pattern is found here. Just remember for this smaller tote bag use a K (6.5 mm) crochet hook. Adjust the original pattern as desired to reach the size for the tote that you need. The beauty in these patterns is that you can always tweak them to get the desired outcomes.
Below is a photo of my recycled wine tote with a small bottle of wine.
Here is a new free crochet hat pattern to share. It is a basic double crochet bulky hat that can be crocheted using chunky yarn or 2 strands of worst weight held together. The pattern is simple and works up very quickly. Please enjoy my free crochet pattern!
Bulky Double Crochet Hat Pattern
Finished adult hat measures flat: 21″ circumference by 8.5″ long
Hook: N (9 mm) US sized crochet hook or K hook if you crochet loosely
Materials: 3 ozs Bulky yarn or use 2 strands worsted weight yarn together; and
Small amount of contrasting color for edging (if desired)
Rnd 1
Begin with a Magic Circle to start and work 7 DC in circle and join to top of first DC. (7 sts)
Pull tight your ring to close the hole.
Here is my crocheted bunny baby lovey for my newest granddaughter who was just born. Baby loveys are just so cute and there are many different patterns with lots variety to choose from. I chose this bunny lovey pattern from Crochet 365 Knit Too. The crochet pattern is free at the website.
Below is a closeup of the head. I had to double up my thin yarn to make the head and ears more sturdy so it did come out a bit bigger than the pattern. Generally I think it turned out fine and I enjoyed crocheting the pattern.
The crochet pattern makes a wonderful baby lovey blanket and is well written and easy to follow. So if you are looking for a baby lovey project, I would recommend checking out
I am kicking off my first post for the 2022 mini Christmas stocking drive for Warmth for Warriors. Warmth for Warriors (W4W) organization is again requesting help to crochet, knit, or sew mini Christmas stockings for the troops. Stockings should be 6 inches long and any pattern style or color is accepted. Stockings that are a little smaller or larger are okay too.
The miniature stockings will be filled at W4W Headquarters with soaps, toiletries, and candies for overseas to our troops as a little Christmas gifts. The little 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.
These stockings were all crocheted using my free BLO mini Christmas stocking pattern.
Last year the W4W Christmas stocking drive received 4072 in stockings! We are hoping at least to reach the mark again or better in 2022. Below is my first full batch of stockings for the 2022 drive.
If you are interested in helping with our drive this year, please come join us over at
This post presents my basic back loops only (BLO) hat pattern. As you may know, I crochet lots of hats for charity and wanted to have a basic crocheted hat pattern that is worked all in back loops only. The textured look of working all in back loops makes for a raised stitch line on each round.
It is my hope that you will enjoy this pattern and crochet a few hats for your charity of choice using it. So without further ado, here is my free crochet pattern for my back loops only adult hat.
Back Loops Only (BLO) Basic Hat Pattern
Finished adult hat measures flat: 21 inch circumference by 8.25 inches long
Hook: H (5 mm) US sized crochet hook
Materials: 2.5 ozs Wool or Worsted Weight Yarn; and
Small amount of contrasting color for edging (if desired)
With H hook, Ch 4 and join to form ring. (Or use a Magic Circle to start.)
(Ch-2 counts as first Hdc st.)
Warmth for Warriors (W4W) is once again having a hat drive for our troops and Veterans. Wool hats are used overseas and other blends of yarn hats are used stateside for our Veterans in hospitals, other VA facilities and outreach programs. Warmth for Warriors needs and accepts hats all year long. Here is the link to the 2022 hat drive that I am heading up.
Last year W4W received 2852 wool hats and 2074 in acrylic hats. We are excited to start crocheting and knitting hats for this year’s drive. Here is my first batch of hats that I just mailed off to W4W headquarters. You can also find W4W on Facebook here. Need a hat pattern? Check out our hat pattern page here for lots of ideas and free patterns.
You probably have seen these ponytail hats or messy bun hats that people are sporting these days. I crocheted this ponytail girl’s hat for my granddaughter. I looked at a few patterns but didn’t see the size and style that I was exactly looking for. So I set out and created this hat and will share the pattern details below.
I will first say that my GD has very thick hair and so this opening is fairly wide at 3.75 inches. I did use the vertical stripe hat pattern for the basis of my ponytail hat.
I crocheted a chain of 25 to begin for hole for the ponytail and joined it to make a ring. Then I worked 33 double crochet (DC) around the chain ring and then followed the pattern of DCs for 6 rows. I then started working the front and back post DCs. Check your length before you finish off to make sure your hat is long enough.
Below is a closeup photo of the top opening for the ponytail.
It is a new year and time for a new recycled bag! What better way to kick off a new year but with a new homemade reusable and upcycled tote bag. This tote bag was crocheted using about 45 brown plastic bags and 12 reddish-colored newspaper delivery sacks.
Here is a closeup of the top and handles.
This bag is very similar to my basic crocheted tote bag pattern but with a few changes including two stripes. The two stripes were added by cutting up 12 recycled plastic bags that newspapers are delivered in. Here is the tutorial link for cutting newspaper sacks into plarn to use as yarn.
I have provided the full new crochet pattern below for everyone’s personal use. As always, my patterns are free and I hope people will enjoy them.
Two Stripe Plarn Tote Bag Crochet Pattern
Materials needed: Plastic bag yarn “Plarn” in main color brown (40+ bags) cut 1 inch wide
and approx. 12 contrasting colored plastic bags for stripes
Hook: N (9 mm) size metal hook
Description: Recycled Plastic Tote Bag
Bag measures 12 inches wide and 12 inches long with 5 inch handles
Directions:
Ch 28
I just delivered this rectangle granny blanket to my local VA outreach representative. They come once a month from Spokane and each month I try and have a charity craft donation for them. The VA outreach program rep takes the items back to the VA hospital and uses them where needed.
I love the look of a granny blanket and this rectangle granny blanket pattern is awesome. You don’t have to join squares and it works up so nicely. Plus I love using various skeins of yarn to work up a unique blanket for donation.
I do just a few mods on the original crochet pattern. For the joining corner, I add my yarn at the chain 1 corner then chain 3 and work 2 more DC stitches at the corner. So I have basically 3 DCs at the corner to start a new color. I then continue around the blanket following the pattern until I get back to the beginning of the round. I work 3 DCs in the same corner space when I started and then chain 1 and join to the top of the beginning chain 3. Makes for the neat corner and the join looks better in my opinion.
If I am not changing colors, after the join at the corner, I turn my work so I am looking at the back of the blanket. I slip stitch back into the corner chain 1 space. Then turn my work back to the right side of the blanket and work 2 DCs into the same chain 1 space. So I have 3 DCs at start of corner counting the chain 3 as a DC. Again I think this corner joining tip looks better then slip stitching over several stitches to reach the corner.
Here is a closeup photo of the trim edging that I added.
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