Back in business

Didn't have much time for blogging last half year. Have been busy on pinterest, and also in making stuff, so I'll be posting some of the results here the coming period.
Here's the first one, made it 10 years ago, but made a photo just recently.

WIP: beige crochet bag

Yesterday I wrote about the bag that I'm making. The handles are attached now, lining still to do.
Here is the result so far (taking a nice picture with the bad light this time of year appears to be very difficult).

I made the handles from two belts of 75cm

Pinterest

I've been neglecting my blogging last week. I've been very active on pinterest instead (you can follow me here).

I have been crafting last week, but I forgot to take photo's, they will follow later.
Yesterday I made some beads using FIMO with my daughter. It was the first time we used it and we had hours of fun already. So I made a pinterestboard with inspiration and tutorials:

snapshot:

And I'm busy with yet another crochet bag. Just attached the handles. Now the lining. Some inspiring pins can be found in my board "bags"



Granny square bag - how to

Today I finished the granny square bag for my daughter. I have been combining some tutorials for this project. Here a wrap up of the project.

For the design you need 13 squares - mine were 11cm by 11cm. The layout is as follows:

So corresponding colors should be match and there are three squares that are folded in half to connect the front and the back.

For the squares I used the granny square pattern that I found on Rose Hip. I understand from friends that they find it difficult to crochet 3D flowers and especially figure it out from the desciptions. Therefor I made a small tutorial.

As I do not like to put all the squares together at the end, I joined them as I went. On attic 24 is a very clear tutorial on how you can join squares on the go.

For the handles I made a chain of 84 stitches (beige), on the second row (turning) I repeated 4 chains, 1 triple crochet in each 5th chain of the first row. This made the 'ladder' for my ribbon. Then I used orange for the sides: 3 double crochets in the TC of the beige and then 1 single crochet around the 4 chain spaces.

Finally, for the lining I combined two tutorials. It was very helpful to sew in the lining while the bag was inside out like was suggested in the tutorial on While they play. Further I found the tutorial of Future Girl very clear.

New bag

Last week I made a granny square bag for my daughter. And as it normally goes: hers is now completely finished and i still have to put some lining into mine......

Here's the result:

WIP: granny square bag 5

Yet another update. I've added some handles.

Now only the lining left ....

WIP: granny square bag 4

Another update: finished the last two squares and made a border at the top:

And now there is the challenge to make some nice handles. And finally I have to decide on the lining....

WIP: granny square bag 3

And today another update on the granny square bag. I've added two more block to the work. The back has its final shape now..

WIP: granny square bag 2

I made my first squares of my granny square bag and since I don't like the "putting it together" at the end and the "weaving the loose ends" I try to do this as much as possible during the proces.

Here is the current status; its already starting to look like a bag....:

 

I started with the small squares with a rose in the middle, of which I took 4 to form one square. The pattern/tutorial is from Rose Hip.



 I thought that it would be too much roses if I would do all the blocks like this, so I decided to make a block with only one, but a little bit larger rose. I adjusted the pattern of Rose Hip, by adding a third ring of petals to it. Just like the second row, but now 4 chains instead of 3 and * 1sc, 7dc, 1sc * for each petal. The background color was attached to the second ring of petals just like in the pattern for the smaller rose.

At "the back" of the bag I used blocks in 2D rather than 3D. As a basis I took the "Somalia" from Nadelspiel. It comes with a youtube instruction. I will make four of these squares.

Because I'm using my scraps, not all the yarn is of the same thickness, so I have to cheat here and there. In the middle of the Somalia's I put a block with four friendship rings. It is from a pattern on allfreecrochetafghanpatterns. The pattern is quite easy although I misread at some point and that took me some time to figure out.

 Now still four blocks and the handles to go, of which one is on its way.

WIP: granny square bag

Well, I already crocheted a second tote with my newly selfadjusted pattern. Here's the result:

Now it is time for something else. I saw some examples of a bag with granny squares. And a granny square that I likes very much - so that made the beginning.

The square that started it is a lovely one with a flower in the middle of it. It is a wonderfull pattern on Rose hip.

The bag is going to be something like this:

   
It can be found in many forms; the left one is on crafster. Later I found the right one which is on Dutch Sisters.

And now that I finished some squares I found out that this is going to take a more time than originally intended. So it doesn't quite fall in the quick pattern category that I wanted for my green groceries project, but I think the end-result will be worth it.

Two more totes

I already made two other totes.

One is made of fabric, and I replicated a plastic bag that had nice dimensions. It works very well. I will make a tutorial later.

The other one is crocheted. It is after the pattern that I used earlier. However, that tote was a little bit too long and to slim. So I adjusted the pattern. This tutorial will also follow later.

Here´s the result:

6 on a row : pretend and play professions

I’ve always liked to make lists. So why not on my blog. And how many on a row. I chose 6; 6 is a very special number for mathematicians: 6 = 1 x 2 x 3 = 1 + 2 + 3. Now each week 6 on a row

Pretend and play professions

In the last issue of At home kinderen there was a special on pretend and play professions. I like this ideas very much so here my list of professions and the result of my search on the internet.

1.       Chef

My children like to play ‘restaurant’. For which they usually use the apron and chef’s hat that I made for one of their birthdays.

Later I made some pasta from felt. A very easy task.

2.       Postman

I’ve been planning to make some of these for a while now. Still haven’t found the time, but I think they would have a great time playing with it.

On Momfetti I found a nice tutorial for fabric postcards. On In color order a tutorial for a fabric envelope. A mailbox tutorial I’ve found on Giverslog. And a complete set of pretend and play mail carrier set on Twelve crafts till Christmas.

3.       Bob the builder

Inspiration for a felt toolbox I’ve found on Fairyfox. A tutorial for a toolbelt can be found on Make it and love it.

4.       Docter

I found a nice docter’s bag, an example of a VET’s play set, and fabric band-aids

5.       Shop keeper

For my children I made some grocery bags/shopping tote.

I’m still planning to make them some extra felt groceries. I found a nice list of tutorials on Skip to my Lou

6.       Knight

For carnival I’ve made a knight’s outfit. I hope to make a tutorial for that in the future. They wore it with grey tights. The top is easy to put on for littele children. It is even reversible, so that they can choose their outfit.

Haken met plastic tassen / crochet with plastic bags

Van plastic tassen heb ik bolletjes 'wol' geknipt en daarmee dit tasje gehaakt. Het was een erg leuk werkje. Op internet staan verschillende manier beschreven waarop je garen van plastic tassen kunt maken. Bijvoorbeeld het aan elkaar knopen van lusjes of het vouwen van de tas. Zelf vind ik het het makkelijkste om vanaf onderaf de tas in een soort spiraal te knippen. Ook als de plastic tas zijnaden heeft is dat geen probleem. Het voordeel is dat je prettig lange stukken krijgt en er weinig aan elkaar te knopen valt. Als je goed kijkt kun je nog de bekende kleuren van Hema, Zeeman, Etos enzovoort herkennen.

Ook heb ik ontdekt dat je het beste de draaduiteinden direct kunt wegwerken door erover heen te haken. Leg ze daarvoor op het werk en haak de steken die je insteekt hieromheen. De uiteinden zijn namelijk niet zo makkelijk weg te werken met een naald.

I made yarn from some plastic bags. Although there are many examples of how to cut the plastic bags such as with loops or folding, I prefer my own method: removing the seam at the bottom and then cutting the bag in a spiral way. This is also very well possible if the bags have seams at the sides; just cut over them. This makes long threads. I found it also very helpful to 'crochet the ends of the yarn in'. Immediately covering the ends up during the work is much more easy then to do it when finished the bag and having to try it with a needle.

Haaknaaldenmapje / for crochet needles

Al een poosje geleden maakte ik dit haaknaaldenmapje.

Hij is gemaakt van een restje witte stof, stukken oud overhemd en restje biaisband.

Als ik er nu nog eentje zou maken, zou ik een flapje over de haaknaalden maken. Nu willen ze er nog wel eens uitvallen als ik het rolletje op de kop houd.

I made this to hold my crochet needles. It was made using some craps; the inside from some old dress-shirts. If I would have to make a new one I would add a flap over the needles, in order for them not to fall out when you hold it upside down.

Shopping tote

When I made this shopping tote (the one in the left) my children wanted one for playing 'shop'. They have chosen their own colors.