Ah Bin Crafty

[kerravonsen]

I made something useful! Something I have been wanting for AGES. A soap saver.



I looked at about four different patterns and devised my own. Though I pulled apart the first attempt and started again.

This crochet stuff is pretty AND useful!

I think some people are going to be getting soap savers for Christmas.

(edited to point to different offsite album)

Comments

[dreamflower]

Oh, nice job! It looks like you used single crochet at the bottom, and then switched to double crochet a few rows up. Did you crochet it flat and seam it, or crochet it in rounds? You should post your pattern!

I'm doing more knitting than crocheting lately, but have done some. Just finished up an eHow article on the Diamond Trellis Crochet Stitch.

Are you familiar with Crochet Pattern Central or Crochetology? They are really fun sites!

[kerravonsen]

It looks like you used single crochet at the bottom, and then switched to double crochet a few rows up. Did you crochet it flat and seam it, or crochet it in rounds?

No seams whatsoever! What's the point of doing crochet if one has to sew? 8-P

You should post your pattern!

But I'm not really confident that I can describe properly what I did.

I hereby attempt to do so:

ch 11.
sc in back loop of 2nd ch from hook, sc in back loop to the end of the row, ch 2, sc in same ch, ch 2
turn the work around 180 degrees so that what you just did is at the bottom
sc in what was the "front" loop of the chain (but now looks like the back loop, since you turned it around) for the rest of the row
ch 2, sc in same ch, ch 2
join up the very first sc with a slip stitch.

At this point you should have a narrow rectangle. This is the bottom of the bag. Now you start working a cylinder. Do this so that the side facing you, the "right" side, is on the outside, not the inside. (The first time I did it, the right side was on the inside)

Row 1: ch 1 (this is the turning chain for the next row) sc in sc all the way around; when you get to the corners, sc in the hole left by the chains in the previous row
join the last sc to the first one with a slip stitch
Row 2: tch 1, sc in sc all the way around, join with slip stitch
Row 3: repeat row 2.
Row 4: tch 3, dc in the sc of the previous row to end, join with slip stitch
Row 5: tch 1, sc in back loop to end, join with slip stitch
Row 6: tch 3, dc in back loop to end, join with slip stitch
Rows 7-10: repeat rows 5 and 6
Row 11: tch 3, *2 dc, ch, skip st* repeat to end, join with slip stitch - this is for weaving the cord into. I think next time I would make it 2 dc, *ch, skip st, dc* instead.
Row 12: tch 1, sc to end, join with slip stitch, pull through and weave in end.

The cord is just chaining until you get the length you want, weave it in and out of the top of the bag, and join the ends with an overhand knot.

Oh, and I used 100% cotton twine for this. I managed to find a ball that was pure white, rather than being the usual off-white. Now I can't remember where I bought it! I think I have enough remaining in the ball for one, possibly two more of these.

Are you familiar with Crochet Pattern Central or Crochetology? They are really fun sites!

No, but I've joined Ravelry; that's where I found the patterns that I perused.

[dreamflower]

You did a nice job describing the pattern! I'm sure I could easily make one using your pattern. I also like that you turn, even though working in rounds, which avoids the spiral effect.

When I am making up something, I keep a notebook and pen handy, and jot down notes as I go. That way if I like it and want to try it again, or if someone else wants me to share it I can.

One thing I dislike about doing knitting and crocheting articles for DS is that they don't allow the standard abbreviations and ways of writing out a pattern. It seems odd to have to turn the pattern for a row into an actual sentence!

[kerravonsen]

You did a nice job describing the pattern! I'm sure I could easily make one using your pattern.

\o/

I also like that you turn, even though working in rounds, which avoids the spiral effect.

I don't dislike the spiral effect - I used it in my blue-green crochet tube - but if one is going to be switching from sc to dc then doing it fully in the round makes more sense.

When I am making up something, I keep a notebook and pen handy, and jot down notes as I go.

Maybe I should start posting "crochet experiments" like my "ice cream experiments"...

One thing I dislike about doing knitting and crocheting articles for DS is that they don't allow the standard abbreviations and ways of writing out a pattern. It seems odd to have to turn the pattern for a row into an actual sentence!

(shrug) They probably do that in order to avoid ambiguity.

[dreamflower]

On some things the spiral effect is irrelevant and in others it's a nice design element. But sometimes the spiral effect is just odd-looking. And turning when you are planning to switch to a different-sized stitch makes a lot of sense!

Well, they are supposed to be written as if to novices, even if you have marked the article as "moderately challenging" or "challenging". I suppose they think that the standard abbreviations might put someone new to knitting or crocheting off.

[kerravonsen]

I suppose they think that the standard abbreviations might put someone new to knitting or crocheting off.

To be honest, it can get intimidating when they go beyond ch, sc, dc, trc and hdc. Some patterns are sprinkled with things like "3dctg" at which point the brevity is replaced with inpenetrability.

[dreamflower]

Well, I honestly don't mind so much writing out single crochet or slip stitch or triple crochet, but it can be a little hard to figure out how to write out directions without using standard pattern conventions, such as using asterisks to indicate repeated sections or using parentheses to indicate the individual elements of a pattern stitch. And 3dctg is not good; should probably be written as "shell stitch (3 dc together in same stitch)" the first time and "shell stitch" thereafter.

But none of the above would suit my editors, LOL!