I have a Christmas Plan

I have decided what I am giving for Christmas, at least for the females on the list, maybe even a Grandson or two. I found a pattern for the cutest felted teeny tiny totes:

http://web.archive.org/web/20080201114446/http://sarahsthreads.com/crafts/index.php?pid=40

I plan on making a BUNCH of these and fill them according to the person. One granddaughter will get finger puppets, the other will get pretties and a new DS game. I need to make one first but I am hoping that a DS will fit in it . If so I have wool Camo yarn for the grandsons to make one with boy stuff and maybe a game. For the ladies at work they will get a notepad, postits, and a few Hershey Minis. For my daughter and mother they "might" get small dishcloths, scrubbies, scrunchies for my daughter and sugar-free candies fro my mother. Haven't decided what I am doing for my son yet but I have a few ideas. I know he will also want dishcloths and scrubbies for his dishes. You become a father mother when you are a single father raising your kids on your own.

As soon as I have a few photos I will post them. I have already dug through my stash and have it all over my sofa.

Crochet Felted Basket with Handles

This is a cute basket for those that crochet and want to felt a basket without having to knit. The first 2 photos are after felting and the last 2 are before felting (the colors in the felted one are correct since my flash decided to work then).

Materials:

100% wool yarn. I used Wool of the Andes from Knit Pics. Variegated would be nice too.

Size K crochet hook

Measurements: before felting 5” x 8”, after felting 4” x 6” (H x W)

Note: always join the end of a round to the beginning of a round by sl st in ch 1. Then ch 1 to begin next rnd. Sc 2 sts tog: draw up loop in next 2 sts, yo and draw through all lps on hook.

Ch 2.

Rnd 1: work 7 sc in 2^nd chain from hook.

Rnd 2: 2 sc in each st around.

Rnd 3: *sc in next st, 2 sc in next st, rep * around.

Rnd 4: *sc in next 2 sts, 2 sc in next st, rep from * around.

Rnd 5: *sc in next 3 sts, 2 sc in next st, rep from * around.

Rnd 6: Sc I next 2 sts, (2 sc in next st, sc in next 4 sts) 6 times, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 2 sts.

Rnd 7: *2 sc in next st, sc in next 5 sts, rep from * around.

Rnd 8: Sc in next 3 sts, (2 sc in next st, sc in next 6 sts) around, sc in remaining 4 sc.

Rnd 9: Sc in each st around.

Rnd 10: *2 sc in next st, sc in next 16 sts, rep from * around.

Rnd 11: Sc in each st around.

Rnd 12: Sc in next 8 sts, *2 sc in next st, sc in next 17 sts, rep from * once, 2 sc in next st, sc in next 9 sts.

Rnd 13 - 21: Sc in each st around.

Rnd 22: Sc next 2 sts tog,

Rnd 23: Sc in each st around.

Rnd 24: Sc in next 8 sts, *sc next 2 sts tog, sc in next 16 sts, repeat from * once, sc next 2 sts tog, sc in next 8 sts.

Rnd 25: Sc in each st around.

Rnd 26: *sc in next 4 sts, sc next 2 sts tog, repeat from * around, sc in last 3 sts.

Rnd 27: Sc in each st around.

Handles:

Rnd 28: Ch 12, sk 7 sts, of row 27, sc in next 15 sc, ch 12, sk 7 sts, sc in remaining sts around.

Rnd 29: Sc in each st around. Join and fasten off. Weave in ends well.

Now you will felt your piece. I use the smallest fill cycle and hot water with a cold rinse; before the first hot cycle is done I start it again with a tea kettle or boiling water to reheat the water. Then allow it to finish wit the cold rinse. You can stretch it over a bowl if desired to dry. I liked the shape from the washer so sat tit to dry the way it was. The pic is of it still wet from the washer.

To make a larger basket you can do the same pattern but use 2 strands and an N hook, or 3 strands and a Q hook. If I did this I would do a few extra rounds between rnd 14 and 21 to give it a little height to help with the additional size.

Crochet Felted Bowl/Pot

I love felting with knit so decided to use some scrap wool yarn to crochet a felted bowl. Here are the pics before and after along with the pattern.

Materials:
Scraps of 100% wool yarn
K crochet hook
Jar to stretch it over when done for shaping

Note: The first sc done at the beginning of each row is done in the joining sc.

Ch 3 and join in the first ch to form a ring. Ch 1.
Rnd 1: Do 10 sc in ring. Join in first sc. Ch 1.
Rnd 2: Sc in each sc around. Join in the first sc. Ch 1.
Rnd 3: 2 sc in sc, 1 sc in next sc, repeat around. Join in the first sc. Ch 1.
Rnd 4: 2 sc in sc, 1 sc in next 2sc, repeat around. Join in the first sc. Ch 1.
Rnd 5: 2 sc in sc, 1 sc in next 3sc, repeat around. Join in the first sc. Ch 1.
Rnd 6: 2 sc in sc, 1 sc in next 4sc, repeat around. Join in the first sc. Ch 1.
Rnd 7: 2 sc in sc, 1 sc in next 5sc, repeat around. Join in the first sc. Ch 1.
Rnd 8: 2 sc in sc, 1 sc in next 6sc, repeat around. Join in the first sc. Ch 1.

Note: To make the base wider, continue around in the manner shown above just by increasing the number of stitches in between the 2 sc in each round.

First Side Round: Sc in the back loop of each sc around(done only on this round) Join in the first sc. Ch 1.
SR2: Sc in each sc around. Join in the first sc. Ch 1.
Repeat SR2 until you have the desired number of round needed for the desired height. I did 10 rnds for the one shown (not counting the first round).

Now you can edge your bowl. I used a shell stitch across the top. A reverse sc edge would be nice too or a picot edge. Whatever suits your fancy. The shell edge was worked with sc in 1 sc, sk 1 sc, 4 dc in next sc, sk 1 sc. Repeat around and fudge a little if needed as it will not show in the felting.

I threw it into the washer on the smallest load setting with hot water and a few old dark towels and a small amount of soap. Ran it the full cycle with the rinse being on cold. When done I stretch it over the shape needed. It fit over a drinking glass. Let air dry and your creation is finished. Make a little smaller and you can have a can cozy, a little larger and it will fit a 2 liter bottle. I plan on using this at work to hold wrapped hard candies on my desk.

The colors I used are an olive green and orange (all I had). The colors look dark in the photo but turned out to be rather nice. Boy do I need more wool yarn.