Friends on Ravelry

Are any of my friends on Ravelry, and if so, how do I find you there???

It seems that some people really get into the site, but it's taking me a while to figure it all out. As far as social networking goes, Ravelry is lacking a feature that many other social sites have: the option to search your email contacts for other site users (whom you would already know, obviously).

If you're seeing this blog post and you want to add me to your Ravelry friends, here's a link to my profile page: https://www.ravelry.com/people/booniesangel

Go to my page and click the little button to add me to your friends! 💜

Simple Mesh "Fishbowl" Project Tote with Bamboo Handles free pattern

Crochet pattern by Susan Benitez. Copyright 2012. All rights reserved. Pattern may not be sold or duplicated in any form. The written instructions, templates and illustrations are intended for personal, non-commercial use only.

Gauge: 

Gauge is not critical to this project.

Abbreviations used:

ch - chain

dc - double crochet

sc - single crochet

sl - slip stitch

st - stitch

yo - yarn over

Special stitch used:

dc2tog: To perform this stitch, yo, insert hook into next st, and pull up a loop. Yo and pull through first 2 loops. Yo, insert hook into next st, and pull up a loop. Yo and pull through first 2 loops. Yo and pull through all 3 loops on hook. Results in dc decrease by 1 st.

Materials list:

Crochet hook 5.5 mm (US size I)

Worsted weight cotton yarn, 2 balls (50 g each); sample was made using Lily Sugar-n-Cream
Pair of bamboo-style circular handles, 6-inch diameter

Notes:

Tote is worked in the round starting at the bottom. With the exception of the final round of the project, do NOT turn your work after you join the end of each round; continue working the following rounds in the same direction. For the FINAL round, when you join the handles, you will turn the piece and work because it results in a neater appearance on the outside (right side) of the tote.

Round 1

Ch 3. Work 11 dc in third chain from hook. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (11 dc made.)

Round 2

Ch 2 (does NOT count as 1st dc here and throughout). Work 2 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 2 dc in each stitch around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (22 dc made.)

Round 3

Ch 2. Work 2 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in next st. Work *(2 dc in next st; 1 dc in next st). Repeat from * around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (33 dc made.)

Round 4

Ch 2. Work 2 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in next 2 st. Work *(2 dc in next st; 1 dc in next 2 st). Repeat from * around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (44 dc made.)

Round 5

Ch 2. Work 2 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in next 3 st. Work *(2 dc in next st; 1 dc in next 3 st). Repeat from * around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (55 dc made.)

Round 6

Ch 2. Work 2 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in next 4 st. Work *(2 dc in next st; 1 dc in next 4 st). Repeat from * around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (66 dc made.)

Round 7

Ch 2. Work 2 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in next 5 st. Work *(2 dc in next st; 1 dc in next 5 st). Repeat from * around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (77 dc made.)

Round 8

Ch 2. Work 2 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in next 6 st. Work *(2 dc in next st; 1 dc in next 6 st). Repeat from * around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (88 dc made.)

Round 9

Ch 2. Work 2 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in next 7 st. Work *(2 dc in next st; 1 dc in next 7 st). Repeat from * around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (99 dc made.)

Round 10

Ch 2. Work 1 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in each st around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (99 dc made.)

Rounds 11-18

Repeat round 10.

Round 19

Ch 2. Work 1 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in next 6 st; dc2tog. Work *(1 dc in next 7 st; dc2tog). Repeat from * around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (88 dc made.)

Round 20

Ch 2. Work 1 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in next 5 st; dc2tog. Work *(1 dc in next 6 st; dc2tog). Repeat from * around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (77 dc made.)

Round 21

Ch 2. Work 1 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in next 4 st; dc2tog. Work *(1 dc in next 5 st; dc2tog). Repeat from * around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (66 dc made.)

Round 22

Ch 2. Work 1 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in next 3 st; dc2tog. Work *(1 dc in next 4 st; dc2tog). Repeat from * around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (55 dc made.)

Round 23

Ch 2. Work 1 dc in same st as ch 2. Work 1 dc in each st around. Join round with sl at top of 1st dc. (55 dc made.)

Round 24

Repeat round 23.

Round 25

Ch 1. Work 1 sc in same st as ch 1. Work 1 sc in each st around. Join round with sl at top of 1st sc. (55 sc made.)

Round 26

Ch 1 and TURN. *(Hold 1 bamboo handle against the inside of the tote with the top of the handle in line with the top edge of the tote. Work [2 sc in each st] 7 times over bamboo handle; sl in next 21 st.) Repeat from * with second bamboo handle. Sl to join end of round.

Fasten off. Weave in ends and enjoy your new tote!

Simple Mesh 'Fishbowl' Project Tote free pattern

More (cotton) yarn therapy: a simple mesh project tote with bamboo handles.

This is my free pattern, Simple Mesh "Fishbowl" Project Tote with Bamboo Handles, available on Ravelry.

Placemats and coasters for the RV

I wanted to make a set of two placemats and two coasters for us to use when we were camping in our RV. Initially I used the free pattern from Red Heart for their Oval Placemat and Coaster.

Each of these placemats used about 105 grams of Lily Sugar 'n Cream worsted weight cotton yarn in the Country Side Ombre colorway.

After blocking, I wasn't able to get the placemat edges to lie flat, so I ended up cannibalizing the yarn to make my Simple Vertical Stripe Placemats instead, which ended up with interesting and unexpected plaid patterns due to the yarn color pooling. Totally an accident on my part; I didn't know beforehand that this yarn would do that.

The coasters do lie nice and flat, though, so I'm very happy with them.

I wrote up a free pattern on Ravelry for how I made these Simple Vertical Striped Placemats, but I wasn't able to explain in the pattern how to achieve the plaid pooling effect because -- again -- I don't know exactly how it happened. You can see in my above photo that the plaid effect you get depends on where in the color sequence you begin working. The one on the left turned out much closer to an argyle effect than the one on the right. If you want to attempt it, I wish you good luck and happy crocheting!!

Crochet hazards

Ugh. Sometimes when I crochet for a few hours, my arms end up looking like this. My daughter thinks I'm reacting to the dye in the yarn, which could very well be right because it doesn't happen with every yarn every time I work. Still, it's strange. Top photo shows the welts that appeared first; bottom photo shows the residual redness after I took benadryl and slept overnight.

It's actually getting worse today and burning, which has never happened before. (I took another photo but it's too disgusting to post.) I was working with acrylic yarn last night, which certainly is NOT natural fiber... but less expensive than the good stuff like real wool. Sigh. Obviously, I'm gonna need to find a different yarn source ASAP.

I ended up going to urgent care because things were just getting worse too quickly. The doc put me on prednisone for a week. Possible contact dermatitis or some other form of allergic reaction.