My eldest likes to play Pokémon and picked for her avatar a green and white beret. As I was watching her play, I realized that I could make a hat like that! She didn’t make a negative face, so I sat down with my fingering wool and worked on recreating the hat (but without the cross bar, as she requested).
Awhile ago I switched to wool dryer balls in the dryer instead of dryer sheets. For the most part they work well (I do still use the sheet if I have a fuzzy blanket because the static is too much for the wool balls). I’ve been keeping the balls hanging next to the dryer in the nice cotton drawstring bag that they came in. Except getting the balls out of a drawstring bag when it is hanging is irritating. I thought about using a simple basket, but there is no where near the dryer to set a basket where it won’t fall off. It finally got to a point that the irritation was more than I could bear (honestly, it doesn’t take much right now). So I crocheted a hanging mesh bag with a wire rim so it was easy to get the balls in and out.
I started with coated steel wire from my wire stash. I used some variegated cotton, also from my stash (yeah, I haven’t been to a craft store in two months, <twitch>). I formed the wire into a loop with a handle, then did a single crochet around the wire to cover it. I crocheted the mesh (2 double crochet, chain 5, repeat, for those that want to know), from the top down and then decreased to close the bag. It functions! Hurray! It is also kind if fun to throw the balls at the bag to get them in.
I have an idea rolling around in my head for an application for my alpaca yarn. I pulled out some spun merino to test the concept. Basically, it is varied sizes of spirals sewn together. I used a half double crochet to make the circles, stitching not into the front or the back loop, but the third loop. It results in quite a pretty spiral. This test swatch will suit nicely to protect my pots and pans now that it has successfully demonstrated the technique works!
I crocheted up the rainbow yarn! Rinsing the single ply on the niddy noddy worked great to set the yarn. At just over 50 grams, there was not enough to make an adult sized hat, so… I spiral striped it with black. It came out well!
Even though my spinning still has thick and thin places, the crochet looks nice. I did remove some of the thinnest spots, especially along the edge.
Though honestly, the practice is helping. I found a left-over bit of merino wool I had purchased years ago, and the yarn I made is comparable. Neat.
I had some left over yarn from Germany, not enough for a hat, but I found a new stash buster! A headband style ear warmer! Perfect for not-quite-a-skein projects. I made a chain to fit my head, then alternated rows of double crochet and half double crochet. Because the beginning chain has very little elasticity, I finished the other edge with slip stitches. The balance came out nicely. I also did about 20 single crochets at the back side so it would fit better under my hair. Yay for new stash busters!
Critters and Craft 