Rectangular Felted Soap Cozy

The holidays are approaching, and one of the things on my list of things to make is felted soap cozies. Using a bit of wool, any bar of soap can easily be turned into a washcloth/soap combination gift. The soap lasts super long, and the wool makes a nice exfoliator all at once. Plus, the washcloth wrapped around the bar means no more dropped soap!

This pattern will fit a pretty typically size bar of artisanal soap: 4x4x8 cm.

Materials:
wool yarn, worsted weight
hook: 4.25mm/G

Abbreviations:
ch = chain
fsc = foundation single crochet
sc = single crochet
slst = slipstitch

1. 12 fsc.*
   *If you do not know foundation single crochet, you can instead: ch 13, sc into 2nd ch from hook, sc through rest of chain (12 sc).
2.-6. ch 1, turn, sc across (12 sc).
7. ch 7, turn, sc into 2nd ch from hook, sc across (18 sc).
8.-11. ch 1, turn, sc across (18 sc).
12. skip first sc, slst across next 5 sc. ch 1, sc across (12 sc).
13.-17. ch 1, turn, sc across (12 sc).
18. ch 7, sc into 2nd ch from hook and across (18 sc).
19-23. ch 2, turn, sc across (18 sc).
On the last row, you can finish, leaving a tail for sewing together if desired.

Assembly:
It now looks like a type of tetris block. You will be folding it up into a box, then sewing it together. It will feel kinda snug on the soap bar, that's ok.

The finished crochet work laid out flat.



I've used plastic safety pins to hold the sides together and show you how it makes a box. The short flaps of the tetris piece make the litte square sides.



I recommended sewing the three seams together from one square side, then sewing the short two seamsof the other square side.

Then slip in the soap and sew up the last two sides.

This is how it looks all sewn up! After a few uses, it'll felt up all on its own. If you're giving it as a gift, you may want to go ahead and spend some time felting. Just rub it for a while using warm to hot water, and a washboard is helpful for faster felting.

Elemental Scarf

Way back in September, a friend suggested making a scarf to represent the four elements: earth, air, fire, water. I instantly fell in love with the idea and came up with a pattern to go along with the representative colors. Spirit was included as the fifth element tying everything together. After some writing, experimenting, testing, blocking, and photographing, I'm finally ready to share my typed up pattern for the Elemental Scarf!

The pattern is written in sections which are approxiamately the same length and width. Dimensions will vary somewhat with your crochet style and blocking/stretching technique. You can arrange the sections however you please or repeat a section as you would like. Colors are my personal representations of the elements, so change them to whatever fits well with you. As always, feel free to ask questions and leave comments.

Abbreviations
ch - chain
sc - single crochet
hdc - half double crochet
dc - doule crochet
fpdc - front post double crochet
bpdc - back post double crochet
tch - turning chain
cluster - group of stitches closed at all once together
shell - group of stitches worked into same space or stitch

Materials:
Hook, I/9 5.5mm (or hook recommended for yarn)
Approximately 100 yards each color of worsted weight yarn
Yarn needle recommended for sewing in ends
 

Earth:
green, solid stitches
1: ch 16, sc in 2nd ch from hook, sc across (15 sc)
2: turn, ch 1, 15 hdc
3: turn, ch 1, 15 dc
4: turn, ch 1, 15 sc
5-36: Repeat rows 2-4, ending with row 3
36 rows = 12 sets

Air:
white, clusters & shells
1: ch 3, dc across (15 dc)
2: ch 5, cluster in first 3 dc, *ch 2, cluster next 3 dc.* Repeat * to * to end; ch 2, dc in last sc (5 clusters + 2 dc ends)
3: ch 3, *3dc shell in top of cluster, repeat from * across. dc in 3rd ch of previous tch.
4-23: Repeat rows 2&3
Final row: ch 3, dc across
24 rows = 11 pairs + dc rows

Fire:
red, post stitches
1-3: ch 3, dc across (15 dc)
4: ch 3, 3 bpdc, 7 fpdc, 3 bpdc, dc in tch
5: ch 3, 4 fpdc, 5 bpdc, 4 fpdc,  dc in tch
6: 5 bpdc, 3 fpdc, 5 bpdc, dc in tch
7: 6 fpdc, 1 bpdc, 6 fpdc, dc in tch
8-21: repeat rows 1-7.
22-24: ch 3, dc across (15 dc)
24 rows = 3 sets + final 3 rows

Water:
blue, ribbed & wavy
1: 15 sc
2: hdc, hdc, sc, sc, hdc, dc, dc, hdc, sc, sc, hdc, dc, dc, hdc, hdc - all front loop only
3-35: repeat row 2
36: 15 sc
36 rows = 12 sets + sc rows

Spirit:
purple border
Single crochet around evenly. Following this general guidline for help placing stitches into the sides of rows: 1 sc into sc row, 3 sc in 2 hdc rows, 2 sc in dc row

May Day Barefoot Sandals

Summer is upon us here in Florida and fast approaching in many other parts of the USA. To help celebrate May Day (aka Beltaine), I've crafted a pair of barefoot sandals. They're fun for wearing around the yard or house on these warm days.

Sandals are shown tied two different ways and on two different toes to show the different ways of wearing them.

Materials:
Cotton yarn, approxiamately 20 yards.
Hook 4.5mm

Abbreviations:
ch - chain
ss - slipstitch
sc - single crochet
dc - double crochet
ch-sp - chain space (space in work form by chain stitch, sometimes forms an arch)

Directions:
1. Ch 12, ss into a ring
2. Ch 4, sc 3 into 2nd ch from hook, turn
3. Ch 7, ss into 2nd sc from step 2, ch 4, dc into last of previous row, turn
4. Ch 1, sc 3 into ch-sp, ch 5, sc 3 into next ch-sp, turn
5. Ch 5, sc into ch-sp, ch 4, sc into last stitch of previous row, turn
6. Ch 1, sc 2 into ch-sp, ch 1, sc 2 into same ch-sp, ch 2, sc 2 into next ch-sp, ch 1, sc 2 into same ch-sp, turn
7. Ch 2, sc 2 in ch-sp, ch 1, (sc 2, ch 1, sc 2) into big chain-sp, ch 1, sc 2 in ch-sp, ch 1, sc into last stitch of previous row, turn
8. Ch 5, sc in ch-sp, ch 2, sc in ch-sp, ch 2, sc in ch-sp, ch 5, sc into last stitch of previous row, turn
9. Ch 5, [sc in ch-sp, ch 3] three times, sc in ch-sp, ch 5, ss into last stitch of previous row.
10. Ch 30 for tie (or make it as long as you'd like). Finish off.
11. Attach yarn to opposite side of sandal, ch 30 for tie (or as long as you like, matching length with previous tie). Finish off and weave in all ends.
Note: When finishing off ties, you can choose not to weave them in (such as in the picture below). This gives you a slightly longer pair of ties, and make it look more delicate.

As always, please feel free to ask questions and leave comments.

The Basic Circle

I did not come up with this pattern, but I've noticed it's reappearance in many circular patterns I've used. Want to make a coaster or a trivet? This is the place to start. Also good for a circular dish towel, the base to a mug cozy, or even the bottom of a stuffed toy! I've included two variations.

Abbreviations:
sc = single crochet
ch = chain
slst = slip stitch

With slipstitch rounds and chains to go up: can leave a visable line (spiraling out from center) at row joinings, especially on the back of the work.
Do 1A or 1B.
1A. Start a magic ring with 6 sc, slst closed
  Photo tutorial available here.
  Video available here.
1B. ch 6, slst to form ring, ch 1, sc 6 into ring, slst closed
2. ch 1, 2 sc in each sc around (12 sc total), slst
3. ch 1, *2 sc in 1st sc, 1 sc in next sc* repeat around ring (18 sc), sl st
4. ch 1, *2 sc in 1st sc, 1 sc in next 2 sc* repeat around ring (24 sc), sl st
5. ch 1, *2 sc in 1st sc, 1 sc in next 3 sc* repeat around ring (30 sc), sl st
6. ch 1, *2 sc in 1st sc, 1 sc in next 4 sc* repeat around ring (36 sc), sl st
Continue adding 1 sc to each repeat until the circle is as large as you'd like.


Working in a spiral: eliminates spiral line, requires a bit more counting and paying attention.

Do 1A or 1B.
1A. Start a magic ring with 6 sc
  Photo tutorial available here.
  Video available here.
1B. ch 6, slst to form ring, ch 1, sc 6 into ring
2. 2 sc in each sc around (12 sc total)
3. *2 sc in 1st sc, 1 sc in next sc* repeat 5 more times (18 sc)
4. *2 sc in 1st sc, 1 sc in next 2 sc* repeat 5 more times (24 sc)
5. *2 sc in 1st sc, 1 sc in next 3 sc* repeat 5 more times (30 sc)
6. *2 sc in 1st sc, 1 sc in next 4 sc* repeat 5 more times (36 sc)
Continue adding 1 sc to each repeat until the circle is as large as you'd like.


Here is a sampling of things I've made recently which incorporated the Basic Circle. The captions are links to the patterns, all free!

Lop Bunny

Froggie Coaster

Tribble Coasters