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.

Apple Pencil Jar

I have a couple teacher friends, so I decided it would be cute to have a stuffed apple pencil jar. This pattern is for a jar about 2 inches in diameter and 2 inches tall, but increases and decreases could be added in order to accommodate other jar sizes. Feel free to ask for help in regards to sizing and I'll do my best via the internet.

Leaf 2 is the front of this picture.

Yarn: worsted weight (Loops & Threads Impeccable Solids: Burgundy)
Hook: 4.25mm/G
A stitch marker will be useful as this pattern is written to be stitched in a spiral.

hdc = half-double crochet
hdc2tog = half-double crochet two together, half-double crochet decrease

Start with a magic loop. (Tips on making circles here.)

1. 6 hdc into loop.
2. 2 hdc into each hdc below (12 hdc).
3. *2 hdc in 1st hdc, 1 hdc in next hdc* repeat 5 more times around (18 hdc).
4. *2 hdc in 1st hdc, 1 hdc in next 2 hdc* repeat 5 more times around (24 hdc).
5. *2 hdc in 1st hdc, 1 hdc in next 3 hdc* repeat 5 more times around (30 hdc).
6. *2 hdc in 1st hdc, 1 hdc in next 4 hdc* repeat 5 more times around (36 hdc).
7. *2 hdc in 1st hdc, 1 hdc in next 5 hdc* repeat 5 more times around (42 hdc).
8. 1 hdc in each hdc aroud (42 hdc).
9. *2 hdc in 1st hdc, 1 hdc in next 6 hdc* repeat 5 more times around (48 hdc).
10. *hdc2tog in 1st hdc, 1 hdc in next 6 hdc* repeat 5 more times around (42 hdc).
11. *hdc2tog in 1st hdc, 1 hdc in next 5 hdc* repeat 5 more times around (36 hdc).
12. *hdc2tog in 1st hdc, 1 hdc in next 4 hdc* repeat 5 more times around (30 hdc). Go ahead and put in some stuffing.
13. *hdc2tog in 1st hdc, 1 hdc in next 3 hdc* repeat 5 more times around (24 hdc). Add more stuffing if you think it needs it.
14. *hdc2tog in 1st hdc, 1 hdc in next 2 hdc* repeat 5 more times around (18 hdc)
15. 1 hdc in each hdc aroud (18 hdc). Finish and weave in end.

The top of the stitches should fit right up against the jar's threading. If it's still too loose, you can (hdc2tog, hdc) around until it's tight enough. If your stitching gets tight enough to stay up on the threading before you get down to 18 stitches, then you can stop there. If it's a good tightness but you'd like it to cover a bit more of the top of the jar, add another round of stitches.



Optional, but fun, here are the leaves I made. The second comes out a bit pointier at the one end.

Leaf 1:
Ch 6.
In one side of chain: sc in 2nd ch from hook, hdc, dc, hdc, sc. ch 1.
Continuing up other side of chain: sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc.
Finish and leave a tail for attaching to the apple.

Leaf 2:
Ch 7.
In one side of chain: sl st in 2nd ch from hook, sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc. ch 1.
Continuing up other side of chain: sc, hdc, dc, hdc, sc, sl st.
Finish and leave a tail for attaching to the apple.

Leaf 2 is in the front of this picture.