Grannies and Pinwheels, using up odds and ends

Tote Bags

Before we had to suspend our meetings, I was showing my fellow crafters at ASKI, (a Community Hub near me in south London)  things to make using granny squares. There are lots of online tutorials on how to crochet granny squares on youtube.
Also if you are a complete beginner, that is how I got started in 2010. Thanks, bethinxt(beth in Texas)
I bought a big bag of odd little balls of yarn from a charity shop (thrift store).Using mainly 4ply and a 3mm hook, I crocheted squares and joined as I went to make tote bags. I love playing with arrangements of colour, and designing using odd little scraps- its how they used to design things to make at home during WW2, when yarn was scarce.

The handles are made by working about 7 sts in dc (sc in US)and working from side to side for about an inch and a half(don't forget 1ch for turning), then joining sts to work in the round until handle is desired length. Go back to working from side to side as at beginning, and attach to corresponding part of the back joining on the wrong side with dcs(scs in US)

The two below have different types of handle. I just crocheted 12sts of dc back and forth, then joined the strap about an inch and a half from the top of the bag.

Pinwheels

One of the ASKI  crocheters shared a lovely pinwheel throw she was making.
A pinwheel is basically 8x dtr (tr in US, I think)worked into either a magic loop or 4ch joined in a circle, separated by 2chain and closed with a slipped stitch. There is probably a youtube video on how to make them..

I experimented with a selection of 4ply cotton yarns to see if this could be done with a join as you go method-It could! So I am making a tablecloth for our garden table. I find working on the diagonal works best.


 Lots of ends to sew in though. No way around that, as in so many things.
17/06/20. Finished at last, a tablecloth for our garden table!May put some weights on each corner, though it has a nice weight to it, already.

This was really very simple to do: if you hold it up to the light, I think it resembles some cut-out fabric blinds like Matisse had in his studio.

  

If one were to do it all in one colour, it could make a nice blind.Or in wool, felted.Hmm. Shall have to revisit this idea. Took a while, but there is something to be said for a project which gives you lots of practise- here, stitches used were ch, dtr,tr,dc.

Using the same method I used for the tablecloth, but in one colour only. Used a 3ply natural fibre and an 8mm hook, so its very loose- this is pre- felting.

And these are post!

Felting using the washing machine is probably something most of us have done..unintentionally! It can be unpredictable. Feltable yarns include pure wool (no blends), alpaca, and mohair. It is possible to under-do it, 30-40 degrees may produce some shrinkage.60 degrees definitely will, as will 90! Its a good idea to include a pair of jeans,towel,bed linen or something that can stand being washed at the temperature you've chosen. I did a small swatch of this first and washed it at 60 degrees. It came out too scrunched up, so that was what prompted me to use a larger hook.In the event it came out in a felted ball, stuck together, but I managed to tease it apart using a knitting needle and my fingers.If you are doing something coloured,I recommend a sheet or 2 of colour catcher.

As there can be such variation between people's machines, yarns,tensions etc I can't say definitively that what worked for me will work for you. Some kind of experimentation is required. As a rule of thumb, felted things shrink by up to 40%.

Granny Bags

Made with about 38 granny squares, depending on how long you want the strap. I used a JAYG method- there are tutorials on how to do this on youtube.

One more project, boxy bags in 4ply wool, felted in the machine. Felting in the washing machine requires a certain gambler's mentality. Key to its success, works best if all yarns used for project are 100% wool(not acrylic, or mixture)or alpaca. Shetland is ideal. Sock yarn, not so much.A sheet or two of colour catcher and a pair of jeans for company, I washed the red one at 60 degrees then again at 90, to make the fabric as dense as possible.
The grey/turquoise used superwash wool and did not shrink quite so much.
I once spent ages knitting a stripy, brightly coloured beach bag to felt in the machine, and a non-colourfast navy yarn rendered the whole thing sludge-colour. So I am not pretending its foolproof!
You could check things like shrinkage and colourfastness by just measuring and then felting individual squares before embarking on project.

Eventually I shall get around to lining them, maybe using the plastic from lever arch files to make them more rigid.

I have begun the process- carefully measuring each 'plane' of the red bag, to work out how big to cut the plastic. Didn't use my best scissors for this.Used the existing curved corner of the file, and trimmed the other 3 corners to match it. 1 File=1bag.

Next step will be, covers into which the plaster pieces are fed, hand-sewing shut, then hand-stitching together at the edges then to the bag, to achieve 'boxy' shape.Will need to hunt around for something fairly durable to use as a lining fabric...

I wrapped fabric around each piece of plastic,with a fold along the long edge.Pinned it, on the wrong side and removed plastic. Sewed all around leaving one small end open.Trimmed fabric especially at corners, turned right way out, re-nserted plastic. Did this for all pieces. Finally fold in open end,pin and oversew shut.Oversew edges together to mimic bag shape. Starting at the bottom,using matching yarn, sew through front felted edges and where pieces are joined.Do the same at sides. I handstitched a strip of fabric for the handle.Finally sew all edges where lining and felted bag meet.

Finished bag off, fully lined with a nice paisley remnant I had. Sewed presstuds to each corner of front to close.Also lined strap to make it stronger.

Here are some photos showing the construction of the lining of the black/grey/turquoise bag

Individual pieces of plastic,wrapped in fabric which is sewn on 3 sides to make a pocket, then turned through, the plastic replaced and the remaining edge oversewn.

Pieces are then sewn together by hand, right sides together. I put the 'box' construction into the crocheted bag, and stitch along the edges to ensure that the squares are in the right place- some stretching involved.

Press studs added

Et voila!