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Year: 2012

My Useful Ideas

CindyLeave a comment

I have been working a new venture and wanted to take this opportunity to introduce my new blog My Useful Ideas.com

My Useful Ideas is a blog where ideas will be shared that are designed to save you money, help you solve a problem, answer a question, fix a problem, explain how to deal with a situation, and generally help you out. I am not an expert but will share with you ideas and solutions that I have found work and that are helpful in everyday use. Some of the ideas are very basic and which you may have read about in the past but I write to share my experiences and hopefully help out someone who may have not had to face the same challenge yet in their life.

My new blog will allow me to have a place where I can share my non-crafting ideas and keep this blog more for recycled crafting and crocheted craft projects. It is my plan to share helpful ideas for everyday living and beyond. Topics will include everyday challenges such as

7 Inch Baby Doll Bunting

Cindy5 Comments


Here is a small baby doll bunting I crocheted. It fits a doll that is 6 to 7 inches tall. This is a variation of a 12-inch doll bunting pattern that I crocheted last year.

So whether you have a small doll like this one shown or a larger baby doll, you can use my free patterns to crochet your doll a cute baby bunting. Enjoy and happy crocheting!

Baby Doll Bunting Pattern

Fits a 6-7″ Baby Doll
Bunting measures: 3-3/4″ wide between armholes, 4-1/2″ sleeve openings,
5-3/4″ around at neck and 6-1/2″ long
Hook: Metal G (4-4.25 mm) crochet hook

Materials:
1.25 oz worst weight yarn
Small amount of contrasting yarn for trim
Small button for back closure

Directions:
Ch 23

Plarn Laundry Basket

Cindy30 Comments

I’m happy to present my crocheted laundry basket. This laundry basket project is made from recycled plastic bags or plarn. In case you are new to the idea of crafting with plastic bags, here is my picture tutorial showing how to make the plastic yarn from the plastic retail bags.

This laundry basket project has been a huge undertaking. It is the largest recycled plastic bag project that I have ever crocheted. It has well over 150 bags in the finished product. When I set out to crochet a laundry basket, I wanted a large enough bag that I could use for a clothes hamper as well as a carrying bag for transporting the laundry to and from a laundromat.

The basket has a round base and while it looks funneled-shaped at the top, its really round in it’s overall shape. The photo above has 6 large beach towels in the bag and as you can see it still has room for more. You can also roll down the top and handles when using it for a hamper so it stands up if the basket isn’t full.

Plarn Laundry Basket Pattern

Materials needed:
Approx. 150+ white plastic grocery bags for main bag and
20 grey plastic bags for stripe and trim

Hook: N (9 mm) U.S. size metal hook
Description: Plarn Laundry Basket Bag
Bag measured flat: 22″ wide and 28″ long with 14″ strap and
22″ tall standing with 17″ wide bottom

Directions:
Rnd 1
Using a magic circle, Sc 6 times into circle with white plarn. Don’t join but work in rounds unless advised otherwise. Use a stitch marker to mark rounds.

Picket Fence Dishcloth Pattern

CindyLeave a comment

Here is my latest open-stitched crocheted dishcloth pattern for those that like that style of a cloth. It reminds me of a picket fence and thus the name was given to this pattern. I added a crab stitch or reverse single crochet trim to finish off the dishcloth.

I hope you enjoy the free crochet pattern and happy crocheting to all!

Crocheted Picket Fence Dishcloth Pattern

Hook:
H (5 mm) USA crochet hook

Materials:
1-1/2 ozs of Cotton yarn (Green Twists used)
1/4 oz contrasting Cotton yarn for trim (Sage Green used)

Description:
9 inch x 9 inch Cotton Dishcloth

Directions:
Row 1
Ch 32, Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in ea st. (31)

Recycle an Old Potholder

Cindy5 Comments

I noticed that I had several old potholders that were stained and had holes in them. So I figured it was time to recycle them into some new and pretty potholders.

Here are the before pictures of my old potholders.

I crocheted a chain the length of the old potholder plus 3 stitches. Then single crochet (Sc) in the round until the shell is long enough to insert the old potholder inside.