Come Learn and Share Information about Recycling, Crocheting & Recycled Crafting


Reusable Plarn Produce Bag

February 24, 2012 9 comments
Reusable Plarn Produce Bag

This week’s recycled bag project is a crocheted plarn produce bag. I have had a reusable produce bag on my to-do list for some time now. And thanks to a request from a reader of my site, I was encouraged to finally get it done.

Here is my plarn making picture tutorial to help you get started. Crafting with recycled plastic bags is fun, frugal and a great way to recycle plastic bags into something new and useful like this reusable produce bag.


Plarn Produce Bag Pattern

Materials:
Plastic bags cut into 1 inch strips approx. 20 bags for small produce bag and 35 for larger bag
Hook: Metal J (6 mm) crochet hook

Description:
Small produce bag: 8 inches wide by 9-1/2 inches long with 13 inches strap
Larger produce bag: 10″ by 11″ long with 14″ strap

Directions are given for the smaller produce bag and then options for the larger bag given at the bottom of the pattern.

Round 1
Ch 20, Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in ea st and then working around the backside of chain, Sc in ea st along the other side of original chain.

Crocheted Dog Leggings

February 18, 2012 10 comments
Crocheted Dog Leggings

If you are a frequent reader of my blog, you know that I often make things that I need rather than purchase them. I so enjoy creating something to fill a need I have. Well, my dog has been having these issues of licking her forelegs and they were getting very sore. There is nothing wrong but it’s just a bad habit of her’s to lick her legs. I tried putting some socks up on her legs to prevent her from licking but that didn’t work very well.

Here is a closeup of the dog legging I crocheted. My dog’s foot is about 7 inches around at her paws. I tried to make the leggings loose enough to fit over her paws but tight enough to stay up once on her legs. I found if you roll them up a bit it’s easier to get them on over her claws and up on her legs. They stay on pretty good but she did manage to lose one outside in the snow but I found it. So just a word of caution, they do stretch out so make sure you make them tight to begin with so they stay on. I usually just make her wear them in the house now so we don’t lose them outside.

The final word, they do work and it does help prevent licking and has allowed her sore legs to heal. Now maybe I won’t have to put them on her for awhile. So another problem solved and here is the free crochet pattern below.

Valentine Themed Projects

February 11, 2012 1 comment
Valentine Themed Projects

With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I thought it might be fun to share some Valentine themed craft projects that I have been working on. Last month I participated in a cabled heart crochet along and here are the two heart squares I made.


The 12 inch crocheted cabled hearts square features 4 hearts.


This 6 inch cabled heart square pattern features just a single heart.

I just loved the 12 inch Yarncrazy Cabled Hearts Pattern (not available anymore) and thought it would make a wonderful center for a crocheted baby blanket. So I used the large square and then proceeded to double crochet around it to create this baby afghan.

Here are a few Valentine heart bookmarks I crocheted.

Many Scalloped Boxes Dishcloth

February 4, 2012 5 comments
Many Scalloped Boxes Dishcloth

Here is my latest free crochet pattern. I call this dishcloth Many Scalloped Boxes. This dishcloth pattern is a variation of my open mesh magic dishcloth pattern. It’s worked with a sport weight cotton yarn and features a scalloped edging.

Here is another one worked in regular weight cotton. If you like a more open-stitched lightweight dishcloth, you will enjoy using this crocheted dishcloth. It dries out quickly while still providing an excellent cleaning cloth.

Many Scalloped Boxes Dishcloth Pattern

Hook:
G – (4-4.25 mm) Crochet Hook

Materials:
1.25 ozs Cotton yarn
1/4 oz of contrasting Cotton yarn if you want the edging in another color

Description:
8 – 8 1/2 inch square dishcloth depending on yarn used

Directions:
Row 1
Ch 34, Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in ea st. (33)

Plarn Sunflower Tote Bag

January 25, 2012 8 comments
Plarn Sunflower Tote Bag

Here is my recycled plastic bag tote that features a crocheted sunflower. The tote bag is crocheted using recycled plastic bags or plarn and then the sunflower embellishment is added. I created the sunflower crochet pattern using both plastic bags and regular cotton yarn so it could be done in either type of material. Here is the recycled plastic tote bag pattern and below you will find the free pattern for the sunflower.

Pointed Handle Towel Topper

January 15, 2012 15 comments
Pointed Handle Towel Topper

Here is my latest towel topper crocheted pattern. It is a double layer towel that is folded over and requires no cutting or sewing. The towel topper is simply added by working a base row along the top edge of the towel using a small steel crochet hook. I have a picture tutorial here that shows in more detail how I fold, pin, and crochet the first base row through both layers of the folded towel.

Here is another one I did using a printed novelty towel.

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Pointed Handle Towel Topper Pattern

Materials needed:
1- Kitchen towel or decorative towel (15 inches wide x 24 inches long used)
1- oz. Sport weight mercerized Cotton
1- 3/4 inch button

Hooks:
#7 Steel hook
G (4-4.25 mm) hook

Directions:
This towel topper uses the double layered fold and pin method. See my picture tutorial on how to prepare the top of towel to begin Sc stitching along top edge if you are not familiar with this no-sewing or cutting method. All crochet terms are US as shown in this pattern.

Row 1
Fold the towel exactly in half and using the steel crochet hook to poke holes, Sc evenly along the top edge of towel. (You will be Sc’g through both layers of the towel along the top edge.) I had 60 Sc along the top of the edge but it will vary depending on your stitch placement and yarn weight used. Just try and have an even number of stitches along the top. Otherwise it doesn’t matter how many stitches you have along the top of the towel.

Row 2
Using the G crochet hook, Ch 2, turn. Dc in each st.

Reclaimed Yarn Round Ripple Lapghan

January 9, 2012 2 comments
Reclaimed Yarn Round Ripple Lapghan

Reclaiming yarn from old sweaters and other previously crafted items is a great way to obtain yarn for new projects. I was lucky and got a free crocheted vest at my local thrift store. The yarn was in good condition but the vest wasn’t the best looking item. So I unraveled the vest and got this pretty oatmeal yarn with little specks of color throughout it. Because it was a vest, there wasn’t a lot of yarn so I added some green worst weight yarn to compliment this round ripple.

I crocheted it to 42 inches wide and decided to finish this project off as a lapghan for my local nursing home. My pattern is 6 rounds for the center in the tan, then 5 rounds in green with 2 rounds of tan between the rounds of green after that. I reduced each round of green so it started as 5 rounds of green, two rounds of tan; 4 rounds of green, two rounds of tan; 3 rounds of green, two rounds of tan, two rounds of green, two rounds of tan; and the final round in green using the reverse single crochet stitch.

Men’s Crocheted Fingerless Gloves

January 2, 2012 23 comments
Men's Crocheted Fingerless Gloves

Now that Christmas is over, I can share my men’s fingerless gloves. I crocheted these for my dh out of wool. He saw my fingerless gloves and said he would like a pair so I whipped these up for him. I used one Patons Classic Wool skeins of yarn in the natural mix color. This yarn is a medium weight or ww yarn. Because of this, you can use my free pattern with any type of medium weight yarn for these gloves. You can be creative and use reclaimed yarn or even acrylic yarn if you’d like to crochet these fingerless gloves.

Here is a shot of the gloves being modeled. And another taken laying flat. Click on any of the photos to super size them.

Men’s Fingerless Glove Crochet Pattern

Yarn:
Patons Classic Wool – natural mix color. 210 yards or 192 m

Hooks:
F (3.75 mm) size crochet hook
G (4.25 mm) size crochet hook

Description:
Men’s Large/XL sized fingerless gloves
Measurements: 9-1/2 inches long, 3-3/4 inches wide at cuff & 4-1/4 inches across at palm.

Directions
Make 2 gloves as follows:
Using F hook for ribbing, leave a long tail and ch 15.

Row 1 (Cuff Ribbing)
Sc in 2nd ch from hook and in ea st down to the end. (14 Sc)



About Me

Hello, I’m Cindy or aka RecycleCindy. Welcome to my blog site that is dedicated to recycling and crafting. I love to crochet and create crafts and other useful things from recycled materials. I share many free tutorials and patterns for creating recycled projects as well as other handmade items.


Here is a direct link to all my free patterns available here on My Recycled Bags.


Thank you for stopping by to visit and for your interest in My Recycled Bags!