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Crocheted Plarn Soap Dish

April 28, 2013 4 comments
Crocheted Plarn Soap Dish

I have been asked to crochet a recycled plastic soap dish holder so this is up I came up with. I crocheted this soap dish using about three recycled plastic bags so it’s a great project if you only have a few bags in a special color.

It’s just the right size if you have a large square bar of soap. Here is my plarn soap dish with a scrubbie also crocheted from recycled plastic bags.

Here is a plarn soap dish pictured with a oval bar of soap along with a crocheted dishcloth to match.

Here is one other crocheted soap dish with white plastic retail bags along with a scrubbie added with a cotton yarn trim. The cotton yarn edging adds a colorful touch to the otherwise boring white bags. You can also use the soap dish crocheted from recycled plastic bags as a scrubbie holder. Just rinse it out in warm water if it gets too soapy or dirty. Either way this recycled soap dish is a handy holder and provides a useful way to reuse those plastic bags you may have stuffed in your kitchen drawers and cabinets.

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Free Crocheted Plarn Soap Dish Pattern

Materials needed:
3 — plastic bags cut into strips 3/4 inches wide and interlocked to create plarn
Here is the link to my plarn-making tutorials should you need it

Hook:
J (6 mm) US size metal crochet hook

Gauge: 3 Sc = 1 inch; 3 rows = 1 inch

Description:
Recycled Plastic Soap Dish – measures 5-1/2 inches long by 3 inches wide

Directions:
Row 1
Ch 13, Sc in the 2nd st from the hook and in each st across.

Crocodile Stitch Oven Mitt

April 13, 2013 6 comments
Crocodile Stitch Oven Mitt

I created this oven mitt by crocheting the crocodile stitch in the round. Working the crocodile stitch in the round is so much easier than making two panels to join together. While the oven mitt is very thick with the crocodile scales, I did line it just to be sure that a person’s hand was protected.

I have the free crochet pattern written below for the crocodile stitch oven mitt. If you haven’t tried working the crocodile scales yet in the round, I think you will enjoy crocheting this pattern. Please read the complete pattern through before beginning and adjust the opening should you need a larger size as my wrist is small so I made my opening tighter.

Crocodile Stitch Oven Mitt Pattern

J (6 mm) hook and G (4-4.25 mm) hook

Materials:
2 skeins of Red Heart Super Saver Chunky (Bulky) yarn in Windsor Blue
1/2 oz. of white cotton yarn
Fabric for lining

Finished crocheted oven mitt measures 10 inches long by 7-1/2 inches wide with a 5 inches wide opening at top

Special Stitch:
Crocodile Scale Stitch: Dc 5 stitches down first post of the 2-Dc base set, Ch 1, and then work 5 Dc up the 2nd Dc of the 2-Dc set.

Directions:
With J hook and chunky yarn, Ch 42. Join to form a ring making sure your chain is not twisted.

Recycling Toilet Paper Packaging

April 7, 2013 2 comments
Recycling Toilet Paper Packaging

I’m always looking for new ways to recycle and repurpose plastic waste such as this large toilet paper packaging. When I see something like this plastic I just want to find some useful way to reuse it. So I set out to create plastic yarn or plarn from this piece of packaging.

Because this plastic packaging is very large, I cut it into one continuous long strip about 1 inch wide. I started at the one opened end of the packaging to begin cutting. I placed the piece of plastic across my leg and used the scissors to cut around and around. I just kept cutting the strip around the plastic and through the seams. The seams on this packaging are very strong and glued so I believe it will hold for crafting without having to worry about the seams coming apart.

The result is one ball of plarn that netted 45 yards of yarn for crafting.

Lining a Crochetville Bag

April 1, 2013 No comments yet
Lining a Crochetville Bag


Here is my Crochetville bag that I was the proud recipient of from Mary Jo in September 2012. Each month Mary Jo aka Tampa Doll makes one of her famous tote bags and gives it to some lucky person on Crochetville. I was so excited when I received my bag. It’s just so cool and such a wonderful gift to receive from another crocheter.

One of the things Mary Jo tells you when you receive her bag is that you may want to line it. Because it is crocheted, it does have holes in the tote bag that small items can fall out of. I was being carefully but did have my crochet hook slip out of the bag a few times and figured I had better line my bag.

I chose some cotton fabric and measured my bag to begin making my lining.

Crocheted Easter Eggs and Peeps

March 25, 2013 5 comments
Crocheted Easter Eggs and Peeps

With Easter just around the corner, I have been busy crocheting Easter eggs and Peeps for Easter baskets. We are having a Easter CAL (craft a-long) over at our group on Ravelry. A cute Peeps aka marshmallow bunny crochet pattern was shared. This pattern is very quick and easy. Here are several of them that I crocheted. I used black fabric puff paint to add the eyes.

Here are some crocheted eggs I did. Delights shared her free egg pattern on Ravelry where she uses a plastic egg and then crochets the shell around the egg. I had the idea of crocheting the egg and then stuffing it with a recycled plastic bag.

Baby Pinafore and Booties

March 17, 2013 No comments yet
Baby Pinafore and Booties

I just finished up this crocheted baby pinafore and booties for a shower gift. I used a H (5 mm) crochet hook and Lt Country Peach Caron yarn to crochet both projects. Here is the link to the baby pinafore pattern which is called Angel Wings. I found the pinafore takes about 4+ ounces of yarn to complete.

I made a few changes to the pattern and worked it in the round after row 8. At the end of row 8, I joined with a slip stitch

5 Years Later

March 10, 2013 15 comments
5 Years Later

Today is a special milestone in my cancer journey. It’s been exactly 5 years since I was diagnosed with breast cancer. As long as I live, I will never forget that day. I was so scared. I didn’t know what to expect for my future. Would I live, would I lose my breast, would I die before seeing my grandchildren born? What treatment would I endure or what surgeries would I have to undergo? So many questions and really no answers for me that day.

What a dark and terrible day it was — March 10, 2008. I sit here and don’t even know what to write as I reflect back on that horrible day. I guess I can say with utter joy that today, March 10, 2013 is a glorious day. I am cancer free. I am alive. I have been so blessed to see two grandchildren born into my family. My health is good. My life while forever changed because of cancer, is better and I am stronger for having faced this deadly foe.

I am so thankful to God for allowing me this victory. They say that the 5-year mark after cancer is a good milestone. Most cancer, if its going to return, will have reoccurred by now. I am guardedly optimistic today. It is a good day. A good day to say thank you Lord for the life you have given me. Thank you everyone for your love and support all these years. And here’s to many more cancer-free yearly milestones in my life!

Plarn Gator Sling Bag

March 8, 2013 4 comments
Plarn Gator Sling Bag


Here is my first crocodile stitch project using recycled plastic bags. I collected these plastic bags which are used for newspaper deliveries. I recycled about 40 bags for the Gator Sling Bag and cut them 1 inch wide using this plarn making tutorial to create plastic bag yarn.

Crocodile Stitch Sling Bag Pattern

J (6 mm) hook and H (5 mm) hook
40+ Plastic Newspaper Bags cut into Plarn about 1 inch wide
Fabric for lining
Magnetic clasp for closure

Sling Bag Purse measures 7-1/2 inches wide x 7-1/2 inches long with 30 inch strap

Crocodile Scale Stitch: Dc 5 stitches down first post of the 2-Dc base set, Ch 1, and then work 5 Dc up the 2nd Dc of the 2-Dc set.

Directions:
Row 1
With J hook, Ch 21 loosely.

Pink Creamy Toddler Booties

March 1, 2013 2 comments
Pink Creamy Toddler Booties

I think I’m addicted to crocheting baby booties. Here is the latest size I created. These pink creamy toddler booties are crocheted using one strand of pink worst weight yarn and white fingering Orlon held together. The two strands together create what I call a pink creamy look so I named the booties from this appearance. I crocheted these booties using my baby sock booties pattern.

With the two strands of yarn, they will fit a toddler about 1 year old or so. The finished size is 4-1/2 inches long by 2-1/2 inches wide. I hope you enjoy this pattern as much as I have.



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!