Crochet on Soda Tab Earrings and Bracelet

Last year my daughters and I started to collect soda tabs to try making some bracelets we'd seen on Pinterest. 

Here's some they made.

Pretty nice, but there's only so many you can make, and we still have an ongoing collection of soda tabs in my 'craft stash'. Another thing that needs 'using up' 

So I thought I'd combine some of my crochet learning with soda tabs, inspired by more things I've seen on Pinterest - where I now have a whole board just for Soda Tab Crafts.

I just started by playing around with some embroidery thread, a small crochet hook and some soda tabs.

Then I joined some of these together, added jump rings and earring hooks and....

 and there I had a nice unusual pair of new earrings!

 Next to try was a bracelet. Again I had no real plan, other than to practise my crochet around the soda tabs.

Once I'd finished a few and joined them together - a little differently to the earrings, I had to find a way to fasten the bracelet.

Another rummage through my stash and I found some old press studs that my mum gave me years ago.

I chose some sew in ones. Nice and simple to attach (even if I did sew one side on upside down initially...oops!).

And pretty soon I had a nice unusual bracelet to go with my new earrings!

I do like my new crochet soda tab jewellery.

What do you think? Would you wear this?

I also tried another kind of soda tab flower, which I tied to a fishtail macrame piece made previously, that could then also be tied as a bracelet.

I'm not so sure about that one.

At least I've used up a little of my stash. Making jewellery isn't going to use it up very quickly though - but I think it's definitely something I will play around with more!

Have you crocheted onto anything interesting or unusual?  Or have you crafted with soda tabs?

I'd love to hear any thoughts or ideas you might have.

To see more of my 'use what you've got' posts and ideas - go here.

A Granny Square Scarf - crochet learning

Crochet is Amazing!

The more I practise and learn to crochet, the more impressed I am at the process of turning single strands of wool into something complex using just a hook, scissors and needle.
I've been sewing for years and I love creating things with fabric and other materials and using my sewing machine to do it. However, the simplicity of the materials and process for crochet is something special. 

I love the fact that it can be done anywhere, no need for machines, or electricity.  I'm fascinated by the stories I see and read about crochet being used in third world countries to help lift people out of poverty by using the resources they have to create things using a simple crochet hook.

Even more amazing is the fact that something so simple can be used to create something incredibly complex. I'm not just talking about the amazing cute creatures and characters that people crochet - plenty of incredible images can be seen on my Pinterest crochet board. But around 20 years ago, it was found that a mathematical concept that was thought to be unable to be created as a 3D model, could be created through crochet!  
Crocheting Hyperbolic Planes like you find in coral reefs.



My crochet skills are still very basic, but I'm enjoying the process of learning a new skill and seeing a new method of creating things.



My latest crochet project

My latest learn to crochet project has involved practising making lots of Granny Squares. I didn't start out with any particular plan other than to practise, but ended up with a pretty cute scarf for my youngest to take on her upcoming school trip to the cold weather in Canberra.

My Granny Squares were less than perfect - varying in size a lot as I still haven't mastered an even tension when I crochet!

Still, with a little stretching they all managed to fit together as I joined them, albeit not perfectly!

I then added a simple double crochet edging in the bright pink colour chosen by my daughter.

Here you can see how wonky my squares are joined, but wool, just like fabric is very forgiving, so I managed to work around the dips and waves!

I added some pink tassles on either end and it was all done!

My daughter is very happy with her new scarf and I'm very proud of my latest crochet creation!

This scarf took me a while to make, but it was good to practise the basics.  
I'm already looking forward to starting another crochet project. I want to do something different this time.
As always, any suggestions and recommendations of things to try are most welcome!

More crochet learning, experimenting with plarn (plastic bag yarn) and how to spin it.

I'm slowly learning to crochet, and feel like I'm getting the hang of the basics now, having made a granny squares, triangles and pentagons, a bookmark, dish scrubbies, a small stuffed owl, earrings and a bracelet, and a jellyfish!

I've also experimented a little with crocheting onto other objects, like a plastic bottle to make a hanging basket and a hanging frame using a plastic kid's bracelet.

What I love about crochet is that a single length of wool can be turned into something so complex using basically a stick!  It's such a great 'use what you've got' technique that can be done anywhere - with all kinds of resources. 

So far I've only crocheted with wool,

and embroidery thread.

But I've also seen and read about people crocheting with t-shirt fabric and old sheeting (cut or torn into strips), old cassette tapes, wire and even glass!

One resource I've found particularly interesting in terms of its use as a crochet material, is plastic bags.  

Plastic bags are such a big waste problem and issue in the world - it's nice to see people finding ways to use them up and create new things with them.  I even found a whole website dedicated to things people make with plastic bags - Bagsbegone.

A little while ago, I shared a video on my Facebook page of a lady who is spinning plastic bags into yarn and then weaving this yarn into fabric. You can read more about this at bureau baggerman.

One of my readers commented on this video, asking if I knew of a way we could spin plastic bag strips into yarn without a spinning wheel....well I do like a challenge, so with a little searching I did find a method to try!

First of all, you need to make your plarn by cutting plastic bags into a continuous strip.

I found this awesome video showing how women in Gambia are recycling plastic bags into beautiful purses using crochet. The video shows how to cut a plastic bag to make your plarn!

The video shows this lady just crocheting the plastic strips as is.  

I had a try of this myself.

I didn't find it very easy, but I'm only a beginner crocheter so maybe I just need practice - or a different size hook?

So my next step was to try spinning the plarn into a tighter 'yarn' to crochet with.

Here's how I did it, using what I've got - my sewing machine!

It's not ideal, but it's a neat idea that maybe someone can work with! I think you need one person to work the machine and another to hold the plarn, as you can only spin the part between where you hold and the machine. So you'd have to move further and further back to wind a long strip. Unless you can find a way to wind it onto a spool as you spin!

Do let me know if you have any more success with this than I did, I'd love to see!

I did then try to crochet with this spun plarn, but didn't find it any easier than the 'unspun' plarn!

Thanks to a reader question on Facebook, I've had fun experimenting with making plarn, but I think for now I will stick to practising my crochet with wool!

I'm making lots of granny squares just now - just to try and improve my technique a little. Not sure yet what I'll do with them all!

Have you ever crocheted with anything unusual?

Have you tried crocheting with plarn?

I'd love to hear what other people have tried and made, experimenting with crochet!

Crochet Jellyfish

Last week on Facebook, somebody shared this link to a crochet jellyfish pattern. It came at just the right moment, when I was looking for my next crochet project.

I jumped in straight away and had a go!

I had to look up how to make a magic circle again - but I think I've finally got that mastered now.

The next thing to practise was counting those stitches and rounds. I got lots of practise using my times tables as I counted the various combinations of stitches into each loop. I know I should use a stitch counter or at least a paper clip to keep my spot and make that all easier, but I kind of like playing around with numbers in my head and it helped me to concentrate on my stitches too.

Generally I think I counted well, but I may have ended up with a few extra stitches in my final few rounds somehow...

Making the tentacles was fun, although I think I should have done a few more! I got a bit over excited about finishing and seeing the jellyfish hanging up!

I'm really pleased with how my jellyfish turned out.

Now I just have to find somewhere to hang him!

I'm always on the look out for new projects to practise and improve my crochet - so feel free to suggest any - leave me  a link in the comments!

Crochet Granny Square Bracelet

This week I've been getting back to my crochet learning.

After a few weeks off thanks to a holiday and family visit, I found I'd forgotten how to make a Granny Square!

So I relearned that and practised by making a few using a selection of embroidery thread I was sent a few years back and still haven't managed to use!

So then, once I felt I had the hang of it again, I had to decide what to do with all these little squares.

So I learned how to join Granny Squares together using

 this great little tutorial from Attic 24.

Just a simple slip stitch through both squares you're joining!

My least favourite part was weaving in all the ends!

But I'm quite pleased with how neat I managed it! Not perfect, but not bad for my first try.

I just kept on joining until they all formed a circle, and hey presto - I'd made myself a bracelet!

So now I have a matching bracelet and earring Granny Square set (the earrings I made a few weeks ago)!

I think I might keep on with the Granny Squares for now - there seems to be plenty of things you can make with them!

As always, any and all suggestions welcome.