You may have seen pricey versions of crochet travel bags designed to hold your WIPs and supplies—but this one offers all the same features without the hefty price tag. I love that it fits neatly under the airplane seat in front of you, and the well-placed pockets keep everything within easy reach. It truly is an excellent crochet travel bag, and I absolutely adore it!
Crochet Bag Tour
Amazon has a plethora of excellent craft backpack options. Here’s the link for the bag I purchased and reviewed above. The additional exterior charging port is incredibly convenient too!
The Midwest has been piling up snow these past few weeks, and now the temperatures are set to take a sharp dive. But no worries—I’ve spent the day doing some of my favorite cozy activities: making book sleeves, and crocheting. It’s always nice to slow down and enjoy the things you love.
Reading is one of my absolute favorite pastimes, and these book sleeves are both cute and practical—they keep my books safe while I’m on the go. Lately, I’ve also been seeing that popular book rest and mug holder everywhere online. I asked my husband to create his own version, and I couldn’t be happier with his design!
Handmade Book SleevesHandmade Book SleeveHandmade Book SleeveBook Rest and BookmarkCoordinate Your Scrap Fabric
I’m not a very experienced crocheter but I’ve started to dip my toe in the wearable’s pool. I’ve always made blankets and dish towels with an occasional poncho, but I’ve not really made anything a bit more structured to wear. I recently made myself a granny square sweater and I thought I might try my hand at using single skeins to make winter hats. I followed a tutorial by Elise Crochets. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E5yInVAx8gE
It’s easy to follow and uses a slip stitch method to taper the top of the hat making a more fitted look. I purchased some inexpensive 5” pom poms for an updated look. If you’re a beginner and have single balls of yarn on hand – This one-skein beginner beanie is a winner!
I’ve only been crocheting for a little while, but I recently stumbled upon a wonderfully simple earring pattern that uses embroidery thread to create vibrant, eye-catching pieces—perfect for summer outfits. I’ve already made a few pairs and packaged them up for my daughters. Finding this free pattern from You Should Craft felt like striking gold!
Do you have scrap yarn that you need to use up in your stash? If so, this is a great beginner project for you. Depending on the size of your book, you can finish a project like this one in a few hours.
Scrappy Crocheted Book Cover
Measuring the length of my book, I used the half-double crochet stitch after chaining 40 stitches. The number of rows stitched depends on the size of the book. I used a 4.5 mm hook with 4 weight yarn.
CH 40 + 2, turn
HDC in to second stitch from the hook, continue across the row. Continue this pattern until you’ve reached your desired length to cover your book.
I ran out of the multiple-colored yarn before reaching my desired length so I just found a coordinating red yarn and continued stitching. For the scalloped edge, I used the following pattern- In the same stitch, put 1 single crochet, 1 double crochet, and 1 single crochet. Slip stitch in the next stitch. Continue across the row. To close up the envelope-style cover I used the half-double crochet stitch around the edges. I made a simple closure by chaining 12, tying off and stitching this into the center edge of the flap. I stitched on a button with a tapestry needle and added a “handmade” label. This cute cover will hold all of my cozy mysteries throughout the holiday season. Great gift idea!l
When on vacation or traveling, I like to have a few portable crafts on hand. An unexpected flight delay, a rainy afternoon, or a relaxing day at the pool are all part of the trip. Having a handy craft at the ready can be quite enjoyable. I look for projects that are compact and simplistic, without lots of parts and pieces.
Visiting the local Dollar Tree, I found a few Amigurumi kits that I would bring on my Disney Vacation Club trip. I usually take a day or two to just relax and stay away from the hustle and bustle of the parks and shops. These kits are $1.25, but remember, you get what you pay for… The pattern is VERY difficult to decider and I ran out of yarn for one of the petite pets (dog) and had to improvise with yarn I had left over for another part of the project. You’ll notice I have used gray yarn on the left dog ear because I ran out of brown.
Gray yarn used to trim ear
Before leaving for vacation, I enlarged the pattern in my copier so I have a legible pattern to follow. (The pattern that accompanies the kit is very small and difficult to follow.)
DogEnlarged copy of patternBunnyTeddy BearDollar Tree Kits
I also found a YouTube video for compact Easter Crochet Flower that hold Cadbury Eggs for a cute co-worker gift before the holiday. I used Peaches and Creme yarn from Walmart ($1.99 at Florida Walmart) to complete the flowers. These cakes are compact and easy to pack. I also travel with a mesh craft bag that fits in my carry on. Inside I have crochet hooks, stitch markers, TSA approved scissors, tapestry needles, etc.
Easter Egg FlowerSimplistic portable supplies
What crafts do you like to bring along when you travel?
Baby it’s cold outside! The midwest winter has returned to Indiana and it’s the perfect time to take on a crochet project. I loved making this boxy sweater as this granny square pattern uses up the many scrap balls of yarn I have hanging around in my yarn baskets. While I didn’t rely on a specific pattern for this sweater, I took some advice from YouTube crafters and used my daughter’s general body measurements to gauge the size for this garment. She is an extra small size but wanted a chunky, loose-fitting cropped style that she could wear over a long-sleeved t-shirt or turtle neck. Here are the two resources I used for general guidance.
I enjoy making handmade gifts so I’ve been crocheting items for the holiday season. Recently, I visited a local craft store to find buttons that would adorn some of my crocheted cowls and book covers. I was thoroughly disappointed with the selection and voiced my concern to my hubby. He quickly gathered up some fallen branches from our forested property and made me these fabulous buttons. He used a vice to hold the branch (circumference about 1”) and a hand saw to carefully cut the 1/4” buttons. Then he drilled holes using a 1/8 bradpoint drill bit to secure the buttons with yarn. (He often uses a radial arm saw to quickly made several buttons.). He then sanded the face and edges of each button. I will lightly finish these with mineral oil and our beeswax. I am in love with this rustic look! Can’t wait to attach them to my latest creations…
The greatest dilemma I face when traveling is “How can I travel with a few compact and relaxing crafts while I’m away from the amenities of home?”
Once a year, we travel to Disney World and I am often stumped as to what I can bring along that isn’t too complicated or oversized.
I have thought about bringing quilt squares to hand sew poolside but the sewing machine does a much better job of securing the blocks as opposed to my, less than stellar hand sewing skills. I have also thought about bringing along my long term crochet projects but most are large, cumbersome (blankets or scarves) and too hot to be draped across my lap in the summer sun.
This year, I visited a YouTube website and found a video for a super easy crocheted sock pattern and I was thrilled to find a project that I could easily travel with.
Here are a few other ideas I packed for soaking up the sun in a relaxed environment:
All were perfectly portable and helped me to find plenty to do as I relaxed in the sunshine of the Walt Disney World – Old Key West -Disney Vacation Club – Main Pool.
Who says Spring Break in Walt Disney World can’t be relaxing?! Once again, we had a “magical” vacation.
Last week I posted a picture and link for a beginner infinity scarf that I found on the web. As I had mentioned in the post, I am at the very bottom of the ability scale when it comes to my yarn, needlework and craftsmanship abilities. I stick with basic techniques and have to rely heavily on video tutorials (played over and over again) to grasp basic construction concepts. I have been so pleased with my new found skill for crafting the beginner infinity scarf that I have taken to making several different scarves with yarns of various weight and color for my family and friends. Honestly, these scarves are so quick and easy to make, it literally takes about 1 1/2 hours to construct this trendy accessory.
This week, I wanted to post another of my creations crafted with a different type of yarn but crocheted with the very same stitch as the blue patterned scarf that I posted last week. I wanted you to see what a difference yarn choice can make in the look and feel of the garment or accessory. Again, you can find the video here. This is a great little scarf as we move into the cold weather months in the Midwest. Don’t forget that this would be a fantastic Christmas present for teens, moms, teachers, and co-workers. Look for yarn colors to match college, high school or professional sports teams. Or, look for chunky yarns to match the trendy look of current retail scarves found in all the stores.
Here is the yarn that I used for this project. I also used an 11 mm crochet hook.
… Hand made, totally inexpensive and a thoughtful gift… Happy crocheting!
Simply Made Kitchen and Crafts 